Happy 4th of July

A few friends reminded me that it is the Fourth of July today. To all of my American friends and family, Happy Independence Day!

I remembered today that my last 4th post was about how suitable it seemed for me to be returning to the States from England on a day marking such significant history between the two countries. That trip was a big turning point for me as I considered what I was going to do with this year. Thinking about that today reminded me of how huge this last year has been. I didn't know then that I would move back to the UK for the fall, or that I would spend seven months in Palestine and Israel. I am thankful for where God has taken me this year and for all I have learned. There is still much processing ahead, but I know I have been challenged and grown already.

Thanks for tracking with me over the last year and a half. It has been a wild ride (which doesn't look like it'll be over any time soon)!

For now, here is a 4th of July trip down memory lane... these are the types of things you'd catch me doing if I were in America today:

Chilling with my family and friends. Picture from 4 July 2009.

Dressed in RED, WHITE, and BLUE. Picture taken 4 July 2008.

Watching fireworks with some of these people in Catonsville. Picture from 4 July 2008.

OK, this picture is just to remind me how American I can be. The football field just seals the deal. Picture taken 4 July 2008.

If given the opportunity, playing lawn games. Yes, this is a day I do think lawn games are kinda fun. Picture from 4 July 2005.

Playing croquette with my family. Picture from 4 July 2005.

Enjoying old friends, enjoying laying on the ground and watching the sky show. Photo from 4 July 2005.

Add to this eating lots of yummy food (including hamburgers, hot dogs, and watermelon), and I think you have the picture! I hope those at home are having a wonderful time celebrating the holiday.

Hebron Camp Day 2

Day 2 of the Hebron camp was really good. In my room the kids made picture frames and we all showed signs of knowing each other more. The only problem with my craft was that the kids all finished very early, so we needed something to do. Ever try teaching a group of 6-12 year olds how to play duck-duck-goose when you don't speak their language? It's an experience worth having:-). We had 50 of us playing at one time! I'm thankful no one fell into one of the concrete walls while running their heart out!

Here are some pictures from the day:

The barely controlled chaos of the craft room as the kids worked.

Making the mosaic frame.

Hebron Camp Day 1

This week we are conducting a summer camp for kids in Hebron -- a Muslim city in Palestine. It is a work of reconciliation in the sense that it is Christians working with Muslims -- something that doesn't happen very often.

This is the second time our organization has done this camp. The kids were so well behaved and thankful last year, and we have all really been looking forward to it.

I am in charge of one of the activities the kids rotate through at the camp -- CRAFTS! I have been wishing I was more like my mom for weeks (for those of you who don't know my mom is a genius with kids, especially in coming up with meaningful things for them to do). Thankfully, she helped me get organized over Skype, and we have some great things planned.

My goal for the week is to update you and show you some pictures daily. This time I'm posting right before heading to the bus for day two, so we'll see if I can do a little better in the future. I hope you enjoy these adorable kids as much as I have been!

The kids were waiting for us when we got there and excitedly registered. This is part of the crowd pouring in. We have about 100 kids.

The theme of the camp is "what's in your bag?" and talking about the things carry with them in life.

I had kids make the classic "bead men" on the first day which are meant to be decorations for their new backpacks, which they will get as a part of attending the camp.

One of my coworkers had the kids do "newspaper fashion" in her station. I thought this picture was too cute not to share.

Tribute to Judi

This is my post of thanks that God has put some wonderful people in my life here in Israel and Palestine.

Yesterday marked the beginning of the end of this life-phase when my lovely housemate and co-volunteer Judith left to go home to Austria. For the last five months she has been a huge blessing to me, sharing both my home and office... the younger sister I didn't expect to have here. It has been so helpful to have someone to process with, and she has been so gracious in being my primary sounding-board through lots of big issues needing to be worked through as I've experienced life here.

I am incredibly impressed with Judith's ambitious and adventurous spirit, her diligence, servant heart, intelligence, and kindness. I expect this twenty-one year old to leave a tremendous mark on the world, and am thankful to have her as a great friend!

Here are a few memories we have shared:

Lots of fun and laughter in Bethlehem and Jerusalem!

Sharing great friends (and YANIF)

Riding this "British awesome" camel... 

Working for Musalaha, going on the Youth Desert Encounter, learning a lot about cultural differences in organizational structures.

Having our eyes opened to the realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, experiencing the confused phases of understanding , grief, frustration, and the beauty of reconciliation.

Thank you, Judi. God bless you as you transition home. My prayer is that you will have a wonderful time and find contentment in Him wherever you go. I look forward to seeing you soon.

West Jerusalem

I had the opportunity to go to into downtown West Jerusalem last week with Ronit, Judith, and Kagi, and had a wonderful time. We had excellent, affordable sushi in a place with a great atmosphere, visited some quirky and nice shops, and enjoyed walking around and seeing the city. There is a really fun quality to a place like Israel where people come from all over the world and bring some of the best things their cultures have to offer.

Kagi, Judith, and Ronit

Girls Night

Last week, a group of friends and I went to "Arab Ladies' Night" in Bethlehem. It was a fantastic time sitting around a big table eating excellent Arabic food, laughing with friends, and overlooking the beautiful city as the moon shone in the sky from a very traditional looking restaurant.

It is rare for us to get dressed up, but it seemed a ladies night, with no men around, would be a good time to get looking pretty and wear a little bit less conservative outfits. Culturally, it is acceptable for people to stare and as a woman it's best not to stand out. I realized that this is generally the opposite of what we'd do at home -- why get dressed up if you're just hanging out with your girl friends?

The funny thing was, we didn't calculate well. After getting all souped up, we still had to get to the restaurant, and met on a big street. As we should have anticipated, we got more attention than we wanted. Live and learn...

Hand Signals

I had a funny, classic cultural misunderstanding moment on Saturday.

I was with a group in a cafe, and a few of us ordered coffee. The waiter came out with our coffees, trying to figure out who had ordered them. We pointed to the coffee drinkers, and he had one left. Everyone pointed to me, and I raised my hand. He looked at me, and then kept looking for the person for the coffee.

Then they pointed more and told him it was for me. Again, I raised my hand so he could identify me. He turned from me and looked for someone else.

Coffee bought on
the street and in
cafes like the one we
 were in come in little
cups like this one.

This literally happened four times. He'd come toward me, I'd raise my hand and he'd back away, looking terribly confused and a little bit distraught. I considered the possibility that he was refusing to serve me for some reason.

Finally, as everyone was pointing to me and loudly telling him to give me the coffee, a friend realized what was going on and told me that the way I raised my hand meant "no."

You would think I'd know this by now -- I have been here for over five months, after all! Finally I stopped raising my hand and the poor guy could give me the coffee. Lesson learned.