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We deeply thank God for His great blessings as we strive to preach and publish His message of the Kingdom of God to the United States, Canada and the entire world. Please continue your diligent prayers for the success of Beyond Today and all our global media endeavors.

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One of these is this weekend I learned it’s important to have friends who have friends who have cars in the foreign country you happen to have moved to for the year. Because on that weekend, I ended up being in three different countries at once, as well as the highest point in the Netherlands, AND willingly let myself get lost (in a labyrinth no less)

Beat that Mandy Moore in “A Walk To Remember!”  (You know, this scene  Now I totally want to watch it again)

But never mind that.

Since this event happened about three weeks ago and I have so much to study and read, I can’t possibly give you the play-by-play of that day. Luckily for you, I had my trusty camera on hand to document the proceedings.

1. Meet the companions for this journey:

Companions that keep asking you to take pictures and love getting lost, Awesome

2. Some sightseeing in town before heading out to the maze

A part of the old wall of the city of Maastricht

3. Sight from the road

Organization isn't even the right word to describe this

4. We are there

Shot for the sole purpose of this blog post

5. The essential welcoming sign

Signs in Three Languages: Feels like Lebanon all over again

6. Trying to be Dutch

So apparently this was everything that's Dutch in one place. Hmm?

7. More signs

Never been closer to a border in my whole life

8. Diagram of the maze- I mean who willingly wants to get lost? Oh, us…

Shot for the sole purpose of using it as guidance in case we couldn't get out

9. Obstacles in the maze

She managed quite well

10. From a bridge

Yup, I have no idea what this all means either

11. Some fun times

That gargoyle was really friendly, I don't blame Ruth

12. Go that way, no go this way

Clearly we were lost. Clearly we weren't going to admit it

13. Shot from the other bridge

At this point, I had given up wondering where we were and instead focused on how much they spend on upkeep

14. Water water everywhere

Forget about water scarcity- that doesn't even exist! (That was a joke, Environmental people!)

15. A reward for finishing the maze

Sprite: Drink of the Champions (or those who just gave up and found the nearest exist as fast as they could)

16. At the highest point of the Netherlands

Look mom: No oxygen masks! At about 320 meters above sea level

17. Group picture in 3 places at once

High five for the first completely surreal experience of being in NL

18. More being in 3 places at once- Resisting the temptation to speak in three languages at once

Trying to hold that pose: not the easiest thing imaginable

19. Wave your flag proudly

No Lebanese flag, this was the next best thing available

20. Most annoying thing in the world!

No matter where we went, he was still in earshot, driving me to think of all the possible ways he could be silenced

21. Alex’s Anything-Goes Pasta sauce to end the adventure (or at least the sightseeing part of it)

Rest assured, my Italian flatmate approved it- so it was good though probably not the way her grandma makes it.

But, on my four week mark (time flies when you’re buried under piles of assigned literature) in NL, something that I sort of knew from the beginning has finally materialized into a full post with pictures!  

An adventure is only as good as the people you share it with…

It might also be the effect of some residual cold medication in my system making me slightly delusional and believing I can write something on no breakfast.

To begin things,  this week kicked off with meeting the long-awaited missing roommate, putting my long weeks of worrying about whether or not I would like these strangers fate randomly decided to pair me up with, to an end.

For your information, we are getting along perfectly- now if only we could just all sit in the same room as a camera so I can illustrate my point clearly.

That kitchen is way too small to have three people in it, and yet somehow, it did.

Yeah, they were both cooking dinner here, and I, of course, was taking pictures. But don’t be mad at me for not helping, I did make an excellent steak with pepper sauce and rice for lunch! 

Speaking of cooking. It is amazing what a home-cooked meal, even one for which you looked up the recipe for on Google only minutes before, can do. In my case, it brings the friends over and makes sure they don’t leave. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I really can cook (follow instructions) well or that Lebanese sense of hospitality, but it’s little things like that which keep me constantly happy.

The day I made Sloppy Joe's for everyone. Reactions included: You put Subway to shame (or something like that)

As a completely quasi-relevant point: going to the supermarket also makes me constantly happy. Wanna know why? Because every time I go, I discover a least one item that reminds me of home and the wonder that is Lebanese food. 

Hummus in the Lowlands! I wonder if we still have some... *Raids the fridge* Note: next to the hummus is my bag of Zaatar imported all the way from Lebanon.

There have been numerous times that an outing ended up with walking back home, particularly after watching Milan tie with Barcelona at the very last minute or after watching a 10 year-old movie in the chilly open air. And let’s be very clear on this- I live about 40 minutes away from the city center- our usual meeting point. And I hate walking.

My fears of doing so in the dead of the night in the empty streets aside, there are always some sort of  important discussions that goes on. Oh and that one time when one of our neighbors was blasting Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters at 1 in the morning.

Scary as walking back home at night is, it's still nothing compared to this scene out of a horror film

That, by the way, is Musketruwe, where the majority of the fun, adventurous people live. Since starting classes, we have not been able to meet as often as we used to- also factored in is the fact that they live right on the Belgian border, about 45 minutes by bus from here.

Belgium: not even at a distance

I’ve realized that this particular group, other than never passing up an opportunity to have a good time, also makes up a micro-representation of the United Nations. Not one nationality is replicated. Which is why if I ever get in touch with the UN’s Secretary General, I am going to suggest he lock us all up in some fancy hotel, throw in some really good food and access to Youtube, and just give us some time: all the world’s problems will be solved.

Just call me Delegate of Lebanon-prior MUN experience kicking in.

Yes, even though I wrote that last sentence very jokingly, I truly, in my heart of hearts, believe that achieving world peace is possible by a group of 20-something masters’ students.

Don’t you agree, Sam?

Exhibit A 

Oh well, even the most invested 20-something masters’ student gets caught on camera with his/her mouth open.

I think I just completely forgot the whole point of this post…

Ah yes, world peace can be achieved. You just have to come to Maastricht to find it within a group of people who make every outing, or even a lazy night at home, something worth documenting.

One moment, I was telling Rohan about how much it sucked that I would not be spending Eid- the 3 day celebration of the end of the holy month of Ramadan- with my family, the next about 15 people were in my apartment, loaded with snacks, smiles and wonderful happy spirits, laughing and eating till they could no more.

A lot of people and a lot of food in my living room- highly unfamiliar

And also, Mostafa brought over his guitar- and hilarity ensured when he and Sam started making up songs about cookies and the like.

The next Lennon/McCartney

For many, it was the first Eid they had ever spent. For me, it was probably the best.

Back home, the typical celebration consists of wearing new clothes and going to visit some relatives, getting some money and eating an infinite amout of ma’amoul and chocolate.

There was no ma’amoul here- and I don’t have an oven or quite know how to make them- but Caroline did bring over some delicious brownies, which we are till this day certain she spiked with some ingredient, like pure happiness- because that’s what they wear: pure happy brownies.

Super happiness brownies

And there was an endless amount of chips, cakes, deserts, and juices that everyone brought over. I am still flattered by their generosity.

More and more food

But the main component of the whole celebration?

The dancing of course.

Because no party-or celebration like I was calling it-that has people from the Arab world involved can go by without some of that action.

Once again, it started off innocently. Somewhere between making sure people were eating and de-cluttering, some Arabic music was put on and Lina was belly dancing- only to be joined by Mostafa, as the picture below demonstrates.

There you go!

Then, I just had to join in.

See, proof does exist of this

Also introduced: the dabkeh- which I’m ashamed to say, am really bad at, let alone teaching it to people.

Needless to say, the guys brought South Park into the equation, and it became Kick the Baby- and I’m sure they are never going to let me forget that.

You can't see it here but I was shooting them plenty of disapproving looks

Then we moved onto the Indian culture, watching a video that is too funny to describe, I just have to post here. Once again, it is important to note that I am such a bad dancer, I was at least two steps behind everyone. 

But by the end of the evening, it didn’t matter that a lot of the food remained untouched or that photos of me being less than good at something that is supposed to be integrated within my cultural habits exist, all that mattered was that all these unique individuals had come together to form this strange, but good strange, and universal family and celebrate a holiday that may have not been important to all of them, as though it were there own.

My Maastricht Familia: A true UN representation- Thank you so much everyone!

Which is why when Alex invited us over to her place for a Greek-themed dinner, I quickly set aside my hesitations about the kind of food that would be served- because I’m annoying like that- and clicked attending.

We were only up on the second floor. No, I'm not kidding

Since travelling to Rhodes about two years ago, Greek food has become an instant favorite of mine.

And to have a homecooked meal after such a while was a welcome change.

Like I mentioned earlier, we master students seem to get happy about everything. And once we were all gathered together, and the drinks started flowing, the cameras came out to record the fact that we had become such good friends in so little time.

On Facebook, this was captioned "Can you believe we only met the week before?" The right answer would be no!

You see, Alex also lives in the guesthouse- a fancy word for the university managed accommodation- but her apartment is very different from mine. She has a terrace and a flat screen TV, just to mention a few. But that doesn’t mean I love my place any less now.

That terrace was particularly important for us for taking pictures, and judging from the way they all turned out, we really have questioned many, many times if we are masters students or going through a phase of arrested development.

It was raining that day, but as usual, that didn’t stop us from having a great time and cracking jokes and every and anything. Like the fact that our friend Mihai had a professional camera with him that had a sort of remote- and we kept yelling for someone to push the button. Ah, fun stuff.

At this point, my face had hurt from smiling and I didn't want to be in the pictures. Also, only one person is looking at the actual camera

I feel like I’m missing out on something here. Oh yes! The food!

I can only say YUMMM!

First of all, it wouldn’t be a Greek meal without the Greek salad complete with Feta cheese and olive oil. There was also potato salad, taztziki (garlic flavored yogurt with cucumbers) and fried zucchini and meatballs. And I must say, I ate them up like I had never eaten in my life.

The YUMMM continues!

Of course, this only means that now I have to do a much better job on my Lebanese night. and let’s say this is going to be a challenge for me, seeing that I’ve cooked a total of 5 meals in my life.

In the words of Barney Stinson: Challenge Accepted!

Like a trip to IKEA.

Hello there, old friend

For me, going to IKEA is practically a family tradition. I’m not sure when my first trip there was, but I’m pretty sure it was before I could start forming memories. And as a kid, I completely hate the store because it involved so much walking. But as I got older and started paying attention, I would actually get excited and buy more stuff than my mother.

Have I mentioned that we still, to this day do not have an IKEA in Lebanon, and that I do all this shopping in Saudi Arabia?

So naturally I was beyond excited when the group decided to hop on the train to Herleen, about 20 minutes away from Maastricht, and spend the day there.

Despite the company and the quaint scenery, I have decided I hate trains.  For me, they move far too slow! But still, the trip was made bearable by the discovery that this part of the flatlands actually had hills and the realization that half the train was full of overly eager masters students, who alone, would make IKEA’s business run for a year.

Yes, I don't believe it either

There, we split up, agreeing to meet an hour and a half later at the cafeteria.

Note: no visit to IKEA is complete without stopping by the cafeteria. 

To say I was like a kid in a candy store would be an understatement. Though I only really needed a pillow and a bath mat, I ended up stuffing my cart with far too much stuff that I presume I will need during this year here.

If you’re an IKEAholic, like me, you would understand this feeling too well,

But if you’re not, well first that’s too sad. 

No, no just kidding.

There’s something about that store, despite its lack of windows and warehouse appearace that just draws you to buying and buying.

Maybe its the way everything is set up or the wide variety and choices.

By the time we met up for lunch, I still hadn’t finished my shopping. The break was welcome, as I treated myself out to some schinzel with frizes, as well as a slice of chocolate cake. I also discovered, that unlike Lebanon, where you can take as much packets of mayo and ketchip as your hands can carry, here they charge you for each pack. Mustard, however, is free and the Lebanese philosophy might apply.

They were really enjoying their meals, don't be fooled

The trip ended with about two huge bags of stuff, including but not limited to a trash bin- and please don’t ask me how I made it home. But fortuantly, the guys in our group are true gentlemen and I only had to carry one of the two until I got back home.

Honestly, only two of those bags were mine!

So the master students went home with their shiny new stuff in the big bright blue bags.

This particular student, on the other hand, just set her stuff down and fell asleep on her couch before putting everything in their right places.

Well at least I think they’re in the right places.

And she has to go back soon for the rest of the stuff she couldn’t bring back this time.

Happy Master Students!

You see, after meeting Rohan in Markt for a cup of coffee- even though I had a mug in the morning, due to the absence of powdered milk in this country, my coffee just doesn’t taste the same- we headed a bit further to join the rest of the guys for the day’s activities- which included a breakfast of eggs and bacon, the INFOfestival and the MoaseMaster.

Though we barely found any food at the breakfast, the moment we headed inside the INFOfestival, it was collecting one flier after the other- as well as pens, water bottles, snacks, and even free ice-cream. On the topic of free stuff, we also got free access to the public library just because we’re students.

So who said you can’t enjoy the finer things in life if you’re willingly putting yourself through more school?

I make such an excellent freeloader. When I saw this, the first thing I asked was "Is this free?"

Just to note: the INFOfestival was actually all about the different clubs and organizations which you could join, and unlike my first impression, there are a lot of these associations which are not about drinking, partying, and going all crazy all the time. In fact, some directly catered to my interests, like the UNICEF branch at the university and the green office- which deals with issues of sustainability and such within the campus. So, now I’m looking forward to receiving further information and seeing if I will actually join.

Lots of people makes it impossible for me to get a decent shot

We then headed to the MoaseMaster, set near the Student Services Center in the city center, where all the masters students gathered to hear about several opportunities for them after graduation. Seeing that every day I fall in love a little more with this city, I wanted to see if it would be possible to stay. But after attending the presentation by the only company I felt was interesting, Rohan and I left to pick up the freezer, as the girl who was giving it away lives very close to me.

Here’s a bit of context about this incident: all of us staying in the guesthouses do not have freezers, which makes it impossible to buy quantities of meat or frozen vegetables or even worse: ice cream! So when Rohan saw a post on our Facebook group about a free freezer, he quickly jumped to the opportunity.

Passing the torch or the freezer- whichever works

So like I said in my introduction, I am now the proud co-owner of a freezer. At least, in my head.

Freeloading day, of course, included a free dinner. This time, it was a BBQ in the park with our INKOM groups. At first, I was being a bit bitchy about the food, because I was unsure what was pork and what wasn’t, I eventually relented and had the hamburger and the super spicy chicken-which sort of looked like shish taouk, but that’s where the differences stopped.

The INKOM group at the BBQ

Following that, was the cultural valley in the nearby section of the park, but after failing to see where the culture was, I headed back home and attempted to blog to not much success but still smiling at how my first Freeloaders day went.

So second day of INKOM was probably my favorite of all of them.

After skipping the first event about being an international student in Maastricht, I headed to the local stadium for the UM Sports exhibition, where all the sporting associations related to the university were trying to recruit new members.

Yes, I too wondered what I was doing there at first

Yes, did you notice what I just said there? The girl whose only relation to sports is watching FC Barcelona matches when she remembers they’re on or if some major sporting event is happening went to a thing all about sports. 

And I had a pretty good time-once we managed to get there, as we missed two buses- watching my INKOM groupmates trying out all sorts of games that were spread around the field, while I just made up excuses, like I’m afraid of heights, so I wouldn’t make a fool out of myself while rock climbing.

I did however do one thing out of my comfort zone, apart from playing frisbee with Mostafa and some other guys from the group for at least half an hour.

I rode the mechanical bull.

See, there exists pictures of this. I wasn't lying to you!

FOR 36 SECONDS! AND I got high-fived by everyone standing there, including the big hunky rugby guys.

This was directly followed by IndepenDANCE, where DJs are supposed to play a combination of Latin, Arabic, and Balkan music and everyone’s supposed to dance, but I missed that one because I had to head back home to change into something more suitable for a fancy dinner for master students.

Now, I’ve had dinner in a wide range of places over the years, but nothing except this one came close to the feeling of eating at Hogwarts- please, if you don’t know what Hogwarts is, go look it up before you read my blog any further. You see, the dinner was set in the St. Jan Church right on the Vrijthof, but because I was being very Lebanese and arrived about an hour and a half later, I have zero knowledge about it’s history.

Told you so!

Oh well! There’s Wikipedia for that.

Exterior of the Saint Jan Church

The dinner had a Spanish theme to it, because as I understand, it was also a promotion for a Spanish festival that is set to take place in Maastricht in September. So a bunch of guys dressed up as minstrels, with their guitars, were singing all night long, while the food was mostly tapas and paella. Wine was also served, but there’s not much I can tell you about that area.

Once we were done eating, we went out to the street, where the musicians were, and had them play some music for us as we danced together right in the middle of the street, being bothered by cars that passed by.

Fun Fun Fun Times

The night still wasn’t done- I told you, this was my favorite day so it can’t just be about food- as we were all invited to go watch an improv comedy show called Boom Chicago in the theater. So after a quick drink, that was our destination.

Here’s a bit about Boom Chicago: they’re an improv group founded in Amsterdam in 1993, and while they also do sketches, their shows depend on the audience shouting things in response to certain questions, so essentially, no two shows are ever the same. They also tend to focus on certain themes: the show we watched was about social media, which completely cracked us up: Facebook being the reason we met and all.

Still laughing every time I remember this show

As well as making fun of weirdly named Dutch products, the effect of social media on people’s lives, and relationships, they asked us to shout out any animal of which the male character would complement the female character, so Rohan and I shouted out Hippo, to be met by a lot of laughter and weird looks. The cast did  a great job incorporating it into the show and by the time the show ended, we were laughing so hard, and hoping we’d catch one of their shows very soon.

And on the first day of INKOM, the orientation week for all incoming freshmen and master students, I walked till I could no more. I think it’s like some sort of cruel punishment for the fact that I’ve been lazy all summer long.

The first stop in the very long day was the Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Life Sciences to register for INKOM. It is also where I will be studying, so it was nice to walk there to get a feel of the route and time myself.

Once I got there, the first thing I saw were people dressed in different colors, holding different flags that represented student associations, very loud pop and dance music, and whole load of beer. Did I mention this was at 11 am?

For someone like me, who doesn’t drink, and isn’t used to being around people who do, the smell of beer is very bothersome, though here it lingers like it was a scent of perfume. Well, what else did I expect from an event where the main sponsor is Heinkien?

A sight that would rarely, if ever be seen, in the Paris of the Middle East

But I couldn’t really explore much here because I had to meet up with the usual crew and queue to register. And what a queue it was! T0 say we waited for 45 minutes was an understatement. And no one was pushing, shoving, or cutting in line like we are so used to in Lebanon. No, they were standing there patiently waiting. At least the company was awesome.

The Usual Suspects

Then after signing and being divided into groups, we met up with our mentors who would guide us for the rest of the week. Having been an orientation guide just last year, I didn’t really take a liking to the two guys that were assigned for my group at first, and instead of socializing I preferred to look around and chat with Jelle and Mostafa who were also with me.

Once again we waited until the mentors directed us to the little field outside of the faculty where we sat and played a little introduction game, which to me seemed a bit pointless. At least the swag bag we got was pretty cool, with a lot of fliers, discounts, gum, and even a kitchen utensil from IKEA.

These people just kept dancing the whole time

Then, the highlight of the day- and also the reason I’m still so exhausted even though it’s Friday- begun: the parade. You see, the FHML campus in one side of the river, while the city center, which has the Vrijthof and the Markt, are on the other- and that’s where we were going. So we were directed to stand in between two big trucks, which had students from different associations, and we started walking to the sounds of various music. Here’s a note: in the Netherlands, the taste of music seems to be the exact same thing as that of Lebanon.

And once we got to the Markt, after about 45 minutes, there was this huge festival, with a live band and all sorts of associations. They were also serving free vlaai, which is if you’ve been to my blog before, a traditional cherry pie they make in this part of NL. And it was fantastic!

Nothing like some delicious vlaai

Although the scene was nice, the crew decided to go back to their dorms in Musketruwe, which is right on the edge of the city, and because they’ve been inviting me there for a while now, I went along with them so as not to disappoint.

I still stand by my opinion that I have the coolest apartment- which is in dire need of vacuuming now that I think about it…

You can see Belgium from here- nope, not as cool

Then we all came back to the city for the pub crawl and the subsequent MECC party, except because I was so exhausted and in no mood to smell alcohol all around me, I ended up sharing a pleasant meal with Mostafa at MacDonalds before we took the bus back to our street. Except we had to get lost and use the GPS only to discover we were at the street behind ours.

This getting lost thing seems to be a trend of mine lately. Note to self: always consult with a map before leaving home.

Turns out, I was very wrong.

Although my second day here was rainy and horrible, it was quite active and fulfilling.

The first half was spent with Omer from Turkey and Martin from Bulgaria by opening Dutch bank accounts, going to the university, and looking on while the guys searched for some bikes.

Side note: I cannot ride a bike to save my life, as proven by the fact that when I was brave enough to get on one, I  had to use the wall for support. Whether or not I will eventually learn thanks to all my lovely and well-meaning friends is yet to be determined.

Omer looking for a bike: compared to me, he's quite the expert

We then met with Rohan from India and Laura from Romania for a very good lunch at KFC even though we were soaking wet and I didn’t have a jacket on me. But that was solved by a quick run to the nearest store.

And to this day, the guys are still in disbelief that this trip took exactly 10 minutes.

Then it was time to get home and unpack, before getting ready for the Maastermeeting- an event we have been planing on Facebook for about a month.  So I hopped on the bus, holding my brand new shiny bus card, from the point where I had stopped that morning. That should have been my first sign that something was wrong.

The bus kept moving straight ahead, into areas of Maastricht that I had not seen before, and yet I kept saying to myself that he would turn back at the next stop. But he didn’t.

About 20 minutes later, it came to a complete stop and that’s when I realized I was the only one on the bus. The driver started to tell me something in Dutch, but I quickly responded that I don’t know any! So he was very kind and explained that the bus doesn’t turn back, showed me on the map just how far I’d gone, and let me stay on till my stop without charging me. So for further assurance, I took out my trusty map and traced out the road.

I'm so lost here I take pictures of maps from my PC

It’s safe to say that I now ask every driver if they’re headed my way. Especially if I’m staying out late.

Two hours after that, I had unpacked, ate, and met one of my two roomates, Ruth, from the German-speaking part of Italy who coincidentally is in my same program. Let’s just say, I have a feeling this is going to be a great year. And I completely love where I’m staying.

When I finally managed to unpack. As you can see, that's a lot of pictures for one room

The next part of the day was the Maastermeeting- no that’s not a typo, as in Maas for Maastricht- so Ruth, Caroline, and Mostafa from Egypt- who also happens to be my neighbor, went to the city center. And because it seems the standard here, we walked, walked, walked till we got the place where we were all meeting.

And to think I was planning on being lazy- no, just kidding.

There, it was lovely finally meeting people I had often spent my evenings talking to, and I realized that even though I had moved to a completely different city where I knew no one, it felt completely welcoming and I did not at all feel homesick like I did on the my first night there.

I think we have a hard time explaining to people we're all masters students.

Also, I discovered was still the girl who took pictures of everyone and uploaded them on Facebook the next day.

And how the Dutch keep their windows open at night .

Smart thinking in action

I guess some things just never change.

Viewer Response to Beyond Today Nears 50,000

Beyond Today program “The Church Jesus Built” hosted by Steve Myers which aired on Sunday, August 14, 2011, posted the second highest response out of the six programs that have aired since adding four new stations beginning July 10, 2011. Including response from these stations and WGN America, this episode produced 1,071 responses at $15.41 cost per response.

The highest responding program during that same six week period was repeat episode “Get to Know Your Bible,” hosted by Darris McNeely. This program which aired on July 24, 2011, attracted 1,078 responses at $15.31 cost per response (CPR).

Viewer response from the four new stations in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle has not as yet caught on. Response from these stations during their first six weeks totaled 359—less than we would like. Of course, we will carefully monitor future results. Hopefully as more people become familiar with our programs over the next several weeks we will see an increase in response. Nevertheless, considering the overall effectiveness of all stations airing Beyond Today, our grand total response for the past 58 weeks stands at 49,157 at a very favorable cost per response of $14.71.

As always, we deeply appreciate your diligent prayers for the success of Beyond Today and all our media efforts.

Peter Eddington—Operation Manager, Media and Communications Services

You see, after I got admitted to the university way back in January, I liked the university’s page on Facebook, and one thing lead to another, and suddenly there was a group for the incoming masters students. And it was with a large number of those people with whom I spent my first full day in this exciting place.

Although the day started off as very cloudy, the sun came out just when Caroline, of CaroinMaas, came over and we went out to the bus stop to go to the city center. We also knew that some people on the Facebook group had decided to meet so  we informed them that we’d be joining them.

And thus began what I will call the ” Forever Walking” period of my life.

After taking the bus for the second time in my life- even though I’m no stranger to public transport- I was able to see where I will be studying or the next year for the very first time not on the pictures. And I loved how it all looked! But more of that later.

Waiting for the bus at the stop near the apartment

We stopped at the Maastricht Central Station and started walking towards the Vrijthof to meet the others, but it wasn’t long before we found them standing in the middle of the road trying to decide where to eat. And it was an incredible mix of people from different nationalities, cultures, and personalities, all coming together to do their master degrees in one city. It’s safe to say that we hit it off instantly, as we started walking (again) towards a place that we all could agree on.

This instantly became my happy place

And that walk involved going up the Saint Sevaarsbrug, a bridge that connects the two parts of the city, which have been separated by the Maas River, after which the city is named. I was so fascinated by this, I took picture after picture- mostly of people randomly walking, and also some of the Dutch architecture.

I would like to add, before I go any further, that I am absolutely taken by the buildings here. Well they’re not buildings per se, just really small houses in which people’s lives are fitted, like little boxes and compartments.

Moving on. We finally decided on a little bistro by the Maas, and when we sat down and ordered I discovered something that Environmental Health me loves: if you order tap water at the restaurant, it’s free. And seeing how clean tap water is in the Netherlands- yeah just like in Beirut- you tend to forget bottled water even exists. Well unless you’re me, and you keep an empty bottle in your apartment which you keep filling up so you won’t have to use cups- but I digress.

After the lunch, where I had a delightful goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and rocca sandwich, we headed to the park. And that’s where I started snapping so many pictures, the guys in our group confirmed their theory about me being some sort of a digital queen. Also some jokes were thrown around about us not being tourists but rather explorers, or something.

The park is lovely. For reasons I don’t understand though, there are cannons right at the entrance to it, but that also maybe has to do with the fact that there’s an old fortress right next to it. Then, after what seemed like an endless walk, we finally got to the adjacent zoo- Did I mention we sort of took the wrong way, which is why we walked so much? Because we did.

Somehow this doesn't go with the laid back approach mentality I had of people in NL

This part of the park is seriously lacking in animals but is filled with sculptures, one of which is dedicated to a dude from the Three Musketeers, who according to one of my friends, obviously had some sort of modern technology for his hair. Why that statue is there, is beyond me, I wasn’t listening when they said so.

Protecting people from the bad guys in the 18th Century required excellent hair

And there’s also this.

Still trying to understand this. It's been 3 days.

Strange, sad, and just really odd. It’s like a reminder of all the animals that have gone extinct. Although I doubt giraffes have, or if they are really present in the Netherlands. The group was so baffled by this, that we stayed there for about 5 minutes cracking jokes and trying to come to an understanding.

From there, we headed towards the Markt and the Vrijtohf, where the prettiest cafes, the cheap fast food shops and carts- in fact the McDonalds in Vrijtohf has become a standard meeting place- and all the big name shosps are. There’s also a big shopping center with what has to be like the 4th H&M store I saw in that area. This whole location is cobblestone, so you can walk freely without being hit by car- oh wait, there are bicycles. Never mind!

This is what I call drinking in moderation

Our group dwindled to nearly five by then and we sat in a cafe for some drinks and also because it was starting to rain- again. My standard order, a 7Up, came like this.

On the other hand, my friend Xanthi ordered something like orange juice, and it was the most unfortunate name I have ever seen.

Could someone please connect me to their marketing department?

Oh well, what can you do?

But that still wasn’t the end of the day…

But enough about the weather.

To be honest, this was the very first time I’ve traveled solo, and I was a bit nervous I would not know how to manage- even though if there’s one thing I’ve been doing since birth, it’s boarding airplanes. But it all worked out with a few smiles and a lot of apologetic looks to the people I may have hit accidentally while getting on that tiny little thing they called an airplane.

And it had no in-flight movie or special feature or anything! Just this little indicator that tells you where the plane is flying over. Which was okay for me – for the first 20 minutes- then I got bored and attempted to watch The Big Bang Theory on my 3rd generation iPod nano without draining the battery- which much luck of course.

A very good meal indeed

But on the upside, the breakfast they served was pretty good- even though I normally hate eggs- and there were no crying children and nervous mothers on either of the planes I took. The indicator was super accurate and once we started nearing the ground, it showed images, which was good for me  when I was stuck in the aisle seat.

The plane direction thingy. Yes, I should work on my shooting!

Clearing customs in the Prague was a disaster because of the large amount of people waiting and yet, the employees were working as slowly as possible- as if air travel was not frustrating enough in this day and age. And then there was the fact that there are no customs in Amsterdam, which completely baffled me to an extent that I had to ask a nearby security woman if I had missed it.

Still, I was very happy. My bags were the first to arrive- even the extra one that managed to get on the plane- and the university’s pickup service were right there to meet me and help me on the second part of my journey: the trains.

You don’t need to be a rock scientist to figure out how to take a train all the way from Amsterdam to Maastricht, but you also shouldn’t have two bags, a backpack, and a purse all while looking horribly confused without  a semblance of understanding the language. Which was exactly my case.

It was all very exciting for the first 30 minutes- then I got bored and started looking at people

I managed, and by managed I mean tried super hard, to get everything on the train from Amsterdam to Utrecht, and when I finally settled, I could enjoy the beautiful organization and scenery along the way.

Then in Utrecht, I had to change trains and apparently, you must pay extra attention to sit in the front of the train as it splits into two parts along the way: the front goes to Maastricht and the back to Herleen. This train was also super crowded and I had to sit next to one old woman who did not particularly like the fact that I had so much luggage.

She was not the only one though. Every time the train would stop at a station and new passengers would come, I would get disapproving or quiziccal looks- not very nice Dutch people.

And also, here, I really needed the Lebanese hospitality sense: that someone would see you in distress and help you out by at least carrying your bags up the train. But no, there’s none of that here or if there is, I haven’t seen it.

But it all passed, and once again, the pickup service people were right on time, waiting for me with a taxi that would take me to pick up my apartment keys and pay for them and take me all the way across the river where I would be staying for the coming year. An interesting ride indeed.

Now for the most important part. Where I’m living is nothing compared to Beirut. It’s quiet, green, and excellent for just randomly walking around- also there’s a supermarket nearby which I directly went to because there was nothing in the apartment except for some random stuff but not food.

My first Dutch sunset, view from my room. At about 9 PM

Despite all of this, I couldn’t sleep and spent the night discovering the joys of watching youtube without having to pause a single minute and trying to look forward to the incredible adventure!

Gary Petty, Steve Myers and Darris McNeely recorded three new Beyond Today television programs for the United Church of God on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

Steve Myers, Darris McNeely and Gary Petty on the Beyond Today set.

Topics covered were as follows:

The Ten Commandments was hosted by Steve Myers, offering our Ten Commandments booklet. This booklet is one of our top online requests.

Imagine if you chose not to follow the law. What would happen if you decided you didn’t have to obey the road signs? If you thought normal rush hour traffic was bad, imagine what ignoring the traffic laws would bring.

What if you decided that the law was done away: government’s rules and regulations don’t have to be followed. They’re not helpful, but instead they’re a hindrance to your freedom.  What would the world be like without law?

I think we get the picture. Pretty difficult place to live—a place without law. Of course, not all man’s laws are so good or helpful, but what about God’s laws?

Did God give you laws to keep? Yes! Did you know that the Ten Commandments are the foundation of God’s law for your life? Why did He give us law?  Some think it was to take away all our fun. But Christ said “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He meant right here, right now, as well as the future. He gave the best way to live and the Ten Commandments show the way to the abundant life.

The Millennium: Christ’s Rule on Earth was presented by Darris McNeely. This program offers our booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom.

On the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, the apostle John received an astonishing revelation from Jesus Christ. In John’s account of that vision, he records a prophecy in which Jesus Christ would reign on this earth for a thousand years. During this time all peoples will finally know true peace and harmony.

Is this prophecy just an old man’s meaningless dream that can never come true? Or is it the sure word of God, the one hope in today’s world for a time when swords will be beaten into plowshares and wild animals will dwell safely with children?

Was John’s vision of a coming time of world peace true? You can know–and the answer will give you hope.

Revival? was presented by Gary Petty. This program offers our booklet, Transforming Your Life.

In August 2011 an estimated thirty thousand Christians gathered at a large stadium in Houston, Texas. Their purpose was to seek God’s help in solving national problems through prayer and fasting.

Some Christians believe that a call for national prayer and fasting will ignite an old fashion revival and save the United States from pending doom. Non-Christians, and even some Christians, worry that a religious revival is a threat to multicultural democracy. Would a Christian renewal solve our country’s political, economic and social problems?

What would a biblical, God-centered, Christian revival really look like in YOUR life? Not a politically tailored media event, but a personal connection between you and your Creator?

These programs are due to air in October. Please pray for the continuing success of Beyond Today, and that God will guide us in doing His will to preach the Gospel of His Kingdom.

Peter Eddington—Operation Manager, Media and Communications Services

Greetings Dear Brethren,

Many exciting things are taking place here at the home office this week!

On Sunday we held an orientation picnic for the Ambassador Bible Center (ABC) incoming class of 2011-12 in the dining area and outdoor patio behind the home office. It was followed by an orientation on Monday and classes beginning bright and early on Tuesday morning. It’s always encouraging to see the excitement and enthusiasm of these young adults who are eager to dig into the Bible and learn more about God’s way of life!

We’re also pleased to see that, in spite of the recent troubles, this year’s class is substantially larger than last year’s and that it includes several international students who are coming here for Bible training that they can take back to their countries and share with others there. A total of 35 students are enrolled, of whom three are from other nations, including the Netherlands, South Africa and Colombia.

We’re also glad to see how well our several new instructors, longtime pastors Frank McCrady, Randy Stiver and Steve Myers, are fitting in. Each has a special love for and rapport with young adults, and it shows in their classes.

This week we also have other guests in town. Darris McNeely and Gary Petty are joining Mr. Myers and members of our media staff for the planning and recording of several more Beyond Today television programs.

We hear an increasing number of comments from members about the effectiveness and professionalism of the programs, and we’re grateful that doors recently opened for us to reach new people with better times and stations in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

We very much appreciate your prayers for the continuing success of our television programs and other media efforts. Since we started airing Beyond Today on nationwide cable on WGN America last summer, we’ve received more than 48,000 responses requesting a subscription to The Good News magazine and one or more of our booklets.

Speaking of booklets, this week we’re mailing our latest booklet, Is God a Trinity? to our several thousand member households and shipping them to our international offices to be distributed to members around the world.

Those of us who realize the fallacy of the Trinity doctrine rightfully find it hard to understand why so many people believe in this deceptive teaching. You’ll be surprised at the quotes in the booklet from theologians and others who firmly believe that the Trinity is a “litmus test” for determining who is and isn’t a Christian, as they would define the term.

At the same time, many theologians and religious scholars candidly admit that the Trinity is a “divine mystery,” incomprehensible to limited human minds. One of the most amazing quotes you’ll find in the booklet, taken from a book authored by a seminary professor and an international missionary, is this: “He who would try to understand the Trinity fully will lose his mind. But he who would deny the Trinity will lose his soul.”

This aptly demonstrates what a bizarre hold this confusing doctrine has on the minds of so many millions of people!

In this booklet you’ll learn the equally strange story of how this doctrine came to be one of the foundational teachings of this world’s Christianity—developed over several centuries after the biblical writers had passed from the scene! You’ll also find many quotes from Bible resources, religious scholars and historians who openly acknowledge that the Trinity as taught today is simply not found in Scripture, but was developed and accepted long after the Bible was written.

And of course, the booklet thoroughly explains how God is revealed in the Bible—as God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son, forming a divine family into which those whom the Father has called and granted His Holy Spirit have the opportunity to enter. It’s a wonderful future almost beyond our comprehension, and one that is obscured by the deceptiveness of the Trinity doctrine.

This week’s activities at the home office—the beginning of a new ABC year, the production of new Beyond Today programs and the mailing of this new booklet (our 34th)—again show our commitment to our founding determination to preach the gospel and prepare a people, sharing the wonderful truths our Creator has revealed to us with a world in desperate need of the hope that lies within us.

As we approach the autumn Holy Days, now only six weeks away, let us always be thankful for the wonderful truth we have been given and the awesome privilege it is to be a tool in God’s hands to share these things with the world.

We deeply appreciate your faithfulness and prayers that make all of this possible.

In Christ’s service,

Dennis Luker

PS—Don’t forget to pray for the success of the Kingdom of God Bible Seminars coming up beginning September 10. We’re now up to more than 150 congregations that will be hosting them, not just in the United States but in several international areas as well. We’re seeing new people sign up daily to attend! To stay on top of the latest developments, sign up for regular updates at realtimeunited.wordpress.com by entering your e-mail address at the right side of the page.

We are very pleased with the ongoing preparation for our September launch of the Kingdom of God Bible Seminars. We have 161 congregations hosting the live event. These are primarily in the United States, but also in countries around the world that include Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, New Zealand and the Philippines. You can view them at kogbibleseminars.org.

Presently, about 600 participants have registered online to attend these important lectures. This may not include those who decide to show up without registering, and some registrations include more than one person. We did not track multiple guests in the first week of signups, but we do now. For example, one person in New Orleans signed up to bring 8 people with him.

EXPECTATIONS: With more than six weeks until the September 10 launch, we expect our attendee list to exceed 1,500. The seminars are being advertised in the Good News magazine, World News and Prophecy magazine, on our website, on Beyond Today television, and in literature request mailings. Some areas are also planning to mail personal invitations to Good Newsmagazine readers.

Cincinnati, Ohio, Seminar Location

At this stage our need is for prayers from our brethren that God will guide those whom He wills to note what we are doing, register to attend, and want to become more involved in the Work we are involved with.

An important article will run in the August issue of United News that will help our brethren understand more about the purpose of the event. These seminars will add a very important element to our gospel effort and our job to make disciples. We have a very good foundation of printed literature, several magazines, more than 30 booklets, a high-quality television program, a fantastic ucg.org website, online advertising, print advertising, member involvement, and now the important element of one-on-one contact with our congregations. These public lectures add a very important piece to our media and proclamations efforts.

Below is a listing of registration figures for the top 10 cities so far. They are growing each day:

• Los Angeles – 15
• Philadelphia – 14
• San Antonio – 14
• Denver -13
• Little Rock – 13
• Columbus, OH – 11
• San Diego – 10
• Columbia, SC – 10
• Peoria, IL – 10
• St. Louis – 10

San Antonio, Texas, Seminar Location

Those ministers who are responsible for each location are able to log into their ucg.org account and then go to kogbibleseminars.org to see their registration listing.

IMPORTANT: Just this week, the administration and Council of Elders decided to switch from three 45-minute lectures in the seminar schedule, to two 50- to 55-minute lectures. The material from all three previous lectures is being condensed into two presentations by Ministerial and Member Services. Victor Kubik has already provided the link to these revised outlines to the UCG ministry.

So, the current format for the day now looks like this:

• Opening Prayer
• Lecture 1 (50-55 minutes)
• Break for complimentary coffee and tea (10 minutes)
• Lecture 2 (50-55 minutes)
• Closing Prayer
• Fellowship time and opportunity to meet out guests (with complimentary finger foods, snacks, coffee, tea)

Please continue to prepare for this important live event. Most congregations are hosting on September 10, but a few are having theirs on September 17 or September 24. A couple of locations are a bit later than that. Please make this project a part of your prayer list, that our humble efforts to do our part to preach the good news of God’s Kingdom will be effective and accomplish what our Father wills.

Peter Eddington—Media and Communications Services

Beyond Today presenters Darris McNeely and Steve Myers were interviewed on nationwide Canadian television on Monday, July 18. Canada’s largest provider of prime time Christian programming, Grace TV, interviewed Mr. McNeely and Mr. Myers in their St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, television studio. Gary Petty, our third Beyond Today presenter, was not there for this particular interview.

View the following video footage of the trip and interview from YouTube here:

St. Catharines is a short 30-minute drive from Niagara Falls, New York. Our presenters flew into Buffalo, New York, and stopped to view the famous Niagara Falls on their way to the studio.

Steve Myers and Darris McNeely at Niagara Falls.

According to Wikipedia and other sources, Niagara Falls are the most powerful waterfalls in North America. These massive falls are situated on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. The falls form the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. Both sides of the falls are host to the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

In St. Catharines, Mr. McNeely and Mr. Myers were guests on Grace TV’s “Encounter with Peter Youngren.” Mr. Youngren was out of town that day, and so Grace TV’s Steve McLaughlin hosted the hour-long program. Our Beyond Today presenters took up almost half of the hour. Their episode airs at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19, and repeats at 2 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20. It is also now available online for you to view for several months on the Grace TV website.

Grace TV studio in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

Topics included the purpose of the Beyond Today program, the gospel of the Kingdom of God, Bible prophecy, the news, upcoming U.S. elections, the flailing economy, God and finances, and much more. You can watch the program online at Grace TV’s website. If you wish, scroll forward to about half-way through the program to catch the beginning of our portion of the show. Mr. McNeely and Mr. Myers take up most of the last half hour.

Steve Myers, Steve McLaughlin and Darris McNeely discuss the purpose of our Beyond Today television program.

Beyond Today has been on nationwide Canadian television for a number of years. Grace TV used to be called the Christian Channel. In 2009 it changed names to Grace TV.  You can see the times and channels we air in eight Canadian provinces and territories on our Beyond Today website station listing at www.ucg.org/beyond-today/channels. The Canadian UCG office has been very pleased with viewer response from Beyond Today on Grace TV. Our Sunday airtimes are very favorable too.

Grace TV is Canada’s largest 24/7 total Christian television provider. It was launched in 2005 as Canada’s first 24/7 national digital television network. It reaches more than 60 percent of Canadian households. It is also expanding internationally, and hopes to also include the U.S. soon. It is able to air up to 65% foreign content, while other Canadian religious channels are restricted to 35 percent. This has been a great benefit because our Beyond Today program is obviously U.S.-produced.

Please pray for the ongoing success of our effort to preach the good news of God’s Kingdom in the television medium. We have been very pleased with our nationwide response in both Canada and the U.S.—particularly from our 8:30 a.m. EDT Sunday morning airtime on WGN America. But, without God’s blessing it will come to little. Please continue to pray for His guidance in all that we do in His Church.

Peter Eddington—Producer, Beyond Today

Thus began a period of my life where I’d spend the winters in Beirut and summers in Jeddah. All throughout school, I took pride in the fact that I had two homes in two countries, though deep down I did not like it and was counting down the days of the summer so I could return back to Lebanon.

Once I hit high school and then university, these trips begun to shrink from the typical two and half months up until approximately 5 weeks last year. And when I met people in similar situations, I felt less unique and protective of my special connection.

Jeddah, at night, from the airplane, 2010, an awkward shot by me.

(At this point, it would be wise to mention that my father is employed there and that’s why I am still linked to a country I should’ve left 14 years ago.)

Last year, on my old blog, TnT, I wrote a little piece entitled A Tale of Two Cities where I wrote exactly how I felt about Beirut and Jeddah, and now since I’m going to the Netherlands and for the first time in my life, will not be returning to my birth city, I thought it would be nice to share. 

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes a place a home. Is it having an actual house where you can keep all your things and return to at night? Is it the place where you loved ones live? Is it where in every corner, there’s a fragment of a childhood memory hidden? Is it the place you have a love-hate relationship with? Or better yet, is the place where your ID says you belong to? If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then in my case, I have two homes. Beirut, a city I can never be away from for long, and Jeddah, a city that has always been kind to me, even if I have not felt the same way about it.

To look at it from one perspective, the two cities could not be any more different.

Beirut is vibrant, loud, and fast-paced. Beirut is a historical city that is eager to shed this image in favor of evoking comparisons with the greatest cities of the world. Beirut, the charismatic city, is losing its charm, while it’s citizens look on.

Jeddah is not. Jeddah moves at it’s own pace, not caring how anyone views it, never-changing unless it is out of necessity. Jeddah is intriguing. It’s many secrets are well-concealed beneath a dark veil, that even someone who has spent the majority of his live in the city is unable to completely grasp them.

Medina Road, Jeddah- Hasn't changed in 20 years, except when the floods on '09 and '11 happened (Image via Wikipedia)

Jeddah is where I was born, and where I’ve been running off to every summer for as long as I can remember. And in that duration, I’ve always been filled with anticipation mixed with loathing for the city (and country) where you can only see its women’s eyes, where being born of a certain gender gives you priority in everything, where day is night and night is day.

That is, until this year. Maybe I was in desperate need of being away from all the pressures of the fast-paced life, maybe it’s just that I’ve done a lot of growing up over the past year, but I now see Jeddah as a changed city, and I am not referring to the countless number of new bridges and highways built.The faces, the places, the environment, and the memories: they are clearer now and so I can accept them as part of who I am.

And you know, from a different perspective, the two cities aren’t so different. Beirut and Jeddah, they both teach a person how to stand up on their own feet and face the challenges. Beirut and Jeddah, two greatly misunderstood cities trying to leave their mark on the world. Beirut and Jeddah, two cities where there are many truly amazing stories to share.

I guess, for the very first time in my life I feel sad that I will not be returning, instead choosing to go on a new adventure. And while I’m very excited to be in an unfamiliar place and learning, a part of me fears I will not be returning soon to the place where every summer, I discovered a little part of who I am.

But this past week, it seems like the process hit a speed bump, leading me to be increasingly frustrated and sending a wave of angry emails towards any and every one who could help me.

I love being in control and having things organized and all sorted out, something I get from both sides of the family. But living in Lebanon, has taught me not to expect that from anyone, hence my initial shock at how smoothly things were going.

But nothing good lasts forever and I’m starting to think maybe the Lebanese curse of unorganization has finally made its way to my Maastricht plan.

Here’s what happened:

One of the things that made I loved about Maastricht University is the ability to apply and enroll through the internet. Such was not the case for my safety school where I had to send my documents by courier mail. I used one of the “ex” companies and everything went smoothly. But when one of my friends heard about this, he advised me to use another “ex” company, stating they had cheaper rates. And so when UM asked me to send in documents for my visa, I took my friend’s advice and shipped with them, and once again everything went smoothly.

The ordeal, however, was over a certified copy of my diploma, which I need in order to register with the university. So I went to the same company, gave them the address and waited, and a few days later, I received a text message stating that my package had been delivered, except the address was not the same one I listed on the form. I did what any normal person would do and called up the company and instead of being courteous, they yelled at me for not understanding the fundamentals of shipping stuff. How the hell would I?

The result was a million and one emails to the relevant authorities at the university and having to wait very un-patiently, while my well-meaning parents kept reassuring me that there would be no possible way the documents won’t arrive to their intended destination.

And after a week long wait, I finally got a reply back stating that they got a copy of my Bachelor of Sciences in Environmental Health, so now, once my visa issue is resolved, I can go back to being excited about travelling.

But was this a lesson in patience? Of course it was.

To mark the end of every semester, I would get a huge blue trash bag and just throw away anything that I didn’t need any more.

Let's just say I kept more than I gave up

But a few weeks ago, when the idea of Maastricht stopped being a dream, and more of an impending reality, I knew that my simple cleaning up process had to be replaced by an extensive and thorough one, because really, there’s only so much you can keep, especially when you will be away from home for a year.

And so the self-questioning process began. Should I keep all my ID tags from the events that I’ve covered or participated in? Should I throw away my Environmental Ethics notes from my final semester? What about all the issues of Outlook that have had my name printed on them on a weekly basis? That’s also doesn’t include the notebooks full of the poems I wrote all the way through high school, ticket stubs, letters and scraps of paper, photographs, and the list goes on…

There’s also the issue of the lectures I’ve printed out and saved, because we didn’t have books for most of the courses. I, of course, have the original documents all saved on my laptop, but somehow the physical copy just makes it feel like that point of my life was real, that it actually happened.

I often wonder if I’m going to use these later on, or if they’re just going to lie there, accumulating dust.

Excuse the mess, I've run out of creative options to hide everything.

Honestly, I’m confused right now about what to do with these little “trinkets.”

There’s only so much that Czech Airlines will let you take (23 kg to be exact) with you and so much that you can digitize without it loosing it’s original feel.

Yet, when you’re taking a huge step forward, there’s gotta be that slight sense of detachment from the past and looking forward to coming back with a lot of new stuff.

And knowing me, that’s gonna be a lot…

So I guess this means I have to get back to cleaning (and binding those lectures).

Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle to Air Beyond Today on New Stations

We are very excited and pleased to report to you that four powerful commercial television stations will soon begin airing Beyond Today programs for the United Church of God.

As you may recall, when Beyond Today began airing on WGN America about a year ago in all 210 U.S. media markets except Chicago, we mentioned our next step would be to add this third largest market to our telecast schedule as soon as funds permitted. That time has now come!

Chicago: Beginning July 10, 2011, Beyond Today will air on Chicago’s ION network station, WCPX-TV. This station covers 100% of the Chicago metropolitan area as well as portions of northwest Indiana and southwest Wisconsin, reaching 3,335,000 households. Our programs will air every Sunday morning on broadcast and satellite channel 38 and cable channel 13 at 9:30 a.m.

Also, since WGN America airs very early on Sunday mornings in the Pacific time zone, it was our desire to reach the area with the Beyond Today telecast at a better airtime. As a result of months of research and negotiation, television stations in the Los Angeles and San Francisco, California and the Seattle, Washington, media markets will be added to our line-up beginning July 10, 2011. Here are the details:

Los Angeles: Beyond Today will air in Los Angeles, the second largest media market in the U.S., on the ION network station KPXN-TV every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Our programs will reach 4,200,000 households (equaling 72% of the market) on broadcast channel 30 and cable channel 8.

San Francisco: Additionally, San Francisco, the sixth largest U.S. media market, will receive Beyond Today on ION network station KKPX-TV on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. on broadcast and satellite channel 65 and cable channel 16. This station’s signal reaches 2,685,596 households throughout San Francisco and a portion of Monterey, equaling 106% of the entire media market.

Seattle: Finally, CBS affiliate station KIRO-TV in Seattle, Washington, the thirteenth largest U.S. Media market, will air our programs every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on broadcast and satellite channel 7.2 and cable channel 117. Interestingly, this station reaches 166% of market (3,105,750 households) because it’s media footprint includes a portion of the Canadian province of British Columbia.

As a result of these additions to the Beyond Today schedule, a total of 13,326,346 additional households will be reached weekly at these new times. We certainly give our Eternal Father and Jesus Christ all the credit and the glory for this important step forward in preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Our grateful thanks also go to you for your effective prayers for the success of our research and negotiations. You can be assured that everyone at the home office deeply appreciates your outstanding help and encouragement. Please continue your diligent prayers that many people will tune-in and respond to God’s Word.

Peter Eddington—Operation Manager, Media and Communications Services

Beyond Today on WGN America –Current Top 15 Programs

The United Church of God Beyond Today television program titled “God’s Roadmap,” hosted by Steve Myers, aired on WGN America on Sunday, June 5, 2011. We are happy to report that this episode produced an excellent 1,199 responses at $10.01 cost per response. These results place it in 7th overall place out of 49 programs aired so far. See the chart below which shows the current top 15 programs.

As always, we are very appreciative of your prayers and support.

Peter Eddington—Operation Manager, Media and Communications Services

Beyond Today on WGN America Logs 40,000 Total Responses

A new Beyond Today program titled “Who is the Antichrist?“, hosted by Steve Myers, aired on WGN America on Sunday, May 29, 2011. This episode placed ninth in overall response ranking out of 48 programs aired so far. It attracted a very favorable 1,152 responses at $10.42 cost per response.

Also, we are pleased to report that as of this program, overall response on WGN America has topped the 40,000 mark. With God’s blessings and guidance total response on this vast television network could reach 50,000 by the end of August.

Additionally, Beyond Today program “God’s Roadmap” hosted by Steve Myers, aired on Sunday, June 5, 2011. Preliminary response indicates this episode, which covered God’s Holy Day plan, could place in the top fifth or sixth in terms of response.

Thank you for your continuing prayers for God’s favor on the Church’s vital efforts in preaching and publishing the Gospel of God’s Kingdom. We are still looking for the best West Coast and Chicago options for new stations to add to our station lineup. Our hard-working media team members are extremely grateful for your prayers and support.

Peter Eddington—Operation Manager, Media and Communications Services