CHRISTMAS FOR REFUGEES 2016

Rev. Bob Armstrong poses with some refugee children in Lebanon.

Nearly 6,000 children and their families in northern Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon benefitted from the Christmas for Refugees and Diapers for Refugees project promoted by Love-Link Ministries in conjunction with the Religious Freedom Coalition, headed by William J. Murray.

Bill Murray helps to give away gifts to Iraqi children.

        
Tens of thousands of Christian families with children have escaped the attacks of radical Islamic groups in Iraq and Syria and are now in Jordan, Lebanon, and northern Iraq.  Some of these people are the descendants of men and women led to follow Jesus by His Apostles.  The ancient churches of Iraq and Syria have been looted and destroyed, and Christians murdered or forced from their homes.

Children in northern Iraq received the many benefits from a Christmas for Refugees event.

        
As a bright light in a very dark forest, the eyes of many of the children show that emotionally, they see hope come alive thanks to generous people who have funded Christmas for Refugees.

Every child received a coloring book about the birth of Jesus, as well as crayons.

         These Christmas celebrations have the children praising the Lord, singing songs, playing games, laughing along with the puppet shows, and sharing together in a Christmas meal.  There were over one dozen celebrations like this in Lebanon, seven in Jordan, and six in northern Iraq!  The hearts of Middle East refugees were touched with not only food, games, Bibles, and gifts, and some blankets, but with a specific Christmas presentation of the real meaning of Christmas.

These refugee girls in Lebanon eat a “Christmas dinner”

     
    Some Christian families in the refugee camps in Iraq did receive food provided by churches and ministries.  But they did not have other essential items such as tooth paste, shampoo, hand soap or soap to wash their clothing. The kits provided families consisted of (depending upon the availability) shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, dish detergent, laundry detergent, cleaning disinfectant, tissues, sponges and feminine pads for women (over $50 worth per kit).  Thousands of these kits were given to needy refugee family.

Thousands of hygiene kits were distributed.

        
Others received “Joy Bags” of over $50 worth of food staples for an entire family of four that would last at least one week.

         A total of 720,000 disposable diapers were given to needy refugee mothers in 2016.  Disposable diapers are necessary because of the lack of facilities to clean cloth diapers in the camps. 

Unloading 180,000 disposable diapers in northern Iraq at Christmas.