Message from Nabil Costa, MEBO Board Vice President
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (1 Cor 3:6-7)
Lebanon continues to be a gateway to the Arab World, and a center for Christian ministries that serve the Middle East North Africa. For six years now, the Middle East Bible Outreach (MEBO) and the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD) pursue a vision to see God glorified, people reconciled, and communities restored in the Arab World.
Our ministry focus includes the equipping of lay and church leaders for Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon; the development of much needed Arabic language resources for the region; and last but not least community relief and development mainly in Lebanon, Sudan and Iraq. The impact is God glorifying – lives are being touched every day.
However, we can best serve God when we develop a proper understanding of the context at hand. MEBO seeks every opportunity to create awareness in the West with regards to Islam and the Middle East societies. No easy task! We do so in partnership with the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary's Institute of Middle East Studies that organizes annual Middle East Conferences (MEC) with this goal in mind. While MEC is held in Lebanon, we can organize or participate in similar events such as the symposium entitled Understanding the Middle East from the Inside Out that was organized by Samford University (Alabama) and the Alabama Baptists in Birmingham in April 2006.
It continues to be our experience that God's work in the Arab World is most effective when approached with hearts overwhelmed with love for Arabs – Christians and Muslims alike. Hence the value of such events is in that they offer an insider's perspective and eventually serve to build bridges of love between West and East (& vice-versa).
I kindly ask you, friends and partners, to keep God's work in the Middle East region in your prayers; pray as well for our MEBO team consisting of our Associate Director Teri Nordine and our Development Director Pam Burris. Both have been to the Arab World, and are burdened with the expansion of God's Kingdom in the Middle East North Africa region.
Please pray that God may give the MEBO team wisdom, grace and strength as they seek, through God's grace and your support, to make a difference in the lives of many.
Thank you.
In Him,
Nabil Costa,
MEBO Board Vice President