Generations of refugee children living in Lebanon have never known their homeland. Over 1.5 million registered refugees from Syria, Iraq and Palestine live suspended in their displacement. Refugee children are raised in temporary settlements, where they often face very low hygiene and limited access to food, healthcare, education and other basic services.

Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capita in the world, accounting for one-third of the country’s population. With the country currently facing the worst socio-economic crisis in decades, refugees face the anger and hatred of nationals, with scapegoating and violence increasing since 2019. Many refugees are forced to make desperate choices, such as skipping meals, foregoing medical treatment, and sending their children to work instead of school. Hope, for many, is in short supply.

Amidst turmoil, the Bible Society in Lebanon (BSL), supported by Bible Society Australia (BSA), sow seeds of hope as they work tirelessly with displaced and disadvantaged communities. The Reconcile! project aims to foster a positive atmosphere among refugee children through creative presentations of Bible stories focused on reconciliation and forgiveness.

A holistic approach

The Reconcile! project has reached thousands of children, offering them a joyful experience, access to portions of the Bible and a path to healing and faith in the God who loves them. Mike, General Secretary of Bible Society Lebanon, shares, “People ask, ‘Why do you do Reconcile!, literacy and trauma healing? Why don’t you just distribute the word of God?’ We learned from Iraq in 2014 with ISIS. We went to their refugee camps to distribute New Testaments. They didn’t care. All they asked was, ‘Why did God allow this?’” Reflecting on the parable of the sower and the significance of the “good soil,”

Mike emphasises that, “Our mission in Lebanon is to create that good soil so that the seeds of hope and faith can grow.”

In a region so rife with crisis, good soil is hard to come by. “All we have is a land full of thorns or that is rocky,” he says. BSL helps people remove the ‘thorns’ and the difficulties in their lives, so the seed of the gospel can flourish.

Literacy for a better future

With many refugee children missing out on formal education, BSL also provides literacy programs. This Bible-based literacy program includes both Arabic and English classes and gives refugees access to education for their future. Mike shares a story of a refugee daughter and her mother who were illiterate when they arrived in Lebanon. “The daughter went through the literacy program, and she was able to teach her mother to start reading the Bible,” he recounts, highlighting the intergenerational reach of the program.

Adults and children come to know Jesus as their Saviour through the program. Camille, Finance and Administration Manager at BSL shares that,

“a young boy in the program jumped up and said, ‘I have opened my heart to Jesus.’ It was spontaneous. Just a small child. Something happened inside him, something amazing.”

Faithful sowing

Working with refugees and underprivileged communities in transit means that the BSL team may never see the long-term outcomes of what they invest into the hearts of people. “St. Paul said, one will sow the other will water and someone else will reap,” shares Mike.

In sowing into these communities, BSL are investing in the future of the broader Middle East region. He emphasises that, “We don’t give up on refugees whether we get to see the results here in Lebanon or whether we see the results when they move on. We want them to go to their destination with better mental health, with better education, with better family ties, whatever we can do for them.”

Facing challenges with resilience

The economic crisis in Lebanon has challenged public resilience and strained resources, but the Bible Society remains steadfast. “Despite the economic crisis, we have not withered and drawn back,” Mike asserts. Passionate staff and volunteers continue to serve the most vulnerable communities. While local financial support for BSL has diminished in this season, international partners continue to fuel the work.

In the face of complex problems in the Middle East, Christians on the ground continue to uplift those who are hurting. Now more than ever, these enduring projects depend on the generosity and prayers of partners and donors from around the world. Your contribution to BSA enables Bible Society Lebanon to continue this vital work, bringing hope and healing to hurting people. To donate, please visit biblesociety.org.au/sow.

*Name changed to protect identity.