From Corona to Cholera . . .

Just as the world begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, an outbreak of cholera is spreading dangerously in Syria and Lebanon. This highly contagious and deadly disease could have a catastrophic impact on people in the most vulnerable situations. With limited access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation, already impoverished families are at extreme risk of falling ill. Although easily treatable in normal conditions, treatment might be out of reach for the many families who can now only afford to eat once a day. The threat of cholera rises at a time when people in Lebanon and Syria are distressed about the coming winter, as growing inflation has made sources of heating (wood, fuel, electricity) unaffordable - if even available - for more families than ever.   

 

 Shared from one of our Faith Promise Missionaries in Lebanon

Used with permission from Merath

 

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Since Lebanon’s ministry of health declared a cholera outbreak on October 5, more than 1,400 suspected cases have been reported in the country, including 381 confirmed cases and 17 deaths as of October 31. The outbreak comes on the heels of a recent wave in Syria, where the epidemic claims over 20,000 suspected cases and 75 cholera-associated deaths since its start on September 10.

The highly contagious disease is now rapidly spreading across Lebanon and could have a catastrophic impact on people in the most vulnerable situations, as it can kill within hours if left untreated. With limited access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation, impoverished families are at extreme risk of falling ill.

 

Khadija is an elderly Syrian woman living with her family in a crowded informal settlement in the Beqaa valley. Where she lives, people only have around seven liters of water per person per week to use for personal hygiene, and prices of filtered drinking water are increasingly expensive. Like many, Khadija’s family is worried about this new disease. Although cholera is easily treatable in normal conditions, she says she cannot afford any kind of treatment, especially at a time when most families from the camp can only afford to eat once a day.

We are currently raising awareness among the families we serve through SMS campaigns and training our partners, and we are preparing to distribute hygiene kits to help the families decontaminate the water they use and protect themselves from the spread of the disease.

Dreading the coming winter

With the threat of cholera now on her mind as she anxiously prepares for winter, Khadija and her family recalled last winter with much pain:

“A part of us died last winter. We couldn’t afford wood or fuel for heating. We had to burn whatever was available, from nylon to shoes even. Any time it rained, water would leak from the roof. During the snowstorm, our roof collapsed under the weight of the snow”.

People in Lebanon and Syria are distressed about the coming winter season, as growing inflation has made all sources of heating (wood, fuel, or electricity) completely unaffordable – if even available – for more families than ever. Many families lack the most basic furniture that would help retain heat and keep them warm, like adequate clothing, carpets, mattresses, or blankets:

“We desperately need mattresses and blankets, as you can see we have none. My son and his wife only have two small blankets although they have two children and are expecting their third one. It is not enough to keep everyone warm”.

We have the capacity to help 10,000 households in Syria and Lebanon stay warmer this winter through the provision of blankets, mattresses, carpets, winter clothes, tarps, and vouchers for heating fuel. To reach these families, we need all the help we can get.

Our only hope

After more than 11 years of conflict in Syria and three years of compounding crises in Lebanon, there still doesn’t seem to be any hope in sight. As food insecurity soars, desperation increases proportionally to humanitarian needs.

Our only hope during these dark times is in God, and the way our church partners continue to love and care for those in vulnerable situations around them inspires and encourages us to keep hoping. At the lowest point during last winter’s snowstorm, members of our partner church in the area were the only people the families in the camp thought to call for help. When we asked them why, they replied:

“There is no one else on earth helping us. We contacted Mazen from the church because he had already been helping us with food boxes. There is no one like him. He gives us milk and diapers when available and he got beanies and jackets for the children last winter. He also came to help us fix our roofs and brought tarps in the middle of the snowstorm”. 

Brother Mazen last winter, helping families from the camp fix their tents

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PRAYER & PRAISE ~ Nov. 9-15, 2022

 

11/9 AL & Mary Madeline WHITTINGHILL 

Ambassadors for Christ International, USA 

Please pray for Al as he travels to Kentucky and back for several preaching events, and as he speaks at a “Turn” conference near Knoxville for four nights. Al will focus on our great need for revival. Pray for a strong and gracious anointing of God on all his meetings.

 

11/10 T & A 

Central Asia 

After a long process, praise God that T & A’s new visas are finally in their passports, and they have all the correct accreditations and registrations for another year. They are thanking the Lord for the opportunity to represent Him in their ministry country for another year!

 

11/11 AL & LINDA BRIDGES 

BEE World, USA/Worldwide 

Linda and Al will attend an ICETE Conference (the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education) in Turkey during mid-November. The purpose of this conference is to develop relationships with professors, trainers and organizations from around the globe to extend Biblical training to more pastors world-wide. 

 

11/12 Gary & Esther Smith 

Ethnos360, Papua New Guinea       

Continue praying for their areas of service - Esther in Field Homeschool Administration and Gary in Personnel.  Pray for the Dinangat Church. They seem to be going through a stagnant time. Continue praying for the house building going on in Kuyu. Chronological Evangelistic teaching is in the fourth week now in Maliyali. Pray for this spiritual battle!  

 

11/13 BRANDY INGLE-BARD 

Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA 

Pray for a new part in her role which is to teach in larger group settings! Her supervisors have seen a desire and ability to train people (as she’s done in prior jobs), so they've asked her to be part of a teaching team that meets regularly with a group of new missionaries and travels to Orlando to help at the new member orientation course. 

 

11/14 Donna Ferch 

Friends in Action International, USA/Bolivia 

Donna has been encouraged by so many cards, calls and messages arriving at just the right moment. A big encouragement has been the support of her NGO/mission agency, Friends in Action.  Doors are open for her continued ministry and involvement with the field of Bolivia, helping as representative and liaison. Pray for her as she continues in this ministry.

 

11/15 Edner & Dominique Jeanty                    

Crossworld, Haiti   

At the BARNABAS Leadership Center, they are praising the Lord for a Matching Fund Challenge that was success­­fully completed. It will help with operations expenses to keep their doors open for the quarter.  In the last 12 months, they have trained 95 participants in Biblical Entrepreneurship. They are working to organize the Global Leadership Summit in the fall. 

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:58 (NASB) 

Our monthly Prayer & Praise Calendar is also available on fba.org/globalmissions