Lebanon in July

Well we just got in from supper. After breakfast at the dining facilities here at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary we came down and went to the devotional service. This year the Seminary has over sixty students from across the Arab World. We visited with a student from Morocco and ate breakfast with two students from Syria.

Then we went up to Dar el Awlad. We sat and had coffee in the office and visited with the staff. They now have 87 children who attend the school, most of them are from the neighborhood or are Syrian refugees.

Today was Teachers Day in Lebanon (we did not know that until after we had purchased the tickets,) so there was no school today. All the boys went home this weekend but were told to come back early today as there was going to be a surprise.

We went up to the 6th grade class (they were being punished and had to come to school today). They were surprised when we walked in. We told them we had heard all the way in America that they were not doing their studies so we had to check up on them!

When the boys playing outside saw us they all came running and hollering Mr. Josh, Mr. Tim and hugged us. They asked about each person that came on the trip last year and wanted to know if they were coming back this summer.

The orphanage had cooked pizza and French fries for lunch. All of us ate in the dining room. Needless to say it was not a quiet lunch as the 20+ boys that live in the orphanage were talking, none of them using their “quiet voice!” Pizza is a special treat for the boys and they enjoyed it. After lunch we played with the boys and visited with the staff at DeA. It was a good afternoon.

I felt the staff appreciated the fact that we wanted to come and be with them. No activities, no agenda other than being with them and the boys, enjoying their company, sitting, drinking coffee and visiting. There was no rigid formality about it, it was as if we were old friends that had not seen each other since last summer and finally had a chance to visit. One really felt, that in some small way Calvary has become a part of the orphanage.

Weather was beautiful today. Cloudy, rain this morning for a while then cool this afternoon. I am not sure Josh believed that Lebanon can be cool after having only been here in the hot humid summers.

We depart down to Beirut Baptist School at 7 in the morning. Pray that we will be ready and be used in whatever manner the Lord chooses.

Tim Smith