Lebanon (MNN) — Last summer’s war left deep scars on Lebanon’s children. More about that here.
“A lot of children in the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon went through very traumatic experiences, seeing their loved ones being killed, seeing many villages being totally destroyed,” Camille Melki of Heart for Lebanon explains. “A lot of people had to flee for their lives.”
Now, a delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is holding steady, igniting sparks of hope for a more stable future in the region.
“Children who are now finishing school are looking forward [to] a normal summer, and we’re all praying for that, [a time] where children can spend their summer not worrying where the next bomb is going to come from [or how] their parents would provide for the next meal,” Melki says.
Through its Summer of Hope initiative, Heart for Lebanon is ministering to these young hearts. “It’s a summer activity full of hope,” Melki says.
“Hope for a prevailing peace that not only seizes the sounds of bombs and explosions but [also] an inner peace that we only find through accepting Christ as our personal Savior.”
Each Summer of Hope program focuses on a different theme. “Right now, we’re focusing mainly on traumatized children, vulnerable kids, children who are fearful of tomorrow, who maybe have lost hope in the world they’re living in,” Melki says.
“[They are] tired of the violence, tired of the hatred, tired of the message of death and destruction that they hear around them.”
(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)
By focusing on biblical character traits, Heart for Lebanon is seeking character transformation in the lives of Lebanese and refugee youth.
“Biblical stories highlight a particular trait that we find in Christ, a particular trait that we find in the Scriptures, and the Gospel that teaches us how to live the best life Christ desires for us,” Melki says.
Help Heart for Lebanon reach 1,600 vulnerable kids through the Summer of Hope. “Our target is to serve 800 [children] in southern Lebanon and 800 in the Bekaa Valley,” Melki says.
“Children who are vulnerable, struggling to accept reality, but with Christ, they learn how to deal with those realities, how they can conquer those fears, and how they can be Christ’s agents of change within their communities.”
Most importantly, pray. “The news out of the Middle East is always one of war and destruction,” Melki says.
“What I’d like our listeners to pray for [is] that the new news out of the Middle East would be one of peace and tranquility, one of a new future.”
Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon.
