Beruit, Trip #2

I had another trip to Beirut a couple of weeks ago, and had some memorable things happen that seem to be worth retelling. I decided before I went, to try and get a hold of the Branch President there. From what Ahmed told me, it was an individual named Karim Assouab. So before I left I sent Karim an email and he actually responded and asked me to call him when I arrived. Arriving in Beirut was very similar to my first trip, although when I arrived at the hotel I was staying in this time (Le Royale), I was utterly speechless. It is situated well north of the heart of Beirut and offers a panoramic view, just from my balcony. I stood on the balcony for quite some time, just amazed that there could be such beauty and tranquility in such a place as Beirut. It was a beautiful cool day again, so I sat out on the balcony and did my work to the setting of the sun. Once more, with the sun going down across the Mediterranean and reflecting across the water, I was witness to the simplest of beauties. Off to my right a little was the mountains, and I was able to look up into the village above the hotel and get the best of both worlds.
At breakfast the next morning I found out that there had been an assassination that morning on the other side of Beirut. In Beirut, politics is a mess and completely unreflective of the people in general that I have met. We experience the same general feeling in America, but fortunately it does not end in violence and death. Those who ‘lead’ the country (and we use that term very loosely) seem to be completely disconnected from the people who live daily lives and make quiet contributions. It is a diametric relationship, at least from the perspective of an outsider. What makes it even more amazing is that Lebanon truly is an incredible place, that has such a peaceful beauty to it that one wonders how it turns south very quickly.
I first heard about the bombing at breakfast with Hussein, and then texted Catherine as we were driving into the office. She asked when she could expect me home. I indicated that it would be the next evening whereupon she replied that I ought to be getting a flight home that day. However, based on the responses from the people in Beirut, and the feeling I had, there didn’t seem to be a need to depart. As I visited with ordinary people, they expressed concern and even anger at the incident, but did not let it affect the fact that they had jobs to do and lives to lead. The victim of the bomb was a general who was in a position to take the head post of the army. It was an ugly bomb (is there ever a pretty one?) that took his life and the life of his bodyguard as they were on their way to work. However, to run and hide would solve nothing. I reflected on the shooting incident at Trolley Square when we lived in SLC. We could not avoid malls or public places or our lives because of the shooting at Trolley Square, and I certainly wasn’t go to start doing that now in a country accustomed to this kind of behavior. At least in Beirut it was a targeted bomb, not a random shooting that could take out anyone and everyone in its path of destruction. I wasn’t about to head home when no one else seemed to be doing anything different, and I certainly wasn’t getting on a plane when bombs may go off. I knew the best thing was just to wait it out.
In the afternoon I had an opening between a couple of appointments and had arranged to meet Karim for lunch. He sent his brother Nabil to pick me up for lunch and we ended up heading back to their place of business. They own a store that sells arms supplies (holsters, jackets, sunglasses, etc.) to military personnel. We had a wonderful conversation on our way over to their office and I found out his conversion story. He was the first on in his family to be baptized, and it happened when he was in England. He happened to have a dream about being inside of a Church. When he was in Hyde Park in London, he walked by the chapel there, walked in, and as he was inside realized that this was the place he had seen in his dream! He knew then and there he would be baptized, and within a short time he was. From there, he worked with his younger brother (Karim) and he was baptized also. It was a wonderful, faith promoting story that affirms the hand of God in our lives. Going further, I found out that Nabil had served a mission in the UK, and had a companion from Idaho. I told him Idaho was a big place (despite what people think), and so probably wouldn’t know the fellow. Well, lo and behold, it turns out that his companion is Dean Stutzman, an old friend from high school. Once more, the world is small, but in the Church it’s even smaller.
Going to the business office of Karim and his brother, I met the new Branch President Maroun Akiki (evidently Karim was released about 10 days ago). I ended up talking more with him as Karim and Nabil were wandering around, I was off and on the phone, and we all we were waiting for lunch. Unfortunately, the time came for me to go and lunch still hadn’t arrived. They insisted I stay saying that this was Lebanon and it was no big deal to be late. I argued that it had nothing to do with the culture, it was about me, and so told them I would just take a taxi so as not to inconvenience them. As a result, they asked the Maroun, who just happened to be leaving, to pick up his son from school, to take me. He and I loaded into the car and took off, leaving me about 20 minutes to get back to the office. It was a sunny day with no clouds in the sky, and people were about as nice as they could be. We talked as we drove, and he shared with me his conversion story as well, which was because of his wife. He also shared with me that his son had contracted polio from a polio shot, and was just recently recovering. When we picked the young man, Christopher, up, I could tell as he was limping. He was a charming and delightful boy. He had just been baptized in November, and was just beaming with pride when he talked about his dad baptizing him. Of course President Akiki was beaming as well, and one could just feel the faith of these good members. It was a faith that was also felt when talking with both Karim and Nabil. I had the feeling that any branch with these three men in it was a strong and faithful branch. These men were able to live the gospel as it should be lived, and I could feel their absolute faith in Christ. They kept encouraging me to come back and spend the Christmas season with them, letting me know that no place is as good to spend Christmas as Lebanon is. With them around, I’m sure they are right.
Well, we didn’t make it back to the office on time, and I still hadn’t had lunch yet, but it seemed to be forgotten based on the visits and conversations I had with these wonderful gentlemen. It once again reinforced to me that the Lords chosen are not just in Utah, and when the time comes for His reckoning, the righteous will be located all over the world, not just in the West. I am confident that there will be a group in Lebanon, and in each branch of the Church all over the world. It is a great lesson and reinforcement to me to know that all areas of the vineyard are growing exactly as the Lord wants them to grow. I am humbled that I have the opportunity to be here, and I wonder if I am doing the things that the Lord expects from us while over here. I certainly am blessed in some measure more than others, and I should be using those blessings to help others. Perhaps that is something I can make sure I’m doing.
The rest of the trip in Lebanon was once again the thing that memories are made of for me. I had dinner with a co-workers family and fell in love with them. The minute I walked in the door and say the Boston Pops on the TV and a wall of Easton Press books told me in no uncertain terms that this was a family that was very much in with my line of thinking. We had a wonderful visit with Diana Seyouri’s parents and Dr. Hussein. Diana’s parents had made an absolutely wonderful Lebanese meal, and I just could not stop eating. Now, I don’t usually have any problems with putting down food in the normal case, but it was magnified here as I continued to pile mouthful after tasty mouthful of each dish down. In the end, it was all I could do to walk out of there under my own power. Between the food and the conversation, it was one of the best evenings. The next day was even calmer, and it seemed that even the small amount of anxiety that might have existed the previous day because of the bombing had evaporated.
Flying out of Lebanon provided another one of my wonderful experiences with Islam. One of the five pillars of Islam (the primary dogmas) is to make a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca, and perform the various rituals and ordinances there. When going on the hajj, the pilgrim must change his clothes from the normal clothes of the world, to cloths and robes of purest white. They must make this change before they enter Mecca, and so many of the people take the opportunity to change while in the airport. It reminded me of going to the temple. While certainly the fundamental aspect of the hajj and the temple are different, both are an experience of rebirth, ritual and covenant making. In both instances we take ourselves out of the world, and place ourselves in the hand of God, in fact, go into his presence, and in order to do so, we must have the appearance of purity, hence, the whiteness of clothing. There is also a reverence that emanates from those making the hajj, and a beautiful happiness that sometimes I feel from others when attending the temple. Since a faithful Muslim only needs to make this pilgrimage once, it is an experience they have much like a child experiencing something life changing as well. In addition, seeing these faithful muslims dressed in white and walking around with smiles, truly lifts the soul. What touched me in particular this time, was seeing the ladies in their white robes. They seemed serene in a sense, and at peace. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to see others take joy in their faith, and see the beautiful side of Islam versus the one that a small few would have us see. To truly see Islam and what it should be, one only need observe those taking the hajj, and seeing their desire to be clean and pure as they partake of this holy Islamic ritual.