Home Safe and Sound

After nearly 24 hours of travel, we all arrived home last night at a few minutes past 11PM. We were greeted at the airport by family, friends and leaders of the Diocese. I'm sure our young people will be processing everything they experienced for months to come. Keep checking the blog, as I'll be asking them to write some posts about their thoughts. - JR

Not a Happy Ending

I am very saddened to write that our trip has ended on a very sad note.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1006341.html

There was a shooting at the beach across from our hotel this afternoon. Apparently, the shooter intended to kill a person with a known criminal record. Unfortunately, he hit a woman dining nearby. And more unfortunately, six of our young people where in the immediate vicinity of the shooting. Four of these were apparently right next to the woman who was shot.

As chaperons, Kate and I immediately found all of our group. Robyn and Alex, who had been inside the hotel, looked after the rest of the group until we had all of us collected into one room. People called parents, and we sat with each other as we began to process what had happened.

After awhile, we went out to dinner. People were somewhat fearful of going out of the hotel. We had a group reservation at a nearby restaurant (two doors down). We felt it important to eat there. One- people needed decent food in their stomachs. Two- the group needed to see that the life on the street and beach were returning to normal.

At dinner, Flora asked me if I would do this trip again given what happened this afternoon. I told her yes. Such violence is a part of any city. Similar criminal shootings happen in Seattle, too. As Kate pointed out, this could have happened on Alki.

However, I think that everyone will be glad to head home tomorrow. This was not how we wanted to end this journey. But I am thankful that we are all safe and sound. I ask your prayers for our safe travel, and for the family of the young woman who lost her life today.

A Day in Tel Aviv

On our last day here in Israel, Kate and I took the crew into the heart of modern and secular Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv reminds me, in many ways, of a South American city. There is the energy and creativity of any European city, but the era of architecture is very similar to cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

We were most interested in taking the young people two specific sites we felt were important- Ben Gurion's house and Rabin Square. Ben Gurion was the first Prime Minister of Israel, and a major architect of its ethos. His very modest house is mostly as it was when he left it. While there, we watched a movie about his life, and Kate shared some of her admiration for all that he accomplished in his lifetime.

Rabin Square is where Itzak Rabin was assasinated following the peace process in the early 1990's. Kate and I both remember this event clearly, as she was a high school student and I was at college. However, our young people were under the age of 5, and don't have that clear memory like we do. For me, that square is a reminder of the risk of standing up and trying to do what is right. It is also, clearly, a testament to all that Rabin accomplished in his life.

Not too long ago, Kate and I were at a conference and training hosted by Reconcilers.net discussing the Episcopal Church do to help foster peace in the Middle East. We discussed the issue from a myriad of perspectives. At one point, we were asked to say what gifts Israel has to offer the world. For me, Tel Aviv is somehow a symbol of a secular and vibrant city. It plays hosts to world-class performing and visual arts. It has a vibrant economy. It is an exciting city to be. It was important to me that our young people see a bit of this. I hope that as we wondered through the downtown of Tel Aviv, they did so. - JR

Sunday - by Daniel

Yesterday, we all packed up, had breakfast, and headed to Tel Aviv. Before we got to Tel Aviv however, we stopped to attend the church service at the Church of The Holy Family where some of our host families worship. It was fun to see some familiar faces. After church, we stopped at a restaurant and had lunch. It was sort of sad though because we had to say good bye to our friends Dina and Christina. All of our friends that we made were so friendly, and we bonded so well, that it was very hard to say good bye. My good friend Hanna had apparently told his parents a lot about me, and when we said good bye to him the previous night, his mom came up to me, said thanks for being such a good friend to Hanna, and told me that whenever I came back to Israel, I would always have a home at their house. It was very sweet.

Anyway, we started to Tel Aviv. Once we arrived at our hotel, we unpacked, got settled, and us teens went to the beach to swim, and work on our tans! It was tons of fun. The waves were tons of fun and were better than Haifa. The disappointing part about the beach was that the chairs were 50 shekels to rent! What a rip off ! After swimming, we showered, had dinner, and headed to town to explore. There wasn't a whole lot to do so after about 30 minutes, we went back to the hotel, and went into Sasha and Flora's room, and watched some really weird European MTV. Finally, we went to bed to get some much needed rest. At least we get to sleep in. Today, Kate and I got up at about 7:30 a.m. to run. It was pretty pleasant. Today is our last full day in Tel Aviv. It is pretty much a free day. I do, however, think that everyone is at least a little anxious to get home. We're all tired of the food here and can't wait to get back to our own refrigerators. - Daniel

Saturday Night at St. Paul's in Shefamer

As a way of marking the end of our time together here in the Diocese of Jerusalema, we were invited by the wonderful people of St. Paul's Church in Shefamer for dinner. St. Paul's is a companion parish with St. John the Baptist Church in West Seattle, where Kate is on staff and where Shelby and Daniel are members. Hannah's family, who live in Shefamer, are members of this wonderful parish, so there were many connections to this wonderful community of faith.

For me, it was particularly wonderful because two members of last year's youth course, Raji and Nizar, were present for the dinner. I got to catch up a bit with them, as our group of youth got to know some of the youth from Shefamer.

The youth group ordered a type of Palestinian pizza for us for dinner. Kudos to Alex! She was the only youth in our group who figured out to fold the thing in half to eat it!

We hope that new connections between our two dioceses might come from this event. Kate and a young adult member of the parish, Kamir, are going to start a Facebook group for young people from the Diocese of Olympia and young people from the Diocese of Jerusalem. Hopefully this will be a wonderful new means of cross-cultural communication and friendship. - JR

Saturday - by Alex

Today we went to Megiddo and Beth Shean. Beth Shean was my favorite of the two. It was very interesting to see the ruins of the Roman-Byzantine city, because they are so well preserved. We sat in a huge theatre, capable of seating 7,000, and took a bunch of pictures. Then we seized the opportunity to climb some more. All of the kids were feeling unchallenged by the flat terrain we were moving across, so we decided to climb up a hill, in order to get a better view. JR and Kate were a little whiny about the prospect of climbing more stairs, but the youth in our group urged them on, since, after all, today was our last day of touring!

I am, of course, joking about that last part – as lazy teenagers we have been less than thrilled at the notion of exercise, but once we get to the top of a mountain, whether it be Masada, or Herodion, or Tabor, we are always very happy that we made the trek.

Megiddo is the place where John predicted that the war to end all wars in the ‘last days’ would be. (Armageddon.) Fun fact: Armageddon is derived from Har Megedon, meaning the mountain of Megiddo. At Megiddo, we climbed 183 steps down a shaft into a tunnel that was used to supply water safely to the city, so that the citizens could drink without having to leave the security of the walls. Then we climbed 80 steps back out of the tunnel, and headed to lunch, after making a stop to look out at the entire Sea of Galilee from the Golan Heights, which was one of the most breathtaking views I’ve seen in Israel. The Golan Heights was taken by Israel from Syria in the 1967 War, and is still a point of contention to this day. We made a stop at a bunker along the roadside, a reminder of the conflicts in this land in the last 40 years.

After lunch we headed back to the Convent, and hung out very quietly for a while. Now we’re heading to Hannah’s home town, a place that I can’t pronounce and therefore will not even try to spell. Hannah’s going to Turkey, so we’re saying good-bye to him tonight after a dinner we were graciously invited to attend at his church.

Friday- by Shelby and Flora

Today was a calmer day than we’ve had recently. At the beginning of our hike we visited the Grotto of Pan, which is where they had sacrifices and the blood ran into the river, which was pretty tight. The beginning of the trail was located at Caesarea Philippi, which is where Jesus asked the important question “who am I?” and Simon Peter answered “the son of the living God”. Hiking through the vegetation reminded us of home because of the green all around us, which felt like hiking in August in Seattle, and there was actually shade! After a nice lunch by the river we went to see the beautiful Banias Waterfall, which was tiny but prettier than we expected. We were disappointed when we found out when couldn’t swim in the river, but luckily we were given the option to go to a pool, which was much appreciated. Like we said we didn’t do all that much, except Shelby got a little tanner, which made her happy because it is a rare occurrence. It was a nice change of pace (and we didn’t have to go to another church!)

-Flora and Shelby

Thursday- by Robyn

Today we explored the Galilee region of Israel, and started our day off with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The ride soon turned into a dance party, as we all got up and started to dance to the music for the remainder of the ride.

Then, exhausted already, we disembarked and got back on the bus on our way to Tabgha, where Jesus fed the 5,000 with only two fish and five loaves of bread. Then we went over to the Mount of Beatitudes, celebrating where Jesus taught about the blessed peoples, the meek, the peacemakers, etc.

Our next stop was Capernaum, where St. Peter’s house is—a place where Jesus lived and preached in the Synagogue. Worn out from weather pushing 120 degrees, we took a democratic vote and elected not to swim in the Galilee itself, but instead went straight on to our next stop, the Jordan river, where we sat in the shade, ate ice cream, and walked down to the baptismal banks of the river itself. We watched a catfish fight, and Alex was playing with the smaller fish, watching them jump from her hands back to the river.

Tonight we will celebrate Eucharist, with Kate presiding, giving the local people a chance to experience a woman presiding over the service. It has been a very busy day, full of sights and opportunities that we may never have the chance to experience again.

What Hanna Thinks

Hello everyone, my name is Hanna, a local resident from Israel. I’m an 11th grader, who joined the youth group this year to visit all the holy places I have in my country. First, let’s say a few words about myself, I’m 16 years old, and I live in a city called Shfaamer, a city near to Haifa. My hobbies are playing the piano and computers.

It’s very difficult for me to describe our trip here In Israel by simple words. I joined the group from USA 8 days ago, and since then I’m enjoying it more and more. Meeting all the guys from USA was one of the best things that ever happened to me. At the first day I wasn’t used to using English as my main language, but now, after practicing my English more and more I think I’m getting used to it, and I’m really thankful for that, because I feel that I’m improving. Now I feel that I have new wonderful friends, from the other half of the world, which is a very cool thing to have.

I must say that visiting all the holy places and listening to each place’s story is a big enjoyment. but above all that, we combine in the trip other fun things, like going shopping together and exploring now places, which added a whole new dimension to our trip. I know that it could sound weird, but actually I’m visiting places in my country which I didn’t even know existed.

My big problem here is that this trip is going to end. That fact makes me really sad, but I’m sure that I’ll be left with all the good memories. -Hanna

Wednesday - Daniel

Today was our first full day in Nazareth. It was very hot. We first climbed Mt. Tabor. Some people said that it was harder than Masada, and some said it was easier. I personally thought it was easier. We've climbed a ton of mountains while in Israel! Oh well, it was tons of fun, and great exercise. My friend Hanna and I ran up the mountain for a little bit, and down also. Down was a bad idea because now my shins hurt really bad.
After Mt. Tabor, we visited many churches and shops. The churches were all very elegant and had fascinating architectural designs. The first church was a simple chapel at Nain, where Jesus is said to have raised a widow's son from the dead. It was a small church in a Muslim village, so a villager had to open it for us.

After Nain, we visited Cana. There, the stone water jar similar to the one in which Jesus turned water into wine stood. So, Kate suggested that I put my water bottle on it to see if it would turn to wine. She also took my picture. Unfortunately, the water was the same and had not turned to wine. Oh well, it was worth a try!

After Cana, we visited the Greek Orthodox church over the well where the Orthodox believe that the angel told Mary that she would have Jesus. After that, the group went into the Basilica of the Annunciation. However, JR, Robyn and I were wearing shorts too short to be allowed in.
Robyn didn't want to go in because she had already been there before with her host family. JR and I didn't go in because our shorts were too short, but were too hot and not comfortable with covering up in a shawl. Otherwise, it would look like we were wearing skirts.
I can't believe that we only have one more week here in Israel. It's gone by so fast, yet it also seems like we've been here forever! I love it here and don't want to leave. - Daniel

Tuesday - Evan

Today we woke up at The Rosery Sisters Convent in Jerusalem and after breakfast we packed our bags into the bus around eight, because we were going to Nazareth. We made several stops along our way, we stopped at the ruins of Ceasarea , the Stella Maris, and a church on top of Mt. Caramel.

Ceasarea was a city built by King Herod in honor of Augustus Caesar. The city was built right on the beach of the Mediterranean and functioned as a sea port for ships traveling to the holy land from Europe. The city featured a theater, a hippodrome for chariot racing, a palace for King Herod with a private swimming pool, and a temple for Augustus Caesar which was later turned into a church. Later, Pontius Pilot ruled Judea from Caesarea, the city was captured by Arabs--who blocked the port, and then was inhabited by crusaders. The city was literally built right up to the the sea. As I looked at the stones from which the city was made I could see why the city appealed to so many people, even today. People seemed much more interested by the stray cat that came up to them than the old city. Although I was amazed by the fact that the part of the city was still there even after more than 2000 years.

After we finished at Ceasarea and ate lunch, we went to Haifa where we looked at Stella Maris which we had seen before, it was still as beautiful as before. Then we went to the spot on Mount Carmel where Elijah competed with Ba'al over which god is the real god. there was a church that we where able to climb the roof of, which gave us a beautiful view of the Holy Land. from the roof of that church I was really able to appreciate the world that God made.

After that we went to the Sisters of Nazareth Convent, which is where I am writing this now.
- Evan

We are all Fine

You may have heard through the news about the incident in Jerusalem today. If not, you can check out the following newspage at

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/07/22/israel.attack/index.html

We left Jerusalem this morning, before the attack happened. So we are safe and sound in Nazareth.

Our prayers are with the families of the injured, the family of the attacker, and for the soul of the attacker.

Monday - by Sasha

This morning we visited the Wailing Wall. The wall is divided into separate areas for men and women. This whole trip I have been noticing people and places that are entranced in their religion, and this was one of those moments. There was a sign on the entrance, from the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, that warned visitors not to enter the place dressed immodestly so as not to ‘cause harm’ to the holy site. There was a woman in front of me praying against the wall, covered in pigeon poo, who didn’t even care. She just kept praying.

Next we got in line for going up to the Dome of the Rock. There was a large sign, again from the rabbi, proclaiming that going up to the spot was forbidden by the Torah. I thought this was interesting because that same land used to be very holy for the Jews. We walked up the ramp and went through a metal detector. Our bags were checked for any Christian or Jewish items. There was a woman in front of us loudly arguing about how she should be allowed to bring in the cross she had just bought, but it wasn’t allowed. And once we were finally on the grounds of the Dome of the Rock, we all had to cover especially modestly. The buildings were beautiful.

The most interesting thing about this whole city is how every inch of land is fiercely fought over by so many groups of people. It seems, from listening to them, that anything worth remembering has only happened in Jerusalem, and all on top of one another, so that every bit of dirt here is holy to Christians, Jews, Muslims, and many groups within those religions. Even though their religions preach love and at the very least respect, the fight to be in control here drives those things away. Churches, controlled by many denominations at once, are too fought over to improve anything. The Jewish leaders still carry hate from the persecution of the Holocaust, and are blinded by this as they persecute the Palestinians. And the Palestinians can see no way other than violence as they are crowed into refugee camps and have their rights systematically taken away.

It’s a circle of misunderstanding and hate here and I find it hard to keep hoping if people don’t change.

Daniel on the Way of the Cross

Monday - by Alex

"Okay everyone, remember, I'm going to be on the bus at 5:50 tomorrow morning so we can leave, please don't be late!" - JR, last night after Compline.

"Alex, it's 5:50, umm...we are supposed to be leaving now, yes?" - Christina, my roommate, this morning when she woke me up.

This morning, after getting off to a bit of a late start due to some over-sleepers, (oops...) we set off to walk the Via Dolorosa, or the Stations of the Cross. We walked forever, stumbling blindly over cobblestones as we tried to shake ourselves awake, sporadically enjoying the view of the sun rising over the Old City whenever we thought to look up for a moment.

Walking the path that Jesus took, on his way to die was an intense wake up call this morning. At each of the fourteen stations we stopped, our guide would explain what the station was about, and then someone would read a prayer that had to do with the station we were at.

The long, winding path around the Old City gave us time to meditate on what Jesus must have been feeling, how he must have suffered, while carrying the instrument that would ultimately be the cause of his death. For me, the most powerful stations were the ones where Jesus fell, because the prayers that went along with those stations were so guilt-ridden that it made me feel very culpable.

We also saw the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which holds many sites such as Christ's tomb, the Stone of Unction, and the room where the story of St. Helena finding Jesus' crucifixion cross is honored.

There were too many people in the tomb for us to enter, but we got to see it from the outside. The Stone of Unction, were the anointing and wrapping of Christ's body after his death has been commemorated since medieval times, was really cool to see, but seemed more of a metaphorical representation, at least after JR walked past me and muttered, 'One.'
Meaning, that on the scale which Robyn devised for judging the authenticity of a site, there is nearly no proof supporting that the Stone of Unction actually held Christ's body.

Overall, it was an awesome church to see, though kind of sad as well, because it is not in very good shape. There are six different groups in control of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: Coptics, Greek Orthodox, Syrians, Ethiopians, Roman Catholics, and Armenians. Because of this, the church is kind of dilapidated, since they are all arguing non-stop about what kind of repairs to make, so nothing ever actually gets done. This was apparent in the dinginess of the church, which one would NOT expect, as it is on the top three holiest places in the world for Christians. It kind of proved that the strifes people have over religious beliefs can cause harm, and it's really not necessary. As cliche as it sounds, if the groups could just join forces and work together to enhance and improve the Holy Sepulchre, it would live up to the label it has been given as one of one of the most holy places in the world.

As Sasha said while we were walking past groups of Muslims, Jews, and Christians all glaring at one another in distrust, "I just want to graffiti it on the walls! Hate breeds hate!" And this is very true. As long as the people in this world keep channeling their energy into the hatred of other humans, the vicious cycle of destruction will continue.

Peace :)

(please!) - Alex

Our Rhythm of Life, by JR

I thought it wise to share with those of you following our journey a bit about how we structure our days here in the Holy Land. Our daylight hours are often filled with touring and exploring the numerous holy sites in Israel and the West Bank. I am very aware that often it takes a while for our young people to process what they have seen and heard in each day. But we want to help them integrate what they are seeing with their faith, our world, and their lives. So each night, we gather for a period of reflection and prayer.

Kate or I lead the reflection each evening. We ask the young people a question (or two), and then ask for them to respond one at a time. At the end of each person's response, s/he is asked to invite another member of the group to reflect. The depth of these reflections varies significantly. On the days that we visit places such as the Deheshe Refugee Camp or Yad Vashem, the discussions can be amazingly deep and touching. On days when we are having more fun, such as the day we hiked up Masada, the discussion can be more jovial. In either case, the periods of reflection allow our young people to share with each other their thoughts and feelings, and hopefully grow closer to one another.

After the period of reflection, we close each evening with the service of Compline. Even after a few nights, they were so accustomed to this that they knew what responses came when. We are now inviting the young people to officiate at this service, and they are answering that request with grace and dignity, engaging the leadership abilities that I know are within each of them. - JR

Kendra Entertains West Jerusalem

To help celebrate the end of the Sabbath - Kendra decided to entertain passersby on the streets of West Jerusalem.

What Kendra liked on Saturday

Yad Vashem - by Flora

After lunch today we all went to visit Yad Vashem, which is the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. Though out my years in school I’ve learned a lot about the Holocaust but nothing even came near to what I learned about and felt while walking through that museum today. I vividly remember pictures of people hanging from gallows, of those whom are literally skin and bones, and also one of a child holding his hands up ready to be shot with a face full of fear. Walking through I felt like I was going to be sick and ready to cry, the fact that anyone could ever do such things is completely unfathomable. These people were just like you and me; they played sports, hung out with friends, spent time with family, and yet were discriminated against to the point where 11,000,000 of them died, 6,000,000 of that number were Jewish. Going to Yad Vashem was an eye opening experience and certainly one that I will never forget, it really made an impact, and it was truly horrifying to see what people are capable of.

St. George's Cathedral

Every Sunday we wake up, get ready and go to church. Every Sunday, it still feels the same as the Sunday before, but not today. Today we went to church at St. George's Cathedral in Israel. Israel is such a holy place so for some reason for me, church meant so much more. The service started between 9:30 and 10 am. It seemed shorter than all the other services i've been to, but i liked it. It was moving how the service was spoken in Arabic, one of the 3 common languages here, but sometimes translated to English. The group received pamphlets in English and i'm guessing everyone else's was in Arabic. It was also nice to see how different people, speaking different languages can come together when we're all praising God. We visited St. George's last Tuesday where i mistakenly left my ring on the counter after i had used the facilities. I was happy to return back close to a week later to find it still sitting on the counter. This was a blessing in it's own here, the honesty and assurance we Christians present in church and every day in our lives.

***Kendra Okereke***

Saturday - by Daniel!

Wow! What a day we had. This is Daniel and today for me was probably the highlight of the trip. We went to all the places that I was most excited about seeing. First, we all climbed Mt. Masada. It was incredibly hot, but a fun, and wonderful experience. The ruins were fascinating. After Masada, we went to a restaurant that had very good food. Then, we toured some ruins by the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The best part I think, was when we all went into the Dead Sea, floated for a while, then covered ourselves in mud! Yes, mud. It actually felt quite nice and relaxing. This was an absolutely fun day, and I can't wait for the rest of the trip.

Meet our Palestinian Friends! Christina

Christina is 17 and is from Haifa. She would like to study Nursing.

Friday- by Robyn

Today was a day packed with new experiences and also a new depth and understanding to my spiritual faith. Today was our second day touring the really religious sites around Jerusalem, and it was a full day indeed. We walked the trail on the Mount of Olives from the church of Dominus Flavit (commemorating where Jesus wept over the City of Jerusalem) down to the bottom—the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Palm Sunday road. We went to Mount Zion and saw the room celebrating the Last Supper, as well as what is believed to be Caiaphas’ house where the three denials of Peter are recognized. We also walked the (dry) tunnel under the City of David, surprisingly small for all its glory. The tunnel was dark and slightly crowded, but personally I was relieved at its cool damp relief from the sun. We also had a fantastic lunch at a convent in the city. We said the Lord’s Prayer in a church celebrating the lesson from Jesus to his disciples, when he taught them the very prayer. We looked across the Kidron Valley into Jerusalem and saw the Dome of the Rock, now a Mosque that Christians are not allowed to enter, but it is Biblically referenced to be the place where Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac. And that is just the surface of what we did, to give you an idea.

It was an interesting faith journey. But not really. In my opinion, the revelations we have learned are closer to making our faith, rather than destroying it. The place where we said the Lord’s Prayer was probably not the actual place in which Jesus taught his disciples. In fact, we came up with a rating scale, 0 being no evidence whatsoever, and 10 being absolute certainty, as to whether the site was in actuality the real place in which the celebrated event happened. JR’s highest rating was a 5, for Caiaphas’ house, which Kate rated more like a 9 or 10. Many of the other sites were closer to 0 to 2, some even in the negative because there was actually substantial evidence against the site being the actual biblical location. This concept has been hard for many of us to grasp. The fact that we are going to places to revere our Lord, and we are being told that we are walking on the same steps that Jesus walked—and then finding out that no, that’s probably not true at all—makes us wonder why these sites are considered so Holy.

Here’s my take: the places themselves are not as important as the story we remember because of them. We take the biblical idea, translate it into a tangible location, a place with substantial history already, in most cases, and create a physical place to touch, smell, hear, and see the manifestations of our Lord. For example, we went down into a grotto where the Virgin Mary was revered in a shrine-like cave. The scent of the pervading candles and incense, along with the Gregorian-style chanting, created an ambiance that was all-encompassing. The way the entrance to the cave has been built forces a prostration of the body to enter the chamber, where a representation of Mary’s deathbed has been displayed. It’s really humbling to enter a holy site in a position of ultimate servitude and humility. This experience, whether you believe in the divine assumption of the Virgin Mary or not, was moving and thought provoking, and inspired a response of complete awe. A feeling that was maintained as I looked around the room, and saw people of many different cultural backgrounds paying homage to the Lord. We saw groups from Colombia, Portugal, France, Australia, and several more groups from United States as well. The low murmur of prayers being uttered in at least ten different languages added to the intensity of the atmosphere. To see such a diverse group of people coming together and worshiping one Lord—experiencing the magnificent churches, and remembering the life of one man together—is a testament to our faith. In the church in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of Agony, I saw a woman on her knees, crying and kissing a rock on which Jesus is remembered to have asked God to reconsider sending him to the cross. Watching her and realizing that her faith was this strong, to display such emotion, as Flora said, Who are we to doubt it? - Robyn

Meet our Palestinian Friends! Dina

Dina is from Nazareth. (She hates having her photo taken- so I had to sneak this. She is wearing the light blue shirt turning away from me.) She is 19, and a student at Ben Gurion University.

Meet our Palestinian Friends! Farid

Farid is 16, and lives near Jerusalem. He is a member of the Arab Congregation at St. George's Cathedral, and attends St. George's School next door.

Meet our Palestinian Friends! Hanna

Hanna is 16 and lives in the town of Shefa-Amer, in the Galilee.

Thursday, Water Sweat and Picture Taking (by Shelby)

Today we went around Bethlehem to the Shepherd's Field, the Church of the Nativity, a Palestinian refugee camp, and Mount Herodion where King Herod had one of his fortresses.

At the Church of the Nativity, we were able to see the location of Jesus' birth, where his manger lay, etc. It was astounding to see all these places in person, and almost surreal. I had never known before that Jesus was born in a cave!

After the church, we went to lunch and then headed to the refugee camp. It was shocking to see the conditions they lived in, and to hear about how they were treated. There are currently 12,000 people living in the camp, which is only a 1/2 a kilometer squared piece of land. Seeing the camp made me so grateful for all I have.

After that, we headed toward Mount Herodion, which is actually an artificial mountain that was moved from it's original location. It is completely hollow, with a series of tunnels running through it. After a long day, we headed back to the convent. It was a long, exhausting day with a lot of water, sweat, and picture taking.

-Shelby

Wednesday Morning- Alex

Staying with the Rawashdeh family was one of the best experiences I have ever had. From the first moment I stepped into their house, I felt so incredibly welcomed. Living in the States doesn't really give you the opportunity to experience the immeasurable warmth that was shown to me throughout my stay. I learned so many things, including many (okay, like 6) Arabic words that I will never be able to spell.

Every meal was an adventure, I tried to completely open my mind and try everything that they set before me, which worked for pretty much everything, except I declined the cherry tomatoes and the olives. BUT, I had cornflakes with hot milk for breakfast every day, along with pizza, or hard-boiled eggs, or hummus and pita bread with zataar. It's safe to say that I have developed a taste for Palestinian food.

There was no water yesterday at all. We were hoping that it would be back on by the time we got back from exploring Northern Jerusalem, but it wasn't. Which was not very welcome information when we returned to the house, dripping sweat and completely exhausted. But it all worked out, because my host sister's older sister and father took me to my host mother's village, Eluaboin, where I met many relatives whose names I will never be able to pronounce. We sat in the living room (after I showered!!! By the way, when you get out of the shower, you say 'Naiman'. I don't know why. But they told me to.) and watched one of the cousins' video about her kindergarten classes graduation. She's a kindergarten teacher, and her kids were absolutely adorable. Overall, it was quite possibly the raddest thing ever. My host family presented me with a t-shirt covered in sequins, and we kissed on both cheeks in farewell. My host sister Rema and I are already connected online thanks to Facebook and MSN Messenger, and Papa says that next summer she is coming to visit me!!!

Now on to Jerusalem :)
peace and love,
Alex.

Tuesday Afternoon - by JR

One advantage to being the chaperon is that, occasionally, people have to do what I want. So- given the choice between going swimming at the beach or going to the ancient city of Acre, we went to Acre. After a marvelous lunch at a restaurant known by our gracious host Samuel, we split up to spend a couple of hours wandering around the city.

Laura Ellen and I wandered away to explore "The Citadel". This Ottoman fortress was built upon the ruins of a Crusader fortress, which had been built upon the ruins of a earlier structures. It is a constant reminder that this land has seen so much conflict over so many centuries. In some of the Crusader era rooms, that have been dug out in the last 40 years, we saw the ashes left from the great fire when Acre, the last stronghold of the Crusaders in the Holy Land, fell in the 13th century. We wandered through tunnels built by the Order of St. John, and the Templars. And- we wandered the gorgeous streets while meeting people along the way. - JR

Tuesday - by Sasha

Today we visited many places. Along with our friends from our host families, we drove to many villages that had been deserted and replaced by Jewish towns. We stopped to visit an old church that used to be in the middle of the town I1rit. In 1948, the people in this town were told that they must leave their homes, but could return in two weeks. They were never allowed to return, even though they went to the Supreme Court to fight for their land. They have, however, been able to renovate their church and go back to it for weddings, baptisms, and funerals. We visited some churches and mosques that were abandoned and have not been allowed to be renovated.

And after this, we visited the border of Israel and Lebanon. There were a lot of Israeli soldiers and UN workers at the border because tomorrow there will be an exchange of hostages between the two countries. At the border there is a tourist attraction where you can ride a cable car down the cliff and explore the Grottoes. Exploring the caves was fun, and the crashing water was so loud! - Sasha

Sitting the Mediterranean Sea

We had lunch at our hosts' homes today between 12 (noon) and 3pm. After lunch we met up at the church and took off for the Mediterranean sea were we are spending the rest of the day. We spent about an hour in the water, until we got tired of getting stung by baby jelly fish. Now we are preparing for dinner, and chilling in the sun or shade. A fairly slow pace day so far. - Evan

Day 1 - Flora's Thoughts

So today is our first full day here in Israel and it is so BEAUTIFUL! We stayed at the homes of families last night and mine is so nice, I'm staying with a girl named Mira and she has two sisters and an adorable dog named Lucky and extremely kind parents. Then this morning we had a guest speaker come to talk about the difficulties that Palestinians have to face on an everyday basis with their citizenship as well as their identity. It was really interesting and really saddening at the same time, and he talked about how the way the Palestinians are treated is really based from racism which is both really true and really horrible to hear. Then we bonded with the kids over games of ping pong, billiards and foozball. After having a good time just talking and playing games we sat down to watch a movie about how during 1948 the Palestinian villages were destroyed and the women really worked to help their people, the stories that we heard really gave me a new perspective because everything they lived through is something that I can't ever imagine happening to me or even ever in the US. Later today we will be going to the beach! I can't wait!
-Flora

We Made It!!!!!

After nearly 24 hours of travel- we made it to Raineh. Our flights were on time - though very long. Everybody was so excited, however, and that excitement kpet us going

We were greeted at the Tel Aviv airport by the Laura Muglia and her daughter Flora, who arrived a day earlier than we,

We then drove to Raineh, a Palestinian village on the outskirts of Nazareth, where we will spend the next few days. Given the exhaustion and jetlag- I promised the young people I would provide this update. BUT- you'll hear from them very soon!

Upon our arrive in Raineh, Samuel Barhoum greeted warmly at Holy Family Episcopal Church here. Samuel is the priest-in-charge of this congregation, where he has served for 15 years. His wife, Susan, fixed us a marvelous dinner, which we ate on the terrace of their home overlooking Raineh and the hillside of Nazareth.

Before too long- we were greeted by our hosts. The generous and friendly members of Holy Family invited us all into their homes. People were a bit nervous. We were nervous because we speak no Arabic, and they were nervous because they were unsure of their English. However- I know that those anxieties will vanish before too long.

Memories of the 2007 Youth Pilgrimage

One year ago, 2 chaperons and 3 youth from the Diocese of Olympia joined in at the Youth Course at St. George's College, Jerusalem. There we were joined by 7 youth from the Diocese of Jerusalem, Fr. Nael (a priest from the Diocese of Jerusalem), and George our wonderful guide.

When we first met, everyone was anxious and quiet. We spoke no Arabic, and our Palestinian friends were a bit unsure of their English. But Irene, the other chaperon from the Diocese of Olympia, had brought along a wonderful tool for breaking the ice- the game UNO(tm). Suddenly- barriers began to come down, and the group started to have fun as we played the game for hours and hours in the Courtyard at St. George's.

Our trip was filled with experiences that brought us closer together, and closer in Christ. There was the Saturday Morning that we walked the Way of the Cross. There was our trip to a refugee camp, where we wandered the tiny streets with Palestinians who, because of where their families ended up, lived vastly different lives than other Palestinians and were suddenly faced with that reality. There was the morning we visited Yad Vashem, and struggled with the heritage of antisemitism.

Last year's trip changed all of us- and I know that the journey we are about to start will do the same. - JR

St. John the Baptist Church Marks the Start of the Pilgrimage

On our last Sunday before leaving, the community at St. John’s in West Seattle sent us forth with their prayers and their blessing. Daniel, Shelby, and I want to include the people of St. John’s in this journey. Their financial support has made the trip possible for us and their support and encouragement send us forth on the opportunity of a lifetime.

To further include the congregation in this experience, we collected their prayers on tiny slips of paper and we will take them with us to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. It is the custom at the Wailing Wall to take written prayers and place them between the stones. We will take the prayers of our congregation and we will remember them in prayer as we place them in the wall next week. - Kate

Meet the Pilgrims- Sasha

Hi my name is Sasha. I just graduated from Hazen High School in Renton and this fall I plan to attend Bellevue Community College. I hope to serve in the Peace Corps and I would love to work in some way in a church when I am older. I have gone on several trips with my own church but this will be my first with the diocese. I am very excited for this trip; it's going to be life changing. It will be amazing to actually visit the places we learn about from the Bible. I'm also excited to learn more about the complex problems that plague the area. This will be my first time leaving the county, other than Canada, and I love to travel so I'm very excited. Thank you for the support and prayers that made this trip possible. - Sasha

Meet the Pilgrims - Alex

I'm going to Israel to experience a new culture and to learn how to better our world. This trip will be a real eye-opener to the problems in our world that are so serious, but not really paid attention to by myself or my peers. I will be able to effectively spread awareness having had experience in a place so filled with conflict and pain. Not to mention that I seriously love Hummus! - Alex

Meet the Pilgrims - Kendra

Hey! I'm Kendra, I can expectedly go on to say how this trip is a dream come true. While it is, this is not one of the reasons i'm going on this pilgrimage. I've recently been having trouble in many aspects of my life and it seems that the harder I pray, the more things stay the same. I told my congregation that i feel like i'm on God's bad side if he has one. I want to go on this trip to rebuild my faith and let God know that i still love him. I don't think he'd love anything better than to have me go and visit the place where it all started. This trip will be an adventure that I'm very excited for and am very blessed to be given to opportunity to go on. I hope that when I return i will have a broader outlook on life and learn to see past what's right in front of me. This is why I'm going on this trip. - Kendra