I love to visit Churches that have a servant's heart, and we had the opportunity to do that today. They are literally servants -domestic workers employed by Lebanese families.
Rupen Das, in his book Profiles of Poverty: The human face of poverty in Lebanon, outlines what is a modern day form of slavery in Lebanon. Women are brought from Asia and Africa to work as household servants. Their employers hold their passports, and thus total control over them. Many of them work for as little as $100 per month and live in tiny rooms that would not qualify as walk-in closets. In an infamous recent case, a Lebanese man publicly and brutally beat an African girl right outside the gate of her embassy. She was jailed for "protective custody" and ended up committing suicide.
I have to say that I felt unworthy to bring a message to them. What can I say to them, when I whine about not having enough electrical service to run all my household gadgets? I do have first world problems.
The Church is located in a run-down area near one of the thriving new neighborhoods where trendy apartments are being built on every street. In this neighborhood, though, sewage runs in the street. This is where the poor workers live, in the shadow of the affluent. It's here that Filipino and African servants walk to meet in a tiny apartment hidden from the main street.
Once you step inside the apartment, you wouldn't know that these women live in virtual slavery. They were dressed mostly in white, and the worship was very vibrant. It was a mixture of praise music, dance, and reading of scriptures. The sheer joy of their worship and the devotion of their faith was inspiring.
Rupen Das, in his book Profiles of Poverty: The human face of poverty in Lebanon, outlines what is a modern day form of slavery in Lebanon. Women are brought from Asia and Africa to work as household servants. Their employers hold their passports, and thus total control over them. Many of them work for as little as $100 per month and live in tiny rooms that would not qualify as walk-in closets. In an infamous recent case, a Lebanese man publicly and brutally beat an African girl right outside the gate of her embassy. She was jailed for "protective custody" and ended up committing suicide.
I have to say that I felt unworthy to bring a message to them. What can I say to them, when I whine about not having enough electrical service to run all my household gadgets? I do have first world problems.
The Church is located in a run-down area near one of the thriving new neighborhoods where trendy apartments are being built on every street. In this neighborhood, though, sewage runs in the street. This is where the poor workers live, in the shadow of the affluent. It's here that Filipino and African servants walk to meet in a tiny apartment hidden from the main street.
Pastor Joumaa told me that most of them have to work on Sunday and get a few hours off for Church, maybe from 10AM to 6PM. They love to come together and worship, and also to fellowship. At least for a few hours they can gather together and forget about their worries.
Several of them asked me to pray about things. One is missing her family very much. She came to Lebanon to earn money to send to her family. Another has pain in her wrists and is praying for healing. The request that struck me the most was from a woman whose employer would not pay her. She's kept in the apartment to work, and is getting paid nothing.
The Church has a vision to serve their neighborhood. This is the neighborhood that forces them to meet in a secluded apartment, the same neighborhood that considers them second-class, the same neighborhood where they are held in bondage. They want to show the love of God through teaching and serving the port Muslims in their area.
It amazes me that people with so little are thinking of how to give to others. I always enjoy being among servants of Jesus. Today I had the chance.
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