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Another early morning, but strangely I'm very thankful to be awake at 4:20am. As I lay awake in the dark, the beautiful but haunting sound of the Muslim call to prayer begins a stirring in my soul. In the quiet of the morning my heart aches for the people of this city. I spend some time praying for them, and then the first rays of morning begin to peek over the mountain ridge so I climb out of bed and tip toe up to the roof to see the sun rise. It's a beautiful morning! I'm filled with hope for what the day holds. Soon the city begins to come to life, sounds of birds chirping, people talking in the distance and traffic in the streets. So I head back down to have breakfast with the team.
After breakfast we drive to the center and meet again with Abraham, a missionary who built the center and has been here working with the refugees for seven years. We play some games with the kids and act out a Bible story, then we are invited by Abraham into the home of a man named Ibrahim. As we walk into the tent city the “mayor” of the camp joins us. Ibrahim's invites us in and serves us cookies and soda. His story is like many of the others. After war broke out in Syria, he and his family fled for their lives. He lost both his brothers and his father in the war. His family has been living in the camp for five years but they have no papers (legal residence) and cannot live a normal life. They cannot leave the camp or risk being sent back to Syria or jailed. He is a contractor, but there is no work inside the camp. The women give birth here; the dead are buried here.
He has five children under the age of 10 years old, but there is no school for them to attend. As we talk about school, the mayor says he has land for a school but nobody to teach. I feel a sense of hopelessness in him. He even says we (the Syrians) are a burden to the Lebanese people. As we sit and talk with him I wonder how I would feel in this situation. I am assured that my comfort and my my hope are in Jesus, and I am realizing that he doesn't know the hope that is in Christ. I feel a sadness and compassion for this man. I ask the question, "Where does your hope lie?" His answer is in his children.
As we ended our conversation he said he is tired. He just wants to go back home. He is done. My heart is breaking for them, and at the same time I have so much hope for him. Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 NASB).
My desire is to see lives radically changed and Christ glorified. Will you join me in prayer?
- For the gospel to be unleashed
- That the hearts of the people would be changed
- For an indigenous church to be born
- For a school to be built that can also teach Christ
- For encouragement and support for the missionaries and partnering organizations working in the camps
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” - Matthew 9:35-38