In Turkiye, economists and government officials expect damages from the earthquake on February 6th will cost more than $50 billion lira ($2.6 billion USD).

Child Evangelism Fellowship has national staff in both Syria and Turkiye. One of their workers in Syria wrote, “We, just now, found a place to stay. But there’s no food, freezing temperatures, and the children are like ice. We are ministering to 700 children and the parents.

“The parents say there is no food here for their children. There are still several tremors an hour and one mom told us that she has not slept in 5 days. It is beyond rough. Please pray for us.”

(Photo courtesy of CEF)

Lydia Kaiser, a spokesperson with CEF, also relays this message from local partners: “‘Everyone needs cover, food, and the little ones need diapers. The children are so cold, tired, and afraid, they can’t eat and they wet themselves. I don’t know how to keep my children safe. It’s below freezing outside so I’m afraid they will die from the cold. But if we go in, I’m afraid the walls will come down on us.’”

In the midst of tragedy, local Christians are sharing the comfort of Jesus. CEF works with national believers who, of course, know the language, culture, and how to effectively share the Gospel with kids and their families.

CEF workers around the world have organized Hope for Turkiye/Syria with a plan to distribute backpacks called Bags of Hope.

Bags of Hope contain food, toys, school items, and CEF’s “Do You Wonder Why?” booklet — which answers questions kids have in crisis and shares the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Kaiser says, “We request prayer that we will be able to get our ‘Do You Wonder Why?’ booklet printed in the vast quantities needed [and] in the language needed as soon as possible. They are being printed right now, but a lot is needed and the distribution is difficult.”

You can support CEF’s urgent ministry into Turkiye and Syria by giving here.

(Photo courtesy of CEF)

Please also pray for kids and their families who are still reeling a month since the earthquake. Pray for those who need physical aid to be connected with resources. And above all, ask the Lord to be near those who are grieving and shelter them with compassion and comfort.

Header photo courtesy of CEF.

Sadly, not all kids are prepared for the school year. Things like backpacks and pencils are luxuries for struggling families. This is especially true of kids living in refugee camps in Lebanon.

Heart for Lebanon offers informal education to refugee kids through their Hope Centers in Lebanon, and Molly Hawkins says they see the struggle firsthand. In addition to a lack of resources, even the school supplies refugee kids do have often wear down quickly.

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

“If we come home and we put our briefcase or our purse or our backpack on a clean chair in our nice, clean house in the corner, or even if we leave it on the floor, the conditions we live in are just so much more sanitary than where they live. Things really don’t last as long. They get dirty very quickly, and just with wear and tear, things don’t hold up.”

That’s why Heart for Lebanon is hosting a Back-to-School Match to raise funds for school supplies for refugee kids. Thanks to a generous donor, every dollar given will be doubled, up to $10,000! This is the last week you can give to this initiative!

With the potential to raise $20,000, there is a lot of good Heart for Lebanon can do with that money.

“We love to give out backpacks to all the students at the beginning of the year filled with the supplies they need — so, filled with paper and markers and pencils and workbooks,” Hawkins explains.

“Also, we like to be able to supply things for like art class or when they go to chapel. A lot of times there is a craft that goes along with the story they have heard. Also for gym class, [we supply] the soccer balls and basketballs and just gym equipment in general.”

Many refugees in Lebanon don’t have formal asylum seeker status. This means they are limited in the aid available to them and it’s harder for parents to make sure their family has basic necessities.

“Their parents just don’t have the means to buy anything for them, so whatever we can do that will help [refugee students] learn now and succeed in the future, we want to do that.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

Heart for Lebanon works with approximately 300 refugee students at their three Hope Centers. Every teacher that serves at a Hope Center is a Christian eager to demonstrate Jesus’ love for these kids.

“We believe that God is great and that He is creative, so [we want to] see children develop that part of them and then explain, ‘There is a God that created you exactly the way you are. Look at how creative He is to be able to have made this whole entire world and you. That’s where you get it from. You can use your gift for His glory. You can use your gift to bring other people joy and happiness.’”

In addition to education, a major way they teach refugee kids about God at the Hope Centers is through chapel time. Each chapel covers biblical characteristics and leadership traits. Every month, students learn a biblical value such as generosity or integrity or honesty, and teachers try to emphasize those virtues in the classroom.

Hawkins shares one story of a young female student. “She was super quiet. She never really said anything. She didn’t really ever seem to enjoy anything, especially not chapel.

“One day at the end of class, the teacher handed out papers and asked the students to write what they love the most. Surprisingly, the student wrote, ‘I love chapel. I used to not like it. I didn’t really believe it, but now with your patience and hearing all the stories about Jesus and how much He loves me, I look forward to chapel more than anything else.’”

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

Hawkins says this message to refugee kids — that they are loved by God and that their lives have meaning — is contrary to what they normally hear.

“We don’t want to just throw them away like other people do. They have a purpose. So these [school] materials will help us to show them how they were made and how loved they are and what they can do.”

Of course, there are always families in every community who need help equipping their children for school. This struggle is not unique to refugee communities.

However, Heart for Lebanon’s Tom Atema says the need in our own backyards shouldn’t stop us from responding to the need outside our borders as well.

“I don’t think it’s either-or. I think it’s both. I think we have an obligation to help people in our own backyard, our own Jerusalem, and then go to Samaria and eventually go to the outermost parts of the world.”

Hawkins adds, “We definitely want people to help locally, but if you have a heart for the Middle East, then we definitely want to talk to you. Really at this moment in time, Muslims are more open to the Gospel than ever before… This is our opportunity to reach out in love and to show them exactly what Jesus did.”

Atema encourages believers to really seize this opportunity and respond to what God is doing in the Middle East — especially among Muslim refugees and this young generation. “The 300 [students] that we deal with is a small drop in the bucket, but we have the capacity to do more. We just need more prayers and investments.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

If you would like to give to Heart for Lebanon’s Back-to-School Match and see your gift doubled, click here!

Then, commit to praying for this ministry. Atema says, “I’m asking for prayer for our teachers, that they’ll have wisdom, they’ll have strength, they’ll have God’s protection as they deal with all the different situations.

“The last prayer request I would have is for the children themselves — that many of them, number one, would come to faith in Jesus Christ. But number two is, as they grow in their faith in Jesus Christ, they will not get discouraged, they will not lose hope, they will not lose that passion that they have — believe me, they have it — of what they want to be, that their dreams will be fulfilled in a positive, God-honoring way.”

(Header photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

Amy Norton of Orphan Outreach says education is essential to eradicating poverty and providing a better future for not only the children but their communities as well. So the ministry is hosting their annual Mission Backpack drive for school supplies, backpacks, and more.

(Image courtesy of Orphan Outreach)

Norton says, “It’s just so important for these kids. For example, in Guatemala, if you don’t have a school uniform, you can’t attend school. This goes for all the schools there. Same thing in Kenya. If they don’t have a uniform, they’re actually not allowed to go to school. So part of our Mission Backpack funds actually help buy the clothing that’s needed for these kids to be able to attend school.”

More than 3,800 children are currently involved in the educational programs of Orphan Outreach in Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, and Latvia.

Norton says the programs include both traditional school environments and after-school programs. “We have a lot of after-school programs too, for children. We’re trying to help them to be able to do well in school.”

(Image courtesy of Orphan Outreach)

Norton says there is a Gospel-centered approach to the education the children receive – and a special gift inside each backpack.

“Every child receives a Bible, and that Bible goes home with them. So not only are they receiving the Gospel there at school, but they’re also taking taking those Bibles back home to their families. And as they’re working on schoolwork, they’ve also been sharing what they’re learning in school with their families, so it’s also reaching out to the community as well with the Gospel — even through the school.”

The program provides two ways for people to contribute. School supplies and new backpacks are collected by churches, schools, community groups and individuals, and are then delivered to the ministry’s U.S. headquarters in Plano, Texas. “We have mission teams deliver those supplies throughout the year,” shares Norton.

(Image courtesy of Orphan Outreach)

But she says the preferred donation method is through financial contributions designated for the program. According to Norton, those donations help more than the student. Materials are then purchased in the countries themselves, lifting up the local community as well.

“$24 will purchase a backpack and school supplies for one child,” shares Norton.

In addition to donations for Mission Backpack, Norton says prayer is essential. “Especially be praying for these children as they are beginning a new school year. Pray for the staff in the schools where we partner and serve. The staff and the leadership in the schools, they certainly need to be lifted up in prayer all the time. It’s very exhausting work, and they’re working with a lot of kids from very needy families.”

And she asks that Orphan Outreach be lifted up in prayer as well, for much-needed resources to be provided as they continue to serve orphans and vulnerable children around the world.

Learn more about Orphan Outreach’s ministry efforts here, and donate to Mission Backpack today!

According to Campus Crusade for Christ's Guatemala Country Director Anibal Duarte, "There are 26 teams showing the film 'JESUS' around the country, working in 10 different languages."

The "JESUS" film is the dramatized book of Luke dubbed and created for 1,129 languages around the world. The drama has been seen billions of times, and millions have come to Christ in every nation on earth.

Team members used to have to carry a heavy film projector, generator, and screen to show "JESUS." Now, through new technology, a single "JESUS" team member can carry the equipment in a backpack. "We have right now eight backpacks. They walk, sometimes hours and hours. Sometimes I hear of teams walking 12 hours."

These backpacks are allowing "JESUS" team members to penetrate jungle areas who may not otherwise hear the Good News of Christ.

The first film team has planted 81 churches going from village to village to share the story of "JESUS." But planting a church is only the first step. These congregations are followed up and grounded in their faith. As these groups are established, Faith Comes By Hearing provides a Proclaimer. It's a digital audio player with the dramatized New Testament in their language.

Sometimes the only pastor they have is the very film team member who showed them the film "JESUS."

However, more "JESUS" packs are needed. Your support of $50 will help reach up to 500 people with the Gospel. Your gift of support will make an eternal difference in the lives of many.

Click here to get involved.

Orphan Outreach is launching Mission Backpack to bring donated backpacks and the Gospel to the children in Haiti. Backpacks will also be distributed to local kids in Florida and in the Navajo Nation of Arizona. They are partnering with Moody Radio Florida, Moody Radio South Florida and WAY radio for this evangelistic outreach.

Amy Norton with Orphan Outreach says, "We have found, in all of our work internationally, that children have to have a backpack to go to school just like they do [in the U.S.]. And they need school supplies to be able to put in it. [In] so many countries, if they do not have a backpack, they can't go to school."

The children in Haiti are no exception. Mission Backpack is working with World Harvest Missions established in Haiti to distribute donated backpacks. Norton says, "[World Harvest Missions] was so grateful to have the backpacks this past year–after we did the drive in Florida–for the children."

In the wake of tragedy, hope is hard to come by, especially for the kids in Haiti. "Things are desperate there," Norton explains. "People thought that things were so bad after the [earthquake]. But it's gotten so much worse that so many children are suffering from sickness and illness and have no place to sleep, and no parents."

The hope of the Gospel can change lives. While providing backpacks to the needy kids in Haiti, Orphan Outreach is also opening doors for the message of Christ. Backpacks will be equipped with hygiene kits, a Bible, and a stuffed bear from Family Christian Stores.

The team distributing the backpacks, as well as the staff with World Harvest Missions, keeps the focus on Christ as they minister to kids in Haiti. "All of their ministry is done with an evangelical focus as well as humanitarian aid and assistance. So the Gospel message is definitely shared with each backpack that is delivered," says Norton.

There are collections going on both in Texas and Florida. Texas drive sites are already collecting between now and July 31; Florida sites will be collecting between July 25 and August 14. They have an overall goal to have 3,500 backpacks donated by the end of the drives.

You don't have to directly donate a backpack to a collection center in order to get involved. You can go online to the Orphan Outreach Web site and purchase a backpack to donate. The cost of providing one fully equipped backpack is $20.

All backpacks will be collected by the end of August and sent down by container with a team from Florida Baptist Children's Home. The kids in Haiti will get their donated backpacks and supplies by the start of school in the Fall.

Please pray for successful backpack drives for Orphan Outreach. Pray also for the kids in Haiti who will be hearing the Gospel message as they receive their supplies. Pray that God's love would change the hearts of these kids and draw many into His kingdom.

That's why Kids Alive International sent a container of three
playground sets to the Dominican Republic. The container arrived on August 2,
after a month or so of preparation in the U.S.

Brian Veen with Kids Alive has been a missionary to the
Dominican Republic since 2009, and he said the container also included 150 desks, a
dental chair, supplies to outfit a dental office, and $20,000 worth of medicine.
With these desks, Kids Alive will be able to equip five new classrooms and
educate 100 new students.

But that's not all. Veen said, "It included 250
backpacks–the majority of which are going to Haiti to supply our children
there and allow them to go to school in the fall. Many of these children are
refugees from the recent earthquake disaster."

Giving these kids a chance to return to school or attend for
the very first time will not only restore a sense of normalcy to their lives,
it will give them more opportunities to overcome poverty and impact their communities
in the future.

In fact, Veen said, that's the goal of Kids Alive
in both countries: "The kids in our programs are given all of the basic
needs: health care, food, an education. And at the same time, we teach
them about the love Christ in their lives. Ultimately, we hope that these kids
will grow up as mature members of their own community, and that they'll have
the opportunity to give back to children just like themselves."

To keep this work going, Kids Alive needs help with child sponsorships. Click here to sponsor a child from Haiti or
Dominican Republic for just $35 each month.

Also, pray for the ministry of Kids Alive to continue to thrive
in both countries.

"What we were doing with them is involved in a ministry project to make backpacks for kids through GlobalFingerprints, the EFCA's sponsorship program," explains Jill Hall. Hall, the GlobalFingerprints Program Director, helped coordinate the Red Backpack Project at the conference.

"The Goal was for the students to make 5,000 backpacks over four afternoons," says Hall. Students were in an 11-step assembly line process to work on sewing straps, zippers, or just adding lacing. Volunteers were standing by to ensure quality and to help kids out who weren't as experienced with sewing. By the end of four afternoons, 5,000 red backpacks had been completed.

Students had incentive to complete the backpacks. At the beginning of the week, they were shown a video of the GlobalFingerprints sponsorship program to help them understand the incredible needs kids were facing around the globe. Teens understood that their work was for the purpose of helping those in need and spreading the love of Christ. "We really positioned the whole sewing project as an act of worship," adds Hall.

The completed packs will be sent with soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, pencils, pens and notebooks to needy children in the GlobalFingerprints program in Democratic Republic of Congo as well as in India. Some of the backpacks will also be distributed through the EFCA's various ministry partners in Haiti, since GlobalFingerprints does not have an official sponsorship program in that country.

The hope for these packs is that "ultimately there would be life transformation as a result of the giving of the bags and the ministry that surrounds them, that the [recipients] would know why the bags were given: because Christians in America–teens in America in this case–really do want to do something to share God's love with them."

Pray that as these backpacks reach children, many would be filled with hope and would put their trust in the Lord.

Click here to learn more about the EFCA's GlobalFingerprints sponsorship program.

"The war has created, I think, a unique opportunity for us as
believers to come alongside believers in Iraq, and to reach out to these
families — the orphans, the grandmothers, the widows, who have been affected by
the disaster and the war," said Zook.

GAiN's partners provide food, clothing, and
shoes along with Bibles and JESUS films. Backpacks and school supplies also open doors for Gospel ministry.  

"Our key contact has said, 'You don't
understand how key this is — not only meeting the need, but also building
relationships, building credibility, and giving us an open door into this
village,'" Zook explained. 

Sometimes a village may be closed
to the Gospel, but doors open when Christians reach out with backpacks and
school supplies. GAiN's partners often
bring in religious material and coloring books with Bible stories along with
the backpacks. 

"One of the schools, I heard, was
using some of the Bible stories as part of their curriculum," Zook said.  "One of the Christian leaders in the
community was actually asked to come in and be a substitute teacher, to teach
about ethics — of course, based on the Scriptures and on the life of Christ. So, a simple backpack with some school supplies
can do incredible things." 

When the Christians distribute
food or other supplies, they keep Bibles and films about the life of Christ on
nearby tables. God uses all kinds of
unique situations to work through this. For instance, one man picked up a JESUS film at a medical clinic and put
it on his dashboard, even though he wasn't really interested.  An hour later he came back to the clinic,
telling staff the film had saved his life. 

"He said, 'I drove out, I came
to one of these false checkpoints, and I was of the wrong brand of the majority
religion there,'" Zook related. "'My name
indicated that I was a candidate to be shot.'"

The man panicked, knowing he
would soon die unless he could find a way to escape. But when the guard saw the film, he said, "Oh.
you go on, you must be one of those dirty Christians," Zook said. "And so [the man] came back and said, 'I've
got to watch this film now.'" 

GAiN's partners also serve people
like one woman who recently moved with her family to a new city. A ten-year-old girl had walked into her home
and shot the woman's husband, disabling him. Now
the woman was trying to care for her husband and three children in a new city,
with no support. This woman was
profoundly grateful for the food provided by the Christians in the city and wanted
to learn more about their beliefs. 

Iraqi Christians need your help
to continue reaching their neighbors with the Gospel. You can provide backpacks and school
supplies, shoes, and bags of blessing for them to distribute. 

Orphan Outreach is just one organization that's trying to help meet these needs. Their approach is to conduct backpack drives around U.S..

Communications Director for Orphan Outreach Tiffany Taylor says Guatemala is just one country they're targeting this year. "In Guatemala, children start school in January. So we have just completed a number of our Mission Backpack campaigns. East Texas has collected about 500 backpacks that we need to get to those children when they start their school year in January."

How do they deliver these backpacks? Taylor says, "We're looking for looking for people who will come along with us to help us pass out those backpacks along with the love of Christ to these children."

If you've never gone on an overseas trip before, Taylor says, "This is an awesome opportunity for individuals and families.  This team will be going to Guatemala City to minister and pass out backpacks and school supplies all over the Guatemala City area."

Following the backpack distribution each day, the team will spend time in an orphanage. "This orphanage has so many needs. They will be doing a vacation Bible school program for those children and really be able to share Christ with these kids, too."

This is a great trip for homeschool families, singles, and anyone else who's ever considered going on a trip, says Taylor. A limited number spots available. "We're hoping to have 20 people go," she says.

With a poor economy, you may be thinking you won't be able to raise the money needed to go. Taylor says they've seen over and over a large number of people who have been able to raise their support.

Bottom line, Taylor says, "If we don't have a team going, these kids are not going to be able to get their supplies, and more importantly, they are not going to learn about God and His plan for their lives unless we have team members willing to go and help pass out these backpacks."

The deadline for trip registration is October 16th. "It's really important to get your information in now, to let us know you're interested, and to ask us more questions. You can do all of that at our Web site."

To get more information, click here.

However, that hasn't stopped Russian Ministries from reaching out to needy and troubled children in the region. Speaking from Russia, Russian Ministries' Paul Tokarchouk says they did it this time through their Backpacks of Blessing.

Tokarchouk says they started their trip in Ingushetia, just north of Georgia. They were invited by the ministry of social affairs to visit a juvenile rehabilitation center in this predominately-Muslim region of Russia.

Included in the Backpacks of Blessing are school supplies, personal hygiene items and a Bible. Tokarchouk says the principal wasn't sure about this. "When he heard about the Bible, he said, 'No, the Bible would not be appropriate.' And, then we started to explain again about why we were here. And then he turned totally different, and he said, 'Well, I think these guys will not read the Koran. We need to at least provide the opportunity to read the Bible.'"

Russian Ministries was able to distribute 100 Backpacks of Blessing at the rehabilitation center alone.

Tokarchouk says this has provided an open door to do more. "Next time, we will come and probably do something like Puppet Theater or some other opportunity to minister to those youth and kids."

His travels then took the team to South Ossetia where Russian and Georgian troops clashed a month ago. There's widespread damage, and many families are struggling day-to-day. Tokarchouk says they were able to distribute over 1,000 Backpacks of Blessing in public schools and along the street.

Because of the positive response, Tokarchouk says, "We will have a good opportunity later on to come to the schools and minister to the kids with prevention seminars or Christian puppet teams, and the local church will also be involved with that."

Backpacks of Blessing have successfully allowed Russian Ministries to reach into areas previously inaccessible Your gift of $25 can put God's Word into the hands of a student in Russia.

With the damage in the region, many people have lost everything and need help. For $25, Russian Ministries is providing a family food package. Your gift of support will allow many in the region to hear or read the Gospel for the first time.

If you'd like to help, click here.