Our 16-hour voyage left us somewhat weary when we landed, but we were quickly refreshed by the instant hospitality of the Damascus Airport and one very special man, Mr. Samer Laham, the Director of External Relations of the Greek Christian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East. As we waited and relaxed in the airports VIP room, Mr. Laham ensured that our bags were loaded onto the bus for us. We were then whisked away to St. Christophoros Monastery at Saydnaya to check into our hotel rooms and partake of the first of our many fantastic meals on the trip. (It is impossible to have a bad meal in the Middle East.) We not only gave thanks to God for our safe journey, but for our Bishop and delegation leader—it was Sayidna JOSEPH’s sixtieth birthday, and we surprised him with a birthday cake.