A Winding Journey With Many Stops

Gallery: Tanzania

nomadicsoul — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:24:00 GMT

service, sunshine, safari

Gallery: Ireland 08

nomadicsoul — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:16:00 GMT

Belfast, Ballycastle, Bloody good times

Gallery: Scotland 08

nomadicsoul — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:00:00 GMT

Edinburgh

Scotland 2008: A weekend of bagpipes, falafel, castles and crazy pubs!

nomadicsoul — Tue, 20 May 2008 01:42:00 GMT

What is adventure?

Adventure is getting on an unmarked train in an empty train station with only the vaguest of assumptions that it goes where you want it to go!

On my free weekend from Corrymeela, Camille and I decided to hop across the sea from Belfast and take the sail and rail to Edinburgh to see what kind of adventures we could find! We found castles guarded by men in kilts carrying semi-automatic weapons, clubs that party on all night, the ghosts of the past in Old Edinburgh, live American music in traditional pubs, essence of Harry Potter, new friends and a ridiculous amount of distinctively Scottish humor!

16-18 May 2008!!! Edinburgh!

Initial observations:

The green grass, rocks jetting out into the sea. Water that is a misty grey, small brush, little inlets. You can almost imagine what it was like in the past, sailing in on a wooden sail boat through the channels--waiting for the mist to rise and reveal the rugged, fierce natural wildness. A horizon of adventure awaits!

Welcome to Scotland!

Other random observations from my notebook:

"This is the land of Heathcliff and Mr. Darcy!"

"Mirrored sea, grassy rolling hills, slight tinge of yellow in the setting sun, the spire of a church, the natural lines of a grey stone wall!"

Scotland, like Ireland, has a fierceness/gentleness complexity to its beauty. The jagged cliffs-unforgiving and steep-the tangled briar patches and vast bodies of water give way to pristine green hills dotted with wild flowers, cows and the ever present sheep. The power of the past is here. I can now understand the draw of the old country. As I gaze out onto the moors and hills I can imagine a past era and perhaps just riding over these glens, through the meadows and up upon the hills. Nothing is out here, it is very lonely looking but apart from the train tracks cutting through it seems virually untouched by time! Crumbling walls, bleating sheep, briars, peat roofed village churches, pheasants, falcons.....the wild.

Favorite quotes of the weekend:

"Baby, there is no way you are American. You're Italian...Israeli? Oh, I got it, you are South African?" --a drunk guy at a pub upon hearing my nationality...no idea why the idea of me being American was so odd...

"Red caps--think malicious garden gnomes who have velociraptor claws and eat you." -- Helene, our tour guide for the ghost night tour of Edinburgh. I strongly recommend the Free Tours in Edinburgh--they are stellar!

The THANK YOU's!

There is much more, many fond memories. So cheers to Camille, Connor and Cillian--you guys made my weekend interesting and oodles of fun. Castle Rock Hostel is pretty much fabulous--everyone should stay there. It has the most PERFECT location and the staff is phenomenal and predominately Canadian. Roz at Tribe Tattoo--I love my tat, thanks for that! To the Irish stag party at Espionage--wow! No comments needed for that!! and to Helene our industrious leader on the Freetours, thanks for being so hilarious and giving me a background of Edinburgh for free. I love it! And to the people in Belfast who rescued me after my train/ferry fiasco--you guys are golden!

Beginning in Belfast

nomadicsoul — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:10:00 GMT

And thus starts my Irish adventure!

I have arrived safely in Belfast ready to begin a couple days of seeing stuff before heading up to Ballycastle to volunteer at Corrymeela Centre for the next 7ish weeks!

First Impressions of Ireland: (well actually, Northern Ireland!) holy crap its green here. Like, seriously, very very green. You can see pictures of Ireland and you see the amazing greenness but until you actually go there, it doesn't really comprehend that Irish green is a distinct color. The people that I have interacted with: mainly Immigration, the bus driver and the taxi guy have all been amazing. Although I can already tell that the accents here in Belfast are going to give me trouble!

Here is my short-list of stuff to see and do in Belfast:

Stay: Avenue House Guest House. It is near Queens University and it is amazing. Lovely rooms, lovely owners, wonderful breakfast and great on the wallet. Seriously. If you go to Belfast, stay there.

DO:

The mural tour, but walk it. It's better. Don't go on that biga$$ red bus...its so touristy and it annoys the locals. Be friends with the locals, they are really stellar people, don't piss them off by being more of a tourist than you have to be!
Go wander around Queens University. The buildings are beautiful and old and the architecture is something else. You can go in and "request" a tour or do what I did if you look even remotely college-aged and just wander around freely and talk to people. and plus...its FREE!
Take the train and go visit Carrickfergus and see the Castle. It's pretty cool and its only 3.30GBP to take the train. The views are sweet and the history is pretty awesome. Carrickfergus is a fun little seaside town too!
Go on the Belfast Wheel. It is in the city centre and next to the city hall building. It is just really fun!
Walk around Belfast. It is a very walking friendly city and I felt perfectly safe in all the regions that I was in. The architecture is interesting, the people are fascinating and the history of the city is powerful. The botanical gardens are awesome, but be careful going in there alone at night, it has been the scene of violent crimes in the past.
Belfast is a city that is trying to recover from the past and its doing a good job, you can still see the lasting memories from the Troubles but you can also see the burgeoning travel destination trade and the mix of the two makes Belfast an amazing city to visit!
Watch soccer/football in one of the local pubs and get to know the culture that is the Irish/British football fans. Be warned...find out the affiliation of the pub you want to go to BEFORE you go. Otherwise you will make my mistake and wear Liverpool colors to a Manchester United pub and that is not a mistake easily forgiven by its occupants!

Ok well thats all my musing for now about Belfast. Perhaps more later!

Dala-Dala's in Dar es Salaam

nomadicsoul — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:01:00 GMT

Transportation in Dar: scenes from the mzungu girl on the dala-dala.

I would consider myself to be an adventuresome person. In the past I have enjoyed activities like skydiving, freefall, whitewater rafting and traveling to “out-of-the-way, locals-only, if-you-get-lost-noone-will-find-you” places. But nothing – NOTHING – could have prepared me for the unique experience/thrill/power-prayer-time that is public transportation in D’salaam.

“But what,” someone might ask, “is a dala-dala?” In order to truly discover the answer to that question, they need to ride one. But if that is impossible, perhaps I can paint a mental picture of what it encompasses…

Imagine a mini-van/minibus, usually Toyota or Isuzu and an early model. Inside everything is stripped so more seats can fit in. (Think no trunk space).

Once the seats are all in – and covered in vinyl – it becomes necessary to upholster the ceiling with your choice of loud, gaudy “budget hotel lobby” carpet – preferably with some sort of fringe going around the edge – and install some sort of pipe as a handrail on the ceiling. On the outside of the bus in is necessary to paint a brightly colored strip all the way around with “City Bus” stenciled on the side and the route stenciled in white on the front above the headlights. After you have the basics down you can decorate your dala-dala with inspirational messages like “God is Great” or “Viva Manchester United” or “Still Alive” on the back and front windows.

Now the dala-dala is ready for passengers. If you want to catch a dala-dala it is important to master the “forward-jostle” method, as well as the “Yo! I want on that bus!” wave. Once mastering these important methods has been accomplished, you wait at the side of the road for awhile – usually enough time to gather a small crowd of similar like-minded people. Seeing your bus approaching you try out your wave … and get a wave back from the conductor as it speeds on by. Frustrating, but not an uncommon occurrence.

Another bus approaches and you are delighted to see that it is stopping. As you run towards the door you can estimate that there are at least 30 people crammed inside. No matter, at least 5 more will fit in, 8 if there are small children.

Practicing your “forward-jostle” you are able to physically get your front half and feet on the bus and at least one hand on a cleverly placed pipe. The rest of you is hanging off the bus but the conductor swings up and presses you in a little more as you speed off. The conductor, whose body is currently very close to yours and actually keeping you on the bus, is excellent at multitasking as he is somehow able to hold on, collect money, make change, make small talk with passing dala-dala’s, yell out the stops and remember when and where you want to get off. As you approach your stop you can yell “susha!” and off you go, still alive to see Manchester play and praise God!

For only 300 Tanzania Shillings [about 28 cents US] all these thrills can be yours. Nothing in the US can even compare.

Transportation in Dar: it’s a wild ride.

Bekah

Gallery: Palestine 2007

nomadicsoul — Wed, 30 May 2007 03:11:00 GMT

the West Bank

Holy Land Presentation Notes from Speakers

nomadicsoul — Fri, 18 May 2007 02:50:00 GMT

Musalaha (Dr. Salim)

- "Musalaha" in arabic means reconciliation

This is an organization that began in 1990 and is completely directed toward the Ministry of Reconciliation between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews. Dr. Salim is one of the founders of the organization and he is an Israeli-Palestinian (a Palestinian that lives in Israel and has an Israeli passport) who is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and a dean at Bethlehem Bible College.

The goal of Musalaha is to bridge the gap between the people of this troubled land and to do so in a peaceful manner, by building relationships. He believes that through reconciliation

" The hope the Jewish people are seeking and the justice the Palestinians need, can both be reached."

"Relationships are necessary to promote reconciliation because they address the obstacles. The obstacles in this conflict are numerous and include but are not limited to: the complexity of the conflict, involvement of external powers, the imbalance of power between Israel and Palestine, all of these things HAVE to be dealt with."

Dr. Salim presented a stage program that he believes the reconciliation program goes through.

Stage 1: "the Hallelujah Stage" people are curious enough about the other that they agree to met for peaceful dialouge.

Stage 2: "The greivances stage" both sides take turns airing all the grievances that they feel toward eachother in a way that does not personally attack anyone involved (if at all possible)

Stage 3: 'the Committed Stage" those that remain through to this stage have proven that they are committed to the reconciliation process and are ready to further their understanding of the other.

Some obstacles that people run into here when trying to reconcile these two groups of people are immense. A major one is the fact that by the age of 5 most children, on both sides, have a clear idea of who the 'enemy' is. In order for there to be a reconciliation effort on a state level, this culture of hatred will need to be remedied.

He (Dr. Salim) also pointed out that how we understand God is often a direct cause of how we hold our attitudes toward others. The only option for us, as Christians, is to embrace the enemy.

Along with recongnizing the Christian response, one must also remember the location in which we are in. In the Middle Eastern world, religion is a primary identity factor. All of the religions present in this area have been guilty of using demonization and dehumanization to justify actions, killings and abuse of others in the name of God.

This conflict is an identity conflict and because it is, it is the hardest to solve. Conflicts that are formed in identity, formed in denial of an identity or formed in the denial of the right to identity for a group of people will never be without victimization on all sides of the conflict. This 'not my fault' mentality of the 'others' is something that is a real problem. It is the indifference toward the suffering of others that allows a justification for pain inflicted.

Dr. Salim also gave a very direct answer when asked, What can we, as Americans, do to help?

his answer was You are part of the problem. You have great power in America, you have more power then we do over here, and yet you do not use it. You elect officials who support Israel's actions, who fund their terrorism. You are part of a superpower and if you do not use your power to advocate on behalf of the people who suffer then you are participating in causing the suffering.

This was a really powerful moment for me. It is blunt and to the point. We are all part of the problem. It has been too long that Israel has been allowed to be in complete violation of about 15 International Laws. Why do we, the self-proclaimed police of the world, let them get away with this slow ethnic cleansing that they are pushing onto the Palestinian people? Why have we not held ourselves accountable and our leaders accountable for what we are spending millions upon millions of American dollars on?

I think we need to ask ourselves these questions, even though learning the answers might be painful.

* * * * * * *

Churches and Christianity in the Middle East Fr. Michael, Tantur Ecumenical Institute

Here is a breakdown of Christians in the Middle East.

In Israel:

The official religion of the state of Israel is Jewish. However in the 7.1 million people in the Israel population, 80% are Jewish (about 15% of that 80 are orthodox, or practicing Jews) 18% are Muslim (Sunni) and 2% are Christian (primarily Catholic or Greek Orthodox)

In the West Bank:

There are 3.5 million people living in the West Bank, less then 2% are Christian and the rest are Sunni Muslim.

In Bethlehem:

The population of Bethlehem is constantly changing but it is estimated that it is the location of 85% of the West Bank's Christians with the division being 70% Muslim and 30% Christian.

Christians have been consistantly leaving the Middle East for the last 100 years.

2 reasons that Palestinian Christians have been decreasing:

1. Family Size, the birth rates of Christian families are often smaller then their Muslim counterparts

2. Emigration, many times Christians have other options and are able to leave in times of trouble. So Palestinian Christians are leaving and Jewish immigrants are (illegally) settling in the West Bank

There are no Christians in the refugee camps here in Palestine because of the options that many of the Christians have versus the Muslims.

The Churches of the Middle East:

Oriental Orthodox (Armenian, Coptics, Syrrians, Ethiopian etc...)

Eastern Orthodox (The Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic Church)

Western Church (Roman Catholic affiliated)

The Evangelicals/Protestants (primarily Lutheran and Anglican)

notes:

-- Christians kill more Christians then Muslims and Jews do. Combined.

-- Christians have a shameful history of saying one thing and doing another. There has never been a Christian nation that has had forgiveness as a policy of state.

-- The new fundamentalist right wing of US politics have managed to influence many in the media by using religion.

"gather against Islam" "Muslims are driving the Christians out of the Holy Land" and other "crusader" language.

There is no future in the West Bank if situations continue as they are.

* * * * * * *

Wi'iam Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center Zoughbi Zoughbi, director

Merges traditional Western Mediation techniques with traditional Arabic reconciliation technique "Sulha".

Calls upon us to be: Be the voice of the people, the voice that will take all our experiences home and share them.

"The land belongs to all of us and we belong to the land."

" We believe in multi-level diplomacy; grassroots, community, social, systemic and international levels as we can."

"We seek to portray an image of hope and unity, of community building and not necessarily nation and state building."

They also do excellent work with women and youth. Women in this society are often the victims of much conflict because of 3 main reasons:

1. Patriarchal Society that oftentimes does not recognize a woman's postion of importance

2. They become vicitms of the projection of displaced anger of the men in their lives because of the current situation.

3. They struggle because of the wall, the occupation of Palestine and the unemployment and economic hardships that it has brought to their lives.

Youth work is also very difficult because how can you give a young person hope when the options for them are so severely limited. A Palestinian youth cannot even leave his or her town many times because any travel is regulated by the Israeli government and they would have to apply for permission to travel, even the 5 mile trip from Bethlehem to Jerusalem is often impossible because of the amount of paperwork and harassment the Palestinians have to go through to get past the checkpoint.

Zoughbi is married to an American woman and they have a 13 year old son. His son is an American citizen with an United States passport. But because he has a Palestinian parent it is enough to deny him entry and exit through Israeli checkpoints.

Goals for Youth:

1. Give them a heightened sense of character, hold them accountable for their lives.

2. Build global citizenship, let them know that they have brothers/sisters around the world

3. Not to let them have a monopoly on victimization and suffering. Everyone has a story. Share stories through out the world, learn and share with others.

" Wall will not isolate us from the world."

The use of the internet has been moderately helpful in allowing the youth to make new contacts around the globe and to communicate with eachother but it is not really prevelant enough or reliable enough on the West Bank to have made a huge difference.

The Center stresses that there needs to be a way out of the ghettos that the Palestinians are now confined to. They use the example of South Africa and collective responsibility to illustrate their point.

Process of SULHAH

- reserve judgement in diplomatic manner, hear both sides and guide people to create their own solution.

- recognizing a mistake has been made is the beginning of the solution and signifies that remorse and reparations and recognition of a problem have begun.

- delegations go out to have a table discussion, this allows for shadow-diplomacy and saving face to occur. Coffee is served and the drinking of the coffee when it is first hot and served is a must, otherwise it is an insult.

- this method of reconciliation is based on restorative justice rather then punitive justice

- mending fences and bridging the gap is the ulitmate goal.

- "Sometimes it is the ability of the mediator to empower the weak and bring the strong to their senses instead of their knees."

Their ultimate goal is to BE A SPONGE FOR OTHERS. They listen to others by heart and absorb everything they can, keeping in mind that it is necessary to both have a sponge as well as be a sponge.

* * * * * * *

Islamic Faith in the 21st Century , Dr. Abdul Abad

What is the meaning of Islam?

In arabic, Islam is translated as Peace or religion of peace

A common greeting is: Assalam Aleikum (Peace be upon you), reply: alekium salaam (And to you, may God's peace govern us)

What is the difference between a Muslim and a believer?

A Muslim is someone who does not hurt others by hand or by tongue.

A Believer is a rank higher than a Muslim and wants everyone to be like him, everyone is a brother to a believer.

The 5 pillars of Islam:

I. Be A Witness: One God, prophet is Mohammed.

II. Prayer 5x a day: (dawn, noon, afternoon, evening, night) facing towards Mecca when praying with 17 prostrations a day.

III. Alms Giving: give of your wealth to the poor, tithe $25/every $1000 once a year.

IV. Fasting: During the holy month of Ramaddan abstain from food/drink until sunset

V. Pilgramage: Go to Mecca and the other holy cities of Islam once in your life provided you are wealthy and healthy.

In Islam, everyone is in need of the 'other'. All of God's creation is dependent on differences. Every person is an individual and in Islam, respect of differences is recongnized.

In Islam, the words of Moses, the Prophets and Jesus are incorporated.

It is important in Islam, as well as Christianity, to separate the text from man. The Koran teaches peace, but not all who read the Koran and claim to be a Muslim are peaceful. The same is true in Christianity. Do not judge a religion by the fanatics that are present, they are present in every religion known to man.

"I am against aggressors, regardless of religion."

* * * * * * *

There are still presentations left that we have already had, the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions (ICHAD), MCC Peace workers, BADIL Center for Palestinian Refugee Rights, and Ammal from the Nassar family but they are really long so I am going to wait to put those up for next time.

We are leaving Bethlehem tomorrow and going to spend another night in Jerusalem before we head to Nazareth and Galilee. I am not entirely sure what the internet capability will be there, so I will update when I can.

Holy Land: Days 6-9 and Mexican food in Bethlehem!

nomadicsoul — Thu, 17 May 2007 02:47:00 GMT

Our tour continues now, it is in its 6th day (7th if you count the day in transit). Up until now I have had a feeling of overwhelmed-ness and exhaustion--both physically and spirtually.

When I was at breakfast this morning, Ben said something that really rang true for me. On anything and everything that could even remotely be considered 'holy' there is a giant church. No expenses were spared when building these churches and they are beautiful, so beautiful that each seems to want to outshine the other in beautiful 'holiness'. But that aside, a question still remains. What about the people here? Didn't Jesus command us to serve his people, to love others, and to give up our riches to the poor? Why then would we spend millions building even more churches that commemorate a history that is long in the past instead of spending the time and the money dealing with the millions of poverty-stricken families? Why must our 'expression of love and devotion to God' be so ostentatious? Couldn't we still show our devotion to our Saviour in a manner that honors his commandments and helps his people without spending obscene amounts of money building yet another cathedral? It just seems so unbalanced that we would spend this money on, for example, the cathedral that commemorates the rocks in the Garden of Gesthemene that Jesus may have cried upon (we really are not sure) but we are unable to find the spare change in our pockets that would allow a poor man to have lunch or feed his family? Maybe I am going off on a tirade borne of touring many, many, MANY churches in this area and being a little 'churched out' but I view this yet another form of separating society. There are those things that we value, oftentimes objects that do have a place but it may be misplaced value or enthusiasm, and then there are those things that we allow to slip through the cracks. Often times it seems that those things that slip through are not things, they are people. The very descendents of the people that have been here since the time of Christ. I understand that we are to praise God from the heavens, we are to share the Gospel with others and all that but....in my understanding I would imagine that giving of yourself, living simply and spreading peace in places of conflict, joy in times of sorrow, and the love of Christ to all people is more meaningful then building yet another commerative cathedral. ok. rant done.

(frustrated and sad sigh)

Anyway. We went many places today. Saint Anne's Cathedral at Lions Gate was where we sang hymns in the sanctuary which almost brought me to tears. The ruins of the pools of Bet Hesda (house of mercy). Saint George's School and Cathedral (an Anglican community that Stephen and Barbara have supported from Australia). The Church of All Nations, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. They were all beautiful but once again they were all sort of running together.

We also went to the Garden Tomb. By all accounts, probably NOT the actual tomb of Christ but... It is beautiful there. The diversity of the flora is astounding. The flowers are blooming, the trees canopy over. It just makes it easier to imagine that Jesus was buried in a place similar to this. I hope it was, wherever it was, just as beautiful where He was buried.

Side Note: saw Jewish Cemetary. They use pebbles to commerate and honor the dead instead of flowers. I did not see Schindlers tomb however, even though I did look for it.

Another Note: During our hymn singing at St. Anne's one of the songs that we sang was Amazing Grace. But the group that was behind us also joined in in their own language. This moment of sharing in this age old hymn--echoing off the walls in the beauty of this place was incredible. I felt so connected to the global community of Christians at that moment and it was wonderful.

We also held communion at the Garden Tomb while it was raining, visiting Dominus Flavitt, singing 'Sing Alleluia" in chapel time, and talking with Stephen and Barbara have all made today especially meaningful.

Day 7 (11 May)

Today was a different sort of day, because my knee has been swollen and painful I have elected to stay behind in Bethlehem while the rest of the group went on to listen to speakers ranging from Messianic Jews to Sabeel and Palestinian Liberation Theology. I would have liked to hear these discussions but my knee decided otherwise and I thought I should probably listen to that instead. Jess brought a digital recorder with her and promised to record the presentations so I could listen to them later.

An interesting note about today is that it is Friday. The Muslim Holy Day (something that I had forgotten about). The shops in the market were all closed and the streets were empty. I was awakened however by a volley of gunshots and shouting in the distance. Combined with the noise of a construction project down the street, it startled me greatly. But, I had to remind myself yet again of the priveleged life that we lead in the United States. While random gunfire startles me--it does not even faze the locals. This is their life. This is how they live.

When Jess and the others came back, my mood was instantly lifted and I hobbled out of my room to get some fresh air. (no matter what country I am in, I hate being confined to a small space!) When we went down the road a bit it struck me how my demeanor has changed sub-consciously since being over here. At home I would not think twice about looking a man in the eye when speaking to him or even introducing myself. Here I tend to keep my eyes lowered, I do not react to the countless calls and noises that we get when we walk down the street. I do not ignore the men on the street here, I just do not engage in conversation unless approached. I know that part of this is probably because of language barriers, and the patriarchal society that is in existance here, but this feeling is definitely a new one for me.

Day 8 (12 May)

YAY for incredibly exciting days! (not that this whole trip hasn't been exciting, it has!)

We are changing our routine today and going to a totally new place. We will be visiting Wadi Qilt and St. George's Monestary, Jericho, Zacchaues's Sycamore Tree, Qumran, and (drum roll) the DEAD SEA!

* * * *

In order to get down to St. George's one has to navigate down a cliff along a very steep path into the Wadi. This is because the Monestary is built right into the cliff.

Interesting Note: this is said to be the place that Elijah stayed in a cave and was fed by ravens.

The desert land is beautiful, barren and wild. It is called the Judean Wilderness and camel, donkey, goat and sheep roam the hills, tended primarily by the Bedouin people. I love how empty it is here. It is truly a place that you can look out over the hills and the rocks and barrenness and commune with God.

On the way back up the cliff (what goes down apparently must also come up in this case) Lorie treated me to a surprise and arranged for one of the donkey traders to give me a ride on his donkey up the mountain. My donkey's name was Badullah (or something similar) and my donkey drivers name was Hassan. Riding the donkey was an interesting and unique experience. The Bible story of Jesus riding the donkey on Palm Sunday did come to mind. But a comment that Hassan made did make me sad.

We are a peaceful people but we do not have a peaceful life.

When will the violence and struggle for these people end?

* * * *

Next stop, Jericho, the oldest city in the world. Estimated by historians and archeologists to be 10.000 years old. Getting into Jericho seemed to be a bit tricky this time because we had to go through two checkpoints, one Palestinian (which went very smoothly) and one Israeli (not so much). I find it odd and rather disturbing how quickly I have become accustomed to the sight of soldiers, large guns, armored vehicles and checkpoints. I am really not sure how ok I am with the fact that I have desensitized to it so quickly. I might have to continue pondering that.

We stopped at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found (which was really interesting). During the time that we were poking about the heavens opened up and it poured buckets of rain on top of us. We were caught in a spectacular monsoon in may in the middle east! It was so awesome because I love storms, and this area has been in the worst drought in 80 years so I was happy for the area farmers that they get this much needed rain however....it threatened to cancel our trip to the Dead Sea which has been on my lists of places to go for years.

I feel kinda selfish in that regard. I have been able to see many amazing things, but this is something that I have long desired. Thankfully, we held a brief council on the bus and we got our wish. The rain stopped momentarily and we were able to spend about an hour reveling in the weird sensation of not being able to sink. As we floated we were able to look out over the horizon into the Kingdom of Jordan, currently ruled by KIng Abdullah and Queen Raina. Sadly, we will not be going into Jordan, but I think that I can be satisfied to wait until next time for that!!

Day 9 ( 13 May)

Today was our Sabbath, our much needed day of rest! We had church with Rev. Mitri's congregation here on the same property as ICB and we attended Christmas Lutheran Church. The service was truly like a balm being poured out on us tired folk. I know it definitely rejuvinated my spirits!! We had an English bulletien so it was relatively easy to follow the order of service, even though everything was in Arabic. But we did have a couple songs that were translated for us. The singing, oh my, the singing. The voices raised in unison, one Arabic, one English, all praising Christ was a beautiful and moving experience. I can hardly describe it.

After the service we were graciously invited to share Arabic coffee with the congregation and have a time of felllowship and conversation. It was lovely. I love hearing the stories that these people here have to tell me. Some make me cry, some make me laugh, some confuse me--I will treasure them all.

It was after fellowship that we had our most interesting/strange experience today. A group od us have walked past the same restaurant everyday as we hike to where we meet our bus in the mornings. The Mariachi Restaurant. Apparently it is the very first authentic Mexican Restaurant in Palestine, and since we were feeling adventerous we decided to try it!

The menu is in Arabic and Spanglish, which is quite funny and fascinating at the same time. The food however was incredibly tasty and unique. I have no complaints, although I was struck by the ironies as we sat there in Palestine, listening to Patsy Cline, eating "frijoles" with feta cheese on them and gazing at the random sombreros that were stuck haphazardly to the walls.

Good times indeed!

Holy Land: Day 5

nomadicsoul — Thu, 10 May 2007 02:45:00 GMT

Right now I am sitting on stone steps from the 1st century. Stone steps that were here in the time of Jesus. Stone steps that Jesus walked down during the time preceeding his death. This concept is hard for me to believe and to grasp, to absorb. As I sit here, listening to the birds chirp, the call to prayer bouncing off eachother in a delightful cacophony of sound, kids yelling, car horns blaring, the sounds of a bustling city on an afternoon here in Jerusalem, my emotions are in turmoil. I have just come from the underground prison and detention/torture center that very probably held Jesus, Peter and John.

They call this land the Holy Land and I have, on some level have known and appreciated that already but it is becoming more clear today. Twice now I have sat on ancient steps where Christ once walked. Right now and then before in the old city in the excavated Herodian Quarter, on the Rabbi's Teaching Steps near the Temple Mount. I have walked on the grounds of the old temples. I have been on the courtyard of the Dome of the Rock, convents, monastaries, temples, churches and cathedrals--I have been to many places that people consider 'Holy' but stone steps have had the most impact on me. Stone steps, and not just any stone steps, because Jerusalem is full of them. Steps are everywhere. It is one of the few places where the phrase uphill both ways is appropriate, but all those others aside these stone steps, here, near the Church of the Dormition, they mesmerize me. The are simple, ordinary, 1st century steps. (if I can even say that, lol) They go from the top of a hill and kind of meander down to a small garden area. The trees look old, but I doubt that they are 2000 years old. Little red poppies grow wild amongst the rock with pine trees and some kind of tree that remindes me of a weeping willow draping gracefully in the shade. Pine needles litter the ground, filling in the cracks amongst the large, lichen covered stones.

This whole area (or in my opinon, half this country) is an archeological site and the ruins of several houses surround us. The house of the high preist was where the dungeon and prison system once was. These steps lead down from there. I wonder what they would say if they could talk. They have seen many; the poor, the rich, the condemened, the innocent, the lost, the wondering, merchants, guards, soldiers, tourists, priests and Jesus Christ, Son of God.

Holy Land: Day 4

nomadicsoul — Wed, 9 May 2007 02:43:00 GMT

Today has been a long day. We had our first experience leaving the West Bank and entering back in to Israel when we went to Jerusalem for the day. The soldiers boarded our bus and asked to see all of our passports. We did not have much trouble getting through at all, because we are Americans, but I was distracted by the fact that a soldier, who looked about 3 yours younger then me was on my bus, with a giant machine gun, nonchalantly demanding random people to surrender their passports so he could examine their picture and compare it to the person.

The thought came to me, if we think this a mere annoyance, what must it be like for the Palestinians when they go through this ordeal.

This was a day of visiting churches. We went to the Church of the Holy Sepluchre, St. Luke's Syrrian Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox-Catholic Churches, Greek Orthodox and Greek Orthodox-Catholic Churches. All were beautiful and all gave me an even greater grasp of all the religious diversity that claim this troubled region. We have heard the Lord's Prayer in many languages today. English, Arabic, Aramaic, Greek, Spanish, and Hebrew, but the really cool thing was the feeling of community that you get when you hear it. Just by the way that the prayer is said, even if you do not know the language, you are able to commune with other believers. Also that sense of community with the millions of other pilgrims that have made this journey is a very powerful feeling.

In addition to our tour of many many MANY churches today, we also had a meeting with a gentleman who is head of the Ministry of Reconciliation here in Jerusalem. He is a Palestinian-Israeli who is devoted to 'bridging the gap' and working with small group reconciliation programs between Israelis and Palestinians. He says that these programs that hundred have now gone through have facilited countless new friendships across borders and created a forum for understanding. I think his work is nothing short of astounding given the circumstances, he did write a book that I bought about his ministry and I am looking forward to reading it to gain an even better understanding of the processes of reconciliation that he was discussing.

Side Note: Today it was 39 degrees Celsius. Thats well over 100 degrees and we were outside walking about virtually all day, I seriously feel like I am melting. I have a new respect for those that have to walk far distances to their jobs in this kind of heat everyday.

Holy Land: Day 2

nomadicsoul — Mon, 7 May 2007 02:32:00 GMT

Wow. This morning was a real wake up call that we are definitely in a foreign land. The Islamic call to prayer resonated across the city, bouncing off each other from the various mosques that are present in the city. It is beautiful, however at 4am, the beauty of it tends to be lost by a tired, confused and very much jet lagged person. So my day started very early. After the call to prayer it seems like the rest of the city begins to awaken as well. The roosters were crowing, the vendors were beginning to move about the city and the traffic began to move. Good morning good morning good morning.

After a refreshing walk through the gardens, letting the smells of jasmine envelop me and watching in awe as the sun rose and reflected off the Dome of the Rock, I was in a considerably better mood. Breakfast was lovely, with breads, zatar, cheeses and jam. I am really enjoying the food in this country.

We went to church at a Melchite church today, it was a very interesting experience as the service was entirely in Arabic with the occassional Greek word from time to time. The incense was overpowering but likewise was the beauty of the frescoes painted on every inch of the cathedral inside. The processionals were fascinating and I really enjoyed talking to the regular attenders over very strong and very sweet coffee after the service.

We also had a fun shopping and money changing experience today as well. I had falafel for the first time and I definitely have a new favorite food. The shopkeepers that we have talked to are so incredibly friendly here, its humbling the way that people recognize that we are tourists and welcome us anyway. We could learn a lot from those here in the Middle East on how to make foreigners welcome in your land...

Another interesting activity that we did today was walk the ramparts of the old wall around Jerusalem. We walked from Jaffa Gate to Damascus Gate in the Muslim Quarter and looked down the wall and the hustle and bustle of the gate and the souks below.

Ahh the souks. Shopping is a new experience here. It is not about the give and take of currency for goods so much as it about a verbal thrust and parry and developing a relationship between customer and vendor. Haggling a price is an artform and is most definitely expected. My first attempt was meager at best and while as I did end up with several nice things, I most definitely paid too much for them...oh well, live and learn. An issue that I have encoutered especially is that I am very aware of my gender here. Not that I feel threatened because I am a woman, because I feel very safe here, but there are certain undertones that seem to be present in the society and culture that dictate what a woman's behavior or role ought to be. For example, I have had comments that are sexualized made toward me when I have been shopping, comments that range the gamut from harmless flattery that is amusing to comments about looking for a "big, strong man, look for big rich husband, you should look for Arab husband--he protect you" to what an American would consider invasion of personal space that is actuality completely normal here. I apparently have a lot to learn.

Our destination tonight is Bethlehem. We successfully navigated the Israeli checkpoint and have entered the West Bank. It is like entering a different, sadder world, when you cross the border and go behind the wall. In Jerusalem, on the other side of the wall, there is a city that bubbles with life, joy, smiles, almost a false sense of carefree. But in Bethlehem, birthplace of Our Lord, despair and struggle, hopelessness and helplessness and the pain of a people trapped in a virtual prison become the landscape. These people are living for a future that has an astronomically high probability of never coming to be. The air is laden with their burden. I can't help but think to myself how history repeats itself but it only gets worse. The wall that Israel has built is our generations Berlin Wall. Only how long will it take this one to fall?

We are staying at the International Center in Bethlehem. It is magnificent and the rooms are lovely, much more then we require for our needs. My heart is heavy as I gaze out our window. We have so much and out hosts have much less and yet they welcome us, mind body and soul. They give from their heart and their generosity seems to know no bounds, they welcome us with open arms. I am humbled by their grace and I feel guilty for what I have, and what I have done, as an American to further their pain. Even if I have not done it intentionally, I know that I am part of the problem. I am a voting citizen of the US and I have incredible power, but unless I dare to use that power to effect change, the situation here will only get worse. Even knowing that, however, I feel helpless. What do I do? How can I help? What can I do that would make a difference?

Interesting note:

Apparently here at the ICB, it is Austrian week. So, our group was treated to a concert of classical and contemporary Viennese music and our first meal in Palestine was Weiner Schnitzel and Apfelstrudel.... :-) travel...it is a combination of culture, spontenaity, and change. you never know what you are going to get!

Holy Land: Day 1

nomadicsoul — Sun, 6 May 2007 02:37:00 GMT

We are here! We are in the Middle East! After a long and (thankfully) event-free flight we have landed here in Tel Aviv. It is hard to believe that our adventure has just truly begun! I am very happy to report that I finally have a stamp in my passport! Immediately after our sojourn through bag claim and passport control we were able to meet one of our tour guides (peter) and then our small group of 22 people jumped on our bus and we drove off into the hot Middle Eastern sun for our brief introduction into the city.

I could hardly tear my eyes away from the sights. Everything is so exciting and new. I am struck by the architecture of the buildings and in a combination of jet lag, adrenaline and exhaustion I stare out my window in a sort of mezmerized daze. When we reached the overlook and were able to look out over the entire city, gazing on such sights as Mt. Olives, the Dome of the Rock, Church of the Holy Seplechre. Church of All Nations, Kidron Valley, mosques, cathedrals, and historical sites abounding in the horizon it is enough to take your breath away.

Although the architecture of each of the new things is incredibly interesting, the people draw my attention more so. The sites are beautiful and historical to be sure, but the people, the smells, the visuals and the noises of the city fascinate me further. As I walked down the corridors of the old city and through souks and bazaars on our way to the guest house the smell of the middle east overpowered me. I can hardly describe it, it is not a bad smell, it is instead exotic yet familiar, spicy and intense, with hints of jasmine, incense and city life. I love it here!

We are staying at the Lutheran Guest House on David Street near Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is charming in its simplicity and the view of the city is unmatched. The guest house, although not large by anymeans, is quaint with lovely gardens, a roof top terrace and open courtyards.