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 specialized on-site medical care, food and trauma counseling.
- MERATH has already provided food vouchers for 200 families will be increasing as funding allows. They have also:
- Distributed 6000 ready meals to affected families in Beirut
- Trained 20 partner churches/orgs on the ground in crisis management
- The SKILD team is preparing the playground space on the LSESD/ABTS campus to be used by traumatized children, thereby giving parents a break.
- BCYM is providing 15-day activity kits to kids affected by the disaster
Where is God in all of This?
Elie Haddad, President of ABTS shares: “Part of the wonder of God is that, not only does He listen, His heart no doubt bleeds for Beirut and its people with unconditional compassion and love, and He reveals Himself in fresh new ways in the middle of our anguish. There isn’t enough space here to record all that God is doing, nor can we comprehend the vastness of God’s actions.
Churches and ministries immediately sprang into action. If you go to Beirut today, you don’t have to look far to see the hands and feet of Jesus. I can see God in the goodness of countless Lebanese who took to the streets to clean, help, feed, and comfort the distressed. It’s easy for us to identify the evil in people who are away from God. However, we are now learning to see and recognize glimpses of the image of God in people all over the streets of Beirut. I can see God in the response of His people.”
You can read more from ABTS’ most recent newsletter here.
Thank you for standing with us. Here are some things you can continue to pray for:
- Strength for our staff, provision for every need, wisdom and discernment to know how to prioritize among pressing needs.
- The families who have lost their homes and loved ones. The injured, the health workers who are caring for them, and the rescue teams who are looking for missing people.
- The overwhelmed hospitals across the country and especially for those that were partially destroyed.
- LSESD and ABTS staff and faculty who suffered from the consequences of the blast. We praise God that none of them are physically hurt, but they have suffered material loss to a varying degrees, and some of their loved ones have been hurt.
- A new government. Leaders who are competent and transparent, serving the people rather than their own interests. Pray that they have wisdom and strength to manage the catastrophic human and economic consequences.