Last Friday, I was looking for something to do on my day off. I had to go into Jerusalem to send off some things at the post office and I thought as long as I was already in Jerusalem I would go up to the Mount of Olives and participate in the olive harvest at Augusta Victoria. This olive harvest is a 2-month long process, and it is run by the Lutheran World Federation, which we have ties to because of our good friends Tyler and Maren. All of the proceeds from the olive harvest go to the Augusta Victoria Hospital. I think I have mentioned this hospital before, but it is worth mentioning again. It is in the only hospital for Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza that provides a radiation bed for cancer. That is why it is so essential to keep this hospital running.
Having never harvested olives before, I was unsure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find that olive harvesting was something I could do, although I definitely was not as quick and efficient as the Palestinians around me. The process for olive harvesting goes like this:
1.) Spread out a tarp around the base of the tree
2.) Use a rake to comb the branches and remove the olives
3.) Sort through the olives and remove the branches and sticks that have fallen
4.) Put olives into a bag!
This sounds fairly easy, but once you have been doing it for a few hours under the sun, it gets exhausting...and dirty! My whole body was covered with a layer of dust. It was worth it though. It was fun to work alongside the Palestinians and laugh and joke with them. I told them I had fun picking olives and they said, "That's because you don't have to do it every day." True. After the harvest, a big meal was provided for all of the volunteers, and it was fun to see everyone unwind and enjoy a meal together after a good day of work. I am so happy I got to help in a very small way. If any of you are interested in purchasing olive oil from this harvest, let me know! The proceeds go towards the hospital...a very good cause :)
Posts
1 comment:
FUN! And I would LOVE to purchase olive oil from the harvest if I still can or just make a donation to the hospital. I am tithing this year for my first time and rather than giving it to Duke Chapel (because it doesn't really need it) I'm giving it to causes. I'm very interested in this one or other ones in the area. Will you give me more details on this or other opportunities?
Post a Comment