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