Co-founder Camille Melki says Heart for Lebanon began its medical clinic in the Bekaa Valley 18 years ago.

“Heart for Lebanon started doing ministry in October 2006 as a response to the Hezbollah and Israeli war that summer. Hosting medical teams started a few months after, realizing that medical services are scarce, especially during conflicts,” Melki explains.

“We continue to serve, from that day till now, locally displaced families and Syrian and Iraqi refugees.”

In 2019, the ministry expanded its clinic to meet ever-rising needs, building a permanent location and hiring residential staff. “We are 20 miles from the border with Syria,” Melki says.

“The Bekaa Valley is the largest host of refugees who have crossed from Syria to Lebanon, and our center serves thousands of individuals on a weekly basis.”

Every interaction is a Gospel opportunity. “When someone goes to a doctor, they expect the doctor to know what they’re talking about and to prescribe the best medicine,” Melki says.

“That’s very true, but in our cases, the patients [also] feel they’re important in the eyes of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Are you a medical professional? Volunteer by connecting with Heart for Lebanon on Facebook. Plus, “we would urge listeners to continue to pray for open doors to share the love of Jesus Christ,” Melki requests.

“Also, we urge you to pray for the resources needed because maintaining a clinic is not a small task.”

Header image courtesy of Heart for Lebanon.

e3 Partners sees this in action as they host short-term mission trips to refugee camps. Through these trips, Christians are engaging refugees with encouragement and the hope of Jesus.

Jeff Johnston with e3 Partners says they recognize that refugees have faced many difficulties.

“Probably nine times out of ten, any refugee you come across has a pretty heart-breaking story of how they wound up where they currently are. Normally, it’s just the dangers of their own city, their own village, their own country [which] are so immense that they have to flee,” Johnston says.

A refugee camp in Jordan (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Because of this, e3 Partners works to bring comfort and provisions to refugees such as food, clothing, and shelter in the camps.

“But ultimately, we know and understand that the only thing that’s really, truly going to give them peace and hope is the message of the Gospel.”

e3 Partners strategizes their ministry work by addressing physical needs and then sharing the Gospel with refugees — many of whom are originally from unreached people groups and hard-to-reach areas in their native countries.

Short-term mission volunteers with e3 Partners help multiply their work and come alongside refugees.

“It’s really amazing to just see how God works through the faithfulness of people that are willing to go to these refugee camps and take a couple weeks out of their busy schedule and just love on these people and just share the Gospel with these people.”

(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Johnston says refugees have been extremely encouraged and changed by the grace and love shown by volunteers. However, volunteers have also been personally moved by going to refugee camps and meeting with the people.

Volunteers “see these people and they see just the love that they have for the simple things in life, the gratefulness they have just to have people there from another country that want to know them, that want to talk with them, that want to love them. They’re just so grateful for that and they’re so attentive when you talk to them.”

As short-term volunteers travel to camps and share, the Word of God has taken root and multiplied throughout the camps.

Even in the last year, Johnston comments that the Gospel has grown significantly in the camps and has led refugees to take the reins in ministry work among their people.

Refugees Taking the Reins of Ministry

Refugees have planted churches in camps, and some churches have grown so abundantly that more churches were born out of them.

“It’s showing that these refugees, they understand the importance of sharing their faith, of sharing the Gospel with others; the importance of not just receiving the grace of God and then doing nothing about it. It’s also showing that they are being raised up as leaders, being raised up as [the] Church,” Johnston says.

“What that allows us to do is then focus not so much on us being there to share the Gospel with as many people as possible, but ultimately to be there to help pour into those leaders and continue to raise them up so that when we’re not there, it continues to flourish. So it’s not something where they’re reliant on the Westerners. They’re not reliant on us to be there to see that work grow, to see the Gospel spread. They’re doing it themselves.”

In their displacement, there is a window of opportunity for refugees from closed countries to come to know who Jesus is and grow in their faith. Once they return to their native lands, they’re able to reach their friends, family, and neighbors with the Gospel. They can act as the Church and help build it up.

(Photo courtesy of e3 Partners via Facebook)

Go On a Mission Trip

e3 Partners invites you to encourage, embolden, and minister to people in refugee camps by taking a mission trip.

You can be love to refugees and help them grow in their faith and knowledge of Christ so they can build the Church among their own people.

Find more details about mission trips with e3 Partners here.

Please pray for the Lord to raise up believers who will join e3 Partners on mission trips to refugee camps. Pray also that refugees would find peace and hope in Jesus.

Header photo courtesy of e3 Partners.

(Image courtesy of Orphan Outreach)

“Our goal is to connect the Church in the U.S. – individuals and congregations – to orphans, vulnerable children, and families in impoverished countries,” shares Katherine Cheng, Director of Missions for Orphan Outreach. “We’re all part of the Body, and God calls us clearly in Scripture to go to the ends of the earth and to make disciples and to share the hope of Christ that we have. We want individual believers and churches in the U.S. to go and fulfill God’s mandate to care for orphans.”

Convenience and cost are often cited as reasons so many people from the United States choose countries like Guatemala and Honduras as ministry destinations. “You can travel to them in a day and not be jet-lagged, versus India where you may connect through at least one – maybe two – cities and total travel time is 20 to 24 hours,” shares Cheng.

But she says fear of the unknown also plays into decisions made about short-term mission trips. “You hear of others doing ministry in Central America. More people are likely to speak the language and so it’s more comfortable.”

Cheng says people often question the safety and ministry purpose of more remote locations. “Not knowing the language, not being comfortable with the food or not understanding the cultural norms are factors.” And what is shown in movies and newscasts can paint a bleak picture of locations like India or Kenya. Cheng says images of overcrowding and poverty can “be a fear factor for folks,” and stories painting short-term mission trips as doing more harm than good in foreign countries can also cause people to question the investment in those trips.

(Image courtesy of Orphan Outreach)

Orphan Outreach partners with national ministries in each of the countries it serves, and has national NGOs to ensure visiting teams are both tended to well and provide true benefit to orphans and vulnerable children.

“One of the questions we always ask ourselves before we go into any country is, ‘Is what we’re doing really serving the best interest of the kids and the communities?’” says Cheng. “Our role really is walking alongside these national ministries so, when we do take short-term teams and volunteers, they’re an extension and the support of what is really already being done on the ground 24/7.

“We don’t want to come with the mindset of Americans who are ‘saving’ these kids, but really it’s empowering and supporting the local work that’s being done. It’s important for us to be working alongside nationals, and not to just go in doing our own thing [and] thinking we know best, but really seeking the wisdom and advice of those who live there.”

(Image courtesy of Orphan Outreach)

Cheng says it’s wise to ask a mission-sending organization hard questions when making decisions about joining a short-term mission team. She is often asked about everything from the qualifications of national ministry partners to the type of transportation offered in-country. She says prospective travelers need to always ask about training. Orphan Outreach provides each trip leader and participant with training on topics ranging from travel basics to cultural sensitivity. And the training also includes the continuum of care for a child. “What is an orphan? Who is an orphan? We want our teams to understand the situation these kids are coming from, the trauma they’ve experienced, their current status as an orphan – whether they’re living in a residential facility or in a family or in a community.”

Short-term trips can be a catalyst for long-term investment in the lives of orphans and vulnerable children. “These short-term trips are a spiritual journey that God uses to transform their own lives and the lives of the kids that they’re serving,” Cheng explains.

Training includes topics like humility and service and understanding God is in control. “As Americans, we’re very much time-oriented and we like to be the ones in control. But when you’re serving overseas in a foreign country outside of your comfort zone, we have very little control. We help our teams mentally and emotionally be ready for change, and to have a mindset of following the lead of the Lord, and then knowing the Lord’s going to use this opportunity to change who they are.

(Image courtesy of Orphan Outreach)

“Our hope out of these trips is that our volunteers would come away changed, that they would be missional when they get back home. Short-term missions is not just a call to be missional overseas, but to really live a life of missions. We want to help teams process that before, during, and after the trip.”

For both those who travel on short-term mission trips and those who can’t, Cheng says education is essential to helping orphans and vulnerable children. “Being wise advocates, part of that is knowing what the needs are around the world, and equipping ourselves with knowledge, and connecting with orphanages and ministries that are doing orphan care ministry. The Lord will use that to lead us in ways to care for orphans”

And Cheng is clear about another vital part of being missionally minded: prayer. “The simplest, yet most important thing that we can do for these kids is to pray over them.”

Join Orphan Outreach on a mission trip this summer to Eastern Europe, India, or Kenya.

Sponsorship is also another way to advocate for orphans and vulnerable children around the world.

(Photo courtesy E3 Partners)

Thailand (E3P) — Located in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is a city on the rise where ancient culture collides with modern industry. Its location among the highest peaks in the region makes it a bucket list destination for travel enthusiasts everywhere. TripAdvisor recently listed it as one of the “25 Best Destinations in the World.”

King Mengrai founded Chiang Mai in 1294. Back then, a moat and defensive wall protected the city from Burman adversaries. In the late 18th century, Chiang Mai was abandoned for several decades. But the city began to rebound in the early 20th century and has since become a major political and economic player in the region.

Slavery Run Rampant

While Chiang Mai continues to grow, human trafficking remains a scourge to the land. Posing as religious leaders, successful businessmen, or sympathetic paternal figures, human traffickers enter impoverished villages and convince families to give up their children by promising a better life for them.

With identification papers in hand, traffickers are able to make their victims disappear from the public eye. Many are smuggled across the border and forced into harsh labor environments while others are sold into sexual slavery.

In June 2014, the U.S. State Department released its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, downgrading Thailand to a Tier 3 state. The scathing analysis revealed that Thai officials have failed to meet the minimum standards for protecting its people from forced labor and sex trafficking. Even the most conservative estimates report that tens of thousands of victims are trafficked every year.

 What E3 Partners is Doing

(Photo courtesy E3 Partners)

Throughout the year, E3 Partners sends teams to Chiang Mai to cut human trafficking off from the source, and you can join the next wave.

Using the PricelessCube, teams will enter local villages and reveal the truth to villagers about what is happening to their children. Through these efforts, you can have the opportunity to share the Gospel each day and leave behind new small groups and churches.

In just ten days, you can save a child’s life, share the story of Jesus with dozens of people, and leave behind a Gospel movement that outlives your time on this Earth.

Are you ready for the adventure to begin?

(Image courtesy Wikipedia)

How about Thanksgiving?

That’s what Judy Vanderark, co-founder of MOSES Inc., hopes you’ll connect. Here’s why: “The trip is over Thanksgiving break. The dates are November 25-30. We’ll be ministering more to people on this trip than any of our other trips. We do a lot with inner city ministries and missions.”

She’s referring to their last short-term mission trip of 2014.

Why Toronto? “We just find that there are believers from all these different countries that have landed in Toronto. There are also unbelievers that are seeking.” Vanderark calls it the Melting Pot of Canada. Census figures show that Toronto is the fifth most populous city in North America. According to government reports, nearly half of those living in Toronto were born outside of Canada.

The vast city’s diversity also means that a spiritual hunger exists. “There’s a lot of seeking going on in Toronto, I think. People are open to the Word of God and to hearing about the Gospel and finding out who Jesus is.”

However, despite active tourism and a colorful façade of vibrancy, the reality is that nearly 25% of Toronto’s residents are living in poverty, according to the 2013 report from Frasier Institute (an independent Canadian public policy research group). However, Vanderark says that issue has helped sharpen the focus of this trip.

(Photo Toronto, CN skyline courtesy Wikipedia)

MOSES has spent several of the 20 years they’ve been working in Toronto partnering with an inner city ministry. That will continue this year, she says. “We help with a kids church where the children are very poor and living in projects. We just love to help with the Bible stories, skits, and the songs and things. It’s kind of a highlight of the week for these children.” The details on the rest of the trip haven’t been firmed up yet, but will likely include work with the homeless, and support for the ministries that help them.

What’s more, MOSES uses the time they have to multi-task. Not only are they serving another part of the body of Christ, but they are investing in its future. It starts small. “We are big into training student leaders. For those who are serving as student leaders, they have to lead and to be leading their peers in the Bible studies, making sure everybody’s accounted for and in the right place at the right time.”

Can you think of a better way to spend your Thanksgiving? This trip bundles humility, gratitude, and life lessons all at once. Registration hasn’t opened yet, but will soon. If you’re really excited about planning your Thanksgiving break with MOSES, Inc., start your journey here.

Then, “Pray that God will bring the right people to us for this team. Each team is different, and we’re always blessed when we see the mix of abilities and hearts that are brought to us. Pray for safe travel and that we can be a blessing to those that we serve.”

(Photo by Far Corners Missions)

India (MNN) — Have you ever been on a short-term mission trip? How about going to India?

Gary Bishop with Far Corners Missions recently returned from India. “Our trip actually allowed us to look at seven projects that are specifically designed for members of churches or other groups: Bible study groups or small groups’ churches that want to go have an impact on the mission field where they can actually be involved with the work.”

The seven projects include bore wells, toilet construction, solar lighting, church plants, vocational school, VBS, and crop improvement.

Bore wells are desperately needed for villages to have clean water. With Bore wells, villagers don’t have to walk for miles to get water, and people won’t get sick from contaminated water. Building toilets may not seem like a glamorous job, but it is a very important need to be met. Bishop explains, “85% of the population of India does not have an in-home or residential toilet available to them. 50% of the population has no toilet at all.”

Solar lighting is a big need for villages in India. “Safety and security is a big issue. From animals and snakes to robbers and people that would harm them at night,” says Bishop, “solar lighting addresses those problems and is quickly installed.”

(Photo by Far Corner Missions)

Remote villages in India without a place to meet and grow as a church benefit from the church-planting project. Teams assemble multiple buildings a day to provide a meeting place for the village church.

What about technology?

There is a high demand for desktop publishing and Photoshop experts in India. Through the vocational school, people taking the classes learn these specific skills to get jobs. “Within a week or so, people can have a skill where they can start earning a living wage. It is a great help for people who are trapped in poverty or oppression and have no way to earn a living,” says Bishop.

If you love kids, the Vacation Bible School project involves sharing the gospel with tens of thousands of children who have never heard the gospel. VBS also provides a place for children to go while their parents try to make a living.

Veterinarians and farmers are needed for the crop improvement project. “We are looking for people with special skills, both veterinarians and farmers, who could go and help really poor India farmers who don’t have the skills or knowledge of how to best care for or produce land, crops, and farm animals,” says Bishop.

The opportunity to help people in India not only impacts their physical needs but also gives them a picture of who Jesus is. Bishop says, “You know what the question they always ask is? ‘Why are you willing to help me? Why do you care about me?’ It’s the perfect opening to say, “You know, it’s because of the love of Jesus.'”

By going on a short-term mission trip, you can make a difference in the lives of people in India.

(Photo by Far Corner Missions)

“Once you go and engage with the people, your heart is captured,” says Bishop. “Once people’s hearts are captured, their tendency is to stay involved for longer periods of time and look for additional ways to be helpful.”

Far Corners Missions will soon have a video on their Web site that will show work done in previous trips and explain what future short-term teams can do in India.

Visit the Far Corners Missions Web site to find out how you can join a short-term team.

If you put the two
together, you have a Mission Adventure, aimed at fulfilling the Great
Commission.  Sound exciting? 

Pete Lafakis with AMG International
says missions is bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who don't know
Him as their Lord and Savior.

They've been mobilizing
short-term mission teams for a while now to let people get a feel for a run
that will change the way you look at life.

Noted author Philip Yancey noted,
"Despite
their drawbacks, such trips provide two distinct cultures a taste of the
harmony that exists between members of the Body of Christ."

What are short-term
missions? Technically, they are the recruitment of Christian missionaries
who dedicates themselves to evangelistic service for a short period of time,
usually ranging from a week to a year.   

All Mission Adventure teams serve
in support of AMG International ministries worldwide and in partnership with
the local national church. Because the
trips are scheduled in the summer, students make up most of the teams, which
serves a dual purpose.  

Not only do mission trips give
prospective future missionaries a taste of life on the field, they show them
what kinds of needs there are. 

Lafakis says often a mission trip
opens doors for direction for a young person. "We have a young girl who went to Africa a couple of years ago, and
she's now in the process of trying to go over to Uganda full-time as a
missionary. We've had students who have gone on a short term trip, and God has
impacted them so much that they're thinking about how they might be able to use their
vocation for His glory."

This summer, AMG sent 13 teams (200
team members) out to Greece, Peru, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, and India. Is everyone cut out for it?  There are a few things to consider. Lafakis says, "You need to be flexible.
There's always an adventure: it might be situations you might encounter,
or even airline travel these days can be an adventure."

You also need a clear understanding
of why you are going and what motivates you to go. Most importantly, be willing. "God can use
that to impact their life for full-time Christian service, or to come home to
make an impact on their church or their youth group or school, to be a catalyst
for sharing Christ," says Lafakis.

As the participants come back
home and share their stories, others find themselves intrigued and wondering, "What
could God do if I went?"

AMG is giving their 2010 teams
that opportunity to share. A Mission Adventures Partner Celebration is slated
for September 11th at Concord Baptist Church in Chattanooga. "We just thought it would be a great time to
get all these teams together and let them all share what God did in their
group," explains Lafakis,  going on to
say that some individuals will also get a chance to talk about "how God really impacted their life with a
short-term mission trip this summer."  

There's more. Click here for details.

There are six moms and seven sons who will be hosting
Christmas parties and distributing gifts at the Mama Carmen's Orphanage, the
Baptist Preschool in Guatemala City, and Cerecaif Orphanage in Xela.

Tiffany Taylor with Orphan Outreach explains, "We have just really seen a turn in short-term missions
where people are really wanting to take their children with them to experience
what it's like to be on a mission trip, go a Third World country, and serve
orphans together."

The young men are aged 13 to 16, an age when boys are
typically asserting their independence and not doing a lot of things with their
mothers. However, the aspect of outreach is one that bonds
families.

There's another aspect of
this. Taylor says, "I'm so excited to be taking our sons, because a lot of
times, these kids are just starved for any kind of male attention. So we've got
boys from 13 to 16 years old. They're going to be able to bond, and share, and
love on those children."

Do family trips make things awkward
for the children they meet at the orphanages? Not really. Taylor says, more often, it provides opportunity for hope. "We can tell these children: ‘You may not
have a physical mother and father,' but we have the privilege of telling them
about their heavenly Father."

The mothers — all members of the auxiliary arm called Women for Orphans Worldwide — have been active in laying the
evangelism groundwork for their sons. But their boys owned the project and participated enthusiastically. "These kids have been preparing for months
for a Christmas trip like this. They have personally been the ones collecting
the presents, getting their churches and schools involved with collecting."

Sharing the Gospel is central to Orphan Outreach's
work. Teenagers have been known for
their reticence in doing this with peers. However, being in a Third World country, away from their comfort zone,
might be just the key to unlock that door. Plus, Taylor says, "I think Christmas makes it
such an easy opportunity, because we get to start with talking about the birth
of Christ. So it's a really good time to be able to share the Gospel."

Please be praying for this team as they serve and share the
love of Christ to all they encounter. Pray that the children would have a
better understanding of God's love for them.  

Serving Christ with a united mind and spirit also brings
closer ties in the family. The success
from the family trips means there are more coming. Click here for the Orphan Outreach 2011 trip
calendar.

El Salvador and Honduras are in "red
alert," while Guatemala is under a "State of Public Calamity."

Neighboring Nicaragua fared somewhat better, but Food for the Hungry (FH) Nicaragua
staff member Nathan Sandahl says, "Intense rains caused flooding in the
northwest region of the country. In two of the communities that we focus our
work in, we had 100 homes which lost their roofing."

These regions of Central America are vulnerable to heavy rains and flooding due
to the mountainous terrain.  Survivors in
these areas are in temporary shelters, and the need for food, water, blankets
and clothes remains high.

Heavy rainfall affected more than 1,600 people in Nicaragua. The government got to the worst hit, but
"some of the smaller peri-urban regions where we work have not been
attended with assistance in repair or anything of that sort."

The FH emergency response unit has provided initial financial help and is
working with staff in Nicaragua to determine the most effective response.

"We are planning to respond in coordination with the local leadership
and hopefully with some of the churches to provide roofing materials,"
says Sandahl. "The rains have stopped temporarily, but we are just at the
beginning of the rainy season, so a no-response will leave families exposed for
the next five months."

Urgent needs are the key to ministry. "As we care for people, doors open to be able to share that there's a God who cares about
them as well. In the past, situations
like this have provided lots of opportunities to share the love of Christ and
share the Gospel message of redemption through Christ."

Food for the Hungry is appealing for help to alleviate the suffering of
thousands in Central America, particularly FH communities in
Nicaragua. There is an urgent need for temporary shelter, hygiene kits and
non-food emergency supplies.

Your prayers and financial gifts will make a difference in the lives of many
who are in difficult circumstances right now. Click here for the details.

Donna Glass with
India Partners says they're
forming a short-term team for a trip November 29-December 12, 2009. "In Tamil Nadu, we will  help with their computer training, and then
we're hoping to have a medical dental team. We'll do the same when we travel
up into Andhra Pradesh to two different
partner sites there."

They're looking for 10 people who are willing to serve Dalit
villagers, school children, and faith communities. October 1 is the deadline to register.

Why go? "It's a sea of poverty with islands of wealth. But there's still
all the rural area that is so deprived of people coming in who care. It's a big thing to them that somebody would
travel halfway around the world because of the love of Christ." 

Because of this, Glass says participants are often asked, "'Why
are you here? Why are doing this?' That opens up the perfect door to share the
Gospel."

India Partners has been sending volunteer teams to India
since 1992. Specific team activities will be tailored to the skills of the
volunteer team members, but the current needs are in community health, first
aid, pediatrics, general medical, dental, physical therapy, computer training
for the disabled, and children's activities. Click here for more details.