Beirut

I have just returned to Beirut again after a refreshing month and a half in the UK, Belgium, Syria, and Jordan. I went there for some holiday, but also to do some service with the communities there. It was a blessed time to be with the brothers there and to catch up with old friends from my time in Belfast. A few highlights and thoughts from the last few months:

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I finished the school year at AUB and managed to do well despite myself. I reflect on the year there and how different it was than any year in Arizona would have been. The different classmates, conversations, concerns, days off for assassinations, being stuck on campus till 10:00pm because of potential riots, etc. all were parts of the experience. More importantly than these or what I learned in the classroom was what I learned about myself: how far can I be stretched, what really can help me get through a hard time, and how to relating to a completely different culture.

We also finished a good year in University Christian Outreach (UCO). About 150 young men and women gathered nearly every other Friday throughout the academic year for worship, teaching and fellowship. We had a presence at all of the major universities in Lebanon, and hosted outreach events at each one. I led a team called The Creatives. Our job was to be creative… something I never considered myself very good at. Luckily, I was leading the team and so had lots of actually creative people with me and all I had to do was filter ideas, find the money, and organize how we will split the work between 9 very busy university students. The hardest part was following up once each project was underway; but with time I became comfortable enough to do it and in the end we managed to finish just about all we set out to do. From entertainment activities at mission trips and retreats to videos explaining what UCO is, from Polo shirts and t-shirts to brochures and newsletters.

We finished our household together at the end of June, the breaking of the fellowship some called it. There will be three of us returning to the same house this coming year, three moving out on their own or back with their families, and three leaving for the UK or Michigan. The interest to join this coming year’s house has been very high and it looks like we will have two houses of about 8 guys, a big number if you know the size of the house. Immediately after we closed the house I left for a month in the UK. After a short and wonderful visit with my cousins in Macclesfield, England (just outside Manchester) I went to my old stomping grounds in Belfast and worked in the StreetReach project and then at Youth Initiatives, fitting in plenty of time to relax and enjoy the long summer evenings with friends from the community there. I even got a chance to see Aunt Patti in the south for a few days.

The culmination of my time in Europe was a large conference of about 650 people from the Sword of the Spirit from all over Europe and the Middle East. There were English, Scottish, Irish, Spanish, Polish, German, Belgian, Russian, Armenian, Lebanese, American (only a few of us…), Austrian, and even a family from New Zealand. I was asked to manage the stage for all the big events, so I was kept on my toes. It was a wonderful time for me despite being busy: inspiring talks, great company from so many countries, a true symbol of our ecumenical unity with over 8 different Christian denominations present, and a beautiful setting in the (mostly) warm Belgian summer. A particularly inspiring talk was given near the end of the time calling young men and women to live “generous lives.” You can read some of my reflections on this in the September issue of the magazine Living Bulwark at www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/

As a perfect cap to a great summer one of my best friends from Arizona, Aaron Linderman, came to visit me for about three weeks. Our adventures were epic (as good adventures always are…) as we made our way alone into Syria to Damascus, then down to Amman, through the deserts of Jordan to the Dead Sea, Mount Nebo, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba and the Red Sea and then back again to Beirut! For a full account of our exploits you will have to check back later.

Well, that is about it for me. I begin my final year of University in a couple weeks and will be glad to have some normality return to my life.