Journals
Posted on March 27, 2023 A G L I M P S E O F H O P E I N T I M E S O F D A R K N E S S
Dan & Sarah Chetti

A  GLIMPSE  OF  HOPE  IN  TIMES  OF  DARKNESS

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 

Connecting with Our Local Partners
               In early March, Insaaf hosted an information meeting with six of our community leaders and a new NGO called Tabitha. Insaaf has a long-standing history with community leaders from various countries and this information meeting had representatives from Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Kenya, and the Philippines.
               Tabitha is a Christian Relief and Development Organization which provides services for issues related to Gender Based Violence. They offer legal support, psychological support, medical assistance, and a safe shelter for women who fit certain criteria. We are pleased to be able to share our knowledgeand resources with others within the larger migrant communities in Beirut.

Prisoner Prays for Soften Hearts

Esther was sent to jail, accused by her employer of stealing money and trying to poison the employer’s son. When she asked her employer to  send her back to the Philippines, the employer started mistreating her and made a lot of false accusations against her. She worked for her employer for five years without having any problems with them. Her employer also ordered the police to beat her and to detain her in a very small room with only a small window and no light inside. They only turn on the lights during mealtimes and she stayed in this very small room for eight months. When she was in prison, she never stopped praying and she cried to Lord for help. She asked the Lord to touch her employer’s heart to set her free. During the 8th month of her stay in prison, her employer talked to the lawyer to set her free. She shared her testimony with me when I saw her and she said that it is a miracle, an answer to prayer. She is now back home in the Philippines reunited with her family.

Visiting a Doctor for the First Time in Ten Years

          Lea is an MDW who has lived in Lebanon for ten years. Last fall she attended one of our health awareness sessions and was encouraged by our friend and presenter, Nurse Sandra, to go visit one of our clinics for a routine checkup. Lea went to Al Shaafi Clinic, which is a ministry of Resurrection Church Beirut. She had her first general check-up, and lab work done, and experienced her very first mammogram. She is also going through menopause, so she was grateful to be able to talk with a kind and compassionate doctor. Lastly, she had an IUD for 26 years, which the doctor was able to remove without any complications.

          There are a number of reasons why MDWs do not go to the doctor for regular checkups here. Many of them do not know where to go and doctor’s visits are costly. Often times our women feel uncomfortable as they receive discrimination in other sectors of life here. And some MDWs are unable to take the time off from work or their employers do not think the health of their workers is important.

          We are grateful that God has given us the funds to help MDWs with their healthcare needs. Insaaf has been able to partner with four local clinics to refer our women to and we are able to help with medical expenses, medical consultation fees, and routine medical tests within a certain budget.

          Last year, we were able to help one-third of our beneficiaries, 221 women, connect with doctors, help pay for medications and lab work, and occasionally a big surgery. We would like to be able to help more of our MDWs this year.

Would you consider giving a financial gift to help us continue to provide medical aid for our women in 2023? If so, please email us at insaaflebanon@gmail.com

How are medical funds used?

$5 can pay for the doctor’s consultation fee for one of our MDWs

$17 can help an MDW pay for hard-to-find medications

$24 can help one of our women pay for lab work and tests

Dedicating Our New Center

          Lastly, on Feb. 15th we invited friends from the International Community Church and MERATH/LSESD to join us in dedicating our new center. Sarah and Melanie also happened to have friends from International Ministries, Walt and Jeanine White, visiting at the same time. We are grateful to God for providing our new home!

T H A N K  Y O U  F O R  Y O U R  H E L P !

We rejoice in the many varied ways God is using us to be His hands and feet to “the least of these” in Beirut at this time. Thank you for partnering with us in prayer and for your generous giving!

If you would like to give a gift, please visit: https://internationalministries.org/lebanoninsaaf- center-project/

 

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