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Beit Sahour

25 January 2015

Entering into Israel and Palestine has brought a whole new mixture of challenges, emotions, and incredible experiences. After a very smooth border crossing into Israel we headed towards our new homes for the next weeks in a small Palestinian city in the West Bank right outside of Bethlehem. Our group was separated out into groups of twos and threes to live with Palestinian families for our stay. Here we will study Arabic, have numerous lectures on Palestinian culture, history and conflict, and go visit various biblical sites and cities.

The first day we saw multiple sights that inspired two very different emotions in me. Our guide showed us a fence that is a part of the wall separating Palestinians from Israelis that goes through a Palestinian olive tree farm leaving more than half of the olive trees on the other side of the wall. Because of this no one has been to harvest those perfectly good olives. We then went to the church of the nativity and saw the supposed place where Jesus was born. Right after that neat experience we saw the actual large solid wall which cuts through this holy land leaving very little land and resources for the Palestinians. This made me think how Jesus was born into the world to teach peace and loving your enemy and ten minutes away from his place of birth there is a large wall separating two groups who can’t find a way to live harmoniously together.

It has also been an incredible experience living with a family in a completely different culture from my own. They have been so hospitable and accepting by feeding me delicious food, giving me tea constantly, including me in conversations even if they have to translate, teaching me Arabic and letting me participate in their daily lives. However, it makes the weight heavier in my heart to know how loving and accepting they are despite their current reality. Even though it’s been a whirlwind of emotions, life in Beit Sahour has been an awesome experience so far and I can’t wait to keep learning about this wonderful culture.

– Martha Bell

Riding camels in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Pictured: Isaac

Exploring immigration on the border lands

20 January 2015

Isaac at El ComedorOur group arrived in Tucson, Arizona on January 8th shortly after midnight, and we spent several days in a hotel there while beginning our study of immigration issues at the US/Mexico border. Our first activity on the morning of the 8th was crossing the border to visit El Comedor (a soup kitchen just across the border in Nogales, for newly deported migrants). We also heard migration stories from several women being protected in a woman’s shelter there in Nogales. For being our first day, it was flooded with a lot of emotional heaviness.

The next few days included visits to two different detention centers in Arizona, where a few of us got to speak with the detainees, a beautiful hike in Saguaro national park AZ sunset(where the biggest challenge was avoiding the Jumping Cholla cactus), and some much-needed relaxation time at the hotel. Sunday morning after church and lunch with members of the humanitarian project “No More Deaths”, we set out for Agua Prieta, where we spent a week in a community center just a short distance from the wall, which we visited several times. We experienced shopping on a maquila (factory) worker’s salary and cooking dinner and breakfast together, visited a drug rehabilitation community, heard from several passionate speakers on border issues, and participated in a vigil for those who have died crossing the desert in Cochise County. We visited a border patrol facility at the end of the week and heard their perspective as well. Our time at the border included a lot of U-turns, bathroom stops, and Spanglish as our group starts to get to know each other and figure out the sometimes chaotic schedule of each day together.

The biggest lesson I have learned this week is that I have grown up with an immense amount of physical comfort, and that what I have to go back to in the US is a privilege. I’ve never been out of the country before, and having a toilet that flushes every time and a sink I can drink and wash my hands from are things I’ve taken for granted for the last twenty years. I’ve also been privileged to live my whole life in the safety of Harrisonburg, and this week my sense of security has been challenged, too. Early Wednesday morning, a couple of us woke up to [what sounded like] machine gun fire nearby, and I had trouble falling back asleep, even though Agua Prieta is pretty safe during the day.

I’ve definitely been appreciating all of the prayers and support being sent our way. We will be heading to Guatemala mid-week to begin the next part of our trip, and I think we’re all looking forward to meeting our host families and developing a more steady and relaxing routine there.

-Kari King

Into the desert

19 January 2015

Marhaban – Hello from the Middle East 2015 group! This week has been a whirlwind of new sights and experiences, smells and sounds. From the Bedouins calling out to us, encouraging us to buy their wares, to the enticing dishes at each meal, we have arrived in a new world. Over the next semester, different students will have the chance to share their thoughts on this blog- we hope you enjoy our words, and thank you all so much for your support!

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“Our two days in Wadi Rum (Jordan) are hard to describe in words, but I’ll do my best. After arriving at the visitors’ center, I thought we were close to the camp. However, to our surprise, we got to ride jeeps the last hour of the trip. In the back of pickup trucks, we drove through the open desert until we finally reached the Bedouin camp. Our hosts were unbelievable. They provided food, fire, and plenty of entertainment, which included music and dancing with the locals. It was so nice to sit in the tents, around the fire, and to sit and enjoy each other’s company– no wifi, no phones, only conversations, laughs, and plenty of stories and stargazing.

On Saturday, we woke up in our tents with the excitement of getting to ride camels. We rode through the desert for about three hours on our camels. Even though they weren’t the most IMG_0002Rcomfortable, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. The Bedouins were so hospitable, offering us tea, fire and friendship the whole stay. What an unbelievable and unforgettable couple of days.”

-Ruthie Beck, Junior, History Ed.

 

Riding camels in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Pictured: Isaac

Learning Bulgarian time

5 October 2014 DSC_2282

Time flies.

Our first assignment once we had settled into Bansko was to head out into town, find a cafe, order a drink, and sit for at least 2 hours. Andrew stressed the importance of this assignment: in the Balkans, afternoons are leisurely and time is understood relatively. Here, productivity was not measured in activities completed, but rather, in relationships maintained and bolstered by quality time. Elated, many of us were convinced that we had just been given the easiest assignment. We trotted down the cobble road in pursuit of a cafe, loudly and obnoxiously excited, breezing past the locals seated on benches along the road.

The challenge of our assignment became apparent 20 minutes after ordering our drinks, when quite caffeinated, we twiddled idle thumbs and tapped our feet, anxious to move once again. After all, the reality that we were finally in Bulgaria had just set in — and we were ready to go, to explore, to document. Somehow, we persevered, sitting through our allotted time, before dashing off on the next adventure.

Eventually, we were able to appreciate the leisure, but not before being sufficiently frustrated by it. To name a few testing moments: We have had dinners at 10:00 at night, had waitresses forget about us, and learned to sit in traffic. Slowly, but surely, our eyes began to register the beauty of the minutia events; people watching and journaling became favorite activities, and waiting lost its excruciating pinch.

I knew that our group had embraced Balkan time when one afternoon, I passed by Amber, seated with two babas on a bench. The babas had enveloped her in their arms, whispering to her. Amber was immersed in the interaction, smiling and squeezing the women’s hands, affirming their words, but doubtlessly not comprehending any of their Bulgarian wisdom. But no matter, she was creating relationship and engaging her present surroundings.

Nearly always, we are given the opportunity to soak in the sweetness and goodness of the present. All we are asked is to tune in and engage. This revelation transformed my experience, and I am confident that this narrative is shared amongst the group. Together, we have been actively seeking out the divine and the lovely, which we discover in both the ordinary and the extraordinary.  God has revealed Godself to us as we are overwhelmed by natural wonders, but we also sense God in smaller moments. Conversations with waitresses, taxi drivers, and housekeepers have left us amazed. In broken Bulgarian – English, we have pieced together life stories, full of both joy and suffering.

Now, a month into our cross-cultural experience, the first few days in Bansko feels worlds away. But we carry with us our significant learning, and are eager to apply it to our new context: Plovdiv. The city dwarfs meager Bansko, offering endless activities and excitement. For the first few days, we scurried round the city, trying to do everything that the city offered, before realizing the impossibility of this effort.

We are asked now to be intentional about how we spend our time, where we engage, how much energy we put forward. In a city, with opportunity around every corner, we have to be intentional about taking time to appreciate each activity and interaction to the fullest extent. We are continually learning how to slow down, how to open our hearts to the present, how to listen for God. For now, we are encountering the divine in silly moments with host families, in the creativity of street art, and the energy of the bustling city.

We are milking each moment, loving it entirely.

-Hanna Heishman

Traditional Mehana Meal Entertainment

Relationship beyond language

3 October 2014

BabasYana, my beautiful Bulgarian host, is a typical Bulgarian grandmother through and through. Two things I have come to realize throughout the past week and a half of living with her is that 1) She notices everything, and 2) slippers are key to success in life.

When I was first dropped into her apartment in Plovdiv, Bulgaria I was unsure of the possible success of the situation. Here I was a 20 year old from a small town who spoke minimal (and that’s being generous) Bulgarian, and I was supposed to live in a big city with a woman I didn’t know. A woman who doesn’t speak any English (besides the word hockey)? I was pretty sure the entire thing was going to be a disaster, but it is not. The whole arrangement is working quite well, and I hope it continues to do so.

Yana is so gracious. She is constantly over feeding us delicious food, wondering if we are wearing enough clothing, and packing us snacks to take to our Bulgarian lessons (that’s after the ten course breakfast we eat). She keeps the chuckling at my misspoken Bulgarian to a minimum, and tries to inform me what is going on whenever we watch television, whether it’s Bulgaria’s version of Big Brother or the news.

Sometimes it’s frustrating when I can’tPlovdiv get across what I want to communicate, or sometimes it’s sad when she is desperately trying to tell me something important that I can’t get. Both of us get exasperated sometimes, but whether we straighten it out or save it for another day, I believe that the needs of both parties are being met. I feel the most connected to Yana when we are doing the simple things, like making food or sharing photos. We have found ways to connect without using language. Through love, food, laughter and our general flawed natures we are recognizing each other’s humanity and forging bonds that will hopefully last for a long time to come.

-Devon Fore

A beautiful beginning

Leaving
Goodbyes and hellos
Well wishes and bus rides
Excitement
Finally getting there
Jet lag

Gazing out bus windows,
Picturesque landscapes.
Flashbacks to past travels
Tight, cobbled streets
Breathtakingly beautiful
Babas and stray cats

Greeted with bread and the salt of life
Settling in and finding ground
Traditional architecture,
Romantic stone walls holding histories
Red roofs and red roses
Geranium leaves

Venturing out to the
Pirin mountains, a hike to crystal waters
Slippery rocks
A divine energy embracing us
Endless skies and endless love
Exploration of God’s creation

History lectures
Smoke clouded memories of
Stories of empires and communism
Incredibly in depth
On sight, hands deep learning

Meals shared
Full of pastries and cheese
Meat and potatoes
Piping black coffee
Juicy fruit
Endless calories and conversation
nourished bodies, fed souls

Roma day camp
Smiling faces
Musical exchanges: hymns and Bulgarian ballads
Flower crowns and sticky bouquets
Tiny fingers clutching mine
Heavy hearts, but full embraces

Sunday mornings,
Smiling translator
Familiar melodies, sung in a different tongue
Flickering candles
Blessings to children
Shining icons, gleaming gold

Dance lessons
Edno, dve, tre–1,2,3
Gendered dance off
Joy in mistakes
Laughter in learning

Anticipation
Continued excitement
Departure for Greece in the morning!

In the past week and a half, we have been blessed with a multitude of experiences and sacred moments. It would be difficult to provide any concise and complete picture of our first steps into a semester of adventures. So, we provide what we can: fragments and phrases from a beautiful beginning. From our first departure, to day camps and dancing lessons, we have been richly fulfilled.

-Hanna Heishman

Traditional Mehana Meal Entertainment

Sevilla

It’s true. The sun does shine here in Sevilla. A lot. It shines until it is 100 degrees (10 second pity party- my house has no AC and no fan. Also, this is my second attempt at this post because I somehow messed up after writing for a solid 35 minutes…I’m all smiles right now).

The transition to a new city has been rough. We went from going to the beach everyday to avoiding the sun as much as possible; seeking any shade we possibly can. From spending free time together to taking advantage of siestas to recover from our exhaustion. From exploring a great little city to sticking to the streets we know.

Sevilla is the capital of Andalucía (the region of spain we are visiting) and is much larger than Cádiz. Even after three weeks in Cádiz, I felt like there was so much I didn’t know about it. Coming into Sevilla, I knew I would only be here two weeks. And two weeks wouldn’t be enough time to really get to know a city this size. Regardless of all this, even the heat, Sevilla is a beautiful city, and it’s been a great experience.

along the river in sevilla.

Our days are full here. Mornings consist of either history classes and a tour or volunteering. Evenings are spent with the group. Classes are so interesting. I love learning about the rich history of Spain. Again classes are taught in Spanish, so I feel like I am missing a lot. But our leader translates as much as possible, and we have handouts for each lecture. After lecture we go to different areas of the city and apply what we just heard. We have been to different alcázars, city ruins, cathedrals and museums.

alcázar in sevilla.

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gardens at the alcázar in córdoba.

Two days a week we volunteer. I loved my volunteer placement, Hospital de la Caridad. It is a retirement-like home for elderly men. Built in 1674 by Miguel Mañara, a wealthy man who was going through a difficult time in his life. He lost his wife at a young age and was struggling emotionally, physically, and spiritually. In order to find peace, he sold all of his possessions so he could help others like him. He built a church and a hospital. This hospital was for men who didn’t have a home and needed medical assistance. Both the hospital (now similar to a retirement home in my opinion) and the church are still functioning. It was great to have the history of such an amazing place as our foundation before we began serving the residents and staff.

We started the mornings playing memory games and bingo with the residents. Man do those men love bingo! After bingo we would go for a walk. The first day, a nurse “assigned” each of us a chair and showed us the way out. It was overwhelming because none of us knew if the nurse would accompany us, or if we would be flying solo. Thankfully the nurse walked with us, showing us which streets to take and helping us manage the bumpy roads. Just imagine six young, American girls, each pushing a wheelchair down Sevilla’s crowded cobblestone streets. If that doesn’t make you chuckle, it should. Even as we were walking, I couldn’t help but smile at the sight our little caravan must have made. I wish we would have had more time with the men at Hospital de la Caridad.

go ahead. chuckle.

Time is something I have thought a lot about on this trip. The first couple weeks went by so fast. Now, we are only a week from departing this beautiful country.  I often long for more time. More time to enjoy all that I have been given. Sevilla has been a breath of fresh air for me. Afternoons are free for us as the whole city seems to take a two hour siesta because it is so miserably hot. some days i take advantage of siesta and sleep. But others, the Lord has given me energy to dig into the Word. Something I have been so thankful for. There are no distractions. The city sleeps. God has been using this trip to open so many doors. Doors to friendships and great conversations. I pray these friendships would continue to grow as we finish our time abroad and as we return to the states. We only have a few days left in Sevilla. And then five quick days together in granada. Where did the time go…

-Rachel Yoder

la catedral de sevilla.

Church

Immersed in the Babel

The Tower of Babel-Genesis 11: “So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” Since coming to Spain, I have been in awe of the many babbling voices I hear. The rapid talk of my cashier at Supersol, a loud mom walking her child to school, cigarette in one hand, child in the other. And the laughter, flavor, and expressive musical tone I hear on the streets, markets, and beach. The echoing Spanish, French, English, etc. that I hear all around is becoming my new normal, and I love it. I recalled this story in the book of Genesis as I sat with my host mom. Learning a new language and listening to the babel made me wonder what it would be like to bring the whole world together. What an incredible, awesome babel that would be. I also wonder what it would be like to have a universal language. Perhaps it would be less complicated. Maybe connections would be easier and long distances would seem less intimidating. But I think it was certainly God’s plan to have a beautiful mixture of languages. It is my wish that others would desire to broaden their knowledge and understanding by immersing themselves in the babel and unknown. It is extremely nerve-wracking, eye-opening, and entirely refreshing. Enjoy God’s music and the sweet babel of the world’s peoples.

-Anne Marie Baer

 

Church

Clean water and spiritual refreshment

This past week was full of ups and downs. Our group as a whole was quite nervous about our stay at Utooni for our sand dam project. We had no toilet, no shower, slept on metal cots, and ate the same food every meal for 5 days. For a typical American, it sounds a little terrifying. Surprisingly enough, looking back on our experience it was our favorite part of the trip for many of us.
The sand dam project that first began in 1978 has been becoming more and more popular as time passes. Sand dams are reinforced concrete walls built on a rock bed across seasonal rivers to capture and hold water under the sand over a rainy season. The sand dam that we helped build and fund will decrease the distance for families to get water from 11 km to 2.6 km which will decrease the amount of time spent getting water from 6.2 hours to 54 minutes. Most families need to pull their children out of school to gather water for survival. With water close and more available children can spend a lot more time investing in their education. This clean water supply not only goes towards clean drinking water but it assists in water supply for cooking, watering crops, and washing injuries to prevent infection. We learned that this project will DIRECTLY improve the living conditions of 2,000 people.
Through difficult manual labor we learned the value of community and God’s presence. Three different communities came together to complete a project that would have taken many weeks for only one community. The amount of love and compassion was completely humbling and indescribable. The Kenyan communities with little to no water supply view this sand dam as nothing but a blessing sent straight from God. During work days, the daily routine was filled with laughter, singing, and dancing. Our views of incredible hospitality continued even through the sand dam project. Never did we feel out of place or unwanted even as minorities.
Throughout our entire stay in Utooni, God seemed to always be in the center of everything. For myself and the majority of my group we felt a sense of spiritual refreshment. Many of us have not only just been on a cultural journey but also a spiritual journey. Kenyan people have reminded us over and over again that they trust in God to provide. In the midst of being surrounded by nothingness we were able to strip ourselves away from what we always see, and view life in a different manner. We were able to distinguish poor from rich and many times we viewed our society as poor. Poor not in an economic way but a spiritual way. The society we have been submerged in has forced us over and over to see past materialistic patterns and look for the spiritual ones. As a whole the Kenyan society embraces the love for each other, but most importantly Jesus Christ. Never once have I heard anyone complain about their situation, but they are always praising Jesus for the many ways they are blessed each day.
-Katie Miller