Lebanon
Located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon is the only Arabian/Asian country that doesn’t have a desert region. Beirut, Lebanon’s capital city, has a population of 2.2 million despite being only 7.7 square miles in size. Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims, Christians, and Druze are the main population groups in a country that has been a refuge for the region's minorities for centuries.
KEY CHALLENGES
Millions fled war in the Middle East with legal refugee status, but even more fled without the opportunity to request refugee status. This left them unable to legally work in the countries they found refuge in. Without any source of income, families set up temporary shelters in large refugee camps, completely dependent on aid. Lebanon hosts the highest number of refugees per capita, one out of every four (almost 1 million as of November 2019).
Our Approach
We were never intended to live in poverty, divided against one another, with little hope for peace. In the Kingdom of God, poverty, violence, division, and hopelessness will not exist. We believe the Church is God’s primary transforming agent in the world, and that the local church exists to make its community more like the Kingdom of God.
We partner with local indigenous leaders as they minister to the communities and cultures that they themselves are from. We start projects and programs in the hardest places and set up a plan for them to be self-sustaining in order for them to know independence and the value of reinvesting in their own communities.
Read on to learn how communities are being transformed in Lebanon.
RELIEF PROJECTS
Lebanon Relief - Through this food distribution project, Lebanese families were provided with a one-month supply of rice, flour, oil, powdered milk, and lentils to sustain them during a challenging time.
Tablets for Online Learning - One hundred tablets were distributed to school-aged children in Beirut, Lebanon to aid students in continuing their education and to alleviate some of their parents’ financial burden during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beirut Explosion Relief - After an explosion in Beirut, this relief project focused on cleaning up debris from the blast, helping families rebuild their homes, and supporting local businesses in the midst of economic hardship.
Global Context
People in the Middle East are no strangers to conflict between religious and cultural groups. Unfortunately, the poor and vulnerable experience the most suffering of anyone during war. Women, in particular, are mistreated while being left to carry the burden of their families.
Does the message of Jesus have anything to say about the way these women have been treated? You can learn more by checking out our curriculum: Restoring Honor through Shame.
