“To think that all this damage occurred in one second, but it needs about one whole year to repair is mind-boggling!” says Dr. Milad Dagher, Alliance pastor in Lebanon. The explosion that happened in Beirut on August 4th this year damaged several buildings, including the Christian Alliance Institute of Theology (CAIT), churches, ministries and offices. Let us pray and find ways to help our brothers and sisters rebuild.

Several members of the Alliance Churches located in Beirut, Lebanon, were injured and their homes damaged by the explosion in the port of Beirut that occurred yesterday. Please pray for our Alliance family there, and for the recovery of the people, the church, and the city of Beirut.

Rev. Bahij Khoury was ushered into glory after a life full of rich eternal fruit. He served the Lord faithfully for over sixty years, and he was a special gift to the Alliance Church in Syria.

Earlier this year, we witnessed the first steps of the Sudanese Alliance Fellowships in North Africa. They are translating the Word of God into the believers’ mother tongue, training new leaders and deacons, and much more. They continue to grow wonderfully despite this difficult time.

The Alliance family in Russia is facing a huge challenge as the result of the coronavirus pandemic. The recreation facility Gorni Rodnik, where thousands of boys and girls have been impacted over the years, is in need of 3 million roubles (41 000 US$) by June 5 to continue to operate. Please pray that God will provide the necessary resources to preserve this unique resource for reaching the lost in Russia.

Pastor Nour and his team believes that this crisis is just an opportunity to put God’s compassion on display. They are finding people more open now than ever! As Pastor Nour says, “As Christians, we should help people in their most difficult time of their life, as the light is most needed when the darkness is greatest.”

Aroa, a broken teenager and atheist, had her life turned around when her mother befriended a German missionary and was sneaked into the Bethany School for teenagers in Spain, leading this entire family to know the Lord.

Maria Fe is a 21-year-old Peruvian who lives in Spain, and “preaches” via social media. Her YouTube channel, “Be the Light”, has almost 100,000 subscribers. It has received millions of views. But throughout her teenage years, “Mafe” was marginalized because of her ethnicity and her faith, leaving her lost, feeling unworthy and distant from God.

The EMERALD Regional Coordinating Committee is encouraged to see how God is working through the Christian and Missionary Alliance family in our region as new projects take shape and mission mobilization grows. We pray that God will be exalted in our region in building His Church and expanding His kingdom through the work of all national churches in the region.

The Alliance church in Spain began in 1978 by Fred and Ann Kowalchuk, missionaries sent out from the U.S. Alliance. The early years were difficult, with five congregations being reduced to three. A relay team ministered from 1993 to 1994, and the focus changed from Barcelona to Madrid.

The National Conference and the 25th Anniversary celebrations of the National Alliance Church in Russia (ECMU) took place May 23-25 in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.

Forty participants of Arab origin from ten countries met in the Arabic Ministry Pre-Conference Workshop at the AWF EMERALD Regional Conference to share about their churches and discuss Muslim outreach.

The AWF EMERALD 2019 Regional Conference was the biggest AWF regional conference in history with more than 140 delegates present from both the region and from the wider AWF family, including Latin America.

With around 20 years of ministerial experience and dedication to God’s work, Jorge Alvarez Villarreal is the new president of the C&MA Church of Spain.

Excitement is in the air as the AWF EMERALD (Europe & the Middle East) Region prepares for their Annual Conference of 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany. The theme is “Living the Fourfold Gospel”. Our brothers and sisters will be sharing experiences, learning from one another and encouraging each other. Let us pray that this event will be a huge blessing to those participating and that it will reach many lives.

Located between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the country of Kuwait is receiving a new Alliance Church. It is an extension of the Christian and Missionary Alliance's work in Syria. The church's first pastor will be Reverend Basil Homsi, who was ordained by Reverend Edward Awadbeh. We thank and praise the Lord for all that He has done. Please pray for the Syrian church so it remains strong and faithful.

They came from far away and today they are the part of the first Alliance church in Finland. In 2018, the Grace Montagnard Alliance Church got the official recognition from the Finnish government and conducted a celebration worship on October 27th, with 130 people attending the service.

With over 40 years of experience and dedication to God’s work, Michael Baraniak is the new president of the C&MA Church of the UK.