Dar Al-Awlad

We spent the morning at Dar Al-Awlad, an orphanage for at-risk boys in Lebanon.  Most of the boys aren't actual orphans or Lebanese.  Most come from refugee families that do not have the means to take care of them.  They come from as far away as the Ivory Coast, Morocco, Egypt, and Iraq.  We brought 7 kilos of oranges, two boxes of oreos, three bags of snickers, a tub of sidewalk chalk, crayons, and paper.  We played for a good long bit (I taught many how to fold paper airplanes and played a good many games of sidewalk tic-tac-toe) and then we taught the story of Joseph.  What was meant for evil, God meant for good.

Cedars of Lebanon

Hi, friends.  Fearless leader, here.

To give a quick recap of our week, we've spent a great deal of time with our friends who have been taking care of Abed.  He finally had a day without detox related headaches.  Yesterday a of us took him onto the campus of the American University in Beirut for the first time.  He used to stand near the water and look up at campus and tell himself, "If only I could go up there one day."  And today we took him to the cedars in north Lebanon for the first time (we had a group of 11 people, also giving a break to the couple taking care of him).  He mentioned today that this time last week his life was threatened, he was hooked on drugs, and thought he'd never escape his life.  This week he's been experiencing freedom, went to AUB, saw the cedars: three things he never thought he'd do.  Small things, I know, but in the perspective of the last year, each one marks a path to healing and restoration.

We spent a couple days on campus distributing fliers for our event on Monday and meeting students.  I've been thinking quite a lot about how to present the Guilty Campaign discussion on Monday afternoon (a way of pointing to law/guilt which leads to Jesus/gospel).  We've actually had quite a good response to our fliers and invitations.  I will even get to speak in a university class on Monday afternoon (the instructor is a friend and colleague of mine).  In January after presenting these ideas to a student at AUB he asked me about the possibility of giving some sort of seminar (never thought we would, though).  And after getting an earful of present Lebanese politics tonight while walking downtown with friends, I was overcome with the potential for Monday and the need for Lebanon to know Christ.  Please pray as we prepare for Monday afternoon and especially during the day when we'll be on campus again distributing invitations and meeting students.

Overall, though, we're doing quite well.  A bit tired (days here really feel like 3 or 4 normal days in the US) but feeling quite blessed to be here.  

Thank you for coming with us.  

American University in Beirut

A view of campus from a neighboring building.  On clear days you can see snowcapped peaks in the distance.

Encouraging day!

Hi everyone,

Today has been a great day.  We met with several Lebanese Christians to work out a Guilty Campaign outreach for the American University in Beirut (AUB).  The premise would be to have a discussion about "what's wrong with the world?", eluding to the fact that the problem is sin and that we are all part of the problem.  Subsequently, we would discuss where our hope lies... that the only hope for the condition of the malignant human heart, and thus all our broken situations, is Christ Jesus.  

We made fliers and invited them to a discussion forum next week at the local student ministry to connect them to a long term resource for Christianity.  

This approach is very post modern, but it's an effective way to get university students talking, many of whom are non-practicing Muslims and nominal Christians.  However, many of them are practicing Druze or Muslim and they were willing to talk to us as well.  

Discussion of religion and politics flows very easily here and people are very used to others having opinions on these matters.  It's exciting how easy it is to talk about Jesus!  His name still causes a stirring reaction though.  

We got to really discuss religion with a Shia Muslim girl. She is so sweet and very smart.  We really enjoyed her and she was willing to meet with us tomorrow to talk more!  

Please pray for her and for the other students we talked to.  Pray that she would be moved towards Christ during our meeting.  Pray that she would accept a bible from us and that we could meet with her more before we leave.  Pray that students would come and fill the student ministry next week and that the discussion would move their hearts to seeing that they, too, need a Savior.  Please keep praying for Abed too, he is still with our wonderful couple!

Thank you for for your prayers and support and your time to read what we are doing here.

Blessings,

AM

Epic evening .......

My wife and I are so in awe of this place and what God is doing here. 

Last night we got to take Abed out to the beach. He has committed to staying in the care of our friends here for a specified period of time and since he is under constant supervision due to the likely withdraw symptoms he will experience soon he usually spends his days indoors. Yesterday, in the late afternoon, a friend of ours suggested we take Abed and the whole lot of us down to the beach for some fresh air. I was expecting  a flat, motionless lake. When we arrived there I got Florida's version of the Atlantic Ocean with a full-blown windswell, and yes, completely ridable surf! Waves were waist to chest high with larger sets on occasion. Um, yeah. The Mediterranean Sea should be named the Mediterranean Ocean because in my eyes it bares no resemblance of any sea I have ever had the privilege to visit.

Though I reluctantly denied the desires of my flesh to surf it was awesome to spend some time in  the evening sun with my wife, our other team members and our new friends. The Lord has really done a work in my heart here in Beirut. Any feelings of fear or lack of comfort/familiarity in this place have been removed and entirely replaced with a passion for this beautiful Mediterranean community and its unique culture. 

The week has been encouraging in the least! Now that we are getting over jet lag (its amazing how the sun affects/influences our sleep cycles) and have really had the opportunity to plug into believers and the organizations they are involved with in the area, we are receiving good discernment for God's plan around our time here. For the rest of the day and tomorrow we will be meeting with  students near Beirut's colleges - American University of Beirut (AUB) & Lebanese American University (LAU) - to spend some time talking with them about Christ and inviting them to a night we will be holding at a local Christian Center to discuss problems with the world, etc. We are excited to help with a boy's home in the mountains this weekend and in the evenings to continue meeting with our friends to prepare dinner for them, have bible studies catered to the newer believers (most Muslim converts) that visit their home each eve and help with Abed however we can. The time is rapidly passing us by but we are thankful for each moment of it.

We appreciate your prayers and will post some more posts when posting time comes around again.   LM

Snapshots

Lebanese vanity.  Bandages from plastic surgery, here a nose job, are common place among those who can afford it.  We ate lunch today at a seaside restaurant.  

A veiled woman smoking at the beach in stilleto boots.

Abed.

At the beach this evening.  Joined by Abed, GH, and a friend from Iraq.

Beirut

A view of Beirut from the air.  The university is located at the tip of the peninsula closest to view with our apartment not far off.  The orphanage is a 30 minute drive into the mountains.  The tallest mountains, some in view, are just over 3,000 meters.