On Monday, Israel ordered the residents of seven villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate. Two of the villages are a mere 20-minute drive from Heart for Lebanon’s Hope Center. 

“We still can operate from our center, we still can reach out to people, but you could tell the fear that it can become another battleground,” says Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki.

Peace talks brokered by the United States haven’t fully collapsed yet. However, renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and the threat of Israeli strikes on Beirut, have thrown the talks off track. 

“If things keep getting worse, Israel might push the evacuation line beyond the Zahrani River, which means then our center would become part of those areas that need to be completely evacuated,” says Melki.

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

Heart for Lebanon’s summer outreach is on the line, including their Summer of Hope programs.

“This is VBS on steroids, a lot of fun activities, a lot of music, teaching, games, Bible stories, drama, singing,” says Melki. These programs give kids the space to be kids again and to learn about God. 

The Summer of Hope has already begun in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. But for their Hope Center in southern Lebanon, the team is developing an alternative plan.

“Instead of bringing the students to our center for our Summer of Hope ministry, we will take them to safer areas in southern Lebanon — places where they can play freely, where they don’t hear those drones over them all the time, or hear the air strikes,” says Melki.

Safety is becoming harder to find, however. On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Forces issued evacuation warnings for three more villages in southern Lebanon. The IDF has also warned Christian neighborhoods of Tyre that Hezbollah militants are among them. If residents do not expel Hezbollah, the IDF said, they will order more evacuations and take action. Tyre is less than a 40-minute drive away from Heart for Lebanon’s closest Hope Center.

Find your place in the story

Pray that Lebanese believers can continue to share Christ in word and deed.

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

“The number of families that we are reaching to help keeps growing. In fact, the resources are very limited in the entire nation. We are coming alongside other churches and other church ministries and faith-based organizations providing aid to those small entities,” says Melki. 

For example, on June 1 alone, Melki says Heart for Lebanon provided 540 food parcels to sister churches and faith-based NGOs who had run out of resources.

“Pray for wisdom, pray for safety, pray for perseverance, and pray for the much-needed resources, so we can continue to do what God has called us to do: help lead people from despair to hope in Christ, and Christ alone,” says Melki. 

Connect with Heart for Lebanon and learn how you can help resource their ministry in further prayer and financial support.

Header photo of Summer of Hope outreach courtesy of Heart for Lebanon via Facebook.

Secretary Marco Rubio attends working-level peace talks with Israel and Lebanon at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 23, 2026. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)

Tensions reached a boiling point yesterday when Israel responded to Hezbollah attacks, carrying out its deepest incursion since the 2000 war. U.S. President Donald Trump described a de-escalation between the warring sides on Monday afternoon:

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting after he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with the Lebanese militant group through mediators.

Trump announced the development in a social media post following a call with Netanyahu, whose forces recently made their deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than a quarter-century. Trump there would be no Israeli troops “going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back.”

Cease-fire hopes falter

As with most Middle East conflicts, the latest escalation doesn’t occur in a vacuum.

“Last Thursday and Friday, a military delegation from the Lebanese army met at the Pentagon with an Israeli delegation, which is the first time in the history of those two nations that military representatives meet together,” Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki explains.

“We were hoping that the outcome of that meeting would come to a ceasefire and some sort of an agreement on the Israelis’ withdrawal from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah’s disarmament,” he continues.

“Unfortunately, things are going in the wrong direction. That’s not what we’ve been hoping for. That’s not what we’ve been praying for.”

On Sunday, Lebanese media reported progress toward a new cease-fire agreement in U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon.

“The Lebanese government needs to figure out a way to contain Hezbollah and convince Hezbollah, for the better of the whole nation, that a cease-fire should be brokered and brokered soon,” Melki says.

“Iran, on the other hand, has pulled away from its negotiations with the U.S., which is not a good indicator at all, because that means even those negotiations seem to be stalled and might lead to further confrontation in the entire region.”

In a season where many feel forgotten, we believe that the Gospel is best shared through a ministry of presence.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

Christian villages face shortages

Monday was “A very, very violent day in southern Lebanon, in Beirut, in the Bekaa Valley, as well as in the northern villages of Israel,” Melki says.

“Hezbollah continues to shell Israel using drones and other military means, and Israel continues to retaliate against Hezbollah. We have seen a very high spike in casualties and damage all around.”

Most businesses are closed in southern Lebanon, and essential supplies are hard to find.

“There are a lot of small Christian villages right at the borders between Israel and Lebanon, and they’ve been under a significant economic and military siege. We sent 700 food parcels with the help of the Red Cross to those villages,” Melki says.

Each delivery offers encouragement to believers and a Gospel introduction to those who don’t know Christ. You can support a family in need here.

Pray for an end to the violence in Lebanon.

“Tuesday, June 2, and Wednesday, June 3, a State Department-brokered meeting will take place. Civilian delegates from the Lebanese government and the Israeli government will meet, and we hope that those meetings will turn out a little better,” Melki says.

Header and story images courtesy Heart for Lebanon. 

Economy Minister Amer Bisat says Lebanon has lost an estimated $2 billion since the beginning of March, approximately 7 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP). The Lebanese terror group Hezbollah renewed strikes on Israel on March 2, effectively ending a 2024 ceasefire.

According to analysts, the latest clashes between Hezbollah and Israel are costing Lebanon’s economy up to $100 million a day.

“In October 2023, Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into 14 months of war with Israel,” Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says.

“You add that war, plus what’s going on right now – we’ve been in almost two and a half years of major destruction of the southern part of Lebanon.”

Economic struggles

The latest economic drain couldn’t come at a worse time.

Following the financial collapse in 2019, Lebanon lost approximately 64 percent of its nominal GDP in one of the world’s most severe economic crises since the 19th century. Then, the Lebanese pound collapsed, losing 98 percent of its value practically overnight.

Unfinished reforms, overlapping crises, and widespread destruction in southern Lebanon make sustained recovery nearly impossible.

“You have anywhere between $20 and $22 billion of destruction; so many villages that have been completely wiped out, completely destroyed,” Melki says.

“Recently, the interior ministry in Lebanon declared that over 42 percent of the Lebanese population is living at the poverty line, or even below that.”

Believers’ response

These monumental challenges create more work for Heart for Lebanon.

May strength, comfort, and restoration reach every family navigating the difficulties of this time.
(Photo, caption courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

“We had to add 2,600 new families to our beneficiary list. This is over and above the 5,200 families that we were helping early in 2026, and this is only a drop in the bucket of the needs around us,” Melki says.

Yet more work means more opportunities to share the Gospel, especially as summer begins. Pray for wisdom for ministry leaders. Support a family in need here.

“We are in serious conversations as a management team about some of our programs, how should we shift some, align others? Maybe even create new programs,” Melki says.

“To be more effective and capable, and to reach new territories in Lebanon where IDPs live, we have forged a partnership with 50 local churches. Through those small local churches, we can provide support and the resources they need to love and care for people in their own circles of influence.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon. 

(AI-generated photo by ChatGPT)

Nuna of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon says, “The peace talk is not just military; though, of course, it involves the military side, it’s much more than this.”

As part of the peace talks, U.S. President Donald Trump is urging Lebanon’s government to repeal a 1955 law.

“In our Constitution, there is a [clause] that says Lebanon has no connection with Israel, so we need to change that clause,” Nuna explains.

Under that 1955 law, “everything is very, very closed, and people are not allowed to have any communication with Israelis,” she continues.

“We don’t have the right to have any communication – by phone, by message, anything – with anyone in Israel. [If suspected,] you have to go to Security, where they will ask you questions, take your phone, and check it.”

If negotiations succeed and the Lebanese government normalizes relations with Israel, Nuna says, “Everything will change, not just on the political ground, but it’s going to change the whole face of Lebanon.”

The cost of peace

Although a ceasefire has been in place since mid-April, the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah continues to attack Israel.

Hezbollah flag
(Photo courtesy mhrezaa/Unsplash)

“Hezbollah is affiliated with Iran and wants to keep Iranian influence over Lebanon, but Lebanon is trying to get free from it. The whole contention is between these two,” Nuna says.

Lebanese people remain divided over an alliance with Iran. Though Hezbollah represents approximately one-third of Lebanon’s population – followers of Shia Islam – representatives of other major groups seek peace.

“Lebanon submitted an official complaint against Iran for the first time this week. This is unprecedented,” Nuna says.

Lebanon’s government is taking steps toward peace with Israel and independence from Iran – but at a cost. “The Shiite community is really strong in saying, ‘We don’t want this,’” Nuna says.

“The threats in the streets [are] that ‘We’re going to turn our weapons against all the people who are for the change and for the peace treaty.’ It’s becoming like a civil war.”

Nuna says these threats raise an important question: “Do we go through a civil war so that we can have peace, or do we forget the peace and keep the status quo in Lebanon with Hezbollah in charge?”

Christian aid

Fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has driven more than one million people from their homes in southern Lebanon. “There are so many displaced people,” Nuna says.

(Graphic courtesy Triumphant Mercy Lebanon)

“They have no homes, no shelter, no food, no revenue, no work – nothing. We’re still there to help them, but we’re also trying to talk about this peace.”

Pray for Lebanese Christians as they care for displaced people in Jesus’ name, and partner with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon to support relief efforts.

“We need to not only bring in humanitarian aid, but also talk about God’s purposes and God’s ways and God’s plan, and bring people into alignment with God,” Nuna says.

“It’s not just a one-way Gospel, just salvation and that’s it, it’s also realignment with God’s purposes.”

Header image depicts working-level peace talks between Israel and Lebanon at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 23, 2026. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)

Hostilities have continued, mostly in southern Lebanon, since U.S. President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire on April 16. Israel has set up a self-declared security zone in the south, saying it aims to guard against Hezbollah attacks.

Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says Washington is not an unbiased host for peace negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

“The U.S. interest is to end conflicts in the Middle East, especially between Israel and its neighboring nations. The U.S.’s desire is that Israel sign a peace agreement with the other neighbors, as it did with Egypt and Jordan,” Melki says.

However, peace won’t come easily in Lebanon, especially amid the war involving Iran. Yesterday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem announced that the terrorist group would not surrender and called for an end to direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

“How can we even ensure a ceasefire when the ones sitting at the table are not the ones shooting at each other?” Melki asks.

“The Lebanese government is negotiating with Israel, but in fact, it’s Hezbollah that is carrying the gun and shooting at Israel.”

Why the ceasefire is complicated

Although Lebanon’s government agreed to a temporary ceasefire with Israel, several factors have made the truce largely ineffective on the ground.

Hezbollah flag
(Photo courtesy Paul Keller via Flickr)

First, Lebanon’s government does not control Hezbollah. “Hezbollah’s loyalty is to the Iranian regime – the ones who pay the bills, the ones who provide the weapons,” Melki explains.

“A lot of the decision makers among Hezbollah are Iranians as well.”

Second, approximately one-third of Lebanon’s population is Shia Muslim, and that community is represented in Lebanon’s government by officials closely aligned with Hezbollah.

Last week, Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, rejected any peace negotiations without guarantees that ‌Israel would halt attacks.

“The Speaker of the House, though it sounds like he’s speaking on behalf of Lebanon, in fact is representing the Shia population, seeking their best interest and protecting one group, not the entire nation of Lebanon,” Melki says.

“Unfortunately, Lebanon is, though we try not to admit it, a very sectarian nation. The president of the country is always a Christian Maronite, the Speaker of the House is always a Shia Muslim, and the Prime Minister is always a Sunni Muslim,” he continues.

“That’s in our constitution, but it also infiltrates almost every other position in our government.”

How to help

Some 1.2 million people have been driven from their homes in southern Lebanon. Continued conflict won’t stop believers from caring for the displaced.Here’s how you can help.

Pray for Heart for Lebanon teams as they distribute practical aid and Gospel hope.

“It is important that everybody we come in contact with knows and understands what drives us,” Melki says.

“We are sent in with the love of Jesus Christ, sharing it with everyone in need, regardless of their faith, their ethnic background, and their political affiliation.”

(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Praise the Lord for positive developments among Lebanon’s leaders.

“Our Lebanese government recently declared all military activity by Hezbollah illegal. The Lebanese government has declared the city of Beirut arms-free,” Melki says.

“A lot of these decisions that our government is making are new. They’re fresh, they’re encouraging, and they’re promising for a better future for the people of Lebanon.”

Header image courtesy of Heart for Lebanon. 

At least 700 schools have been turned into shelters for people fleeing. Others take refuge in their cars on the streets at night when airstrikes happen.

Heart for Lebanon added 1,500 families to its care operations when the conflict began three weeks ago. “These are vulnerable Lebanese families that woke up one day and had nothing prepared for a crisis like this,” Heart for Lebanon’s May-Lee Melki says.

“This also encompasses some refugee families who are now twice and thrice displaced, whether Kurdish or Syrian.”

Heart for Lebanon expands support

Melki says Heart for Lebanon is increasing its focus on two critical areas. One is the ministry’s support for local churches throughout the country. Heart for Lebanon partners with congregations to reach as many people as possible.

“We are increasing our support to local churches, whether it is in the form of humanitarian aid or food packages – whatever they need,” Melki says.

(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

A second focus is the ministry’s program for young women ages 13 to 21. “They’re always the most tender demographic that gets hit by crises like this,” Melki explains.

“Our team is checking in with the girls we support, making sure they are safe and have everything they need through this crisis.”

Crises overlap

Lebanon isn’t just facing one or two crises, but many at once. Airstrikes have caused widespread destruction, including civilian casualties and damage to homes and infrastructure. There are also rising fears that the conflict could drag on or turn into a longer-term occupation, keeping families in limbo.

Finally, because Lebanon is part of a wider regional struggle involving Iran and its allies, the country has little control over what happens next.

Heart for Lebanon exists for times like these. You can help believers make Christ’s love tangible here.

“Please pray for our ability to show the Gospel in action,” Melki requests.

“This is not something that we are wired, as humans, to respond to, but it is yet another opportunity for the Kingdom to expand and for the hope of Christ to be front and center.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon.

“Is this the sentiment of the Lebanese people? Absolutely not. I don’t speak for the Lebanese people, but I do understand the sentiment of the Church, the ministries, and what God is doing,” Heart for Lebanon’s May-Lee Melki says.

“This is definitely not something that we pray for, ask for, or have any ties to.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

The Lebanese government echoed this position as it condemned Hezbollah’s actions.

“The Lebanese government is trying its best to distance itself (from Hezbollah) for the first time, which is a historical decision,” Melki says. Hezbollah has been entrenched in Lebanese politics since the early 2000s.

Thousands on the move

Meanwhile, Israeli troops advanced into southern Lebanon on Tuesday after the Lebanese army cleared the way. Fighting has uprooted at least 30,000 people since Monday, when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to strikes on Iran.

As people flee by the tens of thousands and needs skyrocket, Heart for Lebanon is responding in three locations: southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut.

Watch this emergency update from Daoud Arnaout, managing director of Heart for Lebanon.

“We are blessed to be a ministry that is strategically positioned to immediately respond to families that are fleeing those areas,” Melki says.

“This is directly impacting us. Our center in Ghazieh is very close to a lot of what is happening, but our team has been able to shift and find safe areas to operate and respond.”

How to help

You can help Heart for Lebanon meet immediate needs and share the hope of Christ with 1,500 new families here.

Pray Heart for Lebanon can continue getting supplies for its food ministry.
(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

“This is just the tip of the iceberg; just the initial response because of what transpired in the last 48 hours,” Melki says.

“These are vulnerable Lebanese families that woke up one day and had nothing prepared for a crisis like this. This also encompasses some refugee families who are now twice and thrice displaced, whether Kurdish or Syrian.”

Most importantly, pray. Ask the Lord to protect Heart for Lebanon teams as they travel in dangerous areas to bring aid to those in need. Pray for continued access to “our center in southern Lebanon, because that is the hub of our response,” Melki requests.

“Please pray for the hearts of these (1,500) families and our ability to show the Gospel in action. This is not something that we are wired as humans to respond to, but it is yet another opportunity for the Kingdom to expand and for the hope of Christ to be front and center.”

In the header image, a recent art activity at Heart for Lebanon’s children-at-risk club exposed the deep trauma experienced by Lebanon’s children. (Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Fighting increased along the Cambodia-Thailand border earlier this month, and clashes continue today, making it the deadliest bout in years. “Many people die. Many children run for their lives,” A3’s Country Director for Cambodia, Pastor Meng Aun Hour, says.

“Many, many people need to leave their homes and run for a safe place.”

More than half a million people have been displaced by the skirmish, which stems from long-standing territorial disputes. “Cambodia had a lot of temples along the border, and right now, Thailand claims that they belong to them. That’s why they want to fight,” Aun Hour explains.

“Cambodia had a lot of temples along the border, and right now, Thailand claims that they belong to them. That’s why they want to fight.”
(Photo courtesy of Neat chanmanith/Pexels)

Civilians flee as airstrikes intensify

Few Cambodians are unaffected by the clashes, especially those who live near the border with Thailand. “Everyone is having a hard time right now. Those living along the border just run for their life,” Aun Hour says.

“Children cannot go to school; normal people cannot go to the rice field. For example, right now is the time for harvesting rice from the field, but they cannot go to the field and harvest their crop because of the bombing,” he continues.

“F16s are bombing the school, hospital, and houses, especially the temple, the Buddhist temple.”

Cambodians are united in their support for their soldiers. “They try to do fundraising, collecting food, collecting donations, whatever they can give, they give to those who are at the front line,” Aun Hour says.

Even society’s most vulnerable are contributing. “Street children collect the garbage, and they sell it. They can get around 50 cents,” Aun Hour says.

“Normally, they use that money to buy their food, but this time, I saw them give that money away to support soldiers.”

(Photo courtesy of Engin_Akyurt/Pixabay)

Church leaders call for prayer, provide relief

Meanwhile, churches strive to meet the needs of newly displaced families. “We are encouraging A3 alumni to take a special offering in their churches, and we are collecting that,” Aun Hour says.

“We use it to buy [supplies], and we give it to 1,000 refugee families. We go and give them some rice, noodles, dry fish; things like that.”

Now that you know, how will you respond? “Pray for peace. That is number one. We really need it,” Aun Hour requests.

“We went through many difficulties in the past, like we went through the killing fields and the Civil War. We don’t want war anymore, we want peace.”

Secondly, “pray that needs will be met, especially for the refugee. We want to support them with food so that they can survive for a while.”

Pray that Cambodians who do not know Jesus will meet the Prince of Peace through this outreach.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Gökhan Tahincioğlu/Pexels.

The October 6 attack saw the death of 24 people and injury of another 47 people, including many children.

This deliberate action at the hands of the government came in several waves as a way to disrupt their own people, despite fuel shortages.

2025 Myanmar earthquake relief (Photo courtesy of AMG International)

Brian Dennett with AMG International says this has happened in the context of a brutal civil war that has been raging for almost four years, with 82,000 people being killed by this government, and nearly three and a half million people displaced.

Meanwhile, many in Myanmar are still recovering from the devastating earthquake that hit the country this March.

After the earthquake, AMG launched a relief effort that has reached 36,000 people since March.

Dennett says the 6,000 families that AMG has helped heard a clear gospel presentation.

“We’ve been able to build around 50 permanent homes. 227 families are in temporary shelters, and we’re planning 40 more homes this quarter. We’ve fed thousands, provided water and sanitation to thousands more, drilled wells, provided generators, solar panels,” Dennett says.

Throughout this crisis, churches have also touched lives in Myanmar.

“Ten churches were rebuilt and repaired, and also used as sites to distribute all of these much-needed services to those who were affected. That’s serving both believers, our brothers and sisters, and also just our neighbors there. So, it’s been beautiful to see the church come together, with our faithful partners here and the church locally in Myanmar, to become centers of hope, where people are helped, and [are] also finding the hope of Christ,” Dennett says.

Working to create long-term solutions for clean water, housing, and other necessities, AMG and the locals need prayer. Please pray for our brothers and sisters and the needs of the church network in Myanmar. Pray for locals’ safety and the safety of those who are serving despite dangers.

“As we shift from more emergency relief to getting things rebuilt and supporting the community there, [pray] through all of this, that Christ’s love would be made known and that the church would be strengthened,” Dennett says. “What the enemy means for destruction, God is using to build faith and even resilience among His people there, and we’re seeing that over and over again.”

Please pray for the end of this ongoing violence in Myanmar. Pray that God will continue to take what the enemy meant for evil and use it to reveal Himself to His children, who desperately need to meet Him.

To partner with AMG, go to amginternational.org to support their work in Myanmar and in other places around the world, serving and spreading the good news of the gospel.

Header Photo provided by AMG International: Myanmar earthquake relief

Flood warnings come on top of famine, a worsening cholera outbreak, and ongoing civil war. More than 14 million people have been forced to flee.

“Every two seconds, someone is newly displaced in the world because of war, violence, or persecution,” Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations says. “Exhibit A is Sudan. They’re saying it’s the worst in the world.”

(Photo courtesy of World Mission)

Conflict between the Sudanese army and rebel forces shows no signs of letting up.

“You’re talking about a fairly recent civil war between two entities, the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces, that were allies until just a couple of years ago,” Kelley says.

“You get this power struggle and they start killing each other, [resulting in] about 150,000 fatalities, and that’s not to mention the 14 million people that have been displaced,” he continues.

“When it’s all said and done, the average Sudanese person – the common man, woman, child – suffers the most.”

Gospel workers are meeting needs on every front. “[It’s] a physical crisis, but it’s also a spiritual crisis, because Sudan is a country [where] well over 95% of the people are yet without a Gospel witness,” Kelley says.

Pray for protection as believers risk their lives to reach the lost.

“They’re being the hands and feet of Jesus meeting physical needs, but they’re also taking the solar-powered audio Bible, and multiplying themselves,” Kelley says.

“When talking about 14 million people displaced and growing, we have to think exponentially, and that is through the multiplication of God-fearing, Jesus-loving men and women who are making disciples of all nations.”

Partner with Unknown Nations to make the Gospel known in Sudan.

Header image depicts 2024 floods in Al Fasher, Sudan. (Wikimedia Commons)