GLOBAL VOICES
Reflections on Lebanon Lebanon has recently been front and center in global news headlines, but it has long been in the heart of College Church. We have supported Arab Baptist Theological Seminary since 2010, as well as commissioned short-term (up to three months) and mid-term (three months to three years) missionaries there. Read these recent reflections on how the Lord has been at work in this country. THE FACES OF LEBANON By Nicole H. (Fall 2018-Summer 2019) When I think of Lebanon, there are so many memories that come to mind: the busy and crowded streets, the call to prayer ringing throughout the neighborhood and families heading home to have dinner together. However, the two main things that come to my mind are the stories of hope and love. There is Shaimaa*, a teacher at a makeshift school. Shaimaa’s story is of a mother whose daughter was so ill that the doctors announced that she would pass away. Her daughter would never get better. Shaimaa prayed that if God healed her daughter, she would give her life to him. God heard her prayers, and her daughter was healed. As a teacher, Shaimaa is now able to share with her students the hope her family has found in God. I also think of my student Hamze*. For a long time, it has just been his mother and him. It was obvious that Hamze was lonely. However, when he heard about the Son, his life began to change. Now he boldly proclaims in front of his friends that he is a believer and his heart now belongs to the Son. Hamze can now share about a Father who not only loves him but others as well. There is also Fayez*, a former sergeant in the army, who is now the bus driver for the school. Every day he drives a van full of children. Even though he complains that the students are too loud, it is clear that the Father has opened his heart to these students and their families. On my last day in Lebanon, Fayez sat down with a Syrian refugee family and drank tea with them (historically, there has been tension between Lebanese and Syrians) as he listened to their story. This simple act is proof that God can change the heart of anyone. There are countless stories like these. Even in hardship and difficulty, it is clear that God is working through his people. He is sending them to areas where few have heard about the good news. He is opening doors for believers to be a light to those who are looking for hope. Miracles are happening and hearts are being opened to the good news. Even in the darkest places, the name of the Son is being boldly proclaimed! *For security purposes, pseudonyms are used in place of names. Connections gives thanks for Nicole’s international experience as a third-cultural kid (TCK) in Bolivia and her studies at Moody Bible Institute that primed her heart for God’s work overseas.
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A SUMMER EXPERIENCE By Kiersten Oslund (summer 2019) Two summers ago, I served as the intern for Kids Alive International in Lebanon. I only knew a little about the organization from short-term missions trips to the Dominican Republic with the high school youth group, but I had the itch to spend some time abroad and give overseas missions a test run. With my Spanish minor, I figured I would be well-suited to serve in Guatemala, but on the last day of my online interview, I changed my mind and told the director about my interest in Lebanon. I have always been passionate about working with refugees, and the Syrian civil war meant that there were over one million refugees residing in a country that is two-thirds the
