In the slum area of Ezbet el Nakhl in Cairo, violence, addiction and disease are an ever-present reality. In the heart of this challenging environment, the Salaam Centre offers refuge and hope for women and girls experiencing violence and abuse.

In Ankawa, a mostly Christian community just north of the city of Erbil, the younger generation is stepping up to tackle climate change. May the trees they plant and the initiatives they lead become signs of hope and renewal in their community. Let us all respond with faith and action to the climate crisis, growing in courage and responsibility.

In 2022, Rahbe’s Evangelical Baptist Church launched a sustainable agriculture project to help local families overcome hunger and hardship. Now, managed by Embrace partner MERATH and funded by your generous donations, 100 households benefit from the fresh vegetables grown and the milk, eggs and meat from shared community livestock.

Freedom of movement is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and woven into the dignity God gives every person. It is hard to persevere when rights are denied and hope feels distant, but the work of The Society of St Yves shows how a steadfast commitment to justice gets results.

The storms of life facing the Zabbaleen Community are immense, and children’s welfare can get swept away in the tides of rubbish that form the community’s only means of survival. Yet Life Vision’s support offers a rock on which children can stand safely – a strong foundation of love and belonging on which to build the rest of their lives.

The library in Dbayeh is a living reminder that words shape lives. When a child in a refugee camp reads a story and finds characters who survive challenges and gain wisdom, this encouragement and hope thrives and grows.

Every one of our volunteers makes a significant contribution to a common purpose. No gift is unimportant, and no act of service is wasted when it is offered faithfully. God weaves together many small acts into one collective work of grace and hope.

In East Jerusalem, the Palestinian Christian community faces marginalisation and lack of investment, and life can be confusing and disheartening for its youth. Koinonia aims to change this by providing mentorship and career guidance, showing the students what is possible and inspiring them to make plans for a productive future.

Faith without action is incomplete. Our partners at Middle East Revive and Thrive (MERATH) work to help Syrian refugees, internally displaced Lebanese people and other vulnerable households to withstand Lebanon’s harsh winter conditions.

As a new year dawns, we think of the work of all Embrace’s partners, giving thanks for their unwavering dedication in the face of adversity and praying for their protection in the challenging situations that will confront them in the coming year.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we remember that Jesus was born into poverty and insecurity. And yet, his coming into a broken world - and his continued presence with us today - signifies love, light and hope.

This week we’re praying for a project we help fund in northern Israel, which supports at-risk Arab-Israeli girls with education and family challenges.

This week we’re praying for Embrace’s partner Think and Do in Egypt. We’re learning how they’re challenging gender inequality through giving women in rural Upper Egypt the opportunity to learn literacy, numeracy and life skills. We’re also reflecting on the importance of words and considering how God might be calling us to use words.

This week we’re praying for Embrace’s partner Tahaddi, particularly for their work with children with additional needs in a deeply economically deprived neighbourhood in southern Beirut. We’re also reflecting on God’s shepherd-like care and asking how we can emulate that in our own lives.

This week we’re learning about a project that Embrace supports in Jericho, which is equipping young Palestinians with leadership skills. We’re reflecting on what it means to be a good leader by looking at the example of Jesus.

This week we’re learning more about an incredible project Embrace supports in Egypt that is improving patient care across the Nile Delta region. We’re also reflecting on some verses in Philippians that challenge us to notice and care for the needs of others.

This week join us in praying for Embrace’s partner, the Karagheusian Health Centre, in Lebanon. The Centre provides critical mental health support to a marginalised and vulnerable population.

This week we’re praying for our partner Aviv Ministry in Israel as they support vulnerable people on the streets of south Tel Aviv. We’re also challenging ourselves to respond to others with dignity rather than distance.

This week we’re praying for our partner Refuge Egypt as they support vulnerable refugees in Cairo. We’re also asking how we can draw near to those who feel crushed or forgotten.

This week we’re praying for children at risk of violence and exploitation in Tripoli - and reflecting on how we can be people who notice, protect and nurture the children in our lives.