When I watched the workers slowly re-build the fallen river wall day-by-day, I was reminded of my earlier visit to a local Medieval monastery.  Talk about patience.....I don't know if my photo will show it but these particular building blocks are numbered from 1 to 16 as they work to stablize the foundation of this 12th Century structure.   You can also see the photos of the worker as he moves the blocks....one-at-a-time on a wooden skid back to their original location. 

In addition to the structural work, the construction project involved upgrading the infrastructure leading up the hill to the monastery so that tourists had better access: paved road, electricity, and gas/water lines.  Even more amazing to me was the billboard highlighting this million dollar project, indicating that the funding was sponsored by the Ruler of Sharjah, a member of the Arab Emirates.  In a time of so  much religious and ethnic conflict, I could not help but find hope in an Islamic leader helping to preserve a Christian monastery.