Christmas Programs

Lebanon and the West Bank: Despite great challenges and increased costs, all planned Christmas programs were held in Lebanon and the Bethlehem area. Some programs were delayed past December 25th but all were completed prior to Orthodox Christmas Day held on January 7th.

The situation for Christians in the West Bank continues to deteriorate. All public Christmas celebrations and displays in Bethlehem were cancelled by the Palestinian Authority to show “solidarity” with the victims of war in Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have died during the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization.

HOWEVER: While public Christian celebrations have been banned, all Islamic holidays have been celebrated including Ramadan.

More Christmas attacks in Nigeria: Sunni Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked five Christian villages in Benue state on Christmas Day massacring 33 people during celebrations for the birth of Jesus. The attacks received virtually no media attention in the Western media.

Just 22 miles from our orphanage in Jos, 14 Christians, including a 1-year-old girl and a pregnant woman, were killed following a Christmas carol service. Killing Christians at Christmas has become an annual sport for Sunni Muslim Fulani in Plateau State. All those killed were members of the Evangelical Church Winning All.

Christmas events were held in areas of the 2023 attacks that left 1,000 children homeless and orphans. The events, executed by the Jos Christian Refuge for Children, were held in Barkin Ladi this year instead of Mangu to reach as many children as possible. The Christmas events and the monthly support of homeless orphans were made possible by faithful supporters of the Religious Freedom Coalition.

Please pray for all the Christian children in the Middle East, Africa and the rest of the world.

Pray for the orphanage children in Jos as they go to minister to the less fortunate.

More photos will be posted later this week with the publication of the full newsletter.