Nabil Costa, Head of BMS partner organisation The Lebanese Society for Education and Social Development (LSESD), has seen his organisation’s school and seminary in Beirut turned into a shelter for 1000 displaced people.
Speaking to BMS World Mission about the ongoing bombing of Beirut by Israel, he said: “Well, we Lebanese we got used to this, it’s not a big thing to us, I don’t know whether this is fortunately or unfortunately, but we got used to this.”
Costa expressed his shock at the most recent outbreak of conflict, however.
“It was a shock for us because we were not expecting anything of the sort to happen. All of a sudden it was escalated very quickly, at a very quick pace.”
The LSESD school and seminary are now sheltering old ladies and men, mothers and their babies and people in wheelchairs.
According to Costa, around 1000 people are sheltering in the buildings, 75 per cent of which are Muslim while 25 per cent are Christian.
Speaking of their reaction to the LSESD’s support, Costa reported: “Some of them they react very positively, appreciate it, so on, and they keep praying for us and wishing us safety and everything and they listen to us when we witness to them.“A few of them say now we are here, you help us, we don’t want to be converted, but we can understand them, they are frustrated during this situation.”
Costa reported on the devastation that has been wrought on their neighbourhoods by Israeli forces: “Their areas are demolished, as if it didn’t exist, it’s a ground zero.”
