How does a project impact the life of a child in the Middle East, especially when there are many restrictions and limitations?

It takes some creativity and a whole lot of prayer. And for little girls like Natalie, it makes all the difference in the world.

Natalie attends one of our centers in Lebanon, an area that’s seen a lot of unrest and turmoil. Her father is a peddler, selling odds and ends to provide for his growing family; Natalie’s mother is expecting her fifth child any day now.

Her family faces many challenges; Natalie lives in an area where Christians face persecution, mostly for the choices her parents and grandparents made some time back, to live in an area where people dump trash. The family can sort through the bags to find recyclables to sell.

It is a harsh environment to live in, but Natalie has found a place of respite in the local Mission of Mercy project. “The project has changed my life,” she says, “because I found people love me, taking care of my studies, like to listen to me and love me with no conditions.”

Before she enrolled in the Mission of Mercy project, Natalie and her family did attend church. “I was just going weekly but no change in my life but now things is getting different. I like to go to the church because I want to know Jesus more and more. I want to pray and praise him and I feel that I am strong when I get close to Jesus and can live love and forgiveness.”

Other elements of the project have affected Natalie’s daily life. Because her family was poor, they could not afford the extra tutoring Natalie needed to succeed in school. Classrooms in the government schools are loud and overcrowded, sometimes up to 55 students will be in a class. Yet with the project staff’s encouragement and help, Natalie’s reading and writing improved, and her confidence grew.

Attending the Mission of Mercy project allows Natalie opportunities she might not have had, such as going on field trips and attending a special summer camp. “We usually can’t go to trips so a camp or a trip in the project was a joy for me.”

She describes the atmosphere at the camps as one of love and fun. “We play, eat, learn many things about God, learn how to behave with each others and learn good manners like brushing my teeth, washing my face and clean the place I sit in which makes me do that in my home and encourage my family to clean our home and that will protect us from diseases.”

The staff takes time at the camps to love on each child individually, provide a listening ear, and encourage the children in their spiritual lives. “The camps and trips make a real different in my life because these were a source of joy and happiness. People love me, listen to my feelings or questions, taking care of me and my family, always encourage me to know Jesus better, pray and read the Bible with me, learn me how to deal with others.”

Our programs in the Middle East are different than those in other countries, but the care and caution we take is balanced by the creativity and commitment of our staff to each child. Natalie is just one child of many who have been blessed by the Mission of Mercy programs in this region, which offer an opportunity to be seen, heard, and loved on in a way that exemplifies Christ. As Natalie says, “I think this kind of love makes me see how God loves me and give me the opportunity to join this program to enjoy with all these blessings around me. I thank God for this.”