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01 October 2019 // Vol 8 // Issue 06
 

God is Good!

 
I have so much to be thankful for . . .

God has been good to MEU still again.  Amazing!

Fall enrollment compares with our last spring semester.  We have gained as many new students as we graduated in May.  Our first-year students are functioning at a higher academic and energy level than what we’ve experienced.  The new-student orientation initiative generated a espree de core which interestingly, has re-energized older students.  A new collegiate Sabbath School program has been launched.  Interest in our Graphic Design program has renewed with the promise of excellence, competency, and vision for service.  Assembly has been well attended, relevant, inspiring.  Our men and women’s residence halls are fuller and their deans are hard at work building relationships and mentoring young hearts.  Our little campus boasts 32 nationalities even as we have gained new Lebanese students.

We ended the 2018-2019 academic year barely-yet-clearly in the black financially.  Hmmm.  Simply amazing, considering where we were financially a year ago.  And the $75,000 matching challenge was met.  Scholarship endowment monies were received.  Thirteen of our students had incredible canvassing experiences through the summer netting over $41,000 of matching funds towards their tuition.  Just the look of joy on their faces was so inspiring to me.  But also, to hear some of their life-changing experiences.   It is amazing to hear how some helped pay the tuition of a sibling or covered their MEU debt entirely.

Most every day I take the words of Jesus to heart: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38).  And so I pray, believing that this includes the young people whom God has brought us to mentor spiritually and with a sense of mission and  purpose.  I am watching that prayer being fulfilled before my very eyes.  Yes, God is good.!

Thank you for your prayers, your gracious gifts, your own voice of MEU inviting support of our students, faculty, mission.  Thank you for directing potential students our way.  MEU provides an credible opportunity for university learning in a missional context that will forever change a young person’s life.
 
MEU 80th Celebration November 15-17, 2019

As announced, we are planning a MEU 80th anniversary festivities during the weekend of November 15-17.  Please join us.  It will be a grand occasion.  Share the news.  Send your pictures.  Stir up your memories.  Already, some of you have emailed saying that they will try to make it.  As always, there are regrets as the announced date conflicts with something elsewhere.  It will be exciting as together we will celebrate how God has led us in the past and what He is now doing.  Together we will look back through the time-line of our collective memories.  Together we will look forward into the unknown—confident that the 1946 cornerstone with its Arabic Bible time-capsule, still resonates with truth filled missional vision and the promise of Holy Spirit empowerment.
 
The weekend’s festivities are outlined in the program invitation below. 
 
Friday evening’s open ceremony will be followed by an evening of history and memories hosted by Dr. Mark Hynum and including Edmond/Ella Haddad, Leif/Patrizia Hongisto, Glenn Russell, and many others will be present.
 
Sabbath services will include a full day of worship, praise, fellowship.  The Lebanon Section Churches will be invited.  The afternoon program will highlight MEU’s 80 years of missional vision and influence.
 
Guy Manoukian’s Saturday evening will end with a reception and continued fellowship.  It will be an evening of celebration and joy including the presence of community and government leaders.
 
Some of you remember MEU’s famous ice cream and cinnamon rolls.  When you sample either during Sunday’s program, we’ll ask you if tastes it like the recipe you remember.  Sunday will be a day of various activities, exhibitions and food.  Victor Issa will share a concept design of a narrative sculpture project for MEU.  We hope to share also initial concepts of the new Campus Master Plan (and its several projects) together with our first initiative of a Worship Center—MEU’s first after 80 years.
 
We'll pitch a tent on South Lawn.  There will be great music, precious memories, heartwarming embraces, reunion, renewed vision.  Pray for us.  Join us.
 
 


Hotel rooms have been blocked for this special weekend at Urban Central Suites in Beirut, Lebanon. Contact Manager Joe El Kik at joe.kik@urbancentralsuites.com or call him at +961-03-512-282.Be sure to mention you are coming for the 80th celebration of Middle East University to get an exclusive corporate rate!

Pre-80th tours of Lebanon will be arranged November 13-15 for those who come early. Contact us at meu@meu.edu.lb to let us know of your interest. Tours will be at your own expense. 
 

MEU Presents at AU Business Teachers Conference

From July 9 to 11 three of our faculty represented Middle East University at the 11th Biennial Seventh-day Adventist Business Teachers Conference at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

They presented their research during the breakout sessions. Mrs. Joelle Akiki Barkanian and Dr. Carlos Ernesto Biaggi Luz co-presented the paper entitled "Culture and Corruption: Plagiarism, Wasta and Bribery in the MENA Region". Dr. Ronald Vyhmeister co-presented with Dr. Kenneth Swansi from AIIAS the paper "Successfully Delivering a Quality PhD: Models from the AIIAS Experience".

MEU thanks the donors who made their professional development possible.

Faculty Colloquium 2019
Faculty and staff gathered for the annual colloquium on August 26, 2019 where they shared and prayed together, met new staff, and worked on academic matters for the coming school year. 
Innovate Your Future

From June 26 to 28 Middle East University equipped and inspired high-school students during its "Innovate Your Future" Summer Business Camp. With 11 workshops in the fields of Business and Computer Science, a field trip to Berytech, a bonfire and many fun activities, students learned, networked, made new friends from Lebanon and abroad, and confirmed their career choices.

 

4th Annual Science Camp

Registration, experiments outside, lectures, and pizza were part of the first day of our fourth annual science camp, July 23-35. About 40 teenagers came, many of whom had attended previous years. On day 2, Expo Hakel welcomed us to their facility and guided participants in excavating fossils. The third day was spent at Batroun where we explored the marine life and enjoyed beach activities. 



Art & Design Camp

After registering and checking into the dorms, participants started their three-day camp with an introduction to Art & Design Skills where each participant sketched a variety of objects in a classroom. They went on a field trip to the Lebanese National Museum as well as visiting the building structures in Nijmi Square in Down Town. The second and third days included mural painting, "pick and create," menu designing, lectures, and awarding of certificates
 

New Student Orientation
Orientation this year provided students with information about requirements for the academic programs, registration for classes, student life, and campus services. After lunch on the first day, the Chair Department of Art & Design and the Library Director took our new students on a tour to the National Museum and the "Nijmi Square." Day 2 of Orientation included ice breaking activities and some videos about cultural intelligence. Our new comers had a tasty lunch and took a rest before the TOEFL test. Day 3 of Orientation included a group work activity and some discussions related to students' spiritual life, followed by registration. 
 
Welcome Assembly
Students and faculty gathered for the first assembly of the 2019-2020 school year in the auditorium on Wednesday, September 4. Afterwards, they enjoyed some refreshments and time socializing. 




 
Presidential Peak Performance
MEU President, Dr. Larry Lichtenwalter, inspired students as he spoke for assembly on September 19, 2019. He shared examples from his life as a gymnast and challenged them to consider every aspect of life as important to achieve peak performance. Mint lemonade and popcorn refreshments were served afterwards.



 
LE Thanksgiving Program
Friday vespers was a highlight as the summer canvassing team shared how God had led in their lives as they sold books door to door. A gigantic check for more than $41,000 was presented to MEU to go towards student tuition. Pastor Marroni, the GC Publishing Director, encouraged and challenged students to finish the race.




 
Theology Waffle Brunch
Theology students and friends enjoyed the traditional waffle brunch at Dr. Larry & Kathie Lichtenwalter's home on Sunday, September 22, 2019. A brief worship thought and, later, time for sharing made it an enjoyable and relaxing time for all.



 
Business Club Knowledge Bowl
MEU's Business Club hosted a fun and informative knowledge bowl for assembly on September 25, 2019. Students formed three teams of four persons each and then each team took turns answering questions in different business categories such as marketing and general knowledge. Congratulations to the winning team who got 10 answers out of 12 correct and won free movie tickets!



 
First course offered at MEU on Blockchain Technology and Digital Currencies
Congratulations to Maria Lombart & Sirwan Shajiei on their wedding!
National Initiative for Forestation, and Lebanon Zero Plastics 2020, holds first training conference at MEU.

Upcoming Events
Keep in mind the upcoming dates:  
  • Nov 4-8 – Week of Spiritual Emphasis
  • Nov 22 – Holiday (Independence Day)
  • Nov 29  Last day to withdraw from classes
  • Dec 16-19  Final Exams for Fall 2019
  • Jan 15-17  Spring 2020 registration
* Dates subject to change.
 
University Church (www.universitychurchsda.org)
The University Church has vespers at 7:30 pm every Friday, and on Saturday a Bible study at 9:15 am, church service at 11:00 am, and vespers at sundown to close the Sabbath. All events are held in the MEU Auditorium unless noted otherwise. For announcements and special events, please visit universitychurchsda.org and click on the current bulletin.

Alumni and Friends
In order to improve our communication, we encourage you to forward this weekly newsletter to fellow alumni and friends of the University. As we are also in the continual process of improving our database of contacts, feel free to share the contact information of others who would like to be kept updated.


 
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If you or your department would like to make an announcement or report news to be mentioned in the Voice of MEU, please contact Maria Lombart at maria.lombart@meu.edu.lb to be included in the next issue.

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