“We invite you this Christmas season to prayerfully consider joining hands with us in spreading the light of Christmas among the children of Lebanon.“
At the Christmas event, I met a 9 or 10- year-old child who told me, “Jesus healed me!” His mom explained that when they came to Lebanon her child could hardly walk without leg braces. He had been suffering for some time and was scheduled for a hip replacement! When the mother shared her concern about the surgery with the church, the sisters and brothers prayed over the child. Soon after, the mother and child went to the surgeon for a pre-surgery appointment where, to their amazement, they were informed that the bone was healing and that there was no need for surgery. Today, the boy walks normally and without any braces. God is good!
Children are at the very heart of LSESD’s ministry, especially at-risk children! To start with, a considerable number of our children wrestle with special needs in a country that struggles with inclusion. Moreover, with Syrian refugees comprising one fourth of the population in Lebanon, the country continues to have the highest per capita concentration of refugees in the world. In fact, around 3.3 million people in Lebanon, i.e. more than half of the population (Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, other), are categorized as vulnerable with an estimated 2.7 million categorized as poor (UNICEF – Lebanon). About one third of these are 14 years of age and under.
Such is the challenging reality of our nation today and the context within which we serve. We invite you this Christmas season to prayerfully consider joining hands with us in spreading the light of Christmas among the children of Lebanon and reducing their vulnerability by:
- Keeping Syrian refugee children warm this winter
- Giving Syrian refugee children an education
- Contributing to scholarship support for high-at-risk Lebanese children
- Providing children with special needs with the appropriate individualized support
- Enabling vulnerable and refugee children to participate in spiritual and recreational camps
- where they can learn that they are precious in the eyes of God.
May they come to experience the true meaning of Christmas and the special place they hold in God’s heart! For every dollar received before December 31st, 2019, the amount will be matched 1:1 by an LSESD partner!
For every dollar received before December 31st, 2019, the amount will be matched 1:1 by an LSESD partner!
ALIA ABBOUD
Chief Development Officer | LSESD