Reflection

My time in Lebanon was a complete answer to prayer. My wife Sara and I have been praying since before we were married for a place to serve in the Middle East. It has been a few years since we have been able to go and serve there. Going to Lebanon with Calvary was a reminder of how much we long to be over there working; it just felt like home. While in Lebanon, our team spent time at Dar El Awlad, an orphanage run by Kids Alive International, at the Beirut Baptist School and at the Arab Baptist Seminary. One thing I am thankful for in our trip was Brent Hamoud, a Kids Alive staff member who graduated from Baylor a few years ago. I felt like we had an instant friendship and enjoyed getting to know him and work alongside of him. Another thing I enjoyed about my time was the time spent with the boys. They all have such a longing for attention and each child sought it in different ways. There was not enough time to spend with each boy as others were always asking me to spend time with them and were disappointed some when I chose to spend time with someone else. There was such a strong feeling of community at Kids Alive and other places in Lebanon. It is always a blessing to be able to see the body in different parts of the world showing the love of Christ to the least, lost, and forgotten. I was able to see this and it made me long to be a part of this community. Sara and I talk so much about the need for a Christian community wherever we are, whether here in Waco or on the other side of the world. Without community we are limited in our understanding of what the body of Christ is suppose to look like. One thing I talked about in a previous blog was just the hospitality shown to me while in Lebanon. I was welcomed into many homes and enjoyed great fellowship with both Christians and Muslims. Although the food was great, it was never the food that made the fellowship worth it, but the opportunity to get to know others as they allowed me to be a part of their lives in their homes. God is faithful and continues to take care of my family as we seek to serve him with our lives. My trip was a reminder of the passion that we have to serve among Muslims and the desire we have to help show them the love of Christ. Thank you so much Calvary for your prayers and support. I look forward to growing the relationships that we were able to establish in Lebanon over the coming years.

~Jeremy