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A wife grieving the death of her husband; a man whose family home was destroyed by fire; a mother displaced for the seventh time. All victims of the ongoing violence in Lebanon and all holding onto faith in the face of loss.
SAT-7 ARABIC’s You Are Not Alone program has been covering heartbreaking stories like these throughout the latest conflict in Lebanon, which started on March 2.
Zeinab, a mother of two children, shared about the tragic death of her husband, Elie, in an attack on their village, Ain Ebel, in the south. He was hit during a missile strike while fixing the internet cables on the roof of their house. Zeinab received the devastating news over the phone while sheltering from the war in Beirut with the couple’s children.
“All I could think was: how could I tell the children this news? And how would they receive it?” She told presenter Sirene Semerdjian.
Zeinab had to leave her children in Beirut to go back to Ain Ebel and bury her husband.
Through the loss and pain, the young widow is experiencing comfort from the Lord. She said He gave her “unusual strength” to bear the situation.
“God has not yet shown me why He took him, but I have faith that one day I will understand,” she said.
“I am carrying this cross with complete faith. I believe in God’s will and accept it. Life will not be the same as before, but we must continue. We cannot stop; life does not stop. So, Elie is still in our hearts and remains with us.”
A short video of Zeinab’s story shared afterwards on social media received a flood of compassionate responses from viewers who offered prayers and encouragement to the family.
“Our Treasure Is in Heaven”
Airstrikes have been continuing in Lebanon despite the announcement of a ceasefire on April 16, which was then extended for 45 days on May 15. Since the start of the conflict, nearly 3,000 people have been killed1 and over 1.1M displaced.2
Ghantous Abu Farhat from Sidra, a village on Lebanon’s southern border, told You Are Not Alone about the loss of his home of 28 years and olive grove of 20 years. All ten properties in the small village were bombed and burned down.
When Ghantous returned to the scene to survey the damage, he was heartened to discover that his Bibles had survived the blaze.
“This gave me strength and determination,” he said. “People ask how I can still smile after losing everything. I tell them our Christianity is not built on material things. Jesus said, ‘Do not store up treasures on earth.’ Our treasure is in Heaven.”
Ghantous, who is now staying with relatives in Qlayaa, added: “We are the light of the world, the salt of the earth. Our mission is to show Christ to the world, not through possessions but through faith.”
“The Lord Gives Us Strength”
In another episode of You Are Not Alone, Lina Toma, shared how her family had to evacuate their town in southern Lebanon in the middle of the night.
She described the panic they experienced at the prospect of having to flee so suddenly: “How can I wake up my children at this time? What should I take with me?” she said.
The family, including one child with a disability, left everything behind. It is Lina’s seventh time of being displaced throughout Lebanon’s troubled history in recent decades.
But like Zeinab and Ghantous, she, too, is holding onto faith, even praying for those whose actions are behind the chaos. “I ask the Lord to give the leaders who are creating this destruction peace,” Lina said.
Thanking God, she testified to His help throughout all her hardships: “We are not alone in this but with all the Lebanese, and so we pray that God be with all of us. Through all we experience, the Lord gives us strength.”
In the past, I didn’t believe in God, but recently I was baptized. My mother-in-law is not a Christian but supported me in becoming a Christian. We were both watching your channel when you invited us for a prayer. And she lifted up her hands and prayed with you. I was very surprised and impressed. You are making really good and effective programs. The Lord works in places you cannot always see."
