Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Our trip culminated with a celebration of Jesus’ ascension (40 days after Easter) at the Garden Tomb. This park overlooks a stony hillside with rocks that look like a skull, which may be an alternative location for Golgotha where Jesus was crucified and buried (instead of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre). The tour guide said he didn’t want to disappoint us—but there wouldn’t be a body in the tomb!

On Wednesday, we walked on the ramparts—the wall around the Old City. We also visited the Dome of the Rock, one of the most distinctive landmarks in Jerusalem. It is the third most holy place for Muslims, where they believe Mohammed ascended to heaven. It stands on the site of the Jewish temple that was destroyed in 70 AD.

The rest of the day was open, so some of the group visited Tel Aviv, Jaffa, and the Mediterranean Sea. Others went to the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls (the ones that didn’t make it to the Minnesota Science Museum!).

After celebrating the 100th anniversary of Augusta Victoria Hospital on Sunday, we returned Tuesday for a tour of the facility. The hospital located on the Mount of Olives is a project of Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and primarily serves Palestinians. It is one of the few cancer hospitals and the only place for children from the West Bank to receive kidney dialysis. Because of the challenges of getting from the West Bank and Gaza to Jerusalem, hospital staff spend much time getting permits so patients can receive needed treatment.

We awoke to find the sun burning hot on the urban streets. Leaving our guesthouse, we ascended the Mount of Olives and began walking back to Jerusalem as Christ did on Palm Sunday. The Mount of Olives hardly reflects its former state of shepherds and nomads living and working in caves and herding animals. Now a commercial onslaught of cars, busses, tourists, and shops, we stretched our imaginations and envisioned an ancient world.

Happy Mother’s Day!

We started the day at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Old City of Jerusalem. At the English-speaking service, which was packed with people from around the globe, Pastor Beth gave the sermon (Gospel reading was John 14:23-29) and Matt provided special music. Among the visitors was a group from the Fargo/Moorhead area. On the other side of the building, a few of us attended our first-ever Arabic-speaking service.

Every day, we hold devotions as a way to reflect on the day. We have found that we need to do a summary of the day, because the schedule is so eventful and fruitful. Here’s a snapshot of the learning and service we’re doing:

Words cannot begin to express what we experienced in Hebron; with the aid of a guide from Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT), we walked through the Old City, experiencing vibrant markets, overshadowed by settlements on either side. The market streets are covered with a cage-like structure to prevent the debris sometimes showered from above from hitting the people below.

On Wednesday, Emily turned 27. That was also the day we arrived in Bethlehem, Palestine, where she was treated to a surprise birthday celebration after dinner.

Happy birthday, Emily!

Today was a full day. We got a look at the Old Testament by traveling into the Negev desert to discover places like these:

As Ann, Katy, and Pastor Beth offset jetlag from their big day of travel, the other five of us (Betsy, Emily, Jenna, Bethany, and Matt) have already adjusted to the time change after arriving in Amman, Jordan two days ago.

First, we traveled to Mt. Nebo and visited the site where Moses saw the Promised Land but couldn’t enter. Then we journeyed down to Petra and walked the Siq and beyond, in awe of the ancient ruins that were carved into the stone. We even climbed up 800 steps to the Monastery near the peak of one hill (and weren’t so excited to climb back down!).