In an interview on the Mission Network News radio program recently, Director of TeachBeyond Borders, Howard Dueck, explained the critical need to take education into refugee camps .
“You have children and older people who have the hours of the day with nothing to fill them and they are very vulnerable. So there’s just the immediate reality of filling their minds, coming alongside them when they’re very vulnerable and very open,” he said
TeachBeyond has a formal agreement with the Trans-Asia Partnership (TAP), a ministry that works in seven countries across the Middle East to show the love of Jesus in tangible ways. The purpose of TAP is to disciple new believers in the Middle East to see the transformation of individuals, communities and cultures. A large network of churches has grown from this work. Many believers are going directly into war zones where they run 23 clinics in Syria and Iraq, providing basic medical, social and spiritual support. Not only are medical needs met as, provisions allow, but much healing through prayer and acceptance into the community takes place. In addition, they coordinate education efforts in the region. TAP also equips the leaders and new believers through teaching of spiritual truths. A key component of this is the printing and distribution of the Bible in 5 languages in 7 countries.
TeachBeyond is planning to start a pilot school program on the island of Lesvos, Greece, which is a primary entry point to Europe for refugees fleeing the Middle East. The program would provide children with a safe haven where they can receive trauma therapy, skills training, and English as a second language teaching.
“We, as much as possible, try to bring English as part of the education package — opening doors, helping to diminish the vulnerabilities in their lives that are caused by a lack of education and that multiply when there is ignorance. If they have a skill, if they have an education, they can get a job at some point in the future,” Dueck says. “They can have a purpose.”
“TeachBeyond is a Great Commission organization focused on reaching people with the Gospel and discipling them through a Christ-centered education,” Dueck says. “Our heartbeat is to see healing come to their lives with so much trauma, to see them know Christ, to encounter Christ through dealing with their trauma.”
TeachBeyond’s overarching mission is to introduce children to the hope of the Gospel and help them grow in their faith. The numbers of orphans and widows in this region grow every day. The Body sees the opportunity to love these people and give them an education. Please consider joining this partnership through praying, giving, and spreading the word. Is God calling you to pray, give, or go?
TeachBeyond has Short-Term and Part-Time opportunities in over 30 countries. Plus jobs you can work remotely! Learn more about these opportunities here.
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