Lebanon (MNN) — Hospitals in Lebanon struggle to care for survivors of Sunday’s catastrophe. At least 28 people died when a fuel tanker in north Lebanon exploded. Dozens more survived with severe burns and other injuries. More about that here.
The same fuel shortage that placed people in harm’s way this weekend prevents caretakers from adequately tending to their injuries. Medical teams do the best they can with no electricity, little or no fuel to run generators, and limited supplies. The Lebanese parliament will meet on Friday to discuss the fuel crisis, Reuters reports.
The August 15 explosion is the latest episode in Lebanon’s never-ending civil drama. See our full coverage here.
“Most of the people in Lebanon are extremely upset. They’re frustrated at government officials, the whole system, and they’re taking that out [with] rioting; civil unrest,” Heart for Lebanon’s Tom Atema says.
“One lady told me, ‘I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. Nobody’s fixing anything.’”
Lebanon’s nonstop disasters increase the demand for support services like the ones offered by Heart for Lebanon. “We’re trying to help Christian schools. We’re looking at possibly [helping] 1,000 children this year through our H.O.P.E. (Helping Overcome Poverty through Education) Program and our Hope On Wheels programs as a result of this latest explosion, combined with the economic problems,” Atema says.
“Schools are supposed to start in about a month, and [caretaker officials say] ‘schools are not going to start, and we don’t know when or if they will start next year.’”
Support Heart for Lebanon’s efforts here. Most importantly, pray. “This is a golden opportunity for us to pray for the indigenous Christians who are out there sharing their faith the best they can with whatever resources they have,” Atema says.
“I know people on our team giving over half of their weekly salary to people who have less than they do. What an example to all of us.”
Pray local believers will set aside time for rest and renewal. “This is 24/7 pressure; pray that God will refresh them so they can continue working for Him,” Atema requests.
People encounter Christ’s love and hope through Heart for Lebanon’s programs and the believers who run them. Those encounters lead to transformation. “They’re looking for answers and this is our opportunity because we have the answer,” Atema says.
“In our two churches, on Sunday, we had record attendance; we had over 2,000 Muslim background believers between both churches.”
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Piron Guillaume/Unsplash.
