- May 17, 2021
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- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Protestant
- Marital Status
- Divorced
Najeeb Azar was the president of the Seventh-Day Adventists' Jordanian Mission. When he immigrated to the United States, the official Adventist church wouldn't provide him a job, so he became a successful small businessman instead.
After being apparently turned away from the Adventist church, his family became Orthodox Christians, as the majority of Christians were in their native Jordan.
Nonetheless, he wrote a book before he died chronicling his work as an Adventist missionary:
https://www.amazon.com/Listening-Jesus-miracles-Christian-preaching/dp/1425917135
The number of enterprises has risen and fallen over the years, but the Azar family's holdings have included two restaurants, five gas station-convenience stores and 19 rental properties spread across Spokane.
Najeeb Azar was president of the Seventh-day Adventist's Jordanian Mission. A minister, Najeeb was active in building churches and schools for thousands of Seventh-day Adventists sprinkled throughout the predominantly Muslim Middle East...
The Azars' immigration was sponsored by Najla's brother, a doctor in Los Angeles, but the family decided it would be better to raise the children in Spokane, near Najla's sister in Tekoa. Another of Najla's brothers, Foad Elaimy, came to Spokane several years later and opened the Niko's restaurants.
Najeeb assumed he'd find work as a Seventh-day Adventist minister, but when he arrived in Spokane, he was told no job was available...
...it became apparent the Seventh-day Adventists would not hire Najeeb. Disillusioned, the couple decided to start a business, in part to guarantee employment for them and their family.
They investigated running a group home for the developmentally disabled and buying a laundromat, but buying a 7-Eleven was the first opportunity that came up, in 1978.
"7-Eleven treated us better than the Seventh-day Adventists," said Najla wryly.
https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1999/01-
15/0080_an_american_tale__finding_peace__.html
After being apparently turned away from the Adventist church, his family became Orthodox Christians, as the majority of Christians were in their native Jordan.
Nonetheless, he wrote a book before he died chronicling his work as an Adventist missionary:
https://www.amazon.com/Listening-Jesus-miracles-Christian-preaching/dp/1425917135
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