Update from Together for the Family Ministries

Mothers Carrying the Weight of War

It is the 21st of March—the day mothers in my country wait for every year. A day when families gather to celebrate Mother’s Day… a day of endless love.

Mothers usually wait for a beautiful flower, or perhaps a simple gift. But the most precious gift has always been a humble card, drawn by the tiny hands of a child—colored with a bright red heart and the simple words: “I love you.” Yet this year is different.

 This year, children could not celebrate… and mothers could not wait for their gifts.

Because in Lebanon, blood is being shed… tears are silently swallowed by aching hearts… and between 700,000 and 800,000 people have been displaced.

And yet even in the midst of pain, fear, and loss, there remains something that cannot be taken away: A mother’s love. No war can silence it. No displacement can erase it.

Mothers have become the true soldiers of this war, carrying a weight no one should ever have to bear. In schools now turned into shelters, we meet them holding their children tightly, their eyes filled with fear, exhaustion, and a quiet, overwhelming hopelessness. You can see the questions they are too tired to ask aloud: What will happen to us? How will we survive? 

Every day, they live with the terror of losing their children—or of being hurt themselves and no longer able to care for them. They endure harsh, crowded conditions that strip away even the smallest sense of safety or dignity. And yet, despite everything, they continue to stand—broken, but still fighting in the only way they can: by holding their families together.

Personal Stories

Marwa is 26 years old, and as Mother’s Day approaches, she finds herself mourning a life that no longer exists. Just weeks ago, she was a wife and a mother in her own home. Then an airstrike took her husband as he tried to bring food to their children. Now she lives displaced in a school classroom, sharing a small corner with her two children, one of whom is in a wheelchair and needs constant care. Surrounded by other families, she struggles to hold on to her dignity while carrying grief no mother should bear alone. This Mother’s Day, Marwa is not asking for gifts—only for the strength to keep going, and the chance to give her children a life beyond survival.

Rouhiya’s story reflects a mother who carried her family through a war that never gave her a moment to breathe. Displaced from South Lebanon, she moved from place to place with her daughter, while her other children were scattered across the country, each losing their homes one after another. From the south to Beirut, then to a friend’s village, and finally to the Bekaa, the bombings followed them everywhere, leaving behind only fear, loss, and exhaustion.

When she learned that her son’s home in Beirut had been destroyed—after already losing the house that once held all her children and memories—the pain was more than her heart could bear. In a single moment, a mother who had held everyone together left our earth to be with the Lord, leaving behind a family shattered by war, just as a day meant to honor mothers draws near.

Comments

While Lebanon is struggling under the weight of wars, conflicts, and collapse on every level, the team of Together for the Family has chosen to shake off the dust of fear and move quickly toward the shelters where displaced families are gathering.

Today, the number of displaced people has exceeded 800,000. Our team has begun providing whatever assistance is possible, starting with the distribution of mattresses, which have already been delivered to four centers located near the Family Oasis, the areas most affected in the Bekaa region.

Another major focus of our work is supporting the children, who bear no responsibility for this tragedy yet suffer its consequences. Many of them may be living through this crisis for months to come. Our goal is to help them restore a sense of safety and a healthy environment, while offering psychological support through music, art, games, and sports to help them process the trauma they are experiencing.

Our medical team has also prepared mobile dental, medical, and women’s health clinics, ready to provide examinations and the appropriate medications.

We will also continue providing hot Iftar meals, especially since many displaced families are fasting this month, while giving special care to pregnant women, nursing mothers, and infants, who remain among our highest priorities.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to everyone who has stood with us in any way—through prayers, encouragement, or financial support. Without your presence beside us, we would not be able to plant seeds of hope or offer the opportunity to experience Christ's love and salvation.

Our plan is to continue as long as this war continues.

My deepest appreciation
Izdihar