Lebanon, COVID-19 Update, and CULTURELink Report

CULTURELink’s mission is to make disciples of those who make disciples of all nations. Despite the constant turmoil around the globe and the continued impact of the pandemic, we remain focused on our mission. We want to keep you informed regarding the ongoing opportunities we’ve shared in previous updates and how we continue to move toward ministry during these uncertain times.

These were the words spoken by the Director of Heart for Lebanon, Camille Melki, right after the devasting explosion. However, he also quickly shared how God is using this tragedy for God’s good. Karen and Larry Ragan had dinner at the very port where the explosion took place in February. Their son, Luke, interned with the Lebanese Society of Education and Social Development (LSESD) last year and continues to stay in contact with his coworkers. Our family is close to many people impacted by the blast and are tracking the recovery efforts in real-time. Heart for Lebanon and LSESD are deeply involved in relief efforts as the country grapples to respond to 300,000 citizens who were suddenly rendered homeless.

Lebanon, having already faced decades of unrest and government corruption, experienced an imploding economy over the last eight months. The resulting hyperinflation, coupled with the economic impact of the explosion, has led to an 80% devaluation of the Lebanese pound against the U.S. dollar. The entire government resigned this month amidst the fallout. A Lebanese friend said, “When the world saw the explosion and the resulting decimation, it gave the world an actual picture of the internal emotional, spiritual, and financial explosions that our people have experienced for decades.”

CULTURELink is working with Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and Heart for Lebanon to provide spiritual care to their staff in these crucial times. We were scheduled to be in country the week of the explosion, but the trip was postponed due to COVID-19. We wish we could encourage Heart for Lebanon’s staff in-person, who are stretched thin, as they balance their ongoing refugee care and church planting focus with the added needs of economic and physical devastation.

Many have asked how to financially help in Lebanon. We have complete confidence in the two organizations already mentioned. You can give directly to their efforts on their respective websites: Heart for Lebanon & Lebanese Society of Education and Social Development.

The toll from COVID-19 continues to mount around the globe. The economy of Kenya depends on the tourism industry, yet has no tourists. The already-high unemployment has soared higher with over 300,000 more people without work. The Kenyan government allows bars to remain open, but not churches. Some Muslim schools are able to meet, but most Christian schools cannot. When CULTURELink hears these statistics, it translates to the faces of our friends. A Kenyan pastor messaged us recently, “Like many places in the world, the COVID-19 situation is allowing Christian persecution to happen in new ways here.”

We are in contact regularly with Grace and Ngao Mazira, the founders of Mikindani Royal Kids School and our liaisons to our partner churches around Mombasa. Their two-campus school educates 900 kids, with orphans representing 10% of the student body. Royal Kids has been ordered to close until at least 2021. Unlike schools in the U.S., this means students are unable to receive an education—virtual learning is impossible because many families do not have internet, let alone a computer. The majority of orphans who are enrolled at the school also live rent-free on campus. With the school mandated to close, the government will also not allow the orphans to remain on campus. This has required Grace to find host families across the country to house and feed them.

Still, the most pressing need for Royal Kids is meeting payroll for the faculty. With no students allowed to enroll, no tuition payments being deposited, and no government “Payroll Protection Program”, the faculty are losing their ability to feed their own family and pay their rent. Royal Kids is ranked among the top schools in the entire country and has been recognized by the United Nations for its impact in Kenya. The school has trained and developed a top-notch faculty of 75 men and women over the last twenty years.

In order to ensure everyone receives some income, Grace has reduced all salaries to the same level, $50 a month. She asked CULTURELink to help meet the school’s operating and payroll costs for one month. We immediately said yes and sent $5000 to cover the month of July, out of our own reserves, trusting that God would supply the funds. As we have learned over the years—and experienced in our previous responses with the Kiln People and El Salvador—faith is always forward. Over the next few weeks, unexpected and undesignated gifts came in to CULTURELink that met our investment into Royal Kids.

When Grace received the news that CULTURELink was covering their needs for a month, she said, “Pastor Larry, you know it’s not about the funds. It’s about the Father. Our Heavenly Father is abundant and has blessed us and you.” In August, Grace contacted her network in the U.S. and CULTURELink provided a channel to pass through gifts to Kenya. As we continue serving our international partners, thank you for assisting us live a spirit-led life, not logic led. Their need will continue at least until January. Please join us in praying for Grace and Ngao, as well as their faculty and students, and consider investing in Royal Kids until schools reopen next year.

In July, the third phase of providing food and medical needs to Kiln People and beyond took place. Over 450 persecuted Christian families had their basic needs met through our CULTURELink family.

Pastor S shared that when the first distribution in April took place, the families responded, “We have experienced an Easter miracle!” During a recent conversation, he informed us that their needs are met for now. We were surprised to hear this, as the government continues to provide support for the Muslim families but will not Christian families unless they renounce their faith and convert to Islam.

As it turns out, with many Muslims choosing not to work because they have government aid, Christian families are allowed to return to their jobs in the brick factories and agricultural fields. As of today, every worker among the 450 families is employed and receiving their typical wages of $3 a day. God allowed CULTURELink to bridge the gap for our persecuted brothers and sisters for four months. Thank you for partnering with us.

While many of our ministry expressions during the COVID-19 pandemic have revolved around meeting physical needs, CULTURELink has never existed to be a relief agency. Instead, we exist to make disciples of those who will make disciples of all nations. From East Africa to the Middle East, to Latin America, and elsewhere, the opportunities presented to us during these challenging times allow us to fulfill our mission in unique ways. Our investments into our international partners are doing more than providing material resources—we are investing in the credibility and the long-term reputation of our partners in the eyes of their respective communities. By assisting our partners financially during this global crisis, they are experiencing incredible favor that we believe will pay dividends in the months and years to come.

Like most organizations, the ongoing ramifications of COVID-19 have caused us to rethink strategies and retool programs. In a typical year, we would be gearing up for a busy fall season of training seminars for short-term mission leaders. With churches and ministries in a holding pattern, it has provided opportunities to develop other avenues of making disciples of those who will make disciples of all nations.

In addition to investing in our international partnerships, shifting to Zoom calls for pastoral care and counseling, and assisting long-term workers as they prepare to mobilize to their field sites, a new training opportunity is in development. We will unveil a new seminar in South Carolina and Georgia this year with a focus on equipping local churches to make disciples among their own communities, regardless of when and to what extent church facilities reopen. There are two other prospective conference-style trainings we are discussing as well. Join us in praying for wisdom and direction from the Lord as we explore these possibilities.

Thank you for partnering with us through prayer and financial investments. A phrase we see often in the midst of the pandemic resonates even deeper when applied to God’s people: “We are in this together.” If you would like to join us by giving, you can do so by mail or online:

CULTURELink Inc.
PO Box 6623
Marietta, GA 30065