Lebanon is not the same as it was a year ago
At the end of July, just a few days before the explosion in Beirut, Krista wrote:
Lebanon is not the same as it was a year ago.
We have travelled through revolution (since October 17, 2019) with closed banks and schools, then we met Coronavirus and again, we had closed banks and closed schools and then a Lockdown. We have survived that, but we are weary. Now we are facing a fearsome financial meltdown with increasing disruption to our daily life. Our money is trapped in banks who won’t release what is ours. There are not enough dollars to function normally and there are shortages. The value of the Lebanese Lira has gone down as much as 70% (and is still deteriorating). It means that if before the crisis a person earned 600$, now the same value of Lebanese Lira would be 60$.. There is no way one can survive in this country with this little money. We read in news that many have started exchanging clothes and other goods for diapers or milk. Facebook is becoming a busy platform for helping families survive.
Because of the crisis that Lebanon is passing through economically, locals are struggling to provide basic needs for their families but more so are the refugee families. More than 50% of the population is currently living under the poverty line.
The government has long failed to provide sufficient electricity. Blackouts have grown so long that the din of traffic in Beirut, where about one-third of Lebanon’s 5.4 million people live, has been replaced by the roar of overworked generators. Their exhaust fouls the air, and many residential buildings are shutting them off to rest at night, depriving residents of air-conditioning during the sweatiest stretch of the Mediterranean summer.
Shops and businesses have closed, and some reopened once the Lockdown was lifted. However as of the end of July, the country was forced to shut down again, as the Covid numbers dramatically increased. The young people are all talking about leaving the country and nobody blames them.
“In this environment there is a sense of living just for today because nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.”
In this environment there is a sense of living just for today because nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. And into this emotional storm the church is speaking and acting. People are in great need and feel very insecure, and there is a great opportunity for the church to connect with people who until now thought that they were the centre of their world. We can bring Jesus into the centre of their world; the door of their heart is open.
RCB has just reopened for physical services (24 services in 3 different locations to maintain social distancing), and had more people attending than before, during the months of Summer.
On Tuesday August 4th, we heard the news of the huge explosion by the port in Beirut causing widespread destruction across the city, and traumatising the RCB church family.
Krista wrote “We are safe. We are about 20 minutes away from where the explosion happened. Lots of damage to our people’s homes. Some from our church people got injured, no deaths.
Hospitals are no longer able to take patients because of people overflow and most hospitals in Beirut are destroyed just like most buildings.
Hikmat and the team are working extremely hard to mobilise everyone to help people to restore their homes and help with relief. We have currently recruited a team that has been going from home to home helping families clean up the debris and doing basic renovations to start with. We are also assessing the needs. Some people are cooking meals for those who are working. The need is to renovate all these houses and buy some furniture that has been damaged. The church locations are also being cleaned from the damage.
We started with our congregation and later expanded our circle to help our brothers and sisters in other churches and partnering organisations around us. The scene is so sad.
Beirut is destroyed and will need a long time of recovery.
Please pray for:
People who have lost loved ones
Those who lost their homes and businesses, all in ruins
Those who are injured, and those in pain
People who have a lot of damage to their homes
Churches as they attend to the care of their congregations
People of Lebanon who have lost hope with yet another “crisis” this year Many have had nervous breakdowns
For people to have strength in the Lord. People to seek the Lord
The church to continue to be the light
If you would like to donate to Resurrection Church Beirut in their ongoing efforts to help their community, click here.
Hikmat and Krista Kashouh
Beirut
