Middle East (MNN) — Answered prayers lead to a positive new chapter in Middle East relations. Nuna with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon says, “This week, we have a new prime minister, so everything is going to change.”
Chosen by a two-thirds majority in the Lebanese parliament, Nawaf Salam was named Lebanon’s Prime Minister in Monday’s election. Salam was selected to lead the UN’s top court for a three-year term last February.
Salam’s victory ousted the current placeholder and Hezbollah favorite, Caretaker PM Najib Mikati.
“Everybody wanted him (Mikati) out, so there’s a big change there,” Nuna says.
Salam’s appointment follows the election of Lebanon’s new president, Joseph Aoun, last week. Diplomacy with neighboring Syria is first on the docket for Lebanon’s new leaders.
“According to the president, he wants to normalize relations between the two countries because they haven’t been normal for years,” Nuna says.
“The new president is talking about the return of the Syrians, the normalization of relationships, of securing the borders in a way that is good for both.”
Lebanon and Syria have a long history of fractured relations. Syrian troops occupied Lebanon between 1976 and 2005. Then, Lebanon became host to the highest number of Syrian refugees when Syria’s civil war began in 2011, stretching Lebanese resources and infrastructure to the breaking point.
(Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon)
“There was no way to talk with the Syrian government to take them (refugees) back because Bashar Al Assad did not want them,” Nuna says.
Pray for peace in the Middle East as the new leaders of Lebanon and Syria seek restoration. Ask the Lord to guide Nuna and her fellow leaders at Triumphant Mercy Lebanon. Pray for discernment as they seek ways to make a difference in Lebanon’s new chapter.
“We need to pray for the whole Middle East, not just Lebanon,” Nuna says.
“Pray for stability; stability for the region. For us as TM, we need to know where God is leading us for the next season.”
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Lara Jameson/Pexels.
