It’s been over a year since the devastating explosion in Beirut left over 200 people dead and thousands injured. Thanks to your support, we were able to respond quickly. Our partners on the ground helped clean up, delivered aid packages, and talked and prayed with the people they encountered. 

Out of the visits came meaningful interactions and conversations with hundreds of people. Hasnaa and her husband were one of those meaningful conversations. They shared their need with our partners, telling them how this pandemic has been hard on them as a family. The team prayed for them and shared the gospel message with them. Hasnaa and her husband expressed interest when they were invited by the team to go to church. “Hopefully, one day, after the lockdown is over, we will join.” 

Our partners also had the opportunity to spend time with a lovely lady named Fadia, who lives with her son, daughter, and grandchildren. She shared that after the explosion her grandson started experiencing recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, requiring special medicines to help him cope. With the current state of the country’s economy, Fadia’s family was unable to afford to go to the doctor and buy the medicine from the pharmacy. 

“You have no idea how much you’ve helped us by bringing us this food pack,” Fadia commented. “You’ve taken off some of our burden, really, thank you.” 

Another meaningful conversation we had was with Salwa. It started off when the team received a frantic call from her, asking if they could urgently help her. She was so anxious while she waited, that she got very excited when she saw them heading toward her on the street., “You actually came! Other organizations would say they are coming but never show up, I’m just so happy you guys came to see my situation.” 

Salwa explained that it had been months since she could afford to buy food. “You have no idea how much I needed this and how I appreciate this food you brought,” she said through tears. 

While some of the team was talking to Salwa, another team member noticed a boy staring at him from inside, so he went to him. The boy was Salwa’s son. A team member sat with him and talked about basketball. The conversation moved to Jesus, how much Jesus loved him and that God has a great plan for him. 

Salwa told the team that she was happy that they had a spiritual conversation with her and her son. She shared, “I want my son to grow up and be like you. [To grow up to] love God the way you all do and to help others.” 

After prayerfully considering the situation in Lebanon and the people we are serving, our desire is to continue to provide until December 2021. We’ll continue to provide food packs for 400 families (an additional 100 families due to the worsening situation), medicine and medical treatment for those in need, along with minor house repairs,  basic home needs like beds, mattresses, blankets, and appliances.

There is still a lot more to be done. The people of Beirut are still dealing with trauma, unemployment, food insecurity, a lack of available medical treatment and heightened stress.

Will you partner with us so that we can do more to reveal hope and restore life for those who have been affected?

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After the Beirut explosion on August 4th, our local partners in Lebanon formed a team to help coordinate cleanup and repairs efforts. Six staff, 11 interns and disciples, and several volunteers joined the effort to visit homes, churches, schools and hospitals to help with cleaning and clearing the glass and rubble caused by the explosion. The team was able to join in the efforts to clean 120 homes, two schools, four churches and one hospital. 

They did a field survey of homes affected by the explosion and assessed ways they could help the affected families. The needs varied from urgent repairs to walls, doors, windows, glass replacement, replacement of appliances to personal needs like food, medicine, elderly and baby care products. Teams were divided into smaller groups that went back to these homes to bless families by helping provide some of their needs. 

They met Anna through a referral by a family that we were helping. Anna is a single mother who raised three boys on her own after her husband left them. She used to work at a school selling snacks and cooking for elderly people around her neighborhood. After the Lebanese Revolution started in October and the COVID-19 lockdown happened in March, she lost her job at the school due to school closures.

As if that wasn’t enough, she also lost her job cooking for the elderly after their families requested she stop to prevent possible spread of the virus. Anna was left without a job and has since struggled to afford food for herself, leaving her going to bed most nights on an empty stomach.

Then the explosion happened and Anna was left devastated and lost hope completely. When our team showed up on her doorstep with food packages, she was overjoyed. She hadn’t received this kind of help or generosity from anyone.

After the team fixed things around her house, they shared about who they were and why they do what they do. “We told her our aim is to show God’s love and tell everyone about Him,” explained our partner. “She was very open since she was from a Christian background.”

They spent time praying for her and when it was done she cried, “Your prayer is so beautiful from the heart. I don’t deserve it. I’m so far away from God and I’m not a good person. I don’t talk to Him or anything. But sometimes I look up and speak to Him but I don’t feel He listens to me.”

“God is close to you and He loves you,” they reassured her. “He has been taking care of you. Whatever you say, He listens to you. Keep talking and praying to Him.”

Anna was so touched that she invited the team to come back another time. Once they left, she sent them a voice note saying, “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for thinking about us and helping us. I’m so happy that everything in the food pack was what I really needed.”

The team has done 450 connections so far with the number expected to reach our 500 families target in the coming week. By early September, have visited 320 homes of the 420, blessing the people and providing repairs, food packs, medicine and the message of hope in a loving God who truly loves and cares for them. Of those they visited and blessed, 13 people made the decision to commit their lives to Jesus.

There is still a lot more to be done. The people of Beirut are still dealing with trauma, unemployment, food insecurity, a lack of available medical treatment and heightened stress.

Will you partner with us so that we can do more to reveal hope and restore life for those who have been affected?

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When we announced that we were working with local partners to respond to the crisis in Beirut, you stepped up to help. Because of your timely support, we have been able to provide relief and aid to families, individuals and churches that have been affected by the enormous August 4 explosion that left the city destroyed. Hundreds were killed, thousands were injured and hundreds of thousands were left homeless.

Our partners on the ground wasted no time, making sure to get out into the community to help clean up, deliver aid packages and spend time praying with the people they encountered. These acts of service provided even a little bit of hope for residents of the Lebanese capital, who have already endured multiple hardships, including a political and economic crisis, not to mention a global pandemic.

The Armenian Evangelical Central High School in Beirut was one of the buildings that sustained damage in the blast earlier this month. Our local partners spent two days at the school, helping clear broken glass and debris, and making sure to divide and sort for recycling.

They also spent time visiting houses in neighbourhoods in Ashrafieh (a district in Beirut), assessing the damage and cleaning up debris, as well as distributing aid including food packages, cleaning materials and care packages. Out of the visits came meaningful conversations with the people they interacted with. Every act of service provided the opportunity to share the love of Jesus and start to build authentic relationships.

There is still a lot more to be done. The people of Beirut are still dealing with trauma, unemployment, food insecurity, a lack of available medical treatment and heightened stress.

WILL YOU PARTNER WITH US SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE TO REVEAL HOPE AND RESTORE LIFE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED?

Give Today

The people of Beirut are still dealing with the aftermath of last week’s explosion, which left hundreds dead, thousands injured, and hundreds of thousands of people displaced.

This week, our local partners spent some time visiting neighbourhoods in Achrafieh to assess damage and help clean up debris. They also distributed food packages, cleaning materials and care packs while taking time to pray for the people that they encounter, helping to share God’s love in this devastating time.

We need your urgent help and partnership to support families and individuals in desperate need.

Will you partner with us to help reveal hope and restore life in Beirut? Your support will help make a difference.

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