In December of 2023, Pastor You-Sin Houe hosted all the Nazarene churches in the Perth, Australia, area for a Christmas celebration where volunteers passed out backpacks and school supplies to local children at Cullacabardee Aboriginal Community Church of the Nazarene.
Marsha* is a sponsored 17-year-old girl in the Philippines. She’s overcome many challenges across the years, including her family losing their home when Super Typhoon Rai hit the nation at the end of 2021. The storm damaged or destroyed millions of houses, at least 16,000 schools, and 330 health clinics, eventually impacting close to 10 million people.
Evan*is a 7th grader in Guatemala who attends the child development center in his town. Evan’s mother experienced complications with childbirth and passed away four years ago. Since then, Evan and his seven siblings have had to face life without her love and care. The teachers at Evan’s center report that despite this tragedy marking his life, Evan is a hard worker who loves to improve. He strives diligently to overcome the obstacles he faces.
In Nepal, the children at one Nazarene child development center share a common experience—many have never celebrated their own birthdays. For families in this area who struggle with ongoing poverty, there’s no time or money to spend on play or celebrations. Instead, parents have to stay focused on earning enough to eat and have housing. Many of the children have worked alongside their parents to support the families’ needs.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been caught in a devastating financial crisis. What was a difficult situation has gotten worse and worse, increasingly amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the economic effects of the war in Ukraine. Now, basic items people need to survive cost dozens of times more than they used to.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been caught in a devastating financial crisis. What was a difficult situation has gotten worse and worse, increasingly amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the economic effects of the war in Ukraine. Now, basic items people need to survive cost dozens of times more than they used to.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been caught in a devastating financial crisis. What was a difficult situation has gotten worse and worse, increasingly amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 explosion, and the war in Ukraine. Now, basic items people need to survive cost dozens of times more than they used to.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been caught in a devastating financial crisis. What was a difficult situation has gotten worse and worse, increasingly amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 explosion, and the war in Ukraine. Now, basic items people need to survive cost dozens of times more than they used to.
In September, footballers (soccer players) of all ages gathered in Ireland and Lebanon to put on two football tournaments to raise money for the Nazarene Evangelical School – Lebanon. The tournament raised much-needed support for the school and its ministries as it supports the community during an ongoing economic crisis.
Divya*, age 15, lives with her family in Nepal, where her father works as both a Nazarene pastor and a brick-layer. This story is all too common for many families struggling with limited opportunities for income.