Reflections on a day in my life in Guatemala Every morning I feel a small tug from sleep by my sister at 4 am. Phone flashlight, towels thrown, and makeup to be applied in the light of the hall. When she shuts the door to leave for her long commute, I am left to sleep....
Middle East: Old City of Jerusalem
24 March 2019 Back in Jerusalem again! After a week of relaxing free travel we returned to what has become a pretty familiar city. We spent our week staying at the Ecce Homo convent in the Old City. The convent itself commemorates and stands at the location where Pontius Pilate scourged Jesus and declared “Ecce....
Middle East: Independent Travels
Independent Travel Last week was one we’ve all been looking forward to for a long time: free travel! After our final exam at JUC, we split up and began a week of exploring on our own. Anisa, Carly, Emily, Erin, Rachael and I went to Turkey. We flew into Istanbul and spent a night there.....
Middle East: Field Studies with JUC
15 March, 2019 This past week was our second and final week at Jerusalem University College. After taking our first test Saturday morning and a free afternoon, we started off strong with field studies again Sunday morning. This past week was quite a bit different from our first week at Jerusalem University College as we spent much of....
Guatemala: Living in the moment
Imagine this: riding a boat on Lago Atitlan, a lake so blue and beautiful, you can hardly believe the toxins and pollution it contains. A lake surrounded by tall green volcanoes covered in green trees, coffee plants, colorful, touristy markets, and people’s homes. Imagine wandering the streets, sun on your face, admiring and buying the....
Middle East: Jerusalem
This week has found us transitioning to Jerusalem, our next port of call on this journey. Here, we’re staying and working with Jerusalem University College, where we’re focusing more on Biblical geography in and around the Promised Land, right here where we are. Jerusalem itself is only a few miles from Beit Sahour, about a....
Do No Harm
After reading an article titled “Do No Harm” This article really struck me and pleased me at the same time. I’m not exactly sure why, but I have this negative connotation towards mission groups. I loved hearing [the article’s author] Dennis Smith’s sharp critique on this subject. I can’t quite pin where this judgment for....
Guatemala: To be Mayan
Mom, There are many things I’ve learned about the Maya, many things I’ve seen and felt and read. To be Mayan is to carry weight. Literally, Mayans carry weight all the time — baskets on their heads, bundles on their backs. But, in another sense, there is a greater more permanent weight that Mayans carry.....
Cacao to Chocolate
Cacao to Chocolate I am a colony of cacao beans, sitting in my shell nobody to disturb me A loud crack heard, the shell that I call home is being broken into. Five long fleshy weird things from the bright blue abyss, reach out and grab me from the only place I know I’m then....
Middle East: Bethlehem University, authors, the wall, Herodian
Feb 16, 2019 Hello friends! Since our last post we’ve enjoyed another week in beautiful Beit Sahour. Week 2 in Palestine has included more bonding with our host families, several trips to local sites, and – you guessed it – many more falafel sandwiches. We have continued to enjoy lectures from professors from the local....