The Voice of the suffering in Middle East

“I am married, I have three kids. If I am only a teacher, nowadays, I cannot give them what they need. I need to juggle more jobs to provide for them. This takes time from me, so I cannot prepare my classes as much as I used to."

One of the school’s students, 15-year-old Christine, was returning home from school with a classmate when a bomb detonated near them. Christine lost a foot, but her friend was killed.

"Our project partners sometimes feel despondent and tired, they think the world has forgotten them, but they retain a glimmer of hope, because they know we are with them, and that our benefactors are answering the call."

The Turks justify this intervention by saying that it is to protect their borders, to a depth of 20 miles along northern Syria. They want to prevent the establishment of a Kurdish state by the PKK, which is threatening the Turkish state and could prepare attacks on their country.

In contemplating the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we find light, strength, courage and comfort in these exceptional times. Like us, she experienced great changes from her youth. With an open heart she accepted the upheavals in her life: contradictions, mystery, incomprehension. She was open to hearing the voice of the Spirit. She was adaptable and receptive, to give flesh to Jesus. Her heart and her eyes are directed towards Him.

Then the Lebanese financial crisis hit, and the local currency began to crash. In a short time, the pound diminished in value around 20 times, but prices of most goods, including fuel, stayed the same, or even rose. Unable to afford fuel, Salim had to return his car and leave the taxi business.