Category Archives: Lebanon

AMAA, Appeal, Lebanon, Messages

Prayer for Lebanon

One Month After the Explosion of August 4, 2020

On Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at 6:10 pm a powerful explosion in the port area of Beirut shook the beautiful city. This unprecedented explosion left behind hundreds of dead, thousands injured and over 300,000 people homeless in just a matter of seconds. Many lost loved ones, family members, friends and colleagues. The blast was so powerful that it was felt miles away, leaving behind destruction, devastation and debris.

Lebanon has suffered multiple waves of conflict and disaster in the past. 15 years of civil war and 30 years of political, social and economic turmoil has been compounded by the strain on resources caused by the Syrian war and an influx of refugees. Tuesday’s explosion came at a time when the country is already gripped by an economic crisis and reeling from the impacts of COVID-19. This massive explosion not only shattered buildings, property and hundreds of lives, but took away the hopes of the people, who were struggling to survive and looking for answers for the prevailing crisis. For some, this massive explosion was the final blow.

Today, after a month has passed, the international community responded with generosity and compassion, as many countries, nations, governments, organisations and individuals around the world are offering their help and support. Countless calls for aid and assistance have been given to help the people of Lebanon. Needless to say, that already some aid has arrived, but the pain of the suffering people is still there, who need our care, love and compassion. Our obligation and task is to unite with people around the world, to hold in our hearts and in our prayers the people of Beirut, Lebanon.

Let us pray to the God of compassion who is the strength of those who suffer and comforts those who grieve for the people of Lebanon.

Let us embrace those who have lost loved ones and are grieving in pain and agony.

Let us pray to God to fill us with compassion, so that we reach out with love to those who are broken hearted and anxious.  

Let us pray to the God of love and refuge as we hold the people of Beirut in our hearts:

Loving and gracious God, we pray that Your Spirit of healing and protection be with the suffering people of Beirut and Lebanon at this time as we remember the catastrophe after a month.

May the good news of peace, healing and loving care be with all, especially with those who are suffering as a result of the disaster.

In Your mercy, we pray, bring comfort to those who are still in pain and are in tremendous trauma.

We pray for those who are healing and for those who are homeless and are looking for shelter.

We pray for those who are hungry and looking for sustenance to survive.

We pray for those who are working hard to find the means to rebuild their shattered lives as well as the destroyed buildings.

We pray for the thousands of the volunteers, who offered their services to anyone in need in the days immediately after.

We pray for those who organised and followed up with the cleaning and were there for those who needed their personal touch.

We pray for the medical staff, who did their best to care for the injured.

We pray for all the churches, organisations and institutions, who mobilised to extend a helping hand to reach out in love and care.

We pray for the worldwide efforts for lifting up the spirit of the people of Lebanon.

We pray Lord, please give hope to the hopeless, shelter to those who are homeless, give food and nutrition to those who lack it, give patience to those who have lost everything.

Loving and generous God, You promise that You will never forsake Your people. Be with all who feel shrouded in darkness, fear and anxiety: all who are anxious about what the future holds, whose pain brings them close to despair. May Your light shine in the dark places.

Generous God, You bring hope and new life. Be with the people of Lebanon. May Your hope fill their hearts and give them rest.

Our loving, merciful and compassionate God, we pray all these in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is our only hope and refuge.

To whom is the glory now and forever. Amen!

Rev. Dr. Krikor Youmshajekian

President and CEO, Armenian Missionary Association of Australia
Minister, St. Andrew’s Uniting Church Longueville
Treasurer, Middle East National Conference UCA

DONATE TODAY!

You can choose one of or several options to send your donation

Mail check to: AMA-Australia 12A Castle Crescent Belrose NSW 2085 memo: Lebanon Urgent Relief
Make an online donation with a note “Lebanon Emergency Appeal
Direct deposit: AMA-Australia bank account with your name as reference
Bank: Commonwealth Bank Account Name, Armenian Missionary Association of Australia
BSB Number: 062272 – Acc. Number: 1009 3977

AMAA, Armenia, Artsakh, Lebanon, Middle East, News, Syria

The Armenian Missionary Association of Australia Fundraising Surpasses $2,000,000

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The Armenian Missionary Association of Australia, run by all volunteers, has reached an important milestone through its fundraising efforts. Since its inception, the AMA-Australia, have raised over $2,000,000. Securing two Endowment Funds for education, the Anthony Rozanski ($500,000) and the Barkev Ishkhanian Fund ($50,000). The income from the funds is used to support students in Lebanon.

With the efforts of the founding board members and consequently with the members who have served over three year terms, with the leadership of its President and CEO, the annual turnover in 2001 financial year of $12,000, by God’s grace surpassed $2,000,000 in June 2020.

The Armenian Missionary Association of Australia (AMA-Australia) a registered Incorporation in Australia and acting as a charity, pursues the same aims as the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMA America), which is to extend a helping hand to our Armenian brothers and sisters in Armenia, Artsakh and the Middle East, struggling and facing a hard time to make ends meet.

In 2021 we will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of AMA-Australia.

Since the launch in 2001 the AMA-Australia has embarked on journey of mission and adopted many projects and organised fundraisers to support the needy. The programs have included social and cultural initiatives. The main projects of the Association since its formation are the Child Scholarship Program to needy children in Armenia, Education Sponsorship Program for needy students in Lebanon and Syria, Relief aid to Armenia and in the last few years especially for Syria. We also have a sponsorship program for children in Armenia and students in Lebanon and distribution of Christian literature, such as 400 copies of Our Daily bread and the AMAA Newsletter, in Australia and New Zealand.

AMA-Australia does not have paid staff, buildings, offices or even a business phone. All the work is done via emails and correspondence. The AMA-Australia Website and Facebook are active. You can follow our programs, activities and news by visiting our website and following us on Facebook.

We need your help!

Our aim is to let as many people know the works of this organisation, and help fundraising efforts to fuel projects in 2020 & 2021, ESPECIALLY in these tough times for our Armenian brothers and sisters in Armenia, Artsakh and the Middle East.

Without your donations and support we would not have been able to raise the much-needed funds to pursue our goals for the glory of God.

Please continue to support us, if you have already done so, or join your hands and help us to do better in the coming years.

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Armenia, Events, Lebanon, Middle East, News, Syria

AMA-Australia Holds Sunday Worship and Fundraising Luncheon

Since its establishment in March 2001, the Armenian Missionary Association of Australia (AMA-Australia) as a sister organization has been actively supporting the missionary work of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA). Through the tireless efforts of its founding members and those who have joined in subsequent years, the Committee has worked hard to bring awareness to the Armenian community at large, and specifically to the members of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Sydney as well as our friends, the needs of our fellow Armenians in Armenia and in the Middle East.

Over the years, AMA-Australia has organized programs and various fundraising cultural and social functions, allocating all the funds raised to provide for the needs of our brothers and sisters in Armenia and for the last few years in Syria and Lebanon. AMA-Australia also continues its sponsorship programs with 42 children being sponsored in Armenia and 24 students in Lebanon and Syria through the AMAA’s Sponsorship Program.

As in previous years, this year on March 15 AMAA Sunday was observed in the Armenian Evangelical Church of Sydney, followed by a Luncheon in St. Andrew’s Uniting Church’s War Memorial Hall, with more than 120 guests. After two consecutive years, funds were raised to support our brothers and sisters in Syria, both in Aleppo and Kessab, raising a total of 55,000 Australia dollars.

We turned our attention this year to the needs of the people living in bordering villages of Armenia, the most dangerous zone of the country. At our fundraising functions we were able to raise enough funds to construct a much needed Playground for the children of Choratan Village School. For this purpose, we invited Lusine Ohanian, External Relations Coordinator of the Armenian Missionary Association in Armenia, who works closely with the bordering villages and is familiar with their urgent needs. With a short film and photos, Lusine presented the much needed support required to help those who live with extremely limited resources. To raise the needed funds, we asked for donations and we are glad that many responded positively. We also had raffles on six paintings and an auction with an Armenian rug which were brought from Armenia for fundraising purposes.

We were also happy to have Louisa Janbazian, AMAA PR/Communications Coordinator from the United States, as our guest of honor. Mrs. Janbazian’s presence and encouraging words gave support to our program and fundraising efforts.

We would like to thank Lusine Ohanian and Louisa Janbazian for their presence and help to raise the necessary funds to complete the Playground Project in Choratan Village.

We hope that the Playground will be ready to be officially opened at the end of September with the support of Harout Nercessian, AMAA’s Representative in Armenia. Some of the AMA-Australia District Committee members are planning to be in Armenia around that time for the official opening. We would like to thank all those who have responded to our request and gave generously for this project.

May the glory be to the Father and His blessing upon us all and upon the missionary work of the AMAA.