Alawite refugees face many challenges, but their greatest concern is their children’s education. Pierre Houssney of Horizons International says, “They don’t want their kids to drop out — a ‘dropout generation’ that misses out on their future because of this crisis.”

Mother and child (photo courtesy of Victor Munoz via Unsplash)

Under Bashar al-Assad and his father, the Alawite minority once held power and enjoyed high-quality schooling. Today, many refugees have almost nothing and depend on aid. In their struggle, many are open to the Gospel.

Houssney adds, “We’ve helped dozens of them join local churches, and those local churches are starting to disciple them and even baptize some of them.”

Desperate to secure their children’s future, Alawite parents are turning to Horizons International for help.

“We have been begged by hundreds of Alawite parents to educate their children,” recalls Houssney.

As a result, the ministry has opened a school in North Lebanon for fifty Alawite Muslim children, offering a full Christian education with their parents’ permission. “We are fulfilling the parents’ main goal for their kids,” he adds.

At the opening ceremony, he reminded parents that God has not abandoned them and that He has made a way for their children to be educated even in hardship:

“We are here in this time to provide education for your kids so they can support you in the future. And you will get through this — God, through Jesus Christ, will bring you through this difficult time in your lives,” says Houssney.

Pray that as these fifty children begin learning, many more will gain the same opportunity. Pray also that Alawite families — whose foundations are deeply shaken — will find their hope in Christ.

Visit Horizons International to find your place in the story!

Header photo: Syrian kids (photo courtesy of Ahmed akacha via Pexels).

The Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV, plans to visit Türkiye and Lebanon at the end of November. He’s expected to focus on peace, meet with regional leaders, and encourage Christians.

Pierre Houssney from Horizons International says, “It means a lot to the region — both to Christians, especially, but also to Muslims.”

Istanbul, Turkiye (Representative stock photo courtesy of Tools Dianellos via Unsplash)

Many Muslims see the West as Christian and in conflict with them, but this visit helps show a different picture. “Muslims realize the Church is different from Western governments,” says Houssney.

While in Türkiye, the Pope will mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea — an important church gathering that articulated core Christian beliefs. The Council affirmed the divinity of Christ, the Trinity, and other key doctrines.

Houssney says, “The Nicene Creed itself represents something that brings together all Christians from all different denominations! It’s something that unites us in the essential doctrines of Christianity that we can all agree on.”

The Pope’s stop in Türkiye also highlights the country’s deep historical significance in Christianity. When the Bible mentions “Asia” or “Asia Minor,” it’s referring to regions that are actually part of present-day Türkiye.

Pope Leo XIV (Photo courtesy of Edgar Beltrán via Wikimedia Commons)

Then, his visit to war-torn Lebanon offers an example of peacemaking. “It’s significant regionally asbeing the country with the highest percentage of Christians in the region, and also because of its strategic importance for the world of missions,” Houssney explains.

He adds, “When the Pope comes personally and visits in peace, he’s actually separating himself from that whole industry of war.”

Finally, the trip encourages believers and minorities in both Türkiye and Lebanon. “The more we can support these local churches, the more the Gospel can go out in word and deed and make an impact in this generation,” says Houssney.

Pray for the unity of believers worldwide — especially in the face of wars, economic challenges, and natural disasters — so that they may bring hope to communities in need.

Visit Horisons International to learn how you can help more!

Header photo: Byblos, Lebanon (courtesy of Serje Lahoud via Unsplash).

The Druze are both an ethnic people group and a religious offshoot of Islam. There are also ethnically Druze Christians.

Reports say about 1,000 Druze were massacred recently. But Pierre Houssney with Horizons International says, according to his local Druze sources, “It was really more like 3,000 people that were killed in clashes between the extremist factions that claim to be government and the Arab Bedouins and the Druze.

“There’s a lot of ethnic tension right now, and definitely minorities throughout Syria are feeling very vulnerable.”

Why now? Houssney says a lot of the tension comes in the wake of the latest government transition after former President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. In the chaos, extremist groups see an opportunity for power through violence.

A gathering of the people and residents of Daraa city in Al-Karama and Al-Hurriya Square after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. (Caption, photo courtesy of Mahmoud Sulaiman/Unsplash)

Houssney shares from Druze Christians, “They are not confident that this new leader of Syria is actually walking the walk that he’s talking. So he’s saying that Syria is for everyone [and] Syrian Christians should be protected and all of that, and all the minority groups will be just fine. But at the same time, he’s not protecting them.”

The Druze militia has taken a defensive stance against their attackers, and there are even talks of seeking independence.

Houssney says, “The Druze are currently arming themselves, organizing themselves, and bracing to repel any attack or encroachment. One Druze leader that I’m in touch with actually said that there’s no way that the Druze community is going to accept being part of the new Syria that emerges after all this.”

Please pray for an end to the violence, and for Druze and Syrian Christians to be faithful witnesses of the Gospel amidst unrest. Pray for believers to point the Druze people ultimately to spiritual freedom in Christ.

“My hope is to share those personal connections and what I’m hearing from Druze people on the ground, especially the believers, and just pass that on to the world, because news that you can trust these days is very difficult to find.” Houssney adds, “That’s part of why I appreciate Mission Network News.”

Header photo: Ein Al-Asad, a Druze locality on a hillside. (Photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash)

Under the Alawite leadership of former President and dictator Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian civil war continued for 14 years. It saw ethnic struggles as each group tried to protect itself or advance its own interests, often through violence and by claiming different areas.

Between Sunni Muslims and the Alawite sect of Shia Muslims, Pierre Houssney with Horizons International says, “[There’s] a lot of build up of bitterness and hatred between groups, so the groups that were in control before, now that there’s been regime change, they’re becoming the victims of violence.”

In these areas of violence against minority religions like the Alawites, other minorities in the country, such as Christians, are also victims of ethnic violence.

Paulo Pinheiro, the head of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria, urges the new government to act. The commission calls for an end to the violence and protection of places of worship.

The Syrian government has incentives to comply with the UN: it seeks to gain legitimacy as a country.

This time marks a transition period from a dictatorship that was against the West to a government seemingly eager to please the international community and gain recognition as a legitimate state.

“They’re trying to clamor for that UN approval,” says Houssney. “They want to get funding. They want to get World Bank involvement; they want to participate in the world economic system. But, the human rights issues have to be solved if they’re going to get into those places of benefit.”

Despite this, it is unclear how much control the new government has over the country.

Houssney says it’s too soon to tell how this new government will impact ministry in Syria. In the past, it’s been difficult to operate gospel-oriented activities there due to the regime.

“We’re up in front of a time of uncertainty in Syria,” says Houssney. “It’s possible that gospel inroads are about to open up into Syria, and so it [could] become a very open country to the Gospel.

“It’s possible that good opportunities for the gospel are about to open up, but it’s also possible that the government could end up becoming more Sunni extremist-oriented, and that could actually make it more dangerous for the gospel to go out.”

Syria’s government is also offering opportunities for religious charity groups to register. This could be positive, as it offers legitimacy, or dangerous, as organizations remain unsure of the government’s true motivations.

Please pray for peace and for the ethnic violence in Syria to end. Pray that the government will prioritize the stability and prosperity of their country, laying aside violence and creating inroads for the gospel. Pray for the protection of Syrian believers who are in Alawite communities, who are now living in fear. Pray that they will be bold and experience supernatural protection. 

Header photo of shadowed Syrian flag is a representative stock photo (Courtesy of Abdalhady Mansour via Pexels)

The change in HTS designation comes a week after the US lifted other sanctions on Syria.

Pierre Houssney with Horizons International says reopened commerce and business travel with Syria will change what gospel ministry looks like. 

“Before, when everything was economically sanctioned and closed, it was very conspicuous for somebody to come in and want to do missionary activity in the country,” he says. “Often people would get their visas revoked if they were doing something ministry-oriented.”

New opportunities may be ahead! But could financial hope have a harmful impact on Syrians?

(Photo courtesy of Horizons International)

“We’ve seen over history so many times when economic prosperity hardens the hearts and the spiritual eyes of people. But we really don’t know what could be in store,” says Houssney.

“Often when people are in a new situation, they’re open to new ideas, open to considering the claims of Christ. With time, they become more hardened.”

Christians in neighboring Lebanon have been reaching Syria for years. (More on that here.) Praise God, and pray for even more spiritual openness to the gospel.

“Only God knows, but He has a way of ripening people at certain times. Our job as Christians is to be there in the time when the Holy Spirit is moving among a people group,” says Houssney. 

Learn more about Horizons International’s calling to serve the people of Lebanon and beyond.

“Pray for Middle Eastern Christians, that they can find ways to respond to the new opportunities and start really advancing the gospel into Syria,” says Houssney. 

Header photo: Aleppo, Syria. Courtesy of DianneKet78 via Pixabay.

The Alawites, a Shia offshoot and religious minority in Syria, revere Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, believe in reincarnation, and teach that women are excluded from heaven. Yet today, many are eager to know Jesus as their Savior!

Pierre Houssney from Horizons International shares, “[Alawite] people are so curious about the gospel. We’re praying with them, we’re preaching to them, and they’re very, very open to the message. So this is a huge gospel opportunity as well as a humanitarian crisis.”

But what’s behind the current humanitarian crisis?

Damascus, Syria (photo courtesy of abd sarakbi via Unsplash)

During his time in power, Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad — an Alawite — granted his people unfair advantages in jobs and education. Now that he’s gone, public anger has turned against them.

The crisis intensified when Sunni militant groups entered Alawite-majority areas — often shared with Christian communities — and began massacring residents.

“Now they’re just getting downtrodden and massacred and driven out,” explains Houssney.

Fleeing for their lives, many Alawites escaped to Lebanon with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some have taken shelter in graveyards, facing desperate conditions with no clear plan or hope of returning home safely anytime soon.

Local ministries are doing what they can, but resources are limited. The most urgent needs are food and hygiene supplies. Houssney adds: “As quickly as we can, as sustainably as we can, to try to run the race for the gospel and meet the people in their time of need, which also often coincides with their time of spiritual openness.”

Alawite refugees in Lebanon often fall off the global radar, but their needs are real. Among them are both new believers and sincere seekers of truth.

You can help Alawites in their search for Christ! “Find a group that can work among the Alawites in North Lebanon and support that group,” says Houssney. You can also visit the Horizons International website to join their mission of offering both physical and spiritual help.

Pray for God to send more workers, as the harvest among the Alawites is ready.

“What I know is that I can’t ripen a people group, but I can respond to God’s ripening. I can’t make the Holy Spirit move into a group at a certain time, but when I see the Holy Spirit moving, I can follow that!” says Houssney.

Header photo courtesy of Ahmed Akacha via Pexels

“For seeing a lot of Muslims receive Christ – some of them dramatic conversions – but they don’t last long,” he says. “Within a year, two years, even up to ten years, they withdraw, backslide, go into the world, or return to Islam.” 

Three decades ago, when Houssney became aware of this, he sought the Lord in the spirit of John 15:8, “This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit.”

Later in the chapter, Jesus emphasizes what kind of fruit:

“Fruit that will last.” 

God answered Houssney’s prayers with the idea for a discipleship curriculum, one Houssney created 30 years ago and has been using with thousands of Muslims ever since. The thrust of the program is a weeklong training conference. 

“In one week, what can you do?” he asks. “What I can do is basically explain to them what it means to be a Christian: lifestyle, disciplines, and worldview.”

Beyond the week, participants receive a two-year supply of study material and are encouraged to form groups of like-minded believers to grow in discipleship together. The curriculum is available in Arabic, English, and French, with more translations underway. Houssney has used it with Arabs, Turks, Albanians, and others from across the Muslim world. He is observing its impact. 

“Rather than 80% recanting, now we have about 10 to 20%.”

But this begs the question: if Muslim believers grasp the Gospel at conversion, why do so many of them fall away? 

Houssney thinks it has to do with Christians’ approach to evangelism. Often, we proclaim the Gospel with an emphasis on grace and freedom found in Christ. This paradigm shift is attractive to Muslims who come from an extremely moralistic background. While it is true that Christ offers freedom, oversimplification of a grace-based theology can be problematic for Muslims. 

“It’s accurate theologically, but the impression they get is, ‘I’m free from all these restraints and requirements that God has put on me,’” Houssney says. “And so they don’t go to church, they don’t read the Bible, they don’t even pray. They don’t know how to pray.” 

Those who do go to church or pray often maintain an Islamic lifestyle, Houssney says. James 2:14 comes into play here: 

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?”

Please pray that ongoing Cubs to Lions trainings would be effective. Pray that Muslim-background believers would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Pray that their faith would transform every aspect of their lives and produce lasting, Godly fruit. 

Houssney says his biggest prayer request is for disciple makers: people who are willing to bring new converts into their homes, lives, and fellowships.

“Give them the theology of suffering, the theology of the cost of discipleship, the theology of exchanging the pleasures of this world with leading a life that is Godly, holy, and sanctified,” Houssney asks.

For mature believers, here lies a starting point for discipleship ministry: 

“Those things need to be taught but also modeled.”

Featured images courtesy of Horizons International

“Basically there are many people who have been hiding out in Lebanon that are not able to move back to their home country of syria because they have problems with the government.” 

With the fall of the Assad regime, many in this category are returning to Syria. But Lebanon may see an influx of other groups.  For example, Kurdish people are being persecuted amidst the downfall of the Assad regime. Houssney says 300,000 Kurds have already fled to the northeast of Syria.

“And we’re actually sending in aids to that area right now because many of those are believers who came to Christ in Lebanon, moved back to Syria, and now have been internally displaced in Syria,” he says. 

Asked if he expects Hezbollah to take advantage of the situation, Houssney responded that he doesn’t anticipate them having the capacity to do so. In addition to losing weapons caches at the hands of the Israeli military, they’ve also lost their main local support: Iran. 

“They were getting weapons and resources from Iran through the Assad regime in Syria, so they’re really under duress right now,” Houssney says. 

Without capacity for aggression, Hezbollah will not be well positioned to continue their historical role in Lebanon’s politics. That grip is rooted in the civil war of Lebanon (1975-1990), during which individual ethnic groups had armed militia financed by foreign entities. After the war, the independent militia disarmed and turned their weapons to the Lebanese Army – all except Hezbollah, which continued to operate and increase their arsenal. Their subsequent political influence has been palpable. Thus, despite recent changes being violent and even deadly, Houssney is hopeful for positive change in Lebanon.  

“There is still a lot of work to be done. There are still a lot of things that need to change in order to make the situation significantly better for everybody. But in general, most people feel that these are painful times that we’re going through that are necessary to get to a place where we have rule of law in Lebanon.” 

Please pray for local churches and gospel based organizations in Lebanon, and consider supporting them financially through ministries like Horizons International. 

Houssney reminds us: 

“We just need to be praying for the situation, and not putting our hope in the political changes, but we can be happy that good changes are happening. And be also just trying to seize the spiritual opportunities that this presents.” 

Featured photo courtesy of Ahmed Akacha via Pexels

Passively receiving this information can lead to discouragement. “You can only take so much before you feel like, ‘Well, what can I do with that?’” Pierre Houssney with Horizons International says.

“But God has a story that He’s written. It’s not random.”

Displaced families in Beirut, Lebanon.
(Photo courtesy of Horizons International)

The Lord calls us all to not only be hearers, but doers of the Word. Information from today’s headlines provides an opportunity to act. “There’s an opportunity to connect with the Church wherever the headlines are happening,” Houssney says.

For example, the war between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. More about that here.

“Pastors and entire congregations from South Lebanon have been uprooted, and they’re now staying with family members, schools, and churches. It’s a big temptation to get out of the region,” Houssney says.

You can help believers stay put and reach the hurting around them through Horizons International.

“I love having a front-row seat in Beirut, Lebanon, working with a network of 130 evangelical churches,” Houssney says.

“We’re seeing those heroes of the faith active in the middle of a refugee crisis.”

Now that you know, ask the Lord how He wants you to respond. Then connect with Horizons International here. “Prayer always is going to lead to action,” Houssney says.

“Let the Spirit lead you, reach out, get involved, and find your place in the story.”

In the header image, volunteers offer time and resources to prepare meals for displaced families. Header and story photos courtesy of Horizons International.

“God is being glorified in powerful ways, and everybody is noticing it: Christian and Muslim alike, Sunnis and Shiites,” he says.

Through the instability of recent days, the evangelical church is standing up boldly and crossing ethnic boundaries to help other people and share the gospel, Houssney explains. Horizons recently hosted a Christmas event at the middle east center for world missions in Beirut. 

“It’s a two-day event where Christian vendors are coming in and selling hand crafted products, and we’re inviting the community to come in and celebrate Christmas together,” he says. 

Courtesy of Jorono via Pixabay.

Despite the Muslim cultural climate, Houssney feels the Christmas literacy in Lebanon is higher than in the United States. 

“Even though there are a lot of Muslims, and there still is the glitz and glitter, there is more awareness that this is about Jesus. Many Muslims even put up Christmas trees because they like the Christmas feeling.”

Now, as throughout the year, there are important opportunities to evangelize. Regarding danger from ongoing conflict, Houssney simply states: 

“We live in this kind of paradox all the time.” 

During the bombings this fall, Horizons was filming testimonies of Muslim-background believers. Houssney says believers have two options when chaos breaks out: 

“Either we hide in our homes, or we just keep pressing on and keep moving and do whatever we can accomplish.” 

Ministry staff at Horizons usually choose the latter, he says. 

“Sometimes we do need to hunker down and be careful, but we are predominantly a Lebanese indigenous organization, so our staff are pretty resilient, and they know how to operate even during war time.”

Please pray for the ministry of Horizons International, especially as staff and fellow believers reach out to the surrounding community this Christmas. Pray that Lebanese Muslims would be open to the Gospel, and pray that the ongoing political conflicts would drive many souls to Christ.

Featured photo courtesy of Jokassis via Pexels.