BMS World Mission Supports Victims of Middle East Crisis

|PIC1|BMS World Mission is appealing for donations towards its Lebanon Appeal as its partners in the country continue to support the victims left displaced by the ongoing conflict.

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.

|TOP|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.”

The most pressing needs of the refugees include food and mattresses, as well as funds to help them return to their homes and rebuild.

“But their real need is to feel that really Christians they sympathise with them. They are not happy that they are refugees. We sympathise and we truly sympathise with them.”

Costa revealed the part that his faith is playing in helping LSESD respond to the crisis.

|AD|“We should do as Christians, our job, and then the Holy Spirit and God will do the rest. We cannot hide and say God feed those people. We need to go and run and buy food and hide sometimes and escape sometimes and go at night sometimes and then God is protecting us.”

He praised BMS World Mission for the speed of its response, the prayer support and the encouragement. He also praised the BMS personnel who decided to stay in the country while the vast majority of foreigners left for safety abroad.

Arthur and Louise Brown decided to stay in the predominantly Christian area outside of Beirut where they have been serving BMS World Mission.

“Our decision to stay thus far does not come out of some misplaced heroism or stubbornness but simply through a sense of calling, and a lack of danger,” said Mr Brown.

Arthur and Louise arrived in Beirut airport from a short visit to the UK just 24 hours before it was destroyed by Israeli forces at the beginning of the current conflict.

"We feel there's a sense of timing, that we got in before we would not have been able to get in, that there is some purpose to us being here,” said Mr Brown.

“But also there is a sense that we are called to Lebanon. And Lebanon historically hasn't been the most peaceful place, so there is something significant about just being here."

Costa pleaded for an end to the conflict: “I am frustrated to see our country we have been building after the war for fifteen years, to seem in three or four days they ruin it all. It is not fair. What did we do? That we had another choice and we declined it? We cannot.

“We are weak country between a rock and a hard place. We cannot disarm Hezbollah, we cannot fight Israel. We are weak so help us to get out of this.”