"How long o Lord, Will you forget us forever?" Ps 13:1

The massive blast that took place at the port of Beirut late in the afternoon of Wednesday, August 4th left an important part of the city laying in apocalyptic ruin. The rumble of the explosion was felt all the way to Cyprus.

Beirut looks like a war zone as the devastating shockwave shattered windows and vitrines sending debris and glass flying in all directions. Initial footage shows collapsed buildings and homes while the national wheat silos have been eviscerated. Hospitals are not able to cope with the number of injured and maimed while the Red Cross is in desperate need of blood donations. The number of casualties is not known at this stage but material losses are in the billions of dollars.

This calamity could not have come at a worse time for a country on the brink of financial collapse and social implosion while the number of coronavirus cases have surged in recent days.

The reasons behind the explosion are still unknown.

• Please pray for those who have lost their homes and loved ones so that they may find comfort and healing.
• Please pray for the doctors, nurses and paramedics who are caring for the injured.
• Please pray for the rescue teams that are trying to find missing family members and neighbors.
• Please pray for people who are in places of responsibility as they manage the catastrophic human and economic consequences.
• Please pray for the Church as it seeks to comfort and serve the distressed and brokenhearted.
• Please pray for the People of God as they seek the Lord and humbly cry out to Him for mercy.
• Pray for LSESD/MEBO family of ministries and in specific for the Beirut Baptist School and the Gateway Bookshop, which suffered important material damage and for the staff who have been injured by the glass debris.

Photos: Damage in the Beirut Baptist School classrooms and chapel