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KIDS ALIVE LEBANON MINISTRIES
UPDATE
 Thank you for your prayers for Lebanon during
the past couple of months. We are thankful to report that all of the
children and staff from our programs are safe following the recent violence,
and that our property was undamaged. The ceasefire is holding, and the
country is starting to repair some of the damage that was caused during more
than a month of intense bombing.
While Lebanon has seen much suffering and destruction, there have been some
bridges that have been built that cannot be destroyed by rockets or
missiles. Many Lebanese Christians worked very hard to help and support
their non-Christian neighbors in their time of need. Two of the older boys
from Kids Alive Lebanon, Wassim and Shady, were very much involved in
helping to build these bridges and sharing the love of Christ during this
crisis. Here they share their stories…..
Wassim:
“Why are you just giving them to the kids? Give one to me.” This was the
demand of one of the adults who was watching Wassim handing out Christian
books to the refugee children who were camping in a local Baptist school in
Beirut. Wassim was worried that he was about to be in trouble - but instead,
this young man just wanted to read the books for himself!
Wassim spent nearly five weeks, leading a group of six young people from a
local theological seminary as they shared with around eighty children and
young people from displaced families camped in two schools and a conference
centre. During their programs they shared Bible stories, sang worship songs
and played Basketball with the kids. After a couple of weeks of building
relationships with the children, the team was able to share the gospel
message, and Wassim was privileged to lead about ten of them in prayer to
receive Jesus as their Savior. One young boy, after reminding Wassim of his
promise to get him a Bible, took his precious new book, and hugged it close
to his chest!
God has used this time to open doors and opportunities for Wassim and others
with him to visit these families in their villages in southern Lebanon. They
have plans to arrange future evangelistic sporting events and continue to
build on friendships, old and new, established through the grace of Jesus
Christ.
Shady:
Shady was one of around seventy people from his church, who spent weeks
preparing and distributing food packs to literally thousands of refugees
from the south of Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. Each day about
500 people would come to the church to receive food and help, and more than
1000 other people, mostly maids and workers who were staying at the Sri
Lankan Embassy, were helped. Shady slept at the church for nearly two weeks
during the war, so that he could be a part of this relief effort. As well as
receiving aid, these people also received the love of God in a practical
way, and Shady was excited to tell others about the people who accepted
Jesus, and went away with Bibles and a smile as well as food and toiletries.
He was able to go and visit many families in the surrounding suburbs of
Beirut.
Shady recently went on a couple of trips to a village in the far south, to
help take food parcels to more than a thousand families in need there. It is
a five hour journey to reach this village and as he describes the trip, past
destroyed buildings and over roads ripped up with huge craters, there is
sorrow on his face. “When we arrived we were surrounded by people asking for
food, medicine and money. It made me feel very sad to see my country like
this.”
Still, Shady has known the joy of serving and sharing and is excited about
his upcoming baptism, and the future. “We were working with many other
churches and seminaries and it was good to be working together” he says. He
also hopes to be a part of the long term plan to visit these families and
build on the great things that God has done!
PRAISE and PRAYER:
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PRAISE GOD for his protection of Kids Alive’s children and staff!
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That the ceasefire would continue to hold and that a lasting peace
settlement would be found;
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That positive links would continue to be built between Lebanese churches and
the community;
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For those who have been made homeless, and for the families who have lost
loved ones, that they would know God’s comfort.
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For a positive start to the new school year, which starts at the end of
September;
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For funding to open a new care center for children-at-risk in an area
affected by the war.
For more information about Kids Alive Lebanon,
contact our office at (800) KIDS 330.
Yes, I want to contribute to
the critical needs of our Kids Alive Lebanon ministries in this time of
crisis.
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All gifts made are tax deductible.
If you have questions about your donation or contributions, please phone us
at 1 (800) KIDS-330. |
2006 THIRD ANNUAL TURKEY TROT 10K RUN RACE RESULTS
 On
Thanksgiving morning, November 23, Kids Alive International hosted
their THIRD ANNUAL TURKEY TROT 10K RUN and “FUN RUN”/WALK. The proceeds
of this race help Kids Alive rescue 10,000 children in 14 countries
around the globe.
To view the 2006
Turkey Trot 10K race results click here.
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