Happy new year CBM family! This is my first partner in mission update since I joined the CBM Lebanon team at the end of September. I arrived just in time to join an incredible CBM SENT team visiting the many ministries supported by CBM’s partner – and my home base – THIMAR. Previously known as the Lebanese Society for Education and Social Development (LSESD), THIMAR is the umbrella organization over various ministry groups including the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) and Middle East Revive and Thrive (MERATH), their relief and development arm.  

I quickly realized how respected and influential THIMAR is throughout Christian communities in the region. They have a highly impressive team of pastors, young professionals, and veteran ministry leaders from whom I am thrilled to learn.  

My position as a CBM representative allows me to work with all programs under THIMAR, however in the meantime my desk is with the MERATH team. A good chunk of my current work is serving as a liaison between CBM and MERATH for the relief, education, and livelihood programs they share. Day to day, I help develop new project proposals and report on current projects.

Only a couple of weeks after I arrived, the region was rocked with a severe escalation in conflict between Hamas militants and the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza. The result has been truly heart-breaking: over 25,000 killed and millions displaced. Ongoing fighting across Lebanon’s southern border has also increased, displacing more than 75,000 Lebanese from southern villages. With CBM’s support, MERATH has, through partner churches, been able to distribute over 8,000 blankets and mattresses, 540 food boxes, and 7,000 hygiene kits to fleeing families. I was grateful to be able to support the MERATH team in developing proposals for aid funding, as well as attend one of the distributions.

Here you can see an interview with Claudette, a powerhouse of a partner to MERATH and all-around amazing lady who has been a tireless organizer of aid for the displaced.

The situation is still precarious, and we fear a greater escalation of the conflict to Lebanon and beyond. This past fall I worked with church partners to collect and send out resources for parents, schools, and ministry workers on how to psychologically prepare children for – and support them during – potentially traumatic events such as airstrikes or invasion.

Beyond supporting the development and evaluation of regional projects, I had the chance to spearhead the creation of new training for ministry partners from Sudan. Starting in April of 2023, brutal fighting between rival army factions has continued to tear Sudan apart, killing thousands of civilians. Many pastors have found themselves as essential supporters for displaced communities yet with little training about how to implement relief work. In December 2023, eleven ministry workers from Sudan met with CBM and MERATH staff in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an intensive two-day training. Most participants were ABTS graduates or contacts through the work of my CBM teammate, Joe Bridi. The training covered all parts of the relief project cycle from design to evaluation, with a special focus to how churches can avoid harm and protect the vulnerable during crisis situations.

Taking part in developing and delivering the training was an incredible experience for me. We as trainers were blown away by the professionalism, humility, kindness, and faith of the Sudanese ministry workers.  

An especially impactful moment occurred when several participants learned that their city in Sudan had been surrounded by militia. The situation was severe; civilians were being killed in the streets indiscriminately. As we paused the training to pray in response, the Sudanese participants began to sing. We quickly recognized the tune of a well-known hymn:  

“And now let the weak say ‘I am strong,’
let the poor say, ‘I am rich,’
because of what the Lord has done for us;
Give thanks…”

Despite experiencing fear and grief, these believers responded with praise. We were deeply humbled by their example and moved by the renewed meaning of these lyrics.

Given my background in education and youth ministry, it has been a real joy to visit CBM’s partners offering support to children and youth in Lebanon. For example, True Vine Church in the Bekaa Valley and Tahaddi in the Hay el Gharbeh slum south of Beirut both offer crucial education to young people experiencing obstacles to mainstream schooling. I look forward to learning more about these programs and potentially getting involved.

Amid all these new developments, I got married! Khalil, who is a local and a pastor in the Lebanese Presbyterian church, and I enjoyed a simple civil ceremony in Cyprus in early October. We hope to officially celebrate with loved ones in a proper church blessing later this year, should the security situation allow. Inshallah!

In other news, my learning Arabic adventure continues. I am taking classes three times a week and have plenty of practice trying to keep up with my coworkers and new in-laws. My new favourite words: saber, meaning ‘patience,’ and mastunka, meaning ‘puddle’ (there are lots of those in the rainy season).

• Mercy for all those suffering in Israel and Palestine. May aid be delivered soon and may Christ’s healing work be done in the hearts of the people.
• Provision for the refugee and Lebanese families living in informal settlements. They are battling floods, landslides, and freezing temperatures amid winter storms.
• Wisdom for Khalil and me as we seek to discern God’s leading in our service.