PETAH TIKVA, Israel (BP) — Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel one year ago, Send Relief has been working with Christians and churches in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. The generosity of Southern Baptists has provided hot meals and basic food boxes, medical supplies, trauma counseling and even bomb shelters, impacting more than 22,000 survivors of the war.

As the conflict expands into Lebanon, nearly a million people have been displaced from their homes, and needs are only increasing — as is the opportunity for the church to impact lives.

Providing places of shelter

Last October, The Baptist Village, a Christian camp and conference center in central Israel, transformed into an emergency refugee center with the help of Send Relief, providing temporary housing, food and shelter for displaced families. In the past year, it has housed more than 400 individuals, fed many more across the area and offered trauma counseling through licensed professionals.

By partnering with Send Relief, The Baptist Village was also able to add several new bomb shelters to its premises.

During a visit to Israel last November, Bryant Wright, president of Send Relief, stood inside one of these bomb shelters, saying, “When the sirens go off here, they have 90 seconds to get in one of these bomb shelters. And almost every day since the war has started, these people have needed to use these bomb shelters.”  

As recently as last Tuesday night, the bomb shelters were put to use when Iranian missiles rained down on Israel.

“They are continually being used anytime that there’s an alarm in central Israel,” said Herbby Geer, a southern Baptist representative at The Baptist Village. “What speaks to me about Send Relief is that they’re there when you need them. There was no delay in their response.”

Send Relief partners at The Baptist Village note that the aid they were able to provide opened doors to sharing the gospel and increased the credibility of Baptists in their community.

The Nazareth Baptist School was also able to provide bomb shelter rooms for its staff and students, thanks to gifts through Send Relief. School board Chairman Najed Azzam shared in a video last November, “At the school, about 25% of our students are Muslims and we are reaching them with the Bible. […] Parents are actually allowing and signing a waiver to have their kids attend those classes.”

Empowering local Christians to serve in difficult places

In places where many are struggling for survival, like Gaza and the West Bank, Send Relief partners have provided basic food staples and medical supplies to those in need, giving them the opportunity to be the first to love their neighbors through war.

“There are people that are asking questions and seeking,” one Christian in the region said. “Hard times like this make people wonder and search for the truth, so we have definitely had opportunities to share [the gospel] on an individual level.”

In the West Bank, manufacturing facilities have been closing, and many have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. Because of gifts through Send Relief, churches and ministry partners on the ground have been able to bless their communities by conducting food distributions, providing medical assistance and running trauma healing programs, opening the doors to share the gospel.

In Gaza, where a small community of Arab Christians is sheltering in churches, local believers have been empowered to reach out to their neighbors by sharing food, water and medical supplies. There was a window of time where these believers could have left, but they have chosen to stay to continue their Christian witness.

“Some days people only have a piece of bread to eat, so I would say the help we’ve been able to provide has sustained a lot of people,” the same Christian shared.

Sharing hope in Lebanon

As strikes between Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, and Israel have increased along the south of Lebanon and into Beirut in recent days, the number of displaced civilians has continued to climb. Send Relief is already working with Lebanese Baptists to provide lodging, food, mattresses, blankets and medicine to those forced to evacuate.

Nabil Costa, who leads the Lebanese Baptists’ national organization, said, “With Send Relief’s support, we are enabled to stand by our neighbors in their hour of need, reflecting the practical love of Christ, and in the process giving them hope.” Gifts to support Send Relief’s work in the Middle East can be made here.