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We had been going back and forth all day, trying to decide whether we should cancel the evening event or not. The weather was terrible. All over Facebook and the news, we could see reports of floods and erosions that the Norma storm was causing all over Lebanon last January. We didn’t want to put anyone at risk or be inconsiderate to obvious reasons that might cause lots of people to miss out on the event.
However, an unexpected phone call put our indecisiveness to an end.

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At the beginning of 2018, Elie, 32, was scrolling through Facebook when he saw a post about a Bible study program from Bible Society Lebanon, called Book of Life.
He recalls, “From the very first meeting I attended, I was captivated by the spirit present among the group”.
He became one of the most committed attendees, in spite of some personal obstacles, as well as external difficulties such as the unavailability of a wheelchair ramp* at the entrance of the Bible Society building for individuals who are physically challenged such as Elie. Every Tuesday, a few guys from the Book of Life group would meet Elie at the entrance of the Bible Society Center to carry him  over the staircase. This weekly exchange of loving servanthood was one of the reasons that this Bible study group came to have a special place in his heart.

What motivated Elie not to skip any meetings was the verse from Matthew 6:21, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, and he said, “my heart is in the Bible, and it is my only treasure”.
Elie states that if he were to take just one thing from the first level of the Book of Life program, it would be to be serious with God. He realized that God wants us to be partners in His work. However, this partnership demands a certain level of seriousness. It demands that we get to know who we are partners with. It demands that we throw away everything that is clinging to us from our past, and start all anew. With a big smile on his face, Elie said: “I am no ordinary man, I am a son of God and his partner.”

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The phone call we received was from Elie. It was on 8 January 2019, which was the set date for the first ever graduation ceremony for level one of the Book of Life program that was to take place at the rooftop of the Bible Society building. He wanted to make sure the event was still on because he was intending to come. He was well aware of the stormy weather and its effects on the road and well aware that the ceremony was to take place on the rooftop, which is not accessible by the elevator. None of that stood in his way, which encouraged us that maybe we had doubted the level of commitment that the group had.

In fact, almost all the Book of Life attendees showed up for the graduation and that’s where Elie and a few others shared their testimonies.

Elie sharing his testimony during the Book of Life graduation

Elie is now in the group of level two of the program that meets every other Tuesday. Also, also took part in giving one of the sessions about miracles, which is a topic that he feels strongly about.

Elie Tawk during the talk about miracles in the Book of Life meeting

*The Bible Society is now working to install a wheelchair ramp at the entrance of its building.