As we seek to engage followers of Christ in His mission in Syria and Lebanon, The Outreach Foundation continues in partnership with the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL). This July three Outreach board members, Nancy Fox, Lois Andrews, and Lisa Culpepper traveled to Beirut to visit partners and attend the annual Women’s Conference in Dhour Choueir, Lebanon.
Read MoreBelieving that our students have the right to be active members of Lebanese society, Blessed has launched the “I Deserve, and I Can” project, affirming their right to work, earn money, and secure their futures. Blessed School already has many students working as caregivers and office assistants and in data entry and catering.
Knowing that music is a major part of their joy, Blessed School has performed at many big events with famous musicians and singers. A Christmas Medley was published in 2022, enjoy it here:
Read MoreFounded by British missionaries in 1868 as the first school for the blind in the MENA (Middle East/North Africa) region, the Lebanese Evangelical Society decided to expand Blessed School’s mission to receive students with special needs including autism and Down syndrome. Blessed School spreads the Word of God not only to the Lebanese but also to people of many other nationalities who study there and learn and explore the God of Love during daily chapel services.
Read MoreBlessed School, tucked away in a poor area of Beirut and founded by English missionaries in 1868 as a school for the blind, now primarily serves those on the autism spectrum and with mental challenges. Our short visit with Rev. Linda Maktaby, who directs this faithful ministry, and Tony Haddad, who runs the Lebanese Evangelical Society which oversees this tender place, was a reminder of Christ’s call to serve “the least of these” whom He loves.
Read MoreThe person who thinks that when an immovable object meets an irresistible force that nothing happens has probably never met Linda Maktaby, pictured left. Linda, a graduate of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, is the executive director of Blessed School, a ministry established by the English in 1868 originally as a school for the blind. 153 years later, it still serves those with vision impairments, but its main focus now is on those with disabilities on the autism spectrum. As we sat with Linda, we encountered another fully-turned-on spigot freely flowing with the love of Jesus. If the firehose analogy can be used again here, encountering Linda will leave you drenched with that love.
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