Please Pray for the situation, for the people in the midst of the war zone, for people displaced in their own country, for refugees living in other countries often under difficult circumstances and for the people helping!!

BUT I also ask you to continue showing love to the Syrian women by giving donations to “The Relief Fund for Syrian Women”.

We cannot help everyone, but you can bring hope and love to someone by giving!! 

 

 

We need YOUR help. 

Please give your donation to
 
EBWU
“Relief fund for Syrian Women”,

Account number: 272728.
Spar- und Kreditbank Evangelisch-Freikirchlicher Gemeinden eG.
Postfach 1262,
61282 Bad Homburg

BIC: GENODE51BH2
IBAN: DE45 5009 2100 0000 2727 28 

For more information, please visit www.LSESD.org 

 

Relief Fund for Syrian womenSynnove AngenSynnove Angen

A year has gone since EBWU President Aniko Ujvari and I visited Lebanon in February 2014, after launching the Relief Fund for Syrian women. Unions across Europe, women`s groups, as well as single persons where touched by “the message of Syrian women in deep need of help”, and donated money to the Relief fund. Together with our partners we have made a big difference in someone`s life and focused on what Governments and International aid organizations have cited it as the “most challenging refugee crisis in a generation”, the scale of humanitarian need is approaching levels not seen since World War II!  We understood that we could not help everyone, but we knew that we could bring hope and love to someone! Thank you.

Unfortunately the situation has not improved and there seem to be no end to the conflict! Millions of civilians are affected by the civil war, both inside their own country and as refugees in neighboring countries. We read in papers and see it on TV, as well as receiving news from our friends in the region, that the numbers of refugees fleeing from Syria (and from Iraq), are increasing.

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An estimated 12.2 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria and 3.8 million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt since the conflict started four years ago!

Saada Malky, President in the Lebanese Baptist Womens Union (LBWU) writes in an email: At the moment (Febr. 2015) the number of refugees coming to Lebanon is increasing day after day, with it the need for food, milk for babies and hygiene items too.

According to UN and government estimates Lebanon alone are beset by 1.2-1.6 million Syrian refugees and according to UN this makes Lebanon the second largest refugee-hosting country in the world. Syrian refugees now comprise nearly a third of the country`s population.

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There is an enormous need for help and support and Christians in Lebanon are doing a huge effort trying to help as many refugees as possible.

Saada sais: As for the LBWU women, our relief effort to the Syrian families, women and children is done through our partnership with LSESD (Lebanese society for educational & social development).

The way they distributed the gift I brought with me from the Norwegian women during our visit, mostly knitted socks, show their care for the whole person - not only its physical needs but also their spiritual needs.

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We visited the refugees and offered them the knitted items (mostly socks) according to their sizes and at the same time we told them about the Love of God who cares for them before they were born and provided their salvation on the cross. The Norwegian women did the same, knitting some items to the winter season, sharing their Christian love. Many refugees were exited by the idea and were willing to attend the disciple meetings, which is our main focus this year, as well as providing some of their daily needs.

LSESD together with their partners, are assisting families with monthly food aid, in addition to providing winterization such as blankets, mattresses, stoves, fuel and water filters for vulnerable people. The winter has been very hard in the region this year and the refugees often living in tents, are feeling the burden of harsh conditions.

At Christmastime they managed to bring joy and smiles to more than thousand children (and their families) by making parties held across Lebanon at partner churches. The Christmas-story was brought to live through puppet-show and they got a free Story of Jesus booklet to take home, they eat a delicious meal, enjoyed singing songs together and having presents.

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Our partner in Syria/ LSESD are providing an on-going food aid program as well as providing blankets, heating stoves and fuel subsidy, to families displaced within Syria. Pastor and church-members are regularly going to the tents of new arrivals to see what their needs are and try to respond on them. If someone is sick, they try to bring medicines and other kind of help. They have a special heart for the children affected by the conflict and hold monthly events where the kids can watch puppet show, play games and sing children`s worship songs. Sometimes teachers go and give lessons to children living in the camps. There are so many different needs around the church, people scarred because of what they have seen in the war and many have been injured. Some have lost limbs and some have lost family and friends.
The church has plans to start a center, a home of peace for women and children who have been abused in the midst of the war – to have a place where they can come and be healed and return to society strengthened.


The Church in Syria and LSESD in Lebanon are reaching thousands of vulnerable people through their food aid-programs and their help providing winterization. I ask myself, what can we do to help them continue to be Gods body on earth, to be Gods eyes, ears, arms and feet? What can we do to help our partners show GODS LOVE in a troubled world?