Week 2 in Palestine

Greetings! Sorry for the delay. By the end of the day I am often too tired to write. Or there is just too much to write and I don't know where to begin.

Update: Since last post I've...

Celebrated Easter... Again. Haha! More Easter eggs for me.

Travelled to the North area, the Sea of Galilee. I went swimming near the location that Jesus walked on Water. I also witnessed a baptism on the river Jordan near the location that John the Baptist Baptized Jesus. On the way I saw Mt. Tabor where the transfiguration occurred.

Travelled to Hebron, the Burial place of Abraham and the fam. This city was the most divided that I've seen thus far. Israelis live on top of the Palestinians. The Abrahami Mosque, which is above the site where Abraham was buried, is now divided. One side is a Mosque and the other a Synagogue. One another cannot see each other.

One day I decided to take a walk to the top of the mountain near my house. I was tired and needed alone time. I followed the wind and ended up at the home of a Beautiful Family. They offered me tea, coffee, peanuts, and Hookah. I played soccer with the kids. The view from the top of the hill was incredible. The sun was setting while I sat on the front porch with my new friend. Most of the time when I walk I am invited in to someones house for tea. Even though I am a complete stranger.

For three days last week Austin and I stayed in a refugee camp called Azza. The people of the camp once lived in villages elsewhere. Somehow during 1968 or 1948 when Israel took over they left their homes and now are refugees. The camps are close quarters. If I were in a place like this back home, I might feel unsafe. Here I don't. Austin and I stayed with a Muslim family. I since that the non-Muslims here look down on the Muslims. I felt otherwise. Austin and I were treated immaculately. We were never hungry. Most of them did not speak English. It's interesting to meet guys our age and see how they take American culture from the TV. Generally Arabs are very strict. Obviously American television is not. We played soccer with the neighborhood kids. I had one of the boys draw sketches in my sketchbook. The drawings weren't very happy. They conveyed the open air prison feeling that Palestinians share.

I've done some designs for a local organization. They needed help with a website design. I've had fun doing that. Plus, I can now say I've designed in Palestine. It's been nice to actually experience Palestine and design the site. I've had an extra keen eye for the environment so that I may be inspired. Art is everywhere here. Whether its the beautifully church that represents where Jesus was born, or the graffiti on the walls, Palestine is an open air museum. I've also picked up drawing. I love to draw mosques for some reason. And of course, I've taken hundreds of photos.

Thoughts:

I can't stand checkpoints. They're like airport security.

At this point I reached a tired phase. Last week I felt overwhelmed emotionally and physically. We've hear so many different stories. Not just from Palestinians either. Either way, most of the kids we talked to don't have dreams. As an American it is easy for me to think, "what would I do if I lived here?" When I hear each of the kids say they have no hope, I disagree. It's hard though to disagree and back it up when I come from America. We really do have freedom.

Father of all Monotheistic Religion = Abraham
Monotheistic Religions = Judaism + Christianity + Islam
So we are all like cousins. It's in the bible. Yet in this land, and for the most part, all lands, we are divided by man made customs and traditions. If we celebrate the same God, why then, do we not get along? Even the christian churches are devided by denomination. For instance, the Nativity church where Jesus is traditionally to be born, it is devided into a Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Asyrian sections. This land is devided. I have many more thoughts about this, but they are for my journal.

I'm learning much about myself as I travel with Austin. I'm learning to balance my extroverted self with the much needed introverted time I need. As Jesus walked to the mountain to get away from people, I too need to do that. I'm thankful for Austin as a travel companion. It's far greater to share stories with a bro. than go at it alone.

Please continue to pray for peace here. It's not one side or another. As I examine the Bible here I realize that we really are brothers and sisters. We are fighting over land that holy people walked on. I know, I've seen it, most of the places are marked by a mosque or church. Would god really want us fighting over land? Is our home not heaven? Maybe that's far fetched. I have trouble believing that even though I write it. I want this to be true. I want other people to believe what I believe. I am guilty of the same sin on a smaller scale.

My next post will cover Austin and my trip to Jerusalem. We walked the traditional stations of the cross. Visited the dome on the rock. And the rest of the places Jesus visited.

I can't believe I'm here.

Peace.

DJ