A Taste of Palestine

We are in Post-Field Training and we got the opportunity to create a Palestinian meal for the K-Teams, YES Teams, and staff at the Discipleship Center. We decided to make Makloubeh, Arabic salad, and Arabic tea. We served pita bread, but it did not compare to buying it fresh out of the oven in Bethlehem. It was a great opportunity to serve and share an amazing meal. We had a lot of fun preparing it as well. The food was enjoyed by all. It also reminded me of how much I miss this kind of food. I will never forget the food we enjoyed in Palestine. Enjoy some pictures from the evening:

At home and safe

After too long of traveling the team has made it safely to America. We had a little trouble with security in Israel and with that Andrew, Adam, and I did not recieve our luggage when we landed. We are expecting it today.
For the next two weeks we'll be in re-entry at HDC. I am hoping to enjoy the next two weeks as I take lots of time to reflect about my experiances and how to put them into words. Well, that is all for my short post, just want all our friends and family to know we are home safe.

Psalm 13

I'm doing my best to cram my dwindling moments in Bethlehem with as much as possible. But I'll be up front. The past few days have been hard. I've been quite angry and I've been more frustrated than ever and I've wanted to cry often. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to wade through all the tough stuff I've encountered so I think I'll do a little reflecting for everyone to see.

Oush Ghrab

I'll begin by telling you about a place I know called Oush Ghrab. On this hilltop just outside of town, there is an abandoned Israeli military station. The ground nearby has been ceded to the municipality and is used for a park with a soccer field and rock climbing wall. It's beautiful and places like this are quite rare in Bethlehem. There are plans for a hospital and an amusement park on the grounds too. But recently, a group of Israeli settlers has been visiting this site and has targeted it as a potential location to build a new settlement outpost. A settlement at Oush Ghrab could be really devastating for those who live nearby. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. In addition, Oush Ghrab is under military order which makes it illegal for Israeli citizens to even enter the area. Settlements eat up large amounts of land due to the security buffer zones that surround them, they cut off Palestinians from their land and nearby cities, and settlers are regularly belligerent toward their Arab neighbors. Our friend Jason (he's American) directs an NGO that focuses on recreational activities for youth--his groups use the site often. Jason discovered a website for the settler group which outlines their plan to begin continuous habitation of the hilltop beginning this week. He and some friends have been organizing demonstrations in cooperation with the municipality to keep this from happening ever since the settlers' first visit. At first, their strategy was to simply ensure that the military did not allow the settlers to visit the site. Last week, however, the soldiers informed them that the settlers actually had military permission to be there. Now they are digging in for a long struggle. The doors seem to opening for the settlement to go forward with the blessing of the Israeli government. From our perspective, it seems that the authorities have the power to do whatever they like without accountability and without concern for Palestinians. Palestinians see this incident as just one among the thousands of injustices that occur under the Israeli occupation. They feel each intrusion to their land, resources, and freedom as an act of war. The talk of peace carried by the newspapers seems far away when Israel seems to be constantly and deliberately tightening its grip of power over the daily lives of those who live in the West Bank.

Pictures above: The rock climbing wall at Oush Ghrab, Settlers ascending the hilltop, and demonstrators interacting with soldiers.

The blessing of work

People here will do most anything for a job--Adam and I witnessed that firsthand Tuesday morning when we visited the Bethlehem checkpoint at 5AM with a team from the World Council of Churches that monitors passage to Jerusalem. When we arrived, 800 people were already in line and when we left at 8AM, 2500 people had filed past us. All of those men have written permission to work in Jerusalem but must return to Bethlehem each night. We watched these men crammed into chutes and funneled along like cattle. I watched as they pushed and shoved one another to make it past the first guard station and then run across an open area to keep their place in line. Oh, they push and curse and argue. But there are those who manage to keep their dignity. Mostly by making light of their daily plight. But anything for work....I suppose it is much worse to be without work. There's a double snare for the unemployed. The first of course is not being able to provide for your family. But more subtly, there is something about work that instills dignity and self-worth in a man. I've seen the listless look of fathers who have little to do but watch TV and smoke cigarettes. I remember that look and I know why these men are willing to deal with the checkpoint insanity everday. Yes it's for money....but it's also about pride and that spark of life that comes from having purpose. My experience here will forever change my perception of work. It has made me realize that work is a blessing that shouldn't be taken for granted. How often have I dreaded getting up in the morning to head off to some bit of work? Now I have seen those who dream about that bit of work. May I be forever changed.

I write all this in an attempt to illustrate the pressures that Palestinians face daily. I mourn for Bethlehem--especially the youth. I imagine the situation here as a dam that stops up a river of dreams and aspirations. The river may be pleasant at first but the dam refuses to budge and those dreams and aspirations have become a churning, tumultous pool. Meanwhile the people try to stay afloat. Too many of them are swallowed by anger, depression, and bitterness. Imagine drowning in your own unrealized hopes.

As I spend time with people, I try to listen to them. Occasionally I try to offer encouragement. But mostly I am silent. That's because spiritual words feel useless and empty. I often feel powerless to offer anything but my presence and the unutterable intercessions of my heart. Maybe that's something. I'm sorry I don't have any rosy spiritual endings to end with. I'll leave you with Psalm 13. When I stumbled on it a few days ago, I was astonished at how it matched my feelings.

How long, O Lord?
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
for he has been good to me.

Visiting HoH children

I had been waiting for this day for awhile now, the day Jared, Hannah, Audrey and I would go visit a few of the children from House of Hope. We got a rental car and pilled in for our voyage.

The first house was Jihad's (we call him Juju.). To get there we drove to his village and then every couple feet would stop and ask someone where Jihad lived. It was astonishing, all you need is the father's full name and everyone could tell you where they thought you should go. After numerous times turning around we found it. Once we were there Jihad was scared of us because he thought we were going to take him away from his family. It was difficult for me as I realized his home situation; it wasn't that his home was horrible; just that they allowed him to get away with everything, there was no discipline. I know now how nice it is because House of Hope has rules and Jihad is a very big helper there. He is always challanged to be good and given lots of the attention he needs.

We also visited Hiba's house. Now I was very anxious about going to Hiba's as she quickly became one of my favorites, and she also lives right near an Israeli settlement; which means her house is always on watch by soldiers. To get there we went through the old city; stone walls and pathways lined our walk. We went back through this closed in alleyway to get to her house. When we knocked Hiba answered the door and shock ran over her face. She then burst out in a smile and hugged us. Her home reminded me of what my childhood picture of Bible times was: Stone buildings, dark, moldy, musty. While there I understood how much House of Hope was giving to her.

When we arrived at Asma's home her parents were not around, so we only stayed a few minutes. Asma was so thrilled to see us, especially Audrey. She kept saying Audrey's name over and over. It was a joy to watch her being so happy to see us.

The rest of the day continued in pleasant visits with little ones we have grown to adore over the last months. It also had the typical problematic situations like running out of gas, and going without food for the majority of the day, but we for the most part had very positive attitudes towards all that came our way.

Some local food from Palestine that we don't want to forget!

After living here for almost eight months, we've developed some favorite foods that we won't want to forget! If you are interested in trying out some of the local foods here, I have included three recipies of some of our favorite foods. Enjoy!

Arabic salad
A regular salad made to a special recipe used in the villages. This is why it is called "Fallahi" salad (or peasant's salad). Ingredients:
2 red tomatoes
2 spring onions
¼ green hot chili pepper
salt, lemon and olive oil mint (fresh or dried) for garnish
Cut the tomatoes, spring onions and hot chili pepper in very small pieces (as minuscule as you can get). Add salt, lemon, and olive oil to taste. This salad should have a very strong flavor, so generally one would add more lemon and olive oil than the usual salad. A regular small onion can replace the spring onions if they are not in season. Garnish with green or dried mint.

Abu Shanab's Falafel recipe:

Ingredients: 3 kilograms Chick Peas 1/4 kilogram Garlic 1/2 kilogram Onion 1/4 kilogram Parsley
4 tablespoons Falafel Spice: (Cumin, Turmeric, Coriander, and Cayenne)

2 tablespoons Carboneh (baking soda)

Salt to taste.

Soak the chick Peas in water for at least 8 hours. Grind the Chick Peas, Garlic, Onion and Parsely together, with a small amount of water, adding the falafel spices, carboneh, and salt. Leave set for at least one hour, then deep-fry in hot oil for about three-minutes, or until brown (note: the quantities listed are for restaurant quantities, adjust the ingredients accordingly).

Makluba- (Lamb Steaks with Cauliflower) Makluba means “upside down” because after it is cooked, it is flipped upside down. Many cultures have developed “upside-down” dishes, and makluba is an especially attractive rice dish.
1 large cooking onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil for frying
6 large lamb steaks
8–12 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. ground cardamom
2 heads cauliflower
3–4 cups uncooked basmati rice

In a deep cooking pot with lid, saute onion and garlic with a small amount of olive oil till limp and clear. Add meat and water, plus salt, pepper, and cardamom. Simmer meat until it is tender and the broth is richly flavored (about 45 minutes). While that is cooking, cut cauliflower into small and manageable florets. Fry florets in olive oil till thoroughly cooked and browned on all sides. Drain cooked florets on a plate covered with a paper towel to help remove as much oil as possible.
When meat, broth, and cauliflower are done, remove meat and broth from the cooking pot (or use another deep pot). Layer uncooked rice, meat, and cauliflower, one on top of the next, creating two or three 3-part layers. Place another layer of rice on top. Season with a bit more salt and pepper. Pour the broth over the entire casserole. Add a bit more water so that the rice will cook well. Put a tight lid on the pot and let ingredients steam until rice is cooked and virtually all the liquid is absorbed.
Upturn the pot of makluba onto a large platter. Yield: About 6–8 servings

An Underwater Adventure

The team adventured into Jordan for a little vacationing and a visa run. We traveled the length of the country in 3 days. We traveled from Aqaba to Petra to Amman. On the last day, we traveled north of Amman up to the Jordan River Border Control and crossed there into Nazareth. My favorite part of the trip was snorkeling in Aqaba.

The sun glistened upon the water as we set off into the indigo waters of the Red Sea. As our small glass floor boat roared away from the dock, we began to jump with excitement for the underwater unknown awaiting below us. This was a special opportunity to be on a boat and going snorkeling. The majority of the team had never been snorkeling so this made it extra special. Melody and I dipped our toes in the water as we traveled down the coastline of Jordan. The aqua blue waters felt cool on our warm bodies. The temperature was 105 degrees, which was a huge increase to what we experience on the hills of Bethlehem.

Finally after what seemed like an hour boat ride, we were at the coral reef. We strapped on our snorkeling gear and jumped into the cooling waters of the Red Sea. Some of us had an interesting time getting adjusted to wearing fins on our feet and breathing through a giant straw. I (Hannah) had already been snorkeling before so it was an easy adjustment. As I peered down, I saw hundreds of fish swimming in and out of the coral. My excitement grew as I traveled in and out of the coral examining all the beautiful colored corals and fish. There were clown fish, blow fish, yellow fish with black stripes, flat fish, and many more kinds. As I swam around, I felt as though I was in another world. A whole new world to adventure into as the day went on.

After a short period, we traveled to another spot where there were more coral reefs and exotic fish. I spent as much time as I could out in the water. Audrey spent some time swimming around and taking pictures with her camera. She used two plastic bags and a rubber band to hold them shut. Unfortunately her camera does not work anymore, but she was able to take some good pictures. There were other times where we got to snorkel around a sunken ship and an armored tank. In these locations, I saw the most amazing fish. It felt like a dream to be able to look at how life functions underwater.

Although the day had to come to an end, we all experienced the beauty of God's underwater world. Here are some pictures of our day out at sea.

Summer camp blessing

On the third day of the summer camp for the Bible college, I was blessed by a little American girl. Each day so far of the camp I was frustrated because things were expected of me, but everything was said in Arabic and I didn't pick up on all the words. But on that day I was helping in the crafts when one of the leaders asked me to translate and help a little girl around five years old. She is from Michigan and is here on vacation, she also only speaks English, like me. It was such an answer to prayer. The night before I was just praying to God because I wanted to talk to the kids but was having trouble. After having a simple conversation with this young girl I was filled with joy. She was so adorable and understood my confusion of what was going on around us.
So there is my little God sighting and one of my answers to pray.