Bekaakafra, the highest town in the Middle East

                  Imagine being  at an altitude of over 5.000 feet over sea level, and from the same vantage point you could see up to 10.000 feet where the mountain top peaks. Also, in the view you could see the valley below, which is 3.000 feet above the sea level. This particular spot exists in a small town in the country of Lebanon.

Bekaakafra is a village in the north side of Lebanon. A town that attracts visitors from  all over the world because of three attractions which are

1. The  highest inhabited village in the Middle East , 5.250 feet
2. The birth place of the famous Saint, Saint Charbel ( His miracles reached beyond the boarders of Lebanon).
3. The  third continuously inhabited old village in the world.

Bekaa-kafra is a Syrian word that means –“the fertile land”.- She has fertile soil and is rich in water sources. People in this village live from what they grow. Such as apple trees, pears, plumbs, peaches, walnuts, hazelnuts… and in- season vegetables such as parsley, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, radishes, corn, potatoes …..all these assortments are available in village’s stores.

Bekaa-kafra, has a wonderfully peaceful setting. You can see the highest peak in Lebanon. Qrnet Al-Sawda . 3083meters  approximately 10.000 feet . Just below and at 6.000 feet, you can see the cedar forest, that was important to various ancient civilizations. Cedars trees were used by the Phoenicians for building commercial and military ships, as well as houses, palaces, and temples. And Egyptian Pharaohs built their ships from the Lebanese cedar wood. Nowadays, the cedar trees are the emblem of Lebanon and adorn the Lebanese flag. And is the best place for skiing in the Middle East.

From this wonderful sitting, from Bekaa-kafra, on the left side, you can see Becharre the city and the birth place of  the Lebanese – American Philosopher- writer-artist, Jubran Khalil Gibran (1883 – 1931).

From the same place, you can see the deepest and most beautiful valley in Lebanon  Wadi Qadisha , the Holly Valley, where were scattered monasteries, churches, hermitages, and caves . And where the wild flowers  and trees grow in abundance.

Bekaakafra is the highest inhabited town in Lebanon and the Middle East. People  live year around even with the harsh winter conditions. Things have changed  today, unlike the past when roads would be closed from the storms and snow. Nowadays, with the city clearing the streets of snow, visitors can visit the town even in winter time.

In 1828, Saint charbel (Yousef Makhlouf), was born. After he discovered his life’s vocation to be a priest; he left his hometown and never came back. After his canonization, visitors started to pour in to see the place where he was born and spent his childhood and young adult life. Faithfull visitors, come to Bekaa-kafra to pray. Every day this village receives thousands of visitors . According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Moustakbal in 2006,1 million  visitors came to Bekaa-kafra.

The Lebanese historian Fouad Efram El-Boustany  brings back Bekaa-kafra to the 10th century according to the study of the “Memory of European Housing institute”, Bekaa-kafra  history goes back to 2.000 thousand years.

In1990, the European Institute “Houses Memory” adopted Bekaa-kafra as an exemplary town and the third oldest village in the world.  The objective is to make this town an international museum. And with the collaboration of the  Lebanese Directorate of Antiquities; “Houses Memory” commissioned  the studies that showed up the ancient character of its houses, streets, and entrances. Bekaa-kafra municipality achieved most of the project. Today if you visit this town you recognize that you are in front of an environmental and religious tourism setting.  The streets were paved after water lines and sewer lines were installed. Traffic has been redirected and restricted to certain areas, living the narrow streets for pedestrian to walk and view the old architecture. 

After these three qualifications, visiting Bekaa-kafra will be an interesting trip. If you decided to spend a day in this small town, First of all ,you have to be there in the early morning to attend the mass at 7 a.m. After the mass there, will be time for  breakfast. Homemade breakfast. Which includes  Mankouchi( Dow with zaatar) , Cheese yougort, cheese, olive and vegetables. With a smile, people receive you. “Ahala wsahala”  means welcome.

Your visit includes the place of Saint birth. The place where he used to pray. Saint Hawchab monastery, the school of Saint Charbel. This monastery’s records indicate that it was renovated in the year 600. Brother Georges, from this town lives in this monastery, and followed Saint Charbel’s path.  

Saint Saba’s Church is a small and historic church located  in the middle of the town where visitors can easily park. This church was built with the support of Saint Charbel’s  brother, John Makhlouf, who was at that time a member of the parish council. Our Lady of assumption is the biggest church in the town. People in this town put their effort to build it with no need of labor. This church was built on top of the old Church where Saint Charbel received his baptism. The baptism tub is still there and people can baptize their children with the Priest’s permission. This church was the original church of this town. People built  tunnels underground from their houses to the church to attend the mass on a regular basis. They used these tunnels a long time ago in order to stay out of sight of the Turks. The Houses of Memories Institute discovered these tunnels, half destroyed and  unsafe.

Visitors spend most of their days visiting the Holy places as well as historical sites and enjoying the weather.

The Lebanese ministry of tourism includes  Bekaakafra as a tourist site.

Bekaakafra is my hometown. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover

Christmas around the world:PVCC students bring international traditions to holiday celebrations

        Whether you are celebrating Sheng Dan Jieh in China or awaiting Pere Noelin France or Merry Christmas in the United States, you’re sharing in the wonder and magic of the Christmas season.

Students in Paradise Valley Community College come from the four corners of the Earth; they now celebrate Christmas according to the traditions of their country.

Juan Ludzich , a student in English101, is of Polish decent. He still celebrates Christmas according to the Polish tradition.
“Two days before Christmas, we participate with the Polish community in a special prayer for two hours,” says Ludzich. “For this occasion we dress up a Polish Christmas costume, which is part of our culture. Men dress up in tight chipo-pants , boots, a hat with feather and shells and a metal piece, which is part of the culture. Women have a special costume too;, long skirt, flat shoes, vest and they twist their hair.”
Ludzich with his family and the community assist in a ceremony at the church for two hours. During this ceremony, the priest splits a big loaf of bread and everybody gets one piece. Mothers cook the same bread at home, and they split it between the family members before Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas day lunch. Ludzich likes the family gathering around the table, tasting the delicious traditional food like “Peraguise” and “Golampky” and drinking vodka. For Ludzich, the difference between the Polish Christmas and the other religions is the gathering of families not the giving or receiving of presents.

Jovani Martinez, another English 101 student, was born and grew up in Mexico. He came to the United States with his family eight years ago.
“I don’t see any big difference in Christmas Eve traditions between North America and Mexico. We still celebrate Christmas as we did in Mexico: Christmas decoration all over the place, Christmas tree, gifts and family gathering around the dinner with a special food,” says Martinez.
Martinez likes the Mexican food cooked by his mother, Barbacoa, which is a soup made up of carrots, cabbage and meat. For sweets, they drink Punche, the flavor of fruit , which includes fruit mixed with hot water. From Christmas time in Mexico, Martinez still remembers the trip to the forest to cut a branch of cedro for a Christmas tree.
“I ask my mother (for a) sweater as a gift for Christmas,” said Martinez, “and she did. I was so happy because she bought for me what I need not just toys.”
“Here in U.S. we celebrate Christmas differently,” says Gazala. “In our culture, Christmas Eve is the family gathered.”

Nihmat Gazala is a refugee from Iraq and in her second year in the United States. The bad situation in her country changed her life. She misses her home town especially during the holiday season where she used to be very busy shopping, decorating the house, preparing for the family gathering and going to church to celebrate this occasion with the parishionersFor Gazala, the food is a main feature during Christmas. Klisha is a Christmas dish well known in Iraq.
“Klisha takes on a special flavor during Christmas,” she says. “I can’t wait to taste and enjoy.”
Gazala is sad. How can she be happy when the Christians in her country are struggling to survive.
“It is hard to celebrate and realize all the joys of Christmas while the Christians, including my relatives in Iraq, are afraid for their lives,” says Gazala.

In this part of the United States, Phoenix, Arizona, students with different roots, colors, cultures and traditions gather around PVCC to send their wishes in different languages.

Seasonal produce provides nutrients at the peak of freshness

 

        When my dad was young, he used to grow seasonal vegetables in a small garden.  During the spring season, we ate the green vegetables. In summer time, my dad did the same thing. He grew different kinds of herbs and vegetables, such as parsley, mint, thyme, radishes, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes . He took care of the fruit trees.

Eating fruits and vegetables in season is important because they are fresher, tastier and less costly. Therefore, people eat more seasonal vegetables and fruits as

Beth Farnsworth, nutrition and dietetics faculty and program adviser at Paradise Valley Community College said of fresh vegetables, they are “flavorful as well as loaded with phytochemicals and antioxidants — their nutrients are at their peak. We can surmise they are more nutrient dense.”

She goes on to say that there are several reasons to choose and buy local fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables.

• We help to reduce our carbon footprint;

• We support our local farmers and farmers’ market;

• We are afforded the opportunity to eat fruits and veggies at their peak of ripeness.

In earlier times, people generally ate what was available in season because of the limited preservation methods as well as the availability and convenience of shipping and distribution of goods.

Now all kinds of fruits and vegetables are available year- round because of shipping, distribution, genetic engineering and the advanced methods of cultivation.

Sandy Scott, lead clinical dietitian at West Valley Hospital, said, “It is not required that we eat fruits and vegetables that are in season, necessarily. However, you will likely be eating foods that are in season, which is more cost effective. The most important point is that we need to be including fruits and vegetables in our diets, period.”

Diets of college students typically consist of high fat over processed foods and likely some alcohol intake with little to no fruits and vegetables, Scott said.

Scott’s recommendations for students at PVCC are as follows:

• Find one fruit and vegetable that you know and like and incorporate it at least one more time per week into the diet.

• Challenge yourself to add one more healthy food to your meals or snacks each week.

• One of the hardest aspects of being in college is making the right decisions. This includes making the right food choices.

Furthermore, Farnsworth said, “If people are educated on what’s available in their area, and they know how fresh, delicious and nutrient-dense fruits and veggies are in general, they probably would be more likely to prefer the taste of seasonal and locally grown fruits and veggies.”

My father still checks with me every so often about my consumption of fruits and vegetables. He encourages me to eat and grow seasonal.

Founder of Whole Life Foundation: Woman inspired to help less fortunate

Eighty five years old, she lives a busy life. Her days start at 8 in the morning and finish late in the evening. Isabel McMahel, is the founder and president of Whole Life Foundation. Every Friday morning she fills up her car with food and clothes and goes to visit the homeless in their shelters. Once she arrives, everybody rushes to the car. She gives them what they need, but she also gives them love, she says.  The first thing she does when she get out of the car is hug and kiss the children with a big smile, “How you doing, my baby? You look so nice today.” She checks with their moms about their health. Asks about everything. Then she starts with Mac, her husband, to unload what she carried with her.  “Hey, my baby, here’s some donuts,” she says. ”It’s time for breakfast.” Every famly takes their part from food, clothes and other supplies. Around 11, Isabel  leaves the shelter and promises to see them next week. With her bent back, she gets in her car with hopes to secure food for the next Friday.  “Helping the poor is putting love and mercy in action,” she says. Isabel came to Arizona in 1979 for the weather that her husband needed after he got cancer. She didn’t know at that time that God was preparing a new life with her healed husband.  Isabel’s parents areoriginaly Lebanese. They moved to Ohio where she was born and grew up in Ohio. She had her degree in vocational education. She learned about business when she helped her father in his store. She met Mac McMahel, her future husband when she was 17 years old. They got married after a short time. After a few years of marriage, Mac was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors said he had cancer in the final stages, and he will live between six months and one year. Isabel was so sad and wanted to know why bodies become ill. As a result, she studied naturopathic medicine. “My studies and my research results proved that the body is supposed to heal itself,” she says. “And God gave us a self-healing          system.” After the failure of Mac’s allopathic treatment, which uses drugs or surgery, Isabel started naturopathic treatments, which use diets, herbs, vitamins and massage. Mac was healed and now he is living without medicine. “Till today they still call me from the Cleveland Clinic asking if Mac is still living,” says Isabel. “They didn’t understand what happened. But I understood.” She understood that God needs her to serve the poor people. After Mac’s test showed that his body is free of the cancer, Isabel decided to start a mission of serving the homeless in gratitude for her husband’s healing. She opened a clinic for allopathic and naturopathic treatment. Many sick people came from Surprise, from El-mirage and from Phoenix, for consultation. They were poor people and they needed consultations and medicine. She started her treatment with prayer and gave them love. “If we give medicine with no love, with no prayer, the drug does not work. Prayer and love make medicine more effective.” She says. When Isabel was studying, she learned that food will be a medicine, if we pray over it. “The University of Indiana showed two pictures of food before and after prayer. The aura was high over the food in the first picture before people prayed. After the prayer the ray shot up with the colors of the rainbow,” she says. Her phone does not stop ringing “This is Isabel, how may I help you?” Ready for help any time, she has three telephone lines ready to receive calls from people in trouble. She has three offices, one in the church, the second in her house and the third in her car. The car is her operations room. From there, she receives an emergency phone call and tries to resolve the problem. Despite the signs of age, Isabel looks elegant. She is always well groomed with a special hairstyle. Her face is shiny. She always wears a long sleeve shirt and long skirt. Her favorite color is purple. In flat and comfortable shoes, she carries a plastic bag instead of a handbag where she puts prescriptions, some vitamins and her phone. “I like your nails” I complement her. She smiles and says, “A girl from the volunteers group fixed them elegantly to look like a young woman.” Over the last 30 years, Isabel  helped the poor people through the Whole Life Foundation, a non- profit organization that offers homeless places to live, jobs, foods and clothes. She provides a place for day care where children can eat and play. She offers scholarships for children who want to continue their studies. And those students, after their graduation, start working and helping others with their studies. Isabel listed the needs of the people she helps. Some people suffer from pain and are homeless. Some have a home but are poor. With the support of some doctors, Isabel can heal some of the sick, and she deals with owners of apartments to convince them to let the homeless rent and give them time to go searching for a job. “If I let the homeless live in shelters, they can’t find a good job. But if they live in an apartment with an address, they can get a better job,” she says. Isabel  lives every day with challenging situations, people with no job, sick, poor and homeless. “I have to get them well. Then search for a job. Find the right clothes for the new job. Help them with the resume. Buy a bus ticket to travel, even at times I have to go with them to the interview.” Isabel reminds me of Mother Theresa De Calcutta, who took care of the most needy. With the humble faith she served people out of the mainstream. Isabel smiles when I speak about Mother Theresa. “It is really interesting, about a year ago, I opened up the newspaper and at the bottom of the front page, I saw my picture with words said: ‘Mother Theresa does not have a support system.’ I was so humbled by that because she was such a great person. She did so much and she would dress the wound of the lepers, when her sisters were afraid of them. I know some people are afraid of the homeless for some reason. I talk to them. I ask them what they need. I found if you go with love they know it.” Financially, Isabel lives day-by-day and week-by-week. Her income allows her to serve one day at a time. She prays and hopes to get money each week. She receives some donations. Sometimes, she uses her social security check or her husband, Mac’s, social security check. The Pathway of hope’s church gives her $4,000 per year. Some people give her 10 percent of their income to help, but it is not enough. “I ask help from the churches, monasteries, and I try to find people for funds, such as organizations, to sponsor our non- profit organization. We can’t cover all the needy. We do what we can do from what we have,” she says. When you ask her about Mac, she looks at him with a deep and thoughtful look. She loves him. She remembers when Mac got permission from her father to take her to a movie. In the movie theater, the temperature was very cold. Mac said, “My hands are cold,” and Isabel replied, “Well, if your hands are cold, put them in your pocket.” Mac is still a big part of her life. He is 90 years old, blessed with good health. For PVCC’s students, Isabel asks them to ask God what he wants them to do in their lives. She said “I know it’s a busy life to be a student. Stay healthy, drink enough water. Have enough sleep. Study well and do not forget to pray for and about everything.” When she prays, Isabel always asks God to give her more years to serve the needy. “God, please don’t let me have stroke or heart attack. Lots of people depend on me, and my husband Mac too. So keep me well. Give me more years, if possible, because I have a lot of things to do yet. God, are you listening?”

Maggy Holiday

Maggy Eid has been a Paradise Valley Community College student since 2009. She plans to obtain her journalism certificate from PVCC. Maggy is Lebanese (Land of Saints). She speaks Arabic, French and English fluently. 

In her country, Maggy served as a broadcast journalist for 13 years, a reporter for many publications and a programmer for Catholic and public radio stations. She hopes to pursue a carrier in broadcast journalism in Phoenix, Arizona.

In her blog maggy1234.wordpress.com ,Maggy has been posted many articles such as Exercise Is Appropriate of all Ages, Raising Chickens, Spring Barbeque in Scottsdale,Easter Makes a Real Change. The value of Grapevine.

As an assistant for Broadcast Editor, Maggy executed many stories with the Broadcaster Miguel Saucedo for Puma Press website.

Maggy is active in her church

. She is a member of Saint Joseph’s choir and she is the coordinator for the Sunday school program.

She hopes that people all over the world live in peace.

http://maggy1234.wordpress.com/
https://maguineholiday.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/pvccollege

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