As a church leader with an active involvement in international relief and development work in several nations, the Rev Tim Roberts, Senior Minister of Wellspring Church, has recently been to the Middle East to establish a new partnership to help Syrian refugees.

Here is what he experienced:

Just a few days ago I was watching a glorious sunrise over the Beqaa valley in Lebanon. This fertile vine-lined valley is a peaceful haven in a troubled part of the world. We were just a couple of kilometres from the border with war-torn Syria in the east, and to the south we could see clearly the towering mount Hermon in northern Israel. This now peaceful nation is a borderland between nations in conflict; because of its shape and location some call it the key of the Middle East.

I recall countless news stories in my childhood from shell-shocked Beirut, Lebanon's capital city, watching BBC reporters in flak jackets duck mortar fire, so at first the invitation to fly to Beirut raised some questions. Having 'survived' a similar trip to Iraqi Kurdistan in 2016, I was confident in who I was travelling with and why I was going.

What took me from Watford to this place? Essentially, a deep concern for the millions of Syrians who have lost it all, and a conviction that we must do more to help bring hope to their future.

A couple of years ago I met the team of Egyptian medics and relief workers serving in the town of Zahlé. They shared stories of thousands of Syrians fleeing across rugged mountains for their lives. Their homes in Homs, Raqaa and Aleppo - cities we’d all seen on the news - were flattened by bombs and those left alive had to flee to the nearest, safest place, like this fertile valley.

I was in Zahlé on behalf of Wellspring Church, introducing a couple of friends who are church leaders to build a partnership with a brilliant church in the valley called True Vine. A trained, dedicated team of Christian workers spend every day serving Syrian refugees, visiting them in their makeshift homes, teaching children, offering free medical care in their clinic and, when asked to, praying for them to know peace and hope for the future.

In this valley more than 500,000 refugees now live, with no guarantee of either a return home to Syria or a permanent home in the field or building site where they now take shelter.

In one of these camps, in one of these tents, we met a 17-year-old boy called Aziz.

He has a complex of health issues and needs a heart operation, and in the meantime a compressor to breathe. A compressor that needs electricity, with an electricity supply which is worse than unreliable. His father told us how Aziz once invented his own air-pump during a power-cut with a coke bottle, a pipe and some gaffer tape, such is his determination to survive. His name in Arabic (and many other languages) means ‘powerful', 'cherished’ or ‘dear to me’ and we are building a partnership in his name, to support the teams showing unconditional love to children like him. A short term response is not enough. We saw signs of the UN and other non-governmental organisations diminishing in their commitment to help the displaced Syrians. We need a longer-term response. These cherished people are not heading 'home' any time soon.

I am confident the people of Watford care about this situation. Many people have offered help, accommodation and other assistance over recent years. If our government back home can not or will not welcome more Syrians into the safety of our nation, having seen this need we are now responsible. We should look to partner with trustworthy people who are on the ground where the need is so great.

We are exploring our options, dreaming, figuring out how to keep this relational, personal. Over the coming years we expect to send finances, specialist teams of medics and kids’ workers, sports teams, and for sure we will pray.

One person said the difference between pity and compassion is distance. Through supporting the team in Zahlé perhaps we will go beyond observing from a distance and come alongside the Aziz generation, to show them they are truly cherished.

If you or your church want to find out how you can get involved, get in touch - email aziz@wellspring-church.org