A veteran of several mission trips all over the world, and having observed God's Hand at work many times, I was still astounded at His plan while serving with a GHO trip to Beirut earlier this month. Working to support a local missionary (name withheld for safety reasons), our team was called to treat Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Last year's team primarily dealt with Syrians escaping the Asad regime, however this year we treated and ministered to many having narrowly escaped ISIS, and the stories we were told by those who had witnessed the beheading of children, crucifixions of husbands in their own church on crosses torn from the church walls, and raping and throat cutting of women not taken as slaves were horrific and very difficult to listen to. Even the "most seasoned" wept loudly and openly at the evening team meeting. Yet, during the day, while treating patients in dentistry, I would often turn my head to observe Muslim people hear of Jesus and his love, and instantly ask how to be a follower and accept Him as Lord and Savior. I had never seen the Holy Spirit as active as I did those 2 weeks in Lebanon.
I was treating a Syrian freedom fighter, who finally left Syria to be with his wife in Beirut, and had become a lover and follower of Jesus through this incredible ministry. When he arrived, he made certain she was able to safely attend all the functions at the center in which we were working, as we were in Hezbollah territory. When he came in for dental pain, I asked him if he "knew" Jesus. He said yes, because of his wife, but because he had done so many bad things, killing people in the war, he knew he was not good enough like his wife. So through my mist incredible translator, also a Syrian Christian, we explained the Good News of the Gospel, and 3 extractions later, he accepted Jesus. There is no question the spiritual darkness and warfare of ISIS is beyond comprehension, but I left Lebanon personally experiencing how God is using "what is intended for bad, for good. What an awesome God we serve.
