Lebanon #1: A Faithful History

by Marilyn Borst, for the team

This is the sixth time I have brought an Outreach Foundation team of “faithful women” to Lebanon, first, in 2010, and then, every year since 2015. We have come over the years at the gracious invitation of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, our Presbyterian family here, to share life for a week with sisters whose countries’ modern histories have been complex and often violent. This women’s conference is a week of rich worship and Bible study, of learning and laughter, of rest and refreshment. Through meals and over many cups of stout Arabic coffee, we have built friendships and trust and learned a lot from one another of both the different ways our churches--be it in the U.S., Syria, or Lebanon--are called to be salt and light, as well as of the common challenges and joys of being the Church anywhere. Some of my team members have returned multiple times, altogether 34 different women have been a part of these teams. As this year’s conference is about to begin, my team is arriving from California, Washington, Virginia, Nebraska, Illinois, North Carolina, New York, Michigan, Tennessee, and Georgia. We do not all know one another yet, but we are confident that before the trip is over we will be family, as we are family with the global church. We are in eager anticipation to be reunited with family we didn’t know we had, from halfway around the world, and to be “mutually encouraged” by one another’s faith. We invite you to join us on this journey in the days ahead.