Lebanon (MNN) – Lebanon has been hit by not only the pandemic but also political corruption and the explosion in the capital this year. Horizons International sees this as an opportunity to spread Christ’s hope.
“2020 has really affected Lebanon in a unique way,” Pierre Houssney, Executive Director at Horizons International, says. “Not only did we have the political crisis that caused the economic collapse that was also further made worse by the pandemic and now the explosion. So what we’re trying to do is be the voice of Christ, be the hands and feet of Christ for anybody that we can, giving personal care for them, sharing the Gospel, and then also trying to administer as much humanitarian aid in the name of Jesus as we can.”
Photo courtesy of Horizons International
Horizons International has staff and volunteers providing food, helping with rebuilding and repair, and equipping churches with resources to minister online. In addition to this, Horizons has launched a sustainability plan.
“We’re trying to move beyond short-term solutions or the band-aids of giving out humanitarian relief. We’re finding that short-term relief is ultimately not enough to get them on their feet,” Houssney says. “So what we’re trying to do is create this asset in land so that we can secure a sustainable, local food source that can be feeding people for years to come, rather than just the traditional relief part of just giving out aid.”
Horizons International’s goal is to not only provide aid to those affected by the explosion in Beirut and the Coronavirus but also to evangelize and bring the hope of salvation to them.
“What we’re after is eternal life for these people,” he says. “Just as relief is a very temporal solution, and development is a more long-term solution, still salvation is the longest term, the most sustainable solution for life.”
He continues by saying, “So what we’re trying to do is leverage every resource that we have to not only give short-term relief, or the little bit less short term development work, but also to usher people into the kingdom. That is an eternal source of life for them.”
Photo courtesy of Horizons International
Pray for those affected by the explosion in Beirut and the economic turmoil as a result of it and the Coronavirus. Pray also for the relief efforts of Horizon. “And I really think beyond praying that we need to act and we need to be supporting our Christian brothers and sisters in Lebanon in their time of need so that we can help them to build a Godly society in the future of the Middle East,” Houssney says. “The opportunities of the Gospel are so ripe right now. People are so ready to accept this message of salvation through Christ.”
Horizons International has a Lebanon Crisis Relief Fund that you can donate to. More information can be found on their website.
Feature photo courtesy of Horizons International
