I've been mulling over a bunch of thoughts these last few days. Thoughts that center around the Church and politics. Do they mix? Should they mix? I don't really have an answer....on one hand I don't think that I as a follower of Jesus should remain silent and not make my voice heard. I do vote, I discuss politics, I have even written letters and joined protests. On the other hand, I don't necessarily feel that it is governments responsibility to pass laws and legislation that reflect my own particular beliefs.

And here is where my thoughts get muddled. I can say for sure I dislike the government of the US that has blurred the lines of separation of Church and State. I could add a whole lot more there - but I won't go down that road today. I just can't see God supporting a political system. God, fortunately for us all, is much much bigger than a political agenda. He moves in democratic, theocratic, dictatorship and communist countries alike. His business is about transforming and changing lives - not bringing about a so-called free and democratic society.

He decided long ago to use individuals to carry out His work.

This morning we received some emails from our friends who have family that have fled Lebanon. They have been in touch with friends there - specifically a Pastor who could have fled to Switzerland but chose to stay because the Church is so needed right now. Here are some of HIS words.

All the official schools around us here are full of refugees, most of them are Sheiit Muslims, God is blessing us so much with them, 8 of them came to the church yesterday (Sunday) and gave their lives to Jesus. They even had the communion with us.

It was a real blessing to us and to them. The presence of God filled the place.

Our Church formed five teams, we are visiting refugees in schools around us in Mansourieh, Bekfaya, Beit Merry and Naba area.

We are using the mission center (my office) as the operation center.

We have distributed so far clothing for children, adults, babies, underwear, nappies (diapers), women hygiene stuff, food, milk, towels, soap, tooth brushes and paste, shampoo, detergents, as well as children coloring books, pencils, new testaments and other spiritual books.

We are holding a 2 hour children's program up to three times a week in each school, while our church ladies are taking time with women, and youth spending time with youth.
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Other groups are taking care of some basic life needs such as mattresses, blankets and food. We are concentrating on materials useful to distract the children from the atmosphere of war and violence, providing them with also some spiritual assistance and joy that only the Lord Jesus-Christ can provide. We remember that our Lord Loved and took special care of the children while his disciples didn’t seem to understand the importance of their pure heart, and their capacity to enter the Kingdom of God.

Our Goal in summary is:
Spending time on the ground we are using 3 teams of volunteers from our church. They will take time with the children and occupy them in kid’s activities.
Distribute materials that will keep their minds and hands busy, such as Bible stories for children, Christian coloring books and pencils,
Give them some milk to drink as well as some fruit juices and other healthy sweets.
When needed we will try to provide mattresses and basic food, as well as tooth brushes and paste; Underwear and other needed clothes.
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Our house at Ain Saade' was full on the first week. On the third floor, two families came, Andre' gave them his house to stay at the time being. When they arrive at first, while having dinner with us, Eva, called her husband telling him that she arrived safely with her 2 years old daughter and her brother and his family! She told him that they are safe. Because it took them a long time to leave Tyre and this was very dangerous. For many reasons, her husband couldn't leave with them. After half an hour, she received a phone call from her husband's best friend telling her that her husband was killed while helping refugees together with 18 people and his brother. We saw him after 5 minutes on the breaking news!

What to tell her, how to comfort her? Cecile spent hours next to Eva, trying to wake her up, crying with her and praying in her heart. They have called me many times to comfort her and pray with her, I thought I can do the job, but when I reached the room, I have discovered that nothing I can say. Silence came to me and I couldn't;t find words of comfort for the first time in my Life. Eva and her family are Muslims. They feel peace only when we read the Bible for them.

The 2 years old daughter is missing her father 25! What to tell her? She is a blond little girl, full of life and energy! blue eyes, like a little angel, the world stopped for minutes when I hold her in my hands, why she has to live without a loving father?

I don't know what to say, every day we face children and babies that are losing their parents on the roads. Those are trying to go and try to do something and get food! That's one of the reasons God moved my heart to focus on the children's needs to food and to the loving Father!

Again, sorry for this long email, it will be good if you can put our church in touch with many Churches there, and it will be better if you can be our coordinator there since you have this ministry on your heart. I need help at all levels.

We also need help at the church level, we are inviting people to the church services, we are holding evangelistic meetings and refugees children programs without electricity - sometimes it gets 40 degrees inside, it is boiling! We need to buy a generator that works on diesel as soon as possible to continue the ministry - This is an urgent need at the time being. We still have a stock of diesel in Lebanon, praise the lord for that.