Sahar Smith

I was born in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to America with my family when I was just two years old. At the age of eight, I proudly became a naturalized U.S. citizen—on July 4th, 1976, no less—America’s bicentennial birthday. That same October, I made the most important decision of my life: I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. Just a few years later, in 1980, my world changed forever when my mother passed away in a car accident, just before my twelfth birthday. As the oldest and only daughter with three younger brothers, I suddenly found myself stepping into a role of much responsibility. It was in those tender, challenging years that I began to learn not only how to care for myself, but how to be a source of strength for others.

In 1988, I joined the Army and began serving in the intelligence field. Not long after, I got married and was deployed to the Middle East during the Gulf War as part of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I completed my military service in July of 1991, and soon after, I became a mother to two wonderful children—who are now raising families of their own. My husband and I have been married for nearly 35 years, and for the past 23 of those years, Chapel Springs Church has been our spiritual home.