Mission Network News - Middle East

Iran (MNN) — As Heart4Iran broadcasts the animated TV show Superbook into Iran, children are receiving the gospel with joy. Their excitement impacts their families too. 

For more than 40 years, the show Superbook (created by the Christian Broadcasting Network) has brought Bible stories to life for kids across the world. Today, Heart4Iran and its partners are bringing Superbook into the Farsi language episode by episode.

Jennifer* is the manager of the Superbook Farsi team at Heart4Iran. She knows firsthand the impact that children can have on their families when it comes to faith in Christ.

When Jennifer was four, her mom starting sending her to a Sunday School.

“My sister and I would come home and talk about Jesus to my mom, not knowing that we’re witnessing to her. She got excited from our excitement, and she started going to a church and reading [the] Bible. This is how salvation [came] to our home,” Jennifer says.

(Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran)

“I know that even though this (Superbook) is a kids program, it has a huge impact even on adults.”

The team at Heart4Iran receives calls from parents who say how Superbook is impacting their kids’ behavior. They say it’s inspiring their kids to be better people and recognize the true good and evil.

“We also get a lot of messages [from] parents asking for [a] Bible for their kids, because their kids, after watching a few episodes, get excited and captivated by the show, wanting to have their own Bible and to read it,” Jennifer says. (Learn more about Superbook here.)

One girl named Yalda called the Heart4Iran team with something more on her heart.

Superbook is the Bible brought to life through animation — a timeless form of storytelling — to introduce children to Jesus and help develop their faith. (Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran, caption courtesy of CBN)

“I want to receive Jesus,” Yalda said. “But I’m concerned about my uncle too, because he doesn’t see Superbook. He’s drug addicted, and I’m afraid that he [will go] to hell.”

“This is so heartwarming that kids not only think about themselves — they think about their family members,” Jennifer says. The team is helping Yalda walk through her new faith and encouraging her prayers for her uncle. 

Children in Iran have limited resources to hear about the truth of Jesus. Would you join in praying for them and partnering with Heart4Iran?  

“We can move forward as much as our budget allows us,” Jennifer says. “It’s really crucial to have [those funds] to keep this program moving forward. If somebody wants to partner with us in this project, we are open-armed.” 

Visit heart4iran.org to learn more and support the work of bringing Superbook to children in the Farsi-speaking world.  

*Name withheld for security reasons. 

Header photo courtesy of Heart4Iran. 

Lebanon (MNN) — School is well underway in most places worldwide, but the beginning of classes this week in Lebanon holds special significance.

“We tried to finish the school year last year, but it was not finished well. We had raids in camps and could not bring the kids in; we finished the year abruptly,” Nuna with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon explains.

As a result, “The beginning of this year is a big celebration for us because it’s like, wow, now we can start again. At the same time, we’re very aware that this might not stay the same.”

Syrian refugee students and their families face constant deportation threats. Meanwhile, Hezbollah and Israel continually trade fire in southern Lebanon, close to where the school operates.

“In the Middle East, planning ahead is a luxury we don’t have. We live day by day [because] we have a new situation every day,” Nuna says.

“We don’t know how many normal days we will have, so we’re just celebrating the beginning and praying that we will be able to continue.”

Furthermore, TM Lebanon’s school is even more important now that other options are unavailable. “With the UN funding going down, many kids are not going to school anymore [and] many Syrian kids are on the streets,” Nuna says.

“We need to sow peace, hope, and a future because God has plans for them. If we leave them on the streets, it’s likely that they will never see their dreams come true.”

Pray students will begin a saving relationship with Jesus Christ through TM Lebanon’s school. Learn how your gift can further TM Lebanon’s efforts here.

“Everything we do is to bring the knowledge of Jesus to people. We believe God will bring these seeds we plant to fruition one day,” Nuna says.

Header and story images courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon.

Lebanon (MNN) — Lebanon’s former central bank governor, Riad Salameh, was arrested this week in Beirut after a lengthy interrogation. Salameh is facing domestic and international charges for allegedly embezzling over 40 million dollars.

“Now, the sad part in this whole thing is that he’s not the only one,” Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says.

“This is not a one-man show; you have a full range of politicians, economists, bankers – people of influence – who were involved in this more than $110 billion scheme.”

Lebanon has faced severe economic downfall since October 2019, with billions of dollars frozen in bank accounts. That fall, people took to the streets en masse to protest government corruption.

Riadh Salameh attending MTV Lebanon talk show in January 2020.
(Wikimedia Commons)

“We woke up on October 17, 2019, to the news that all the banks have frozen everyone’s assets because they have no means to pay Lebanon’s debt,” Melki explains.

“Every Lebanese who had $100 or $100,000 in the bank woke up having zero access to [their savings because] they (corrupt officials) sent our money to banks offshore and robbed the country of Lebanon of all its resources.”

As a result of widespread corruption, poverty has more than tripled in the past ten years, affecting nearly half of Lebanon’s population. Yet hope remains. “God has put us in a position to engage the world with a positive change,” Melki says.

“I see great hope in Lebanon if we continue to work diligently in raising a new generation of God-fearing, compassionate leaders that would replace the current leaders.”

Learn how you can foster transformative change through Heart for Lebanon here.

“We are focusing on raising people who have one mission: to live a Christ-like life in our country,” Melki says.

Header image depicts 2019 mass protests against government corruption in Beirut. Since October 2019, Lebanon has faced severe economic downfall, with billions of dollars frozen in bank accounts. (Photo courtesy of Shahen Books/CC4.0)

Iran (MNN) — A wise man once said, “Planning without action is futile; action without planning is fatal.” This fall, Transform Iran is laying the foundation to effectively reach children for Christ.

A generous partner made part of the plan possible by providing training for 35 Gospel workers. The training will cover topics like effectively communicating the Gospel with children, discipling children, and releasing children into mission. More about that here.

(Photo courtesy of Transform Iran)

“When children do start responding [to evangelistic material], we want to make sure that people across our ministry [will] be ready to go,” Transform Iran’s Lana Silk says.

“We can say, ‘Okay, here’s a 12-year [-old] girl who’s responded from Iran. I’m going to connect her to you. Will you disciple her?’ Meanwhile, we’re expanding our digital evangelism and discipleship materials for children.”

Kids are a critical yet unreached demographic in Iran. “Children are not exempt from the pain that the people of Iran are suffering today. We have a pretty formalized, permissive structure in Iran that allows the abuse of children,” Silk says.

“Child marriage is a reality; children who are abused have no course of action. Then, we’ve got hundreds of thousands of children who are abandoned.”

The children of Iran face poverty, a lack of freedom, and an uncertain future. Help them find the hope that comes only through knowing Christ by partnering with Transform Iran.

“There are millions of children in Iran under the age of 12. Our estimates show eight to 10 million,” Silk says.

“We don’t anticipate immediately reaching all of them, but if even 1,000 children were to respond in the first year and let’s say 100 of those gave their lives to the Lord, that would be a wonderful start.”

Header and story images courtesy of Transform Iran.

Lebanon (MNN) — In a world becoming darker by the day, Lebanese believers intentionally shine the light of Christ.

At a recent staff meeting, “We asked ourselves, ‘What is the role of Heart for Lebanon in times of crisis?’” Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says.

“Every couple of years, there’s a different crisis, whether financial [or] the pandemic, deadlock in political groups; we’ve been without a president and a sitting government now for over 18 months.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

Together, the team came up with five responses:

Melki says Gospel workers are motivated by the needs of their neighbors. “People are living in despair; they’re living in fear,” he explains.

“They’re looking for hope desperately, but there’s only one hope and that’s in Christ.”

According to the World Bank, poverty in Lebanon has tripled over the past decade, reaching 44 percent of the population. Conflict in southern Lebanon has displaced roughly 100,000 people since October.

Daily clashes are ongoing, preventing uprooted families from returning home.

“We cannot be indifferent to the atrocities, to the death, to the destruction that is going [on] everywhere. We have to give a message of peace,” Melki says.

Additionally, “we need to provide an alternative to the community of hatred and anger and [instead] have a community of forgiveness and love.”

Fulfilling the five decrees listed above in times of crisis will position Heart for Lebanon as a beacon of hope. Pray that hurting people will be drawn to their light and find everything they need in Christ.

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon.

Lebanon (MNN) — Caught behind the mounting hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah are 1.3 million children in Lebanon, many of whom are suffering.

In April, UNICEF issued a report on children in Lebanon, saying that what was then six months of conflict had led to deteriorated education, healthcare, water access and emotional well-being for them. A full-scale war would be devastating for their futures.

(Photo of summer camp courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon)

Nuna with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon says that although fears are pressing the nation, they strive against it. 

“We try to to continue life as normal, and to continue to work with the kids as normal, so that the kids will also feel safe and secure and that life goes normally,” she says. “This is what we try to do, but it’s not always easy.” 

This year, TM Lebanon summer camps gave kids a brief safe space where they could have fun and learn about the God who they can trust. Kids were able to laugh with friends, play games, watch Bible story skits and more. (Read one story from TM Lebanon here.)

Nina says some of the kids had never heard about David and Goliath, Jonah, and other well-known stories from the Bible. They were mesmerized by the skits that leaders put on to retell these stories. 

“That helped so much with their feelings, because they didn’t have the thought of the today and now and the war, but they were really taken into another place (by the skits),” Nuna says. “I think this is not only healing, but it’s also sowing seeds of faith inside them that God is greater and that God can do much bigger [things], and he can take any circumstance and change it.”

Nuna shares that after seeing the story of David and Goliath, one girl said, “I know that if God is with me, nothing can conquer me.”

“This is the joy of having these camps with the kids. It’s just seeing what impact we can do and what seeds we can plant,” Nuna says.

(Photo of summer camp courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon)

Many of the children TM Lebanon serves are refugees whose families are struggling.

“Even inside Lebanon, [refugee families] have been moving from place to place. So now that there’s another war in the horizon, they don’t know where to go. Should they move? Should they stay?” Nuna says. “The kids are feeling this. They feel the pressure that their parents are under.” 

Now that you know, would you pray for the gospel of hope to spread in Lebanon?

“[Pray] that the ministers of the gospel would be refreshed, that they will not give in to the news. The news [is] just spreading fear and anxiety and gloom, and we cannot go there,” Nuna says.

“Pray for our team members who have to fight this every day. They have to come against all the news that they are hearing every day — all the mothers that are coming with news, all the kids that are coming stressed. We have to always and every day fight.” 

Header photo of summer camp courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon.

Israel (MNN) — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began raids in the West Bank last week, continuing efforts to dismantle Hamas and its leadership. On Thursday, the IDF reported the successful elimination of Islamic Jihad commander Muhhamad Jabber.

This marks the latest phase in the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land — a war that is taking a toll on both Israeli soldiers and civilians, who are feeling the strain of the economic impact.

(Photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

Pastor Israel Pochtar of Beit Hallel Congregation in Ashdod says, “The needs are great because the military expenses are very high and it’s affecting the Israeli economy. The prices are growing, the economy is suffering, and we’re going to see consequences more and more because this war is very costly.”

Despite the challenges, the light of Christ is breaking through. Beit Hallel Congregation actively supports Israeli Christians in the military. Pochtar estimates there are at least 1,000 Christian Israeli soldiers, including 35 from his church. He also has two sons in Israel’s military.

“We’ve never had such a big number of Christians who are in the army, who are sharing their faith and becoming a living letter of Jesus, of God for all people,” says Pochtar. “We have lots and lots of powerful testimonies and saved lives!”

As the Church continues to encourage believers in Israel’s military, Pochtar emphasizes, “We want to create a platform for our guys. I mean, we have the way they need help, but also we help them to be a message, to be a voice. Also, we tell them when we come, ‘I want to let you know Christians are praying for you.'”

You can get invested spiritually with Beit Hallel Congregation’s informative prayer resources.

“We do send prayer guides on how to pray for Israel, specifically, once a week,” says Pochtar. “So if people who want to pray, not only generic prayers, but specific prayers, they can sign up for our email…and take it into their prayer lives.

“When people pray, we do feel it. Israel needs prayer, and we believe in the power of prayer.”

Header photo courtesy of Pastor Konstantin Tsivin/Beit Hallel Congregation.

Middle East/North Africa (MNN) – Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa seems to dominate news cycles. However, in the midst of this turmoil God is working through the MENA Leadership Center to provide hope and change lives.

(Image courtesy of WikiImages on Pixabay)

MENA Leadership Center offers training for leaders throughout the Gulf states, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon as well as Sudan, Morocco and other Arabic speaking nations.

Jennifer Murff with the MENA Leadership Center says, “These are already existing leaders who are looking to have even greater impact. We do this through digital courses that are live and online. We focus on social entrepreneurship and practical ministry training so that they can have a greater impact in the region, because God is moving in the Middle East – even if you don’t hear it on the news.”

There are many groups that provide theological or ministry training to new believers and pastors. However, the MENA Leadership Center offers a unique set of courses that takes ministry work a step further. They focus specifically on maximizing the reach of an organization. This means giving participants the skills to manage financial needs as well as understand how to do strategic planning and market research.

“One course that we are offering is building financial capacity,” Murff says. “Most ministries don’t have the financial foresight or financial skills to be able to adequately run an organization successfully. Another course that we are providing is the power and knowledge of market research. You have to know your market whether you are in Syria, Lebanon, or Egypt. You need to know what your constituents need, why they need it, and how your services are going to meet that need.”

While these courses are critical for the organizations that the MENA Leadership Center serves, practically getting the resources to students can be difficult without the help of partners.

(Image courtesy of StockSnap on Pixabay)

Murff asks for prayer. “There is not a day that passes by that you do not see what’s going on in the region on the news. We need the Lord to move in a great way. The second thing we need is we need the finances to provide the courses. We are looking for people to maybe sponsor a class or sponsor a student. That way we turn no one away and that we can have an impact in the region through the courses that we provide.”

Please join the work of the MENA Leadership Center here.

Header image courtesy of J F on Pixabay.

Palestine (MNN) — Since the outset of the latest conflict in the Holy Land, 65% of West Bank businesses have reported a reduction in their workforce. Tourism in the West Bank used to attract 1.5 million visitors every year. Now, local tourism has dwindled to practically nothing.

Christian pilgrims used to flood Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born. Shireen Hilal, Director of Outreach at Bethlehem Bible College, says today, Bethlehem is a ghost town.

“When visiting Bethlehem, of course, people come and see the Nativity church, and then they go to their restaurants. We have many of the best restaurants here in the area. Besides that, souvenir shops and tour guides and all these businesses are connected to tourism,” says Hilal.

“Now imagine when the war started. Unfortunately, people stopped coming. People are afraid. So basically, those people who were actually working in businesses had to completely shut down their businesses.

A Palestinian woman. (Photo courtesy of Hammam Fuad/Unsplash)

“The war has put so many things behind. I think if the country would want to go back to how it actually was, I think we’d need at least 20 years to develop. I know that in Gaza, we even need more years to develop — I think, at least 30 years.”

Rising unemployment in the West Bank is made worse by the fact that Palestinians who used to travel across the border daily for work in Jerusalem are now barred from continued employment in Israel since the start of the war on October 7.

Amid growing tragedy and grief in their communities, Palestinian Christians with Bethlehem Bible College are being the hands and feet of Jesus to their neighbors.

Hilal says, “Through the Shepherd Society, which is the social arm of Bethlehem Bible College, we provided at least 200 jobs for those who are unemployed. I would not say it’s a full-time job, but at least on a monthly basis, we give what’s called pocket money for the family to survive.

“We want to raise a community that would not actually beg for food or beg for income, but rather work for that.”

The college is also supporting humanitarian aid efforts for those who cannot work or are unable to find employment. “There are areas where you want to teach people how to fish,” says Hilal. “But there are areas that you really need to fish for those who are elderly, for the seniors who are sick and who are with limited resources and so on.”

Through Bethlehem Bible College, people can also find the sustaining hope of the Gospel. To continue in their critical work as the light of Christ, Bethlehem Bible College needs the support of Christian brothers and sisters around the world.

Hilal says, “The Church itself, the Body of Christ…need to help the Body of Christ in Palestine.'”

Learn more about Bethlehem Bible College here, and find ways you can offer support and prayer!

Header photo shows a street in Bethlehem emptied during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Bethlehem is, once again, a ghost town with the ongoing war. (Photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College)

Iran (MNN) — Failed attempts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal last week raise fears about Iran’s promised retaliation against Israel.

Iranian leaders said previously that they didn’t want to disrupt the peace talks between Hamas and Israel. However, now that negotiations are at a stalemate, analysts say Iran could feel pressured by its allies to respond. This would expand the current war beyond Gaza.

“Jesus has said He could come back at any day, and we must be ready for Him,” Transform Iran’s Lana Silk says.

“When you’re serving in an environment like Iran, where persecution is so heavy and now we’re talking about the threat of war, that sense of urgency is heightened,” she continues.

“We need to make sure the Iranian people have heard the Gospel and had an opportunity to respond before it’s too late.”

Transform Iran specializes in reaching Iranians for Christ and helping new believers learn to follow Jesus in Iran. More about that here.

“We’ll use every form of digital media you can imagine to communicate the love of Jesus for the people of Iran, His invitation to come into relationship with Him,” Silk says. “When they do respond, we invite them to discipleship, where they can learn about this Jesus they’ve chosen to follow.”

Visit Transform Iran’s website to learn how you can help. Additionally, “I invite listeners [and readers] to sign up for our newsletter,” Silk says.

“It’s free, it comes once a month [via] email, and it will fuel your prayer because you’ll know what’s going on. You’ll know where the needs are.”

Header image is a representative stock photo depicting the Iranian flag. (Photo courtesy of Engin Akyurt/Pexels)