As our summer prayer journey continues, we want to pray for Veronica and Ghassan Haber in Lebanon who sent us an update about the continuing crisis in Lebanon.
“Inflation is out of control, petrol is hard to get, pharmacies and hospitals are short of medicine, electricity supplies are in crisis for hospitals as well as individuals.
There has been little done to help the situation since the explosion in Beirut last August. The temporary government is ineffectual and unpopular and there are often riots. There are many political and religious factions vying for power both inside and outside the country.
The country also hosts more Syrian refugees than any other.”
Veronica and Ghassan
As we join our friends in prayer, let’s pray for –
- Veronica and Ghassan’s friends who are living daily with petrol, food, medicine and electricity shortages. It is also hot and humid in Bierut at this time of year which difficult in a crowded city where most live in apartment blocks.
- Health and safety. Veronica has received her first Covid vaccine through the international COVAX scheme.
- Ghassan’s work. His small car parts business can now open, but with the economic situation, there is little business.
- Their children’s (Nour, Jeremy and Cristina’s) schooling. This was online all last year and may continue due to a shortage of teachers, many of whom can’t get petrol to travel to school, similarly with pupils.
- Veronica who is taking part in a Youth for Christ outreach with Syrian teenagers over the summer. Let’s pray that they will be able to get fuel in order to get to the area where it is held.
- The Bible studies with new groups who are being helped by their church. Ghassan has a particular responsibility for a number of these families.
We also want to join Norman Kennedy in praying for the work of BREAD in Kenya. Let’s support all that this wonderful organisation is doing by praying for –
- BREAD’s Kenyan workers, Catherine Miriti and Lucy Mukwekamba, as they run BREAD’s projects in Kenya (Evangelism, Water Tanks, Church Planting and Education) and as they interview new students who are preparing for Secondary school and College or University. It can be hard to identify real needs.
- More funding for Education in Tharaka. When some students were asked if they would like a ‘modern’ block-built house instead of a mud hut they said “no give us funding for education instead!”
- The Evangelists BREAD supports; Rev Amos Lwaya and Eliphas Gitonga. They have been unable to travel to unreached regions of Kenya due to Covid.
- The Water Tank project that it would continue to grow and assist Tharaka people in enabling them to catch clean rainwater from their tin roofs.
- Mikwani Presbyterian Church as they erect a block-built church. Pray that they will, with help from BREAD, be able to raise enough money to put a roof on the building.
- The BREAD committee in Northern Ireland as they decide which projects to fund. The next meeting of this committee is on 20th September 2021.
- The donors of BREAD. Let’s pray that they would continue their support of the four projects of BREAD.
Norman’s also asked us to give thanks for –
- Eliphas Gitonga, BREAD’s Evangelist, who has been able to preach on radio with funding from BREAD.
- Uturini Presbyterian church which has now been completed and the people are gathering for worship each Sunday.
- 678 water tanks have been installed so far in Tharaka homes, helping about 7000 people have access to clean water.
- Those who had water tanks in their homes and were able to wash their hands in clean water which has been especially important throughout the pandemic.
- Mikwani church which is now being built of stone, a great improvement from the mud walled building that the people were worshipping in previously.
- The students BREAD supports who are now back at school/university and can continue their education.