“I was preparing for the prayer meeting and suddenly a car arrived to the front of the school, and a man from our town came down and he had a family of eight members in the car. He said this family had been in the street for two days. No food, no water, nothing. They were sleeping on the road.”

The Rev Emil Bourizk and his wife Reem explain how their school, supported by the Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid, has become a temporary refuge for children and families fleeing the war in Lebanon.

We are witnesses of many horrible things, but we thank God because also we are witnesses of beautiful things happening.

The Good Shepherd School, in North Lebanon, provides free education for 350 Syrian refugee children. It follows the Lebanese curriculum and teaches Bible stories and songs to the kids. Their families also receive assistance such as food hampers, blankets, medicine and soap. 

But the conflict in South Lebanon has led to an emergency. 

“When the war started… the people started fleeing the war from the south, coming mainly to the north,” Pastor Bourizk says in a video message to Anglican Aid supporters. “We are witnesses of many horrible things, but we thank God because also we are witnesses of beautiful things happening. We are receiving as much as we can of those families fleeing.”

Adds Reem Bourizk: “Recently there were bombardments here nearby our village. So the situation is a little bit critical. “We know that we should not say ‘No’ to the stranger. We are receiving them even in our place with our own kids and family [the Bourizks have six children]. Pray for us for wisdom and for protection. Just pray, because we cannot say ‘No’.”

Faith in action

Pastor Bourizk explains that the family rescued from the road is now staying at the school. “We restarted, slowly teaching, Bible teaching, and it is a big blessing. These people, I think they would never have this opportunity if they stayed in their house.”

Mrs Bourizk, who is Tunisian, says, “I came from a very peaceful country. I [have] never been in a war before. For me the images, the scene I see, it’s horrible, and seeing kids sleeping in the street… It’s really above our imagination or sometimes above what we can handle emotionally. So, please pray for peace again for people to go back home. For people to receive the word of the Lord and to receive the gift of salvation, and to know that their Lord is there for them... Nothing is happening by coincidence, but pray that God’s plan will be fulfilled for them and for us.”

...we heard from them that it is so peaceful to hear the prayer, the worship...

The Bourizks have gone to local shops to buy mattresses and basic items to provide for all the new arrivals, and their influence has spread to the village, too. The couple tells of their habit of worshipping at night in front of their home.

“Because of the many people coming to our village and to our own place, we are making it regularly every day,” Mrs Bourizk says. “Because we heard from them that it is so peaceful to hear the prayer, the worship. Some of them started to participate and it is giving them peace.”

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