Annika Greco – Lebanon
Annika Greco is whip smart, driven, strong, creative, and fun to be around. She is one of those people who could be doing anything with her life, but she has chosen to raise support so she can take on an imperative, behind the scenes role in a ministry run by Lebanese nationals.
What she does is vitally important and deeply impacts youth in a country that’s on the verge of collapse. We have had the privilege of partnering with Annika for the last four years and we are honored to highlight her ministry today. Unless otherwise noted, she took the beautiful photos included below.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a Swedish-Italian-American, born and raised in the United States. Since 2007 I’ve lived in Spain, Sweden and Lebanon. In 2016, contrary to my grandiose plans for my life, I felt led by the Lord to move to the Middle East to work full time with Youth for Christ Lebanon (YFCL).
What is YFCL and what do you do for them?
YFCL is one of the most active organizations participating in youth work in Lebanon. Our ministry is known for its camps, clubs, and presence on school campuses. Over the years, we have also been training hundreds of youth leaders who serve in churches. In 2012, YFCL also launched a compassion ministry to reach the many refugees residing in our country.
My work with YFCL is as Executive Assistant to the National Director. I primarily assist with managing donor relations, communications, and grant writing. I’ve also done some conference workshops/seminars on various Bible topics to equip youth leaders from around the Near East region and the Gulf. This is something I absolutely love!
Our funding comes from private foundations, international NGOs, churches and individuals, and I play a key role in that I get to communicate the vision and the impact of our work to a variety of donors in such a way that they are compelled to become long term partners.
There is a lot going on in Lebanon right now. Can you help us understand some of what’s happening there?
This has been one hellish year for Lebanon. In October 2019 the country descended into mass protests. The economy had been declining steadily for a while but shifted into rapid deterioration throughout the Fall and Winter.
The local currency depreciated drastically, people lost their savings, banks imposed strict withdrawal limits, hyperinflation became a thing, food and commodity prices went through the roof etc. More than half the nation’s population was considered to be under the poverty line.
Then COVID happened and the entire nation was in lockdown for two months, which basically killed whatever enterprise was still alive. The municipalities started rationing fuel, which meant that buildings were left without any generator power for large portions of the day (which gets pretty unbearable in the summer heat).
As things started opening up again over the summer there was some hope of getting back to normal, but then we had a massive explosion at the port in August, which devastated almost half of the city. Hundreds of thousands of people were left with inhabitable homes, businesses were destroyed, several heritage buildings collapsed. It’s just been one thing after another. And this is on top of an already existing refugee crisis.
If you are interested in reading more, here is an article that gives a more comprehensive picture of the current situation in Lebanon.
Why do you believe that God has called you to Lebanon at this precarious time in its history?
I firmly believe that because of its societal freedom in a region known for Islamic conservatism, Lebanon is the gateway for the Gospel to reach the entire Middle East.
Thus, the importance of reaching the youth of this nation cannot be overstated. If young people have real encounters with the living God and learn how to follow Jesus holistically and faithfully, this country can change for the better.
What are your prayers for Lebanon?
- For the right leadership in Lebanon.
- For God’s mercy to be upon those who are suffering financial and other hardship because of the current economic situation.
- For the Lebanese church!
How has The Cause helped you in your ministry?
Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing without them. I needed a non-profit to manage my donation platform in the U.S. and this is what The Cause has provided for me during these three years I’ve been in Lebanon. They’ve been tremendously supportive in prayer, and they’re doing me a huge service.
Our mission is to provide nonprofit structure and support to Christian leaders serving the under-served worldwide. We facilitate our partners to accomplish their missions.
Our vision is to empower a community of people dedicated to making a difference in the world. To provide our partners with a solid administrative backing, leadership coaching, as well as offering spiritual and emotional support.