Month four is over and we are moving right along into month five! My life has changed in ways I never would have imagined these past four months. This month we have been spending time with Syrian, Palestinian and Iraqi men, women and children who are seeking refuge in Lebanon. I have never spent time with refugees before, so these past four weeks have been extremely humbling and eye opening. I have listened to little boys and girls tell stories of when their families saw bombs falling from the sky, so they immediately left everything they knew to seek refuge elsewhere. Some hope to return back to their home countries one day, while others have been in Lebanon for years, so this country has become their new home. Please be praying for the Middle East and all those who are seeking refuge.
A common subject that is discussed with the families seeking aid through the church we are partnered with is hope. The church offers a music program for school aged children and teenagers in order to instill a skill that can be carried out through the years and offer the possibility to attend university one day. This program provides a creative outlet to the children and brings hope to the future of the student, despite most parents believing their child has no hope of a future due to their circumstances. It has been really neat to watch my musically gifted squad-mates use their talents to teach the children and inspire them! We had the chance to chaperone a field trip to a jazz concert in Beirut with the band students two weeks ago, and it was so beautiful to witness the awe that most of the students were in during the performance.
I’ve had the chance to hold and love on so many babies this month and help prepare for pregnancy classes that are offered to the women who are expecting. Every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday nights there are kid’s programs, so I have assisted in teaching and pouring into those that have attended. Due to sticking out like a sore thumb because of my blonde hair and pale skin, teenage boys that we spend time with weekly have dubbed me “The Star” because they think I look like every blonde girl from any American movie they’ve ever seen. Although I look very different than majority of the people here, little girls and boys love playing with my hair, which has allowed me the opportunity to ask and talk to them about Jesus.
As we prepare to leave for Jordan at the end of this week, I can’t help but look back and see all the opportunities that God has given me to dance so far. Just this past weekend we were invited to our friend’s 21st birthday party where we learned an Arabic dance and literally danced for hours. Circling back to my blog Mourning Into Dancing, God is keeping His promise of dancing with me through this year and I can’t help but feel Him smiling at me in the moments He gifts me with.
Next week we have debrief with the whole squad and we will all be put onto new teams. Team Peace is savoring our last few days together! If you are looking for an opportunity to give in some capacity this month, my teammates Brishna and Valerie are still fundraising. If you feel led, please click one or both of their names to donate! They are SO close to being fully-funded.
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have a joyful Christmas season! Hug the ones you love, tell them you love them and thank God that our true Home is not here on this earth.
Big hugs,
Austin
