Lebanon has a president

You probably have heard by now that Lebanon now has a president, who was voted on Sunday as a result of the talks in Doha, Qatar. Michel Suleiman is the newest President of Lebanon. Please lift him and Lebanon up in prayer. Also keep in mind that the current Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, has stepped down and is a management role. Suleiman and Parliment will be working on filling his vacancy. ***Note: As of 5/28/08 there is talk about Siniora remaining in the PM position as the majority of MPs seem to want him to remain. ***

(photo taken from internet source)

Some Hope

Well, there is some hope and an opportunity to give thanks. Qatar has been able to play a role as a mediator between the divided leadership of Lebanon. Ya Libnan, has a summary of the events and Google News tends to have a ton of information from various sites. In brief, what this means is that Hezbollah now has veto power and a significant share in the power structure of the government. This is something they have been trying to attain for some time. Some other concessions were made, within the electorate law, etc., but I think the power-shift favoring Hezbollah is item to be most concerned about. What does this mean for Lebanon? I don't know, but I have my thoughts. All I ask is that we continue to remember Lebanon and everyone that calls it home in prayer. I also ask that we give thanks for the current peace that has been brokered. I feel it won't be long lasting, but it is a great respite from the recent events over the past couple of weeks.

Please remember the children, the true victims of conflict and instability. There is not one child in Lebanon that is untouched by war, no generation that has not felt the pain, fear, and sadness of conflict and destruction. The children are the hope of Lebanon, let us reach out to them in love and with compassion before something else fills the holes that violence and hatred have created.

شكرا | Thanks

Thanks for all your prayers and continued support. Lebanon's future still remains uncertain, but I am certain God is still in control and is not taken by surprise at any of the recent events during the past couple of weeks. We can be thankful for the respite Lebanon is experiencing at the moment and pray that love, peace, mercy, and wisdom will prevail in the upcoming days, weeks, and months.

For those interested there is a Lebanese festival in Roanoke, Va at the end of May. It is at St. Elias Maronite Church from May 30-June 1, 2008. I hope to be there, one can never have too many grape leaves and kabob :) Here is a link (http://www.lebanesefestival.info/) that will give you some information. If you've never had Lebanese food or experience Levantine culture before this is a great opportunity to check it out.

Continued Prayer and Hope for Lebanon

We fall so short so often and so quickly. But it is amazing how faithful and good our God is. During the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and the Israelis I was a wreck. While I am not in any manner pleased or happy about what is going on in Lebanon today, I am more at peace with myself and with God's authority. I am not as anxious as I was last time, it is all in His hands and in His power. I am letting go and relinquishing my fears for Lebanon, trusting God to keep the best interests of Lebanon, my friends and loved ones, and myself in His heart. God is good, no matter the circumstances or the outcomes, we live for Him.

Please continue to pray for Lebanon, that those in power (by election and by violence) will have a change of heart and seek the betterment of Lebanon in what they do. Pray that the people and the innocent would be safe. Pray that all those that call Jesus Lord would use this time to reach out in love to their neighbors and be the Light that Lebanon needs so desperately. Pray that above all else God is glorified, for what we see as weakness or defeat is not always that.

Psalm 62:5-6,8,11-12
Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.He alone is my rock
and my salvation, my fortress where I will
not be shaken...
O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour
out your heart to him, for God is our refuge...
God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it
many times: Power, O God, belongs to you;
unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you
repay all people according to what they have done.


Matthew 6:33-34
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live
righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."

Please Pray

Please pray for Lebanon and the current events affecting the country and the people living there.

Come Heal This Land

I feel this is bit of a cop-out, but I wanted to share something with you. This song, "Come Heal This Land", has become my theme for my service in Lebanon. Probably within the next few posts I will give a reason, a purpose, for my service in Lebanon. However, until then you'll have to make do with this ;) Obviously this is copyrighted, so if people get cranky over the posting of these lyrics I'll take them down.

Come Heal This Land
Let the exile come, let the stranger come
Let the weary come find rest all you homeless sons
All you widowed ones, all you poor and dispossessed
For a table waits in Your Father's house
There the meek can come and eat
There¹s a place of rest at Your Father's breast
Where His mercy is complete

Does a cry ring out from a broken nation
From a people who have been brought low
Was pride in our hearts, did we grieve Your Spirit
Have we blocked the ancient wells that flowed
Here is our covenant prayer
Who call upon Your name
We humble ourselves before You
We humble ourselves

Come heal this land, come heal this land
Come heal this land, come heal this land

Do the tears of One who gave all things for us
Do they fall from Heaven still because of us
For we have tasted grace and we have known Your mercy
But we have not shown this grace to men
Here is our covenant prayer
Who call upon Your name
We humble ourselves before You
We humble ourselves

May this land we love be a place of safety
Be a light for all the nations of this earth
May Your streams of love, may they flow here freely
Here where every stranger finds a home
Here is our covenant prayer
Who call upon Your name
We humble ourselves before You
We humble ourselves

Come heal this land

Copyright © 2001 Integrity's Hosanna! Music.
Robin Mark, lyricist

To Wisconsin and Back...

Well, I am sitting here at 10 'til 10 on Sunday night. I've arrived back safely to Lynchburg, despite the long layover at O'Hare. I wasn't sure what to expect when I was invited to attend the Kids Alive Soul Care conference. I felt a little awkward going as I wasn't on the field yet, but any fears or concerns were quickly erased in the fellowship and warm welcome I received.


On Monday we had an inch or so of snow when we woke up in the morning. Was quite nice as we didn't get much in Virginia this winter. The photo posted here was taken around 6:30 in the morning. It snowed most of the day, but most of it was gone by Tuesday mid-day. Unfortunately I don't have the video, but one of the Peru team members went sledding in shorts, sandals, and a Peruvian stocking cap. Quite memorable to say the least. I think it was an especially good event (the snow) as many of the teams came from tropical climates and had not seen snow for a while.

Wednesday a couple of friends and I went on a short hike. We were originally planning on going to the Dells, but that was a bit too far for our time limit. So instead we went to the Black River and spent our afternoon wandering around the river and a stream that fed into it. What was cold and covered in snow on Monday was bright, warm, and green by Wednesday. One of the highlights of this day trip, and possibly the week, was an encounter with a Wood Turtle. These are rather rare in Virginia and are protected. It was a special moment to see one of these in the wild. One photo is of the cleaned-up turtle and the other is as we found her on the ground.

All in all the trip was absolutely amazing. I think one of the most valuable aspects of this trip was that I was able to meet many of the other workers. This was important because it helped to make everyone a face that I knew and interacted with. There is a list of workers on the Kids Alive website that corresponds with each country of service. Although you know who is working in each country and what they might be doing it is not the same as knowing them personally. I felt warmly welcomed into this amazing family, knowing that I have friends and co-workers now in other countries that are praying for me...as I know them by name and face they know me by name and face. Another valuable aspect of this trip was that it focused on burnout and stress. While I am not experiencing that in the field, I am experiencing it at work currently. What I learned over the past week will be helpful as I wrap up my time at Opportunity House. And, in some twist of events, I was able to put some if this training into practice when my flight was delayed 4 times at O'Hare Friday night.

I'll talk more about this later, I need to unpack and get to sleep. I will also post some other photos of the camp and the travel back from Warrens, Wi when I sign in again. Thanks for your prayers.

First Post !!!

Just wanted to drop a quick note here to get this thing going. I am hoping to use this site as a center of information for my preparation and time of service in Lebanon.

Stay tuned and and check back frequently, I will be posting news, updates, photos, and prayer requests.

Wikipedia entry on Lebanon