Lebanon missions trip
lebanon missions trip
There is a world waiting on us to bring the hope and love of Jesus to them. At Coastline Church, our mission is to train up disciples and send them to areas near and far to be the light and share the life-giving message of Jesus. Recently, we sent a team to Lebanon to aid refugees. Read the highlights below from a few of our team members and be inspired by the work that God is doing all over the world.
pastor josh beard
“Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of going on a mission trip to Lebanon. Although I had weeks of training, the human side of me was a bit nervous because of all the things we constantly hear on the news about the Middle East. But what I found when I arrived was much different than I was expecting. The ministry partners we had the privilege of working with are some of the sweetest most compassionate people I have ever met. Their boldness for Jesus and desire to share His love with refugees whose worlds have been torn apart by war was motivating and inspiring.
At their community center, we were able to teach English to Iraqi and Syrian refugees of all ages, as well as share Bible stories, games, songs, and crafts with the children. To see these children’s faces light up when we told them that they were God’s children and He loved them, and that they were sons and daughters of the King was an incredible moment!
We also had a chance to go into some of the refugee camps to minister to the children and families. One of the highlights of that opportunity was going into one of the tents of a man named Mousa. He opened his home to us, introduced his family to us, shared coffee with us, and told us his horrific story of having to flee his village in Syria because ISIS was going to kill him if he did not join them. Mousa and his family were so warm and welcoming. I was able to put my arms around him and pray God’s hand on his life and his family.
What I learned on this trip is that God’s loving-kindness and mercy are for all and that the opportunity to share the love of Christ is before us. What the enemy uses for evil, God will use for good. Let’s take the opportunity at hand to fulfill the Great Commission by sharing this unconditional love of our Father with our world that is hurting and in need of a Savior.”
walter salas
"The trip was an amazing experience. I thought I understood the situation in Lebanon and Syria, but little did I know that I was clueless. I had an idea that the refugee situation was a big issue and that the need was big. Having had the opportunity to see it firsthand, I can honestly say that the need is huge and that indeed the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Seeing the number of people in refugee camps really broke my heart. I never really considered Muslims my brothers and for some unknown reason, never really thought they were a nation that God was going after.
I always prayed for the Israelis but never prayed for the Muslims. To a certain degree, I would probably say that there was some type of animosity towards Muslims. Having had this beautiful experience, I now see the whole picture differently. Would I continue praying for the Israelis? Absolutely! But know, I not only pray for the Israelis but also for the Muslim community. God is moving heavily in the Middle East and I know that He has huge plans for them. To see how the Lebanese people are loving on the Syrians and Iraqi refugees unconditionally, really touches my heart. The Lebanese community does not have a lot to offer to the refugees, but the ones who God has called, such as our partners on the ground, are giving everything that they have. One of their daughters drove us to the camps and I noticed that she was sick the following day. It appeared to be a mild cold. After talking with her, she said “I went to visit a couple of refugee’s homes yesterday, and one of the girls was shivering so much due to the weather conditions. I took my jacket and gave it to her. The little girl did not want it because she thought that I would be shivering. Then I responded, I am ok shivering for just one day, but if I don’t give it to you, you will be shivering many days.” You see the unconditional love that is been given to the refugees.
I also loved the fact that the children were so welcoming and they loved on us freely. I thought we were there to love on them and make them feel better, but at the end, I realized that they loved us unconditionally and put a huge smile on our faces. God is definitely on the move in the Middle East. We may not be able to all go there, but we can definitely pray and support those missionaries who are on the front line such as Nona, Alexandra, Kim, Tina, and Patricia. I will never be the same. The love for the descendants of Ishmael is in my heart and I pray to God that it will always stay there. One of the saddest things that I noticed was that Islam can’t offer love, shelter, medical care, or nutrition to the refugees. What they provide immediately is a bunch of mosques so that they constantly can be calling to prayer and remind them that “Allah is the only true god, Muhammad is his true prophet and to read the first 2 chapters of the Koran.” It is very sad. I thank God for the opportunity that He gave us; I know for sure that I will never be the same. To God be the glory forever and ever. "
Rae salas
"I should start off by saying that initially, I was hesitant about going on this missions trip. But I knew that God was calling me. Today I can say that I'm glad I obeyed. During the first few days, we all agreed we had no idea what we were doing, running on an hour and a half of sleep and jet lagged. Only God could've given us the strength to do a kids class and English class the day we arrived. The nation elected a new President on Day 2 of the trip. Thus, Monday and Tuesday were declared holidays. This threw off our plans. We expected to have a lot of time on our hands at the guest house we were staying at. It was then that I noticed how busy our lives are here in San Diego. We're so caught up worrying about sports stats, school, work, bills, food, health, working out, friends, the latest post on Instagram or Facebook, who's doing what and who's saying this.
It was then that I got to spend some alone time with Jesus and realize how much He seeks our attention. I realized that my schedule is so hectic, He seldom gets it. It was truly beautiful to be in His presence and rest in His solitude. Along the rest of the trip, God kept showing us that He was the only one actually in control. Every single day we planned for something and later on our plans would change, for the better, I think. It was amazing and I encourage everyone to go on a mission trip at least once in their life. Whether it be Lebanon, Africa, or even here in California, God speaks in amazing ways during those trips and I'm so glad I had an amazing church supporting us."
