Holy Land Crisis Response

Life in the Middle East has been marked by conflict for most of recorded history, but recent tensions have heightened stress, fear, and urgency.

Despite these challenges, Christians like you have come alongside long-term workers and local believers, sharing the hope and peace Christ offers to the lost.

Thank you for partnering with us to address the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the communities impacted by the traumas of this war.

Here are just a few of the ways God has used your giving to help meet needs:

Tents for the displaced: Raed* and his family have lived in Gaza for years. He has faced constant persecution from his extended family and colleagues because he and his family follow Jesus.

Raed’s motto is, “God is good, He knows my circumstances, and He is enough.”

When bombs destroyed his family’s apartment building, Raed said, “God is good.”  Believers helped him buy a tent, so his family had a place to sleep.

As the bombing continued, Raed bartered that tent away in exchange for transport for his family out of the direct line of fire. He said, “God knows my circumstances.”

Christians came together and bought Raed’s family another tent, but heavy rains and flooding in the area washed it out to sea. He said, “God is enough for me.”

After months of camping on the rubble of his destroyed apartment building, enduring rain, cold, and rats, Raed and his family continue praising God for the gift of life.

Again, faithful believers provided a tent for Raed’s family. In times of war, this is what Paul’s admonition to “contribute to the needs of the saints” looks like (Rom. 12:13).

Pray for safety and provision for Raed, his family, and other Christians living in Gaza.

Feeding the elderly: The ongoing crisis makes it difficult for the elderly and those with mobility issues to leave their homes because people have 90 seconds to find shelter when missile sirens alert.

Because of your gifts, long-term workers take basic food items to the elderly in local congregations. This food meets both their physical and spiritual needs.

Pray for the elderly and disabled in this region, facing loneliness and isolation.

New bomb shelters: Recent escalations mean that several times each day and night, families must seek cover as ballistic missiles fall on Israel.

Your generosity provided two new bomb shelters at a camp and conference center in the region. These protect not just campers and guests but also two local families that work there and have no protection near their own homes.

Pray for local kids as they try to resume school and summer activities, such as camp.

Hearing their hurts: During a recent food drive in this war-torn region, we sat with many widows, people with disabilities, and families with husbands and sons either unable to work or imprisoned due to the conflict.

Your gifts helped bless each family with food. However, we found that as we sat and listened to each family’s story, doors opened to share about God’s love.

“Even in the darkest and hardest times, God is there. He has not forgotten you!”

Despite overwhelming needs in this region, we are reminded that every story, every person is precious before God.

Prayer for those grieving loved ones to turn to Jesus for peace amid their pain.

Thank you for your sacrificial gifts and steadfast prayers on behalf of our teams of long-term workers, local believers and partners, and the hurting all around us.

*Names changed

Life across the Holy Land region is a mix of sadness and joy, fear and defiance, hope and desperation.

But God is using your sacrificial gifts to open many hearts to the gospel.

Yousef* is one of 26 young adults involved in an evangelism practicum, where they learned how to study the Bible, share their faith, and the importance of missions.

This group traveled to Germany to share the gospel with refugees and others living there. Yousef and others went out daily, sharing the gospel with those they met.

They had more than 50 gospel conversations, and two accepted Jesus as Savior.

Yousef’s experience in Germany not only helped him understand God’s heart for the lost globally but also taught him to share Jesus right where he is.

Local Baptist churches want to engage their communities. A new outreach program is helping them do that because of your generosity to this ministry.

These outreach events enable them to deepen relationships, serve their neighbors, and share their faith boldly. As a result, new families are joining churches and growing spiritually through involvement in Sunday School.

Thank you for partnering with us in sharing the gospel across this region, strengthening local churches, and equipping believers to serve the Lord.

Parts of the region are not secure enough for churches to meet. In these conditions, gathering for worship is difficult, and outreach events are rare.

Your gifts provided two additional bomb shelters and two generators, which allow a local congregation to reach out and engage its neighbors, as well as meet for discipleship and worship.

Thank you for faithfully encouraging your brothers and sisters in Christ across this region through your giving and prayers.

Please continue joining us in prayer:

• Praise the Lord for the work He is doing in Yousef’s life and the others involved in the evangelism practicum!
• Pray for local believers to keep their focus on Jesus as they navigate the difficult circumstances around them.
• Ask God to continue opening hearts to the gospel, so seeds fall on “good soil” and “bear fruit” (Matthew 13:23).
• Pray for local churches to reach out to their communities and share Jesus boldly.

You are following Paul’s admonition to “Contribute to the needs of the saints and  . . . rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:13a, 15). Thank you for your diligence in giving and praying for this region.

*Name changed

Like most other families in the region, the war that broke out between Israel and Hamas in October 2023 changed the lives of Abraham’s* family. His family’s restaurant quickly began struggling as tourism in the region shuttered and local families drastically limited their spending. Additionally, the restaurant’s landlord demanded the entire next year’s rent upfront, slashing the family’s cash reserves and crippling their ability to generate income. Amid the hopelessness of their situation, Abraham’s family saw the love and light of Christ shining into their home as you generously helped food on their table.

We appreciate the critical support you provide to Holy Land Crisis relief efforts. The war continues to create opportunities to share the love of Christ. As every people group and individual in the Holy Land is affected in one way or another, your generosity opens doors for ministry ranging from food, clothing, housing, trauma care, and protection, to the greatest need of all, salvation through Jesus Christ.

Your gifts and prayers through Holy Land Crisis Response impact hundreds of families like Abraham’s torn apart by this crisis.  Some families have been upended financially by the war. Others struggle to find basic shelter, food, and clothing because their homes are in neighborhoods that no longer exist. For these, your giving offers not only physical support but also the emotional and spiritual help they so desperately need.

Please join us in prayer:

• Pray for children and teens who cannot attend school because of the war and for their time to be productive as they grow and mature.
• Ask God to open the hearts of those we assist to understand God’s love for them.
• Pray for local believers to share the hope of Christ amid this hopelessness of the crisis.

Thank you for joining us in addressing the world’s greatest problem: lostness. Your gifts and prayers for this team enable us to reach people in the Holy Land with the good news. You are a co-laborer with us in the gospel, and we value your partnership!

*Name changed for security

Download the Prayer Guide

As we watch devastating events taking place in the Holy Land, we are not mere spectators. We don’t just see headlines. We see people. Right now they are injured, frightened, missing. They are lost.

As this crisis unfolds, we will not ignore it. We will not be silent. We will not stand still. We will cry out to God on their behalf, asking Him to bring about true peace as only He can. Join us now as we pray, together.