Lebanon Information
Lebanon was the 87th nation for me to visit. It is a nation that appears 75 times in the Bible. It is part of the Promised Land. So the visit gave me a biblical significance. The famous places to note are Tyre, Sidon and Biblos. I have not had a chance to visit any of them, but some day in the future.
Lebanon is unique in a sense that it is the only Arabic nation without desert. Also, one third of its population is refugees from neighboring nations. That is amazing. Also, approximately 40% of its population are Christians, including Roman Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants all combined.
Along with Lebanon, Cedars of God also appears 75 times in the Bible. It is called Cedars of God because the Bible says so in Psalm 104:16.
Over thousands of years, many countries used the cedars of Lebanon for their purposes. Now they are endangered species and protected as part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Lebanon's national flag has the cedar tree on it. May they be restored to their previous glory.
The sunset scenery was gorgeous.
Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS)
ABTS is an important institution that educates and equips Christian leaders for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. One of the courses that has impacted a lot of people is Master of Religion in Middle East and North Africa Studies.
MEC 2019
Middle East Consultation is an annual event hosted by ABTS in June. It is a very academic consultation where scholars share their views and debate for mutual learning. It was the first time in which I was deeply engaged and immersed in the discussion about Islam, Muslims, Qur'an and Muhammad.
There were only two Koreans. I was one and the other was a young man who is living in New Zealand, serving Muslim Background Believers (MBBs). He was talented in linguistics.
An MBB I met was David, living in Egypt. He seems quite committed to serving MBBs in Egypt. We will see what is to come out of this meeting.
A young Singaporean girl was interested in serving through SfK Ministries. She has some background in business analysis and I will see if we can find a fit.
I met Lawrence from Kenya who knew Caleb Kim. He studied under Caleb for 14 years or so: two masters and one doctorate. He gave a presentation about African culture.
There were a lot of Chinese origin people living in different nations: Canada, USA, Hong Kong, Kurdistan and Singapore. I was the only Korean who was among Chinese people. We had dinner together.
In the MENA region, poetry is an important pastime. Many poets shared their poems during the Consultation.
Overall, it was an enlightening opportunity to learn and to connect with people interested in reaching out to Muslims in the MENA region. What to develop out of the event is to be seen. - Jeffrey
Lebanon was the 87th nation for me to visit. It is a nation that appears 75 times in the Bible. It is part of the Promised Land. So the visit gave me a biblical significance. The famous places to note are Tyre, Sidon and Biblos. I have not had a chance to visit any of them, but some day in the future.
Lebanon is unique in a sense that it is the only Arabic nation without desert. Also, one third of its population is refugees from neighboring nations. That is amazing. Also, approximately 40% of its population are Christians, including Roman Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants all combined.
Along with Lebanon, Cedars of God also appears 75 times in the Bible. It is called Cedars of God because the Bible says so in Psalm 104:16.
Over thousands of years, many countries used the cedars of Lebanon for their purposes. Now they are endangered species and protected as part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Lebanon's national flag has the cedar tree on it. May they be restored to their previous glory.
The sunset scenery was gorgeous.
Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS)
ABTS is an important institution that educates and equips Christian leaders for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. One of the courses that has impacted a lot of people is Master of Religion in Middle East and North Africa Studies.
MEC 2019
Middle East Consultation is an annual event hosted by ABTS in June. It is a very academic consultation where scholars share their views and debate for mutual learning. It was the first time in which I was deeply engaged and immersed in the discussion about Islam, Muslims, Qur'an and Muhammad.
There were only two Koreans. I was one and the other was a young man who is living in New Zealand, serving Muslim Background Believers (MBBs). He was talented in linguistics.
An MBB I met was David, living in Egypt. He seems quite committed to serving MBBs in Egypt. We will see what is to come out of this meeting.
Another contact I made was Kelly Roberto from the U.S. who lived in Colombia for a long time and has been serving for the Latinos overall. We agreed to find a way to work together and I will see where the Lord leads us.
A young Singaporean girl was interested in serving through SfK Ministries. She has some background in business analysis and I will see if we can find a fit.
I met Lawrence from Kenya who knew Caleb Kim. He studied under Caleb for 14 years or so: two masters and one doctorate. He gave a presentation about African culture.
There were a lot of Chinese origin people living in different nations: Canada, USA, Hong Kong, Kurdistan and Singapore. I was the only Korean who was among Chinese people. We had dinner together.
Overall, it was an enlightening opportunity to learn and to connect with people interested in reaching out to Muslims in the MENA region. What to develop out of the event is to be seen. - Jeffrey
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