During the week of September 16_20, a group of doctors and nurses from Ireland ran a medical camp for refugees and the poor in Mansourieh and Tripoli.
Their suitcases heavy laden with clothing to donate, this team arrived ready to serve and bless the hearts of their refugee patients with unconditional love. These committed Christians drew help from their various congregations in Ireland to throw fundraising events and collect handmade clothing and blankets, allowing them to finance the entire trip, including the cost of all medical supplies, on their own.
Four doctors and two nurses came with the mission to visit the sick and hear their stories. Many of the patients’ afflictions originated from traumatic events they had experienced. Having previously arranged with the local pharmacies, the medical team was able to prescribe patients a variety of medications. The cost of the medicines was refunded by LSESD.
What was unique about this medical camp was that the medical staff took the opportunity to ask their patients if they could pray for them at the end of each visit, an offer that no one rejected. The team distributed free hygiene packs equipped with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and shampoo to the patients. The medical teams also invited patients to come back in the evening for songs and a message from the team.
Free Bibles were offered at the entrance of the clinic with a sign reading “If you would like a Bible, take one”. The patients were extremely grateful for the medical attention and loving care that they received since medical services in Lebanon are too expensive for most of them to afford.
The doctors and nurses were touched by these encounters, having come with the desire to support the local community and help the local church form deeper relationships with the refugee population as well as to return home with a renewed confidence to engage in relief work and help refugees within their own communities. What blessed them most about their work in Lebanon was the unique experience of being able to holistically minister to their patients—not only physically but also spiritually. Their experience was such a blessing to them that only a few days after returning home their hearts yearned to go back.
