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.

Summer Camp!

What's the easiest way to make 100 new friends? Run a summer camp. We were lonely and bored so that's what we decided to do. Well, not exactly. The Bible college runs a 2 week kids camp every summer and they asked us to help out. Here you can see the kids singing and playing. Farther down, Adam is supervising the outdoor games and I'm trying to explain why the kids might want to stick gummy can

A night in the life of our team

This is what happens to the team after too much sugar and a random toilet bowl brush(that was still wet! Gross...)

Sorry, I have a lot more pictures but blogger isn't allowing me to post more...hmm.

God Sightings

As the weeks wind down, I have been fascinated by the way God is moving here. Bethlehem is a very difficult place to live with a lot of deception and spiritual warfare. At times, I feel as though I am alone in this difficult place. It is not easy and at times, Satan can break us down to make us feel as though there is no solution. But our God is a God of love and strength. He does not leave us in times of trouble, but instead comes closer to us. Although Satan tries to trick us into believe his lies, we prevail with the strength of God. At times, I feel as though I cannot go on and face another difficult day. But my God is my rock in whom I take refuge (Psalm 94:22). In the times of loneliness and feelings of being lost, I need to look for God in my daily life. I need to find him in the small things that could only be God working.

At the beginning of this past week, my camera stopped working. I turned it on and it relayed a message stating "lens error occurred, restart camera". I looked online to find that this problem could not be fixed without sending it back to the company because there is nothing a normal person (like myself) could do. I prayed that evening that everything would work out. After a long night's sleep and dreaming all night about my broken camera, I woke up with a strong urge to pray over it again. I prayed asking for the camera to work and so I turned it on and the same message occurred. I prayed again with a stronger desire and I turned the camera on again. It turned on and the lens went back into the camera. I was ecstatic at this point. I turned the camera on and it worked as normal. I turned it on and off three or four times just to make sure it was really working. Although this is a small thing, the power of prayer and seeing God work lifted my spirits. I am blessed for this little touch of God. I am blessed that God would reveal himself to me. Thank you God for showing me you are there even though it doesn't always feel like it. Just as in Psalms', my soul takes refuge in you and "I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed" (Ps.57:1). We all need to keep an eye out for God sightings, because they will change our lives.

Saying "Salam" to the children of Hope of Hope

I said a little prayer for each child as they walked through the gates of House of Hope with their parents, siblings, or relatives as they went home for the summer. The children were, of course very happy to be going home with their families for the summer, but Melody and I tried to hold back our tears because they would not see us again when they come back in the fall.

These girls have quickly become like daughters and friends to me. Melody and I have lived with them and cared for them for about seven months and now we are leaving them, hoping and praying that the memories we shared together will stay in their hearts. These girls have given me a certain joy that I've never quite felt before. A feeling of warm love that comes from knowing how much a small child looks up to you and wants to be with you any moment that they can. It's a feeling of heartache every time they jump up and scream you name in excitement when you walk into the room. It's a feeling I can't describe when they come and sit on your lap and squeeze you and kiss you and say "ana bahibick!" (I love you in Arabic.)

These precious children are a gift from God. I wish with all my heart that they were all going home to loving Christian families. But every one of them is from Muslim families. Some even come from abusive, neglective, and broken families. Thank God for House of Hope providing a home for these children where they can learn about Jesus and his wonderful love.

I am ashamed to admit that my attitude for working at House of Hope was less than thrilled at first, but I am so grateful that God sent me here to work with these children. I've heard people talk about how much of a blessing it is to work with these kids but I never understood how or why. It takes time to see the blessings, but they come in small sudden ways. I don't know if God has in his plans for me to work with special needs children, but I do know that this experience has grown me (and made me more like a kid) and for that, I will always be grateful.


To read learn more about House of Hope and read the children's stories, you can visit their website: www.houseofhopemd.org

water...or lack thereof

Turning the faucet, I am ready to wash my face from another sweltering day; the water starts slowly coming out in brown bursts. I wait a couple seconds till the water turns to a clear color. As I walk to my small kitchen to wash the dishes it is the same procedure: Turn the water on, wait till it comes clear, then Lord willing do the dishes. A few times I have turned the water on to find that nothing is happening, no water comes out.

About twice a week House of Hope has had trucks bringing water to us. But even with the water bringing brought in we are still limited on the usage. Actions such as: mopping the floor, doing dishes, showers, and drinking the water, have been restrained. House of Hope has bought lots of plastic wear which are used for every meal. Ironically it is cheaper to buy plastic cups and plates and throw them away then to pay for water to wash the dishes. This is something that when living in America I never had to deal with. I always had lots of clean water, and loved swimming in my pool over the summer. It has been one more change of perspective for my mind to grasp, but it is something good to understand. There are people all over the world without clean drinking water. I know back home (in America) I always thought it was amusing that people die from not having clean drinking water, but every time we flush a toilet we wasted so much good water.


Please continue to pray for the families around here who have run out of water and/or are getting water shipped in.

Dr. Phil on Palestine

The team and I just finished watching a 3-part Dr. Phil series entitled "Daughter in Danger." It aired in the US in November 2007 but only recently here. The series follows the story of Katherine, an American teen, who fled to Palestine to rendezvous with her Internet flame Abdullah. This sounds bad, I know. The show explored the desperate attempts of the girl's family to steer her away from her lover. Then it revealed the verbal and physical abuse of the fledgling relationship. It was easy for me to see how ignorant Katherine and Abdullah were of one another's cultures. Abdullah, true to his male-dominated culture, expected his bride-to-be to submit to his every desire. Katherine, meanwhile, saw nothing with wrong with wearing a miniskirt in the West Bank. Finally, the show ended with Dr. Phil brokering the end of the relationship on camera.
You can watch the episode here: http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/983
The two lovers weren't the only ones who were embarrassingly ignorant. Repeatedly, Dr. Phil confused places in the West Bank with those in the Gaza Strip. He spoke of Palestine as a 'war zone' in which Katherine might be killed at any moment. Katherine's family repeatedly accused Abdullah of brainwashing their daughter and lying to them about why he couldn't get a visa to the US. Given our own visa troubles, we couldn't help but laugh here.
I know that I will return to the US with a highly elevated sensitivity to the way Palestinians are portrayed in America. In fact, I believe that the stories I bring back with me about the people here are a huge part of my ministry. But this program helped me to realize just how much I've changed and learned since I've been here. What I watched makes me really concerned about the sort of mis-perceptions about Arabs and the Middle East that saturate American culture. Too often, words like 'Arab' and 'Muslim' are used nearly synonymously with words like 'terrorist' and 'extremist.' But Arabs are no longer headlines to me. They are people with families and stories and customs and I won't stand to see them pigeon-holed and degraded like this.
Granted, Abdullah had some really lousy motives when he invited Katherine to Palestine to marry him. Further still, he abused her--there is no defense for this. But beneath Abdullah's lying and scheming layers, I could see him as a scared kid in way over his head. It's not uncommon for Palestinian men to desire an American wife--it's a ticket to a new life with new opportunities. I've met plenty of guys with these sorts of designs. This makes the show and this man all the more real to me. Maybe I'll shake hands with someone like him tomorrow.

Bethlehem Bible College Graduation

On Saturday we attended a bitter-sweet graduation ceremony for the handful of students who were finished studying thelogy at the college. I had the wonderful opportunity to sing with the choir and also help set up the video equiptment with the media team.
It was akward saying goodbye when we weren't the ones leaving. Most of the students we will still see around Bethlehem, but some we might never see again. I am excited to see what the future holds for our friends... Maybe some will become pastors, teachers, and some may even continue to study further. Whatever the future holds for them, we are praying that it will glorify God.

Let's Celebrate!

Bring on the cake! This week we had the opportunity to celebrate a BBC students' birthday. The whole team was able to take some time off and spend time with the students. Alaa was the lucky birthday boy (shown on the left). We all celebrated his birthday with pizza from Mundos. It was fun to laugh and enjoy each others company as we mingled around the table. At the end, he was surprised with a large chocolate cake. He got two rounds of the birthday song, one in English and one in Arabic. Here are some pictures of the evening.

Ashraf and I

Sally, Jarius, Alaa, and Audrey dig into the pizza.

Ashraf, Adam, and Andrew

Mummy Jane cuts the cake....mmmhmmm

Jared got out of hand. So he got creamed with cake.

Graffiti

The wall of separation makes for an enormous canvas. Here's a sampling of how people have decorated it.