Mission of Mercy ministers to over 40,000 children, each of whom live in very different situations. Homes may be built of whatever material can be found -- wood, mud, tin, and plastic are quite common.

In our projects in Jordan and Lebanon, however, children may live in apartments. Before you picture a high-rise with uniform windows and balconies, just imagine that you had to build that high rise yourself. Does that change the picture?

Take a look at the common construction used in Amman, Jordan. A closer inspection reveals simple buildings built upon each other. If your sponsored child's biography mentions that their home's walls are made of cinderblock, she may live in a building like this.  

These "apartment" buildings may house several branches of the same family. Walls may divide a family's parcel and because space is at a premium, gardens are common if a terrace is available.  

Homes in Lebanon may look similar to those in Jordan. Families will build wherever there is space, creating several dwellings on top of each other.

Although some of our projects are located near major cities, others are quite rural. One project ministers to a nomadic population, so their dwellings look more tent-like, quite different from the urban apartments available to other families in Lebanon, like the building on the left.  

Because of media coverage of this region, we tend to picture the Middle East as more developed than other regions in which Mission of Mercy works. Yes, there may be fancy hotels and flashy cars, but the poverty is there -- often hidden behind walls or built in the shadows of the resort hotels we find in travel magazines.

It may be shocking to us to see such images, but this is just a glimpse into your sponsored child's world. They are not ashamed of the way they live, in fact if you visit they will gladly welcome you into their home. On the whole, the parents of your sponsored children strive daily to provide food and shelter, but their resources are simply more limited.

And that is why Mission of Mercy exists. With your help, we can serve those who may be overlooked or under-served. You help us step into the gap as the hands and feet of Jesus, to put on flesh and move into the neighborhood (John 1:14) to provide the resources and opportunities to learn and grow.