Reflections from the missions trip team
In 2019, as part of our Focus for Four initiative to spread the gospel to Syrian refugees, Cherrydale sent a team to Lebanon. These are the experiences of the team.
To know a God who offers hope
“Syrian refugees in Lebanon want to know about a true God who is all things to them. Many don’t feel safe, wanted, loved, or even noticed….I felt this especially among the children at the refugee school. These children want attention and love from someone….These children want to hear about your personal relationship with Jesus; how He is the one who brings joy, love, mercy, and hope regardless of the situation.”
“The families we met in camps of various sizes and levels of organization, cleanliness, and “settled-ness” were overall eager to hear the difference that Jesus makes for life now and for all eternity.”
“The contrast between the best of God’s good creation and the worst of man’s work is strikingly apparent in the foothills of the Beqaa Valley….Some of the inhabitants of these tents lived in utter filth, were devoid of hope and yet in constant longing for something more….This trip helped me grasp the truth that when the world appears overwhelmed by chaos and desperation, we who know the Father can be a voice of hope in the darkness.”
Seeing God at work among refugees
“My faith was challenged to meet a brother who is facing severe persecution sincerely crying out to Jesus, seeing the Lord answer, and going forward in obedience.”
“The engagements we had with dozens of people in various refugee camps reminded me that God is always in the business of arranging divine encounters and demonstrating His power through cross- cultural mission movements….We had glimpses of God at work—as people invited us into their tents for tea and providing openings to build relationships with their entire families around gospel conversations.”
Sensing God working within me
“The Lord gave me the strongest desire to show these women and girls how beautiful and valued the Lord sees them. He gave me the courage to share my personal testimony in front of about fifty people—mostly women and their children—about how I found my worth in the Lord…. I never would have expected to be filled with so much joy in serving in an area that is so broken.”
Read more reflections in Pastor Ed’s blog post.
