Lebanon (MNN) — As of last weekend, Lebanon has a new government for the first time in over two years. But at the same time it is different than what it’s been for decades, explains Nuna* with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon.
“I think it’s been 30 years where Hezbollah has been the upper hand in the [government], where they can veto whatever the government is deciding, because they were in control of one third of the government,” she says. That level of control is no longer there today.
Another factor bringing change to Lebanon comes from neighboring Syria. The recent ouster of the al-Assad regime means ministry to refugees is changing too.
“The Syrian refugees are losing their status of refugee, which means now the government is really pushing them to go back home,” Nuna says.
Lebanese authorities recently forced Triumphant Mercy to immediately shut down one of their centers that served refugees.
First day of school 2024 (Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon)
“The shift was so abrupt that it’s difficult to navigate. But I have to say also that we were ready for it,” she says.
They were ready because the Lord gave their team the feeling last year that their time with refugees was coming to an end. Today, they know they must share the gospel directly with refugees instead of first building relationships.
“Now it feels like, ‘Okay, the time is so short. Now people are going to go back home. Who’s going to be preaching the gospel there? Nobody. So now is the time to move.’”
Nuna says the whole Middle East is in a new era, not just Lebanon.
“We’re praying first that God, who is in control of all the shifts that are happening, will give us wisdom [on] how to navigate this. But also to understand the seasons. I am really praying that I would understand the times and the seasons, because I know it’s a new season,” she says.
“I know that there is a great revival that is [going to] happen now in Lebanon. I just feel that this shift is not just political, it’s also spiritual, where things are [going to] move in a way that is unprecedented.”
Join in praying for revival across Lebanon and the Middle East! Learn more about Triumphant Mercy Lebanon here.
*Name withheld for security reasons
Header photo of Beirut, Lebanon courtesy of Etienne Boulanger/Unsplash.
