I’m writing from a west Jerusalem coffeeshop as the rest of the group is now flying over the Atlantic Ocean.  We had a great last few days in the Jerusalem area, wrapping up a three week experience and spending time together looking ahead to returning home.

On Saturday, our group spent the day with Sabeel’s International Young Adult conference, joining a group of over 40 local and international young adults for one day of their 10 day visit.  We spent the day touring the towns of Ramleh and Lod, learning about their history starting from 1948 and how their populations were dispersed and still live in relative separation among ethnic and religious groups.  We had lunch and a Bible study at a church in Ramleh and then headed out to Old Yaffo for a brief tour and boat ride on the Mediterranean.

On Sunday, we went to church in the morning at the English-speaking congregation of the Lutheran church of the Redeemer.  In the afternoon, the group had free time to explore the old city’s winding streets, hang out and shop, and spend some time thinking about returning home.  In the evening we were hosted by Mennonite Central Committee’s Ryan and Heather Lehman and family on the Mount of Olives, joining them for dinner.  Along with Trey and Jessica Hulsey, the Bethlehem representatives for MCC, they shared about how MCC works in the region focusing on relief, development, and peacebuilding.  They also shared their stories about how they ended up living in this part of the world, encouraging our group to lives of service.

Monday was a day of celebration and relaxation as we headed down to the lowest point on earth at the Dead Sea, spending time floating and covering ourselves with black, mineral-rich mud.  After lunch, we also explored the En Gedi nature reserve, swimming in various waterfalls and spring fed pulls which make this spot an oasis in the desert.

In the evening, we spent time as a group reflecting on what we had learned during our intense three weeks in Israel and Palestine, topping it off with and outing to the Coffee Bean on Jaffa Street.

As a group, we have had a great time learning and growing together, and everyone returns home with many stories to share about the people and experience they have had here.  Thanks for all of your prayer and support for us during this time.  Enjoy the photos!

Dave