Louis is feeling a little better each day. I opted to not show pictures of his scar, but I will let you know that we were able to remove the bandages yesterday. The main pain that he is feeling is from the actual surgery. The pain that was radiating through his arm, the numbness and the weakness have all gone away, so it seems the surgery was a success. 2 weeks after the surgery we will have a follow up to make sure everything is healing correctly. Then 2 weeks after that we will meet with the neurosurgeon to see if there are any other follow up needs. Louis’ spine was showing some issues as well when they did x-rays so that is something we will have to follow up on to determine if he needs further procedures or therapies.
Louis when he woke up after surgery
So far the side effects of surgery have continued to mimic the previous issue with swallowing, so we are waiting to see if the surgery helped with that as well.
The day after Louis’ surgery was a day of appointments for David and I (Annie). We had to go to the dentist and to get vaccines, pick up glasses, and some medicine. Then on Friday I just stayed home and slept on one couch while Louis slept on the other. Thus the late update.
(Sorry there haven’t been any pictures in the last two updates. I may add some in later.)
We have had a couple people bring food or send flowers, and since that is hard to coordinate I am asking people to plan on bringing stuff to the library when I am working if that works better with their schedules. Other people have sent money through Zelle to pay for food.
We never even got around to posting about how the summer went because we kept it so full, and now it is almost winter. I (Annie) am going to write this post in reverse chronological order since the more urgent updates are happening right now, and the ministry praise reports that many of you care about as well I want to include as well.
Louis Getting Surgery
Louis has been diagnosed with a herniated disc in his C6 . His neurosurgeon has tried to schedule him for an emergency surgery to remove and replace the disc, but insurance wanted more documentation, so we were not able to get the surgery before Thanksgiving. As I write this at 10:30AM on Tuesday morning we have surgery scheduled for Wednesday, but have to have the insurance’s approval by noon in order to keep that surgery slot at the hospital. I keep waiting to write a post until we have more definite information, but at this point so much has gone by, I am just posting in a free moment I have at work. UPDATE: Insurance approved the surgery for 8:00 AM EST, Wednesday, November 30, 2022. You can all be praying and I will try to send another update as soon as the surgery happens to let everyone know how everything went.
Why Does Louis Need Surgery?
Louis is in such extreme pain at this point all the time that it can’t really be put on a scale. The pain began gradually and actually didn’t even register as pain in his neck until quite recently. The symptoms that we now know are related to this disc actually began about 2 years ago, but were passed off or diagnosed as stress related or unknown and as they worsened, it was actually Louis’ esophagus that was causing the most trouble. Now the doctors believe the herniation actually has been pressing on nerves that may be causing the swallowing trouble Louis had been going to doctors for over the past 4 months.
The surgery is supposed to be outpatient and every doctor we have talked to is very confident that Louis will feel immediate relief after the surgery. Currently he has had to be in bed all day every day and is barely able to attend his classes online.
Fall Happenings
Another big thing happening that kept us from having the chance to post anything was the beginning of school for the kids. This is their first year in an American school, and the school they have ended up in was the absolute perfect choice. It was the closest school to our apartment, and it has been such a blessing to our kids. They get to ride the bus, which was very important to them. The school has a hugely diverse population with over 17 home languages spoken among the students. The kids are doing great, and on their first report cards both kids received straight A’s and Davey was put on the Principal’s Honor Roll!
Additionally, I (Annie) got a job as a Children’s Librarian! It is a full time salaried position which will totally help supplement the added expenses of living in America and now also the medical bills. In moving to South Carolina we used all our savings for moving, so we hope to start saving the money from my job to make a new account for moving expenses when we move back to Arizona. The job is such a blessing, and a dream. I am in heaven! Even though I hate to say that as Louis is struggling so much this year.
The Summer
This past summer was such a wonderful time for us to do some ministry, see family, and learn to live in America together.
We spent time in New York visiting past and current Horizons staff and interns.
We have had the honor of doing pre-marriage counseling for several couples who are now married.
We went to Arizona to see our families.
Louis taught at Legacy.
Each of these bullet points has a whole story, which I wish we could share more about, but it is just too much emotionally for me to write more right this moment.
It is time for another update. In our ever shifting new roles in America we want to keep you all up to date on what we are working on and going through.
Ministry
I posted an advertisement for the Legacy Conference where Louis will be teaching this summer. We would love to see any of you there who are interested in learning more about the ministry to Muslims we have been a part of the past 15 years in the States and in Lebanon.
Louis and I have been doing premarriage counseling with several couples recently, and are available if you or anyone you know are interested in marriage or premarriage counseling. We are using a hybrid of Louis’ own marriage counseling curriculum and the SYMBIS (Save Your Marriage Before It Starts) curriculum.
One of the hard parts of being the person that gets called when tragedy happens is that you end up knowing a lot more tragedies up close. It is safer to have a smaller tribe. Less people will die because you are connected to less people. Our tribe is large and spread all over the globe. When I (Annie) posted to facebook about the Ukraine it was because I know people there currently, I know people with family there, and I know people trying to get there to help or to return home.
Tragedy does not come as a surprise because we are constantly aware of people in crisis. It is a part of our specific calling from God as Louis and Annie. But it does hurt. This week we were shocked by death in our lives.
Mohammad Yamout and Wife Hanan
This Wednesday the pastor of the Tyre Church, Mohammad Yamout, died. He was a pillar of faith in the South of Lebanon. He was one of the greatest evangelists. I believe that he would have been one of the 12 disciples Jesus called. He is so deeply and devastatingly missed. There is no one who could possibly replace him.
We have no real words to express the pain of death and grief and loss we are struggling through now. The distance between us and those in Tyre. The shattering of dreams and hopes for the ministry there while knowing that ministry will go on. It is too much to explain.
Education
Last week Louis graduated from the CPE (Chaplaincy Externship) program. The program was extremely difficult for all of us as the program has shifted from its original purpose as a Christian influence in hospitals to a secular program that is still required for religious education.
This coming Fall the kids will be enrolled in Pine Grove Elementary School, a public school close to our house. Louis will be beginning at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. Annie will be hopefully getting a job at a library.
I would like to invite you to attend the Legacy Unashamed Conference at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, MI, from June 8-11. I will be speaking and teaching at the conference, and I hope to see you there! This year’s theme is Romans 1:16 — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel…” Legacy Conference will accommodate both online and in-person attendance.
Legacy Conference is about missions, Muslims, and the heart of God. At Legacy 2022, you will hear from effective ministers and leaders in the field, both at home and abroad, including Josh McDowell, Abdu Murray, Georges Houssney, Fred Farrokh, and Isįk Abla. If you are interested in empowering your ministry to reach Muslims through evangelism, discipleship, or mentorship, this conference is for you!
Attendance in person is $185 each (includes lunch and dinner during the conference) or attend online for $90 each.
Please consider registering today. If you know other people or churches interested in reaching Muslims for Christ, please pass this email on!
Many people have contacted us about our plans as we return to the States. I posted a summary of all the relevant posts leading up to this post which you can view titled A New Year A New Country. Welcome, 2022! So be sure to check that post out to fill in all the details I may leave out of this post. Also, we wrote about our initial reentry thoughts and feelings while we were driving across the country this past January titled Reentry, so be sure to read that one as well.
The last picture I took in our apartment in Lebanon as we had everything laid out for people to come take things.
Once again we have sold everything to move across the ocean. We fit everything we then owned into the back of a pickup truck in Arizona and drove across the country to South Carolina.
Those two sentences are really so full you could just read them over and over to sense many of our feelings. Yet, life hasn’t stopped there of course. We must continue on.
So, hopefully I will answer some questions many of you have. Please continue to email and call and write (the kids are absolutely thrilled about the ability to get mail).
Why are you still working for Horizons?
Before Louis and I ever went to Lebanon we were already fully on board with Horizons. We were volunteers, and we loved it. Georges Houssney, the founder of Horizons, showed us that to share the gospel with people was more than just easy, it was life, it is breathing. So, we can never stop proclaiming the righteousness of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection. What Horizons taught us has worked! We have been a part of, hugged, spoken to, prayed with, worshipped with literally thousands of new believers. We have seen people run from wealthy families full of promise to live in poverty because they believe in Jesus. We have watched starving families filled with joy at Christ even though the circumstances in many cases have continued to get worse. Even if one day we have other jobs and are no longer receiving all of your support through our Horizons’ account, we will still proclaim the truths of Scripture and continue to teach the Engage Curriculum as well as the two counseling curriculums Louis has developed with Horizons staff. That bond will remain eternally as well as all of you who have supported us financially and spiritually for more than a decade now will meet those thousands in Heaven at the biggest party ever! And all of our loved ones from Lebanon will teach all of you from America to dance!!!
Practically, we are continuing to work over the phone and Zoom with Lebanese staff to plan return trips every 18 months to continue to train in Louis’ counseling curriculum. We are providing member care to the staff in Lebanon, and over the coming months we are working with another Horizons staff member in Columbia, SC to figure out a plan for combining our member care resources and skills to make an even more tight plan for member care and staff support for the worldwide Horizons staff. I (Annie) still dream of continuing my project to make bridges to connect the American Horizons staff with the Lebanese staff as well as all the other locations from Spain to South Africa to China to Turkey to Kosova. One of the ways in which we have already discussed this project stateside is to find information silos where information is getting stuck and how to better disperse it to the right people in the organization.
Additionally, Louis and I are doing marriage counseling with several couples in Lebanon as well as previous interns who are seeking pre-marriage counseling.
As a side note, if anyone is looking for marriage counselors Louis and I are both trained in the SYMBIS curriculum for both pre-marriage and marriage counseling, and would be happy to gain new clients! We use the Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts curriculum combined with the curriculum Louis wrote himself and personalize it to the couple.
This summer we will be joining with other Horizons leaders to train people at the Legacy Conference, the conference we first attended before we were even engaged! Everyone is welcome to join us in Grand Rapids, MI this June 8-11 to learn about Missions to Muslims.
These are two pictures from our pre-field training with Mission Training International. The training was an essential piece of our being longlasting missionaries in Lebanon.
How are your finances going to work going forward?
We completely understand that some people have committed to us only for our time in Lebanon. We ask that you consider our first year back in the States as part of your support. We hope first and foremost that you continue to pray for us as we try to rebuild our lives in a country our children have only ever visited. We have to rebuy everything, we have to learn how to cook and clean all over again. We need prayer just as much as ever before as we learn a new culture in the South.
Financially we currently only have the Horizons’ account as our salary. Both Louis and I are planning to get jobs to pay for the additional cost of living, food, and seminary. We have been able to pay for the seminary up to this point out of pocket because Liberty Seminary is the cheapest online option. That has worked for us, but as Louis began his Luther year and a half the cost of seminary has gone up tremendously. Some of you have requested a way to support the seminary directly, and if you would like to give money directly for Louis’ tuition you will be able to do that through Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Tucson. Mt. Zion is the church that is Louis’ sponsor through the seminary and call process going forward.
Beyond seminary, and actually even more of a priority than seminary is the PTSD all four of us have struggled with from our time in Lebanon, the explosion, the empty shelves at grocery stores, the 4 to 8 hours of electricity per day, and Covid changing the world. I (Annie) am continuing with my psychiatrist through Valeo, which is a missionary counseling service. These sessions are now only once every 2 or 3 months, and they are $100 each. I am also working through trauma in EMDR therapy for $50 every two weeks. The kids have begun Play Therapy with a well recognized play and art therapist in Columbia named Lyssa Harvey. They have begun by meeting with her together every two weeks for $150 per session.
Finally, we are going to participate in 2 debriefs this Summer and Fall. Louis and I will be attending a debrief in July or August meant specifically for missionaries leaving the field which costs $900. As a family we will be attending a debrief that focuses on the kids and family to step back and evaluate how everything is going after a few months of counseling and after public school starts for the kids in August. This second debriefing is in Michigan in October and costs $2,800.
Basically that comes out to about $770 a month we need to budget for counseling and debriefs.
We would so appreciate if you are a regular donor if you would be willing to add $10 or $20 to your donation each month to help us push through this reentry period of the next year.
Here are the sites if you would like to look at the mental health options we have selected:
Valeo Global – Psychiatrist and Missionary Debriefing
How to Give Now: CLICK HERE and select STAFF – Louis & Annie Liss We remain able to receive your donations through our Horizons account, and if you wish to add a one time amount to help with this transition or would like to start giving monthly or increase your amount, this is the link for that.
If you would like to designate money for the kids or for seminary we are happy to receive it through our Horizons account, mail (the kids can actually get cards and gifts sent to them now!), and Mt. Zion has been helping us with many seminary costs, so you can also connect with Mt. Zion about ways in which they are supporting us financially. If you need our address, send me an email or give me a call.
Our kids both participated in the procession for Palm Sunday at our Columbia, South Carolina church, Redeemer Lutheran.
Why a Luther Year and Why the ELCA?
These two are the most asked questions we have gotten for the last year. Of course there is nuance and complexity to the answer, as with all the questions here. And we are more than happy and willing to talk to any of you personally if you shoot me a message on facebook, comment here, email, or call.
The shortest answer is that they asked. There is a huge piece of motivation for many people just in being invited. For over a decade, from years before we even left for Lebanon, the ELCA has given us financial support, spiritual support, and been a home church for Louis’ parents. Knowing that a church community is caring for my in-laws has allowed us to stay several years longer in Lebanon.
The Lutheran church is Louis’ first church home. The Lutheran church has welcomed me with open arms and shown me love and grace and community. We love the Lutheran churches we are connected with both ELCA and LCMC as well as the Moravian church in King, North Carolina. All of you are our family. We would love to join as members each and every church that has supported us over the years. These are the 12 churches that have joined us financially over the past decade of mission work in Lebanon. In alphabetical order:
Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church in Phoenix, AZ(We miss you so much, and are so glad that you allowed us to enter into your church, you honestly brought us life and joy. I (Annie) was full of doubts about church truly being a safe place, and you took those doubts away. Thank you forever and ever!)
Denver Chinese Evangelical Free Church in Denver, CO (In 2015 we connected with you, a beautiful year as it was the year of our daughter’s birth as well! We have had many Chinese interns come to Lebanon, and we are so glad that you helped that ministry find a place in the hearts of the Lebanese and Syrians. God Bless You!)
Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church in Phoenix, AZ (The celebration at your church after your team was in Lebanon was absolutely reminiscent of the Wedding Banquet we will have in Heaven! Your heart to give beyond your trip, to help the staff further was truly a God send. Thank you for your prayers and involvement.)
Joy in the Spirit Fellowship in Tucson, AZ (The day that I spent with your fellowship having coffee and talking about everything happening in Lebanon is a core grounding memory for me. In Lebanon we learned a word for that type of meeting, the sobHiyeh (sob-hiye with a heavy hard H). This is a morning coffee among women to gossip, but for me I believe the redemption of that focus through Christ is a morning coffee among women to encourage each other in Christ. Doing that with you ladies was absolutely amazing, and a goal of mine in every community. Thank you!)
King Moravian Church in King, NC (Honestly, even if your wonderful church had never donated a penny to us I would have to list you here. Growing up you were the place where I saw Christ in Christmas and Christ in Coffee! As I said above, those coffee memories are special and deep with me. Your church has been there for my family in so many ways I cannot express my gratitude. As you continue to love my Grandpa Ray, as you grieved with me the loss of my Grandma Betty who shared my Christmas birthday. I always think of you at Christmas. Being able to share with the veterans at your church about the explosion was so healing for me, and I just cannot thank you enough for your support for my entire life!)
Light of the Desert Lutheran Church in Cave Creek, AZ (Beginning with Chayah as a place to meet, the first place my son ever saw a real life rattlesnake up close; and now a place where we have very dear friends and pray for your other missionaries as well, we have much to thank you for. For many people we spoke to when first raising money to go overseas, we had to teach people what a missionary was and what they do. Your church grasped it immediately and supported us even more than we could have dreamed. I still remember walking into your church and seeing that giant map of the world with our faces up there on Lebanon. We felt that support in so many ways. Thank you!)
Lord of Grace Lutheran Church in Tucson, AZ (We are grateful for the many Via de Cristo and Tirosh meetings held in your rooms. We were honored to be asked to speak at your council to explain our needs and our ministry. We are honored to have you as supporters and friends. Thank you for your love.)
Mount Zion Lutheran Church in Tucson, AZ (When we were leaving for Lebanon I wanted to make sure that our parents had community. In Tucson our community was with Via de Cristo and Tirosh, so it was essential for me that my in-laws went through the weekend before we left for Lebanon. I convinced my father-in-law to go and Dan Valasakos was the Assistant Spiritual Director. After the weekend, my father-in-law came to me and said, “If you and Louis were to join Mt. Zion, I would go there as well.” As many of you know, Louis’ dad is Jewish and therefore was not a church attender. This was exactly what I prayed for, and Louis and I went to Mt. Zion the very next morning and became members. Mt. Zion, you are our sending church, you are our family and a family to our family. You have baptized both of our babies, given our children their first communions, and you are helping us through reentry by offering to come alongside us through the Luther Year. Thank you for everything. Thank you for giving us a home to come back to!)
Redeemer Lutheran Church in Columbia, SC (Thank you for so boldly welcoming us into your church. Knowing that a family is only going to be around for 18 months can be off putting, but you have welcomed our kids and given us a place to belong for the near future. We cannot thank you enough for that. We truly are glad God sent us to your church as part of our reentry, and we appreciate you taking the responsibility of helping us all through culture shock and seminary onto your shoulders!)
St. John’s Lutheran Church in Glendale, AZ (Just as I said for Mt. Zion, your church was and is family to our family. When so many members from Concordia were looking for where to go when the church was closing, as many found you, you welcomed them not only with open arms and hearts but with a place for their passions, gifts, and talents. Coming to your church and seeing all of our dear friends and loved ones not only worshipping with you, but participating in their gifts of singing and giving and volunteering has been a joy to our hearts. Additionally, you take care of our longest time donors, you lift us up in prayer and invest in us intellectually and give us counsel when we need help thinking through the next step. You are the church that has seen me (Annie) transform from the shy, quiet, angry girl into a strong, bold, passionate woman. Thank you for standing beside us!)
St. Peter Lutheran Church in Mesa, AZ (Thank you for helping send us to Lebanon. It was a blessing to have a church close to my parents in Mesa to help send us as missionaries. Thank you for meeting with us and caring about the details and praying for us.)
Streams in the Desert Lutheran Church in Tucson, AZ (I often think of the funeral for Betty Waples. The whole church was packed, and it was the funeral you always hope for a Christian: a community of people coming together in joy for one of our own has gone on to sit with Jesus. As soon as Louis and I walked in the door Louis was put to work giving announcements and organizing. We weren’t members there, but we were a part of the church. This was years before we even left for Lebanon, before we started asking to speak. And Streams has always given with a generosity outstripping their resources. We always pray that God gives back to you a hundredfold. Thank you for standing with us for all these years.)
Tanque Verde Lutheran Church in Tucson, AZ (We filled your sanctuary with people for our wedding. Thank you for your help in making our wedding possible and so many other events. We thank you for being a place of community. A place where hundreds heard, saw, felt, and tasted the Lord’s presence in community through Via de Cristo and Tirosh. Thank you for your help and support and sharing your resources with all of Tucson.)
As I said before, there are more questions you may have, so please let us know. And if you want to give a one time donation, or start giving to us monthly, THANK YOU!!! Please CLICK HERE and select STAFF – Louis & Annie Liss.
Much like an astronaut coming back to Earth, missionary reentry is disorienting and challenging. That is the season in which we are currently living. We have moved across the world to a brand new state so that Louis can do professional development in order to hopefully find a church he can pastor in Tucson so that we can be closer to his parents in order to help them with their health as they get older. That sentence may be long and bulky, but it is an understatement for how much this transition is costing us. We are moving between worlds.
Our Own Health
To begin with, most people we have met with in discussing these major changes in our lives have asked if we will be receiving counseling services. The answer is a definite yes. We all need some help processing the traumas we have gone through over the last few years. We will be finding some counseling services and play therapy as well as attending several debriefs as pastors, parents, and for the kids. Additionally, we will be all seeing dentists, doctors, and finally getting outside. Our new apartment is surrounded by trees and directly behind us is a 1.5 mile walking path to a lake with a playground.
Finances
We have never been that good at keeping all of our supporters updated, and we are attempting to end well in this arena. The way that Louis and I set up reentry from Horizons’ side is to have Horizons continue to send us the money in our account for a year. Horizons is not, however, actually paying us. The money we are receiving continues to be from your support. As people stop supporting us during this year we will continue to receive less per month.
We ask that you prayerfully consider supporting us through this transitional year and not stop or decrease your giving. Louis and I will seek employment if our salary drops, but we are praying that this year can end well with homeschool and Louis’ current on call hours with his chaplaincy internship. We have been super blessed to find everything in our apartment used or donated to us. We had our kitchen table and chairs, glasses, and David’s mattress all given to us for free. Because we went the used truck route we have been able to pick up all of our furniture ourselves.
If you are thinking of lowering your giving amount because you feel God calling you to continue supporting Lebanon or refugees please consider supporting a different staff member in Horizons Lebanon or one of our refugees who has been resettled. If you are interested in this, please contact me.
Ministry Continues
Ministry hasn’t stopped since being back in the States. Louis and I are continuing to work in member care for Horizons. Louis has been in meetings at least three times a week with staff in Lebanon to continue to help them through the transition of losing us. Additionally, we are preparing to go to Michigan this summer for the Legacy conference. This is the conference where we originally began in Muslim ministry, and now Louis will be speaking there as well.
We are seeking a church here in Columbia now that we finally have an apartment. We are praying about ways to be involved in the community.
Our Trip to Columbia
We have continued to homeschool in this transition, and our road trip across the country included stops at the missions in Texas, the Alamo and San Jose. We went to the Houston Space Center, which was a huge deal for Kyrie who wants to be an astronaut when she grows up. One of our staff members in Lebanon who just moved to Germany to start working in disaster relief was a great connecting in South Carolina because her parents had moved here not so long ago. So we stayed with her parents until we found an apartment and even got to see Leigh for a visit between her own debriefs and move into new ministry.
Many of you have had your lives upturned in the past few years, so we know that it may come as a surprise to hear that the Liss family is in South Carolina and Louis is back in seminary.
Annie spent the past few days updating the blog to reflect the newsletters that have been sent out over the past few years, so rather than go back over all of those details we will give you a link to those highlights:
The Trial of Louis Getting a Visa to Continue Working in Lebanon: Part 1 and Part 2
These posts will probably fill in a lot of the details if you may have missed them as we have relied only on our email list rather than posting in the blog.
With so much going on the last 6 months, we never pressed Send on the last newsletter. I am currently working on that one, but here is the newsletter we meant to send in November:
Legacy and Abiding Today (November 6) David turned 9 years old, and today we concluded a counseling and member care conference that has been a huge effort of Louis for the time we have been in Lebanon.
June 2012 at 4 ½ months pregnant we went on our vision trip to Lebanon. Thus began our ministry in Lebanon. Returning to Arizona began a year and a half of growing, strengthening our marriage, and fundraising to prepare to leave for Lebanon.
November 2012 David was born and we were only %25 funded. God clearly wanted us to stay with our families for a time so they could know David.
November 2013 we had David’s 1st birthday and his baptism the same day and we left
May 2014 we attended our sending training and left for Lebanon with a 2-year term in mind.
Now it is November 2021. We have been doing ministry in Lebanon with all of your help for 9 years. We wanted it to be 10 years. We wanted it to be 30 years.
Now God is preparing us to return to the States, and it is such a blessing that Louis is being honored in this way. The words fail me. When we were in the States this summer many people in Lebanon checked in and asked when we were coming back. One of those people, Fatme, the leader of the School of Hope, asked that we come back to complete the counseling training we had begun prior to the revelation. The teachers desperately wanted to complete the training. And so we knew that it would be worth it for the small group to host one last retreat to teach the training and also have a graduation ceremony. Now I am sitting in a room full of people, many of whom I don’t even know. New people.
The training isn’t technically to train counselors, but we use the word because member care doesn’t make as much sense. And truly when a friend approaches us we seek to provide counsel for them. It is the job of every Christian to care for others. The training focuses on basics like learning to listen, to recognizing trauma reactions, and finding coping mechanisms. This training was fundamental in the immediate aftermath of the explosion here in Beirut. Every single person in Horizons had someone check on them, offer aid, and helping each other through a terrible trauma.
Hosting this training is a beautiful last push of ministry and is our way of leaving a legacy. I am so proud of Louis. Our ability to remain, to abide, to stay here in Lebanon, to stay with individuals through everything, has spoken volumes to people during our life here. It may feel like leaving, and it is. But also we are showing all of you back home our desire to live out life with our family, our brothers and sisters among you as well as those in Lebanon. For the 9 plus years you have all supported us, we have felt that there are truly no words to explain your importance, and now hopefully our move back to the States can share that with some of you.
As we end this retreat and turn our eyes toward home, we know that trauma will not remain here in Lebanon. We have always been able to build a safe space for trauma survivors to share and process their trauma. We know we will continue to care for people like this in the States.
We are selling everything again. We are leaving our home to travel across the ocean. We are going on yet another mission trip, this time to the States. Like the demoniac that many of you have heard Louis preach on, we are being told by Jesus to go back home. Now we must rebuild home. I learned to be a mom in Lebanon, I learned to cook and clean here. In America even using a stove to make the things I am used to making will be a brand-new challenge. We are going to a country that is frightening and broken, just as it felt when we came to the Middle East. We need your prayers, and we need to strengthen ourselves for the journey. We will continue to work in Member Care with Horizons and as we transition we will see what that looks like.
There is no easy way to say this, but our time in Lebanon has ended.
Over a decade Louis and I have been with Horizons International. We were the first missionaries they sent out. Prior to us leaving for Lebanon Horizons had inherited missionaries already on the field searching for community. We created a place in missions for families and sensitive people to serve. We created an internship program and Louis wrote a Middle Eastern trauma counseling curriculum. We discipled up young men and women to become leaders of ministries. We worked with the poor and the rich, the Lebanese, the Armenians, the Kurds, the Syrians, the Filipinos, and the Africans in Lebanon. We brought thousands of people through teams and internships and visits. We worked ourselves out of multiple jobs: youth leader, housing coordinator, teams coordinator, language school coordinator, and training coordinator.
We have had the best of times and the worst of times here in Lebanon. This is our home and our life.
And that season of living here in Lebanon has ended.        God has called us through many different means back to the States. One of the best witnesses to the Lebanese was for us to leave our families, our worlds behind in the States, to sell everything and move across the globe to them. The biggest thing standing in the way of Lebanese missionaries running after God’s calling is their parents and the strong need to take care of them first. We followed God’s call in coming to Beirut, and now as an additional witness to the Lebanese people, we must follow God back across the ocean to show God’s love for families. God does indeed want our love for him to look like hatred for our families, and God also calls us to care for our families. That paradox can only be resolved by listening to God and obeying his every word. So, the people here will stand with us as we return with this goal of caring for our parents.
               Secondly, Louis and I have felt called to lean into the calling of pastor on Louis’ life. Over the years much has happened to allow Louis to pastor churches in various stages. To come to Lebanon we had to say goodbye to church homes all over Arizona. To have that love and community at multiple churches was an enormous blessing. To have Chayah, and Tirosh, and Via de Cristo communities at our back made coming to Lebanon so much smoother. And here in Lebanon we have attended a Lebanese church and pastored a multi-national house help church. We are praying that God performs a miracle and brings a Lebanese pastor to care for this church when we leave. Looking forward, we have been in conversation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Grand Canyon Synod to determine how Louis can return to the States and be ordained so that we can accept a call in Tucson, AZ to be near Louis’ parents. This past summer we spent four months in Arizona and South Carolina going from door to door expecting it to be closed to find God opening it wide.
        So, this coming January, our family will be moving to South Carolina for a year for Louis to complete his Luther year in seminary. This will also provide some much needed space for debrief and reentry. Many of our supporters have been asking and encouraging us to get family counseling and a retreat. Upon arriving in South Carolina we will be attending a reentry debrief and receiving counseling as a family. We will be attending a debrief program for the whole family in Michigan in March or April. South Carolina will give us a chance to go through reverse culture shock and make new rhythms for our family in our passport country.
         Louis and I are not leaving Horizons. We are only leaving Lebanon. In South Carolina already is the member care staff member for Horizons outside of Beirut, so we will be working with her to find ways to continue member care in Lebanon and also to join with her in providing member care for Horizons staff outside of Lebanon. Additionally, in July, Louis will be teaching at the Legacy conference in Michigan, a conference designed to teach people how to engage with Muslims and to bring people working with this people group together for fellowship and care. Your continued donations will continue to make up our salary. We will continue to receive your donations through Horizons for at least a year upon returning to America.
Soon Annie will reunite with Louis and the kids, but not in Lebanon.
In discussions over the past few months, the future has been a constantly changing ocean of options.
As we have slowly determined our priorities, we are really hoping for the kids to return to school in person in Lebanon this Fall. So, instead of planning a trip during the Winter which might interfere with the kids’ school we decided to bring them back to the States for a much needed Summer Vacation! Please be praying for Louis as he packs and brings both kids on his own this next week to Arizona to meet Annie. David, Kyrie Rebekah, and Louis have received negative results on their PCR tests, so they are set to fly! Praise the Lord!
Our Lighthouse   Over the past few years a family song has been My Lighthouse, by the band Rend Collective. The words remind us that no matter the storms that come our way, God is our guiding light. With Jesus holding our hands we can overcome any storm. Lebanon has been buffeted by the winds of protests and revolution, the waves of economic depression, and our port even exploded. Truly none of these are past events even now. The Lebanese lira continues to fall, the people are preparing for more protests this summer as it heats up literally and metaphorically with tempers flaring. Apprehension and anxiety can be felt tangibly in the humid air since Israel and Palestine’s 11 day war has barely reached a cease fire in May. It has been a challenging time to face as a family with two small children.Â
   The time Annie has spent with supporters in meals with people, Bible Studies, and speaking at churches has been a good time to share some of our ideas for the future. Since Louis will soon be here, we can extend the invitation to meet with us even further. Please be praying for God to shine even more light on the path ahead of us.
Praises Annie has been spending time with family and friends, attended and spoke at a wedding, and was able to get vaccinated! Louis will also get vaccinated when he arrives in America.Â
Kyrie was given the chance to actually attend school in person for 2 days this week before she flies to the States! She has been praying to see her friends in person again for so long! We are so glad she was given this chance before flying back to Arizona. Next year will be Kyrie’s first grade year!
David’s hair has just kept growing! I think he wants to look like his daddy used to look. He will be going into 3rd grade next year! David has been an excellent helper to Louis with Annie in the States. In addition to his daily chore of taking out the trash he has called Annie to learn how to wash and dry the laundry by himself and has been teaching Kyrie to do the dishes with him!
We are honored that you walk this path with us in prayer and financial support. We are walking the path forward in faith that God will give us assurance of our steps as we go. As we enter this summer, we are eager to see what God will say and do in our lives and the lives of our children.
Lisses To Lebanon 