Six South Carolina Baptists distributed stove/heater units to 116 homes in war-torn Lebanon as part of relief efforts in early December, under the auspices of the International Mission Board.
The South Carolina disaster relief team in Leabanon delivered 116 stove-heater units to families affected by the 34-day war with Israel. The team included, from left: Disaster Relief director Cliff Satterwhite, Kerry O’Hiser, Stephen Reams, Steve Scism, Eddie Fulmer and Steven Grant in Markaba, Lebanon.The group, which worked 11 days in several villages along its southern border, was the fifth Southern Baptist team to travel to Lebanon since its 34-day war with Israel. This was only the second time a South Carolina team has done a war-relief project, according to Cliff Satterwhite, disaster relief director for the state convention. An earlier team served during the Kosovo-Macedonia conflict, he noted.
Team participants included Satterwhite; Kerry Ohiser, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church, York; Steve Reams, Crossroads Baptist Church, Easley, Steve Scism, also from Hillcrest Baptist; Eddie Fulmer, Bethel Baptist Church, Prosperity; and Steve Grant, Latta Baptist Church, Latta. A two-person medical team, comprised of Betty Mullinax of First Baptist Church, Mauldin, and Phyllis Wainscott of Shandon Baptist Church, Columbia, served alongside nurse practitioners from Yemen about a month earlier, Satterwhite added.
“The amazing thing is that we were going into Shi’ite and Sunni Muslim homes, and we were never turned away,” Satterwhite said. “Of course, we were bringing blankets and a stove/heater.
“They are a kind and gracious people,” he continued. “They asked us why we came, and we told them we were Christians from America. ‘We came because God loves us and we love you,” he added, noting they they were also able to present the gospel and pray with the families.
Team members also visited seven predominantly Christian villages, and they worshiped at a Baptist church in Deir Mimass, where a native pastor had become a Christian after his sister went to a Vacation Bible School led by Southern Baptist missionaries. His sister was converted and then she won her entire family to Christ, Satterwhite recounted.
“The trip was an awesome, humbling experience – to see the devastation caused by war, the love of the people, and the needs that were so great,” remarked Ohiser.
“When they opened the door, we would say, ‘We come in the name of Jesus Christ to show you what a true believer is all about,'” he continued. “It gave us an opportunity to share heaters to warm their houses, and the gospel to warm their hearts.”
Ohiser told about the group’s translator, a recent convert. “She was like a sponge. She soaked up everything we said, and wanted to know more about Jesus,” he recalled. “As we went from house to house, she asked us hundreds of questions. It was a great experience to talk with her and explain the Bible to her,” he said.
Fulmer was also excited about meeting the needs of many families. “They were very receptive to us. They invited into their homes, and we sat and drank lots of tea and coffee.
“We planted lots of seeds for the gospel,” he affirmed. “We gave out heaters and blankets, but we also gave out more than 100 Bibles.”
Both Ohiser and Fulmer felt God specifically led them to be part of the team when Satterwhite shared about the opportunity at the state disaster relief training sessions in October at White Oak.
“I felt my heart jump inside of me,” Ohiser recalled. At first, he was reluctant to go because of safety concerns, but then his wife and members of his church encouraged him to reconsider. “A group from my church came up and said, ‘We want to pray for you,’ and I asked, ‘Why?’ They replied, ‘Because we feel God is calling you to go,'” he recounted. “I couldn’t fight it any longer,” he nodded.
“The Lord gave me the desire,” Fulmer agreed. “I believe that you do things because God causes those things to happen. I feel called to the Middle East, more so than any other part of the world,” he added. “And when that door opened, it was like a light came on and said, ‘Eddie, you’ve got to be there.'” he said. “I feel like it was God’s will for me to be there, and he caused this trip to be on my heart.”