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ABTS
The Lord’s Fingerprints
Six months following the Beirut Explosion, ABTS has helped a number of families to get back onto their feet. Despite the hardships, the Lord is still working through this calamity.
ABTS: A Shelter from the Storm
For many displaced victims of the August 4th Beirut Blast, the Lord has been using ABTS as a shelter. Injured, traumatized, and having lost everything, these people had no idea where they were being sent, just that they were going to a place that would host them.
Housing the Homeless: ABTS Welcomes 70 Displaced Persons
With the Beirut explosion leaving approximately 300,000 people homeless, ABTS decided to open its arms and its residences to those in need. Upon hearing the shocking news, ABTS staff and partners jumped into action to repaint, remodel, and fix up their student dorms to house those whose homes were destroyed.
Learning from a Distance: the ABTS Online Program
In the current world of social distancing, we are more than ever called to be the salt and light to others around us. Starting April 8th, we at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) will begin to provide online classes for our current residential students so they can complete their training from the safety of their homes.
BBS
Your Family, Wherever You Go
On July 6th, Beirut Baptist School celebrated the senior graduation of 64 students! It was a joyous night, not just for the students, but the whole community. To reach this commencement stage, these students faced above average challenges.
Staying Focused on My Call
“Yet I believe God placed me at BBS for a time such as this, and I believe He wants me to live with love, faith, and enthusiasm, not fear.”
Overflowing Nets: God’s Provision for BBS
The start of school is like New Year’s Day for educators: there
is something invigorating, and hopeful ushered in by the beginning of a new academic year.
More Than Just a School
“I recently received several calls from my children’s school and did not answer. I wanted to avoid embarrassment in case they were calling about my children’s tuition payments. When I didn’t answer they ended up sending me a message via email describing the actual purpose of their calls: they had a gift for all families. Today, when I opened it, I was surprised by the content of that gift.”
BCYM
Ordinary People, Extraordinary God
Georgette Issa has been in a wheelchair since the age of one. For her, leaving the house is a tough and pricey task. Not only must she pay for rides, but she has to check if there is electricity, so she can use the elevator to move in her wheelchair.
From Avoidance to Trust: Catholics & Evangelicals
On May 2, BCYM (Baptist Children and Youth Ministry) led a children’s event for over 170 youth! Invited by MIDADE Maghdouche and Abouna Chady, our team had the privilege to spend the day singing hymns, sharing Bible stories, crafting, and enjoying lunch with the community.
A Successful Return to Kids’ Camps After a Two-Year Interruption
Planning a kids’ camp in restricted health conditions was no small challenge. However, with the heartfelt calling of our partner, First Baptist Church Alexandria, a new hope arose.
From Broken Homes to a Home of Hope
Sara went from one broken home to another until one day she filed a complaint with the police and was given the chance to move to a new sort of home: a Home of Hope.
DMAH
You Can’t Hide the Church in Lebanon
“It was a joy to get to know those brothers, it was a privilege, considering especially the difficulty that they face and pastoring in an environment with so many people leaving the country,” said Folmar, “Pastoral ministry is hard enough as it is, but to be pastoring in this kind of environment, I really respect those men.”
The Voices of Arab Women
From February 4-5, Dar Manhal al Hayat (DMAH) hosted a writing workshop as part of their ongoing A Voice for Arab Women project—a three-year project that seeks to elevate the stories of women throughout the Arab world.
Cultivating Disciples in the Arab World
Only 20 years ago, there were only a few hundred followers of Christ in the Middle East and North Africa region. Now, we’re seeing miraculous growth, even in times of war and crisis. In light of these changes, there is a critical need for discipleship training and spiritual resources – for both new and mature believers alike.
Discipling the Arab World through Local Authors
Local writers are essential communicators of the Gospel because they wrestle with the same questions as the people in their churches and communities, which may be very different questions discussed in Western resources.
MERATH
“Sometimes We Don’t Have Food at Home”
On an early Monday morning in Anjar’s MERATH-supported church-based learning center, young Mazen came in with his classmates for a SKILD-facilitated session on psychosocial support. As part of a series on social emotional learning, that day’s lesson was on positively handling negative emotions.
Where Does Our Help Come from?
Lebanon has been enduring a severe and prolonged economic depression, and it is hard to imagine that the situation could still get worse. Yet it does, every single day, and an even bigger storm is coming.
Warding Off Winter Woes
After a relatively warm December, winter hit Lebanon and Syria hard in January and is expected to continue bringing heavy rains, hailstorms, and snow at higher altitudes. As many vulnerable families in both countries lack indoor heating, we are thankful for our local partners who have reached almost 10,000 families with winter items so far and helped rehabilitate 100 homes damaged in the Beirut explosion, among other much-needed assistance.
Love in the Time of Corona
The coronavirus is now officially spreading through Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria, as well as in other countries in the Middle East. This follows a harsh winter and unprecedented economic and financial crises that have already severely impacted the most vulnerable.
SKILD
Ideal and Beyond
“I am very excited to be at NDU. I will definitely do well on my first semester… Whatever [tests] Mrs. Lama gives me, I will do my best to get a perfect score…
I will do public speaking just like the TED Talks, so I am super excited to be at this university.”
“Sometimes We Don’t Have Food at Home”
On an early Monday morning in Anjar’s MERATH-supported church-based learning center, young Mazen came in with his classmates for a SKILD-facilitated session on psychosocial support. As part of a series on social emotional learning, that day’s lesson was on positively handling negative emotions.
Royalty in God’s Eyes: Night to Shine 2022
Every year in February, Night to Shine sweeps the world, bringing prom to individuals with special needs. It’s a joyful night to remind them that they are royalty in God’s eyes. With the support of the Tim Tebow Foundation, over 600 global sites hosted more than 100,000 individuals with special needs to illustrate God’s love for them.
A New Frontier: Extending Inclusion to Higher Education
For most young people, finishing high school is just another milestone to add on the wall of family pictures. But let us imagine for a second that all of this is not possible.
Devotions
From a Spectator Church to a Priesthood of All Believers
Instead of being overcome by despair, we realized that, in the same way Christ entered the darkness of our fallen world as “the light of men”, we need to be the light within the tunnel for those around us for “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Poetry: Light in the Tunnel
But there is light – light in the tunnel! Followers of Jesus Christ are in the tunnel: Keeping the Beirut Baptist School and SKILD going and growing!
A Hymn of Faith: “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”
This song was recorded on August 4, 2020 – the morning before the Beirut blast. Like the song says, we “don’t know about what will come tomorrow”,but our God does. There are many things we don’t understand, but we can trust in the One who holds our hand.
Are You Okay? We’re Focused On Him.
Faith grows in pain. We learn to surrender to Him when we feel helpless. We then fix our eyes on Him, and we plant a seed of hope.
Updates
Appeal: Sustaining Light on Campus
Lebanon has been living at the mercy of power cuts by the state provider and rationing of private generators due to fuel shortages. Public electricity is only available between 0 and 2 hours a day, while diesel has been in short supply and at a very high cost.
Exodus: The Existential Threat Facing Christians in the Middle East
Driven by increasingly desperate living circumstances and no visible resolution in the near future, a significant number of Lebanese have been forced to seek a sense of normalcy abroad.
Where Does Our Help Come from?
Lebanon has been enduring a severe and prolonged economic depression, and it is hard to imagine that the situation could still get worse. Yet it does, every single day, and an even bigger storm is coming.
8 Months Later
It’s been eight months since the August Port Explosion and what has Lebanon seen change since then? LSESD’s COO, Wissam Nasrallah, shares with us his thoughts on Lebanon and the direction that it is headed in.
Annual Reports
Impact Report – Oct 2020 to Oct 2021
Impact Report 2019-2020
The fiscal year 2019-2020 was an exceptional year for both Lebanon and LSESD. Find out more in LSESD’s 2019-2020 Annual Report.