Faith arise!

Open doors into Arab world II

Some time ago Laura borrowed me Brother Andrew's book "Light Force". The writer is an evangelist and a founder of Open Doors international , a worldwide ministry to persecuted church. The book brings light to Middle East conflict,  concentrating to Lebanon and Israeli/Palestine, and describes Brother Andrew's work in the region 1970- 2003.

The Biblical role of Israel is acknowledged, yet that is not the  emphasis of the book. Brother Andrew's calling is to strenghten what remains of the church in the areas of war where majority of the Arab Christians have left the country. Being with the local believers is the greatest encouragement, and thus Andrew travels to Lebanon during the civil war twice a year. What strikes me most, is Brother Andrew's simplicity in intervening (faith), his Jesus-like naivity when he asks to meet with Hamas and PLO leaders, with Ayatollahs and Saddam Hussein. And there never seems to be a problem to talk with them, and share in the sufferings of the Palestinian people in the crises, and share Christ and His solution to situation. ( I think it's only when we forget how to be people to people that we should be worried about causing trouble by talking about Jesus).

I particularly like the story about Andrew visiting the leaders and supporters of Hamas when 400 of them are deported to desert in the south of Lebanon for a year. There is nothing for them except for the tent that Red Cross gets them. So Andrew gets there and befriends with the men. Many of them have been kidnapped from their work places, and are terribly worried about their families at home. So Andrew recieves their letters to take them to the families in the West Bank and Gaza, where he gets to share the grief or the families and pray for them.Then he returns the camp to pass the greetings to the men. Thus he establishes a friendship that is to continue for years after the men have been returned home, and leads to opportunities to minister to those people and their friends.

It is extremely refreshing and encouraging  book, the heartsbeat of which can be applied to different settings. 

Open doors into Arab world I

Some time ago I talked about Israel with my friends who have studied international politics. They told me it was quite absurd to notice how one sided the attitudes in Israeli-Palestinian crises were; believeres were partial in their support to Israelis, and the people at the university as narrowly for Palestinians. My friend Laura has confronted the same many times as she feels called to work among Arabs, which makes many Christians raise their eye        brows.

Especially in a present situation in the region it would be priceless to gain a perspective on what God is doing among Arabs all over Middle East, and bless that while we pray for the fullfillment of God's plans for Israel. My view changed on my last journey when I met and learned of people discipling house churches in Iraq, Jordan and Druze and Shiia in Lebanon. Many people told me that now is a new season for that ministry, season when committed long-term workers can see the fruits of their labor, and it is not rare that people find Jesus through miracleous healings. Hard to disagree when God opens doors. Makes me think how limited my view, compared to God's, is.

Midsummer feelings

Celebrated the light nights and relaxed days of Midsummer deep in the countryside a friends' summerplace. This is a place where I think I feel the Lord speaking of restoration of all things, even of the nature to remind us of God's original plans to speak to us through His creation. With these firneds we discussed, among other things,  the fact that God is more interested in us and us bearing good fruit than in what we can do and achieve.                                                

Pictures from my journey

                                                  

Added photo albums showing views from my journey to the side bar. It is such an incredible, fascinating and conflicted country that no photos or words will be able to  describe..you need to experiance it yourself, and that is not yet enough to be able to understand. So..could someone send me back...please?

Apostolic glances in Lebanon

                                          Of all the places on earth, I was surprised to hear so genuinely apostolic stories in Lebanon. We got a privilege to travel to the Maronite communities in the mountains of northern  Lebanon with a lady, who's been planting Jesus-following communities there. We heard stories how these communities have been birthed by God healing religious members of Catholic Maronite community through this ladys's team praying and fasting for the sick. When people have been healed from cancer, delivered from drugs and marriages restored, people are being discipled in home groups. There they are baptised and taught how to cast out demons. It touched me to hear how they were teaching these new Jesus-followers about Catholism. They weren't! But as people started to make questions if they were supposed to pray Mary and other saints (this is very essential in Maronite religion), they were led to Biblical underestanding about it. And even in this point people were not asked to leave their community, that is not only church but their social group in many ways. We are not supposed to plant denominational groups, but teach people how to follow Jesus!                              

That was what I withnessed in the north among Maronites, one of the leading ethnic-politic-religious groups (consisting some 23% of Lebanese population)in the country. I also had a chance to visit an English couple in the South of Lebanon in Shiia moslim area. The couple has moved there to live within the local community and work as a team with some other sent-out-people just three months ago, and of course to study Arabic, which is the first thing(that takes about two years) to do for everyone who moves there. There I heard similar stories about Moslims being healed on the spot by prayer, even when visiting relatives who had Jesus-followers visiting them to hold a house meeting.

In Lebanon I was constantly confronted with this reality that people live in a situation where anything seems to be possible; either good or bad. People say that another war will begin, but it's possible as well that God will intervene your life and heal you. Maybe, in the end, there is one good aspect into living in constant unpredictability; it keeps you awake and open for miracles! 

Seaside and the mountains in pics-"Beautiful as Lebanon"

Spent some relazed days on a missions base by the sea where the water is supposed to be the cleanest in the whole Lebanon. Heard many stories of the work here and about the life during the war, and about Syrians living here.

Yesterday we joined a local friend who ministers in the Maronite areas near Tripoli. We visited the mountains in the north of Lebanon, on which Bible says that "Come to be from Lebanon". The mountains are amazingly beautiful. From the top you can see to Tripoli and to the sea, they say that you can see all the way until Cyprus on a clear day. It was really rehreshing to see this side of Lebanon to balance the polluted air, bombed houses and chaos of Beirut.

Later we joined a house meeting where my new friend was teaching about casting out demons, after which we ate a great meal together. And then...back to the city we enjoyed a company of friends who are building a house of prayer in their home. We worshiped and just spent time before Lord saying his plans toward us and toward Lebanon are good and are pland of hope and prosperity. I've been amazed of the maturity of believers here.Also, I had a privilege to see many pictures of a friend who ministered to Iran right after the arrest of Saddam Hussein in april 2003.God certainly has plans for this tiny nation to bring his light to Middle East. No wonder this place is called "the lighthouse of Middle East".

Tomorrow I will visit some people in the south of Lebanon.

Global day of prayer

On Saturday we surfed internet with Hajo and Rebecca to find a church where to connect with some local believers.After travelling with three busses and searching for the place for an hour, we finally find our way to a very nice evangelical church. There it was wonderful to worship in Arabic(silently). We find out that it was actually the Global prayer day that day on Sunday,and that the prayer meeting of diferent churches in the area would be hosted in this church. But before that we were invited to a church family lunch, which was an awesome place to learn to know locals and hear many stories about people from different backgrounds, Druze, Maronite and Muslim, coming to Lord. Actually according to what I have learned, many more people here are coming to Lord now are in some previous years altogether.

In the praer meeting something happened to me, I think I lost my heart once again. To really realize how many things are trying to tear this nation apart, and how violent are the forces coming agaist this nation, I felt in a very deep level like I want to stand with these people.I hadn't realized that many people actually feel that it will be war again because of the Hezbolah and pro-Syrian forces here are armed and dont want to submit to national government. Mostly, I think this attitude is just reflection of wide spread pessimism and hopelessness and unforgiveness in people. But the truth I think is that is something sudden would happen, it wouldnt take much for people here to react violently. So my heart is here to pray and proclaim God's destiny and plans for this nation, whose citizens say that they hate the counmtry and want to leave.Even this morning as I went praying in the parliament, the man there sais to me that anyone coming here to live from a country like Finland would be crazy (I silently thanked him for his encouraging words, yes, I'm a crazy lady!).

So,today I have met some missionaries working here, really good and informative meetings.It has been really good to meet with spiritually sensitive locals and hearthat what we have discerned has been true. In some days I will join one of them who ministers in the north. That's ll for now.I will go and leave to city and sit by the sea side now.

..continued...

Yesterday we got to know some American-Palentinians, who were willing to explaing us some issues from somewhat local perspective (and some tips where to eat and drink, since Beirut  is quite as expensive as Finland.They explained how many young Lebanese feel hopeless about the future since the real Lebanese identity is lost after war. The city is being rebuilt by money from abroad, and the city is becoming a playground for Arab emirates,my new friend told me. The city is being built an empty facade for people who have money, but it could be located anywhere since it's lacking local life. Also the fact that there are more Lebanese people living outside Lebanon than in Lebanon is a source on hopelessness for many young people. After the war the distrust between people remains, but little by little there emerge people who try to open up some old wounds. All over the city you can see pictures of assassinated prime minister Hariri and banners saying TRUTH. Resently a book about a journalist who was murdered a year ago was published. So everything is still quite open concerning the past and the future. Yet, this place is supposed to be safe for foreigners, since assassinated people here have been well-chosen targets of political conflicts. The American-Lebanese men had some contacts to Palestinian camps in Beirut, there are four of those in capital, so let us see if we get to visit one. We also got to hear about the gay scene in Beirut, that is seemingly lively, yet underground here. Maybe this is one people group that should be considerably good to connect with if one was living here, seems like the whole issue is different than in the west and drawing more `freaks`, people who stand out of the mainstream culture.

I also met some Finnish people in a bookshop yesterday and they are connected to friend working in Finnish embassy serving Syria and Lebanon, so they were also able to explain some things for me.Walking home after midnight I felt quite safe since there are soldiers in every street corner day and night.

Going to meet some believers ministering here the next week. 

Beirut and Baalbek

It's my fourth full day in Beirut. I have to say we've seen a lot, learned a lot, but it has also been very challenging. Not sure if all the areas that have somewhat resently suffered a civil war feel the same, but there is still a due amount of chaos and desttrustion in the air in spiritual level, and it took some time to get on top of that.

Anyway, we travelled to Baalbek, other side of Lebanon to east, where an ancient city lies in Beqaa valley. There was the biggest temple of Roman empire, dedicated to Baal and then during the Roman empire to Venus and a famous place of temple prostitution and stuff. It's quite famous because it has survived amazingly well. So, in a way this is in line with my feelings before the travel, that there are some important roots of Humanism here, althought since those days the temple has been used as a church and now the area is Shiite muslim.It was quite interesting to vosot this area,to get to see some local village life. Outside the site men were selling us Hezbollah T-shirts (sorry guys if you wanted one as a souvenier, I didnt dare to buy one).It was definately worth going there to see the mountains and the beautiful valley with plenty of vineries.