Bringing Hope in Crisis: A Lebanon Update
As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, we’re reminded of the joy that comes from gathering with loved ones, sharing a meal, and giving thanks for the blessings in our lives. For many of us, this season represents a time of warmth, peace, and reflection on God’s abundant love. But in Lebanon, these holidays look very different this year…
What is the Situation in Lebanon?
Today, Lebanon faces a humanitarian crisis like never before. Already reeling from the Syrian Refugee Crisis, a severe economic downturn, and the lingering devastation of the Beirut blast, this resilient nation faces yet another challenge. More than 1.2 million people, mostly women and children, are now internally displaced, fleeing violence with nowhere to turn!
Families huddle in makeshift shelters, overcrowded schools, and abandoned buildings. Sometimes the situation is so dire that up to 700 people are forced to share a single bathroom, and often there is no running water or place to shower at all. In these conditions, diseases like scabies and cholera are spreading fast, adding to the desperation already overwhelming so many families. Despite unimaginable hardships, Call of Hope is on the ground, bringing relief and the message of Christ to those who are suffering the most!
A view of the destruction that now marks daily life in Lebanon.
Makeshift tents and crowded shelters once home to Syrian Refugees, now hold millions of internally displaced Lebanese Refugees.
Frontline Workers are not Discouraged by Danger
In the past few weeks, bombs have struck just outside our team’s front door. The director of our Lebanon team recently shared how his family was shaken by a blast mere yards away, rattling their home and filling his family with fear for their safety.
“We hear explosions every day, the tremors reaching our walls, reminding us that no place here is truly safe,” he wrote.
Our team’s day-to-day work brings them face-to-face with the devastation and danger that marks life in Lebanon today. Still, they continue to serve, often entering neighborhoods that have just been struck, offering urgent supplies, prayers, and New Testaments to those in dire need.
Our team encounters people who have endured profound loss. Many have had their homes and lives torn apart by violence, while others face daily struggles just to survive amid continual uncertainty.
Each day, our team members visit devastated areas, providing essentials like water, food, and bedding, along with New Testaments and Christian literature, as they seek to comfort and counsel those in despair.
Call of Hope Frontline Workers respond with mattresses, blankets, food, water and more.
Basic necessities are in scarce supply, but with the help of supporters like you, we can ease the burden on families this Christmas season.
When we deliver food and supplies, Frontline Workers always take time to pray and read scripture with families in distress.
Difficult Times in Lebanon Open Hearts to the Gospel
As they move through dangerous neighborhoods delivering aid, our team has been met with both gratitude and deep emotion. People approach us not only for physical relief but also for the prayers and encouragement our team offers.
“When we pray for peace, we see many moved to tears,” our team director reports. “Even those who once held us at a distance now listen intently as we share the hope of Christ.”
This openness is a powerful reminder that even in the most difficult places, God is at work, bringing hearts to Himself. Every day, new families accept the New Testament with gratitude, many for the first time in their lives!
As we approach the Thanksgiving and Christmas Season, we are reminded of God’s love and provision. In this time of reflection, would you prayerfully consider giving a “Parcel of Hope” to ease the suffering and shine the light of Christ to Lebanese families?
Our team prepares hot meals for the community, a small gesture that brings profound comfort to those in need.
As our team distributes meals, children who otherwise might go hungry, are fed and satisfied.
Small acts of compassion like these, have opened the door to conversations about Jesus, the bread of life.
Parcels of Hope
"Parcels of Hope" have become a lifeline for families left without basic supplies. Each $52 gift provides a family with essential items:
- Water
- Groceries
- Hot Meals
- Blankets
- Mattresses
- Heating Fuel
- Sanitation Supplies
- Medicine
- New Testaments and Christian Booklets in Arabic
For families with nothing left, these parcels are often their only source of relief. When we deliver these supplies, we are often met with tears of gratitude as parents and children alike experience a moment of security amid chaos.
Your support is needed now more than ever as our team in Lebanon works to meet urgent needs and bring lasting hope. For just $52, you can send a Parcel of Hope to a family that may have lost everything. Together, with your prayers and gifts, we can make a difference for those living through this tragedy.
As our outreach to the community expands, the response has been miraculous at the Call of Hope Center. Many have responded and have joined our congregation of believers in Lebanon.
