My friend, Habib, a Lebanese Christian businessman here in Abidjan died last Friday and I just returned from his funeral services at the local Lebanese Maronite Christian church.
Habib worked for the U.S. Embassy for quite a few years before I got here and met him.  He was the one here who invited me to the local rifle and pistol club after noticing my NRA cap.  He invited me to go shooting with him every weekend since then, always using his Sig 226 and his ammo.  We're not sure what he died from, all I know is that he had picked up some damned bug or virus a month or so ago, he couldn't keep any food down and had a bad case of diarhea.  He was seeing the doctors over here and the last time that I spoke with him on the phone, he sounded positive that he was improving.  That was a day before he succumbed to whatever it was he had.  Piss poor medical practice here.

And even though I only have two more weeks left in this shit hole country, I am going to miss him a great deal.  He was one of the really nice guys and the only person that I would have ever considered sponsoring for a visa to immigrate to the U.S.

Good bye Habid, God rest your soul.

My condolences

Very sorry to hear about your friend.

I'm very sorry for your lost.  Where are you?

Patty

Prayers go out to you.....

Prayers go out.
CIV = Cote D'Ivoire = Ivory Coast

Sorry your friend bought it

I'm sorry to hear about your friend.

You have God's promise you'll see him again.

I have lost 4 close friends in the last 18 months.  

1 heart attack, 1 leukemia, 1 intestinal cancer, and one just old.

It sucks.

Think of the good times you had with your friends.

Quoted: I have lost 4 close friends in the last 18 months.   1 heart attack, 1 leukemia, 1 intestinal cancer, and one just old. It sucks. Think of the good times you had with your friends.

Ever since my parents died, and all my grandparents, aunts and uncles on both sides of the family (except one), I have been fixated with the "what, when, and how" of my own death.

I'm 40. My parents never saw 60.

I'm going to see a shrink about it this month.

Don't let your friends' deaths bring you down like I let my families deaths bring me down. When you get to Heaven, they will share with you the joy of your life after they went into God's Grace. Then you will all be together.

I put my grief in a little box, and I have been dealing with it moderately well. I can still work, have fun, etc., but I can't make it go away.

Sorry man

Steve

Nice tribute to your friend. Sounds like he was a great guy.

Thanks to all for your condelences and kind words.

Habib's mother came down from Lebanon last week to take care of his business affairs.  The regional security officer (RSO) and I went to visit her yesterday and pay our respects to her for ourselves and the Embassy staff.  Habib did alot of work for the embassy and the American community here and thus touched many of our lives.

His mother was very kind and gracious to us and we could tell that Habib's untimely death has affected her terribly bad.  The RSO offered her the assistance of his office and the embassy should she need it.  

I, at least, feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to have known him and to have been able to call him a friend.

Thanks again to all.....

Sorry for your loss.
My condolences

My condolences