Letters From Lebanon
£14.99 – £16.99
Wendy Davies’ memoir, set during the 1970s’ Lebanese civil unrest, weaves a life of faith, resilience, and cultural connection through her letters and diaries, highlighting God’s faithfulness and the transformative power of selfless dedication.
“There is a God of justice in control - a God who is intimately involved in human pain and suffering.”
Wendy recounts her journey from England to Lebanon in the 1970s to help establish a bilingual Christian school amidst the unfolding Lebanese Civil War. Through preserved letters and vivid memories, she shares the beauty of Lebanon, the deep relationships she formed, and the challenges she faced. Her unwavering faith and the Lord’s guidance she experienced throughout her mission offer a powerful testament to the impact of heeding God’s call.
Additional information
| Weight | N/A |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 234 × 156 × 24 cm |
| Format | eBook (PDF), Paperback |
What if Wendy hadn’t listened to God? It’s a question all Christians must ask and the answer is rarely easy for those who trust enough to obey.
About the Author
Wendy Davies
Wendy Davies was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, shortly after her father, Graham Radcliffe, was demobbed from the RAF at the end of World War II. She had always wanted to work with children and enjoyed teaching Sunday school classes long before she trained as a primary teacher. Her life call was to work with Arab peoples and share God’s love, especially with the children.
In 1973, following two visits to Morocco to help with Easter holiday clubs for expat children, the opportunity arose to help start a new bilingual Christian school in Lebanon. After much prayer and deliberation, aged 26, she responded to the invitation and found herself in the midst of a totally different culture which she grew to love. No sooner was the school becoming established than Lebanon plunged into a devastating civil war which lasted until the early 90s. With the passage of the years of war and the multiple displacements, the families of the children she taught are doubtless now scattered around the world. Only eternity will reveal their heart responses to the message of Jesus and God’s love which was shared in school day by day.
Back in England, Wendy taught in Gloucester and Cheltenham and never lost her love of Arabic-speaking people. In 1992 she married Ian Davies and together they work to support Arab believers where they suffer for their faith in the Middle East and North Africa.
Endorsements and Reviews
Rev Dr Dennis Bailey, PhD
I was new to faith, and one of the more youthful Saints worshipping at All Saints, Marple, when God called Wendy to Beirut. I was shocked that God and God’s church would risk someone so young, attractive, and full of potential to the little-known dangers of Lebanon. Reading Wendy’s story today, 50 years after her call, makes me ask a different question: What if Wendy hadn’t listened to God? It’s a question all Christians must ask and the answer is rarely easy for those who trust enough to obey.
Rev Dr Dennis Bailey, PhD
South Africa
Stephen
The tapestry Wendy creates is far more than a personal recollection of a journey of service in Lebanon, in response to God’s call. That story is interwoven with vivid descriptions of Lebanon’s troubled beauty, glimpses into nearby contexts, and freeze-frames of a defining period of collective trauma in Lebanon. Rich cultural insights (from surprises and frustrations encountered in the education system to the overwhelming hospitality and loyalty of family-like friends) bring further colour. And the golden thread, running clearly through every page, is God’s sovereignty and his care for his people, even in the midst of chaos, suffering and heartbreak. The events depicted in this tapestry may be decades old, but the message is thoroughly current. The Middle East region remains highly volatile, and millions know nothing of God’s love and truth. There remains an urgent need for gospel workers who, like Wendy, will step out in faith, filled with Christ’s love, delighted to share not only the gospel of God but also their lives (1 Thessalonians 2v8).
Stephen
Alumnus of Miss Radcliffe’s Eastwood College Kindergarten, 1975
Now serving in a regional mission leadership role
Hazel Bolton, MA(Cantab)
Eye-opening, inspiring, enriching, humbling are just some of the ways to describe this book. Wendy’s call to work in Lebanon as a teacher in the 1970s, her preparations and overland journey to that country, and the eventful years that followed are vividly brought to us, drawn from the letters she wrote home that were faithfully cherished by her mother. We are given an insight not just into the place, but even more into the people she got to know and love, and the children with whom she longed to share the message of God’s saving grace. And running as a constant theme throughout the whole is the mercy, protection, guidance and daily sustaining from the Lord which Wendy experienced in the most demanding and frightening situations. Wendy has given us her personal story, and her insights into how God brought her through every setback. Her daily dependence on the Lord is a challenge and inspiration to the reader.
Hazel Bolton, MA(Cantab)
Colin and Anne Chapman
This is a very readable story of how God calls a young, dedicated teacher to set up a Kindergarten department in a new Christian school in Lebanon prior to the civil war which began in 1975. The school was in a hotly contested area just outside Beirut and frequently came under attack. Wendy is very honest about the joys and pains of entering into a new culture. But her contextualized approach to teaching clearly makes a deep impression on her young pupils, and makes the gospel very relevant to them in their difficult lives. One of the striking features of the story is the way she is sustained at every stage by the Bible and prayer. On almost every page she shares verses of scripture that speak to her at crucial times; and she proves the power of prayer by asking her parents and supporting churches back home to pray about very specific issues. Having lived ourselves through some of these difficult times in Beirut, we have learned a lot about how Wendy and others lived through some very hard experiences.
Colin and Anne Chapman
Former mission partners in Lebanon with CMS
…the golden thread, running clearly through every page, is God’s sovereignty and his care for his people, even in the midst of chaos, suffering and heartbreak.
