Bringing justice to communities in Lebanon
Stephanie served in Syria and Lebanon for over 25 years, sharing the gospel, supporting migrant workers, and co-founding a daycare that still cares for 75 children today. Her story reveals a mission shaped by justice, compassion, and practical love.
When we think about justice in the Middle East, it’s easy to picture complex politics and distant conflicts. But for mission worker Stephanie, it meant seeing the overlooked, caring for the vulnerable, and bringing hope.
Stephanie began serving with MECO (Middle East Christian Outreach) in 1995 — first in Syria, then Lebanon — teaching English before her ministry expanded far beyond the classroom. She distributed over 100,000 copies of the Jesus film, provided audio Bibles in the languages of migrant workers, and co-founded a daycare centre that still runs today, caring for 75 children and led entirely by locals.
“But the most important thing I did was to visit migrant workers who were in the women’s prison,” reflects Stephanie. More often than not, they had been sent there wrongfully. She worked to see them released and returned home, and still keeps in contact with some of them today.
“The most important thing I did was to visit migrant workers who were in the women’s prison.”
Stephanie’s years of service were not just about teaching English or distributing resources — they were about restoring dignity and showing Christ’s love in practical ways. Though she has returned to New Zealand, her heart for justice remains.
Please pray
- For the daycare centre, that it would continue to thrive under local leadership and remain a place of safety and dignity for vulnerable children and families.
- For the migrant workers Stephanie still supports, that they would know they are not forgotten, and that Christ’s love would continue to reach them across the distance.
- For Stephanie back in New Zealand, that her years of service would bear fruit she may never fully see, and that her heart for justice would continue to inspire others.
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