There is a light rising in Lebanon.
A moment can be a turning point in a story.
One conversation can change a life.
That’s the theory behind the Oikos taxi service in Lebanon. A large sign mounted on the roof of the car reads: Oikos Taxi—A ride can change your life.
As you slide into the back seat of the car and tell the driver your destination, he turns to smile at you. The ride is free. When you ask why (and all passengers do), the driver will tell you:
Because the love of Jesus is free, and it’s your way to a new life.
The driver might tell you that Jesus’s love rescued him from the influence of Muslim extremism in his community. If the gospel changed his life, it might have something to offer you, too.
You see his eyes sparkle with kindness in the rearview mirror.
For years, the people of Lebanon have suffered. They’ve seen continual conflict, economic hardship, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a devastating explosion in the capital of Beirut. Over half the population is struggling to feed their families, our team reports. There’s no simple solution. Lebanon needs to be rebuilt—to become a new nation.
To many, the situation seems overwhelming, even hopeless. But Danny, Every Home’s ministry director in Lebanon, and his team don’t see it that way.
“We dare to dream of a new nation,” Danny says, “regardless of the brutal reality, because the gospel of the grace of God and the redemption of Jesus Christ keeps us from seeing any person or situation as hopeless.”
Our team sees practical aid as the obvious first step in helping people encounter the love of God. In partnership with local churches and dedicated believers, our team offers tangible help—like assistance with food and medication—to hundreds of families each month. Their Academy program tutors children in music, language, and academics and hosts sports programs, creating a haven for children suffering from loneliness and trauma. Free Oikos taxi rides provide a unique opportunity to reach women, who are difficult to reach with the gospel any other way due to the constraints of their culture and religion.
“We meet people who need something to make them feel alive again,” our team explains.
Additionally, our team is committed to meeting their neighbors’ deep psychological needs. They conduct around 100 free counseling sessions in their office every month.
In the end, every creative project and thoughtful gift has one goal: to see every person through the eyes of Jesus, embrace them in their need, and share the only thing that brings true hope and life—Christ.
Despite the hardship and obstacles that surround them, our team in Lebanon loves their nation. Through faith, they see the big picture: an opportunity for the gospel of hope to transform the rubble of a nation. Through love, they see each person as inherently worthy of love, dignity, and hope in Jesus.
But our team’s work doesn’t stop with one free taxi ride or a food package. Local believers bring their diverse gifts—from counseling to tutoring—to share the gospel with their neighbors in the context of lasting relationships. Every person who encounters Jesus’s love is invited to a discipleship group and, eventually, connected to a local church. We’re in this together. Reaching every person takes every gift, every creative idea, every compassionate conversation, and every sincere embrace. It takes the whole Church.
The result?
There is a light rising in Lebanon. It’s not necessarily a new nation in geopolitical terms. But it is a new kingdom—a people defined by dauntless hope and steadfast love.
Will you support the Every Home team in Lebanon?
God bless you all every home taem