In the holy city-- we were able to see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the garden tomb -- both places are believed to be the cite of both the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Jesus. I was really moved at the garden tomb -- it felt so sacred and looked just as I would picture the tomb -- the Holy Sepulchre seemed very overdone and seemed to take away from the recognition that our messiah is no longer dead but is alive in our hearts waiting to take us home -- It is amazing to be so close to where Jesus walked -- Nick it reminds me of you I just know you are walking around up in heaven with Jesus with your laugh and just loving each other -- this has brought me so much comfort in missing you... for now I understand that we really never will walk alone :)
We were also able to visit the wailing wall, both Damascus and Jaffa gate and strolled through the arab and christian quarters bartering for gifts for home!
We have also been able to visit the church of the nativity in Bethlehem where Jesus was born -- I can now saw I have been in the very spot where the world was saved from sin! Pretty cool!!!!
Today we just returned from Hebron -- a very old city where the original stone walls are still very much intact! Today I touched stones that probably witnesses some of Jesus' teachings!!! -- Hebron was amazing full of culture and history but sadly was also smack dab in the middle of the fight for land -- Jews and Palestinians share Hebron and mainly fight over the tombs of the Patriarchs -- which we were able to see!! Abraham & Sarah, Isaac and Rachel & Jacob and Leah are all buried right there in Hebron! The girls had to be fully covered so we were dressed in gowns -- Vicki liked these ALOT!!!! She also pulled them off super well I may buy her one to take home -- so Joel you better take her out on a nice date so she can where her hobbit robes :)
We then walked out of the Muslim side (we are not permitted into the Jewish side -- shocker!) and went to have coffee at a souvenir shop right on the jewish side owned by palestinians -- very interesting -- we shopped ALOT but met some really nice Israeli Soldiers who were telling us their side. Its all so very interesting -- everyone has a different story to tell -- I am just still trying to figure out how to truthfully tell my own.
After Hebron we went for Schwerma (one of my new favorite foods -- but let me be honest I LOVE ALL THE FOOD HERE!!!) and then went to the Aiba Refugee Camps created in 1948 for displaced Palestinians -- this was probably the one of the most intense and emotional parts of our journey -- we met two men Mohammed and Moses who have both been born into the camps -- basically born in captivity. They are two of 5000 refugees in this camps alone -- these camps are surrounded by Israeli walls and guards who will literally shoot at any moment -- Moses was shot last year in the cheek and has to flee nightly from the camp in fear of being captured by the IDF because of fear that he will charge them at the courts. These families are limited to one room living areas smaller than my freshman dorm room -- we were able to meet some of the kids and see some of the work being done in the childrens center -- some kids have created photo exhibits that tell of their lives in the camps-- it was truly heart breaking! Yet they still all seem so happy -- laughter is everywhere -- we even got to see a dance team preform the traditional arab dances! Unreal-- they are hands down better than N'Step, which i thought was next to impossible :)
We have really loved our time here! I run on some mornings through the city and get to see the sun rise which I love and our family are so loving and have really adopted us as their own! My house mom feeds me at every waking moment!!! They have really made this our home!
I love you all... EVERYDAY!!
Isaiah 41:10
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