Lebanon (MNN) — The Lebanese army redeploys to more than 120 sites across southern Lebanon as Hezbollah refuses to lay down its arms. Israel says it won’t withdraw from strongholds in the region until Hezbollah is disarmed.
Meanwhile, the people wait in limbo. Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says, “The majority of those (people) are living now in makeshift homes still in southern Lebanon, waiting for their towns and villages to be rebuilt.”
Lebanon’s Next Generation is especially at risk. Roughly half of Lebanon’s public schools were converted into shelters at the end of 2024 due to the war between Hezbollah and Israel.
“A lot of children count on ministries to provide aid to survive the hardship or education, and Heart for Lebanon provides both,” Melki says.
“We provide fun activities and educational material, and we help children deal with trauma, fears, and challenges.”
Heart for Lebanon’s holistic approach to education turns despair into hope. Learn more about that here.
“We offer counseling support, spiritual support, and we are always ready to answer this ‘Why?’ question: Why do you care? Why do you provide this aid for us? Why are you still working in southern Lebanon, where most agencies have left?” Melki says.
“The answer is always, ‘We are here to show you the love of Jesus Christ in meaningful and tangible ways.’”
(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)
Classroom lessons, chapel sessions, and afternoon Bible studies point to Christ, while the playground provides opportunities for children to live out what they’ve learned.
“We build biblical stories into our curriculum to address many character traits that we find in Scripture, such as forgiveness, encouragement, generosity, fairness, and equality,” Melki says.
“We also have fun activities geared toward using games and fun in a way that honors Christ,” he continues, “so even as children are playing in the playground or participating in a sports activity, we use the character traits to emphasize proper behaviors, like attitude towards others, winning or losing, and to play fair and have fun.”
Find out how you can partner with Heart for Lebanon here.
“Pray for the students we serve. Pray for their families, because the challenges are huge and prayers are essential for us,” Melki says.
“Also, you can sponsor a student and help provide financial support to our schools in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, or our scholarship program.”
Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon.
