Less than one week left to go. I hear my teammates talk about it, our coworkers at Musalaha talk about it, our host families talk about it, but I want to deny that this is true. I love this place and this people, and it breaks my heart that I will have to say goodbye soon. As with every trip I have ever taken, I wonder if I will see these new friends ever again, or if I will have the opportunity to return back someday.

I have learned a lot here in Palestine.... the importance of family and relationships, and how necessary it is to have hope, even in a situation that seems hopeless. I take my hat off to these families for their ability to be happy... joyful even... as they continually face opposition and oppression. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed every day at work, and every night we have spent with our host family. We have shared some great conversations, many a laugh, and even a few tears. I pray that one day I will be able to return and see everyone again, or hope that one or two of them may even visit Canada.

Thank you for all your prayers for the team. Each one of you is a blessing to us! Please also pray for the people we will be leaving behind that God will continue to work in their lives and in the situation here.

Blessings,

Adrianna

Herodium

What a view! 

 You can see the dead sea from Herodium.

 The tunnels under the palace

Prayer requests

Here are a few ways that you can be praying for our team.
1. Mia and Luke both have colds.
2.That God would give us the strength to not give up.
3.That we could process the things that we have seen here thus far properly.
4.That we could live out this next week completely and fully, and leave Palestine with no regrets.
5.That we would not build up a prejudice with one side or the other.
6.That the relationships that we have built all remain strong even as we prepare to leave soon.
7.That when we come home this would still be a passionate topic for all of us.
Thank you all for your prayers!
Team Palestine

Love at its finest

Getting loved on by a kid :) So blessed! (above)

Mia and her new best friend Fadia (above)

Class presentations (above)

More Class presentations (above)
Mia making more friends (below)

Wow, what a day. Had a blast working at Jemima which is a school for mentally and physically handicapped children and adults. When we first arrived there last week our hearts just broke. Often in  Middle Eastern culture these people are seen as a disgrace but truthfully they have the biggest hearts. They love unconditionally, they are quick to forgive and most of the time wear a smile. Maybe we could all learn a thing or two from these people. It has been a truly heart breaking to hear some of their stories and where they have come from and the situations that they were in. Thankfully Jemima comes and helps these kids get out of the situations that their families put them in. One of the other areas that we got to help in was the brick making process. We took crushed up olive pits and mixed them with sawdust and water and compacted them into a brick like shape, as you can imagine this was a very dirty experience but full of laughter and bad outfits that were too bad to share on the blog. I think it is safe to say that these kids have showed us so much of Christ's undying love and ask nothing in return.
"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3: 17-19
Thank you to everyone that has been praying for us, we really appreciate you!
Luke

A few photos from our weekend

At Biet She'an

 The Sea of Galilee. 

Camel Riding!

The only way for peace.

Jesus is the only solution to this problem. It is discouraging to see how deep this conflict runs, but I have hope that God will make this better in His perfect timing. In the meantime, I am called to help in whatever small way I can here.

I saw this painting on the wall between Israel and Palestine today. It reminded me that God cares about this place and He is at work here. This world needs Him so desperately.


God bless you all and thank you for your prayers.
Mia

The past few days...

Over the last couple days we have had the opportunity to see how a couple different programs are running especially for Palestinians with special needs.

The first place is called Al Basma and it is located in Biet Sahour (the city we live in). They take in people with moderate intellectual disabilities and teach them how to do some different skills, like weaving, paper making, and other crafts. Here in Palestine, there is a large need for programs like these because often people with disabilities are thought of as bringing shame to the family, so they get locked up and hidden or abandoned. In teaching them how to do these skills, they can generate income, and most importantly they gain self esteem when they see that they can do something for themselves.

We also volunteered at Jemima, a Dutch program that is similar, but also has full time housing for people with disabilities, located in Biet Jala. It is an amazing and much needed ministry. We have so much respect for the people who give their lives to helping people here who cannot do things by themselves.

This is very different work from our office work in Musalaha, and I think it will be a stretching experience for all of us.

And this weekend we are off to Nazareth on Saturday and Galilee on Sunday!

God Bless,

Mia

You Know You Live in Palestine When...

You Know You Live in Palestine When...

...every other day is a holiday.
...police always drive with their lights on.
...the bathroom light switch is always outside the bathroom.
...garbage day means setting the dumpster on fire.
...camels and donkeys are legitimate forms of transportation.
...you can't flush toilet paper.
...following traffic laws is optional.
...the mullet is a fashionable hairstyle for young men.
...the goat path is a reliable form of navigation.
...the movie Titanic lives forever. And my heart will go on and on and on...
...the only time you wear a seat belt is when you drive into Jerusalem. And promptly remove it upon passing through the checkpoint back into the West Bank.
...computer software costs 10 shekels and DVD's are only 5. You just have to wait a minute while the shop owner burns you a copy.
...traffic stops to wait for sheep to cross the street.
...you pause in conversation to wait for the sound of an F-16 to pass.
...the most common cold drink is glorified Kool-Aid with pulp.
...you never pay for a service until it's finished, or whenever you catch up with the serviceman again.
...you use bright headlights only to flash at oncoming traffic.
...the truck playing cheesy music and driving up and down the street is not the ice cream man, he's the gas man.

Musalaha Women's Conference!

Today at Musalaha, Adrianna and I wrote this short write up about the women's conference we attended for Musalaha's newsletter. 

This past weekend, fifty women from all over Israel and Palestine gathered together in Nahariya (a city on the coast of Northern Israel near Lebanon) for a conference which focused on "remembering rightly". Some of them drove hours to meet and be in fellowship with other believers desiring reconciliation. We had a warm welcome from all the women on the bus to the conference, and saw the joy they had when they saw each other as well. The first night was focused on getting to know each other and breaking the ice, and on Saturday morning we got right down to business. We experienced a lively worship session in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. Some of the ladies got up and danced together, not caring if they were thirty or eighty years old! It was a blessing to see how excited they were to worship God and how open they were to hear what God was saying through the devotions and the speakers. The speakers, Maala and Shadia, both shared about how important it is to remember the past but to remember it fairly and to look for God’s redemption even in the most difficult experiences. We learned that the point where you are hurt is the point where God can enter in. The women then separated into small discussion groups to talk openly about what they were feeling or painful memories they wanted to share. These discussions gave both the Israelis and Palestinians a chance to see each other’s point of view, enter into each other’s pain, and invite God into their memories and experiences. Please continue to pray that God will be working in these women’s hearts as they become vulnerable to each other and work towards reconciliation.

Adrianna & Mia

The Girls are Gone!

Today we finished the work week at Musalaha by saying our farwells to Mia and Adrianna. I am so glad they get to experience some of Musalaha's work first hand at the conference. Because Shabbat (Sabbath) started at sundown today work ended early for Luke and myself, giving us time to look around Jerusalem. It is still hard to comprehend the fact I'm walking the same road (the via Dolorosa) that Jesus stumbled down with the cross. I am awe of this historical area. We have been meeting so many amazing people. Last night we experienced a Arab worship concert. The music is very uplifting and has a great beat. Many people were dancing; even though I could not understand a word they were singing I felt the peace of God filling the room. It was great seeing Palestinians and Israelis singing side by side praising the same savior. I am appreciating this experience so much already. It's hard to believe a week has already past.
Timothy

Some Pictures from Jerusalem!

It is so hard to believe we were in Old City Jerusalem for the first time today!

Here's some of the highlights:

The markets

The Dome of the Rock

The Western Wall

The Mount of Olives

"Jerusalem is a wonderful place full of magic and beauty!"-Mia

I could not agree with you more Mia. Musalaha had us run an errand with the volunteer coordinator John in downtown Jerusalem today. We spend a lot of our time probably looking like tourists as we were in awe of all the newness around us. The Old City is absolutely amazing... I can hardly wait to get lost in it! We went and prayed at the Wailing Wall and walked down the Villa Delarosa.It is hard to imagine how many years of history there are and that we are walking on the same stones that Jesus did.

I am also enjoying the time that we spend at Musalaha. The people there are so friendly, and they have made us feel so at home. This weekend Mia and I have been asked to go on a women's conference with the female employees of the office. There will be Palestinian Christians, Israelis, and Messianic Jews all represented at the retreat, and the focus of the weekend will be dialog between the women in hopes that there will be further reconciliation between them. I am so excited to see the frontline work of Musalaha... please pray for God's hand to be at work in this event!

Today is Christmas for our Orthodox family, so I feel like I should say Merry Christmas to all you, even though the season is passed in all your minds. It is amazing to be in places like Manger Square and the Shepherds Fields during this holiday... reminders of fun blessings that God has given us as a team.

Thank you all for your  prayers!

Shalom! Saalam!

Adrianna

The Wall

Just a couple of examples of some of the stuff we saw on the wall today.

What a day!

I don't even know where to begin. My day started very early. Jet lag is still affecting me a bit I guess because I woke up at 3 am. Just before 5 am Adrianna and I stood outside to hear the Muslim call to prayer. It's quite something to get used to hearing all the time. We watched the beautiful sunrise too, which is one of the good things about jet lag!

Today we met the people at Musalaha and I feel so at home there. We fit right in already and feel so comfortable with them, just laughing and joking around with each other. Our main contact, John, met us out in front of Bethlehem Bible College and took us through the Wall to get back into Israel. I have never had an experience like that. Nothing even close to compare it to. It is like a maze in there. You are constantly winding back and forth, and it feels like you are cattle being herded or something. It is so hard to explain. As white people, we got VIP treatment and got to skip the lines as the Palestinian people were rushing, probably trying to make it to work on time. It was so hard to see how scary it is that the Israeli soldiers have so much control. The graffiti on the wall is also incredible. I think we can learn so much from reading and looking at the art that covers it. I want to spend a few more hours at least just looking at all the painting on the wall. After making it through the wall, we arrived at Musalaha. It is in an office building in Jerusalem. We have a separate area where we will be working, near the main office. We're going to be doing lots of different tasks for them, helping them wherever they need help. We also will be all together as a team there this week which is really nice. After this first week, the boys will be at Bethlehem Bible College while Adrianna and I stay at Musalaha.

For lunch today, John showed us the three best places to eat: one for Hummus, one for sandwiches, and one for Schwarma (sort of like a donair) which we ended up eating. The food here is the best!

Today is Christmas Eve here, so there were lots of celebrations in Manger Square in Bethlehem. We walked through it on the way home.

I have definitely struggled getting used to the culture. Like crossing the road and hoping the cars will stop. And always being told to eat more. There is nothing quite like Arab hospitality!

That basically sums up our day, it was so full of new and exciting experiences!

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!

Mia

Biet Sahour

 Today we walked around Biet Sahour a bit and got to know our surroundings better. These pictures were both taken from where the boys are staying. What a view!

Day 3 = Crushed

Hello!!! First full day in this place of utter beauty. It is so crazy to think that we are in the very place where the bible was lived! This morning Mia and Adrianna went to the shepherds fields where the shepherd heard the good news that Jesus was born. Someone pinch me this, this is actually real. We went to church with our host family this morning which was so cool. It was a contemporary worship time, it was cool to see the similarities between worship here in Israel and worship back home. The pastor did a shout out to us in the back row. It was very funny. After church myself and Tim got to meet this man John who was hilarious! After church was finished we went back to our host families house for a nice hot lunch. We are now all together sharing lots of laughs and sassy moments.
So long fare well from team Israel/Palestine
Stay sassy!

Luke Timms :)

Well... we are here safe and sound! We had a good, safe trip, and are looking forward to exploring! It is still so so surreal that we are even in Palestine, or that we are staying just a short walk away from the fields where the shepherds heard of Jesus birth.
Our host family is very nice and super hospitable... I know that we are going to feel like we are a part of their family while we are here. They have been letting us have some time to relax and settle in, but I'm sure we'll soon have some plans with them underway.
As everything unfolds, we will be sure to keep you up to date.
God bless you all!

Adrianna