Palestine-Aida Refugee Camp

So....Our first day of service this week, we went to Aida refugee camp, and found out that Palestinians do not like it when you refer to Palestine as Israel. There is a lot of tension in the hearts and minds of those living here in Bethlehem, and those on the Palestinian side of the city of Jerusalem. The wall that Israel has put up has caused many Palestinians to feel as if they have been placed in a prison, along with having travel restricted to and from the city of Jerusalem which is only about 5 miles from their home, as well as anywhere in Palestine that the Israeli Government has occupied.

There is much more that Bethany and I have seen and heard about the Palestinian side of the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, highlighting the fact that the news and TV we are shown in the US does not give the whole story. Before coming here, I knew enough about this conflict to say that this land was given to the Jewish People Group so they could establish it as the state of Israel, and they took control of it, and have been fighting to maintain that control since 1948, with the support of a few nations, and the US. I really had no idea about much of what we have learned this week, both from Palestinian and Israeli perspective. There was no frame of reference for me to connect with this yearning for The Land. There was no idea in my mind of what it would be like here in Bethlehem. I was, like most US Citizens, extremely naive in what my opinions were about the current political situation here in The Land.

I still do not know if there is a right or wrong side to this conflict over The Land I am currently in. I do know, though, that my life will never be the same after the 4 days I have lived here with my Palestinian host family, and after the 3 days working at the Aida Refugee Camp, and The Tent of Nations here in Bethlehem. I do know that I would love to share the stories of those I have met during this week, and am looking forward to the chance to come back and share all of how this trip is impacting my life. Here are a few pictures of what these past few days have been like for me:

Day 1: Hearing Kareem's Story, and that of Camp Aida

Planning Leadership Training for Tomorrow

Day 2: Aida Camp - Training Leader's for the Camp's Summer kids program.

Teaching a game to the leaders for them to use with the kids this summer.

The team of leaders that will be leading the summer camp along with Grace Emma and I, after we finished with the training for the day.

Day 3: Tent of Nations - working in the orchard, clearing weeds to bring to the goats to eat.