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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
The Plight of Lebanon’s Teachers
While the compounding crises in Lebanon have impacted virtually everyone in society, there is another—less noticed—group that has been significantly affected by the nation’s crises: Lebanon’s teachers.
Prayer for BBS Teachers
On March 9th Lebanon celebrated Teacher's Day. This public holiday exists to express appreciation for teachers' dedication to their work and contribution to society at large. This month, please pray with us for the teachers of Lebanon. Pray for: Creativity as teachers navigate how to adapt their...
Alice Wazir: Leading BBS Forward
This year, BBS is adapting to a number of significant changes. To accompany the start of a new school year, LSESD decided to sit down and chat with Alice Wazir, BBS’s new principal.
BBS Students at Risk of Not Being Able to Finish Studies
This BBS has stepped up its scholarship program to help students affected by the economic crisis Lebanon is passing through. Meet some of BBS’s students who have benefitted from BBS’s tuition assisstance made possible by donors like you!
BCYM
Finding Jesus, the Healer
“From pain grew peace and love.” These are the words of 20-year-old Nour, a recent graduate of Home of Hope, a shelter for former Street Kids. Join us as she tells her story of how she met Jesus, the Healer during her time at Home of Hope.
BCYM Christmas in a Box
The Countdown to Christmas has begun at BCYM. Our team and volunteers have been busy printing, buying, packing and putting the final touches on the Christmas Camp in a Box just in time to distribute to over 1,000 special children across Lebanon.
BCYM’s Camp in a Box is Out of the Box!
Not letting the pandemic hold them back from sharing the Good News with kids across Lebanon, BCYM has successfully distributed 517 boxes via 30 channels, the majority of which were sent to specifically cater to children affected by the explosion.
BCYM Camp in a Box
BCYM has launched the Camp in a Box in order to share the love of God with vulnerable children during these troubling times.
DMAH
The Book of Revelation – a Comfort in Extraordinary Times!
The book of Revelation in the Bible is not, perhaps, the most obvious example of a comforting read during times of crisis. However, this was certainly the case for one reader, who was aided by our recent publication of the first two parts of Dr. Imad Shehadeh’s commentary series on Revelation.
Father, Forgive Us for We Have Sinned
When we wake up each morning, what’s the first item we lay our hands on: our Bibles or our smart phones?
DMAH: Pray for Multiplying Bread
Just as food is important to us, so is ‘feeding’ regularly on God’s Word. At Dar Manhal al Hayat (DMAH) we offer a range of daily devotionals to help people meet with God every day. We are especially excited about a devotional for girls that we plan to publish soon. Please pray that our...
A Heart for the City
The Gateway Bookshop is much ‘more than just amazing books’. From hosting internationally acclaimed authors, to providing a place of quiet contemplation, our retail bookstore now offers a host of options in addition to selling books and gifts.
MERATH
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.
Drops in the Desert
The war in Syria is far from over. Since early December, over one million people from the Syrian province of Idlib have been displaced with nowhere to find refuge. In other places that are considered “safer”, humanitarian needs have never been greater.
Welcoming Displaced Children in His Name
The Syrian crisis has dragged hundreds of thousands of children away from their homes and communities, forcing them to live in places where they face harsh living conditions, are deprived of educational opportunities, and do not feel welcomed. In this challenging context, our partner churches are answering their calling to welcome vulnerable children and their families and care for them, giving them a chance at a more hopeful future.
SKILD
SKILD’s Parent2Parent is Changing Lives
SKILD’s Parent2Parent was created as a support group that is a comfortable space for parents of special needs children to share their experiences and grow together. Watch Anna, a mother of a young girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder, describe her journey from despair to hope after joining Parent2Parent, where she found a listening ear after struggling with unanswered questions and fears for five years.
Door-to-door Day to Shine
Eyes still shining and hearts still warm, this year’s door-to-door Night to Shine had it all! With humbleness and gratitude, 15 SKILD volunteers prepared special parcels and visited 63 kings and queens with special needs and their families who welcomed them with big smiles as they shared the joy of having their children recognized for their potential.
350K+ Views for Educational Videos
Created as a instructional stopgap due to the COVID lockdowns, SKILD’s educational videos for parents with special needs have been going viral throughout the Arab world.
Finding Meaning in the Midst of Suffering
Engulfed by the world of unemployment, stress, and stillness, Walid found renewed hope in helping children overcome their trauma induced by the Beirut blast two months ago.
Devotions
We Are the Children of Hope
Pastor Joseph Kazzi shares about the power of the resurrection and its effect on the disciples. As a result of Christ’s resurrection we can be children of hope.
Reflections for the Lenten Season
In this video, our partner on the ground, Joe Bridi, shares his reflections on the Lenten season with us. He asks us important questions about how we are living our lives and how we are investing in our relationships with God and others.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Here we reach the eighth and final blessing Jesus offers in the Beatitudes. Continuing to shake up the status quo as He always had a way of doing, Jesus tells His followers about the seemingly ironic blessing of being persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God”
It seems very befitting to talk about peace during the Christmas season. If only we could celebrate Christmas all year long--we might even be able to achieve world peace! However, the word peace can mean different things to different people. It can be a feeling of calmness, a state of tranquility,...
Updates
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.
Light that Shines in the Darkness
It is hard to believe that the ongoing Syrian civil war started 10 years ago. This is an anniversary we all wish we did not have to commemorate. As the situation for families affected by the war keeps on getting darker, God’s light keeps on shining ever brighter through the relief ministry of our partner churches.
Op-Ed: A Time for Truth, A Time for Hope
In a world where we are bombarded with contradictory information and conspiracy theories are mainstream, Pilate’s question to Jesus, “What is Truth?” is more important now than ever.
On A Journey Of Hope
Thank you for the generosity you have shown over the last two weeks in partnering with us to strengthen the witness of the Church in the midst of the crisis in Beirut. Here's an update on LSESD's response: 40+ families are being provided with temporary housing in the ABTS residences along with...
Annual Reports
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.
