The new international body was established and endorsed by the United Nations in November. However, some analysts say the board’s expanding charter may rival the United Nations.

That’s at the high level, though. On the immediate, human level, Fadi Sharaiha with the MENA Leadership Center, believes “phase two” of the Gaza ceasefire isn’t actually changing life. 

“The church now is really shrinking. I think we have maybe 300 Christians now in Gaza,” he says.

(Photo of two women sitting amid ruins in Gaza courtesy of Hosny Salah via Pexels)

If the Board of Peace succeeds where transitional bodies have failed in other conflicts, it could open the way for true hope for Gaza. 

“I have so much empathy, because I feel that ‘What if this is my family in Gaza?’” Sharaiha says. “Let me paint the picture: for the last two years since October 7, what’s happening is that you are looking for food, for basic food, your kids are not going to school. You don’t have hope — and this is what is bothering me, that people over there don’t have hope. I think hope is so crucial to any human being.”

As people in Gaza look to a bleak future, Sharaiha says, “This would be so difficult to maneuver around, you know — how to give them hope? That’s why I think that there’s only one hope that we can give people of Gaza, which is Jesus, the hope of Jesus Christ.” 

Waiting to bring help

Once some type of stability or peace comes to Gaza, Sharaiha says, the MENA Leadership Center is ready to serve with trauma healing and other interventions. 

“In the MENA [region] we have so many different war zones,” Sharaiha says, naming Syria, Libya and Sudan in addition to Gaza. “There is a need for some kind of psychological intervention.”

(Photo courtesy of MLC)

That’s why the center offers what they call “psychological first aid” — things like the February 16-18, 2026 course “Resilience: How to Endure Life’s Challenges,” which Sharaiha said dozens of believers from at least 14 different nations enrolled in.

Please pray for the MENA Leadership Center’s continued presence and discernment to support a diverse church family.  

“Pray for us that we will be in the right place, in the right time, with the right people, with the right partnerships,” says Sharaiha. “Pray for wisdom, and that we will be following the Holy Spirit, that we will be aligned with His will.”

Please also pray that God will mercifully bring the gospel of peace to those caught in Gaza’s conflict. 

“What’s happening in Gaza is being affected, impacted by what’s happening in Iran. What’s happening in Iran is being affected by what’s happening in Russia, Ukraine. What’s happening in Russia, Ukraine is impacted [by] what’s happening in China. So the whole world is really connected,” says Sharaiha. 

“My prayer is that the Lord will use this time for His glory. My prayer is that the Lord will shine His peace in the region and give the people [a] break.”

Header photo: Board of Peace Charter Announcement and Signing Ceremony January 2026 (Photo courtesy of President.az, the website of the President of Azerbaijan, CC BY 4.0)

Christians from Kasr El-Dobara Evangelical Church (KDEC) in Egypt say it looks like this: a journey from fear, to hope, to overcoming barriers, and then to living in strength. Sounds clear cut, but the process takes years of receiving Christ’s love and practical care. 

Marihan with KDEC says that on this journey with refugees, “One of the ways we find very helpful is not just to feed them, but to equip them.” 

The church equips women in particular through a vocational training center, in partnership with another congregation in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. They have started not only this vocational center but also a school for children. (More on the school here.)

“We are teaching them small skills — sewing skills, macrame skills, how to do like a fashion thing or any handmade work, so they can have income,” says Marihan. “After some time, we can teach them as well how to start their own business, their own shop, their own whatever, so they can have sustainable income.”

(Photo courtesy of KDEC)

Egypt hosts more than 1 million refugees, according to December 2025 data from the United Nations Refugee Agency. Many come from Sudan and Syria. Even before families and individuals realize they aren’t going home anytime soon, they face serious barriers “with the language, with culture, with the identity itself, with everything around them,” says Marihan, “even with the people who sometimes treat them as if [the refugees] are the enemy, [as if] they are taking their food.”

Marihan says it might take three to five years for refugees to begin to thrive. “It depends on the person himself — and the situation in their country, by the way. If the situation in their country is going bad every day, it affects them.”

But showing the love of Christ opens the way to share His message. Please pray for God’s blessing and strength for believers in Egypt engaged in loving and caring for displaced families. 

“Pray for the grace that God is giving us with the government to continue. We got permission from the government to establish the education center and to serve those people,” Marihan explains. 

Header photo courtesy of Wadi Lissa via Unsplash.

But that data only counts those registered with the UN. The real number is undoubtedly much higher — and every one of these children, women, and men needs so much more than just food and shelter. 

“They are coming just to find hope in our country, and they fear the future. So we have to give them hope and comfort,” says Marihan with Kasr El-Dobara Evangelical Church (KDEC) in Egypt. “That’s why we are expanding our ministry to reach out to them and give them hope and a future.”

School in Cairo, Egypt (Stock photo courtesy of Primrose Murahwi via Unsplash)

After two years of hard work,  KDEC is ready to open a new education center for around 80 children in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. 

“It was a long journey of success and failing and frustration,” Marihan says of the process. “It wasn’t easy at all. Sometimes we were learning new things, because it’s our first time to establish an education center for refugees.”

But God opened the way, bringing both government permission as well as a local partnering church that can legally staff the center.

The center will meet a critical need. For Palestinian refugees in Sinai, for example, Marihan says, “they cannot go anywhere else in the country, and they cannot use the local school.”

Showing the love of Christ to families opens the way to share His message. Please join in praying for the ministry of this new center to dozens of refugee families. Ask God to keep the door open for this way to serve. 

“Pray for protection — protection for the people who serve with us. And even pray for the local church there who will be responsible for the education center,” says Marihan. “Pray for the teachers. Pray for the people who will receive the message.”

Header photo courtesy of KDEC.

“It’s unclear how involved the government negotiations were,” says Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations, “but there was definitely some pressure that was put on these kidnappers.” 

Kelley says the November 21 abduction is “an example of constant disruption of the gospel, because we regularly get calls [from indigenous missionary partners]where we have to emergency evacuate or pull people from one place to another.”

(Stock photo from Lagos, Nigeria courtesy of Doug Linstedt via Unsplash)

Despite the release of these 100 kidnapped children, the big-picture pattern in Nigeria remains the same. Groups like Boko Haram and Fulani militants attack and abduct people at will. They often target Christians, who are considered soft targets. The government’s response to enforcing justice is lackluster.

The situation takes on further seriousness this Christmas, as memories of mass killings return. Two years ago on Christmas Eve, nearly 300 Christians across Plateau State were murdered.

Believers expect adversity this year, too. “That’s their life. That’s all they know,” Kelley says. “And they will not stop worshiping Jesus because of it [the danger].” 

Pray for God’s strength for Nigerian Christians and His mercy over their lives this Christmas. Pray for their enemies by name.

“In northern Nigeria, there are dozens of different people groups or nations — including the Fulani, the Hausa, and the Kanuri, that are all 99% Muslim,” says Kelley. “When Jesus said ‘Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers,’ we can inject the names Kanuri, Fulani and Hausa into that prayer, because those are the places and the nations that need laborers.”

Header photo courtesy of Moses Adeyemi via Unsplash.

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.

Now imagine sending your child to school for the first time in a brand-new country — in the middle of a war.

Beit Hallel Congregation’s Back to School Project (Screenshot courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

That’s the reality for thousands of Jewish immigrant families in Israel this fall.

Beit Hallel Congregation in Ashdod recently ran its annual Back to School Project, which helps immigrants and low-income families who are struggling to afford the basics.

Pastor Israel Pochtar with Beit Hallel Congregation says, “For those who are new in Israel and not well established…they struggle financially to send their kids to school. The needs are bigger than in a normal year when there’s peace.”

The church distributed backpacks and school supplies, turning the project into a celebration. Pochtar says, “We had an opportunity to tell every family and every kid that the help comes from Christians. You’re not alone in this world, but you have Christian friends. You have people who pray for you, stand with you, [and] give.

“This practical help, it’s such an expression of the love of God, and love of Christians who help you in the name of God and the name of Jesus.”

Beit Hallel Congregation’s Back to School Project (Screenshot courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

Nearly all the families who benefit are Jewish immigrants from countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Ethiopia.

“They are not Christians; they’re Jewish. But they hear about us, they hear about our organization and our congregation. They know we are helping people unconditionally, and they come to receive help, and they’re grateful to learn more about that.”

Beyond physical needs, Beit Hallel Congregation seeks to calm fears and encourage children.

“We see kids are nervous. Kids are under stress. So we’re talking to them, encouraging them, telling them stories of others who’ve been in the same situation. It really encourages them and makes it easier for them,” says Pochtar.

Although the main distribution is complete, the project continues in smaller ways as new immigrant families arrive daily. Neighboring cities like Ashkelon and Beersheba have even asked for help after seeing Beit Hallel Congregation’s efforts online.

Beit Hallel Congregation’s Back to School Project (Screenshot courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

“If there are friends who want to help, they are welcome to join,” Pochtar says. “There’s still opportunity!”

Donate to Beit Hallel Congregation’s Back to School Project.

Above all, he asks for prayer. “Pray for us. Pray for Israel. Pray for Jewish people and our team in Israel who are working hard to be a blessing and a light.”

Header photo: Beit Hallel Congregation’s Back to School Project (Screenshot courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

President Yoweri Museveni has held office for nearly 40 years. Ever since he seized power in 1986, Uganda has been “comparatively stable, but increasingly authoritarian,” according to a 2025 report from the U.S.-based Congressional Research Service. Uganda has never had a democratic transition of power.

Whether or not Museveni receives a seventh term in office will be determined in the January general elections. But Uganda’s 2021 elections were marred by a number of killings, enforced disappearances and other human rights abuses. Months ahead of the elections, David Durance with TeachBeyond said local staff are starting to see more of the same.

(Photo courtesy of TeachBeyond Uganda)

“[They tell us] that this is much more intense than it has been before, that there’s already pressure and even violence,” he said. 

As in most cases, the outcome of national government elections will affect ministry. Durance says there are two dimensions that TeachBeyond is mindful of and praying about. The first layer is that education policy changes can change the landscape. 

“[For example,] we spent years working on a school project that’s now open and really flourishing. But one swipe of a pen in Kampala could wipe that away,” Durance said.

The second layer that TeachBeyond is praying about is practical. Political unrest can prevent students from attending school or even make parents hesitant to send kids to a Christian school. 

“There’s all these [underlying] tensions that happen that impact our ability to really reach the communities that we’re trying to reach,” Durance said in summary. 

Yet in Uganda’s turbulence, Christians carry the gospel as the answer. One Sunday, Durance visited a Ugandan church where half of the worship songs were prayers for their nation. “It was amazing to see how this community of believers recognized that it was their responsibility as followers of Jesus to be praying for their country and that they want to be the active agents of having the gospel heard,” he said. 

“I thought what was interesting was not that they were actually praying for some sort of political revolution or even change. They were praying that people would turn to Christ, knowing that all those other things will fall into place.”

Pray with TeachBeyond for political favor for ministry and for the next generation of Ugandans to be grounded in the Lord.

(Photo courtesy of TeachBeyond Uganda)

Header photo from Iganga, Uganda courtesy of Zach Wear via Unsplash.

Delayed Language Access

Rob Myers with DOOR says that around 90% of Deaf kids are born into hearing families. However, many of those children’s families don’t ever learn sign language.

“The statistics that I’ve heard is somewhere around 80%-85%, but it’s at least a majority of the parents don’t learn sign language. When you think about places in a rural area, in a developing country, the percentage is going to go up even more so. So you’re probably talking somewhere between 90%-95%. A vast, vast majority of hearing parents don’t learn sign language, and there’s a number of reasons behind that.”

This delay in access to language means both speech and written language are restricted. Myers explains that learning to read and write is really a sound-based activity. The symbols on paper are connected to a language a person already knows. So many Deaf children struggle to learn to read.

“So there’s this huge discrepancy there in terms of what information a Deaf child will have access to, and that carries over into them knowing that they have a name,” Myers states. “Many Deaf kids, before they get access to sign language, don’t have access to any language and that includes understanding their own name. So most Deaf kids grow up not knowing they have a name. It’s only when they enter Deaf school and they finally get access to sign language that they begin to understand what’s being communicated around them, including their own name.”

Discovering Identity in a Name Sign

Myers says that when a new child comes to a Deaf school, one of the first things that the other kids do is introduce themselves and look for unique characteristics of the new kid. These characteristics can be included in a name sign for the child. A name sign is a special honorific sign given by a Deaf person that incorporates some feature of the person named. For many kids understanding their new name sign is incredibly exciting.

(Image courtesy of Luisella Planeta on Pixabay)

“When I visit Deaf schools kids will come running up, and the very first thing that they’ll do is they’ll give you their name. They’ll say, I’m and then they’ll sign their name. And the first thing that they want you to do then is to repeat back their name sign so that they feel seen and they know that you recognize and understood their name.”

Always Known by God

Two-by-two teams share that the Gospel often moves powerfully once Deaf children begin to understand their names.

“One of the things I’ve heard from them repeatedly is how powerful it is when these kids learn not just that they have a name, but that God knows their name. And that God has always known them. And that even in these isolating experiences where they’re in places where it feels like no one knows their language, no one can communicate with them, no one knows who they are – God still sees them. He loves them, and He’s been pursuing them.”

There are many Deaf who need to hear about God’s love for them through Christ. DOOR works in many countries with their two-by-two teams to go into schools and share the Gospel regularly with Deaf children. DOOR shares updates from these programs through their website and newsletter so people can be praying. Learn more here. 

Myers also explains that while DOOR mostly works internationally there is a wonderful ministry in the US called Deaf Kids Connect. He recommends that parents of Deaf children or churches that have a Deaf child check out their resources on how to engage Deaf kids. Learn more here.

Image courtesy of Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels

Nuna from Triumphant Mercy Lebanon has witnessed a gradual shift in both the lives of Syrian refugees and their place in the country. “Inside Lebanon, within the Ministry of Interior, they have made a plan for the repatriation of four hundred thousand Syrian refugees,” she says. Many are returning by choice — driven by a desire to rebuild Syria and escape the growing instability in Lebanon.

Lebanon remains gripped by crisis, with conflict ongoing and international aid dwindling. The ceasefire isn’t truly holding. Hezbollah refuses to disarm, and while the Lebanese army is slowly taking over some weapons warehouses, many remain under Hezbollah’s control. Israel has targeted some of these sites to prevent drone production inside Lebanon.

A Middle Eastern woman standing with luggage (representative photo courtesy of Mostafa Meraji via Unsplash)

In contrast, Syria is beginning to stabilize. “So there is more money flooding into Syria,” explains Nuna. “Their sanctions have lifted. People are looking with hope towards the future of the rebuilding.” That hope is calling many Syrians back.

Nuna has seen the effects firsthand: her refugee school in Lebanon is losing its students and teachers. They are packing up to return — some by choice, others under pressure. The shift has brought this chapter of ministry to an end.

“And I had to close the school, the school for refugees that we had, because there’s no reason for it to exist anymore. Most of the people will be gone,” says Nuna.

Now, the team is helping students finish strong. “This week, we’re sending all the kids who are in 9th grade to do the exams inside Syria and get their official papers. Then they can continue their high school education there.”

As this ministry ends, Nuna holds onto hope that the Gospel work will continue. Click on Triumphant Mercy Lebanon to learn more about their work!

“Every seed that we have planted in any one of those teachers during all these years of ministry, and the seed that we planted in every one of those children, we expect that God will just be the One watering it,” says Nuna.

But not everyone is leaving. Some refugees fear for their lives if they return. “They have become believers. So now, if they go back to their hometown, which is a radical place, they’re fearing for their lives,” says Nuna.

Pray that as Syrians return home, they will hold fast to the Gospel they’ve received. Ask God to give them courage amid challenges and to guard the seeds of faith planted in exile.

Header photo courtesy of Jonathan Ramalho via Unsplash.

Yet it’s possible for kids to leave the gangs. They just need help to do so.

(Representative Photo courtesy of Jörg Haller from Pixabay)

Obed* serves with Every Man a Warrior, a discipleship ministry with Trans World Radio. He knows a boy who used to be an informant for a dangerous gang near Port-au-Prince. When Obed contacted a local pastor, the pastor sent the boy north, away from the danger and abuse of his old life. 

“He said that if we didn’t come through to help him, he would not be able to be alive. Because it’s a bad situation, because [kids] are killed, they are being sometime[s] raped and all kind of bad thing[s] happen to them,” says Obed.

The boy is now at their school in northern Haiti, with a new start on his life. 

But another boy involved with gangs had little hope when Obed’s team talked with him. They asked him if he was comfortable with what he was involved in. 

“Do you know where I live? I live in Haiti. There’s no other chance for me, only the gang,” Obed says the boy replied. 

Please pray for that boy, who Obed says may have been just 13 years old. Pray that God will rescue him from death in the life he feels trapped in and give him hope through Jesus.

Children in Haiti. (Photo courtesy of Zach Vessels via Unsplash)

Obed says Haiti’s crises have strengthened the faith of believers, compelling them to seek God more. “What’s happening, it’s so bad. But we still see God at work in many aspect[s]. Because when we consider the gang power, they have their limitation. That could be worse,” he says. 

“We don’t see any way to get out of this. Only we put our trust in God. We see that God is at work providing the activity that we are doing in our ministry. We struggle a lot, but we can’t complain. God is faithful.”

Please join in praying for peace in Haiti and for kids to have a chance of rescue. 

“We want peace, and we want to see God’s intervention in this situation that we are living. Also, if I can add, [pray that] may God send workers to the harvest, because it’s huge for us in Haiti. It’s beyond our strength,” says Obed. 

“May God send workers, people with good will to join this movement, to help those kids to take them out of this cycle of darkness.” 

*Last name withheld for security

Header photo is a representative stock photo courtesy of TopSphere Media via Unsplash.