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.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
In Jerusalem
We are together again! Melissa rejoined us in Wadi Rum after spending quite a bit of time struggling with a fierce bout of an intestinal infection. We will let her share the details when she returns - suffice it to say that it was an ordeal at both ends, to say the least.
Our travel day from Damascus to Wadi Musa was wearying, but extremely rewarding. Long waits at the border followed by dramatic vistas of the Jordanian landscape. Polished marble and a grand staircase in the Petra Palace foyer welcomed us - somewhat different from stepping over a guest's bed in the entrance to the Al Haramein Hotel in Damascus. Moments later the students were wishing we were back there again. Our rooms were in the new wing - a.k.a the wing still under construction. That must be why the toilets didn't work, although they leaked, the water wasn't hot, although it was all over the bathroom floors, the keys would not let us into the rooms, although we couldn't lock the sliding doors, and the damp carpets smelled like ... sorry, this is a family-oriented blog). Other than that, though, they were great.
Everything was sorted out for us in the morning and we were very well looked after.
Petra simply defies description. Our 672 pictures will fail to capture the feeling of standing before magnificent edifices carved out of solid rock. The rising sun on the rose coloured sandstone yielded ever - varying hues and tones, and the scale of the archaeological site was almost impossible to fathom. Really, it was pretty.
Wadi Rum had been a destination we eagerly anticipated, and we were not disappointed. We will always remember Sabah, our Bedouin guide calmly leading us where no Marsh and Mountain trip would dare to go. Now that we've made it, we can say that "sketchy" was a word we heard on occasion, as we clambered up cliffs and crawled over rock bridges - the pictures don't tell you that the bridge is 300 m above the dessert floor and crosses a chasm 80m deep. But we were never, ever afraid.
In the evening, we were treated to a typical Bedouin dinner, accompanied by singing and music played on an oud. We slept under 15 lb blankets in a traditional style tent - three walls and a roof. The full moon washed the rock face against which the camp was nestled. Did we mention the sunset? It was real pretty, too.
So, we are now in Jerusalem and the travel days remaining to us are few. We have been overwhelmed by the images of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Temple Mount / Il-haram as-Sharif, the Mount of Olives and more. The last site we visited probably had the most profound impact on our group, as we were guided through the tranquil Garden Tomb and contemplated that before us was quite possibly the site where Jesus' body was entombed.
Tomorrow we are off to Bethlehem to see the current political situation and visit a number of significant holy sites.
Our travel day from Damascus to Wadi Musa was wearying, but extremely rewarding. Long waits at the border followed by dramatic vistas of the Jordanian landscape. Polished marble and a grand staircase in the Petra Palace foyer welcomed us - somewhat different from stepping over a guest's bed in the entrance to the Al Haramein Hotel in Damascus. Moments later the students were wishing we were back there again. Our rooms were in the new wing - a.k.a the wing still under construction. That must be why the toilets didn't work, although they leaked, the water wasn't hot, although it was all over the bathroom floors, the keys would not let us into the rooms, although we couldn't lock the sliding doors, and the damp carpets smelled like ... sorry, this is a family-oriented blog). Other than that, though, they were great.
Everything was sorted out for us in the morning and we were very well looked after.
Petra simply defies description. Our 672 pictures will fail to capture the feeling of standing before magnificent edifices carved out of solid rock. The rising sun on the rose coloured sandstone yielded ever - varying hues and tones, and the scale of the archaeological site was almost impossible to fathom. Really, it was pretty.
Wadi Rum had been a destination we eagerly anticipated, and we were not disappointed. We will always remember Sabah, our Bedouin guide calmly leading us where no Marsh and Mountain trip would dare to go. Now that we've made it, we can say that "sketchy" was a word we heard on occasion, as we clambered up cliffs and crawled over rock bridges - the pictures don't tell you that the bridge is 300 m above the dessert floor and crosses a chasm 80m deep. But we were never, ever afraid.
In the evening, we were treated to a typical Bedouin dinner, accompanied by singing and music played on an oud. We slept under 15 lb blankets in a traditional style tent - three walls and a roof. The full moon washed the rock face against which the camp was nestled. Did we mention the sunset? It was real pretty, too.
So, we are now in Jerusalem and the travel days remaining to us are few. We have been overwhelmed by the images of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Temple Mount / Il-haram as-Sharif, the Mount of Olives and more. The last site we visited probably had the most profound impact on our group, as we were guided through the tranquil Garden Tomb and contemplated that before us was quite possibly the site where Jesus' body was entombed.
Tomorrow we are off to Bethlehem to see the current political situation and visit a number of significant holy sites.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Back in Damascus
We returned to Damascus at noon today after a wonderful time at the Schneller school in Lebanon. The students enjoyed Lebanon so much that one of them threatened to "lose" her passport so that she would have to stay there longer. Our students made an amazing effort to get to know the Lebanese students: they sat with them in English, science, and art classes; they lost miserably to them in our international basketball game; they played other sports like soccer with them; and they just sat around and talked with them. On Tuesday night, we went to a chapel with the Schneller students (who learned English songs just so we could sing along). At this chapel, two of our students thanked the school for all the hospitality and friendship that they showed us, and we presented a signed Canadian flag to them so they could remember us.
After the chapel, our group trudged across town to our former neighbours, George and Antoinette. There we spent a lively evening dancing the dabke, the traditional Lebanese dance, and drinking tea and Arabic coffee. Here, just like in the school, we were shown the amazing hospitality which we find at every turn in the Middle East.
Tomorrow is a big travel day as we head down into southern Jordan to the land of Indiana Jones: Petra.
Note: you can see pictures of Schneller Schule at jlss.org
After the chapel, our group trudged across town to our former neighbours, George and Antoinette. There we spent a lively evening dancing the dabke, the traditional Lebanese dance, and drinking tea and Arabic coffee. Here, just like in the school, we were shown the amazing hospitality which we find at every turn in the Middle East.
Tomorrow is a big travel day as we head down into southern Jordan to the land of Indiana Jones: Petra.
Note: you can see pictures of Schneller Schule at jlss.org
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Still in Damascus
We are still in Damascus, but I had to add another post because I forgot to mention Ozzie's highlight. There are so many, but for him, a highlight was walking on the ground after the bus ride yesterday. He said that he had a new lease on life, that hang-gliding sounded like a lot of fun, and that he would appreciate every minute of every day as a cherished item. Apparently, the bus driver was in a bit of a rush, and while the rest of us were sleeping in the back, Ozzie experienced first hand "near death experiences" on the highway.
Since I am posting this, I will quickly mention the day's events. We went to a Syrian Orthodox church service this morning and it was a very unique experience to listen to the sounds, smell the incense, and watch the involvement of the congregation.
After a relaxing tea at the MCC Country Representatives, the guys and girls went their separate ways as we experienced bathing Syrian style. The Turkish bath for the guys was a bonding experience, especially as the students watched the exfoliator-dude spank me numerous times - I think he was enjoying the reaction of the students - I can't say I was enjoying it too much, but I was willing to get juked for the team. All of us enjoyed the rigorous massage and the relaxing bottle of coke as we sat wrapped up in our towels.
From what I hear of the girls' Turkish bath, things went well too. We found out later that the girls all bought matching underwear for the occasion, and they had drums and dancing in the sauna.
We are excited about heading into Lebanon tomorrow.
Since I am posting this, I will quickly mention the day's events. We went to a Syrian Orthodox church service this morning and it was a very unique experience to listen to the sounds, smell the incense, and watch the involvement of the congregation.
After a relaxing tea at the MCC Country Representatives, the guys and girls went their separate ways as we experienced bathing Syrian style. The Turkish bath for the guys was a bonding experience, especially as the students watched the exfoliator-dude spank me numerous times - I think he was enjoying the reaction of the students - I can't say I was enjoying it too much, but I was willing to get juked for the team. All of us enjoyed the rigorous massage and the relaxing bottle of coke as we sat wrapped up in our towels.
From what I hear of the girls' Turkish bath, things went well too. We found out later that the girls all bought matching underwear for the occasion, and they had drums and dancing in the sauna.
We are excited about heading into Lebanon tomorrow.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
First Few Days
After our long layover in Milan, with still a bit of jet lag in our bodies, we have found ourselves in the magical country of Syria. It has been a wonderful experience thus far. On our way back from our outing today, we asked the students to share highlights, so here they are:
Chloe: picking up a baby in the mosque and playing with the kids and talking to the mothers (Chloe and all the others loved the Umayyad mosque in the centre of the Old City - they seemed to make many friends easily and quickly).
Melissa: walking through the crack in the mountain (which was said to be opened by a saint) and climbing high on the rocks above the Aramaic speaking village of Ma'alula, and drinking Arabic coffee (although I don't think she really liked it).
Erin: climbing and exploring the Crak de Chevalier (a famous crusader castle north of Damascus) and learning to use the squat toilets at the restaurants.
Kiera: just being in the mosque and talking to all the friendly people here and drinking the Arabic coffee (she actually liked it!).
Christina: hearing the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic at the monastery and viewing Damascus from the roof of our hotel.
Steven: meeting people in the Old City. Steven agreed with one of the travellers at our hotel that everyone needs to meet these people to realize how friendly they are.
Nick: climbing around the Crak de Chevalier.
Cory: "mosque socializing" - "they just come and sit down with you."
Jordan: the Arabic music which Jordan actually likes!
Linda: seeing old friends in Amman and hearing the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic.
LeAnn: watching our girls converse to people in the mosque.
LeAnn's sentiment relates to mine as well. It has truly been delightful to watch our students immerse themselves in this culture, to stumble through some Arabic, and to fearlessly meet and greet people. Furthermore, they have tried food that I would have run away from at their age - we had a wonderful meal last night in an old-house-turned-restaurant, featuring about 16 plates of different appetizers before the main course.
On another note, yesterday morning we visited the chapel built within the house of Ananias. Under the ground in the house just north of Straight Street, we read through the story of Paul and Ananias (Jordan and Chloe acted it out). It was in this chapel that we also prayed a prayer of thanks for the safe travelling and the wonderful experiences we had already had. We appreciate your prayers as well.
Tomorrow we are off to a church service in the morning which will be done in Syriac, a language very close to the Aramaic spoken by Jesus. After that, it is off to the Turkish baths.
Next entry in a few days after we return from Lebanon.
Chloe: picking up a baby in the mosque and playing with the kids and talking to the mothers (Chloe and all the others loved the Umayyad mosque in the centre of the Old City - they seemed to make many friends easily and quickly).
Melissa: walking through the crack in the mountain (which was said to be opened by a saint) and climbing high on the rocks above the Aramaic speaking village of Ma'alula, and drinking Arabic coffee (although I don't think she really liked it).
Erin: climbing and exploring the Crak de Chevalier (a famous crusader castle north of Damascus) and learning to use the squat toilets at the restaurants.
Kiera: just being in the mosque and talking to all the friendly people here and drinking the Arabic coffee (she actually liked it!).
Christina: hearing the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic at the monastery and viewing Damascus from the roof of our hotel.
Steven: meeting people in the Old City. Steven agreed with one of the travellers at our hotel that everyone needs to meet these people to realize how friendly they are.
Nick: climbing around the Crak de Chevalier.
Cory: "mosque socializing" - "they just come and sit down with you."
Jordan: the Arabic music which Jordan actually likes!
Linda: seeing old friends in Amman and hearing the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic.
LeAnn: watching our girls converse to people in the mosque.
LeAnn's sentiment relates to mine as well. It has truly been delightful to watch our students immerse themselves in this culture, to stumble through some Arabic, and to fearlessly meet and greet people. Furthermore, they have tried food that I would have run away from at their age - we had a wonderful meal last night in an old-house-turned-restaurant, featuring about 16 plates of different appetizers before the main course.
On another note, yesterday morning we visited the chapel built within the house of Ananias. Under the ground in the house just north of Straight Street, we read through the story of Paul and Ananias (Jordan and Chloe acted it out). It was in this chapel that we also prayed a prayer of thanks for the safe travelling and the wonderful experiences we had already had. We appreciate your prayers as well.
Tomorrow we are off to a church service in the morning which will be done in Syriac, a language very close to the Aramaic spoken by Jesus. After that, it is off to the Turkish baths.
Next entry in a few days after we return from Lebanon.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
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