Light and Dark - Lebanon

“The way I see it, hard times aren't only about money, or drought, or dust. Hard times are about losing spirit, and hope, and what happens when dreams dry up.” ~Karen Hesse, Out of the Dust

Usually, it’s easy for me to give an update on a Middle East trip, but this time I have been struggling with what to say. Or if I’m honest, even to process it.

I just don’t want to say things are worse in Lebanon than last September when I was there. Even though they are. My mind can’t wrap itself around it. In the first two days we were there, the Lebanese Lira lost 12% of its value. Two days after that, it shot up 20%. It’s nuts, and it made me aware that people do not know how much money they have daily or even hourly. How do you budget for food, let alone rent or medicine?

I had trusted partners express their frustration with funds drying up and fuel prices. Just imagine paying double for what you are paying now for gas and then have the dollar lose 90% of its value. Because that is the reality in Lebanon right now. What was so alarming to me is that these partners have always figured it out, have a can-do attitude, and have high-level connections. Months of struggle to figure how to sustain important projects in Palestinian refugee camps in a failed state have brought this kind of discouragement.

But that’s not what I want to focus on.

Early one morning last week, I watched a video repeatedly with tears streaming down my face. It was a video from America’s Got Talent, a show I’ve never watched. But I was captivated by a female dance troupe from Lebanon called the Mayyas. They mesmerized me. There is no way not to be. Not only were they creative, but also gave a nod to the beauty of Arab culture. The troupe’s movements were precise and innovative. The crowd went crazy, and they got the golden buzzer, which apparently is a big deal. Middle America got a taste of Lebanese culture and that alone would have brought tears to my eyes.

My Lebanese friends posted proudly of the accomplishment of the Mayyas on social media that day. Even the U.S. Embassy in Beirut sent out a congratulation. Maybe because being from Lebanon or living in Lebanon, they  know the sacrifices they had to have made to be on that stage.

For me, the tears came because of how many obstacles these women must have faced just to practice. They must have rehearsed without electricity. There is 1-2 hours of electricity provided from the government currently in Lebanon. This means no A/C or heat or even lights. How did they make it to practice? Did they have to walk because there was no fuel for their cars or because taking a taxi is too expensive? Were they able to shower after hours of practice with water in short supply? The logistics of Beirut are difficult to navigate on a good day but during an economic collapse, impossible.

I’m not even going to address what dancing may have cost them personally. It’s unthinkable to make a living as a professional dancer in Lebanon. Or to make ends meet in Lebanon period, let alone pursue a dream.

They didn’t give up and continued to practice their craft and artistry to utter perfection against the backdrop of an economic collapse. That to me is the beauty. That is resiliency. Not giving up on a dream when your situation is brutal, to continue no matter the odds against you. The satisfaction it must bring to have the world recognize and admire your artistry after struggle.

Stunning.

That’s the correlation I’d like to make with our partners in Lebanon, specifically Palestinian Civil Defense. They are not giving up. The situation is difficult, they are working without funding, yet they continue. They get up every morning and face the impossible of providing emergency services for Palestinian refugees in a failed state. Because their dream is to create a better future for Palestinians and for themselves. I’ve seen the sacrifice of volunteering in their communities instead of fending for themselves. I have seen and they have told me how their work has given purpose and meaning. They know their own worth because they put others’ needs before themselves. I’ve personally seen the impact. Refugees giving to their communities not out of their abundance but in their own need. 

That’s the most important update I can give you. Times are difficult in Lebanon, funds have dried up, gas is unattainable, food is unaffordable, electricity is nonexistent, and water is scarce. They do not complain. They persist. 

To me, that’s light in very dark times.