The Difficult Path Before Us
The Difficult Path Before Us
Editorial
Here we are again. Another war engulfs Lebanon. Once more, we see bombs falling on Beirut and the dark grey columns of smoking rising above the skyline. Once more, our country’s south is the frontline between two foes. Once more, people go to sleep at night, not knowing if they will wake up to see another day.
In some ways, it’s like a terrible Deja Vue. We faced the same challenges and threats less than two years ago.
But the war now seems different. Areas once thought of as safe have found themselves under fire. Social tensions are growing. And the rhetoric coming from officials on both sides suggests a long and brutal road ahead.
The feeling of fear, anger, and despair are widespread in Lebanon. Crisis after crisis has afflicted our country for the past several years. The weight of so much hardship is suffocating. People are exhausted.
What is one to do in the face of so much darkness? What is the role of the church in a time like this?
These are questions that Thimar Communications Coordinator Simona El Haddad explores in this month’s lead essay: How Thimar Church Partners Are Supporting People In Need.
One key focus of her article is the way that churches are showing unconditional support to those in need. Since the start of the war on March 2, our church partners in Lebanon have been actively responding to the needs of people displaced by fighting. This month’s newsletter features the stories of several partners, including a church in the northern village of Rahbeh and a MERATH-partner in Beirut.
Alongside our partners, our six ministries are also at work. Thimar: When Help Can’t Wait provides an overview of the way Thimar ministries are responding. With more than 1 million people displaced in the country, our primary objective thus far has been to provide displaced families with shelter, aid, and support.
In times of crisis, tension, and fear, this is how the church is called to respond. Our position is not a political one. It is one based on the love, teachings, and perfect example of Jesus.
As Easter approaches, there are apt lessons from the story of His death and resurrection. Though abused, ridiculed, and disgraced by His own community, Jesus went willingly to the cross and suffered an excruciating death. He faced suffering, not for Himself, but for the very ones who killed Him. Though He could have avoided it, He chose not to. He gave Himself up to His Father’s will, to His redemptive plan.
In the difficulty of what we face, there is hope in the Easter story. Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end. His suffering was not in vain. After three days, the One mightier than death and above all things rose from the grave. And so, the story continued. A new chapter started. A new covenant began between God and the Body of Christ.
Some two thousand years later, God’s plan continues to unfold. We are blessed to be part of it. In the face of suffering and challenges, in ways we may not entirely understand, we know God is using us and our partners to carry out His will.
As we walk the road ahead, we thank you for your support, and we continue to ask for your prayers. May the Lord give us the courage and strength to face the path before us.
How Thimar Church Partners Are Supporting People In Need
Since the first day of the Hezbollah-Israel war, Thimar's church partners have been actively responding to the needs of their communities and neighbors. Not because it is easy. But because the church is called to be like the Good Samaritan. As believers saved and redeemed by Christ, we are called to showcase the kindheartedness and the hands of our Lord Jesus. Click here to read the full article.
Video: Thimar - When Help Can’t Wait
With more than 1 million people displaced in Lebanon, Thimar and its family of ministries have rallied into action to support families and individuals in need.
Leveraging our experience from the previous war in 2024, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) opened its doors to displaced families.
To bring joy and comfort to children staying at the seminary, Salt & Light designed programs for children focused on expressing feelings and understanding that God is with them.
Beirut Baptist School (BBS) became a relief center, serving aid while continuing education online for its students.
Middle East Revive and Thrive (MERATH) coordinated with local partners to meet immediate needs, distributing aid like mattresses, blankets, and winter items.
SKILD and Dar Manhal Al Hayat (DMAH) provided displaced families and children with special needs with books, educational materials, and tools to help children process and cope with the situation.
To see an overview of our war response efforts, watch the video above.
Video: From Rahbeh to Lebanon, Supporting the Displaced
As another war rages in Lebanon, a small church is showing how God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.
This is Rahbeh Dairy, a dairy manufacturer in northern Lebanon’s rural Akkar region. A few years ago, Thimar and its church partner in Rahbeh started this initiative to provide employment opportunities to church members, enabling them to stay in Rahbeh and produce fresh, affordable products for the local community.
Today, its impact is expanding beyond Rahbeh. With support from Thimar, Rahbeh Dairy and the local church are helping believers and communities across the country respond to the displacement crisis. To provide families with something to eat, the church is donating various dairy products, including cheese and yogurt.
Watch the video above to learn more about the church's efforts, the impact it is having, and the stories of some of the people it is serving.
Video: Sheltered by Grace
Since opening its doors to displaced families, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) has provided refuge to around 200 individuals. To help support them during their stay, the seminary provides them with breakfast, access to its daily morning chapel, guestrooms, and children activities organized by Thimar’s Salt & Light ministry.
One of the guests staying at ABTS is Ali. Earlier this month, our communications team accompanied him for a day to see what life is like for him and his family. We also spoke with ABTS staff to know more about what they are doing to help families like Ali’s.
Watch the video above to see what an average day at ABTS is like for Ali and other families, and to learn more about how the seminary is supporting them.
Continuing to support our students academically and beyond
Four weeks of conflict in Lebanon has severelly disrupted schooling for hundreds of thousands of children, including students at education centers supported by MERATH. Since the start of the war between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, fighting and evacuation orders have displaced more than 1 million people, including some 370,000 children, according to UN officials. MERATH-supported learning centers, serving around 1,200 children across multiple locations, have had to adapt quickly to maintain continuity of learning. Click here to read the full article.
Watch the video to see one of the aid distributions provided to displaced families done by MERATH in cooperation with a local partner.
Video: The prayers Lebanon needs now
Conflict, unfortunately, is nothing new to us. But the war we are experiencing now seems different than the ones before. We find ourselves heading toward something even darker than what we have faced in recent years.
That is why we need your prayers.
For more than 25 years, your support has enabled us to empower local churches, care for vulnerable communities, and reflect God’s love in challenging places.
Today, as we respond to the mounting needs of our country, we ask that you pray for our ministries and the people whom we serve.
Watch our video to know more about how you can be praying.
