On Monday we had a quiet day in our flat. Since we
were not allowed to leave the small area around Naqqashe, due to the bomb, we
could not do service in Deir el Kamar. However, this allowed a peaceful
transition from the quietness of our spiritual retreat into work and study.
In the following days service was as normal, but
nearly all of us suddenly became sick. It appeared that the water which we had
all innocently consumed in the Holy valley was not for Europeans, or for the
unaccustomed! While some of us struggled to service on a diet of air, others
stayed at home nursing their stomachs which rejected everything.
Nevertheless, service in Antelias was performed
whole-heartedly, with much enthusiasm. This time we were honoured to be joined
by a Lebanese volunteer. The boys were delighted by our game ‘’cat-cat-dog’’
and by the birthday party with cake. This was to celebrate All Saints Day, and
since we are all saints, we celebrated for all of us! As always, they were sad
to see us go and smothered us with kisses on our way out.
On Saturday I walked across the highway and asked, in
my best British accent, ‘’wein fi mahal biisiclet?’’ I was directed by pointing
to a cafe which turned out to be a bicycle shop, conveniently. After a bit of
banter in Arabic, French and English, no-one understanding any of the words, I
bought an old bike for $70 and rode it back to Naqqashe feeling very smug. In
the evening Valerie, Michel, Alain and Elio cooked chicken and mashed potatoes
for us, with sticky chocolate brownies for pudding. Thirteen of us sat around
the table and there was much merriment.
On Sunday evening we were honoured to be invited out
to dinner by one of CARAVAN’s closest friends, Cheik Walid. The meal began with
typical Lebanese dishes, followed by a broad range of fish, and finished with
different Lebanese sweets. Towards the end of the dinner, Cheik Walid thanked
CARAVAN most graciously for our work in Lebanon and for supporting Christians
in the country.
by Callum
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