Salaam a lay-kum [peace be unto you] Kris is In Beruit!!

[Judy Hamilton]

Travel from the states to Lebanon went smoothly, safely arriving in Lebanon last night. We didn't crash or get delayed, and unlike my last overseas flight adventure, I didn't toss my cookies in the tiny airplane bathroom & sit between grumpy people from a culture that doesn't appreciate deoderant.

Arabic lesson of the day: Marhaba - hello - say this and people will smile and respond likewise; keyfik - what's up - say this and people will respond with a generous flurry of happy arabic. don't say this to women.

Note to self: Lebanese parents are on the lookout for friendly, young, dashingly handsome single american men for their daughters. Just a few minutes ago I had an awkward interaction with such a parent - upon introducing myself in arabic & knowing I was such an american as previously described, this father took my hand and said "you must meet my daughter". So we met. She blushed, and his face glowed with high hopes of getting his daugher married off. He asked me to please come back by. Maybe I'll send one of the girl a flower & a box of swiss chocolates, just kidding. I'm such a heartbreaker.

Well there's not much more to report, as we're still getting situated into our apartments, connecting with the long-term team who lives here, and going over plans for the next few weeks. It sounds like we will mainly be working in the poorer sunni muslim areas - I'll explain more when I can. Please keep me and my friends in your prayers.

Salaam a lay-kum [peace be unto you]

kris

Judy ..Mom.here

Thank you to those who will pray for my son..and this team of missionaries

[Barb Bouldrey]

He has such a cute sense of humor!

Thanks for sharing his message to you.

What all will he be doing there?

Barb

[Marg Webb]

With the sense of humor the Lord has given Kris he will win many.
The Lebanon folks are the most kind people and will love his personality.
They love fun, laughing , dancing, eating. Anything that brings them together,
GOD GO WITH HIM

Marg.

[Judy Hamilton]

Hello friends and family ~
I'm still alive and well in Beirut.Did not travel eslewhere as planned Beruit is a place full of run down & bullet scarred aparment flats as far as the eye can see, along with quite a few tall modern buildings - mostly expensive hotels that line the mediterranean. Honking horns and smoggy exaust, humidy that would kill a cow, and 5 lines of cars abreast all fight for a street designed for 2, random soldiers with AK-47's carelessly swinging about their shoulders, and this, all interwoven with people, little motorbikes and street vendors. There's never a dull moment. There is a strange mixture of lifestyles here too - devout conservatives fully clothed in muslim dress, along with cosmopolitan/trendy men & scantilly clad women. If you are the latter, you're probably from a culturally "christian" family, and the religious and pious want nothing to do with you - or your religion.

"Ana aindi haydeeya la iliak" - "We have a gift for you".
Just one of the arabic phrases we say to each door that we knock on. We go out in pairs of 2 with bookbags filled with arabic new testaments, or "injeels". We'll hop in a taxi with funny music and drive 15 minutes to the poor muslim neighborhoods. For the next 4 hours we'll go door -to-door handing these out and praying for whoever wants prayer. The rest of the evening is spent following up on friends we've made throughout the day.

Cool story -
One muslim woman we met had an open-vision of Jesus years before, and fell in love with him but never had an injeel.(Bible)
We knocked on her door, and we were welcomed in. The woman spoke english, and we mentioned how we tend to find not many muslims have read the injeel, and because Jesus has changed our lives and brought us peace with God, we wanted to share this hope with everyone. She pointed to her mother who had the vision of Jesus. They both were excited and all 4 of us read different passages in the injeel together for the next hour. It is spiritually thirsty people like this that we look for, build relationships with, and eventually introduce to the long-term team who lives here. Our prayer is that a indiginous muslim-background believing church movement will spring up and grow like wildfire in this parched place.

Prayer -
-a wave of stomach sickness is sweeping through the team, keeping some out of commission and in bed. Please pray for wholeness.
-wisdom and discerment on who to spend time with. Our time here is short, and we're seeking for the spiritually aware and thirsty people.

Much love to you all!

Kris