Life in Palestine

Ahhh!

2009-06-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's officially less than 2 weeks now until I leave Bethlehem and, to be honest, I am freaking out a little bit. I have come to know and love this place and the people here, and it will be hard to leave the new home and family I have acquired. However, that doesn't lessen the excitement and anticipation I have to see family and loved ones at home...so, in short, leaving here will definitely be a bitter sweet experience.
Yesterday was my last Sunday of worship with the congregation in Beit Sahour, and that was really difficult. I don't know if it has completely hit me yet, but I am going to miss that church and that community so much. Since the congregation is so small (maybe 15 people on a good day), I have gotten to know the members and vice versa. Even though I am not able to understand the sermon or really anything throughout the service, I get a different sort of spiritual fulfillment from being in that community. Yesterday was also pretty special, because Pastor Imad and his wife organized a barbeque for the congregation and all who have helped out with the summer camp program. It was a night full of good food, good conversation, laughing, singing, music, and dancing...who could ask for more? I was really grateful for that time with the congregation and also with the high school students who have been helping with the summer camp. They are amazing young adults and are so involved with their community. As I have heard from many highschoolers, summer is pretty boring, so these students have taken the initiative to do something productive with their summers. I am inspired by their committment and their interest in serving their community.
I think these next 2 weeks are going to be full of emotion as I pack up and start saying all my goodbyes. It feels like I have been putting off the goodbyes for a while now, because everyone I see says, "Oh, I will see you again before you leave!" I can only delay for so much time though before I have to face the reality that my time here is running out. It's interesting to note the things I have accumulated throughout the year. I have countless pieces of ceramic from the Beit Sahour school and Hebron factory that were gifts, and also little nic nacs that at home I probably wouldn't keep but here represent important people who have given them to me. The challenge will be to fit them all into my suitcase!
On a different not, my mom came to visit for 2 weeks recently and having her here made me realize how much I have learned about this place, and how comfortable I am living here. I was able to show her around and try to begin to explain the situation here (I say "begin" because I don't know all the answers). It was really wonderful to spend time with her and to be able to introduce her to all the people I know. We explored Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Hebron, and then we made our way to Egypt. In Egypt we spent some of our time in Cairo (and saw the pyramids, of course!) and then travelled to Dahab, a low-key city on the Red Sea. While there, we enjoyed the serenity of the place and the beauty of the sea. A few of my friends travelled over, and we hiked Mount Sinai (we left at 11 PM so we could hike it and get there by sunrise!) and snorkelled and went scuba diving in the Red Sea...in short, it was an excellent vacation :)
I apologize for the disjointed thoughts in this email. There is a lot going through my head that I wanted to get out but didn't know exactly how to format it...that will probably be the case for my next few blogs!

Palestinian Literature Festival

2009-05-31T23:38:00.000-07:00

Last week, Dar Annadwa (the cultural center in Bethlehem) held an event for the Palestinian Literature Festival. The event was called "Literary Representations of Migration and Travel" and was essentially a dialogue between three authors: Claire Messud, Michael Palin, and Robin Yassin-Kassab. It was interesting that they were here for the Palestinian Literature Festival, as none of them are Palestinian or have lived in Palestine, but they all had interesting things to say about this place, the situation, and what their response will be. During the course of the night, one of the audience members challenged the 3 authors, demanding to know what they will do once they return to their respective countries, now that they have seen what is happening in Palestine. Claire Messud addressed this question wonderfully, stating that, while they probably will not be able to sway their political leaders, they will do the best they can using their medium: literature. That made me think about my role when I return to the US...it is not realistic to think that I will be able to change any political policies or convince President Obama to make changes in the Middle East policies, but what I can do is inform people.
On a different note, one of the authors spoke of the importance of celebrating the uniqueness of each person by listening to their story. If there is one skill that I have improved on this year, it is listening. I have been blessed by the number of stories I have heard, all very unique and different in their own ways. There is Elias *, a store owner in Manger Square, who is angry about the situation and has little hope a peaceful solution but nevertheless continues on with his life, warmly inviting us in for tea or juice every time we pass his store. And Mary, a teacher from the school who recently invited me to her home and brought me out to the porch overlooking the street where she saw her cousin get shot and killed by the Israeli army during one of the Intifidas. Or George, another teacher from the school, who was imprisoned for some of his life and is one of a few teachers who is never given permission to go to Jerusalem. And the Pastor of my church here, who continues to be a light to his congregation and community despite living in such a difficult place. And Samar, the mother of my friend, who, despite not having the opportunity to finish school, has done amazing things with a women's group and continues to fight for the rights of women. All of these people, while they may not say so themselves, radiate light and hope through their unique stories. As I think about returning home and telling my story of my experiences, these stories will most definitely bear weight in my own story.

*To protect the privacy of these people, I have used fake names

ELCJHL Anniversary Jubliee

2009-05-22T01:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday began the festivities of the ELCJHL (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land) Anniversary celebration. Throughout the weekend, Christians of all denominations gathered to celebrate 3 important anniversaries of the Lutheran church in Jordan and the Holy Land: 170 years of evangelism in Jordan and the Holy Land, 50 years of the ELCJHL synod, and 30 years of Arab bishopric. The festivites began at my school, the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour, with a march from the municipality to the school. As with any Palestinian celebration, it would not have been complete without a performance of Scouts. The Scout Troops here typically lead every parade and celebration, with their marching, bagpipes, and drum performances. People lined the streets to witness the celebration, and it was a neat way to include the whole town in the jubilee.
At the school, 5 hours of performances awaited us, as we watched performances by the Beit Sahour and Ramallah Dubkeh (traditional Palestinian dance) groups, choirs from Beit Sahour, Dar el Kalima, and Beit Jala, and a slide show displaying pictures of the church's history. After this celebration, we all moved on to Dar Annadwa, the cultual center in Bethlehem. There was a 3 hour event, in which we were able to witness dialogues between various groups of people. Among these people were a retired headmaster of the Lutheran School in Beit Sahour, the Palestinian minister of tourism, and various pastors of the Lutheran church. One of the ELCJHL pastors talked about the role of the church in Palestine and, much like the role of our churches in the US and all around the world, he views the responsibility of the church as taking care of the spirit of people who are weary. However, unlike our churches at home, the spirits of the people here are being constantly worn down by daily stress of occupation. I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to be a pastor in this place and to constantly be sources of hope and light for the people when their own light and hope may be dwindling. As far as the church programs go, this Pastor outlined three: love, hope, and faith. Now these are a familiar set of words to anyone who has read Corinthians, but he put a different spin on these words. His definition of love included the necessity of being firm and saying no to wrong-doing and his definition of hope included being tired of saying "we can't" and looking towards the resurrection.
This presentation was very interesting and gave me more of an inside look into the role of the church in this land. They ended the presentation by emphasizing that humanity is beautiful, and that the church recognizes it. I liked that there were no qualifiers on "humanity"...no reference to nationality, race, or religion. The church recognizes beauty in all groups of people and that should be an example to the rest of humanity.

Here is a quick video of my school's Dubkeh performance group. These are 9-12th grade students, and they are amazing!

Funeral

2009-05-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I found out that one of the teachers from my school here lost her mother. She had been sick for a while in Jordan and wanted to come back to Palestine to die but, unfortunately, she passed away sooner than anyone expected. A few of the teachers went to the church to pay condolences, and I went along. It was strange walking into the almost empty church, a place of usual excitement and joy. While I have attended many weddings and engagements here, this was the first occassion of grief and mourning that I have experienced while in Palestine. I did not know what to do or what to say...even in English, I usually don't know what to say, but the language barrier made it a little more complicated. So I shook the hands of the men, and went over to the women's sections to greet them with kisses on the cheek. I felt out of place there and I almost felt guilty for interrupting their grieving session. But, as always, I was received warmly and was offered coffee, in true Palestinian style. A few people questioned who the foreigners were, but for the most part I was just included as part of the group. I learned the appropriate Arabic phrases to say, although I can only remember one "Alla yir hamha": "God rest her soul."
As I talked to the teacher, I found out that her mother's body is still in Amman, Jordan, and whether or not they could bring her body back for the funeral today depended on the Israeli soldiers. This made me so sad for the family...her mother's final wish was to be brought back to Palestine, but that all depended on the mood of the soldier that day.
Being in a community means celebrating joys and mourning losses with the people around you. I have been blessed with invitations to celebrate happy occassions and festivals, and now I have been allowed to also share in the sad moments as well. Even though I don't know what to say, I hope that being there is an indication of how much I love this community.

Sports Festival...epic!

2009-05-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

I just got home from an epic day. I woke up as usual to go to school, only to find out that the majority of the students didn't even have school today, due to the giant sports festival our school was hosting. Every year, the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour hosts this event, an opportunity to showcase the athletic abilities of the students. I had seen pictures in past yearbooks of kids jumping through flaming hoops, so I was curious to see what this year would bring. After multiple weeks of practicing and listening to the same song over and over again ("Number 1"), the day finally came for the students to show off all of their hard work and talents. The festival included: 2 dance routines, a coreographed bicycle routine, gymnastics, kindergarten races, basketball routines (one person did a flip after throwing the ball in the air, the next person bouncing the ball off the backboard, and the third slam-dunking the ball in), and of course...the flaming hoop. I cannot even tell you how many times during these 2 hours I was holding my breath and praying that the students would not get hurt. None of the cyclists were wearing helmets, and the fire made me nervous, to say the least, as it was a windy day and I had never seen evidence of this having been practiced before. But, hamdullelah (thank God!), the festival was a success and no one was hurt. I was very impressed by all the hard work of the students and the teachers, and I was surprised by all of the hidden talents of the students!
After the event ended, Marta and I went out to Flavors, a local hotspot, for a bite to eat with some of the students. We have gone to students' houses before for meals, but this was the first time that we had ever "hung out" with students. But now, as it comes closer to the end of the year, I want to take advantage of every opportunity I have to get to know people better. I have come to know and love the people of my community and I count my blessings for having been placed here. Although we came home after14 hours of being out and about, I felt energized and refreshed from this day and the interactions I had with people. Yay, sports festival!

The Pope comes to Bethlehem!

2009-05-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes throughout this year, I have had the "Oh my gosh, I am living in Bethlehem" moments. These have included: Christmas in Bethlehem, Easter in Jerusalem, hiking the Jesus Trail in Nazareth, and now...witnessing the Pope lead mass in Manger Square, a mere 15 minute walk from my apartment. The Pope has been in the area for about a week now, and yesterday he came to visit Bethlehem. It has been interesting witnessing the preparations for his arrival. Soldiers from all over Palestine were brought in, a new turnabout (complete with a garden in the middle) was constructed, streets were repaved, and benches were added to the sidewalks. Our street was completely redone, and we joked that this was due to the Pope as well, even though it is a street barely travelled. So when Wednesday finally rolled around, everyone was excited. Even though the Pope has not had the best record with Muslims (or Jews for that matter), he was still very well received in the Bethlehem community. I went with a group of students from our school in hopes of catching a glimpse of him, so we waited on the street. As groups walked by, we heard some interesting chants for the Pope, and I would have to say that my favorite was "We love, we love Benedict" in the tune of "We will, we will rock you." Pretty clever. Our students were chanting "Baba! Baba!" (Baba is the Arabic word for Pope). After a brief waiting period, we were all excited as we saw the entourage of cars and security pass by, signaling that the time was near. Finally, we saw the "Popemobile" a sweet car with a glass sitting container for the Pope. As we were the only group in our area, we were certain that his waves were intended for us. I don't really know much about this Pope, but it did give me the shivers to know that I had actually seen the Pope.
So, our students went back to school, and Marta and I wandered up towards Manger Square to try to get another peek. We found out that tickets were required but, fortunately, a stranger on the street offered us 2 tickets. I don't know where these came from, but we didn't ask any questions and continued on our merry way! After we dodged some security and figured out alternate ways into Manger Square, we came upon the Mass and heard some of the Pope's speech. I only caught portions of what he said, but what impressed me most was that he acknowledged that the Holy Land is for all people, regardless of their religion. He also acknolwedged the pain and suffering of Gaza, and prayed for peace in this place. What I liked most about the Pope's visit was that it was a definite statement of solidarity. Just by coming to Palestine, the Pope acknowledged the Christians in this area, a people who often feel forgotten about and abandoned. Many Palestinians were excited for the Pope's arrival, as it meant that they are recognized as a people, and that they aren't isolated from the world. I was told that the last time the Pope came, an Intifada happened shortly after, so I am hoping that that is not a pattern!

School update

2009-05-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

I realized that I haven't written anything about my work at the school in a long time. I guess it is because things have gotten so normal that I forget to write about that. Marta and I are very busy working on the school's yearbook. The last yearbook the school had was in 2004, so needless to say the students and teachers are excited about having one this year. Two weeks ago, we were given the task of taking (and labeling) all of the students' and teachers' photos. This was a surprise to us, as someone else had already done this at the beginning of the year. We thought we were off the hook for this task, but apparently the previous photos were not suitable. So, after a week and a half of tracking down students and trying to figure out a system to record all of the names, we finished! At this point we are finished with the students' individual photos and the class pictures, so I feel pretty good about our progress. We still have much work to do, but it will get done. I am enjoying this work, although it is at times frustrating, because I am happy that I will have something tangible to give back to the school. All of the students and teachers have been so welcoming to me, and this will be a small gift to them from me.
The past few days at school were exciting and fun, as I went on 2 field trips. With Kindergarten through 2nd grade, we went to an amusement park in Hebron. The kids were thrilled by the sight of the playground and rides. I couldn't blame them...I was pretty excited myself! Going on rides with kids was definitely a highlight of this trip. Also, meeting the moms of some of the students was really fun. Since Marta and I hadn't planned on coming on this fieldtrip, we hadn't brought any food for lunch. A mother of 2 of the students in kindergarten graciously welcomed us to lunch with her and her children, and we were extremely grateful for the food and the company. Although she could speak English, she spoke mostly Arabic with us, which gave us an opportunity to practice our language skills.
Yesterday we went on another fieldtrip, this time with the 3rd-10th classes to Megaland, an amusement park in Tulqarim, a city in the northern West Bank. I have wanted to go there for a while but never thought I would go there to visit an amusement park! This amusement park was much larger than the one in Hebron and was equipped with a ferris wheel, haunted house, and bumper cars, to name a few. I went from ride to ride with the kids, stopping only once for a lunch break. Unfortunately, my stomach cannot handle rides like it used to, so I felt a little nauseous for part of the day, but it was totally worth it. While visiting Megaland didn't really give me an accurate feel for the city of Tulqarim, it was really cool to visit such a success story. Megaland was full of families and school groups, and it was wonderful to see a thriving business in a place that has dealt with its fair share of hardships.
On our way home from Tulqarim, we stopped in Nablus to try some of its famous Kanaffa. Kanaffa is an Arabic dessert that has cheese and a honey sauce. It sounds weird, but is actually pretty good. It is a very sweet and heavy dessert, so a few bites is definitely enough.
So, after about 6 hours on a bus and 5 hours in a theme park, I was quite exhausted. Luckily the checkpoints were not a problem, because that could have lengthened our trip by quite some time. On the drive back home, as I was watching the beautiful scenery and listening to the children, the song "You're gonna miss this" popped up in my Ipod and I defintely had a sense of anticipatory nostalgia. I know that I still have 2 months left here, but time is going by quicker than I would like, so I need to savor everything here...the place, the people, the language, the food.
Here are the lyrics to "You're gonna miss this", in case you were wondering:
You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

The Jesus Trail

2009-05-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, some of the other volunteers and I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to hike part of the Jesus Trail, a 65 KM trail that starts in Nazareth and traces the footsteps of Jesus, finally ending in Tiberias at the Mount of Beattitudes. Since we only had 3 days to hike, we had to skip a few portions of the trail but were able to hike about 35 km of it. We started in Nazareth and walked to Cana on the first day. Cana was the site where Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding feast. The walk to Cana from Nazareth was picturesque, to say the least. We walked through giant fields and small villages, and were greeted warmly by children. The children all greeted us by saying "Shalom," which is Hebrew for "Peace." I was surprised by the friendly sound of these greetings, as usually whenever someone says "Shalom" to us in Palestine, it has a snide and ingenuine sound to it. Even when we spoke Arabic to the children and people in the village, some still spoke Hebrew to us, which I thought was interesting. I guess they are not very accustomed to foreigners who speak Arabic.
The next day, we drove a little past Cana and started our walk from there. This day we hiked about 22 km, and we saw a lot on our way. We visited a Druse Temple and learned a little about the religion. The Druse are Arabs, and this religion is very secretive so it is difficult to know much about it. Only the high-up people know certain things, and they are not at liberity to tell anyone else. They don't believe in evangelism since they believe in reincarnation and if you aren't a Dru in this lifetime, apparently you were not worthy in your last life. The temple was absolutely gorgeous. It was white and surrounded by flags, both Israeli and Druse flags, which are rainbow-colored and each color represents a facet of the religion. Apparently the Druse have been able to coexist peacefully with Israel, because they remain loyal to whatever country they are in, thus avoiding any conflict. One thing that I really liked about visiting this temple was that both men and women had to cover their heads...an aspect of gender equality that I don't see much here.
The portion of the hike after the Temple led us to a destroyed mosque, abandoned after 1948. It was hard to see this and to know that so many Palestinians were displaced from this beautiful land. Our guide told us that, although some people claim that this land was not previously lived on by Palestinians, it is impossble to believe this as you can see clear signs of land distribution and usage. The walk after this, while physically strenuous (and painful sometimes, due to the insane amount of prickly bushes), was absolutely gorgeous. We walked through little streams and forests, through wheat fields, and up a mountain to an ancient synagogue and finally to Arbel Cliffs, which overlooks Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. At this point I was phsyically exhausted but still in awe of the beauty and serenity of this place. After resting briefly at the top, we started descending the mountain, and this was my favorite part of the day. The afternoon sun was warm, but not hot, and the light spread evenly and beautifully over the valley. We took a detour to explore a castle in the rocks and then continued our way down the trail. It was amazing to overlook the Sea of Galilee and to know that Jesus had once walked this very same trail (or something close to it). We kept joking throughout the day that Jesus must have been incredibly in shape, because we were all huffing and puffing throughout some portions of the trail.
The next day we set out to visit Capernaum, the site of the first church on the remains of Simon Peter's house. It was extremely humbling to visit this place and to know the amount of history and religious importance that it has. We next set off to Taghba, the site of the feeding of the 5,000, where Jesus turned two loaves of bread and fish into enough food to feed the crowd. Our final site of the day was the Mount of Beattitudes. While we were all exhausted and physically worn out from the previous days' hikes, I couldn't help but feel a certain amount of energy as we hiked up the mountain. The actual church on the top was closed because it was Sunday, but that didn't even matter. It was enough to just be therer. We read the Sermon on the Mount aloud and it was interesting because, although I have read this many times before, certain things stuck out this time. What especially stuck out to me was when Jesus said to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. This was significant to me, as I have now come to a point where I have started to worry about the future and what my life holds for me after this year is finished. Hearing the sermon reassured me and was a good reminder that I don't have to know everything.
The whole weekend for me was full of amazement and awe of the beauty and history of the places we were seeing. In some places it was difficult to imagine Jesus walking, as we walked past a McDonald's and past highways, but in other places it was easy for me to imagine Jesus there. Especially walking down the mountain form the Arbell Cliffs and also through the small Arab villages, it was not difficult to imagine Jesus there ahead of us.

Holy Week in the Holy Land...Holy cow!

2009-04-10T03:14:00.000-07:00

Ok ok, so I know that the title to this post is cheesy, but seriously, I could not think of a better way to spend Holy Week than in the place it actually occurred. This week has been full of church services and hopping between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, which was amazing. I started out the morning in my congregation in Beit Sahour. After the normal service, we paraded around the church building and sang celebratory songs. Then the children were given their palms and they proudly and eagerly showed them off. After the service, I went to grab the bus back to Bethlehem but, in the process, got swept into a Catholic parade going around Beit Sahour. So I joined in with one of the teachers from the school. As any other celebration in the West Bank, it wouldn't have been complete without Scout troops playing bag pipes.

The weather was absolutely perfect. I cannot believe that it is starting to get hot already though...it's too early for that! (I'm sure some of you from MN would hit me for saying that).

In the early afternoon I went into Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. The parade there started at 2:30 in Bethphage, and we walked from Bethphage down into the Old City of Jerusalem, the same path that Jesus took on his descent. There were children selling palm branches on the side of the road, large tour groups with umbrellas, and thousands of people from all around the world. It was pretty surreal. One of my favorite parts about the day was the music. I walked along with a band consisting of a violin, clarinet (yes!), guitar, baritone, and vocalists. Their music was very soulful and upbeat...it made me want to sing along, even though I didn't know the words!

Along the way we stopped at the church marking the spot where Jesus stopped and wept over Jerusalem. This was further along in Holy Week, but it was neat to see it then anyways.

Yesterday was Maunday Thursday. I attended a joint English, German, and Arabic service in Jerusalem at the Church of the Redeemer. This was a very significant service, and the distribution of Communion was really special...knowing that Jesus gave the Holy Communion to his disciples in this place was really neat. The service also reminded all of us to stay awake and keep watch, in this season and always. It was also a reminder to be servants to one another, as Jesus was to everyone. The washing of the disciple's feet is a clear sign that we are to put others before ourselves. After the service, we all walked to the Garden of Gethsemane. We all followed the cross (and, unfortunately the armed Israeli soldiers who insisted on coming along) to Gethsemane, the place where Jesus and his disciples prayed the night before his crucufixion. The garden is beautiful and, as it was early evening, the smell of the flowers permeated the air.

Today is Good Friday. I stayed in Jerusalem last night and woke up in time to participate in the 6:30 AM Via Dolorosa walk. There were 14 stations, starting with the site of Jesus' trial in front of Pontious Pilate and ending with the laying of Jesus in the tomb. Since it was so early in the morning, there were few other groups out, making it possible to have more a spiritual experience (usually in Jerusalem and Bethlehem there are too many tourists at the holy sites to really be able to get anything out of them, for me anyways). We were accompanied by Bishop Younan (the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land), and Anglican Bishop, and Pastors from various other congregations in the area. This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I wish all of you a blessed Holy Week and a very Happy Easter!

Reflections on an ICAHD Tour

2009-04-03T06:58:00.001-07:00

While I have been here, I have had the opportunity to go on 2 ICAHD tours. ICAHD stands for the Israeli Committee against Housing Demolitions. It is an organization that focuses on nonviolent resistance, and the tour is informational and talks about the impact of the Wall and of housing demolitions on both Palestinians and Israelis. It goes over some of the history of Israel/Palestine since 1948, so I wanted to write about a little of what they talked about.
The annexation of East Jerusalem starting in 1967 affected 28 Palestinian villages. Israel took over mostly agricultural villages. In 1967, 1/3 of the population in Jerusalem was Arab.At that time, the official goal of Israel was to maintain a "demographic balance" meaning that Israel's intention was to ensure that the Arab population didn't grow. Today there are 2 categories of Arabs living in Jerusalem: those with Israeli residency and those with West Bank status. Arabs who have Israeli residency receive the same services and freedom of movement as Israelis but have no Israeli passport and cannot vote. Although Arabs still comprise 1/3 of the population in Jerusalem, only 8-12% of tax money is spent on them. Additionally, although there are 490 parks in Jerusalem, only 8 (2%) are in East Jerusalem, where most of the Arabs reside.
Ok, now moving on to housing demolitions...Every year, between 100 and 150 Palestinian housing are demolished each year. It is interesting to note that there are 15,000 demolition orders each year. The system of demolitions is random; thus the Palestinians live in constant fear of their houses being destroyed. As the Israeli who led us on the tour said, Israel's official policy is fear and that is how they try to get people to do as they want. 20,000 homes have been demolished in the past years. Our guide also told us that housing demolitions are proof that occupation is not about security, it is about land.
While I don't necessarily want to get into the politics of this right now, I want to show the human side of these housing demolitions. Oftentimes, the family of the house about to be demolished has only an hour's notice. Therefore, many of their personal and sentimental belonging must be left behind. I can't even begin to think of what I would prioritize if I only had an hour to gather things I have been collecting and saving for a lifetime. To add injury to insult, families must pay for their own housing demolitions. I have heard a story of a man who demolished his own house upon hearing the news of his demolition order simply because it would be less expensive for him to do it.
When our guide first started talking, he asked the question: Why be involved? There are many answers to these questions, and they apply to everyone in the world, and particularly America. We, as taxpayers, are helping to fund the Occupation and all that goes with it. I do not want to be a part of this, so I feel like it is my civic duty to tell the story of the Israel/Palestine conflict. The wall is not only hurting Palestinians; it is also hurting Israelis. Both sides fear for their children and for their futures, and this is not how it has to be. I don't know what the answer is, so for now I am just trying to stay informed and to be present here.
If you would like more information about ICAHD and their work, visit:http://www.icahd.org/eng/

Tent of Nations

2009-04-03T04:07:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, the 6 of us YAGM volunteers, along with our director and his wife, embarked on our retreat. We spent 2 days and 2 nights at the Tent of Nations, an organization in Bethlehem. The Tent of Nations was founded in 2000 with the vision of preparing young people "for a positive contribution to their future and culture by bringing values of understanding and tolerance into their life experience, and to teach them the true belonging to their country" (taken from their website, http://www.tentofnations.org/index.htm). The 100 acres of land on which the Tent of Nations is located has a very unique story. In the early 1900's, while Palestine was still under Ottoman rule, every Palestinian was required to register his/her land. However, this meant that they would also have to pay taxes to the Ottoman Empire which, for obvious reasons, many were not excited to do. So many landowners would create loopholes to this rule and only register a portion of their land, thus ensuring that they wouldn't have to pay the full taxes. While it may have benefitted landowners to do this at the time, this has created problems for their descendants today. Many Palestinian landowners are losing their land to Israel today because they don't have the correct papers from the Ottoman times to prove that their family owns the land. Specifically for the Tent of Nations, Israel has been searching for ways to take the land from them, and one of the ways in which it has tried to do so is through issues of land ownership. Currently there are 3 major settlements (for more info on settlements, read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_settlement) surrounding the Tent of Nations, and Israel has tried many times to purchase the land from them. The Nassar family (who owns the land) refuses to sell their land to Israel and therefore has had to go to multiple court trials to defend their ownership. Luckily for them, their grandfather was one of the few Palestinians to register all of his land during the Ottoman period, so they were able to win the first battle. However, Israel then required that all of the neighbors of the land sign a legal document reinforcing that this land really does belong to the Nassar family. Well, there is a problem with this, as the neighbors would need proof of their own land boundaries and ownership. Also, many of the neighbors were reluctant to sign anything, fearing that the Nassar family was selling its land to Israel. Despite the problems, the Nassar family was able to get the signatures. In response to this, Israel then demanded that there be witnesses who could attest to the family's ownership. So the family organized the transportation of 40 such witnesses. On the day of the trial, the witnesses waited and waited and waited. Finally someone from the Israeli case came out and told them there was no more time today and could they please come back tomorrow. It was impossible for all 4o witnesses to come back the next day, as they had already sacrificed a day of work. Luckily, however, enough were able to come back the next day. Now there are still more hoops for the Nassar family to jump through to ensure that their land does not become an Israeli settlement.
The story of this family and of the land is inspirational. While the family could have sold the land for basically whatever they wanted (I heard that Israel bascially presented them with a blank check), they have refused. They are part of their land, as their land is a part of them. As their website states, land is worth nothing with no people and people are worth nothing without a land. Even though they have been through numerous costly court battles, they are still fighting strong. This is their way of nonviolent resistance. They disagree with the settlements the Israeli government is creating and, instead of physically fighting as others before them have done, they have chosen to peacefully voice their disagreement with the injustice. They use their land to host groups of people, and they do projects on their land to show Israel that their land is being used for something productive. They have many groups of young Palestinians out there and Daoud (one of the founding members) said that many young people who go there just stand in awe of the surroundings. They are used to seeing cities, the Wall, and the business and noise of everyday life. While the Tent of Nations is only 20 minutes from the center of Bethlehem, the scenery is absoltely breathtaking. There are mountains in the distance and green fields all around. The only thing that puts a damper on the beauty are the 3 surrounding settelements. As a sidenote, Daoud was telling us that the surrounding settlements take most of the water from the land, and Israel refuses to let water and electricity come to the Palestinians' land. So, the family has found ways to overcome these difficulties. They have built 6 cisterns to collect rainwater, and they use generators for their electricity (there is only enough electricity for 1.5 hours a night, though).
I was completely refreshed and reenergized through my visit to the Tent of Nations. Being in such a beautiful and natural place was rejuvenating. We even got to plant olive trees and sleep in a cave at night! It was also very refreshing to be in a place of so much hope. While it has had, and continues to have, its share of difficulties, the work that the Tent of Nations does brings hope to the Palestinian community. Other Palestinians see the nonviolent resisting that the Nassar family is doing and that gives them hope to continue and to look for ways to seek change. It was so easy to find hope in their story, and that is not always the case here. If you are interested in learning more about this phenomenal place, please visit the website :http://www.tentofnations.org/index.htm

"I love Jesus too."

2009-03-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

Last week, I visited the house of Wala'a, the friend I met on the Beit Sahour bus. I felt instantly at home when I entered her house and met her family. It is rare for me to feel so comfortable right away when meeting people, but there was just something about her family that made me feel at ease and like I had known them forever. As always, we were fed a feast. Wala's sister heaped a giant mound of stuffed grape leaves on my plate, along with bread and pickled vegetables. And, as always, I managed to finish my entire plate. I will never get over how great the food is here. This was on Ash Wednesday, so we had to leave their house only one hour after getting there so we could make it to the church service. Wala's family is Muslim, and as we were explaining the significance of Ash Wednesday to them, her mother said, "I wish I could go with you tonight. I love Jesus too." This was really touching to hear. I think many Christians assume that Muslims don't have anything to do with Jesus, but in Islam, Jesus is a respected teacher. It is good to be reminded of all the similarities in religions.
This week, we took the kindergarten on a tour around the center of Beit Sahour to visit different professions, because they are learning about different careers. We passed a mosque and, in an attempt to figure out the word in Arabic, I pointed to it and asked the little boy next to me what it was. He replied, "Yesua" (Jesus). Maybe he was just confused, but I think maybe there was something more to his response. I wish we were all a little more like children and able to see God and Jesus in more than just Christianity. God is definitely not limited to the Christian church.

Entertaining strangers

2009-02-24T11:42:00.001-08:00

Today was a fantastic day. Usually I don't have time to blog about most of my experiences, but I just wanted to share some of the events that happened today. Everything at school went well. None of the children got seriously injured, and the day was fairly uneventful, which usually is a very good thing. Sunday was my birthday, so people are still wishing me a happy birthday. After school, I went to the clinic yet another time. It seems as though I am constantly sick here with one thing or another but, on the bright side, the doctors and employees have started to recognize me, so it feels like I am visiting friends whenever I go there :) In addition, my medication only cost 3 shekel ($1.00) so I can't really complain. Anyways, after leaving the clinic, Marta and I boarded the Beit Sahour bus, our usual transportation home. When we got on the bus, we recognized a girl that we had talked to a few times before on that bus. She is a Palestinian who lives in Jerusalem but travels almost every day to the West Bank to take classes in fashion design. So that means that about 3 hours of her day is comprised of traveling through the checkpoint and between destinations. Although we had only spoken a few times, she invited us to her home tomorrow afternoon for dinner with her family. I shouldn't be surprised anymore by the Palestinian hospitality, but it really never ceases to amaze me how welcoming and trusting people are. They have no idea of our intentions or our backgrounds, but they are willing to trust in the goodness of human nature and to take a leap of faith. I admire that so much, especially considering the history that the Palestinians have. It reminds me of the passage in Hebrews 13:2: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." This verse doesn't exactly fit with what I am trying to say, because I don't claim to be an angel in any way, but it seems to fit the idea of Palestinian hospitality. They see everyone as a potential friend and possibly someone they could help in some way. I think that if every person had this sort of mentality, the world would be a better place.
After this experience, my day continued on its wonderful path. On the way home, our neighbor beckoned us into her home to give us a dessert she had made. So we ended up staying 2 hours in her home, talking, drinking tea, and playing with her 3 beautiful children. I have grown accustomed to invitations taking much more time than they do in the United States. Here, an invitation rarely lasts less than 2 hours...there is always more food you can eat, more tea you can drink, and more talking you can do. I appreciate this style of life...spending time on the important things, like relationships.
After this inviation, we proceeded to the Tent Restuarant in Beit Sahour to meet up with a group of students, teachers, and pastors from the University of Michigan who are here visiting for their spring break. Definitely not the normal spring break trip, but what an incredible way to spend a spring break! They asked a lot of interesting questions, things that we had not necessarily thought about in a while. It is always so nice to have fresh ears and people who are interested in the things we are seeing and experiencing.
We left the restuarant fairly early, and I called a taxi driver who is a friend of mine to arrange a ride for the people from the Michigan group. I talked to him for a while, and he very happily announced that he is getting engaged. Knowing what a huge thing that is here, I told him how happy I am for him, and he invited us to the engagement party next week. Again, another example of showing hospitality to strangers.

University

2009-02-23T09:12:00.001-08:00

It has been almost a month since my last post, and I don't really know where to begin to catch up, so I will begin with today and work from there. Today I went to Bethlehem University to meet up with a friend of mine. She is studying English Literature, and I was fortunate enough to attend a class with her. It was so nice to be back in a University setting...it made me realize that I really do miss the school environment. While I don't miss the homework and research papers that come with school, I do miss the social aspect of school and also the academic aspect of being surrounded by people who are eager to learn and to have conversations about random things. During this particular class, the students were discussing Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker, an African American writer. I have never read this before, but the professor brought up interesting topics and parallels between the problems African Americans in the US faced and continue to face and the problems that Palestinians face. In both situations there is a problem of oppression and discrimination. She also brought up the point of how the oppressed sometimes become the oppressors. As a particular example, she mentioned that after the Oslo Accords (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Accords) she would walk through the streets of Palestine and not be able to distinguish between the Palestinian Authority soldiers and the Israeli soldiers. The Palestinians, for some reason or other, had chosen to dress themselves in an almost identical manner as their oppressors. I have noticed this as well and have many times had to look twice to identify a soldier as either Palestinian or Israeli. One student in the class brought up the point that maybe it is because this is all they know. In any case, it is interesting to think about.

Faith

2009-01-25T10:44:00.000-08:00

This morning we all headed to Ramallah to go to Hope Lutheran Church, one of the 6 churches in the ELCJHL (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land). Bishop Younan, the Bishop of the ELCJHL, gave the sermon on a text from Matthew 8, which recounts the story of the Roman centurion who comes to Jesus because his servant is paralyzed. Jesus says that he will come to the centurion's house to heal the servant, but the centurion replies that he is not worthy to have Jesus in his household and that all that Jesus has to do is say he is healed, and it will be done. At this, Jesus commends the centurion for his faith, remarking that his faith is stronger than anyone in Israel that he had seen.
As Bishop Younan talked about the importance of having this kind of faith, I couldn't help but reflect on my own faith. I have been struggling lately and have been dealing with some hard questions. When I am presented with so much suffering on an almost daily basis, when I hear about Gaza and all of the people who have been killed, when I hear stories of despair, when I look into the eyes of the children I work with in the kindergarten and realize that they are destined to a life of imprisonment (in the sense that they cannot leave the West Bank) ...it is hard to have an unfaltering faith. Luckily, faith is not about being doubt-free. I am comforted knowing that questions are an important part of faith. And at the moments when I am struggling the most, it seems that God places a person or an event in my life to remind me that He is here with me. The other day, we learned that a friend's sister, who has been fighting cancer for 7 years, is again in remission. This is a miracle and such a relief. We have been praying for her and for her family for the past 2 months, when we heard about the return of her cancer, and this news really reinforced the power of prayer and the presence of God in this world.

Visit with friends

2009-01-18T04:28:00.000-08:00

Today, after church, Marta and I went into the Bethlehem market to visit the grandparents of Yusif. (I wrote about Yusif a few months ago; he is a friend of ours who is studying in Atlanta and we were invited to his home to meet his family). We have visited them only about 3 times, but they receive us each time as if we are family. His grandfather was sitting in the market selling kitchen items from his store, and when he saw us, he warmly welcomed us into his home just down the stairs. So we went down and greeted Yusif's grandmother, who kissed us on the cheek and called us "habibati"(her dear ones). Although our communication is always limited, I never cease to be amazed by her kindness and affection. We smiled at eachother and laughed, and that seemed to be enough. Just our presence seemed to make her content. She showed us her bag of medications and told us that these were very expensive but that she needed them. She also told us that her family works all the time in their store, and that they only eat bread. Despite the obvious financial burden, she insisted on serving us tea and cucumbers. Even though they barely have enough for themselves, they give to us anyways. Their home is simple but cozy and in it live three generations of their family. What else really matters if you have your family with you?
After leaving, I realized I do not even know their names. I am embarrassed by this, but I also know that names do not really matter. We know eachother in a way that does not require names, only a friendly smile and a kiss on the cheek. I hope that we will see much more of them in the future. And hopefully my Arabic will improve so we can communicate better :)

Bishop's Academy

2009-01-18T03:33:00.003-08:00

On January 6th, we welcomed a group of 90 people, including about 40 Bishops from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Canada and their spouses and wonderful staff, to our new home in Palestine. After days of intense debating about whether or not they should come due to the situation in Gaza, we were all extremely happy to find out that they were in fact coming. As volunteers of the ELCA's Young Adults in Global Mission program, our "job" for the week the Bishops were here was to be "bus shepherds," which included welcoming them at the airport, accompanying them on busrides, and helping them get from one place to another. Our role during the week turned out to be much more than that, and we were blessed to have taken part in such a momentous journey. I was very excited and grateful for their presence during that week, as just the mere fact that they chose to come at a tense time spoke to their committment to peace and justice in Israel and Palestine. These are the leaders of our church and the people who are able to enact change, and their presence gave me a renewed hope, something which I had desparately been longing for.
The week was full of intense meetings with people such as the Chief Rabbi of Israel, the Foreign Minister of Israel, and officials of the Palestinian Authority. In addition to these meetings, the group traveled and did a lot of sight-seeing and visiting with various organizations in the area. I and the other YAGM's were fortunate enough to accompany them on many of these visits, and through our time with the Bishops, we were able to share with them some of our experiences and knowledge of the area. They were all very receptive to us and asked all the right questions. Their curiousity was refreshing, and it was definitely nice to have fresh ears to talk to. All of us living here of course talk with one another, but it was nice to talk to people who haven't been experiencing the same things we have and who can add a new perspective.
As I mentioned before, spending this time with the Bishops and seeing their reactions to situations and listening to their input gave me a renewed sense of hope. Bishop Hanson, the Presiding Bishop of the ElCA, was even invited by King Abdullah II of Jordan to Washington D.C. to meet with President Obama and discuss possible peace solutions. It makes me so happy and relieved to know that all of these people left here with a new outlook and passion for this conflict and area. I have faith and trust in the leaders of the Church, and I have nothing but full admiration and respect for the work they have done and will continue to do.
Please pray for these leaders of the ELCA and for all they do for humanity.

Bishop

2009-01-18T03:33:00.001-08:00

Engagement party!

2009-01-17T07:39:00.001-08:00

Last week, a fellow teacher and friend of mine from school had his engagement party. The way in which engagements come about here is interesting and quite different from the way we do it in the United States. Contrary to the US, people here start "dating" (as we see it) after they are engaged. Before the actual engagement, the family of the man goes to the house of the woman, and the families discuss the possibility of engagement. So, from what I understand, this is where they decide if the man and woman are to be engaged. If both families agree, then the couple has their engagement party, where they have a ceremony (by a religious figure) and exchange rings that are worn on their right hands. Following the ceremony is a huge party, similar to a wedding reception in the US. Palestinians sure do know how to party...they have the engagement party, and then the week before the actual wedding is full of parties...the henna party (for women only), the bachelor's party (for women and men), and then the actual wedding. I have been fortunate enough to attend 2 weddings, a henna party, a bachelor's party, and an engagement party.
The engagement party was especially memorable, because I actually knew the groom-to-be and his family. We have been invited to his house a few times, and his parents have been so warm and receptive towards us. His father told us that we are like daughters to him, which is nice to hear when you are thousands of miles from home.
The night was full of music, dancing, laughter, friends, and food. I sat at the "teacher's table" with teachers from the Beit Sahour school. It was fun to spend time with them outside of the school. We danced the night away. Meredith and I were especially excited to hear such songs as "Barbie Girl" and the "Macarena" but were a little surprised when we and one other girl were the only ones doing the dance! Mish mushgula (not a problem)...we danced anyways. At one point in the evening, I danced with the groom-to-be's mother for an entire song. The camera was on us the whole time, so I will forever be a part of their family videos!

Getting back into the groove

2009-01-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

After almost a month of irregular school, Christmas break, and helping out with the Bishop's Academy (which I will write about later), I am back in the groove of school. It reminded me of Christmas breaks in the past...never long enough, and hard to get back into a routine. However, now that I have returned to my school, it is nice to have some semblance of order in my life. These past weeks have been challenging because of the events in Gaza. While I am physically distant enough from Gaza, I find that it is impossible to distance myself mentally and emotionally. This is not necessarily a bad thing...I think that if I were able to do that, I wouldn't be fully present here in Palestine. Throughout the past few weeks, conversations have inevitably turned to Gaza. "So, what do you think about Gaza?" has become a given in most interactions. While I don't think that people are necessarily testing me, I do think that people are very curious to hear what Americans have to say about the issue. I have struggled to find the right words to say. I never know what to say except the obvious...the situation is awful, and it is a tragedy that so many lives have been destroyed. What else can you say? I am frustrated that this tragedy continues and that people are still being killed.
Despite Gaza, life for me is going well here. I have noticed that many of my recent blogs have been about the situation here and not necessarily about other experiences I am having. While it is important to discuss the situation, I think it is equally important to talk about day-to-day experiences and to show that life goes on. I don't what the picture that I am portraying to be one of merely sadness and despair. I want to convey to you all what a complex and fascinating place this is to be. I want to tell the stories of the people I meet, of the laughter and hospitality that I encounter on a daily basis. So, I guess in summary, if the picture I have portrayed through my blogs is a dismal one, it is my fault for not giving equal emphasis to the horrible and wonderful things about life here. I will work on that.

Recent events in Gaza

2008-12-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

Once again, I am bombarded with inconsistencies. As we are in the midst of celebrating Christmas, as Bethlehem is decorated with lights and filled with the sounds, smells, and sights of Christmas and celebration, we are also aware of the pain and suffering that is occurring in Gaza right now. As many of you know, Israel started an airstrike on Gaza yesterday. According to Aljazeera news, the current death toll is 280 people and there are over 600 more who are injured, making yesterday the bloodiest day in Palestine/Israel since 1948. In addition, Israel has made it clear that these airstrikes will continue. On December 19, a 6-month truce between Hamas and Israel ended, making it unlikely that the fighting will cease any time soon. According to Aljazeera, Hamas is calling for a 3rd Intifada.
To make the situation even worse, medical supplies are running out, and the wounded have little to no resources. The UN has called this a humanitarian crisis, which it has been for some time now, as there has been an 18-month blockade on Gaza. People are starving, suffering, and dying.
Last night, I experienced yet another inconsistency. The principal from my school invited Marta and I to a wedding reception. As we walked up to the wedding hall just mere minutes from our house, we were shocked to find the hall dark and seemingly empty. As we walked up further towards the door, we were approached by a man asking us what we wanted. We told him that we had been invited to the wedding, and he ushered us in, explaining that they turned off all the outside lights and shut the drapes out of respect for the recent events in Gaza. It was strange walking into a room where there was so much joy, while at the same time thinking about Gaza. It is hard to find a respectful balance. Today I was amazed to see people laughing and talking on the streets, but then I realized that these people are confronted with issues like this on a daily basis. They need to have coping mechanisms to deal with these things that plague them constantly.
Today, in solidarity and respect for what is happening in Gaza, and as a nonviolent way to protest violent actions, all of the stores in Bethlehem and surrounding cities in the West Bank closed their doors. Walking through the city was eerie, as a usually lively city felt like a ghost town. This made me think a lot about the situation. If anything were to happen here, as a foreigner I would have the option and the resources to get out. However, the people I have come to know and love here would not have that same option. They can never escape this constant fear and questions of “what if….” Similarly, the Gazans don’t have the option to get out. They are stuck in a state of perpetual suffering and anxiety about the future. Please keep Gaza in your prayers.

Christmas in Bethlehem

2008-12-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, I woke up excited and energized for the day. I bundled up with layers (although not quite as many as I would have in Minnesota) and Marta and I headed out to meet up with a teacher and friend from our school. We traveled together to Manger Square, where the festivities had all begun. Music from the abundant Scout troops filled the air, and sounds of bagpipes, drums, and marching became part of the Christmas scene. As I walked through the streets, I was amazed and overwhelmed by the energy in the air. Manger Square was completely filled with people, so much so that moving became nearly impossible. Instead of walking on our own, it seemed as though the crowd did the work for us, pushing us where we needed to be. While watching the parade, we ran into some of the 11th and 12th grade students from the school, girls that we have come to know and become friends with. We kissed each other on the cheeks (as is the custom) and greeted each other with “Merry Christmas!” above the noise in the streets. As we walked along with them, it seemed as if we could not go more than 10 steps without seeing someone we knew and stopping to greet them. While I have felt a part of the community for quite some time now, this day really solidified my feeling of being immersed in the culture and community here.
After spending nearly 6 hours in Manger Square, talking with friends and enjoying the festivities, we headed over to Christmas Lutheran Church (seems fitting, huh?) where there was a Christmas Eve service in junction with Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jerusalem. The service was trilingual and included parts in English, Arabic, and German. As we sang “O Come All Ye Faithful,” I got the shivers when we sang the part about coming to Bethlehem to behold Him. It really made me appreciate how special it was to be there, in the city where Jesus was born, where the story began.
Christmas in Bethlehem for me was not about the decorations or parades; it was about the people I spent it with, the people who have become my family here. Of course, I miss my family and friends back at home, but this was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am so grateful for all the people who made Christmas so special and meaningful. Through them, I see the love of Christ and the presence of God. I hope you all had a very special and meaningful Christmas!

Advent and Christmas Carols

2008-12-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

As we progressed through the season of Advent and into Christmas, there was an indescribable energy here. As usual, Advent was a time of anticipation and preparation for the coming of the Christ, and Christmas was a celebration of the birth of the Light of the world. However, as we sang Christmas carols and began to celebrate Christmas, there was an unmistakable sense of sorrow, an inability to reconcile the pain and suffering here with the celebratory joy that embodies Christmas. As we sang “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” I couldn’t help but notice the inconsistencies of the lyrics.

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above they deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

Bethlehem is anything but still right now. This traditional hymn depicts Bethlehem as a peaceful and silent place, where hope is evident and near. While I am still optimistic and see hope in the people here, I know that the reality is that many people have lost hope. Christmas time here is wonderful and almost like something from a fairytale, but what many people who come here just for Christmas don’t see is the pain masked by the Christmas decorations and festivities. For me, I know I will never be able to sing Christmas carols in the same way I did before coming here. While I will still sing with joy, I will never be able to forget the reality behind the lyrics.

Jordan

2008-12-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, during Eid il Adha (a Muslim holiday that commemorates God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael), our volunteer group traveled to Jordan. After waiting to get through the multiple checkpoints, we finally arrived in Amman, the capital of Jordan. I was amazed by the city…there were skyscrapers, new cars (something we don’t see here), fast food restaurants, and policemen stopping people for speeding (something we also don’t see here). As one of the other volunteers pointed out, it was so refreshing to see an Arab city that is thriving and, more importantly, not occupied. We got a whirlwind tour of the city, which included seeing Roman ruins and the Dead Sea Scrolls (so exciting!). After the tour we attended Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, one of the ELCJHL (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land). We were warmly welcomed into the congregation, and afterwards one of the members asked us why we didn’t send any volunteers to Jordan. “We need hope here,” he said. I didn’t know how to respond to his statement, but it made me think.
After Amman, we traveled to Petra, which is one of the sites to see when you are in Jordan. Unfortunately I was sick and spent the day in my hotel room, but luckily I have another opportunity to go there soon. From what I hear, it is amazing.After Petra, the 5 of us YAGMs embarked on a journey to Wadi Rum, a beautiful desert in Jordan. We spent 2 days and nights in the desert, alternating between walking and riding on camels and jeeps. We spent this time with Difallah, our Bedouin guide, and his family. Although this was a “tourist” trip, I felt like more of a guest than a customer. At night we sat around the fire and were serenaded by sounds of singing and the oud (an Arab instrument similar to a guitar). In fact, we were lucky enough to be in the presence of one of the best oud players in the Middle East. He is usually traveling but because of the holiday he had returned to Wadi Rum to visit. The whole trip was so serene and just what I needed. It was a necessary break from the stresses and challenges of living in the West Bank. To just be able to see God in the sunsets, in the beautiful surroundings, in the vast expanse of desert, and in the simplicity of life was so wonderful

Food

2008-12-15T05:57:00.001-08:00

So I got a request from a friend to write a little about the food here, so here it is :) Pita bread ("hobez", in Arabic) is one of the main components of every meal. Almost every day we buy a fresh bag of pita from the bakery down the street. The smells emanating from this bakery are unreal, and the pita is fresh and warm. Unlike in the US, fresh vegetables and fruits are abundant and cheap here (a week's supply of fruits and veggies for 3 people is about NIS 50, or about $18), so a lot of the cooking we do here is based around vegetables. Salads are popular here; the most common is Arabic salad, which is a combination of cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions with a vinegar sauce. Baba gonoush is also a common salad and is made from eggplants and tahini sauche. Rice is also a key component of Palestinian food. A traditional Palestinian dish is called Maklouba, which is an upside down meat dish. It contains rice, lamb, pine nuts, and other spices and is delicious. The recipe is listed below.
Another common dish is rice wrapped up in grape leaves, and rice and meat wrapped up in cabbage leaves.
Other common (and delicious!) foods include:
Falafel (fried chick peas)
Shawerma (meat sandwiches)
Hummous
Lentils

There are no grocery stores here, so everything that we buy comes from little shops and markets. Sometimes we do our shopping in the central market in Bethlehem, other times we walk up the hill from our apartment and grab what we need from Shaddy's, the local fruit and vegetable store. Shopping here is always an interesting experience. I have learned the word for "cilantro" in Arabic, which has been quite helpful when I get the craving to make pico de gallo or guacamole! The store owners are now familiar with us, so I think we are beginning to be charged the "local" prices as opposed to the "tourist" prices.

Meats Recipes - Maklouba (Middle Eastern Upside-down Pudding)
Ingredients
450 g/1lb/2 cups risotto or long-grain rice
900 g/2 lb boned shoulder of lamb, diced
100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup butter
60 ml/4 tbsp corn oil
900 g/2 lb cauliflower, cut into florets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ground cinnamon
50 g/2 oz/1/2 cup pine nuts
Plain yoghurt
Method:
Boil the rice in water for 10 minutes. Drain. Put the lamb in a large saucepan and just cover with boiling water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt half the butter with the oil in a large frying pan (skillet). Fry (sauté) the cauliflower until golden brown.
Drain the lamb, reserving the cooking liquid. Wash the saucepan and return the meat to the pan. Season well with salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste.
Put the cauliflower in a thick layer on top and season again. Put the drained rice on top and spread in an even layer.
Pour the lamb cooking water over to 5 mm/1/4 in above the rice, topping up with water if necessary. Do not stir. Season again with salt, pepper and a little more cinnamon.
Cover and cook fairly gently over a moderate heat until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and leave undisturbed for a further 20 minutes.
Invert over a warm serving dish and leave the saucepan in place for a further 15 minutes. Meanwhile fry (sauté) the pine nuts in the remaining butter.
Lift off the saucepan, spoon the pine nuts and their butter over and serve warm with yoghurt.
window.google_render_ad();

Thanksgiving

2008-12-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was a few weeks ago, but I wanted to write about it nevertheless because it was a very important experience for me. As we all know, it is difficult to be away from home, especially during the holiday seasons. Holidays are a time for traditions and for sharing them with the people you know and love. This was the second Thanksgiving that I have spent abroad, and I am so blessed to have celebrated such an important holiday here in such a unique place. I attend a small church in Beit Sahour, which is connected to the school that Marta and I volunteer at. The Pastor of this church kindly and enthusiastically invited us to his home on Thanksgiving. While Palestinians obviously don't celebrate the American Thanksgiving, he had spent some time studying in the US and therefore knew the significance of this holiday for us. So the 5 of us volunteers and our director and his wife all prepared a Thansgiving dish to share, and we gathered around the table, Americans and Palestinians alike, to celebrate this holiday of thankfulness. This year has given me much to be thankful for. I am so thankful for the Palestinians who have welcomed us with open arms, open hearts, and open homes. I am also thankful for the privileges I have that come from being born in the US (the ability to freely travel, for one) . I am thankful for the extremely supportive international community I have found here, as I am for the supportive family and friends at home. I am thankful to have a place to call home, as many Palestinians have been away from their homes for years and some don't even know what home is anymore.
The list could go on forever, but basically I am thankful to be in this place now and to experience and learn and grow throughout this year. Happy belated Thanksgiving, everyone!

Gaza

2008-12-15T04:58:00.000-08:00

It has been almost a month since my last post, so in the next few posts I will attempt to catch you up with what has been happening in my life and in Palestine. As many of you know, there is a crisis in Gaza right now. On November 4, when the eyes of the world were turned to the US Presidential elections, Israel found an opportunity to close Gaza off from the rest of the world. This means that nothing has been able to pass through Gaza, including food, water, and fuel. Today, the Israeli adminstration has once again announced that Gaza is under complete closure. Because no fuel can pass through Gaza, it's final power plant had to shut down last night. On the news a few weeks ago was a story about Gaza and the effects that closure has on its people. Especially pertinent is the effect that the electricity shortage has on hospitals. All appliances in the hospitals are electrically attached, so when there is a shortage of fuel (as there has been), the hospital has to run on a generator. However, generators only last so long, so doctors were forced to take extreme but necessary measures of manually pumping oxygen to the patients. As if this were not enough, many drugs have reached 0 stock levels.
The people of Gaza are in the midst of a "humanitarian crisis", and all for what reason? The closure supposedly happened in response to rocket attacks by Palestinian militans, and this rocket attack was a response to an IDF raid that killed six gunmen on November 4 (according to Haaretz News). I certainly do not condone the rocket attacks or raids, but is it fair to punish the 1.5 civilians of Gaza in such an extreme way? In reading a little more about the situation, I came across an article written by a public speaker on Middle Eastern affairs, and he raised an interesting point about the Gaza situation:

"What, after all, can one expect from a child who endures, with his family and whole community, slow death and daily humiliation; degradation, denial of food and basic medical care? For sure, he or she will never forget or forgive. Are we aware of the future price we will all pay for this suffering? Do we recognise that our kids shall face the Gaza’s kids, at some point in the future; can we imagine the contours of this dialogue? "

It is true that people in Gaza are suffering on a daily basis...what does this mean for the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and hope for future peace? What will happen to the current generation of children (the future leaders) if all they are taught is to fear and hate the "other"? Vounteering in the kindergarten has given me a uniqe perspective on the situation here. Sure, I see hope and love in the eyes of these children. But I also see anger and fear, especially when the first thing they construct with blocks is usually a gun. While it is frightening for me to see armed soldiers walking down the streets and standing at intersections, it is part of the every day schema for them. To see something other than that would be peculiar to them.
I don't know what will happen with the situation in Gaza, but I ask that you keep the Gazans in your prayers. And I also ask that you pray for Israel and for wisdom for its leaders that they can make good decisions.

2008-11-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

Last Friday morning started out just fine. Excited about our upcoming weekend trip to Tiberias and Nazareth, my roommates and I woke up full of excitement and expectations of the weekend to come. Selfishly, I was excited for the sense of escape the weekend would bring...I love Palestine and it is wonderful to be here, but I also wanted a weekend where I would not have to constantly be aware of so much pain and suffering. So we headed out at 9:15 and made our way to the Gilo walking checkpoint in Bethlehem. Usually this checkpoint is not very busy, but on this day, there were people lined up outside, waiting to get through security. Some people were shoving and shouting and pushing their way through the line, but the majority of people were just laughing it off nonchalantly, like this was something to be expected. We waited in this line for 30 minutes, listening to soldiers shouting, "One by one!" in Arabic. Once we made it through this line, we thought we were in the clear, only to find crowds of people waiting in the next line to pass through security and the metal detector. It was chaotic and there were soldiers parading the catwalks above, shouting and pointing their guns at the people below. A fellow foreigner came up to us and asked if we would like to share a taxi to go through a different checkpoint. She had lived here for 3 years before as a tour guide, so we followed her, only to find out that the soldiers were not too keen about letting us through that checkpoint, meaning we would have to travel unnecessarily to a checkpoint in a different city. So we went back to see if the lines had died down at all. Unfortunately, they had not.
The 3 of us stood there in disbelief, watching the Palestinians being herded, pushed, and shoved. The soldiers had shut down 2 of the gates, leaving only 2 open for hundreds of people. When I asked one of the Palestinians why it was so busy, he explained that most of the people waiting were going to pray at the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Friday is the holy day for Muslims, and many Muslims are onlyallowed into Jerusalem on Fridays to pray. It made me furious that the soldiers were making people wait hours upon hours in the first place, and even more furious that they were preventing them from praying. Someone had once described the process of the checkpoints as similar to herding cattle. This image is strikingly accurate. Standing to the side and watching the Palestinians contained in such a small place, fighting to move forward, brought tears to my eyes. I felt almost guilty crying, especially since I am a tourist and am given so many privileges compared to them. They are the ones who have to experience all of this, while I merely stand to the side, carrying my American passport. A few people asked why we didn't just leave and go to the other checkpoint. The answer we gave them was essentially if they couldn't pass through the checkpoint, why should we be able to? I think they were shocked by this answer, because none of them said a word after that. This was an experience of true accompaniment. It was a peaceful way for us to publicly announce our solidarity with the Palestinians and to "walk a mile in their shoes," as much as we could.
I think one of the most memorable experiences of the morning for me was a conversation I had with a Palestinian woman. As I was standing off to the side, fighting back tears, she came over to me and greeted me. We spoke in Arabic, and I exhausted pretty much all of the vocabulary I had. When I asked her how she was doing, she said, "Ilhamdullalah." "Thank God." I am still amazed at the use of this phrase...even when it seems like there is nothing to thank God for in a situation, people still emphatically use this phrase...and they mean it too. There is nothing fake or sarcastic about it, it is genuine. We saw eachother again in the line to get through security, and everyone time our gaze met, we both smiled. From then on it was an unspoken bond.
3 hours later, we boarded the bus to our destination, feeling drained, frustrated, and helpless. Having hoped to escape the situation for the weekend, I realized that my desire was impossible. I can't escape from this...from this point on in my life, I will never be able to forget Palestine or put it on the back burner in my mind. Nor do I want to. It is my responsibility to remember these people and this country, and it is my privilege to be able to tell their stories.

Hebron

2008-11-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, Marta and I were invited by a friend to visit Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank, which is located 30 Kilometers south of Jerusalem. It is the second biggest commerical center of Palestine and has religious significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Abraham's Mosque is located here, which included the tombs of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebeccah, and Jacob and Leah. Some also believe that Adam and Eve are buried here. Therefore, the religious signifiance to these 3 faiths is undeniable. Unfortunately, this has created problems between Palestinians and Israeli settlers living in Hebron, both of whom think they have rights to this holy place. Hebron is divided into 2 sectors, H1 and H2. H1 is under full Palestinian control, while H2 remains under Israeli control to protect the Jewish settlers living there. In the H2 sector, there are 4 Israeli soldiers for every one Jewish settler living there. In addition, the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) has armed each settler with weapons to "protect" themselves against the Palestinians. Hebron is a place where much violence has occurred and it continues to be a conflicted area. This was apparent, as we walked through the streets of the Soukh (the market). A once bustling area, the market is now nearly desolate, with only a handful of stores still open. As I looked above, I was disgusted to see that the storeowners were forced to put a net above their stores to protect themselves from the trash and junk the Jewish Settlers throw down at them. I have even heard stories of settlers throwing hot water down onto the vendors. This type of nonsensical violence is so frustrating and so impossible to understand.
Khalil, our friend, was excited to give us a tour of Hebron and to show us Abraham's Mosque, mentioned above. Unfortunately, this required going through a checkpoint, which was time consuming and unfair. Why should Palestinians have to go through a checkpoint to visit a holy site which is on their own land? Why should anyone, for that matter, have to do that? The first time we tried getting through, the soldiers refused us because it was the time of prayer for Muslims. This was very frustrating for Khalil, as he only wanted to show us around his city, and the soldiers were making it complicated. Luckily, we were able to come back later and see the Mosque, which was beautiful. While there, we started talking with a man who was present during the 1994 Massacre in Abraham's Mosque. On February 25, 1994, when over 800 Muslims were present at the Mosque for their Dawn prayer, the first of their 5 prayers during the day, Dr. Baruch Goldstein, a Jewish American Zionist, entered at the back of the Mosque and threw a hand grenade into the crowd of worshippers. He then opened fire, killing more than 29 people and injuring more than 125. The man who we were talking to had not only been present at the Mosque this day...he was also shot in the arm, and his son, who came to the scene to see if his father was ok, was shot and killed. When he was telling this story, he kept saying "hamdullalah" ("Thanks be to God") and I was amazed at how he could say this. Even though he had experienced this tragedy, he was able to keep praising God. Throughout this story I was fighting back tears...I just could not believe how cruel and inhumane Goldstein was, and the scary thing is that some people commemmorate this day and go to his tombstone on each anniversary of the massacre to celebrate what Goldstein did. How could anyone celebrate something so tragic? How could anyone believe that killing Muslims, whose only crime was being in the Mosque at that time, was worthy of celebration?
Needless to say, my time in Hebron was full of ups and downs. It is a fascinating city, both for religous and commercial purposes. However, it is also a city fraught with conflict and violence. The landscape is beautiful, but it is also laden with Israeli checkpoints and soldiers with guns. The people are warm and friendly, but there is an unmistakable sense of anger and frustration with the situation.
The day ended well, with a trip to Khalil's village, 30 minutes outside of Hebron. His family showed us Palestinian hospitality and welcomed us with open arms into their house and into their lives. These people put a face to the "conflict" that we hear about. I will never be able to look at the Palestinian/Israeli conflict in the same way as I was before living here...I have learned so much from the people I have met, and I am so grateful for each of those experiences. Seeing and experiencing all of this is really hard sometimes, but it is a necessary part of learning and living here.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God

2008-11-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, as the Lutheran Church here and around the world was preparing for Reformation celebrations, and as people at home were preparing for the exciting holiday of Halloween, I attended a candlelight peace march to the Wall in Bethlehem. Preceding the march was a 2 hour long service, mostly in Arabic and German, commemmorating the 125th Anniversary of Reformation Lutheran Church in Beit Jala. This service was attended by many, including the first woman bishop of Germany, the President of the ELCJHL (Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Jordan and the Holy Land), a Jewish Rabbi, and pastors and priests of many different Christian churches around the area. Although I could not understand much of what was said, the overall atmosphere of the room was exciting. Everyone was wearing their Palestine scarves and everyone was there for the same purpose...to celebrate the work of this church and to celebrate Palestine and come together to pray for peace. One of the speakers mentioned the Be-Attitudes in Matthew, and the part that particularly struck me was the one that I used for the title of this post. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God." Peace is a word that is used often here, usually in a longing manner. What does peace in this area of the world look like? I imagine that the majority of people living here would not be able to answer that question. But services like this, where Christians and Jews alike felt free to voice their hopes for peace, give me hope for a better future for Palestine and Israel.
The church service was followed by a candlelight march to the wall, a nonviolent means of resistance and a way to show our accompaniment with the Palestinians. It was an emotional experience for me, to see thousands of people walking together peacefully, all hoping for a new day to come. It reminded me of Psalm 18:29, which had been mentioned in the service: "...with my God I can scale a wall."As I watched three young boys climb onto eachother's shoulders and place the Palestinian flag in the crevices of the Wall, I was reminded of the fact that God is way bigger than this will.
Unfortunately, after I returned home, I received a call from a friend asking me if I had gotten home safely, as Israeli soldiers had come to the area and started shooting. This definitely put an ironic twist to the peace march. I would have liked to end this blog on a completely positive and hopeful note, but the truth is that many nonviolent forms of resistance end in a violent reaction by the Israeli soldiers. It is unfair and doesn't make any sense, but this gives us more reason to pray for peace, in this area and also in other parts of the world that need hope.

Monday Monday...

2008-10-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Today was an incredible day. I was gone all week last week because I was sick, so it was fun to be back at school and to see all of the kids and teachers. Things are finally getting to be comfortable, which is so nice. I feel like I belong here and like this place which was originally so foreign to me is now home. While I am still struggling with the language barrier, especially with the kindergartners, I am finding that this barrier is not so much of an issue now. Granted, I still can't really control a classroom of kindergartners, but I am learning to accept that and to not be so hard on myself. I have been forming relationships with the children and the teachers, and those relationships are so valuable. It is amazing how close I feel to the children, even though we barely understand eachother. Today, two little boys came up to me and just grabbed onto me and hugged me and kissed me on my arm. No matter how stressful or overwhelming my day is, things like that make everything so much better.
Marta and I have also been forming relationships with some of the older students in the school, and that has been very rewarding. I have always been a little scared of working with high schoolers, because they are so close to my own age, but these kids have been very receptive towards us and very open to talking with us. This afternoon we met with one of the students to talk about an upcoming project, and pretty soon 2 more students joined in on the conversation. They could have left school and gone home, since they were done with classes, but they chose to stick around and talk with us. It was an interesting conversation, as we were discussing their plans for the future. One of the girls has a father who is half-American and half-Palestinian, so she would have the option to go to the US if she wanted. However, she says she would never want to live in the US, because Palestine is where her home is. She couldn't give up on Palestine and leave her family and friends. It was refreshing to hear that, and I really admire her, because to be honest, life is hard here. I wouldn't judge anyone for wanting to get away from here, and many people we have talked to are looking for ways out...usually they are looking to marry a foreigner, so that conversation gets awkard pretty quickly. But anyways, it was really great to talk to these students. They give us such a different perspective on life. I feel like I am learning so much more from them than they are learning from us...this is very humbling.

Olive harvesting on the Mount of Olives

2008-10-22T00:30:00.000-07:00

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 :)

A trip to the Doctor

2008-10-20T02:05:00.000-07:00

For the past few days, I have not been feeling well, but I have been overwhelmed with the amount of care and worry people have shown for me. One of the teachers from the school gave me the name of a doctor in Beit Sahour, so I decided to go on an adventure to find the doctor. The clinic was fairly easy to find...I just asked for directions at a store and found my way from there. Once I got to the clinic, I was amazed by how easy it was to be seen by a doctor. It's not at all like the US where you have to fill out countless forms and insurance papers. The receptionist simply asked my name and where I was living. Then she asked me to pay the fee for seeing the doctor, which was only 15 sheqel (less than $5). I sat down in the waiting room, thinking that it might be a while since there were many other people waiting to be seen. But they called me up within 5 minutes...I was grateful for this speediness but also felt guilty since there were so many people who had been there before me. Once again my foreignness proved to be an advantage. Within 10 minutes, the doctor diagnosed me with follicular tonsillitis and gave me prescriptions for 3 medicines. Unfortunately, this is contagious, so he told me I cannot go to school for 3 more days until the medicine kicks in. It will be good for my body to rest, but I think I will go a little stir-crazy being by myself all day...luckily our TV has a few good English stations! It is hard to be sick and be so far from home, but being sick also makes you realize how many people care about you.

A new friend, a nice invitation, and a marriage proposal

2008-10-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, when my 2 roommates and I were wandering through the Bethlehem market, we started talking with Youssef, one of the employees of a kitchen utensil store. His family owns the store, and we had a good time talking with him and meeting many of his family members. He is back in Palestine visiting family but told us he would return to Georgia in 2 weeks to continue with his schooling there. He told us to come back to visit and we told him hopefully we would see him before we left. Almost two weeks went by and, although we passed through the market occassionally, we never met our new friend again. This past Friday, Marta and I happened to be walking through the market and ran into Youssef again. We thought he had already gone back to the States but were pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face. He invited us into his store for tea and proceeded to introduce us to even more of the family. Family is extremely important here, so usually whenever we meet someone, the next process is being introduced to all of the family members. He asked us to come back to visit on Monday, so we told him we would, and we kept our promise. On Monday, he invited the 3 of us to his home, because his mother wanted to meet us and cook a meal for us. It was really special to receieve this invitation, especially since it was a "legitimate" invitation. Men have invited us to drink coffee with them at restaurants here, which seems innocent enough, but it is actually considered inappropriate for men and women to go out together if they are not married. But if someone invites you to their home to meet their family, it is culturally appropriate and ok to accept the invitation. So we graciously accepted the invitation. On Tuesday, he and his brothers met us to show us the way to their home, and when we entered their home, we were immediately welcomed by his parents and brothers and sisters. His sisters are both studying English and were excited for the opportunity to use it with us. When they showed us to the kitchen, we saw 3 huge plates, each filled with a chicken and overflowing with a rice and peanut mixture. Marta and Meredith shared one plate, Youssef and his sister shared another, and that left me all alone with a huge plate in front of me. The food was amazing, probably the best that I have had here. We stuffed ourselves until we could eat no more, and headed out to the living room with his family, where his mother proceeded to fill 3 large plates with grapes, apples, oranges, and pears. When we told her we could eat no more, she brought out 3 bowls of pomegranates, one for each of us. She was not going to let us go hungry, that's for sure! Then, after fruit, she prepared coffee for us....then, not even 30 minutes later, she brought in tea and biscuits. I felt like I was going to explode. The whole evening was full of food, laughter, and good company. Youssef's father apparently thought I would make a good wife for Youssef, and kept on hinting that the two of us should get married, despite my attempts to make it clear I already have a boyfriend. However, that was followed by much laughter and good-natured teasing, so I am glad I was able to provide some amusement.
The whole night was a wonderful experience, and I am so grateful to Youssef and his family for their remarkable hospitality. He and his brothers even walked us halfway home, which was so kind and thoughtful of them. They wouldn't have dreamed of letting us walk the first half, which is not well-lit, alone. Youssef is now back in the states, but we still have a connection with his family, and I am hoping to build on those relationships throughout this year.

A different world

2008-10-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, on my day off, I decided to take a little break from life in the West Bank and venture into West Jerusalem, which is the modern part of the city. So I walked to the checkpoint, made it through with no problems or questions (as is usually the case for foreigners) and found a coffee shop where I could relax and forget about all the stresses of daily life. I felt guilty for doing this, because I know that Palestinians get no respite from life. They cannot choose to take a day off from life here, and they don't have the luxury of being able to leave the West Bank. At the same time, however, if I keep this mindset, I will never get anywhere, because the simple fact that I am American gives me unfair advantages all the time. I cannot help that I am American and privileged, but at the same time I must constantly be aware of all the advantages my citizenship gives me. Anyways, I was in this coffee shop and an Israeli man started talking to me. I have had very few interactions with Israelis here, aside from the soldiers at the checkpoint, so I did not really know how to respond to his questions. He asked me what I was doing here, and since I am still hesitant to tell Israelis my purpose, I simply told him I was touring. This was a fine answer to him, but when I told him I was staying in Bethlehem in the West Bank, he became very concerned for my safety. "If I went over there, they would kill me. It's very dangerous," he said. He told me I should be in my home by 7 PM because the Palestinians are dangerous. I became defensive at this point, because he was attacking the people I have befriended and worked with, and told him that I have never felt unsafe in Bethlehem (which, for the most part, is true. You always have to be careful, of course, but that is the same for any city). It was so interesting to be in that coffee shop in West Jerusalem and to be so close to Bethlehem geographically but to be in an almost entirely different world. It is so sad to hear the stereotypes that Israelis have of Palestinians and vice versa. But when you are raised to be fearful of "the other," what else can you expect?

Bible Study reflections

2008-10-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my roommates and I hosted a young adults Bible Study in our home. This is a bi-monthly Bible study that meets once a month in Bethlehem and once a month in Jerusalem. It is quite a hassle to make it across the wall from Bethlehem to Jerusalem and vice versa, so we wanted to make it fair for all our participants and split up our time in each place. Anyways, we started out by reading Isaiah 58:5-11, which was actually the verse read in church yesterday. It was the Palestinian Thanksgiving yesterday, so this verse emphasizes what it means to be a servant, not on just one special day, but every day of our lives. I think that, in the US, Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful for what we have but also to remember those that don't have enough. But this verse calls us to be consistent in our servitude and to serve and help every person we meet. This is a daunting task but also a worthwhile endeavor.
After we talked a little about service, we talked about faith and also defeat. It is impossible, in my opinion, to live here and not to struggle with faith. Every day I am working and serving alongside people whose lives are made so difficult by the Occupation. It is impossible to meet a Palestinian who has not had to deal with the death of a member of their family due to the Occupation. How do we see God in everything when we are surrounded by such pain and suffering? A few people commented on the fact that this pain stirs us to action...I agree with this, but I also couldn't tell this reasoning to a Palestinian. I don't think it would be a sufficient explanation. I don't have all the answers, but it is good for me to struggle with this. And, while I can't see God in everything that is here, I also can't help but see God in all the wonderful people I have met here and the incredible experiences I have had. When I look into the beautiful, smiling faces of the kindergartners I work with every day, I see God. When I talk to Majdi, the energetic and unconditionally compassionate store owner down the street from us, I see God. I see God in so many ways, shapes, and forms here. That is what keeps me going...it is difficult to be here and to see suffering, but I know God is here.

The Dead Sea and the Good Samaritan

2008-10-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

So I don't really like to post about touristy things, because touring is not really a component of my year, but I am going to write about this "touristy" experience because it has some really neat components. Last Friday 4 of us volunteers embarked on an adventure to the Dead Sea. We left from the Beit Sahour bus station at 7:00 AM and arrived in Jericho at 8:30. The bus ride was amazing...we drove on a windy road through mountains and mounds of dirt. We were in the desert, so the scenery around us was entirely brown and sand-washed, but it was gorgeous (everything except for the Wall, that is). After bartering with the cab drivers who wanted to charge us ridiculous amounts of money, we found ourselves at the Dead Sea, located at the lowest elevation in the world. We did all of the typcial things you do at the Dead Sea, including floating and covering ourselves in the Dead Sea mud, which is supposed to be very good for your skin. In fact, the water is so full of minterals that it is 26% solid. Floating in the Dead Sea was such a surreal experience. It was so weird to be so bouyant that it was actually difficult to stand vertically in the water. It was also very relaxing to just lay there and leave behind all the stresses of living here. (The only stressful part of the experience was worrying about the possiblity of the extremely salty water coming into contact with my eyes. It happened to one of the other girls....very painful).
Being at the Dead Sea was also interesting in the sense that there was such a diversity of people there. We ended up getting in free on accident because there was a large tour of Italians coming through, but in addition to the Europeans in their bikinis, there were Indian women swimming in their saris and Muslim women in their full burkas who came down to collect the Dead Sea mud.
By around 12, we were ready to go back into Jericho. The heat there was almost unbearable, and we were told later that this was actually a "cold" day according to Jericho standards. When we asked the woman at the admissions counter how we could get a taxi, she told us to just go to the main road and grab one from there. Well, this was not very helpful, considering it was a long walk to the "main road" which was actually quite deserted. So we started walking in the heat and were discouraged to find that there was literally nothing in sight in either direction. No buildings, no gas stations, no shade. Finally, after about 20 minutes of walking, a taxi pulled up out of nowehere and offered us a reasonly priced ride to the checkpoint. He was an Israeli taxi and therefore couldn't go into Jericho, which is off-limits to Israelis. So we gratefully accepted the ride and were dropped off at what appeared to be a bus station. Relieved, we sat in the shade, optimistic that we would easily find a ride into Jericho. We waited and waved down every taxi we could see. Unfortuntely, most were full to capacity already, and those that weren't completely full would slow down just enough to stare at us (4 American girls), laugh or make comments at us, and keep on driving. So we were pretty hopeless and frustrated (not to mention thirsty, hot, and hungry) by this point and wondered if we would even make it back in time to catch the only bus back home to Bethlehem. It was at this point that a guardian angel named Firas stopped to help us. He was driving with his 4-year-old son and pulled over to offer us a ride. We all crowded into his car and found out that he lives in Ramallah but was visiting family in Jericho that day. When he found out we were Americans, he warmly welcomed us to Palestine and said he had spent some time in the US. He also said that it had been about 10 years since he had picked up tourists or stopped to help foreigners but that there was something about us that made him stop. I guess we looked pretty helpless and in need of a good samaritan. I can't help but think of the song we always sang in Vacation Bible School called "The Good Samaritan". It starts out...."on the way to Jericho" and goes on to talk about the man in the Bible who was robbed and left for dead on the road to Jericho. Many people passed him by but one person, a Samaritan, stopped to help him. Now, we were obviously not in the same situation as this man, and Firas is not a Samaritan in the religious sense, but he is definitely a good samaritan in all other senses. He even went out of his way to take us on a mini-tour of Jericho, including Zacchias's tree, dropped us off at a restuarant and made a point to find the manager to tell him to take good care of us. It's these kind of people in the world that allow me to continue to have hope in the goodness of human nature.

Some history...

2008-10-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

I realize that I have not included any background information or history of the Israeli/Palestinian situation in this blog. Although I am not much of a history person, I will try to provide a brief summary of the conflict. Before coming here, I admit that I was completely ignorant of the situation here. Now I know a bit more, but am certainly far from knowing it all (I don't think it is even possible to know it all...the situation is so complex). So anyways, here is my attempt at a brief history lesson.
In 1917, through the Balfour Declaration, Britian committed itself to working toward the creation of a Jewish homeland in Mandate Palestine. In 1947, the Partition Plan was passed by the UN, dividing Mandate Palestine into two sections: the Jewish state(56% of Mandate Palestine) and the Palestinian state (44%). Obviously, the Palestinians were not pleased with this Plan and did not accept it, as it called for the loss of over half of their land. In 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared the creation of the State of Israel, thereby sparking the War of 1948. The Israelis call this war the "War of Independence," while Palestinians call it the "Nakba" (the catastrophe). The Israeli army was better prepared for the war, and consequently, more than 700,000 Palestinians were forced off their land and became homeless refugees. During the course of the war, 413 Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed. As a result of the war, Israel came to contol 78% of Mandate Palestine (much more than they were allotted in the original Partiition Plan of 1947).
In 1949, the UN passed the General Assembly Resolution, calling for the return of the Palestinian refugees from the 1948 War. In order to join the UN, Israel was supposed to comply with this mandate, but has not made any effort to compensate the refugees or return them to their homes. It is interesting, because the Israeli government has passed the Law of Return, which guarantees Israeli citizenship to any Jew around the world, while Palestinian refugees who were born in Israel can no longer enter Israel. There seems to be no end to the injustice.
In 1967, the next major event occurred, which was the "6 Day War." At this time, Israeli military forces drove Jordanians out of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and began to occupy the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel has been militarily occuping these areas ever since. They have not actually annexed these areas, as that would mean they would have to extend citizenship to Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza. The fact that these people do not have citizenship makes them unable to travel freely within their own country, and it also means they do not have the same protection and rights that Israeli citizens have. As an occupying force, Israel is supposed to protect the civilians of the Occupied Territory and avoid moving its own citizens in the Occupied territories, neither of which it has actually adhered to.
This was a very basic outline of Israel/Palestine's history and I have not even gone over the history prior to the 20th century. I got my information from a book called What is Palestine/Israel? by Sonia K. Weaver. It is easy to read and provides an understandable account of the history of the Israeil/Palestinian conflict. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about this. I am also reading The Lemon Tree right now, which is an account of two families, one Israeli, one Palestinian, each one trying to understand the other's point of view. It contains a great background of hisory and is a touching story.

Wedding

2008-09-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

Last night I had an amazing opportunity to attend a Palestinian wedding with the principal of my school and his wife. Marta receieved the call at 3 PM, and he told us they would pick us up at 8:15 that night. So it was something we weren't really expecting but were excited about nevertheless. When we got to the wedding, we realized that, compared to some women, we were serverely underdressed. I was wearing the dressiest thing I owned, which boiled down to a black skirt, a long-sleeved shirt, and semi-dressy shoes. Standing next to women in prom dresses and gowns made me feel a bit scrubby, but then I saw that there were some women in jeans. It surprised me to see this range of clothing at a wedding. Some of the dresses the women wore also surprised me, as there was more skin showing last night than we have seen this whole month! It makes sense though, as weddings are family events, so women can feel free to let loose a bit and not worry about unfamiliar men looking at them.
When we walked in, I felt a little nervous...here we were, two American girls, obviously not part of the family, walking into an important family event. This was their special day, so why would they make any attempt to make us feel welcome? Well, once again, Palestinian hospitality was thrown in our direction. Our principal introduced us to some members of his family, who talked to us and told us we were welcome. We danced to Palestinian music and, while I certainly couldn't keep up with everyone around me, I had a blast. After the dance, the meal was served, and then the bride and groom had their first slow dance. The lights dimmed, bubbles floated down from the ceiling, and a thin fog rose up around the dancing couple. It was like something from a movie. During this dance, Marta and I were each handed a candle and were told this was for single women. The first thought that came to my mind was, "Oh great. We are going to be the oldest girls surrounded by 5-year-olds" (because women here get married pretty young). Fortunately, this wasn't the case, and we got to participate in a cool tradition in which the bride comes out with 2 candles, and all the single women surround her in a circle.
Then, the men were all given fezes and wands and had their moment to shine. They danced around the groom, and then eventually put the groom on their shoulders and passed him through the crowd. The energy was incredible at this point. Everyone was clapping, laughing, and cheering. There certainly wasn't a dull moment in this wedding! At this point, Marta and I started talking to a young woman. We couldn't communicate very well because it was loud and neither of us spoke much of the other's language, but we danced with her and she invited us back to her table to meet her family. So we met her parents and brother and sat with her for a while. She welcomed us warmly to Palestine and seemed very happy to have met us. The feeling was mutual.
Unfortunately, the night of good food, laughter, dancing, and joy had to come to an end. We left around midnight, feeling ecstatic and reminiscing excitedly about the night's events. This wedding was definitely a highlight of my experience here thus far. Weddings are a good reminder that life and happiness exist despite suffering. Beauty and love are everywhere.

Ramadan festivities

2008-09-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

Last night Marta and I ventured into Jerusalem to meet up with two other internationals for dinner. We walked to the checkpoint in Bethlehem, and it was an interesting experience. The line was pretty short; there were only about 10 people total. But, the soldiers were taking their time in letting people through. There was a Muslim woman in front of us who looked like she was about ready to pass out, probably because she had been fasting all day. Although people were knocking and letting the soldiers know they were there, the soldiers were in no rush to accommodate any of us. Finally, they unlocked the gate at their convenience and herded us to the metal detector. I felt guilty, because, while the Palestinians have to take of their belts and their shoes, we, as Americans, were basically passed right on through without question. I set off the metal detector because of my belt, but they did not even care. The privileges I have here as an American have made me very uncomfortable. I would prefer to be treated as the Palestinians are, but even the fact that I can say this denotes privilege. While we were in line, Marta and I struck up a conversation with 2 Palestinians. We started talking in Arabic, but when their question became more than we understood, the men talked to us in fluent English. They work for the UN in Palestine and we happy to hear that we are living in the West Bank. Since it was almost Iftar (time to break the fast), the buses were not running, so they helped us hail a cab and negotiated a fair price with the driver. Once again, the hospitality here overwhelmed us.
We met up with our friends and went out to an Ethiopian restaurant, which was incredible. Then we explored the Old City at night and walked through the market, which was packed with people. The market was decorated for Ramadan with strings of colorful lights hanging from the ceilings and strung throughout the area. Smells of falafels and sweets permeated the air, and everyone was so joyful and energized by their recent feast. At times, I felt overwhelmed, because there was no more than half a foot between me and the next person in all directions. Usually I could feel the breath of the person behind me on my neck. So you definitely have to be in the right mood to be in a crowd, but it was a really neat experience.

Ramadan

2008-09-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

The other night I attended an informational session on Ramadan and Islam at a place called the Alternative Information Center in Beit Sahour. The session was led by an Imam, an Islamic leader, and he gave us some interesting information about this holy month. Ramadan, one of the 5 Pillars of Islam, is a month of fasting, and the month is determined by the lunar calender. One of the reasons why this month is so important is because the Quran revealed Muhammad during this month. During Ramadan, Muslims wake up and eat ar 4 AM before the sun rises, and then they abstain from having anything enter their mouth until the sun sets that evening. This means they cannot eat, drink, chew gum, smoke, etc. (a few Muslims we have talked to say that refraining from smoking and drinking coffee is the hardest part!) Through fasting, Muslims reach a level where angels are.
It was interesting to hear about the dual component of Ramadan: physical and spiritual. Muslims believe that the body becomes healthier through fasting. Additionally, the Imam said that if the stomach is full, the mind sleeps and the wisdom is lost. Therefore, since the stomach is not full, the body does not become too lazy for prayer. Ramadan is also spiritual, as Muslims believe that God will let people who fast and observe Ramadan enter heaven through a particular gate.
Another neat component on Ramadan is the consciousness of thought and behavior. During Ramadan, Muslims are supposed to be intentional about behaving truthfully, honestly, and with love for one another. This includes setting aside $3 for each family member to give as a donation to the poor. During Ramadan, Muslims are also supposed to make it a point to visit relatives, neighbors, and friends, so the community aspect is very important.
It has been fascinating to be here during Ramadan. While it restricts us from doing certain things, such as eating or drinking outside during the day, everything here is so full of life, especially after "breakfast" (when they break the fast). Next week is Eid (the end of Ramadan), so the schools are off from Tuesday-Friday. I think we will do a little traveling during this time, so I am excited about that!

Two Germans, two Americans, and 5 Palestinians go to the beach

2008-09-22T11:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Marta and I were invited to go to Tel Aviv with our principal, his family, and 2 German volunteers. It was such an honor, especially considering what a big deal this trip was to our principal and his family. Palestinians have to get special permission to pass through the wall and travel to Tel Aviv, and this permission is not easy to get. Our principal said it had been 10 years since he had been to the sea. Considering that Tel Aviv is only an hour from Bethlehem, this is especially sad. That would be the equivalent of me not being able to get to Northfield from my house. That really put things into perspective for me.
At first I felt really guilty coming along, because we had gone to the beach just two weeks before and I didn't feel right about that when they haven't been allowed to go in so long. But, as one of the other volunteers told us, our presence made it easier for them to pass through the Wall. Even though they had the permission ,that was no guarantee that the soliders would actually let them get through. But, because we had three blonde people in the front seat, we were not even stopped and were allowed to pass through without a problem.
The whole day was full of sun and playing in the waves with the children. It was so wonderful to see the excitement in their faces. The youngest is about 7, and for the first 15 minutes of the car ride, he had his face right up to the window and "ooooed" and "ahhhed" about everything we passed by. He was SO excited to see the scenery of someplace other than the West Bank. When we got to the beach, he was the first one in the water. Everyone had fun together...as our principal said, "It's not the location, it's the people you are with." It was funny, because the parking attendant was really confused by our diverse group of people. I am sure it would be curious to see a mix of Germans, Americans, and Palestinians all file out of a 9-passenger van.
The whole experience was very rewarding and humbling. I feel so lucky to have taken part in this.

"The most regrettable thing about Americans is..."

2008-09-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I was invited to the house of one of the kindergarten teachers I work with. She took me home with her and introduced me to her family, all of whom are wonderfully friendly and welcoming. Her daughter is 19, so we hung out the whole day. She told me a lot about life in Palestine and took me up to the roof of their house to show me where her 10-year-old cousin was shot in 2001 during the second intifada (a Palestinian resistance movement, part of the response to Israeli occupation). She was home alone at the time and heard gun shots and soldiers outside her home. She was worried the soldiers would come into her house, and then found out that her cousin had been shot right outside her home. When I asked her why they shot him, she said it was because he was there and they had guns...there seems to be that type of random violence towards the Palestinians even today. If the Israeli occupation is for "safety," why are they killing young children?
They took me to Shepherd's Field, and showed me around the church and the surrounding area. Then she took me to meet her family, many of whom live right nextdoor to them. When I met her grandfather, who speaks fabulous English and travels to the US to sell carvings from the Holy Land regularly, he said that the most regrettable thing about Americans is that they don't realize that there are Christians in Palestine. He says that many Americans think Palestine is a completely Muslim area and that there is no Christian community here. But the truth is that we have many brothers and sisters in Christ here in Palestine who need our prayers and our support.
Later on in the afternoon, the parents left, so the two of us chatted and hung out the rest of the evening. I really appreciated being able to talk with someone close to my age who has had to experience all that I have been learning about. She is a normal teenager, despite the things she has seen and been through.
At the end of the night, their family invited me to a Palestinian wedding next Tuesday. I am really excited about it, as they had been explaining the customs and celebrations to me. Apparently, weddings last for almost a week, and it seems to be a pretty constant celebration! It was so generous of them to invite me, and I am very excited to experience this part of their culture.

Please don't let it be the rainwater...

2008-09-18T07:45:00.003-07:00

So two nights ago, our landlady came down to our apartment, took two of our empty water bottles, and told us that she would bring back some rainwater...so she came back after a few minutes with the bottles filled and wanted us to drink the rainwater to see if we liked the taste. There were a few things about this that we found perplexing. The first was that the rainy season is in the winter, which doesn't begin until around December. Second of all, their "rainy season" consists of about only four days of rain. So how was this water collected, and how old is it? Another point of concern is that we have to boil AND filter all our water that comes from the sink, both for drinking and for washing dishes. So my rommates and I put the "rainwater" on the counter, each of us making a mental note to separate it from the drinking water, but none of us actually did that. Yesterday, we noticed that the rainwater was gone from the counter, meaning it had been placed with our drinking water in the refrigerator...uh oh. So each time I pour myself a glass of water, I hope that it is not the rainwater! I am not sure how my stomach would handle that!
The issue of using rainwater for drinking leads into a much more serious issue...that of water shortage. I think I have mentioned this issue in a previous blog but wanted to add a little more to it. Our landlady told us that every time we want to use the washing machine, we need to go outside and turn on the hose to see if their is a water flow. If there is, that means we can use the machine. If there isn't, that means the water has run out. She said that she often has to wait to wash clothes, because their just isn't enough water. That got us thinking about our own water usage here. We have been very conscientious of limiting our toilet flushes and shower times, but we have been boiling and filtering the water from the sink to drink. One of my roommates brought up the good point that this is selfish on our part. We can afford to buy bottles of water, but haven't been doing so because we want to limit our usage of plastic, as recycling is basically nonexistent here. However, water shortage is much more of an issue to the people here than recycling. Water is a necessity, but it is also a luxury here. This is something I never thought about in the US. We always have a constant and abundant flow of water to use as we would like. Here water is scarce and is something that absolutely cannot be wasted.

Hospitality

2008-09-18T07:45:00.002-07:00

This is kind of a random post, but the topic of hospitality has been something that has been very apparent to me during the time I have been here. I have a few specific examples that come to my mind...the first was a random taxi experience that me and 3 other girls from my program had. We were in the center of Bethlehem and needed a ride back to our hotel. So we found a cab and started speaking to our driver in Arabic, as best as we could.(In general, I have found that attempting to speak Arabic has really opened some doors. People are so receptive and grateful that we at least try to communicate with them in their native tongue). Anyways, our driver pulled out a pack of postcards with different tourist sites in Bethlehem and was asking if we had seen any of them. We couldn't understand what he said next, and he couldn't speak English, so he pulled out his phone and called a friend who speaks English. His friend translated for us, and we found out that our driver wanted to show us 2 of the tourist sites. Then our driver told us, "no money." He went out of his way to show us beautiful sites, both of which were at least 10 minutes from the city, and wanted nothing in return. I have been in situations before where some kind of monetary compesation was wanted, even if it wasn't explicitly asked for, but he genuinely just wanted to show us around his country. I felt so grateful and am still amazed by the kindness he showed to us. I see him almost every time we walk into Bethlehem, and it is neat to have a friendship with him, even if it is just saying hi to eachother as we pass.
Another instance of hospitality is just the number of people who have already extended invitations into their homes. 3 of the teachers I work with have already told me they want me to come to their home sometime in the near future. This kind of hospitality is so wonderful and unexpected, but I am so grateful for it.

Volleyball!

2008-09-18T07:45:00.001-07:00

Last night we had our international volleyball night, a neat tradition in which volunteers and other internationals living in Jerusalem and the West Bank gather once a week at the Mount of Olives for volleyball and fellowship. I have met so many amazing people, each here for different reasons. It is so nice to be able to take a break from life here and let down my guard. I realize that I am privileged to do this, as people here aren't able to take a break from their lives. But for my own health and well-being, this time with friends is so crucial. It is such a diverse group of people...people of all ages; from the US, Sweden, France, and Jerusalem; students, volunteers, pastors, interns...we have it all! I am so grateful for this group of people and am so excited to develop these relationships.

First day of school!

2008-09-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

I started at my placement today, which is at the Beit Sahour Lutheran School. Marta, another volunteer from my group, is also volunteering there, so we navigated our way together and made it with plenty of time to relax and chat with the other teachers before school started. I am volunteering in the kindergarten, but the kids I am working with are mostly 3-4-year-olds, so it is comparable to a preschool. I felt a little lost today, as the kids only speak Arabic, and my knowledge of the language is very minimal. Hopefully that will come with time, and I feel like the kids will be good teachers. They are learning the days of the week, so hopefully I will be able to pick up on some of that too :) Back to preschool for me! The kids had a fieldtrip to a nearby park, so we loaded the the bus and headed out. It was a little chaotic, as the kids were climbing over seats and standing in the aisles. I don't know enough Arabic to prevent them from doing that, so I had to just sit and pray that no one would get hurt. The park was fun, and I realized that although I cannot talk with children, a smile and a push of a swing go far beyond language barriers. That was comforting, as I was feeling a bit lost. The teacher I am working with is very helpful and sweet and has already invited me to her house for dinner sometime next week. That is just another example of hospitality here.
My day at Kindergarten ended at about 1 PM, and then I was able to sit in on an English composition class and help a student write a composition about the situation of youth here and what the youth of today can do to improve their future. It was nice to work one-on-one and actually be able to communicate, because those students had relatively advance English. At the end of the period, he asked the teacher if I would be back tomorrow, so that made me feel like I was helpful in someway.
After school, Marta and I navigated our way back to our apartment. We experienced some difficulty when the bus ended its route at a station unbeknownst to us, but luckily a very friendly girl on the bus offered to show us how to get home. We talked to her for a bit and found out that she lives in Jerusalem and that it takes her 2 hours to get from Jerusalem to her school in Beit Jala. She is studying fashion and the only fashion school is in Beit Jala, and since the checkpoints make her journey so long, she is forced to spend 4 hours of her day in transit. I can't even imagine how exhausting that would be.
Marta and I stopped to talk with one of the vendors I met yesterday in the market, and he was telling us about life here. He was very pessimistic, possibly one of the most unhopeful of the people we have met so far. It was so hard to listen to his frustrations, especially when he said that his life is worse than an animal's in the US, because he feels caged up. All I could do was listen and sympathize, and I guess that is all anyone is expecting us to do. As individuals we can't necessarily change what our government is doing/funding, but we can be supportive and offer open ears and an open heart. I am really excited about the friendships I have been forming and the relationships I will continue to form throughout this year.

The Wall

2008-09-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Life here

2008-09-15T07:56:00.001-07:00

The first 3 weeks of our program have been orientation. During these 3 weeks we learned much about the culture, life, and conflict here in the West Bank. We met with various organizations, including UN OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel), Miftah (an organization that focuses on women and children in Palestine), ICAHD (Israeli Committee against House Demolitions), and Machsom Watch (a group of Israeli women who stand at the checkpoints every day to make sure the soldiers are being humane). It has been overwhelming at times to process everything that we are seeing and hearing. To be honest, I had no clue what I would encounter here. I had little knowledge of the Palestinian situation, as the majority of the news media we get in the US focuses on Israel.
Since being here, I have seen firsthand (or as firsthand as I can get, since I am a foreigner) what the separation wall is doing to the people in Palestine. Our meeting with OCHA was very informative in this area, and we learned a lot of statistics and facts about Palestine. One of the things that struck me during this presentation was how difficult the Israeli government is making transportation and movement for the Palestinians. We were talking to a Palestinian man, and he said when he was in the US, he was amazed that he could drive for 5 hours without anyone stopping him, asking for ID, or wanting to know where he was headed and why. That is certainly not the case here. The Israeli government has set up 608 physical barriers, ranging from earthmounds and trenches to checkpoints within Palestine itself. This is not even including the checkpoints and wall that separate Israel from Palestine. The barriers mean that getting to work and school is much more difficult, and family life is more difficult, as some of the barriers have made it impossible for families to live together.

First Post!

2008-09-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have been debating these past few weeks whether I wanted to create a blog, but I have decided that blogging my experiences will be good both for me and hopefully for you all to read and know what is going on in my day-to-day life. I am fortunate enough to have email access at my apartment, and I would love to hear from all of you! I am not sure how much information to include about these past 3 weeks I have been here, because they have been formative for sure, but I do not want to overwhelm you with details. So I think I will fill things in little by little. As a little background information, there are 6 of us living in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and three of us live in Bethlehem. Some members of our group started their volunteer placements today, and I will start mine tomorrow! There was a little confusion about my placement...originally they had me placed at Dar Anaddwa, which is a cultural center in Bethlehem, but I found out today that they need a volunteer who is fluent in Arabic. Needless to say, that eliminated me! So the plan now is that I will be volunteering in the Lutheran School of Beit Sahour as a kindergarten assisstant. I am excited for this, as I enjoy working with kids (and hopefully my arabic will improve!) I was a little disappointed about my original placement not working out, but I am here to serve in whatever way the community needs and I am looking forward to this opportunity