Tea with Noura and Nabil Katibah

Noura Katibah and her nephew, Nabil Katibah are members of the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Beirut which meets at the N.E.S.T. They are both very connected to the N.E.S.T. Nabil works in the N.E.S.T. library. Noura was a teacher and is friends with just about everyone connected to the N.E.S.T. At tea, one of the first things Noura said is, “I LOVE the N.E.S.T.”

I met Noura after church my first Sunday here and she shared she had a friend named, Carol, also... Carol Weir. I was so delighted and told her Carol is a friend of mine and I live near her in the U.S. Noura and Nabil honored me with an invitation to tea yesterday afternoon. I learned so much about their family, which came from Syria. I am learning more and more about Syria and look forward to my opportunity to visit one day!

Noura’s Father studied at the American University of Beirut for his medical school and went to Palestine to serve the church as a Missionary and Doctor. There is a photo of Noura and Nabil in their home with Noura’s Father in the picture on the wall.

After our tea and amazing pastries from Cigale Bakery... yummy tarts with fresh fruit on top... oh my; Noura shared some photos with me. We were talking about Rev. Else Farr, who served as a Missionary in Lebanon for most of her life and is a dear friend of Noura (and now me too!). There on top of the first box of photos was one with Noura, Else and Noura’s sister, Minnie. Another photo was showing Nabil as a baby with his parents and brother and sister, along with his Auntie Minnie. Another photo was of Noura’s Father and Uncle, both Doctors serving in Palestine, and the back of the photo had an ornate stamp from the photographer that said, “Jerusalem, Palestine”

As we looked through the photos I had a deja vu and remembered helping Carol Weir make a photo album about their family’s time in Lebanon. I shared that with Noura and told her Carol’s album was really what led me on this path to work with the N.E.S.T. There is an interview with Carol Weir and I about this album making path to N.E.S.T.
Following is a link to the PC(USA) News Service article written by Emily Enders Odom.
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2007/07665.htm

I really feel more and more at home here, thanks to all at the N.E.S.T., and lovely people like the Katibahs. Oh... and one more thing... Noura is 95 and walks most places... what a gift!