The Real Christmas Spirit

As soon as December starts, you start feeling the Christmas spirit all over the country.
Some of us enjoy checking the decorations everywhere, buying gifts for friends and family, special dinners...
That was the reason of my Christmas spirit a couple of years ago.
What gives me the true heartwarming feeling is something called 'Tournée Père Noêl' or Tour of Santa Clause.

Who does that?
There is a scout group in Jounieh called GSS (Groupement Social Scout).
This group is composed of multiple units and each of these units focuses on different topics. One of these units is called 'Unité Service Social' which takes care of a large number of poor families and old people all year long.
These families usually have some very specific cases:

• Very poor families.
• Orphans.
• Terrible parents.
• Old and disabled parents...

Other than providing provisions, medications and support for old people, and organizing a 3 months full-time summer camp for all the kids of these families, on the 24th of December, at 7h30pm, this unit has a very sacred mission to do. That would be the ‘Tournée Père Noêl’.


What is it all about?
They gather in Collège des Apôtres - Jounieh, split into multiple groups, which each of them has one Santa Clause, and a specific region to cover.
This tour consists of passing by all these families, dancing and caroling with the kids. Then Santa gives each kid a couple of well-chosen gifts, after listening to him/her singing a Christmas song, while others put a pack of provision in the kitchen, if exists.

Seeing these kids happy, and the parents/grandparents (or other family members) shedding tears silently makes me come back each and every year to take part of this tour.
Even though they have the most horrifying cases, I'm always amazed by their happiness and thankfulness.

What can you do?
If you feel like helping, you can help by either donating money, or any provision unit.
For more info, visit their Facebook page, and you'll find all the needed details for a heartwarming Christmas.
They need us to keep this going and growing.

The look that makes me come back
 (taken from the website of @Krikorianm)

Lebanese Fraud Monk

It’s been a while since I started thinking about creating my own blog. I postponed that because I do not have enough time to manage it the way I want, but the following story left me with no other choice!

A week before Christmas, I was in Zouk (Jounieh) heading to ‘Le Mall’, when I noticed a monk standing on the highway at ‘Marché du pont’ trying to get a lift.

I stopped for him (you know, Christmas spirit). Below is some of the conversation:

• His name is Elie (Atallah I guess, and around 25-30 years old), and he’s from Chouf – Mount Lebanon.
• His parents died when he and his sister were too small to remember.
• They both lived on the streets for almost 10 years.
• He was the only one taking care of his little sister.
• A priest saw them once, and decided to take care of them.
• His sister is married now and lives in Ain l Remmeneh (where he said he was heading to spend the night), and he’s a monk in ‘Kfifane’ monastery.
• He has cancer. He said that he has a scanner tomorrow and a big operation on Monday.
• During his conversation, he apologizes many times for bothering you with his discussion, but he says that he's in too much pain and he needs to talk to forget about it.
• He gives you a little prayer ant two Rosaries that he claims doing them, a small one for the hand and a bigger one.

Until now, the story is credible. The thing is that he tells you that he lost his money on his way. When I asked him if I can help and if he accepts money, he said ‘like you wish’.
So I told him that I can get him to Ain l Remmeneh since I’m going to ‘Le Mall’ but I need to pass by a friend and take her with me.
When we got there, he asked me to stop for him near St. Mary statue because he needs to pray before heading home.
I sensed something weird about him, and when we arrived I didn’t mention money. I told my friend that I felt like he was a fraud. But later on, I felt really bad about it.
Two days ago, a colleague told me that he was in Harissa the night before and he gave a lift for a monk who told him the exact same story!!!! Gave him rosaries, and told him that he lost his money, and that he has an operation tomorrow (if it is a weekday, he tells you that he has an operation tomorrow).

My poor friend gave him money!

It turned out to be a fraud!

So if you ever encountered this fraud imposter monk… Kick his ASS! Or let the police do that!
Can we blame him? or this is a consequence for the life he's living?!

Anyway... Keep on surviving.