The Yella program in Israel/Palestine is now complete, but the experiences we had will continue to shape participants and faith partners for years to come. Here are a few concluding reflections from some of the Yella 2010 faith partners. Thanks to everyone who has been supportive of the Yella program along the way...
They say the hardest part of going away cross-culturally for any length of time is coming home. That probably would have been very true were it not for the sickness that hit our group right at the end. I would imagine, there's nothing that makes you more happy to be 'home' than being grossly sick in a foreign land.
That has me thinking.
What is it about our 'home' that makes us so happy to be there?
When we were in Israel, the one thing we kept hearing about from both sides of the conflict was how 'connected' they were to the land. The land, we discovered, was what the struggle was really about. This undeniable, unmistakable, and unfathomable connection to a very specific piece of real estate.
The Dome of the Rock for example is built upon the rock that tradition says Abraham was to sacrifice Jacob on. This rock has become the foundation stone of faith. Abraham proved his faithfulness to God above all else, and from Abraham has sprung the 3 largest and most influential religions on the planet, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Rock is also where King David's son Solomon built the first Temple, the first 'home' for God on earth. The first temple was destroyed, but then rebuilt again in the same spot.
The Muslims also believe that this Rock is where Muhammad ascended to the heavens and received the Qur'an. Another more obscure thing I heard is that the Muslims also believe this Rock is where God created the world from...it was the starting point of all creation.
The Rock then has become a 'home' where heaven and earth meet, and for created beings who are both spiritual and physical in nature, it begins to make a bit more sense why such a place holds our attention.
Maybe we can't fully comprehend why these people are so attached to this piece of real estate. I know the entire time I was there listening to both Israeli Zionists, and Arab freedom fighters I couldn't do it. When I heard a Jewish settler talk about why he decided to leave his high paying job in Chicago to move to a little suburb in Israel, about how the land had called him, and that he felt he was fulfilling God's promises by living in that specific part of the world...I tried but I couldn't relate.
I listened to the story of a Palestinian who had been beaten, had had his child's teeth bashed in, and his wife had lost two pregnancies because of attacks by radical Jewish settlers, and yet he was going to stay in his home even if they killed him. When I listened to him, I tried but I couldn't relate.
Their connection with the land was so strong, and they were willing to die and kill for it.
It seemed very foreign to me. That is until 17 of the 24 of us got leveled with food poisoning, my wife included, and I started hearing people say...'I just want to go home'.
There was agony, panic, shock, and fear as one after another fell victim to this horrible sickness. Although food poisoning only lasts a short time (24-48 hours), it is violent and extreme. It has become a window into the suffering and struggle that both the Jews through the Holocaust and now the Palestinians through the realities of the Jewish state has experienced. That pain and fear, agony and shock makes humans say, 'I just want to go home.'
Compounding this very human instinct to get home when things get bad, is the mysterious intersection of the Spiritual and Physical which appears all over the land in the form of 'Holy' sites. Places in space and time where God has visited His people and left a mark. I believe that we have been designed to contain both natures, the physical and the spiritual. That we are drawn to seek reality beyond what we can see, touch, taste and smell. We are drawn so seek the Designer, the One who created both the human and the land. There is no doubt that we get confused in that pursuit. We make false gods because it's easier to worship something we can see and imagine in the physical, or we reject the good that is in the physical world and condemn everything that isn't spiritual.
Living with both the physical and spiritual at once, acknowledging the relationship between the two, and the importance of both is foundational to the Christian faith. After all, it is Jesus Christ who is both God and man in 1 person. He showed us how to live with the tension, and how beautiful it can be. He showed us how to live well in the land and yet not live for the land only.
In the gospel of John Jesus says some profound words to His disciples. He is preparing them for the bad news of His death. He knows that they will experience pain, shock, and fear when their Messiah dies. This is how He comforts them:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3
Our final 'home' is in the Father's house. A house with many rooms, and Jesus is preparing a place for us there, just as He is preparing us for that place.
Israel has been a tremendous experience. I have gained some insight into the world and life of Jesus, and have come face to face with one of the most intense conflicts in our world today. I strongly doubt that I am aware of all that this experience has taught me, but I have recognized 1 thing above all others – God desires that we trust Him.
- Steve Cox
I've been reflecting this past week how challenging and stretching my 3 weeks in Israel/Palestine was - emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Each day had challenges I never could have anticipated. By facing each challenge and engaging fully I have grown and been transformed. I didn't know I could climb a mountain!! Didn't know I was capable of trekking through an under-ground water tunnel either. During my 3 weeks I was continually faced with my fears and recognized the choices I had to make along the way - I could push past my fears or allow my fears to rule. I'm so grateful for the strength and courage God provided along the way. I continually looked to the hills and was reminded of Psalm 121:
I lift my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord maker of heaven and earth.
The ancients believed the mountains were God - the Psalmist reminds us that our God CREATED the mountains. I was assured of God's protective presence upon our group and guiding hand each day.
Our "non-tourist tour" experience knit our group together in a most unique way. We encouraged one another through so many challenges - caregivers arose from our group as needed - care and support was abundant. What a joy and delight to walk alongside others in our group and encourage them as they faced their own challenges!
The conversations along the way with both Israelis and Palestinians continue to churn within me. The sights were amazing but the conversations along the way have most likely had the greatest impact upon me personally. What a remarkable experience to listen to other's stories and learn from folks who call Israel/Palestine home. Such a complex situation in the land our Lord called holy. The personal connections were an important contribution to my learnings.
I have returned home full of sights, insights, learnings, conversations, and endless questions. I am aware that Yella was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As I continue to reflect I am curious how God will prompt me to share these experiences in ministry settings. As a full-time student, this experience has been invaluable! I have been able to connect the bible story in new ways - have a greater appreciation for the land and for Jesus' ministry in an occupied land.
- Kara Carter
'Now I see in part, then I shall see fully'
I thought that I would learn the most about Jesus by walking the Jesus Trail, literally following the footsteps of God. It turns out that as I reflect on our travels, it is the present day conflict that is informing me the most about the character of our God. We witnessed incredible stories of hardship and pain and at times it felt like more than I could handle.
Living in fear of army raids, having your children abused and beaten, being forced into the army, these are the struggles that I am left thinking about. And yet these are the struggles that Jesus was faced with every day of his life. He lived in an occupied land, in the midst of a very hierarchical society. The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus encountering the pain of this world and offering the hope of a new one. 'The Gospels' or 'The Good News' never sounded so good.
- Christina Cox
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The crazy day of May 26
This is the same day, but from Allens view.
"We hiked from below Jerusalem to Jericho, which took about 4 hours. Not a long hike (downhill almost the whole way), but really hot and dry. It is very extreme conditions to say the least. We arrived just above Jericho at one of Herod the Great's palace's, where the bus was going to pick us up. The bus wasn't there.
"We hiked from below Jerusalem to Jericho, which took about 4 hours. Not a long hike (downhill almost the whole way), but really hot and dry. It is very extreme conditions to say the least. We arrived just above Jericho at one of Herod the Great's palace's, where the bus was going to pick us up. The bus wasn't there.
Lin called the bus driver and asked where he was but he said he wouldn't come up to meet us where we were. We didn't understand what was going on but decided we might as well walk the 2 kilometers down the road with the group to meet the bus instead of waiting. Turns out that the road was being paved (which the driver could communicate in his broken English and our lack of Hebrew and Arabic).
Once we arrived at the bus, after passing the fresh tarmac which was about 200 degrees, we found out that the bus was broken down. There was a little shop where everyone got drinks and snacks as we waited, out of the sun.
After about 30 minutes of waiting the bus got started (just needed a jump in the end), and we proceeded to the old city of Jericho (an archeological site with walls, a tower and some buildings from at least 8000 years ago). Jericho is supposedly the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.
By this time Christina (Steve's wife), who had started feeling sick when we were waiting for the bus to start, was not doing well. We assumed she was really dehydrated and we decided to send her back to Jerusalem in a taxi with Lin and Steve so she could get to a clinic. The rest of us got on the bus and started on or way back to Jerusalem.
Within 5 minutes we got stopped at a Palestinian Authority checkpoint and waited there for over 20 minutes. I am still not sure what that was about but the bus driver had to speak with about 4 separate people before they let him go.
By this time there were a few others in our group that were starting to feel sick...all we could think of was that the hike had really dehydrated people. It had been so hot and we figured some people hadn't brought enough water (even though we had stressed the importance of having several litres each).
We got on our way from Jericho after the Palestinian Authority let the bus driver go. One or two people threw up on the bus (in garbage cans or plastic bags), but we were getting close to home which was a relief. We passed through an Israeli checkpoint coming into Jerusalem and the bus pulled over to the side. I asked the driver what was going on...the bus was overheating!
A few of the sick got off the bus to get some fresh air as we waited. I asked the bus driver what was the plan and he said another bus was coming to pick us up. No timeline, but it sounded like things were being organized quickly.
A few other people started feeling sick and the number of yella participants stepping off the bus to get fresh air increased. Two of the guys said that they had diarrhea and had to find a bathroom right away. I went with them about 500 meters back down the road towards the checkpoint trying not to alarm the heavily armed soldiers who I knew wouldn't appreciate three guys walking down the road the wrong way towards a security checkpoint.
"What are you doing?" said the first soldiers I came to, with a pretty stern voice and holding his automatic rifle a little tighter...
I explained that our bus was broken down and that we needed to find a bathroom. He was helpful and pointed us in the right direction, and mentioned that there was water there as well. We had to explain this to two other sets of soldiers before we got to the bathroom, but within a minute or two, the two sick young men were on the can.
I walked back and forth about 3 or 4 times filling up water bottles for people in the group, each time I went back to the bus there were more people sick. I asked the bus driver how much longer and he said 10 minutes.
By this time the bus was fine, but the driver was not. The driver was incapable of continuing the trip as he was sick as a dog as well. There were about 8 of the group, including the bus driver that were sick by this point!
After about 30 -40 minutes a taxi showed up and the bus drivers swapped, and within 5 minutes we were dropped off at Lion's gate (the entrance into the old city that is closest to where we are staying, a convent called Ecce Homo).
Those of us who were feeling fine went straight to dinner, which had just started. By this point it was 7 pm. Food was great, but we were a little worried about all the dehydrated people. Within an hour a few more people dropped of and threw up. "Okay, what the is going on here. This is crazy. There is no way that everyone is dehydrated."
Steve and Christina got back from the clinic within an hour or two and gave us an update. She was dehydrated after loosing a lot of fluids. The cause?: a bacterial infection of some sort.
Brendon couldn't stand all the racket of fluids in the boys dorm and so came by to ask if he could spend the night on the extra bed that Lin and I had in our room. I left for 5 minutes only to get an update that he had vomited all over our floor...This was getting ridiculous.
Then Hannah got sick. I knew that she was not dehydrated so I figured by this point that we were dealing with some type of food poisoning.
I knew there was an American Doctor staying at Ecce Homo with us, so I tracked him down and asked if he would be willing to help us out. Dr. Robert Stall and I went into the the dorms and visited each one who was sick. It was awful. As we went through the dorms you could hear participants vomiting.
His recommendation in the end was that we get everyone who was sick to a clinic/hospital to get checked out.
At this point there were 11 people sick (not including Christina who had already been to a clinic and back) so we hired a van and hauled off to the Hadassah Medical Center, a hospital on mount Skopus. Lin, Dr. Rob, and I took a taxi to the hospital. After a bit of chaos getting everyone admitted (Sean laying sick on the floor, Charles vomiting into a bag in the lobby etc...) we soon had 11 patients being treated and tested. It was now about 10pm. Things we under control...
A few minutes later I got a call that Kara was on her way, she was sick. 13 down. Linford and I drew straws and he took Kara's taxi back to the old city since we realized that we both didn't need to be there.
By about 1:00am 10 of our group were released, and went home with Dr. Rob. What a day. But it was not over yet..
I was looking forward to having the last two participants released. It was about 1:30 (I have been going to bed at about 10pm here, so this was getting late).
Just as the first group was on their way back to Ecce Homo, Lin called to let me know that the last two boys were on their way to the hospital - same symptoms. Christina was still terribly ill, so she was going to come to the hospital as well. 15 down. I joked with Lin that it was only a matter of time until we got sick.
By this time, I was exhausted. I was beginning to crash...it had been a long day. That is when it hit me. I was not going to make it. I thought that I was in the clear...it was almost 2:00, I had just checked on Pader and Willms who were fast asleep getting their last installment of saline, when I felt it. It was a harmless wave of warmth that washed over me...but I knew I was a goner. Within 3 minutes I was on the toilet. Less than 5 minutes after that I was vomiting. I lost. I had fought bravely....but I was defeated. 16 down. 16 of 23 in our group got sick.
By 2:00am the final shipment of sick came via taxi from the old city. I helped Pader and Josh check out, and order a taxi to get us back home.
By 2:45 we were back. It had been a long night and I was ready for bed."
May 26
Today we hiked from Jerusalem to Jericho... well we bused two thirds of the way there then hiked the rest. We stepped off the bus into a mountaneous desert. Immediately everyone grabbed there sunscreen and lubbed up because there was no shade in sight. So from here we started our 12 km trek.
Our first stop was at this Oasis with trees, a spring and a little pool area that some decided to go swimming in. The spring ran into an aquaduct that King Herod built. Our path followed this aquaduct for a while, until we moved down the mountain into the valley which is a dried out riverbed. Here we got some glimpses of the wildlife here which was mainly rock badgers, but some of the lucky ones saw a gazelle.
Before we knew it we were at St. George's Monestary, which means lunch break in the shade. Here after eating our lunch we did our daily devotions here aswell. We were hoping to fill up with water in the monestary but for some reason we were only able to get a jug of water for the whole group. But since we only had an hour and a half left until we were done, we decided to push through.
From here we continued our hike on the side of the mountain which overlooked the valleys below. The views were astonishing. The only downside to the afternoon hike was that there was limited water and I guess the scorching hot sun and lack of shade was brutal too. But our hard work paid off when we got to the end of our hike at one of King Herods' palace and some kid sold us some popsicles. They were delicious and well worth the 5 sheckels.
The bus was supposed to pick us up here, but because of construction, we had to walk another 2 km in the hot sun before we got to the nicely airconditioned bus. Once we got to the bus, it would not start, but luckily there was a store down nearby with ice cold water and AC. Soon the bus was up and running we bused to the old city of Jericho.
Here we saw some of the surrounding scenery and some walls that were about 8000 years old. Some of us hopped the fence and ran down and touched it. That was neat. After we had seen all of the excavations we had a chance to go and get some drinks and/or food in a little market nearby.
Some people weren't feel too well, so we had to wait about an hour until we left here. Finally on our way we headed back to Jerusalem. On the way we were delayed about half an hour, but we got through and were happy to be on our way. Once again we were delayed when the bus broke down on the side of the road about 15 mins from our hotel. But after about another half an hour the bus was up and running, but then our bus driver became too ill to drive. So we had to wait for another bus driver to come and drive us back to the hotel. In this time of waiting, about half the people on the bus began to not feel very well, and after a long time, we finally made it back to the hotel.
Most people were too sick to eat dinner, so after dinner we had a doctor come check us out. He gave the suggestion that we go to the hospital, so about 11 of us went to the hospital. Soon after more people came, everyone was dropping like flies. 10 of us checked out at around 1 after getting an IV and some medication. Everyone else checked out by the morning. I think there was about 16 total that got sick. Crazy, rediculous night, but everyone is now feeling much better, and Im sure by tomorrow everyone will be completely better after a good nights rest.
Charles
Our first stop was at this Oasis with trees, a spring and a little pool area that some decided to go swimming in. The spring ran into an aquaduct that King Herod built. Our path followed this aquaduct for a while, until we moved down the mountain into the valley which is a dried out riverbed. Here we got some glimpses of the wildlife here which was mainly rock badgers, but some of the lucky ones saw a gazelle.
Before we knew it we were at St. George's Monestary, which means lunch break in the shade. Here after eating our lunch we did our daily devotions here aswell. We were hoping to fill up with water in the monestary but for some reason we were only able to get a jug of water for the whole group. But since we only had an hour and a half left until we were done, we decided to push through.
From here we continued our hike on the side of the mountain which overlooked the valleys below. The views were astonishing. The only downside to the afternoon hike was that there was limited water and I guess the scorching hot sun and lack of shade was brutal too. But our hard work paid off when we got to the end of our hike at one of King Herods' palace and some kid sold us some popsicles. They were delicious and well worth the 5 sheckels.
The bus was supposed to pick us up here, but because of construction, we had to walk another 2 km in the hot sun before we got to the nicely airconditioned bus. Once we got to the bus, it would not start, but luckily there was a store down nearby with ice cold water and AC. Soon the bus was up and running we bused to the old city of Jericho.
Here we saw some of the surrounding scenery and some walls that were about 8000 years old. Some of us hopped the fence and ran down and touched it. That was neat. After we had seen all of the excavations we had a chance to go and get some drinks and/or food in a little market nearby.
Some people weren't feel too well, so we had to wait about an hour until we left here. Finally on our way we headed back to Jerusalem. On the way we were delayed about half an hour, but we got through and were happy to be on our way. Once again we were delayed when the bus broke down on the side of the road about 15 mins from our hotel. But after about another half an hour the bus was up and running, but then our bus driver became too ill to drive. So we had to wait for another bus driver to come and drive us back to the hotel. In this time of waiting, about half the people on the bus began to not feel very well, and after a long time, we finally made it back to the hotel.
Most people were too sick to eat dinner, so after dinner we had a doctor come check us out. He gave the suggestion that we go to the hospital, so about 11 of us went to the hospital. Soon after more people came, everyone was dropping like flies. 10 of us checked out at around 1 after getting an IV and some medication. Everyone else checked out by the morning. I think there was about 16 total that got sick. Crazy, rediculous night, but everyone is now feeling much better, and Im sure by tomorrow everyone will be completely better after a good nights rest.
Charles
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
May 23rd and May 24th, 2010 (Jerusalem)
May 23rd-
This morning we prepared to leave Beit Sahour and our host families. Many, if not all of us, found it really hard to say goodbye to the generous and very welcoming families who've hosted us for the last three days. Many of us will take along with us stories of hardship and triumphs, as well as joyful experiences that we've been so priviledged to hear. This experience like no other will be remembered by all of us. After that experience, like many other persons we've met along this journey, we visited Ardie Geldman at a Jewish settlement in Efrat who is an American Jew who moved to Israel in the 80's. We heard a speech about various topics such as: his opinions on Jewish history, Judaism, Jewish settlements. Jumping on the bus, we headed to the big city of Jerusalem. First impressions of this place: big, beautiful, eye catching, many synagogues and temples and churches, historical sites galore, and a sea of many faces. It is definitely a place that holds a lot of pain and suffering to many religions, and was fought for by many peoples. The old city's streets are of stone, made slippery from centuries upon centuries of inhabitants. The group of us are staying at Ecce Homo for the rest of this trip and it is luckily not far from the market streets. Ecce Homo is a big place and the rooms where we are staying are quaint and comfortable. But, we have to remember to be quite as this is a convent and there are many other guests here. The rest of the day was open to exploration. Spliting up into smaller groups we explored the various tourist sites and markets quarters. In conclusion to this first day here in Jerusalem, we've all been quite overwhelmed by the enormity of what this city has to offer us in not only site seeing but in all the people and history behind each wall that we will be learning about. Tomorrow will be our first tastes of Jerusalem as a group and we hope to learn loads of stuff that'll definitely blow our minds!
May 24th-
This morning we met our tour guide for the day named Jared Goldfarb. He took us a top the City of David and gazed upon the Mount of Olives in the distance. From that point we could see the whole old city and the ancient city of Jerusalem. Then he took us on an extreme adventure under Jerusalem. We trenched through thigh high water in the very narrow and winding Hezekiah's Tunnel. What an amazing experience it was to travel under the city and explore the under ground of what used to be just stone. Not necessarily in order, we visited the Wailing Wall from a far and saw watched the crowds of people lined up for a personal prayer by the wall. We visited King Herod's underground water tunnel. We also got the chance to visit the Western Wall of what were the remains of it. As well, we visited the Archaelogical Park and got some more history lessons. When lunch came, we all split up once more and looked for a place to eat and relax within the four different quarters. After lunch we had a lecture by Jared back at Ecce Homo and then we once again walked under the tunnels beside which the Wailing Wall is. Coming up out from below ground, we ended up not far from Ecce Homo. This is just a very brief explanation of where we visited and is not very detailed.
Pader :)
This morning we prepared to leave Beit Sahour and our host families. Many, if not all of us, found it really hard to say goodbye to the generous and very welcoming families who've hosted us for the last three days. Many of us will take along with us stories of hardship and triumphs, as well as joyful experiences that we've been so priviledged to hear. This experience like no other will be remembered by all of us. After that experience, like many other persons we've met along this journey, we visited Ardie Geldman at a Jewish settlement in Efrat who is an American Jew who moved to Israel in the 80's. We heard a speech about various topics such as: his opinions on Jewish history, Judaism, Jewish settlements. Jumping on the bus, we headed to the big city of Jerusalem. First impressions of this place: big, beautiful, eye catching, many synagogues and temples and churches, historical sites galore, and a sea of many faces. It is definitely a place that holds a lot of pain and suffering to many religions, and was fought for by many peoples. The old city's streets are of stone, made slippery from centuries upon centuries of inhabitants. The group of us are staying at Ecce Homo for the rest of this trip and it is luckily not far from the market streets. Ecce Homo is a big place and the rooms where we are staying are quaint and comfortable. But, we have to remember to be quite as this is a convent and there are many other guests here. The rest of the day was open to exploration. Spliting up into smaller groups we explored the various tourist sites and markets quarters. In conclusion to this first day here in Jerusalem, we've all been quite overwhelmed by the enormity of what this city has to offer us in not only site seeing but in all the people and history behind each wall that we will be learning about. Tomorrow will be our first tastes of Jerusalem as a group and we hope to learn loads of stuff that'll definitely blow our minds!
May 24th-
This morning we met our tour guide for the day named Jared Goldfarb. He took us a top the City of David and gazed upon the Mount of Olives in the distance. From that point we could see the whole old city and the ancient city of Jerusalem. Then he took us on an extreme adventure under Jerusalem. We trenched through thigh high water in the very narrow and winding Hezekiah's Tunnel. What an amazing experience it was to travel under the city and explore the under ground of what used to be just stone. Not necessarily in order, we visited the Wailing Wall from a far and saw watched the crowds of people lined up for a personal prayer by the wall. We visited King Herod's underground water tunnel. We also got the chance to visit the Western Wall of what were the remains of it. As well, we visited the Archaelogical Park and got some more history lessons. When lunch came, we all split up once more and looked for a place to eat and relax within the four different quarters. After lunch we had a lecture by Jared back at Ecce Homo and then we once again walked under the tunnels beside which the Wailing Wall is. Coming up out from below ground, we ended up not far from Ecce Homo. This is just a very brief explanation of where we visited and is not very detailed.
Pader :)
Tuesday, May 25th - Jerusalem
Greetings Yella Followers,
Today we ventured outside the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. This morning we left the Ecce Homo and had a lecture with Hamar who is a member of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD) an organization dedicated to ending the Occupation and achieving peace between the Israelis and Palentinians. Our lecture was held on the Promenade which over looks East and West Jerusalem, with an excellent view of the Old City including the Dome of the Rock. Needless to say it was quite a site to see!
We drove through the city of Jerusalem and had a better look at Jewish settlements and Palestinian villages. We were able to see how they were divided within the city with and without The Wall. That drive led us to the look out point over the Mount Scopus Forest. From this point we were able to see the Dead Sea in the distance where we will be swimming on Thursday and I can't wait!
Then came lunch. We drove to a town outside of Jerusalem and our bus couldn't make it through the busy and tight streets. In order to make it to our destination we had to take taxi vans to navigate the streets. We arrived at the House of Peace around 1pm for a meal of rice, chicken, salad and watermelon. The purpose of this visit was to hear the story of a Palestinian man and his family who have had their house demolished five times by the Israel Government over the span of approximately 10 years. This was all at his expense because he didn't have a building permit to have his house there. However, the Israeli Government wouldn't give him a permit after applying four times.
After lunch we headed to Canada Park which is situated between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. We had a tour of the three villages that were demolished in 1967 because of 'security' reasons. That left many people in those villages homeless and as refugees.
We drove back to the Old City of Jerusalem to the Ecce Homo and we will all prepare for the Wadi Kelt hike from Jerusalem to Jericho tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
Katie Erb
Today we ventured outside the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. This morning we left the Ecce Homo and had a lecture with Hamar who is a member of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD) an organization dedicated to ending the Occupation and achieving peace between the Israelis and Palentinians. Our lecture was held on the Promenade which over looks East and West Jerusalem, with an excellent view of the Old City including the Dome of the Rock. Needless to say it was quite a site to see!
We drove through the city of Jerusalem and had a better look at Jewish settlements and Palestinian villages. We were able to see how they were divided within the city with and without The Wall. That drive led us to the look out point over the Mount Scopus Forest. From this point we were able to see the Dead Sea in the distance where we will be swimming on Thursday and I can't wait!
Then came lunch. We drove to a town outside of Jerusalem and our bus couldn't make it through the busy and tight streets. In order to make it to our destination we had to take taxi vans to navigate the streets. We arrived at the House of Peace around 1pm for a meal of rice, chicken, salad and watermelon. The purpose of this visit was to hear the story of a Palestinian man and his family who have had their house demolished five times by the Israel Government over the span of approximately 10 years. This was all at his expense because he didn't have a building permit to have his house there. However, the Israeli Government wouldn't give him a permit after applying four times.
After lunch we headed to Canada Park which is situated between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. We had a tour of the three villages that were demolished in 1967 because of 'security' reasons. That left many people in those villages homeless and as refugees.
We drove back to the Old City of Jerusalem to the Ecce Homo and we will all prepare for the Wadi Kelt hike from Jerusalem to Jericho tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
Katie Erb
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Day 14: Covo's Concerning Conflict
I am happy to be writing to you tonight from the comfy couch of my Palestinian Family in Beit Sahour.
Today was an eye-opening and challenging day for myself and I think everyone in the group, it has really reinforced the reason why I came on the Yella!trip.
We travelled to Hebron today,which at times felt like a trip into the world of Aladdin(the Disney version) . Unlike the Tourist town of Bethlehem the city of Hebron is not thriving, despite the fact that it is the largest city in the West Bank. The Palestinian people living here have neighbours of at least 400 Jewish settlers that are protected by almost 1500 Israeli soldiers. This means that main streets are barricaded, homes and businesses are confiscated for "military use" or "security reasons" and the markets are covered by a canopy of protective nets.
While visiting with a spokesperson form Christian Peacemaker Teams we had the opportunity to climb to the roof of the building and achieve a wonderful view of the city and of the conflict. Across the way was a young Israeli soldier who asked us to leave the roof, even though we had every right to be up there(this happened several times throughout our day!). From the roof top we looked over the military building as well as a street that is only for Jewish settler use.
We then traveled through the market again and visited the Mosque of the patriarchs, where the tombs of Abraham and his family are enshrined. this was an amazing experience, this mosque is divided into a Muslim side and a Jewish side, the family shrines are seen by both sides but are divided by bullet proof glass--it is unbelievable to see two religions who are worshiping the same Deity but they are separating themselves with an impenetrable wall.
We then attended a lecture with the Palestinian rehabilitation committee, this group is working to rebuild he old city and restore it to its original grandeur and beauty.
we then traveled through a checkpoint and into an Israeli settlement area where we met and had lunch with a family that is living beneath the settlements. since the occupation of the settlers they are unable to access there front door from the main road and now much walk a narrow pathway behind their neighbours homes to arrive at their front door. due to their close proximity to the setters this family is living under harsh persecution but are working for peaceful resistance, and we all felt as thought we could learn something from them.
we ended our day with a visit to a Hebron glass factory, where we were able to support the local community and artist by purchasing there beautiful pieces of glass artwork and pottery, a lovely example of how the spirit of the people of Hebron still thrives despite desperate situations.
with love
Alysha
Today was an eye-opening and challenging day for myself and I think everyone in the group, it has really reinforced the reason why I came on the Yella!trip.
We travelled to Hebron today,which at times felt like a trip into the world of Aladdin(the Disney version) . Unlike the Tourist town of Bethlehem the city of Hebron is not thriving, despite the fact that it is the largest city in the West Bank. The Palestinian people living here have neighbours of at least 400 Jewish settlers that are protected by almost 1500 Israeli soldiers. This means that main streets are barricaded, homes and businesses are confiscated for "military use" or "security reasons" and the markets are covered by a canopy of protective nets.
While visiting with a spokesperson form Christian Peacemaker Teams we had the opportunity to climb to the roof of the building and achieve a wonderful view of the city and of the conflict. Across the way was a young Israeli soldier who asked us to leave the roof, even though we had every right to be up there(this happened several times throughout our day!). From the roof top we looked over the military building as well as a street that is only for Jewish settler use.
We then traveled through the market again and visited the Mosque of the patriarchs, where the tombs of Abraham and his family are enshrined. this was an amazing experience, this mosque is divided into a Muslim side and a Jewish side, the family shrines are seen by both sides but are divided by bullet proof glass--it is unbelievable to see two religions who are worshiping the same Deity but they are separating themselves with an impenetrable wall.
We then attended a lecture with the Palestinian rehabilitation committee, this group is working to rebuild he old city and restore it to its original grandeur and beauty.
we then traveled through a checkpoint and into an Israeli settlement area where we met and had lunch with a family that is living beneath the settlements. since the occupation of the settlers they are unable to access there front door from the main road and now much walk a narrow pathway behind their neighbours homes to arrive at their front door. due to their close proximity to the setters this family is living under harsh persecution but are working for peaceful resistance, and we all felt as thought we could learn something from them.
we ended our day with a visit to a Hebron glass factory, where we were able to support the local community and artist by purchasing there beautiful pieces of glass artwork and pottery, a lovely example of how the spirit of the people of Hebron still thrives despite desperate situations.
with love
Alysha
Friday, May 21, 2010
Day 13 - Refugee Camp, Solomons Pools, Tent of Nations & Church of Nativity
Hey from Palestine to eveybody following us on our adventure!
Today we woke up at our Palesinian families homes, then met up for our devotional. Great devotional from Hannah and then we were off to a Palestinian refugee camp. The living conditions were much better then I expected; running water, plumbing, electricity, phone, etc. We saw some of the first shelters built in the 50's which were pretty brutal, but not the current housing.
Next we visited "Solomons Pools" which were built by King Herod and allowed water to "naturally flow uphill"(figure that one out.) They were pretty huge but kinda boring.
We soon found ourselves on the bus to the "Tent of Nations" which is a farm run by a Palestinian individual who is living on a piece of land which is hotly saught after by Israli settlers. He has been all the way to the Supreme Court to fight for his piece of land. Luckly he has all the documents for it from way way back (unfortunately this is a luxory not many Palestinians have.) This farm is used during the summer break as a summer camp for many palestinian children, his focus during these camps is education with a twist. He mentioned the education system here makes people really good at memorizing but not critical thinking, so he spends his time allowing the children to be creative and learn in a different way. This was a great experience to get a point of view on the situation which was completely different from what we have been hearing on the trip. His views focused on a sort of re-education for both Palestinians and Isralis, I really liked his views on education.
It kinda hit me here that even though Israli's and Palestinians live in close proximity they really have very very little to do with eachother and ultimately don't know much about each other. It seems to be a bit of a situation where both sides have a fear of the unknown.
After this insightful visit we went to the "Church of the Nativity" and were in the cave Jesus was born (99% sure on the location.) There were tons of tourists here. We got a bunch of history lessons on the church and it was all good.
Hope everybody back home is doing good and thanks for your prayers.
Yella 2010 Group
The views expressed in this post are by Sean Froese and may not reflect the views of the Yella 2010 group. Reader discretion is advised.
Today we woke up at our Palesinian families homes, then met up for our devotional. Great devotional from Hannah and then we were off to a Palestinian refugee camp. The living conditions were much better then I expected; running water, plumbing, electricity, phone, etc. We saw some of the first shelters built in the 50's which were pretty brutal, but not the current housing.
Next we visited "Solomons Pools" which were built by King Herod and allowed water to "naturally flow uphill"(figure that one out.) They were pretty huge but kinda boring.
We soon found ourselves on the bus to the "Tent of Nations" which is a farm run by a Palestinian individual who is living on a piece of land which is hotly saught after by Israli settlers. He has been all the way to the Supreme Court to fight for his piece of land. Luckly he has all the documents for it from way way back (unfortunately this is a luxory not many Palestinians have.) This farm is used during the summer break as a summer camp for many palestinian children, his focus during these camps is education with a twist. He mentioned the education system here makes people really good at memorizing but not critical thinking, so he spends his time allowing the children to be creative and learn in a different way. This was a great experience to get a point of view on the situation which was completely different from what we have been hearing on the trip. His views focused on a sort of re-education for both Palestinians and Isralis, I really liked his views on education.
It kinda hit me here that even though Israli's and Palestinians live in close proximity they really have very very little to do with eachother and ultimately don't know much about each other. It seems to be a bit of a situation where both sides have a fear of the unknown.
After this insightful visit we went to the "Church of the Nativity" and were in the cave Jesus was born (99% sure on the location.) There were tons of tourists here. We got a bunch of history lessons on the church and it was all good.
Hope everybody back home is doing good and thanks for your prayers.
Yella 2010 Group
The views expressed in this post are by Sean Froese and may not reflect the views of the Yella 2010 group. Reader discretion is advised.
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