Where has the time gone? We have only two more days left in the Middle East! Next is Athens, which I am excited about. However, I will be very sad to leave Israel. Middle Eastern culture is what I’ve known for almost three months now. I’ll miss the calls to prayer from the mosques, the....
Open your heart
March 25 Wow, it is hard to believe that we are now in our final weeks of cross-cultural. As the excitement of returning home starts settling in, I remind myself that I need to continue to be present in the here and now so that I can continue to learn and be blessed by the....
The God We Can’t Predict
March 3, 2012 Discovering the unexpectedness of God seems to be a theme these days. We talked in class this morning about God’s “sealing of the covenant” with Abraham. Back in the day, there were little kings and big kings. The little kings would make pacts with the big kings to be loyal to them.....
From Guatemala to Mexico
March 4 Our time here in Guatemala is almost over. And I honestly am struggling to believe it. It seems as though just yesterday I was nervously anticipating meeting my family, struggling to understand anything anyone said to me, and marveling at the different new world I had found myself a part of. The past....
Beauty
Beauty. If I had one word to describe my time here so far, I would have to choose that one. The energy of the Egyptians, the hospitality of the Bedouins in Jordan, the honor and passion I saw in every Palestinian, and the diverse landscapes of Israel all fall into this one-word description. All of....
Becoming part of the family
As we approach the end of our time in Guatemala, I have been thinking about my many memories here. Many of these are memories are from the time I’ve spent with my host family. From the first weekend, as they had to listen to me try to speak broken Spanish, to the time when I....
Listening
February 15, 2012 It’s easy to say “tear down the walls!” It’s easy to say “we need peace!” It’s easy to say these things, but do people actually believe them? Do people want them for the correct reasons? It’s really hard to listen to this man who doesn’t believe in the Palestinians. He isn’t the....
Coban and the K’ekchi
There are many things I have experienced here in Guatemala that I’ll remember for a long time: picking limes off the tree in my backyard, hearing gunshots at night, learning how to salsa dance, the smell of platanos frying in the kitchen, and the satisfaction after understanding a whole conversation in Spanish. But perhaps one....
Making memories and A sojourner’s prayer
One of my favorite parts about being on Cross-cultural in Guatemala is that I am able to stay with a host family. I absolutely love my host family. They have graciously opened their home to me and the parents even call me “mija” (their daughter) while my little host sister calls me her “hermanita” (even....
Love and Fear in the shadow of the Wall
I have often observed cultures from the perspective of a foreigner, either as one or from the mind of one. My life has been characterized by movement, both permanent and temporary. My roots grow not from living in one land but through relationships and experiences. Being removed from homes I love brings sadness and fear,....