Mansourieh Update

Well, to get you all up to date, we are all okay and things are relatively quiet at the moment. I am sitting here at twenty to four in the morning and looking out over Beirut, it is eerily quiet and dark. There are whole large areas that are blacked out, which in reality, don't actually exist anymore. Complete blocks of apartments that have been flattened, and what is left standing in these suburbs certainly doesn't have electricity. As I look at the clock and realize that I have been awake for nearly 24 hours, it feels like a very strange day. I was awake so early to get someone off to prepare for evacuation. My house guest of the past four weeks left today on a ship with her four kids, along with Annette and her three kids and another friend from church. They went out with a French ship to Cyprus. It is going to be very quiet and strange for a while. The kids were very disappointed to hear that their friends, Nadine, Maria and Sam were going, but we hope that they will be able to return the end of September. After sitting waiting to hear if they would be accepted on the ship or not, I was able to visit some neighbours, just to share the sad feeling because more of our friends have gone. Then we had a treat to go swimming with another family at their club and then to another couple for pizza supper. It was good to spend time with others. There is not alot else to say at the moment. More people from church have left this week as well and what we are hearing from most who are out is that they will be staying out a bit longer yet, maybe til Christmas or for a whole year. Who knows what will happen. Still, we are all fine. The petrol stations are not open very much these days and the price has gone up. Fuel is now a desperate problem for hospitals in particular, that often depend on their generators for power. Fortunately we are still able to get to most places we need, either by walking or a very short drive. Lots of love to all. Keep the photos coming Dad. Will write more as there is news.