Back in Winnipeg

Yes, we are back. After numerous border crossings and checkpoints, we went through our last "crossing" in Winnipeg. After a huddle and a "team shawarma" cheer, we descended down the stairs as family members and friends celebrated our arrival - it sounded as if people actually missed us a bit.

Our last few days were not without adventure. Our second full day in Israel/Palestine was spent in Bethlehem. Our first vista of the city of Christ's birth was that of the Israeli Security Wall which stood ominously in our way. Ironically, in beautiful and bright colours on the cold cement structure, a sign welcomed us with a greeting of peace. Inside the wall, we didn't hear much about peace. With our MCC "guides" we met with Zoghby Zoghby of Wi'am and Bishara Awad of Bethlehem Bible College. They both shared stories of frustration and despair in the face of the Israeli occupation. They spoke of an apartheid state in which their people, the Palestinians, have been put into Bantustans or "Palustans", surrounded by the wall, cut off from family, friends, places of worship, businesses . . . Bishara Awad lamented the fact that Christians in the western world do not listen to the pleas of their Christian brothers and sisters in Israel/Palestine but simply blindly support Israel's policies. He applauded the fact that our students have taken the time to look at what is happening and encouraged us to talk about what we have seen in our school and in our churches.

On Good Friday, we got together on the roof of the Ecce Homo convent for a short worship service. We sang some hymns and read the Good Friday story, the elements in that story so real to us as we had just visited many of the named places in the last few days. Down below us, as we read the story, hundreds of people were gathering on the Via Dolorosa, carrying their crosses and singing. It would be an understatement to say that it was a very meaningful way to spend the morning of Good Friday. Even though it was Good Friday, we cheated a bit and ended the service with a ressurection hymn: "Up From the Grave He Arose." We couldn't leave Jerusalem without that part of the story.

From Jerusalem, we began our trek back home. Our first stop was at the Dead Sea on the Jordanian side, where we floated in the salty water, played some beach volleyball, and threw the disc around (injuring only a couple of people).

The next day, we headed back to Damascus. It was amazing how this city had become like a second home to us. We went to "our coffee shop" and a number of students sat in the Ummayyed Mosque. And, most importantly, we had shawarma.

So, as I began this entry, now we are home. Hopefully we are changed. We have seen a magical world. We have seen oppression; we have seen natural beauty; we have seen hospitality; we have seen many vibrant cultures; we have seen so much. It has been a pleasure to travel with these students. They took risks and approached all of our days in the Middle East with youthful energy - their eyes were always wide open. They have taught me a lot. Now I just have to convince some of them to write articles and organize the chapel. Maybe when the jet-lag wears off a bit.