In this issue of the newsletter / Results of the survey of Religious Freedom Coalition supporters / Diapers for Refugees and Christmas for Refugees top the survey / Capitol Hill / religious freedom work very important and must continue / Our Amicus brief for jailed Christian friend has been filed in Supreme Court!
This year, about 1,000 children will have a full Christmas program in Syria including a hot meal and gifts. The children are not officially refugees but are what is referred to as “displaced persons,” a person who is still in their native country but has been forced out of their home by war.
Christmas in the Middle East! Over $100,00 wired to Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq in October and $200,000 more in November to provide Christmas events for Christian children. A special program doubles all gifts to the Christmas for Refugees program made in November. More children can be provided a Christmas!
If we can raise the $77,031 needed to use the full matching gift fund, we’ll have raised $154,062 toward fully funding the 2018 Christmas for Refugees program. By completing the matching challenge, we will be close to reaching our goal of helping almost twice as many children
In this issue of the newsletter \ Working toward a Christmas for Refugees program in Syria this year. \ Special summer camp for Iraqi Christian children in Jordan a great success! \ A million more diapers delivered to Christian babies in Iraq … Can we do it? \ HR-390 – Just a few months for Congress to act to pass critical bill
Nearly 900,000 Syrians are expected to return to Syria in the next few months. The Christians are moving back to destroyed and looted homes and churches, just as they have in Iraq’s Nineveh Plain. 1,000 displaced Syrian Christians will have a real Christmas this year if we can raise the needed funds.
Will we be able to meet all requests for the Christmas program? In Lebanon our ministry partner wants to increase the program to 2,000 children and to furnish two blankets to each family. In Iraq the program costs will increase because the location of the children is spread out more. Sadly, regardless of how many families we reach, many thousands more will spend Christmas in a tent in a farmer’s field.
In this issue of the newsletter
Update: Christmas in Qaraqosh … Taking Jesus back to an ancient Christian town/ Update: Three events held rebuilt church hall that was destroyed by the Islamic State/ Update: More about our mission to the West Bank – Dinner with tortured Christians/ New: Can we do more in northern Nigeria to help persecuted Christians?
When I visited Qaraqosh in June 2017 only a handful of families had returned because of the level of destruction and the unsanitary conditions made living there nearly impossible.
In December of 2017, there were about 5,046 families, but the exact number is variable because some give up after a short period there. Living in a burnt out home with no major appliances such as stoves or refrigerators is difficult, especially for those with young children or family members having special medical conditions. The civilians are still waiting for the reconstruction efforts they need so much, generators, electricity, water, …etc.
Christmas events for Christian refugee children is now in four countries!
Nigeria, held it’s first Christmas for Refugees event at an orphanage in the heart of the conflict zone. In Lebanon each child received a meal and a toy, usually a board game that could be shared at home, or Gospel themed coloring and work books. The families received double thick blankets. These blankets were manufactured in Lebanon by a non-profit organization made up of Syrian refugees.