Today the vast majority of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, as well as more and more Lebanese citizens, find themselves impoverished and living with higher levels of despair than ever before.
March will be nine years since the start of the conflict in Syria. Today the vast majority of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, as well as more and more Lebanese citizens, find themselves impoverished and living with higher levels of despair than ever before.
One statistic that will upset you as much as it does us is that food insecurity affects 9 out of 10 Syrian refugee families in Lebanon. That fact alone gives the ministry of Heart for Lebanon a solid place to start.
But what we know is that – humanitarian aid by itself is never enough!
Without intention it becomes the end goal instead of the means to a greater end, a life changed by Christ. It must be done unconditionally and combined with genuine conversations, based on the compassionate heart of Jesus Christ (drawing people into a conversation rather than pushing them into a decision). If we do not do our best to serve basic needs, what right do we have to talk to people about their spiritual needs?
We might not increase the numbers of Syrian refugees involved in our humanitarian aid response to record heights this year, but we will be more strategic with serving people living in despair – showing them and bringing them the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It’s not the number of refugees we serve that really matters, it’s how many can we have conversations with and build relationships with. How many lives can we invest in? Can we show them, as Christians representing Christ, that they are not neglected in a meaningful way?
Someday, when the war in Syria ends and the refugees are able to go to their home country, it’s our aspiration to send them back as peace-builders that can develop Syria into a nation for good. The people we are serving today will be the mission-field leaders of tomorrow.
We must continue to provide unconditional, compassionate holistic care to each family. Not building dependency but rather trust and strength.
Your prayer and consistent financial investments allow us to build life-changing relationships. For that, we sincerely thank you.
