The Journey

What is the journey of Faith?

noreply@blogger.com (kobeissi) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 23:33:00 +0000

The journey of faith is a part of Center of Love’s blog, it is an important part of our work, it was the search for faith and spirituality in Lebanon, where a small group of people with little money, very few equipments, in five days had to show the Sacred Places and Religion in Lebanon. We looked to the map and moved into a real trip.

In this journey we didn’t know how to start and how to finish it, the faith was the base for everything. Where we had to believe that we could do a a lot with little, and we did it.

Honestly this journey was a miracle from God.

Why this Journey of Faith?

noreply@blogger.com (kobeissi) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:22:00 +0000

Since I was a little child I lived between the two biggest religions in the World, which is Christianism and Islam. My father a Lebanese, muslim, and the family of my mother, grandfather from Syria and grandmother from Turkey, but both Greek Ortodox. I lived also between two different cultures, which is the east and west culture, because for 20 years I lived in Brazil, and after that I came to Lebanon.

The school that I studied in Brazil were a convent school where the Professors were all nuns and priests, where three times per week we had lessons about Christianism. I also had to confess my sins to the Priest, but at that time I was a child and I didn't have too much to say.

With my Protestant or Evangelical friends I use to go to their churches, watch they singing in their choir and I had the chance to know the basis of different religions.

In my family, despite my father Muslim married my mother Christian, they respect each other religion and while my father sometimes went to the mosque, my mother use to go to the church, and during years they lived with these differences but with a lot of love.

I always studied religions because was something that I am very interested. But the one who took me to the mosque was not my muslim father, but my mother who after ten years of marriage start to study Islam and converted to Islam. Then I started to go to the mosque more frequently, and we went every Saturday with Brazilians taking lessons about Islam.

I am not the kind who believe easily, that is why I always was full of questions and sometimes Religious Leaders Christians and Muslims, were tired. But questioning the sacred with logic, bring you great answers, and sometimes good answers can just appear with deeply reflection and just don’t come from others, but from your own self.

In both religions, in the mosque or in the church I knew very nice people, and some not very nice, which shows that in all religions we can find good and bad people, but the bad is not religion’s fault, but singular individual behavior. About my grandparents of my mother’s side, at first was difficult for them to accept my mother’s conversion. When a western person change their religion, the family seems to accept easier than Arabs. Maybe because Arabs are so strongly connected with their believes and with their traditions.

But after sometime they accepted very well, and we lived with them in total harmony, and we continue to be part of Christmas and Eastern's commemoration, and we continue to live the traditions of both religions. My grandparents adapted with our new style of life, with our new concepts.

I just have beautiful memories about them, and they left beautiful lessons for our entire lives. I can say that they were the best people that I ever know, and despite of our different believes, the love was bigger than anything else and I believe that with their magnificent acts wherever they are, they are very fine, because they were just lights in this world, and these lights never go out.

After 20 years I came the first time to Lebanon, where I could observe that a follower of a religion in East was different than West in some aspects. I could see that mores and traditions where very present in the Lebanese society and connected with their religions.

Also the interpretation and understanding of religion is sometimes different in West and East, this is a detailed phenomenon that should be studied and analyzed . In Lebanon in my University I was fascinated while seeing the different religions in front of my eyes, the different clothes, rituals, habits, etc...

They breathe religion, in the University for example there is a Prayer room, in some Restaurants and big stores too, moreover you see people making acts of worship together. In addition the most beautiful, was to see that no ones criticize others religions, it was like no ones have nothing with your religion or with what you believe, and there is not trying to change people’s religion. I was so happy to see this amazing mixed worlds, because was something very new for me.

In 2006 in Lebanon-Israel war I went to Syria with some of my relatives, and there I also could live with Sunni Muslims during the war time, observing their rituals and habits, moreover I could visit some Sacred Places. However I could not concentrate there in such issue a lot, because this was a hard time, but hard times bring us such experience that ease can’t give.

In 2008 I could visit London where my sister lives, and there I also paid attention in their religion, and London was the incredible mix of religions, Jewish working side by side with Muslims in the Airport, Christians preaching the words of the Holy Bible in the streets, an English policewoman working wearing hijab. People from the entire world, with different ethnicity, sharing the same religion althought sometimes with different mores.

In 2010 I went to visit Iran, what made me surprised, Iran is very different than TV shows, I find there a open-minded people, that study, read and analyses a lot. The most amazing thing was to see that they not agree with each other, having free thought for example to hate or love their government and I met both of them. During my stay there I visited many Sacred Places, and I had the chance to know some Sufi members of the Tariq Nimatullahi, which was a nice experience, because they have a big joy for life.

In every place that I’ve been I saw how extraordinary is Faith, and how far it can reach, and there is not limits. I never was in a Sacred Place just praying, but always thinking, thinking and thinking.

Each human being has his own decisions, choices and characteristics, and each one of us like it or not is part of a group and the Oneness is only a God’s privilege.

Although I don't consider myself a religious person, faith took over my life. In my last year of Journalism I had to decide about the Senior Project, I started to think about many subjects, but when I looked back I saw that all the time, my life was accompanied by spiritual analysis, and I had a rich background about it, also few years ago a relative also writer advised me to make a book about religion in Lebanon and Sacred Places, in that time I didn't take it as a plan and I forgot about it, but now when I decided to write about this topic I just remembered the words of this wise man and I went for it.

I wish with a lot of faith that you enjoy it!

When was this Journey of Faith?

noreply@blogger.com (kobeissi) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:29:00 +0000

The blog the center of love was started in the end of June.

This journey started on 20/07/2011 and we finished it in 24/07/2011. The day 20 of July is a day of commemoration for the birthday of Elijah. Also for Roman Catholics it is a day of celebration because Margaret the Virgin was recognized as a saint on July 20. Moreover july 20 it is Friend’s day for many countries in the World.

Now you will know my friends, the crasy angels that helped in this idea, I mean they are angels, but crasy, really crasy to go with me. They stopped to do whatever they were doing to enjoy me in this adventure.

Who participated in the Journey of the Faith?

noreply@blogger.com (kobeissi) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 02:53:00 +0000

Chadia, well that is me, I think my part in this work, was to planned the idea, the journey, the blog, the organization of the work, was also about writing in the blog, taking photos, making contacts, saving the data and putting it in the blog in a simple, clear, organized and cool way. Also one more thing was to encourage the group showing that I knew were I was going even afraid that I was not so sure.

To do this work, I stopped everything that I was doing in my life, was exactly a work of day and night. I put all my concentration and effort in this Project.

My crazy angels:

Shadi, He is my right arm, he is the one that was with me since I started, not this project but the University, he is the one who find this University for me, and the one who helped me in all projects, he is the journalist that could not have the diploma, but for sure gained all its knowledge.

More than this, while I was in University he was not just helping me, but concentrate in the technological part of this kind of work.

In this project he even stop working to help me, and he made me start the blog, he said: “You have to start now”, and I did. He is the one who arranged what we had, the one who put plans into actions, which also help a lot with his great ideas, he was the one in the journey that was always in a hurry, because he said: “We have to go to more places, yala, yala”.

Also he is the Machine man, I can say that everything about technology was about him, the way that computers worked, the network that he did in our office, the super UPS that he brought and for many times this ups saved our work, when the electricity was off, an this just happened many times.

He also take care of the batteries, of the data, and the one, who designed the blog with me, not the “beauty” part, but the connection, links, technology, interaction, the construction of the blog, with his great and smart knowledge about software, Internet, blog, website and design.

Also the translation, every time that I want to say something in Arab that I don't know, Shadi is my tongue, and the problem is that I talk too much.

Thanks a Lot, specially for being patient all the time and being with me wherever I go.

Shadi is a real genius, Bill Gates take care because Shadi is coming!

Professor Muhammad, he is the most intelligent, calm, wise of the group, also he has a great memory. His mind is a computer, whenever we forgot something, he is the only one who remembered, also we use to forget parts of equipments in the way, but he always checked all things, and keeping making sure that everything was there.

Professor Muhammad helped a lot in many ways, taking notes, making records, speaking with people, writing all information that we got, the one who has an excellent Arab language, helping me put all the data in the blog, translating Arab terms to English terms. Moreover most of the interviews we realized together and the meetings that we had in the office organizing everything, there was not one day, that he was not there.

Professor Muhammad take all his vacation to help us in our work, helping in diverse ways, that I couldn’t even name. If was not his notes, the work had failed, because his notes, were so complete, and so exact.

His presence enriches our group, when Professor Muhammad went to speak with people, his way of communication, his diplomacy, and his niceness makes all people contribute with us. In addition his own knowledge and experience in life, make everything easier.

But what makes me more surprised about Professor Muhammad, was something that I didn't expect, his disposal, force and vigor. When we were very tired, Professor Muhammad was still full of energy to see and show more and more Sacred Places.

That is why he is the Professor of the group, he always has something to teach, and he is an example for us. Thanks a lot Professor Muhammad offering to us everything that you can give.

Hassan, well our story with Hassan is a long one, we known him for a long time, and all the time he was there with us. Here I have the chance to say that you Hassan helped to save the life of my brother Nader in his accident in the south of Lebanon some years ago.

Always you have been an excellent friend, more than a friend a real brother.

In this project Hassan, was with us during all days of the Project, he knows Lebanon very well, that is why was easy to go to the places, he has an incredible sense of direction. He also took very creative photos, he must be a photographer, and he was the athlete of the group, to climb mountains, to walk a lot, to run, he was the best. He gave all his sweat to help on this. Also he brings us the car, a camera, etc...

Everyday 6:00 in the morning Hassan was there in my building waiting for me, he just used his free days off going in this journey.

He was so patient in taking us to all those places, I will never forget, Hassan how much you gave to this Project, it was like he was doing his own Project.

Incredible dedication, thanks to being so courageous in everything that you do. You are a brave Hero.

Sobhi, is a friend of us, that always has been there, in good times and bad times, he is the one who helped us a lot in this project while driving, taking photos, and the most important thing, was that he took us for many Sacred Places, that were very distant, and few people knew about.

Also his great humor was a pleasure in the journey, where he made de journey much more fun and nice.Sobhi thank you for all you have worked, and done for this project, and more than this, thanks for all the times that you are always there.

Sharif, is my older brother, he was at first saying, Chadia why are you doing this big work, you don’t have to take 100% in your Senior Project, just take a 60 over 100, it is okey. But I say to him, I love to do what I am doing, it is really not about the grade(but please professors, yanni I need the grade too). One day he decided to go with me, I said to him, that is hard work, and you will be tired, but he insisted. When he came back he was so happy about our project, and in our Journey he helped us taking photos, making videos, making records, and driving, that the other day he wanted to go too.

He was so calm, and patient, which is a very good thing in this kind of work, while we were all tired and sometimes nervous, he was still calm.

He just handle it very well, and after the journey he told me: You’ve chosen the right job”, any other work I will be part of your team.

Now he is in Brazil, and I miss him and his good humor a lot, specially when he used to sing. Thanks my Brother Sharif, for helping me in this decisive step of my life.

Samira is my sister, for sure she was always there for me, and with her I feel strong, and with her I feel security. To be honest, today I am not so inspired, and she knows how much she means for me...About the Project she also finds a way to help.

Samira is a dentist, and she has a clinic, she offered for us a room in her clinic, and there we made our office.Everyday she is patient with our noisy presence in her clinic. By the way is my chance to make her clinic’s advertisement, here. She is the best dentist, believe me!

About our project I don't know if she knows what we are talking about, she is so busy taking care of people’s tooth that there is no time for nothing else.

I hope that she finds time, and see this Project one day.

Thanks for everything, just knowing that you are close to me make me happy.

Jamile, my sister, she is in London and could not be here to help with her Creative presence, but it was in her personality that I based my idea. The adventurous spirit that she has, make her travel to many parts of the World, and her passion for walking, sports, cycling, make her go far away, in 1995 she got the second place of the Brazilian championship cycling. She also did the Way of St. James- El Camino de Santiago, which is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain. She walked in the total 800kilometers, and many other trips she did across the world, also to Machu Picchu, Peru, is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level, which is also all about walking.

As you can see her free nature and spirit, inspired me to travel around Lebanon, and to work in this Mystical journey. Thanks jaja, for helping me wherever you are, you are like a star for me, that I look from far, but always is there brightening my way.

Abdul, my father, he always said that study is the first thing. He could not finish his studies, but he helped many people to finish their studies.
Also he was a very successful trade man in Brazil.

When he went to Brazil, he had nothing but a ring that he sold and started his life. His creativity, claw, and strongness, were the base for everything.

He is a generous man,the man that for 50 years worked at 6:00 until 10:00 at night, there were not holidays for him. I am so proud of him in many ways, I just wanted to made him proud of me too. I learn many things with him, and helping others was the best lesson, that I had. He also made me believe that everything is possible, and in his opinion a man doesn’t need to be very religious, but to have faith is what real matters, and then you can walk on the water.

I feel so special in being his daughter because, he is the source of my Lebanese Origin, he is the reason why we are here today.

Fifteen years ago, my father became sick, with Parkinson Disorder, which is a Disorder very difficult, when you see a powerful man loosing his force is so difficult , but even sick with 70 years he is younger than me in spirit, and an inspiration to see that despite his desorder, he continue to work and live with a great humor,and day after day his own life, is a fight, where he never gives up.

During this project he made many contacts for me, and show me many good people where I could take advices, and he sometimes came to our office, to see how the working was doing.

In my graduation, he was there, he left Beirut and went to Bekka , all shaking to see me. Thanks my father to do the maximum, to make me here where I am. You are an incredible, brave and strong man thank you.

Samia Arida, she is my mother, what can I say about her, everything that I learned is from her, since I was born in this life, she always helped me as a friend, as a sister, as a teacher and as a mother. Now could not be different. When we went out searching for financial support, no ones was there to help, but she. She is the one who offered all financial support that we needed to make this journey and the blog the Center of Love.

She is the one who helped not just financially but emotionally, the one who made me believe in myself, and despite her worries about her daughter going in this journey, she could not say to me don’t go, she is the one who encouraged me, in do what I decide to do.

She is the inspiration of my work, because she always has an appreciation for the Sacred, and she taught me a lot about it.

Her personality is something incredible, in all my life never, I say never she said something rude, always nice, kind, and very patient, she taught me that doesn't matter the problems you are going trough, with faith you can take everything.

She left her University of Medicine, to help my father, and in all those years despite her full work, she always finds a time for us being the perfect mother, women, and businesswoman.

When my parents got divorced, she just take care of us alone, because my father traveled to another city, and many problems happened, some that movies didin’t show yet. However there was she, strong more than any men that I knew, in front of us like a fortress.

Even divorced she is the one who helps my father in many ways.

She is victorious in all aspects of life, and she proved to me that obedience and trust in God, give you the victory, and even if takes a long time, at the end, you will be satisfied and happy. Moreover she shows me that love is worth than hate, forgiveness is greater than revenge, patient is wiser than yells, that enemies must be helped and not defeat as she did many times and kindness always wins bad.

The best of all she taught those things not with words, but with actions.

To say the Truth, my graduation was not about me, but about her, she is the reason why I was standing there, I was not seeing all people that were present, I was there just, for her.

Everyone who knows her just fell extremely in peace by her side.
For all things that she passed by, many people say that she is a Saint.

Well, for sure, she is a saint for me and my Sacred Place is wherever she is.

How did we do the journey?

noreply@blogger.com (kobeissi) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 23:52:00 +0000

1-I went to speak with my Professors in the University, where they could accept my idea or not, I was so afraid that they didn’t because it was something that I really wanted to do. But when I went there they liked the idea and accepted it.

2-Then I started to search for people that understand about this kind of work, writers, religious Leaders, and one person that really gave us very nice advice was Roberto Khatlab which is a writer that wrote more than sixteen books here in Lebanon, about history, religion, tourism, etc...He said to me, the first thing to do is to go to the Ministry of Tourism, then he also gave me other advices that really helped.

3-I went to the Ministry of Tourism in Lebanon with my brother Shadi and Professor Muhammad that decided that he was going to help us, and in the Ministry of Tourism I spoke with them about the Project, and about the ideas, they gave me books about the subject, a map, and some guides. Also they told me that when I finish, to came back and show what I get, because this can turn to a religious tourist guide in Lebanon, and I hope so.

4-The next step was to rent a car, my brother went to see a car and someone to drive it, because I can drive, but not that well. So he went out searching for a car, then, a very good friend brings him a car that we rent for five days, and he decided that he would drive in this journey. I was so happy, because well, that was a good start .

5-We read the guides, and the books, we study the map, and we divided the map in five parts, which are correspondent to five days that we have.

6-We tried to bring some equipment, and we prepared it to the next day, where we were going to start our journey.

7-Everyday we went from house 6:00 am, and we just returned at midnight. Because we just had five days, so we must use all hours of the day, to bring the results that we wanted. One thing that we had to pay attention all the time was about while passing by one city, making sure that nothing(any Sacred Place) was left behind, because we wouldn’t pass there again. Moreover we had to go to places with difficult access, where we had to walk a lot, sometimes in the Mountains in dangerous places, but was nice.

8-In Lebanon, some big cities are divided in small villages, every city that we passed we first went to the Municipality and to the Tourism Information office to get all information about Sacred Places and it’s location.

9-Information that we got from the governmental offices, books, guides, and researches that we did on Internet was not enough, many places were really hiden.The communication and contacts were the key to get to the Sacred Places, because many of those Sacred Places are just known by old residents and religious leaders of each village who helped a lot. No one did this work before, because we were no just showing the famous Sacred Places, but the ones that few know about.

10-When we arrived in a Sacred Place, we recorded in audio, we took photos, we shot videos, we took notes, we observed the rituals and we speak with people about the Sacred Places, its stories and about miracles that happened in each place, the stories were beautiful, and give each Sacred Place a special touch.

11-We didn't have an exact time to stop to eat, but when we did it, we took the opportunity to recharge the battery of the cameras, save the data in the lap-top, and added in the agenda the contacts that we had.

12-After all the work, while coming back to Beirut, they left me home, and I went put all the data in my Computer. We slept almost 3:00 and wake up 5:00 to the next day of the Journey.

First I thought that was about travelling in Lebanon, but then I realize, it was not about a nice tour, but really about a nice but hard work. We visited on average 10 Sacred Places per day, we travel from North to South, East and West.

During the Journey...

noreply@blogger.com (kobeissi) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:36:00 +0000

In this post I will show some extra moments of the Journey...

Nice People...

All people that we knew in this Journey had the same word in their mouth, ahlan u sahlan (welcome), and everyone invited us to go to their homes, or to eat something, but the time was short, and we could stay just few moments with them. But was a pleasure...

Happy to finally stop and eat..

Look at our concentration while looking the map...hehe

Well, Professor Muhammad loves coffee, so he drunk coffee all the way...

Few problems...

One time was nothing, was just about water, but the second time, the tire stuck in the middle of the road in the way of Tripoli, I just prayed, after few time this gentle man of the Lebanese Army helped us to solve things...

If you see someone like us in the middle of the road...please stop and help...

Sometimes we got really tired, and everyone deserves a break...

Other moments, I will post soon...

THE JOURNEY

noreply@blogger.com (kobeissi) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:25:00 +0000

Take a look in few moments of our Journey.

After the Journey...

noreply@blogger.com (kobeissi) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 02:56:00 +0000

We finished the journey and we start working in the office, me, Shadi and Professor Muhammad, then started the month of Ramadan where we also continue the work in the office. We worked since 24 July until last October. Everyday we came to Office working 6 to 8 hours, sometimes we went out to meet people and to take more photos,and overnight me and shadi worked at home.

What did I gain from this work?

noreply@blogger.com (kobeissi) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:57:00 +0000

I’ve learnt a lot, I put in practice everything that I learned in University in the books, it was about every lesson, every step, every course that I did, it was about every word of my Professors, that in my way I remembered. Everything counted. It was a great experience for my next works, and for my life, it was the important point to start my career of journalism, where I could learn all the process of getting information, saving it, and showing it, doing the jog of journalist indoors and outdoors.

Moreover I know a lot of places, a lot of people, I could knew much more about Lebanon. I saw how Lebanon is colorful, in it’s diversity, and how much we have to love each other without discrimination of religion and creed.

I had the pleasure to know and visit such places, and to arrive in each place I had to pass by beautiful sights like, beaches, rivers, mountains etc...

Each Sacred Place that I go, made me learn a lesson, sometimes to be more courageous, other to be more patient, other times to persist in what I want.

This journey showed me that we can do much more than we think, we can overcome what we think that we can’t.

Also that there are many Sacred Places, but faith is not in a place, but in your state of emotion and feelings, it is in your heart.

But the best thing that I’ve gained was to see the friendship, the nice moments,laughters ,even the few disagreements that sometimes we had about a subject were funny.

This group was united in order to make me get my Diploma, they really believe in me,

but seeing how much they were doing for this Project, and each of them doing their part in this work was what make this project really worth and wonderful.

Until now I don't really understand how all these people were united this much to help me, I expected some help for sure, but not as this much. I think even them don’t know why, I believe they are a present from God.

Finally I learned that faith can move mountains!