to the abyss and back

The past month has caused me to start to doubt my faith in physics. According to the laws of special relativity Time is supposed to go slower as you approach the center of a gravitating body (i.e. the Earth). Now, since the earth is an oblate spheroid the equatorial regions of the earth (like the Middle East) are actually closer to the center of the earth than the northern and southern extremeties. Moreover, cities at sea level (like Beirut) are likewise closer to the earth’s center. However, despite all of this I think that time has actually sped up. I don’t think I have even notice the last three weeks (I guess my ability to notice pico-second variations needs work).
P.S. if you understood this you are in danger of becoming a nerd (take care!). If you in any way thought it was comical or entertaining you are already infected (don’t go to any doctor, there is no cure). If you think this is all dumb and I am wasting your time, you are safe from the nerd bug.

OK, enough of that. But seriously, this has been a crazy last few weeks. I got everything taken care of in Jordan, finished my nanotechnology research paper, and said goodbye to my friends. It was a little difficult to say goodbye to people I have known there for the last 14 months. Jordan is the longest place I have stayed in the last 3 years…so it was something like home, or the closest thing I might have in this life. Part of me kinda actually wish that it would have been harder to leave, emotionally I mean. The fact that I can just pick up and go without shedding tears or being emotionally torn kind of makes me feel like I have lost something of my humanity. Is it normal to feel like you have no attachment to one specific place in this world, no homeland, no place you call your own? I know the answer to that question…and yet while I feel a strange uneasiness in my lack of sadness in being a nomad, at the same time I feel a unique sense of freedom and peace, knowing that I am where God wants me, and that He is with me. This suffices me.

A friend of mine offered to take me to Lebanon with his car. Of course that offer required that I pay all the expenses, which after accommodation, food, taxes, fees, and bribes turned out to be about 300$. I met up with another friend in Damascus and we spent three days in Syria. I got to see old Damascus, which is pretty amazing. We saw 1,500 year old markets, 2,500 year old ruins, and 2,000 year old streets (including the street that is called Straight). We spent a day and a half driving to some sites of interest. Probably the coolest was a huge crusader castle near the Syria coast. It is the largest crusader castle in the middle east, and was the last bastion of the Crusaders before their final retreat back to Europe. You cannot imagine how big this place is. It reminded me a lot of Helm’s Deep. It was designed to hold 1,500 to 2,000 soldiers, and was considered nearly impenetrable. Syria is definitely a neat country, and has a friendly, more open culture than Jordan, which kind of surprised me. Nevertheless, politics is different, and we were followed and watched by secret police a number of times.

I made it to Lebanon a little over a week ago and things have been non-stop. After dropping my stuff off at a friends place I went and spent a couple days down in Tyre where there are some people I know trying to start some kind of ministry and humanitarian aid projects with a refugee camp there. One of the guys I met there is a fisherman. I told him I used to be a fisherman too, and that I would love to go out and go fishing with him some time. He agreed…that will be so COOL. I also have some other friends who are involved in a orphanage/home for abused kids just outside of Beirut. As it turns out, they are in dire need of volunteers, so after a bit of consideration and prayer I decided to move in. They give me free room and board. The kids aren’t allowed to go to school so pretty much I am helping take care of the kids. Most of them are pretty good kids, they just have really difficult circumstances. Twice a week I take them to church (or as many as I can fit in the church van).

Well, that about covers the major points. I was hoping to be able to play more sports living here in Lebanon, however my pinched sciatic nerve is still putting a crimp on any kind of real physical activity. I’ve even been taking it easy, for the most part…I might be going to the doctor again if it’s not better soon.

Sorry I can’t put up any pictures right now. Right now the only internet that is easily accessible is dial-up (yeah, that’s right dial-up still exists), and I don’t feel like waiting 2 hours to upload the pictures. I'll put them up when I can. If you want to check out the castle I think it is called 'Crac de Chavaliers'.