Splashes of life around Jeru

"Jer-uuuu" (make the "ou" sound go for as long as you like) is what we have all somehow begun to call our beloved town. Our time here is quickly coming to an end which has thrown everyone into a weird warp speed. There are so many papers to write, places still to see, friends to get together with, souvenirs to buy, pictures to take, and food to try.
Here are a few pictures from around town last week. I'm trying hard to see this country, not through the eyes of one who has gotten used to all the amazing cultural differences, but through the eyes I had when I first got here.

Darling little Jewish boy, no more then 3 or 4, all ready to go in his little Kippa (Jewish male head covering) and tzitzit (tassels of his prayer shawl that are hanging out of the back of his shirt).

A soldier just chilling in the Jewish square with piles and piles of guns out in the open...

Ash, Kaytlin, and me in front of the "Wall of Remembrance" at the Yad Vashem (the Holocaust memorial and museum). We spent only four hours at this place but I could have easily spent another four! The museum was very well done and broke your hear while fascinating you at the same time. As we were leaving, I stopped to contemplate for a second and pray that there would never be another holocaust and mass genocide for anyone, when I was struck with the fact that the evils that I had just been educated about were happening right now in Africa and other places in the world. Made me wonder if one day my children would be going through a massive museum to the African genocides or if mankind will fight back before more blood is shed...

On the way home from a trip to the market, I stopped to get some night shots right outside the old city walls. The traffic was busy, the moon shone brightly, and I felt so blessed to be here.
The Palestinian Heritage center is actually in Bethlehem. Kaytlin and I stopped here on our way home from Arabic. This is a model of the way the Palestinian Bedouin used to live.Also in Bethlehem...can you read the street name? Yasser Arafat!!! (-:

Well, that's all for now. I just got back from the country of Jordan at the beginning of this week and will post the pictures from that trip very soon.

God and a mental hospital

I went to a mental hospital today... I know, I know, many of you are thinking to yourselves that it is about time, but I've already heard that joke from my school mates today, so save your breath! (-: Let me fill you in on how I have been seeing God work these past few days...

Wow! God has already answered the prayers I feel people praying for me regarding more opportunities to minister. Thanks so much to those of you who have been praying. I got to connect with two single women missionaries over in Bethlehem on Thursday. Not only was it great to hear their stories, but they were able to offer a lot of encouragement and hook me up with names of some orphanages, a refugee camp, and a women’s mental hospital- all located in Bethlehem. The orphanages are what I am most excited about!!! Today Kaytlin and I went with them to the mental hospital. We spent time with some of the older (think 80's), terminally mentally ill women. Though the place was very clean, it was pretty depressing. The room we were in had 10 beds all lined up and the women were just laying in them doing nothing. They were pretty happy to see us. Two of them actually talked to us in English, though a lot of what they said didn't makes sense. A few more of the women babbled in Arabic. We had no idea what they were saying. The lady I was "talking" with told me (with the nurses help) that she was 85 and had been ever since her family left her there and went to America- 15 years! We sang to the women and they seemed to like that. We hope to go back and maybe paint their nails and wash their feet (we figured they would get a kick out of colored nails!)

Kaytlin and I were talking on the way home about how we both really felt God was reminding us that though these women are old, mentally handicapped, and have been thrown away by society; because they were created in the image of God, they are beautiful. God sees them as beautiful and worthy and deserving of much love. Though, from a human perspective, it can seem pointless, we are called to love these women, honor them, and treat them with the dignity they deserve. Even if we can't understand the point of spending time with them, we really need no other reason to do so besides the fact that God created them. (Since when do we only care for those who can give us something back or who our society considers worthy?!) I am continuing to pray, not simply for compassion towards these women, but for a deep and genuine love for them.

I am going to an Arab church in Bethlehem tomorrow with Lilly, the lady I assistant teach with at the Beit Jala school. Kaytlin and I are hoping to check out one of the orphanages on the way home. It's a pity that I am making all these connections (I've met 7 different missionaries in Bethlehem now) right when my time here at JUC is getting busy and coming to an end. I have to trust that God knows what he wants to do with me during this last month that I am here.

God gave us the most beautiful sunset to enjoy on our way home through the check point. In the bottom of the picture is the seperation wall and the city of Bethlehem.

Beit Jala School

Hey all! I just got back from my amazing Galilee trip last night and have begun the job of sorting through pictures. I'm embarrassed to admit I took a little over 1,1oo pics over the four day trip, so I have quite the task of sorting, deleting and editing (my goal is to get them down to 700). I'm working on that and a few papers right now, but I will blog the trip as soon as I can.

I did want to post this blog real quick as I was working on uploading it when I left but forgot to finish. These pictures are from a school I help teach at on Tuesdays.
The school is an extension of the American School of Jerusalem and was started when the separation wall went up between Jerusalem and the West Bank. The kids couldn't get to their school anymore, so another one was started in the city of Beit Jala, right next to Bethlehem. It's called the "American School" because it is mostly in English. Some of the kids are Christian, some Muslim, and some un-religious. On a side note, I was really excited to find out that they use a lot of the Abeka school curriculum from the States that I am super familiar with from my school days. It made it really easy to teach. My day entails arriving at 8:30 and teaching/overseeing first grade for the first couple periods while the head teacher, a lovely Palestinian woman, takes the kids out in little groups to read. I am more of an "overseer" and I spend a lot of time answering math and English questions with the occasional class game or group instruction. After a few breaks we do art. Tuesday is the only day we can do art because it is just to difficult for Lilly to do art with all the kids on her own. Last week I led PE instead of art while Lilly worked with a few of the struggling students. I definitely lost my voice from all the yelling- being heard above 23 extremely excited voices and getting them to follow instructions left me ready for a nap! But I love it, and as you might guess, Tuesdays are a highlight for me as I get to spend time with these beautiful children who can't help but capture your heart. Take a peek and smile...

Boys being boys-Malek, Ali, Simon, George, Bashar...enjoying break

Sweet Natasha and Taleen

Yazen and Ali kept playing a little game with me where they would pose just long enough for me to grab my camera and then run off and want me to chase them. What they didn't realize is that I had a zoom...

Some close ups...

Strong Taleen

Yazen was my biggest ham, he posed for me for several minutes (as opposed to seconds)... He is quite smart but always pretends he doesn't understand so he can ask me questions and get some one on one time. I'm on to his game... (-;

Zoyah is the trouble maker of the class but so smart!
To Andrew I give the title "stinker," he would only give me these goofy faces

Malek (I love this name! It means king) is one of the sweetest kids you will ever meet

This beauty is actually in second grade, but she was having lunch when we were and I only needed one look at her eyes before I begged for a photo- she happily obliged

Time to go back to class. Part of my kids make up the very first line