ORPHAN’S PROMISE NEWSLETTER | JUNE 2017
The children before me appear to be typical kids, giggling and excited to perform for the friends and family members pouring into the sanctuary.
LOVE AND HOPE FOR REFUGEE CHILDREN by Karen Springs, Orphan’s Promise Manager for Europe/CIS and Middle East Projects
F
rom the third-row pew, I sit taking in the scene. There’s a children’s choir gathering on risers in the front of the church, a collection of pre-teen girls fixing their hair as they prepare to play the handbells, and a group of grade-schoolers practicing a rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on their recorders one last time before the program begins. As I sit watching all of this unfold, I am reminded of a dozen such recitals that I participated in during my own childhood. I also laugh to myself about the fact that the recorder is still being learned and played, and wonder who on earth ever thought this instrument made a lovely sound.
But unlike my childhood—which was spent in quiet, suburban America—these children have grown up knowing the realities of war. The dozens of children standing in front of me, eager to perform their newly learned musical pieces, are from Syria. They are children who fled with their families to neighboring Lebanon in order to find safety and escape the horrors of a civil war that has now entered its sixth year. BUT UNLIKE MY Now residing in Lebanon, these children are finding life to be far from easy. With over 1.6 million Syrian refugees fleeing to a country that has a population of only 4 million, resources and assistance remain an ever-growing challenge. In addition, no one is given the proper documentation that allows them to work or integrate into Lebanese culture.
“
CHILDHOOD—WHICH WAS
SPENT IN QUIET, SUBURBAN AMERICA—THESE CHILDREN HAVE GROWN UP KNOWING THE REALITIES OF WAR.
Women and children make up the majority of the refugee population, and access to education has been limited or nonexistent. Many refugee children have been left to roam the streets or find unofficial work in the hope of supporting their families.
It is a situation that on the outside can appear overwhelming and hopeless, but after spending a week on the ground in Lebanon I witnessed how the body of Christ is responding to the crisis. Believers are coming together and offering hope amid a desperate situation—and as a result, I witnessed first-hand how lives are being transformed.
Seven-year-old Ahmad* lost both of his parents in Syria and came with a relative to Lebanon as a broken child, despondent and withdrawn. Joseph,* one of the school leaders, shared how Ahmad has been transformed before their eyes through the work of the center. “He has accepted Jesus, and he is learning about forgiveness, and we are seeing hope return to his eyes again. These kids pray with great faith and they are seeing how God is answering their prayers.” As I spoke with Joseph, he explained how God is working in the middle of the crisis. “It would have been impossible to share the Gospel so openly inside Syria, and now the Syrians have come to us and are living among us; for this reason there is hope,” he said. “As the church, we are being given an amazing window of time to share about Jesus, and we must use this time while we have it. God is working in many hearts and it is clear that these are the days of the harvest.” *Names have been changed.
A main focus of aid has been providing education for children. Due to the high number of refugee children who have entered the country, education remains an evergrowing need. Without access to schools, kids are left to beg on the street or go out in search of work that often leads to exploitation. For the last several years, Orphan’s Promise has been partnering with a local ministry, Heart for Lebanon, to reach and educate Syrian refugee children. Children who have lost one or both parents remain the focus for providing education and family assistance. Thanks to faithful Lebanese believers who have a heart to reach these young people, 300 children are receiving a Christcentered education daily. Through the H.O.P.E. Educational Program (Helping Overcome Poverty through Education), non-formal education is being provided. The program gives children the opportunity to learn math; teaches them how to read and write in basic Arabic and English;
300 CHILDREN ARE RECEIVING A CHRISTCENTERED EDUCATION DAILY
and, most importantly, provides biblical character development and instruction. There are also opportunities for students to study art and music, which have proven to be avenues of healing for these children.
As I entered classroom after classroom, I was struck by how much joy these children demonstrated. Children who had seen more violence in their 7 to 14 years of life than I could ever imagine were singing about the love of Jesus— and were genuinely excited to learn.
Teachers shared with me that children who first came to the H.O.P.E program were often withdrawn and wouldn’t speak. But little by little, the layers were pulled back—and the children have learned to trust again. Day by day they are finding healing. They are also learning to live again. They are learning to forgive. And they are learning to love. I recognize what a privilege Orphan’s Promise has been given—to play a small role in helping educate a generation that will bravely shine Christ to their nation and culture.
P R AY F O R LEBANON 1.) For the Gospel to break through the culture 2.) For Superbook to empower the children 3.) For the Peace of Christ to reign in the Middle East
Karen Springs enjoying time with the refugee children in Lebanon.
The Promise
For years we have prayed that God would give us an opportunity to touch the lives of children and families in predominantly Muslim countries. Today, those doors have been thrown open by war and suffering, and God is meeting refugees throughout the Middle East with His love. The work we do is only possible because of your generosity, so on behalf of the Orphan’s Promise team, and all of the children we serve, thank you! CONNECT WITH US!
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Orphan’s Promise, a children’s ministry of The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., serves orphans and other vulnerable children around the world, taking them from at-risk to thriving through the transforming power of God’s love. CBN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization and your contributions to our ministry are tax deductible.