Lebanon

Arriving in Lebanon, we were greeted by friends very special to us, Sami and Joy Dagher. We stayed in their home, so as well as accomplishing work on behalf of Wellspring, we were able to spend some time talking and catching up with the Dagher’s and various friends in Beirut. On Saturday morning, we first went to eat breakfast with Denise, Hida, and Jad Dagher. After unexpectedly losing a husband and treasured father, Denise and her children have continued to honor his memory. They miss him tremendously, but live their lives with grace and perhaps a new found strength. RZIM has had the privilege of providing education costs for Hida and Jad. They smiled bashfully as their mother proudly showed us their most recent report cards. I exchanged a wink with Jad, as both he and I had similar experiences of trying to fill the impressive shoes of other siblings! They are wonderful kids, and were so warm and affectionate with us. I found myself instantly looking forward to the next time I would get to see them.

Leaving mom with Denise to catch up for a while, I left with Sami to visit Aida and her sweet 13 year-old daughter. I met them for the first time last year when Sami took me to visit their small home down a tiny side street in Beirut. Though still young, Aida is unable to walk due to a severe case of osteoporosis and she is confined to her single bed in the living room. In addition, she has lived with the effects of accidental multiple organ removal. She entered a hospital with appendicitis and ended up waking from extensive surgery that she didn’t need, her file having been inadvertently mixed up with another. Contributing to her monthly costs for medicines and providing some help maintaining the house, Wellspring has had the opportunity to get to know this family. While faced with physical and financial challenges beyond what most know, their faces light up with genuine smiles and always welcome me with hugs that comfort more than they know. I can only hope one day I am even a little like them.

After leaving our respective places, Margie and Joy met up with Sami and me to go to a friend’s house for lunch, and a feast unlike anything I have ever seen! One thing is for sure, after this trip we will be carrying the Middle East home with us quite literally; just from these few weeks of generous hospitality, our clothes are feeling a bit more snug! After a conversation filled with both laughter and deep discussion of situations around the globe, we headed back to Sami and Joy’s for a short time of relaxation and final meal of schwarma before heading to the airport at 1 am to catch our next flight. I was sad to leave them behind, as they have quickly become like family and their home a place in which I am at rest. But with promises of future visits, we said goodbye and left before dawn for our next destination…Istanbul.