I know it has been a while since either of us has had time to update. Here we have limited internet access and busy days. Since Sunday our group has been staying in Bethlehem at the Alexandria Hotel. Our hotel is right downtown Bethlehem. We hear a lot of Arabic, have had lots of rice and shwarma (meat from a rotating stick?), and have tried our best to take in all that we are hearing and seeing.

       Our main topic and discussion since arriving in Bethlehem is the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. This complicated problem is often misunderstood by those of us from America... and even being here I am still trying to wrap my mind around what life looks like here for the everyday Palestinian and the everyday Israeli.

             Freshest in my mind today is the ‘everyday’ Israeli. Today we spent our time back in Jerusalem (passing quickly through the checkpoints... blond hair and an American passport helps with that). Our two main stops were the Holocaust Museam (Vad Yashem) and the Knesset, which is their ‘congress’. Words cannot describe what you see as you walk through the museum here. Story after story is told of those who died, were tortured, or experimented on. The Jews around Europe and Russia were entrapped in Ghettos before being sent to death camps or mass graves... I heard a story today of a young girl who got missed while standing next to the mass grave and crawled out alive. She  was only 7 years old. After you get out of the museum you see the land that the Jews have made for themselves. They are militarily strong. You see soldiers everywhere with large guns and proud smiles. Their message is clear, we have our own land and this can never happen to us again without a fight.

          Our other days in Bethlehem have been conversations with Palestinian Christians and others who live daily within the constraints of the Bethlehem walls. Our tour guide could not go with us to Jerusalem, he was denied a visa to enter the city. We walked past houses that were isolated from their farm land, owned by their families for hundreds of years. Those who live close to the wall may not open their second floor windows or even stand near them, they need to be closed up at all times. Every house in Palestine has a water tank on top, Israel can shut down the water any time they desire.... which is sometimes for 20 days in a row in the summer. 

I have more thoughts and opinions, but now it’s time to head off to class.

Pray for us as we observe and act as agents of peace,

Leah & Justin