Not the top floor, but one down from the top, with my windows both open – this is where my knee and I have been spending our nights and most of our days, taking it easy and propped up. Eating lunch of chicken shwarma by myself on the veranda of the Notre Dame Center, I looked up and saw three people standing at my table, looking down at me: George, Rawan and Father Humam. They all work at the Latin Patriarchate. I have met each of them over the years in some capacity or another. They now work together. It is something, I do not know what, but it something to have three wonderful people working in this wonderful land among this wonderful people in the name of our wonderful God all recognize me and call me by name. God has been so good to me. After lunch I began reading a book about Pope Francis. The words “authenticity” and “authentic” keep coming to mind. An African priest, seeing that I was walking with a cane, said, “In Africa, as have an expression: if is it too easy, we don’t remember it!” Finally, I do not remember the origin of these next two sentences, but they appear in my journal entry for 12 June and are too good to waste: I am finding what God gives, and resting in his giving. People should be able to see our experience of God in our face, all over our face, without us saying a word.
With Open Doors 
So happy, Rob, that you are sharing your trip with us, because I’ll never get there and you bring it alive, people and all. God is so good and it’s wonderful that you share your appreciation of life with us. Hope the knee gets better or there’s an orthopedic doc that could give you a cortisone shot!!!