Stories

This article was published by Mission Network News. You can read the story on their website by clicking here.

Lebanon (MNN) – The circumstances surrounding refugee camps don’t often breed hope. Yet, hope is exactly what Jo, an English teacher with Triumphant Mercy, brings to her students.

A Place of Waiting

Two years ago, Jo was in a season of waiting. She had come to a place in her life where she didn’t know what to do. She was ready for a big change, to do something for God, but didn’t know what.

She says, “And so I was just laying it all on the table and saying, okay if you want me to go somewhere and if you really lead this way, if you really can, then show me. And I heard Him say, ‘Wait.’”

Jo explains that during that time God taught her about His love and what it looks like to trust Him. To teach her this lesson, she needed a season where only God knew her next steps.

A Time to Go

She became content in her waiting, then without warning, God began to show her what her future held. Jo says, “Suddenly on a random Sunday morning, I walked into Church and Nuna was there. The church there had been praying with her for some of the situations here, in the refugee camp, and she wanted to come and update them about what had been happening. And so, I just happened to hear her update and thought, ‘This has nothing to do with me. This is for sure not where I’m called.’”

Photos Courtesy of Triumphant Mercy

But it was. After praying, talking with people at Triumphant Mercy and visiting the Beqaa Valley, she knew where God was leading her.

“It was very much just a go. Okay then, well then I’ll obey and I’ll go and see where it takes me when I’m there. And now I’ve been here two years and I really feel the Lord’s leading to put things into place to stay for a longer time than I have. So, I’m here for the time being, but I have no idea what that will look like in the long-term.”

Bright Hope for a Dark Place. 

The call is clear to stay for now, but that doesn’t mean it is always easy. Triumphant Mercy is running informal schools for Syrian refugees in the Beqaa Valley. Many have seen very difficult things as they escaped with their families into Lebanon.

Yet, Jo senses God’s presence overcoming the dark situations.

“At one point, I felt like I had a picture when I was praying on some time out from being here, of this huge wall of darkness. And I felt like God asked me to come to this place that feels so close to this wall of darkness. But in recognition of who He is, I wouldn’t respond the way you would respond to the darkness. But I would respond the way I would respond to my dad who is God, and who is able, and who gives me joy and freedom and life.

“And so it was this picture of me dancing. And just the blindness when we look into His face to that wall of darkness and it’s not the same as denial, but it’s letting who He is conquer that sense of impossibility. And recognizing that the work is just 100% His.”

Help Bring Hope to the Beqaa

The battle to see God’s hope in dark places is real. Please pray for the teachers in the Beqaa as they seek to shine light into tough situations. Pray that the students learning in Jo’s classroom would see the source of her hope. Jo also asked that while praying for the conflict to end is good, people should pray for the students as individuals who have hopes, dreams and need the love of Christ.

If you want to learn more about Triumphant Mercy’s ministries or help support their continued work in refugee camps in the Beqaa, click here.

Stories

This article is published by Missions Network News. You can read the article on their website by clicking here.

Lebanon (MNN) – Winter is expected: colder temperatures, snow, and ice.  A winter storm brings that plus a few additional surprises, surprises that aren’t welcome in the Syrian refugee camps in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, home to hundreds of thousands.

In the eight years since Syria crumbled into civil war, more than a million Syrians fled to neighboring Lebanon hoping to find safety. They found that, but they also discovered crippling poverty. For a while, the only ones helping were the Christians.

Triumphant Mercy-Lebanon’s (TM-Lebanon) Nuna says the ministry began in 2006 to help Lebanese who were fleeing Hezbollah. From that first step, TM-Lebanon has demonstrated the ability, time and again, to adapt quickly to changing realities on the way to building a stronger community. Yet, this ongoing humanitarian crisis tests their greatest strength.   TM-Lebanon started their responseto the refugee wave with emergency food packs, expanding into education centers, warehouses, community centers and into Syria.

Winter Storm Norma

(Image capture of Norma winter storm surge courtesy YtNature)

As recently as last fall, Syrians were being encouraged to go back,  and some were considering leaving or making plans to leave Lebanon.  Then, winter storm Norma hit, packing heavy rain and snow on Tuesday that turned streets in Lebanon into rivers of water and mud.  The UNHCR  says the storm seriously damaged 66 refugee camps and destroyed 15.

Nuna tells us, “All the refugees who are living under tents, or who are living in unfinished buildings were really severely hit by this storm, because it was really windy.  It’s very cold wind, with no real windows, no real shelter, and also, water coming into the tent because of the heavy water, the mud.  Many of the tents have mud inside.”  The storm was a setback for many refugee families.  “Some of the tents are like shacks, so the winter snow is heavy on the roof, and some of them had their roofs collapse on them, so they had to find refuge in neighboring tents and they had to rebuild, again.”

She says it’s like starting from scratch. Some of the flooded tents saw mud and water destroying what few possessions the refugees had: mattresses, bedding, clothing, food.  Some tents were completely submerged. “You feel helpless, in some cases, because how much can you help? How many roofs can you build?” Nuna goes on to say,  “All the resources they might have had when they came, maybe they’re completely gone. Kids are growing, they have new babies, families are growing, people are getting married and the resources are so little. What they’re building is really…a shack.”

A Forgotten Crisis

There’s just not enough food, clothing, and shelter. Getting donor support has been challenging because the crisis has fallen off the front page, but Nuna says while the refugee crisis has changed, it hasn’t gone away. “We have to remember that these people are growing in numbers and they’re growing in needs and even though much help has been given, it’s consumed and we have to rebuild again, now.”

Aside from the logistics of meeting emergency needs, there are spiritual needs that weigh heavily, too. Nuna and her staff take the time to listen to the stories of the Syrian refugees, to hear their  hopes,  of their lost dreams and what’s left of their future. As a result, “They know that we have the compassion of Christ that is compelling us to do something. Jesus says ‘when you see somebody who is hungry, you give him food; somebody who is in prison, you visit him.’ So, when you see somebody who has no shelter, you just do something about it. When you see somebody who has no clothes or shoes, you do something about it.”

Hope For A Future

(Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy International)

When the refugees spy a Triumphant Mercy van, they see people coming to them, as Christians, opening their hands, extending a hand of help. It speaks volumes, explains Nuna, adding that she wants other believers to be praying, “That God would just have His way in the midst of misery, that He would be the hope of people and that He would just show them that they are precious in His eyes.”

One last thing:  they’re asking for financial help, but the team also needs revitalization. “Also pray that all the people who are working with the refugees, that we would have the human resource, the financial resource and the strength to continue (because it’s draining)….so, a renewed strength, a renewed vision.”

Renewed strength and vision are focal points, especially now that increasing demands face the ministry team. By the way, this weekend’s forecasts calls for more cold temperatures and rain.

 Header photo of Syrian Refugee Camp in December, courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon.