My son leaned over close and pulled my ear down to his lips, "Daddy," he whispered softly, "when will this be over?"  Good question!  We were in Church.  The preacher was already long into his sermon.  I had wondered myself.  Looking at my watch again, I thought about the several strong sermon points which had already been made.  "O, about five or so more minutes," I ventured.  "We'll be done soon," I assured him with a pat on the shoulder.  What seemed only moments later, I found him pressing hard against me again.  "Daddy," his soft voice declared through cupped hands, "it's been five minutes already.  How much longer will it be?"  "Can't be more than five more minutes now," I whispered back.  But when those second five minutes slipped by and the preacher was still going strong, my son pressed against my shoulder once again.  The soft yearning voice asking, "Daddy, when will this be over!"  "When he's done preaching," I answered.  "It's not over till the preaching's done."

That's what Jesus told His disciples when they wondered about the future: "When will these things be?" "What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?" they asked.  His reply? “It's not over till the preaching's done.”  Yes, there will be wars and the fear of wars to come, economic and natural disasters, injustice and persecution, lawlessness, people looking out only for themselves, hearts failing for fear, and the fearful expectation of worse things to come in the future.  But it's not over till the preaching's done! "This gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come" (Matt 24:14).  It's not over till the preaching's done.

Standing on the threshold of the New Year 2020, we too, wonder about the future.  No matter where we live, it is so.  In Lebanon, it is felt very keenly.  More than 80 straight days of protest have brought the Lebanese government and economy to its knees.  The protests, political maneuvering, economic and banking realities have created so much uncertainty, so many unknowns going into 2020 that it is hard to remain hopeful for Lebanon.  It is also hard for many to envision a rich future for MEU and MENA Union as well.  One assumes that a stable Lebanon means a stable MEU, a stable MENA Union.  Surely MEU is not a place to invest or support.  There are so many unknowns.

But Jesus would direct our vision towards our mission.  He would shift our focus from the “when” and “what"--from the chaos and uncertainty--to the work set before us.  He would remind us why we exist in the midst of chaos and the incredible hope we have to bring to our troubled planet.

In prayer I often link MEU’s future with Lebanon’s.  But is the former dependent on the latter?  No.  Absolutely not.  The history of God’s work through the ages reveals an incredible picture of God’s ability to expand His Kingdom no matter the chaos or uncertainty on the ground.  In fact, it is the Gospel which brings peace, certainty and hope.  Precisely why we are here in Lebanon, in the Middle East and North Africa region—why MEU’s future is more certain now than ever.

As you step into the New Year 2020, I invite you to join me in anticipation of incredible interventions from God which will open the way for MEU's future and mission, yes “make a way.”  May a wall of fire encircle our campus and our work, and may the glory of God flow forth from within, giving everyone who looks on the distinct sense that, Yes, there is a God in heaven.  Yes, God will “make a way,” because our preaching is yet not done.  That for sure is certain.  And so, our future both within His gracious care and provision and His invitation to work with Him.

Thank you for your prayers.  Your investment.  Your support.  Your faith in what God is doing in this region through MEU.