It is one year since the earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey and northern Syria. We’re learning how our local partners are continuing to support families and we’re reflecting on how we can find the strength to serve God for the long haul.

This week we’re giving thanks for the generosity of all of Embrace’s supporters - and challenging ourselves to think about how we can put love into action.

This week we’re praying for our partner, Al-Kafaat, in Lebanon. Their rehabilitation centres provide free-of-charge special services to some of the most vulnerable people living with disabilities.

This week we’re praying for our partner, Refuge Egypt, a Cairo-based organisation that serves refugees, asylum seekers and migrants living in Egypt.

The year 2024 marks 170 years since Embrace the Middle East’s beginnings as the Turkish Missions Aid Society. As we look back at this incredible legacy of faithful partnership with Middle East Christians, we are reflecting on what it means to live in relationship with the ultimate Faithful One.

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 our partner, Think and Do, in Egypt. Among the many things it does, it runs a shelter and recovery programme for female survivors of domestic abuse, based in Cairo.

This week we’re praying for our partner, the Near East Council of Churches, in Gaza. Find out about their vital work with mothers, babies and young children - and join us in reflecting on the birth of another baby, over 2,000 years ago, in the same part of the world.

This week, we are giving thanks for the invaluable contributions of all those who volunteer for Embrace. We are also reflecting on some verses in Ephesians, which exhort us to ‘walk in the way of love’.

In Lebanon, there is an estimated 1 million school-age children out of school. This week, we’re learning about a small project that is making a difference to the lives of marginalised young people in Beirut - and challenging ourselves to remain hopeful despite seemingly hopeless situations.

Just as this Palestinian village was a place of refuge for Jesus and his disciples, the small clinic we support there is a place of safety and hope today.

We’re learning about a joyful project in Dbayeh refugee camp, where women are learning to create beautiful and useful products from recyclable materials. We’re also reflecting on Psalm 24, rejoicing in God’s care for the whole of his creation.

This week, we’re learning about the work of an Embrace partner among children with autism in Egypt. We’re also reflecting on what Christian love looks like.

This week we’re meditating on Psalm 19, a beautiful psalm that reminds us of God’s greatness and the importance of caring for creation. We’re also learning about a new environmental project that we’re supporting in northern Iraq.

As troubling events unfold in Gaza and southern Israel, please join us in praying for a swift de-escalation to the violence and for peace to prevail.

This week we’re praying for an organic community farming project in northern Lebanon, which is providing fresh produce for food-insecure families. We’re also considering Jesus’ words about the harvest being plentiful and the workers being few.

I ask for your prayers for those souls we have lost and the severely injured. What was to be a time of joy has now turned into a whole community into mourning and deep shock.

This week we’re praying for a project that takes a grassroots approach towards achieving peace and justice in Israel and Palestine. We’re also reflecting on the importance of sharing our stories and actively listening to other people.

This week we’re praying for mental health services that our partner, the Karagheusian Health Centre, provide for people in a marginalised neighbourhood in Beirut. We’re also reflecting on how we can imitate the compassion that Christ showed to people in need.

This week we’re inspired by a project the Palestinian Bible Society is running to train up a new generation of leaders in the church and the wider community. We’re also reflecting on the qualities that make a good leader.