More pictures from the weekend

One last thought

As I traveled to some of the most significant sites in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity this weekend I found myself drawn ever more deep in my faith and desire to grow in my knowledge of Jesus Christ. Amidst all of the fun and excitement of being here, each day has also allowed for some sort of significant insight and learning. I feel so incredibly blessed to be around the amazing people and sights I come into contact with each day and can't wait to see what the next month and a half holds in store. Thank you for all of your prayers! 

CROWN us with love, and so with peace;
Transfigure duty to delight;
Our lips inspire, our faith increase,
Brighten with hope our darkest night.
Bring us from earthly bondage free
To find our heaven in serving Thee.
HENRY WILDER FOOTE

Prepare yourselves... this is long winded

Where do I begin with describing the last couple of weeks here in Nazareth?  All together it has been a wonderful whirlwind of more fun and adventure than I can even begin to express. I am absolutely loving my work placement at The Nazareth Village. Every Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Friday I make the five minute walk out of the hospital’s compound and down the hill to the village. My days so far have mainly been filled with getting to know the various staff at the organization and helping wherever I can (I am quite fond of the “person oriented” aspect of Arab culture). Training is going well and I should start leading tours early next week!

I should probably go into greater explanation of what exactly the “village” is… The Nazareth Village was created out of a vision to “turn dead stones into living stones” in the Holy Land. As thousands of pilgrims pass through Israel each year, they are often touring significant sites that date back to the first century and beyond and seeing one archaeological find after another.  The founders of the village wanted to create a place where visitors could see the ruins of the first century “come to life.” During its creation, scholars and experts from all over the world came to excavate and participate in the re-creation of this entirely authentic first century village. At the village, an original wine press, watchtower, and terraces were found along with countless artifacts that pinpoint their origin to the time of Jesus. Today, the village boasts a full functioning farm with several houses, a watchtower, synagogue, burial tomb, olive press, and a wine press. As tour groups are led through the village they learn about life in the first century during the time of Jesus and get better acquainted with the background of many of his parables. I almost forgot to mention… the village is also filled with people in authentic first century dress going about typical first century daily routines and tasks (farming, cooking, weaving, etc.). That being said, as I train to be a tour guide I am learning more about the Middle East in the first century than I ever thought possible. The most entertaining part of working at the village is definitely the hilariousness of the village people. The first Arabic word I learned while volunteering here was “mejaneen” used when calling someone “crazy” or “insane.” I was briefly caught in the middle of a first century sling shot fight just last week. To answer many of your questions: I do not have to dress up as a guide but did dress up once to help cook an authentic first century meal. It was quite comical (my cooking that is).

When I’m not at the village I am making new friends at the hospital or relaxing while planning out my next excursion. On Thursday evenings I have also started to help teach English to hospital and nursing staff. I am technically the teaching assistant to a lovely couple from the U.K. who are here in Nazareth on behalf of the Anglican Church. We spend a good majority of the class laughing as we try and teach conversational English to very enthusiastic pupils. Last week had to compromise between whether or not to teach that glasses are in fact “glasses” or as they preferred, “spectacles.”

Now, to write briefly about the crazy adventures of the weekend… there is SO much to write and the majority of my stories I will have to save for when I get home, but for now I’ll do my best to do a quick breakdown.

Friday – an early morning departure via bus from Nazareth to Jerusalem went off more or less without a hitch. We discovered early on in our trip that we were likely going to be a group that was always running just a little bit late. Lucky for us, the bus happened to be delayed as well and we barely made it on. Once in Jerusalem we spent the afternoon exploring the Jewish and Christian Quarters of the Old City. As Friday afternoon/evening marks the beginning of the Sabbath, we tried to get in as much as possible before things started to close down in the Jewish areas. The Western Wall was a great site to see and Friday evening is basically a huge celebration as Jewish pilgrims sing and dance their way into the Sabbath. As the sun set we sought out a cab ride to make it to Bethlehem where we were staying the night with friends. It was quite an adventure as we bartered our price into the West Bank. Little did I know before coming to Israel that almost EVERYTHING here can be bargained over. Our cab ride in itself was an adventure as our driver made sure to stop at his parents’ souvenir shop in the city and then try and swindle us into paying an extra 20 shekels. His argument at the end of the ride was a comical site as he fought in broken English and would stop periodically to pause, point at us girls, and say loudly, “THIS IS BEAUTIFUL” and then go back to trying to get his extra shekels. We made it out without having to pay.  We spent the night with friends from Paidia, an international development organization, and had the treat of eating hamburgers for dinner.

Saturday – We spent the morning exploring the Church of Nativity and the Shepherd’s Field Church and then headed back to Jerusalem for the rest of the day. One of the most significant aspects of the weekend was experiencing what it’s like to cross from one side of “the wall” to the other. In just two weeks since being here in Israel, my knowledge and understanding of the current conflict here in this part of the world has changed dramatically. Most influential has been simply asking questions and learning more about individuals’ personal opinions and experiences. I look forward to sharing more of these stories when I get back home. Our Saturday afternoon was spent exploring the Mount of Olives and more of the Old City in Jerusalem. We spent the night at a hostel and departed early the next morning for the Dead Sea. 

Sunday – Once again we bartered our way back to Bethlehem and then hired a cab driver to take us to the Dead Sea and back. The sea was gorgeous and definitely a once in a lifetime experience to float in the salty water and try out of the famed “magical mud.” By the end of the day we were exhausted and although we missed our bus back to Nazareth, we found another to a nearby town and ended the trip with (big surprise), another bartered taxi ride back to the hospital.

All in all, the weekend was full of new memories and more laughing than I thought humanly possible. We ate tons of delicious food and I even had my own efforts at bargaining in the crowded Jerusalem markets. Pretty much EVERYONE we meet is extremely friendly and representative of the amazing hospitality of this area. My Arabic continues to improve and I’m trying to learn more new phrases every week.  Miss you all! 

yummm

yum times two

touring the Old City

Jaffa Gate

We found a way onto the rooftops!

Western Wall

a glimpse of the markets 

In Bethlehem (famous Banksy Art)

stopped by military on the way to the Dead Sea

If you live in Bethlehem, you can't get on the other side of this wall unless you have permission. 

Damascus Gate

Who knew you could dip pita bread into so much!

Back from Jerusalem

Just got back from an amazing weekend full of adventure in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Dead Sea. I can't wait to fill you all in on the details! Tomorrow I start training to be a tour guide in Nazareth Village! Yikes!

A few more pictures

At the hospital's holiday party

The walk to work

Max! My favorite new friend made at Nazareth Hospital 

Some talented goats at Nazareth Village (where I volunteer four days a week). 

Just a quick bite...

Only a little over a week here in Nazareth and yet it feels like a lifetime. With each day there seems to be another wonderful new cultural experience or friendship to be enjoyed. That being said, I could write for pages about all of the amazing memories I'm making here in the Middle East.

I don't have much time to write at the moment, but I thought I would share a new love of mine: Shawarma. You wouldn't think that seven days is adequate time to decide upon a favorite meal, but without a doubt I have tasted a sandwich that will likely be a staple in my diet while abroad. There are at least two sandwich shops for every block here in Israel and all serve this delicious treat. Shawarma is a mixture of meat (lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, and beef) served in pita bread and topped with hummus and everything else imaginable. I don't know much arabic yet, but I sure know how to order my shawarma sandwich to perfection. It's incredibly messy, packed full of flavor, and best enjoyed in the company of good friends and lively music.

I look forward to sharing more new experiences soon! Today I had my first day volunteering at the Nazareth Village where I will be stationed four days a week. Pray for me as I am training to be a tour guide in this authentic first century village! 

Missing Dede

Today my family is remembering and celebrating the life of my incredible grandmother Aino "Dede" Anderson who passed away earlier this November. I am so sad to miss this occasion of sharing all of the wonderful memories of our grandmother. It's almost 1:00am here in Nazareth but I was thankfully able to enjoy a quick phone chat with many of my family members and friends who are now at the party. My Grandmother has had such a powerful impact on my life and I miss her more each day. To capture all that she meant to me is impossible with words but here I attempt to share a little ...

My memories of special moments shared with grandma Dede are countless. From lessons with the infamous “Mrs. Manners,” to evening episodes of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, time spent with Dede was so very impactful on my life. I know I am not alone in feeling incredibly blessed to have had her influence on my childhood and young adult years. Some of my fondest memories with my siblings also occurred in her home and presence. It still makes me laugh to remember how we actually used to bicker about which one of us would be allowed to feed the cats their hairball medicine, or how we were so careful to monitor how many M&M’s we ate after dinner (only ten permitted for each!).  I will always be thankful for the wisdom Dede so generously shared with me growing up. Of the hours upon hours of conversation we had together, my most treasured memories are of her accounts of life during and after WWII. Even now, it is unfathomable for me to imagine having just an ounce of the courage and strength she had when fleeing Estonia. Her story is one I have been so proud to share with others throughout the years, and it is because of Dede that I never hesitate to boast of my Estonian heritage. In our family, the “Estonian side” comes out in our most headstrong and determined moments. We owe this entirely to Dede. I miss laughing with Dede, I miss bonding over a shared passion for reading, I miss talking for hours. It seems I miss her more with each passing day. Her story, her character, and her strength I will remember forever and I hope to never waste an opportunity to share about the amazing (less than 5 foot) woman she was to me.

I love you and miss you Grandma Dede. 

A little bit of Nazareth

Goose wasn't too keen on me leaving...

The view from the hospital

The view from our kitchen

walking through "Old City"

First Day in Nazareth

A quick note to let everyone know I arrived! Thank you to everyone who prayed for my safe travel to Nazareth! The journey was long and more and less uneventful with only one unfortunate instance of racing between flights. Last one on board to Tel Aviv!

Not yet a full 24 hours here in Israel, but already I am in love with the place! So far I have been acquainted with just the Hospital Compound and my living arrangements. I am living with two other American girls in a gorgeous flat attached to the hospital. We have tons of space and a fantastic view of the city (Nazareth Hospital is located atop a hill). This afternoon we're headed down to take a tour of Nazareth Village and then meeting more new volunteer friends for dinner. It has been a FULL day of touring the grounds and learning about the hospital and program. I am beyond excited for what's ahead and can't wait to start volunteering later this week.

I promise to upload pictures soon and write much more as soon as I can!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Family and Friends!

marhaba مرحبا ! Hello! (arabic)

For those of you who don't yet know, I am about to begin 2011 with an amazing adventure to Israel. For the next two months I will be living in the city of Nazareth and joining members of SERVE Nazareth in volunteering with the local community and in Christian ministry.

I am beyond excited for this trip and hope that with this blog I can adequately share my thoughts and experiences while abroad. I depart from Seattle on January 8th and will arrive in Tel Aviv the following day. My first week of the new year will be spent packing and attempting to fit everything I need into a small carry-on. Wish me luck with this seemingly impossible task and I promise to write more soon!