Lebanon Under Fire - Update from TFF

“I was six years old when my father carried me in his arms while I trembled in fear from the sound of warplanes bombing here and there. My mother tried to hide the lantern under the bed so they wouldn’t see our home. I still hear my father whispering, "Don’t be afraid, my daughter; you must calm down." This was in 1967.

Now, 57 years later, wars and fires still rage in our country, and they have not ended. My father has departed to his heavenly home, while we remain on this land stained with the blood of the innocents, awaiting a new earth and a new heaven where righteousness dwells.

Awaiting the blessed hope, we strive to resemble our Lord by doing good, freeing and healing the oppressed, quenching the thirsty, feeding the hungry, and wiping away the sad tears from the cheeks of homeless children who yearn for their schools and toys.” 

You might want to ask about the current situation of the Family Oasis and whether we are still operating as we used to. It has only been a few days since I visited our service center, and just imagining what I saw brings me to tears. There is destruction everywhere, a smell of death in the air, shattered glass covering the ground, and my beautiful office we had recently restored after the fire had taken many hits. Our campus was not directly hit by the powerful explosions nearby which caused the damage that made it dysfunctional for the time being.

What pains me the most is not seeing the one hundred and twenty children who used to run to me, eager to greet me. Where are they now? No one knows. They fled somewhere after their tents were no longer fit for living. I wonder where they sleep, what they eat, and whether anyone plays with them, prays with them, or provides them hot meals as we used to do. These Syrian refugees are now displaced in Lebanon and were joined by 1.2 million displaced Lebanese families all seeking safe places.

Amid this "Friday" turmoil we continue to look in hope for a glorious "Sunday"!

The damage to our campus did not prevent us from continuing our mission. We are now visiting shelters that house Lebanese families who have lost their homes, and livelihoods. We are meeting, helping, and playing with children who instead of being at their schools now are experiencing the war trauma. 

So far, we have assisted 520 families around 1800 people from Syrian and Lebanese refugees. Our medical team is providing medical services and medicines. Our teachers are teaching the children. We have distributed mattresses, winter clothing, food supplies, toys, and school necessities. We visit the parks and walk the streets seeking to help the displaced find a place to live in. 

"Perhaps we will return to our homes, even if it takes a long time," said the little girl as she expressed her thoughts while I worked with a group of children to help them process their trauma through drawing. I asked them to draw a place where they would like to live happily. She mumbled in her small voice, explaining her picture: "I want to be in our house, where the plane flew over and dropped red balls, and that’s when we all ran away." Then there was the boy who said he wanted to live in a plane so he could fly every time he heard the sound of an explosion.

The other day the head of the Lebanese army in Beqaa Valley asked to meet with me after he heard that we are helping the displaced women and children of the Lebanese army. He was so grateful to us and asked for more help. During our conversation, he received an urgent message that there would be a raid and bombing soon nearby. The first thing that came to my mind was to pray. Even without asking him, I lifted my hands to heaven and prayed for him and the country. He was pleasantly surprised and sincerely thanked me. I rushed to my car, tears in my eyes, and made my way home. As soon as I arrived the breaking news showed a huge bombing very close to the army headquarters. These days arriving home alive is a true miracle in many places in Lebanon. 

Thank you very much for your concern, prayers and support in days of peace and war! 

Much love from me and our team  

Izdihar
Together For The Family Director