Some of you have asked me, "Why Lebanon"? Or, as my doctor asked incredulously when I told him we were going to Lebanon, "Why would you want to do that?" ahah! Well, our family has been on many domestic missions trips, from local ones all the way to Alaska, but we have never reached out beyond our 'Jeruselem and Judea' to the utter most parts of the world. As the triplets graduate from high school this year, we prayed about participating in an international short term mission trip, but to where? After praying about it, I kept being drawn to the Syrian Refugee crisis, even though I hadn't even watched any news about it. In December, when a friend of ours came into town from Dallas and told us he had just become Gateway Church's International Missions Director and they were taking a team this summer to Lebanon to help the Syrian Refugees, we rejoiced in this "God-incidence". We still took most of the month of January to fast and pray as a family, and in the end, we believe this is where God is leading us to go.
So here is our itinerary (which we have been told could change and has already changed once from a previous version - pray we are flexible!!)
- June 17th(Friday)- Airport Arrival 3:25pm and lunch at convent/ Maklouf's for dinner and Abundant Life service
- June 18th(Saturday)-Ministry Preparation /team meeting & service at Resurrection CB (Altar Ministry) & dinner with RCB team(location TBD)
- June 19th (Sunday)- Bekaa Valley Syrian Refugee camp (all day)- AM @ House of Love- manushe on the way/(Possible time in BaalBek) /dinner on the way home
- June 20th(Monday)-Tyre- Roman Ruins & dinner in Beirut
- June 21st(Tuesday)- Hope Of The Nations- service in the evening Borj Hamoud
- June 22(Wednesday)- Minister at Cedar Home All Girl Orphanage (Bsalim)- Kids Club & City Mall
- June 23(Thursday)- Minister at Cedar Home All Girl Orphanage (Bsalim)- Kids Club & Dinner at Morter’s (Bsalim)
- June 24(Friday)-Byblos & Jeita Grotto/ Gospel Generation meeting- minister to leaders 6:30-8pm (Bsalim at Christ The King building)/ nice dinner with Jessica's family
- June 25(Saturday) airport