Caring for Christian Refugee Children
The first Christmas event in Lebanon is scheduled for December 13th. The dinner events for the children in Lebanon are scattered all over the country because the refugees are scattered. There are no United Nations refugee camps in Lebanon despite the fact that over 1.2 million Syrians alone are refugees there
The Christmas program for the children is about the hope we all find in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the aid provided to the families is both material and spiritual. Families without Bibles receive one, and children receive workbooks based on Bible themes
During a September, 2015 mission trip two events with meals and faith building programs were held for refugee children in Iraq. The performance of the local ministry we contracted to conduct the program proved beyond a doubt that they had the ability to move hundreds of people to an event, have a program for them, and return them safely to their homes.
Most Christians remaining in Iraq are displaced: In about a month program director William J. Murray will be travelling to Jordan and Iraq to oversee the relief efforts including expansion of the Christmas for Refugee program. A test run of dinner events will be held in the Erbil area to prepare for the Christmas programs later this year
William J. Murray’s final report on his December mission trip in Lebanon and Jordan to oversee the Christmas for Refugees events for children. The program was a tremendous success and ministries look forward to expansion in 2015
Unlike many humanitarian feeding programs, Christmas for Refugees presented the Christmas story and the “reason for the season,” the coming of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. At each Christmas meal event the birth of Christ was explained in detail in puppet shows and through each event coordinator and pastor. Children even received a special colorful comic book describing the true meaning of Christmas
William J. Murray reports from Lebanon on the continued success of the Christmas dinner program for Christian refugee He arrived in Lebanon on the 13th of December as the program was underway and has watched the joy of the children as they were able celebrate Christmas so far from their homes. The children sang, play games and had a Christmas meal and their families received voucher for food of their choice at a market.
On December 6th the first Christmas dinner for one hundred Christian refugee children was held in Beirut, Lebanon. The next two dinners will be held in Lebanon on in mid-month. The remaining nine planned banquets will be held Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley
A great big thank you to all of the supporters of the Religious Freedom Coalition who have helped with the Christmas for Refugees program! Funds are still needed for the project in Jordan, but sufficient funds for the 1,000 Christmas meals initially planned for Christian children in Lebanon have been received and placed in a dedicated account.
The Christmas for Refugee program was begun to bring spiritual help as well as food and medicine to Christian refugees children and their families. Many of the children have had fathers or older brothers who have been martyred, murdered in cold blood by al-Nusra and Islamic State (ISIL) fighters. In some cases they have been forced to watch their fathers being beheaded or in some cases crucified. The once lived in middle class homes and this Christmas will face starvation.