Cairo, Egypt: From Disappointment to Love (Part 1)

After spending four days in Beirut, my travel companion and friend Matt Botta and I were on our way from Beirut to Cairo. We arrived in the Cairo International Airport slightly before noon on Tuesday, November 8^th commencing our four days in another Middle Eastern country.

Special thanks to Maged, a new friend of mine, who has served as a translator for the organization I have worked for, International Samaritan, on the service trip that came to Egypt two summers ago. Thanks to my friend and coworker Andrew, I was able to get into connect with Maged, which made my time in Cairo much more enjoyable and exciting. Without Maged’s time and effort, I do not think I would have been able to do several of things that I was able to do with his assistance and presence, and I definitely would not have learned as much as I did about Egypt, the city of Cairo, and the Egyptian people.

Housing Arrangements

Matt and I stayed in Pension Roma, a hostel resting on the third and fourth floors of a building in Downtown Cairo. This Europeanesque hostel has an old elevator in order to get from the ground level to the hostel, and one has to close both the gate and the door to operate it. An older European woman guards the front desk during the day, and she spoke at least four languages fluently (Arabic, English, Italian, and French). And who knows, she very well may have spoken more. Our arrangements were very simple and worth the great price. Although for future reference, make sure you plug in the mosquito repellent plug – otherwise you’ll wake up with a ton of mosquito bites! Obviously I am speaking from firsthand experience – it also reminded me of my first evening in Haiti. We were using mosquito nets over our mattresses because the building we stayed in was lacking doors and bug netting because it was not finished yet. Well, the first night, my leg rolled out underneath the mosquito net and I woke up in the morning with so many bites on my leg that it looked infected or distorted.

Transportation in Cairo

Although we were only in Cairo for four days, we actually were able to use various methods of public transportation, among them being microbuses, buses, taxis, the metro train, and even tuk-tuks.

The metro system was very efficient and quite easy to use, and not to mention cheap (only 1 Egyptian pound, which is approx. $0.20 USD). The metro trains were pretty filthy and smelled pretty badly, but using this mode of transportation made me realize how much easier it is to get from place to place, in comparison with Amman, and when streets are heavy with traffic, the metro provides a nice option.

On the last evening, my friend Matt and I decided to use some public transportation to get from Al-Azhar Park to a café near Tahrir Square. We hopped in a microbus that was partly full. However, like buses in Amman, they wait till they are completely full – and these microbuses use every possible seat, placing children on top of their parents and forcing us to sit directly facing a couple with my legs in a rather awkward position. The microbus, like the metro, costs only 1 Egyptian pound. After leaving the microbus, we realized we were not anywhere close to Tahrir Square. We asked various people, including a traffic police officer, who all directed us in different ways to board another bus to Tahrir Square. Eventually we decided to hope on bus and trust that the man would go where he said we were going. We eventually made it to the café, feeling satisfied that we were able to use public transportation successfully.

My least favorite form of transportation was the taxi. Sure there are plenty of them, that one should never have a problem in finding a taxi. So my dislike in using taxis in Cairo does not lie the ability to find them, rather it disappoints me, and furthermore angers me, when taxi drivers attempt to charge more for the fare and do not use their meter. My anger stems from several negative experiences that I had with taxi drivers who charged more than what is would charge to an Egyptian. Due to being a foreigner, I am treated with disrespect, as drivers assume they can take advantage of me. Why? When people talk about all humans, regardless of race, nationality, religion, etc., being equal, why are their hypocrites who abuse an opportunity with someone they never met, who might engage with them in a great conversation that could lead to mutual understanding and learning new things, and instead attempt to take advantage of a foreigner, who in most cases comes to a country hoping to have a positive experience that it will encourage him to return back in the future. Well, I will be honest. After my first two days in Cairo, I was ready to leave and not come back. I am, however, happy that my opinion has changed. However, this still leaves the question open as to why there is this constant abuse of power by taxi drivers. Although this has happened to some in Amman, including myself, it has not occurred to the extent that it did in Cairo.

I researched a little into this topic online, and found some sources who stated that taxi drivers would say their meter was broken and give a single price prior to the trip (which would be higher than if using the meter) because, in fact, the increase in oil prices has made driving more expensive, however the rise in oil prices did not lead to increasing the cost of the meter – therefore, the meter is outdated and has not taken into account the change in prices of oil. Well, this makes sense why drivers would try to charge more. I understand why drivers want more money, because there is a strong chance that they are losing money or, more likely, they are making less than they did previously. However, this does not excuse their treatment of people, particularly foreigners.

My favorite public transportation that we used was the tuk-tuk, or auto rickshaw, which is utilized in smaller communities, where the roads are not paved and are not as wide and people walk throughout the streets and sell various goods and foods on the streets, making it rather impractical to use cars, taxis, or buses. Thus, the tuk-tuk is an essential mode of transportation for these communities.

Visit to the Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx

My friend, Maged, drove my friends and I to the Pyramids of Giza. Only about 15 km from Downtown Cairo, however with traffic it took roughly a half hour to get there. My initial thought about the Pyramids, being one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was that it was located far out in the desert, away from anything modern; and although of course it would be full of tourists from all over the world, I thought it would be rather civilized and organized. Well, I was wrong on both assumptions.  It was somewhat of a shock to arrive at the main gate of the Pyramids which sits right in the middle of a congested suburb of Cairo, and seeing lines of visitors, both locals and foreigners, attempting to pay the entrance fee and set out on an adventure to see some of the world’s most magnificent structures. As we walked around the Pyramids, admiring their grand beauty, it was also weird to see Cairo in the near distance – I actually do love how past and present can sit next to one another, especially in such a large city, and both can be visited by locals and foreigners. The second assumption about civility and organization of such an important historical site and tourist attraction – well, it actually did not surprise me after being to other historical sites in the Middle East in Petra and in northern Jordan.

All was well when Maged was with us, as he purchased the student rate tickets for us and made sure they did not try to take advantage of us at the main entrance. Well, all good things come to an end at some point. Maged had to live for some meetings – he had already done so much for us, so I told him “no worries, we can handle it from here.” Of course those words would come back to haunt us. Immediately after he left, some locals wanted us to use their camel and horse service to ride around the Pyramids, because he told us that walking around the site is not enjoyable and it is far. Other tourists were doing it, and after getting him to lower the price per person to use this “whole view experience”, we mounted the horses and camels and off we went to explore the Pyramids! Well, if you haven’t noticed my sarcasm, I will spit it out – this was mish qwayis “not good”! Our “guides” were two young Egyptian boys, who spoke no English and I struggled to use my limited Jordanian dialect and somewhat decent formal Arabic skills, because they spoke and only knew Egyptian dialect, which is different from the Jordanian dialect.

We slowly made it around the Pyramids, and passed the Pyramid we were supposed to stop at to take an inside look. We continued to the “panoramic view” spot, which was not the best place to take a picture of all three Pyramids. Then I switched from riding a horse, to riding the camel with the 10 year old Egyptian “guide” – the camel is not made for two people and riding down a hill with this boy in front of me made for the most uncomfortable experience that I have had in the Middle East. We made it to the Sphinx where they then asked for our money (oh, and they wanted us to pay them before we even went on the “ride”!). We asked them to take us to the smaller pyramid for the inside look, but they did not understand what we wanted, so we paid them and ended up walking the whole grounds again – walking to each of the three pyramids, going inside the smallest pyramid, and returning to the main entrance. So I guess I had both worlds - I rode a camel and horse looking at the beautiful work of the pyramids, and I walked around the pyramids on the same path viewing the same masterpieces. I think I would have sufficed for just walking.

But it is all a part of the experience, right? Yes, it is. I found the Pyramids of Giza to be quite breathtaking and astonishing – it’s just amazing to imagine the time, effort, and labor required to build them. And despite the crowds of tourists and the constant pestering and hassling of the horse and camel owners for the “best price” ride and experience, I enjoyed seeing one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and very rich and beautiful historical site.

Coptic Cairo

We visited Coptic Cairo, the nucleus of Egypt’s native Christian community.

Lying next to the Mar Girgis metro stop, the Hanging Church, Al-Kineesa al-Mu’allaqa, is the most famous Coptic church in Cairo and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Built in the 7^th century, it serves as one of the main churches for the Coptic community, and houses the Coptic patriarchs of Alexandria.

Also in Coptic Cairo lies the Church of St. George, the principal Greek Orthodox church of Egypt. Next to the church is the Monastery of St. George, which serves as the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.

The Church of St. Sergius, sitting inside the Greek Orthodox cemetery, is said to have been built over a cave where Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus took shelter after fleeing to Egypt in order to escape persecution from King Herod of Judea.

Egyptian Museum

On our first day in Cairo, we toured the Egyptian Museum, which lies next to Tahrir Square. I enjoy museums to a certain extent, and although I am probably not the most interested person in ancient history, I do find the artifacts to be interesting and worth a visit. The best way to describe the Egyptian Museum, in my eyes, is that it is worth it to see the mummies, because it is just really cool! The Museum itself was a little boring – to be honest.

Falucca Ride on the Nile River

One evening we took a Falucca ride down the Nile River. Absolutely gorgeous at night to driving through the calm waters of the Nile and seeing both the Cairo and Giza sides lit up.

Al-Azhar Park

Located on the eastern edge of Islamic Cairo, a recent addition to Cairo, Al-Azhar Park serves Cairo’s citizens and differs from any other public space in Cairo in terms of size, beauty, gardens, and atmosphere. My friend Matt and I spent our last evening in Cairo walking around Al-Azhar Park, enjoying the sight of families at the park – which brought me back to my childhood when my family would occasionally spend an afternoon in the park or several families would spend the day at the park. It was a space available for locals to go, and not have to worry about the commotion and crowds of Cairo. Not to mention the upkeep and maintenance on the grounds of the park – it was the complete opposite of the disgusting streets of Cairo.

Kushari at Abu Tarek Restaurant

The best spot, by far, to have kushari (a traditional Egyptian dish) is at Abu Tarek. It consists of rice, lentils, chickpeas, and macaroni, with toppings of tomato and garlic sauces and fried onions. I had kushari a couple times while I was in Cairo – and no place compares to Abu Tarek. Plus, if you have only one item on the menu, it better be phenomenal.

Cairo’s souq, Khan al-Khalili

 

We ventured to Khan al-Khalili, a large souq (market) in Islamic Cairo, twice. The first time we walked around the souq, checking out the different shops and enjoying the hysterical lines from the shop owners. In one instance after declining an offer, the owner says to me, “you are breaking my heart.”  Also, while walking down one of the pathways at the souq, it seemed like each of the owners said a greeting or an offer for one of their products in a different language. I heard Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and some other languages. Inside the souq, we went to Fishawy’s, a local tea and argelieh spot filled with Egyptians having tea with each other. It had a very local feel to it and it was fun to people watch.

The Citadel

The Citadel is located on the eastern edge of Cairo, and it is a massive complex, that has some beautiful views of Cairo, and even the Pyramids of Giza in the far distance. Home to Egypt’s rulers for 700 years, the Citadel houses several mosques, several museums located in former palaces. The Mosque of Mohammed Ali, built over 150 years ago, dominates the land of the Citadel.

Garbage Collecting Communities (I will post about these in another post)

1.     Ezbet El Nakhal

2.     Mokattam Hills and the Cave Church

A Journey to Lebanon: Paris of the Middle East, Reliving the Pain of the Past

I struggled titling this post, as it is hard to summarize my experience and opinion of my short time in Lebanon. In four days, I traveled to various sites in Lebanon, staying each night in Beirut. Over the course of those four days, I witnessed the beautiful sites and locations within Beirut and in several relatively nearby areas – places that Lebanon prides itself on. In addition to these more traditional “tourist” places, I also witnessed a country and a people striving to be more like the West, yet holding on to their Arab identity. I experienced the beauty of various religions living in harmony and worshiping next to one another. And I also observed the strong feelings still felt throughout the Lebanese people in regards to recent memories that caused bloodshed and chaos with the Civil War in addition to the resilience among the Lebanese people in the aftermath of their former prime minister’s assassination.

As you can see, I cannot give a few words to explain Lebanon. I can however say that my time in Lebanon was wonderful – a place I would return to in a heartbeat. Despite it being in the Middle East, it was very different from Jordan and from Egypt. Sure there are many similarities, but I think grouping them together does not do justice to any of the three countries. 

Lebanon: still reliving the horrible memories of the Lebanon civil war (1975 to 1991) and the assassination of former prime minster Rafiq Hariri in 2005.

I stood on the roof the main Jesuit residence in Beirut at St. Joseph’s University with Dan Corrou, SJ, a Jesuit scholastic from the New England Province. St. Joseph’s University, a Jesuit university, resides in Achrafiye (southeast of the Downtown area). Looking out at the various areas of Beirut at night, I was provided with an amazing view of the city. From a distance, Dan pointed out to me the Holiday Inn, which serves as the most visible and painful monument of the civil war. Snipers used the high position of the Holiday Inn, as it allowed them to see anything and everything that entered the port. As a result, it attracted all sorts of firepower. It’s massive presence, next to the beautiful swish InterContinental Phoenicia hotel, also contrasts the past and present. The Jesuit residence, a rather ugly and out of place building compared to St. Joseph’s and definitely no Wolfington Hall at Georgetown, was built prior to the civil war and Dan showed me the general areas where Shias, Sunnis, and Christians lived. Interestingly, the Jesuit residence was in the middle of the Sunni-Christian fighting that involved mortar attacks – however no major damage affected the Jesuit residence, although a few lounge chairs still have shrapnel in them.

Another event felt throughout the city of Beirut as well as Lebanon as a whole was the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005. The month anniversary of his murder, the 14^th of March, brought the largest demonstration in Lebanon to the Place des Martyrs of 1 million Lebanese (a quarter of the country’s population) to the streets and resulted in the final withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Across from the Place des Martyrs is the Mohammed al-Amin mosque in which Hariri is buried.

These horrific events still affect the lives of many Lebanese citizens, and for most they experienced these events firsthand and thus must have some terrible memories and losses. Next to the Mohammed al-Amin mosque resides St. George’s Maronite Cathedral. A beautiful view of two different religions can stand beside one another, can worship beside one another, and live together in peace. On Sunday morning, I went to Mass at St. George’s Cathedral. Listening to the Arabic Mass, I sat in silence reflecting on my time thus far in the Middle East and the sound of the Call to Prayer at the mosque literally next to the Cathedral I was reassured of the ability of two religions to work and live together in harmony, and I was also convinced of the continued need for Muslim-Christian understanding throughout the Middle East and the world at large.

West Beirut highlights: Pigeon Rocks, AUB, and the Corniche

The Pigeon Rocks, located on just off the coast in West Beirut, are one of the most famous and, I believe, the only natural features of Beirut.

The American University of Beirut is situated in the Hamra area of Beirut. A beautiful campus, situated on 28 hectares of greenery and beautiful buildings, drastically differs from the campus of the University of Jordan. The campus is located right along the Mediterranean Sea, which allowed AUB students to enjoy an occasional swim.   

The Corniche runs along part of the Mediterranean, near the AUB campus. As I walked along the Corniche, it was not like anything I have ever felt while in Jordan. To be honest, I felt as if I was in the States or Europe. It was fun to see families out along the Corniche, older men sitting in folding chairs with their coffees, and young and old men alike pole fishing. The natural orange juice from the “juice man” was also very refreshing.

Natural sites of Jeita Grotto and Roman ruins of Baalbek

One of Lebanon’s largest tourist attractions is the caverns of Jeita Grotto, which contain some of the world’s most impressive collections of stalactites and stalagmites. The upper cavern is explored on foot while the lower cavern involves a short boat ride. Both include incredible views.

Our visit to Baalbek involved an interesting ride through the Bekaa Valley. It was an enjoyable ride, driving between two mountain ranges. However the Bekaa Valley is known to be part of Hezbollah’s region. In fact, Baalbek is considered to be Hezbollah’s strategic headquarters – which made sense as we were offered Hezbollah t-shirts at the Roman ruins (no thanks). According to my guidebook of Lebanon and locals, this region, specifically Baalbek, houses the political wing of Hezbollah, whereas its armed wing is situated elsewhere. Despite what one might think of Baalbek and Hezbollah’s supremacy in this area, it is interesting to note that the town’s population is mixed Muslim and Christian, although the yellow and green flags can be seen throughout the city.

Our first stop in Baalbek was the Hajar al-Hubla (Stone of the Pregnant Woman), which is the largest stone in the world, measuring 21.5m by 4m by 4.5m. Mr. Abdul Nabi Al-Afi receives no support from the government or any other organization – he is the sole man keeping this ancient Roman treasure from the garbage dump it once was. We arrived with Mohammed, our driver, and were greeted with open arms and Mr. Afi’s “welcome coffee.”

The ‘Sun City’ of the ancient world, Baalbek houses the most impressive ruins in Lebanon. Originally a Phoenician settlement, it was later conquered by Alexander the Great who named it Heliopolis (City of the Sun) and was subsequently conquered by the Romans in 64 BC by Pompey the Great. The city was invaded by Muslim Arabs in 748 and later the Mongols in 1400.

Our trip back to Beirut through the Mt. Lebanon range when it was very dark outside was a toe-clinching experience. Combining Middle East driving (aka craziness and disorder), quick turns through a mountain range, pitch black dark, fog, and bright car lights approaching at unusually fast speeds = nervousness + praying + faith. I am thankful we made it through Mt. Lebanon, and after my heart felt like it skipped a couple beats I am happy to be alive!

Harissa: Our Lady of Lebanon and Téléférique

After an amazing Lebanese lunch/dinner in Mayrouba, we drove to Harissa overlooking Jounieh, a city north of Beirut, and the Mediterranean Sea. A top of Harissa is the enormous white-painted bronze statue of the Virgin of Lebanon. Beneath the statue is a chapel dedicated solely to prayer. Next to the Virgin of Lebanon is the modern Notre Dame du Liban cathedral.

One of the other highlights of Harissa is the Téléférique that can be used round-trip from Jounieh to Harissa. We decided to take it down from Harissa to Jounieh to meet our driver Mohammad. It was a nice, easy ride down the mountain, passing through apartment complexes getting the occasional view of families having dinner or watching TV.

Ksara Winery

Our first full day in Lebanon began with a trip to the Ksara Winery near Zahlé in the Bekaa Valley, which is a beautiful area located between the Mt. Lebanon Range and Jabal Libnan ash-Sharqiyya (Anti-Lebanon Range), which borders Syria. Over 2000 meters higher than Beirut, the weather was much colder and it rained several times throughout the day – reminded me of late fall in Michigan or Washington, D.C. We reached Lebanon’s oldest and most famous winery and immediately began the tour of the winery, watching a video on its history, learning about the processes of wine production, wine-tasting, and touring the caves where the wine matures. The entire tour was very enjoyable and I felt much older while partaking in the wine-tasting! An interesting fact about this winery is that in 1857, Jesuit priests purchased the land and expanded the vineyard. The Jesuits came across the land around Ksara’s present location and noticed the abundance of water and the beauty of the terrain, eventually leading to the planting of vines and the creation of a vineyard. Several years later workers at the vineyard discovered caves underneath the land, which have been used to store wine and allow it to age. The vineyard was sold in 1973 to its current owners because the Vatican requested that its missions and monasteries around the world sell any commercial assets.

 

My overall time in Beirut has greatly contrasted that of life in Amman. The presence of bars and clubs throughout Beirut and the amount of foreigners and locals at both types of establishments is unheard of in Amman, although there are some nightlife spots. It very much reminded me of Paris or a similar European city. The Downtown area was very pedestrian friendly, and various stores and cafes covered the streets, and families, couples, and youth enjoyed the overall atmosphere of Downtown.

My short time in Beirut has made me wonder about what it would have been like to study for a semester here. It definitely would have impacted by checkbook a lot more than Amman, and the Amman reliance on taxis has become irritating because I enjoy walking to places – Beirut is very pedestrian friendly, as we walked from East Beirut to West Beirut without any trouble or near-death experiences. So, yes, I think I would really have loved to study and live for a longer period of time in Beirut (maybe that will happen some day!), but my time in Amman has been very enjoyable – just in a different way. Being away from Amman has made me realize the difference in lifestyles in the Middle East, but has also made me grow in appreciation for the places and people that I have come to know and love over the past two months.

 Check out other photos from Lebanon

Nothing like a little sparkler-flame action on a cake!

Last week, my host sister Lara turned 7 years old. Two events of the week are worth noting. First, the trip to the bakery to purchase a cake; and second, the birthday party at the house.

On Tuesday evening, we left our house, and as we made a left turn onto the main street, Rami began to shout Rawan Cake…Rawan Cake! My host parents told him that we were going to Cado Cake. Well, that did not sit well with Rami as he then shouted Cado Cake muqaziz (disgusting) and began to cry. He cried the entire way to Cado Cake.

We arrived to Cado Cake and upon seeing the delicious looking desserts, Rami’s tears turned into a large smile. Lara and Rami began looking at the various books of different types of cakes. Rania, my host mother, was looking with them and helping Lara pick out a cake for her birthday, while my host father paced around the building, occasionally looking at the books.

I stood there reminiscing about my childhood when my parents would take my sister and I to the bakery to pick out our birthday cakes. We would look at every single picture of every possible cake for what seemed like hours. My sister and I were so intrigued by the tremendous amount of cake options that it became very difficult to make a decision. Lara struggled to make up her mind and I could tell that David was getting impatient and wanted to get going. I’m sure my parents acted in a similar way – hoping that the cake of dreams would be chosen and we could move on with our lives. What big decision we had to make as children!

I looked with Lara and Rami at some of the pictures of cakes, and found some of them to be very similar, nearly identical, to ones that I recall from my childhood. However, a few stood out, like the cake with images of Marlboro cigarettes or the AK-47 machine gun. I had a few laughs looking at those pictures!

On Thursday evening, we had a birthday celebration at our house for Lara. Several of her friends and their mothers attended the event, in addition to Peter, my host father’s brother, and Tata (grandmother), my host father’s mother. The evening was absolutely fantastic and it was such a joy to watch Lara and Rami and their friends playing various games, like a version of hot potato and musical chairs. The food that evening was delicious – pizza from the local bakery, homemade Tabouli (best I have ever had!), and various desserts, including the pink Princess cake!

At one point everyone gathered around the table in order to sing Happy Birthday to Lara. Rania picked up a lighter and then lit the candles. Recalling the various birthday celebrations that I have had as well as the ones that I have witnessed, I thought we would light the typical candles. However, these candles were more like a sparklers and flares combination. We lite all the candles and I thought for a second that our house would catch on fire! We sang Happy Birthday in English and then in Arabic.

Just wait, it gets even better. After singing to Lara, the candles (or in this case the sparkler-flares) were extinguished and removed from the cake. Then Rania placed another candle with the number 4 on it on top of the candle. At this point I was really confused. Everyone then immediately began singing Happy Birthday again! Yet, this time it was for Rami (however, his birthday was in August!). I have realized that if Lara gets something or does something, then Rami must as well. It made me laugh that all of Lara’s friends and their mothers began singing to Rami without any forewarning by Rania or David.

All in all the evening was quite wonderful. I think Lara had a wonderful time and it was definitely fun to partake in a birthday party for kids – something I have not been a part of in a long time.

Throughout this evening, I felt for the first time that this was in a sense my home and my family. I have begun to feel like an older brother to Rami and Lara, and a son to David and Rania. Today, I left for travels to Beirut and Cairo for the Eid Al-Adha break. As I said good-bye to everyone and gave hugs and witnessed the expected tears from Rami, I realized how much I will miss them this week and I think they will miss me as well. (In a future blog post, I will hopefully talk more about this).

Photos from the Dead Sea and the Amman Marathon

Last weekend I ran the 10km Fun Run of the Amman International Marathon. I finished under an hour, which is not too bad for someone who doesn't run often and hasn't run since he arrived in Jordan two months ago.

I also went on a day trip to the Dead Sea. Check out the photos of me floating in the sea and with the mud all over my body!

The Call to Serve: Fr. Dean Brackley, SJ

Below is an article I wrote recently for Internaitonal Samaritan, the non-profit organization that concentrates its work on garbage dump communities throughout the world. In high school, I was able to attend several trips to San Pedro Sula, Honduras to work in the community of El Ocotillo. The past three summers I have interned with International Samaritan, and led service-learning trips to Honduras and Haiti. 

Click here to read my article on International Samaritan's website.

On November 16, 1989, six Jesuit priests and the housekeeper and her daughter were dragged from their rooms at the Jesuit residence at the University of Central America (UCA) in San Salvador, El Salvador. They were pulled from their rooms to the ground of the courtyard, where they were brutally murdered by members of El Salvador’s army. Shortly after their death, the husband and father of the housekeeper and daughter planted roses that still blossom and show their beauty to all those who walk by in reverence of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

These roses serve many purposes. First most, they serve in memory of the eight individuals who lost their lives on that early morning in November. Secondly, the roses demonstrate what God talks about in the Gospel of John, that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5). These roses remind us that despite the negative aspects of our lives - war, poverty, hatred, and neglect, to name a few - God’s light overshadows the darkness of our world. Despite all that is terrible and negative, God provides us with beauty - beauty that has the power to affect lives in midst of the terror and deep sadness that affected the poor and oppressed of El Salvador, as well as throughout our world.

Following the death of his fellow companions, Fr. Dean Brackley, SJ felt the deep desire within him to follow God’s call to El Salvador - to serve those who had lost some of their most outspoken advocates and friends, and to bring justice and love to a place in deep need for both. Fr. Brackley recalled years later, “I remember it affected me more than I would have ever thought.”

I could speak at length about the impact of Fr. Dean Brackley, SJ on the lives he touched in El Salvador, as well as the lives he impacted throughout the world. He was a theologian, a writer, an advocate for the poor and oppressed of El Salvador, and last but not least, a Jesuit (which I will return to shortly). He worked with the poor of El Salvador in the toughest of times, following the despicable murder of his Jesuit Brothers and the oppression and civil war experienced throughout El Salvador; he committed himself to bringing social justice to all in El Salvador and recognized the need for solidarity.

I had the privilege a couple of summers ago to meet Fr. Brackley with my fellow class mates, and teachers while on a tour of the Romero Center at the UCA. It was my second trip with International Samaritan to El Ocotillo, Honduras, volunteering with International Samaritan at the garbage dump community on the outskirts of San Pedro Sula. At the end of our 10-day service-learning trip, International Samaritan organized a retreat to San Salvador, El Salvador to witness the work of the Jesuits in serving the poor and oppressed.

Upon our arrival to the Romero Center, Fr. Brackley was waiting to greet us since the University was closed due to a holiday. Seeing our reservation for the day and noticing our Jesuit connection with International Samaritan and our high school, University of Detroit Jesuit High School, he decided to take the time out of his day to show to us part of recent history, the struggle for social justice and also to invite us into part of his own life.

I recall watching a documentary that highlighted Fr. Brackley’s decision to work in El Salvador and remember reading various articles about him and written by him. How impressed I was by his love for the poor and his commitment to serving “those without a voice.” After spending a couple of hours with him, I could feel the passion of his desire to serve God and all of mankind - it was contagious!

Now, back to his Jesuit identity. Shortly after his death, a friend asked me about Fr. Dean Brackley. “Who was this priest? What did he do?” I told my friend, “If I had to give you one word to describe this man - and all his deepest desires, his thoughts, words, and deeds, his passion to serve the poor and oppressed - all I would have to say is that he was, and always will be, a Jesuit.

At the UCA reads a plaque in the chapel (I have translated it into English from Spanish):

What does it mean to be a Jesuit today? It is to engage, under the standard of the cross, in the crucial struggle of our time: the struggle for faith and that struggle which it includes.

Fr. Brackley, SJ embodied all the characteristics and attributes of a Jesuit. He worked towards the “service of faith and the promotion of justice” (35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus). His actions and words serve as prime examples of his ability to set the world on fire - starting fires within the hearts and minds of those he taught at the UCA, those he served in the poor communities in El Salvador, and those throughout the world that have been affected by his commitment to social justice and solidarity - which has encouraged others to start fires elsewhere.

Fr. Brackley, I thank you for your presence in the lives of the poor and oppressed, for the decision you made years ago to serve “those who have no voice” in a country filled with injustice and violence, for your commitment to building the Kingdom of God here in on earth, and for the impact and influence you have left on me - in my heart, in my thoughts, and in my actions. Thank you for the difference you have made on this world - for the roses that blossom as a result of your ministries.

The Beauty of Mass (…in English)

For the past month I have been attended an English speaking Mass at St. Mary of Nazareth, a Catholic parish in Swefeih. I discovered this Mass when I went to the parish one Saturday evening with my host family for the wedding ceremony of one of their friends a month ago. It is a beautiful parish in a somewhat affluent neighborhood. I am reminded of Altar Road in Dearborn, Michigan when I look across the street to see a mosque – amazing to see two different religions being practiced right across from one another.

Unbeknownst to me was that the Jesuits in Amman presided at this Mass on Saturday evenings, along with the other English speaking Masses at various parishes throughout Amman. However, I was aware prior to coming to Jordan of the Jesuit Center in Amman where several Jesuits have been missioned. (Hopefully in another post in the near future I will talk about the Jesuit influence in Amman and the Middle East!)

The parish of St. Mary Nazareth, in which I have been attending for the past couple weeks now, is filled with parishioners on Saturday evening, the majority of which are Filipino. Amman houses a large number of Filipinos, particularly women, who works as maids in various households throughout the city as well as other jobs. This Mass also includes families with younger children as well as some elderly people. Thus it is somewhat of a mixed bag.

Nevertheless, it has been great to have Mass in English and understand everything that is taking place (compared to my experiences at Arabic-speaking Masses, which combine the formal Modern Standard Arabic and the local Jordanian dialect, making it extremely difficult for me to understand).

After Mass one Saturday, I wrote this in my small journal:

As I sit in the church preparing myself for Mass, I am immediately drawn to the music coming from several Filipino women who sing and play the guitar during the English speaking Mass on Saturdays in Swefeih and on Sunday evenings in Jabal Hussein.

My eyes begin to tear up as I sit marveling at the beauty of their music. Despite being accustomed to more traditional music back home like the 9:30 pm Mass in Dahlgren Chapel or even the 7:30 pm contemporary Mass, the majority of the music for this Mass is typical to these women. And after hearing about some of their own stories the other night by Fr. Paul, I cannot but feel sadness and remorse. I feel sick to my stomach to think that there are people who must work and live the way they do. And for them this Mass might be the best part of their week. The time is not only seen as a time to be with God and to bring themselves, as the imperfect human beings they are (and we are), open and vulnerable to the beautiful mystery of Mass and to share in the Eucharist. But it also serves as a time of fellowship with their friends and this community – a time to enjoy some normalcy (if there is such a thing).

Despite being accustomed to the music at parishes back in the States, I find it quite beautiful and amazing that these women are able to bring their talents and their passion and love for serving Christ in this way, and share it with everyone who attends Saturday Mass.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of the darkness that inhabits the earth. Yet despite the darkness, he gives us encouragement with the presence of the light. The light at times may seem to be overshadowed by the darkness but as far as I am concerned the light, no matter how big or how much, will always overcome the darkness.

As I pray in the Church, I ask God for the grace of happiness. To recognize that many are happy in this world and have nothing. I am comforted time and time again as I spend time with the poor, the oppressed, the sick and the weak – they show me what it truly means to be a child of God and what happiness truly is. It is my greatest hope that I am able to find true happiness and love like they have.

Visiting Biblical Sites in Jordan

Yesterday, I ventured to several biblical related locations in Jordan with an organized trip from CIEE, my study abroad program. Check out Photos from the trip and these photos too!

Our first stop was Mukawir, the hilltop fortress of Herod the Great. Following Herod the Great’s death, his son Heard Antipas inherited the stronghold. It is on this mountain where John the Baptist is said to have been imprisoned and later beheaded by the orders of Herod Antipas.

There was not much to see on top of the mountain, since the stronghold itself was mostly destroyed from an earthquake. Yet a few pillars are still upright. Despite the lack of much to see on the mountain itself, the view of the Dead Sea was beautiful. After the hike up the mountain and the sun beating down, all I wanted to do was take a swim in the Dead Sea (unfortunately we did not have time and it was not as close as the view made it seem like it was).

Our second stop was the city of Madaba. Years ago, Madaba was inhabited with Christians primarily. And still today, Madaba is still significantly Christian with Muslims living there as well, and the sight of mosques and churches throughout the city demonstrates the ability for two people of different faith traditions to engage in dialogue and friendship.

In Madaba, we visited St. George’s Church, a Greek Orthodox Church, that houses the mosaic map of the Holy Land. The map is believed to date back to 560 AD, covering the front section of the Byzantine church that was erected prior to the Greek Orthodox Church in its place. The mosaic map of the Holy Land provides a clear view of the walled city of Jerusalem with the Church of the Holy Sepluchre, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, Jericho, the Nile Delta in Egypt, and southern Lebanon.

I am still amazed at how this mosaic map has been persevered still to this day. After witnessing several Jordanians creating mosaic masterpieces in a shop nearby, I believe that this around 6 years to complete. The intricacy, precision, and patience involved in the process of creating a mosaic masterpiece like this is unbelievable. Unfortunately, if I were given the task of a mosaic-maker, I would probably be out of job in a day or two.

Our third stop was Mount Nebo where there is a gorgeous view of the Holy Land and the River Jordan. It is here that God gave Moses a view of the Promised Land. After years of abandonment and neglect, the Franciscans purchased this site in 1993 and excavated and restored the area. Pope John Paul II visited Mt. Nebo during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land on March 19, 2000. He planted an olive tree next to the Byzantine chapel for peace. As a Catholic, it was a very special experience, having the opportunity to visit an important biblical site.

Our final stop was to the Baptismal Site of Jesus at Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan. A recent discovery, excavations on the Jordanian side began in 1996. This biblical site is where it is believed that John the Baptist lived and baptized Jesus. It was a long walk from the entrance at the Visitor Center to the site of Jesus’ baptism. Walking down a long, dirt path with trees and shrubbery along the path, I had a very solemn and graceful journey to the site on the River Jordan. 

This experience brought to mind my passion for serving others and my desire to do all that do for the Greater Glory of God (AMDG). I imagined what it must have been like years and years ago when John baptized Jesus, and at the age of thirty Jesus began his ministry in spreading the Gospel, curing the sick, and serving the poor. I was able to place my hands in the River Jordan where he was baptized. Despite the lack of cleanliness of the water, I still felt rejuvenated in a sense – knowing that I am being called to serve God in a unique way.

Despite the general tourist nature of our trip, for me it was much more than that. I felt the presence of God in a different way, in a reassuring and comforting way. I wish I could have spent more time at these sites, yet I am thankful that I was able to make this journey.