Today the sun is out and it’s really starting to feel like spring is here as the temperatures reach into the 70s. Throughout the winter, I’ve spent a lot of time inside reading and working on my computer in my room in Nazareth, so it’s nice to be able to open the windows, get outside and enjoy the change of seasons.
So much has happened in the last few months that it’s difficult to know where to begin. One of the most exciting things that has happened recently is having an article published in Ha’aretz about the Jesus Trail, which is one of the biggest newspapers in Israel. The article tells the story of Maoz and I, and how our meeting led to the creation of the Jesus Trail, including both Hebrew and English versions. You can read it online here: http://jesustrail.com/updates/jesus-trail-in-haaretz
It’s exciting to watch this project really take off and get attention from so many different people. There is another reporter writing for the Catholic News Service coming next week to do a similar story. I’m taking a course from Eastern Mennonite Seminary called “The Jesus Movement in Early Context” which relates to my work with the trail, researching where Jesus would have walked, the kinds of people he would have met with, and how this might have affected his life and teaching.
I’ve also had the privilege of meeting with many travelers from home over the past few months, including the EMU cross cultural group in which my sister Kristina and other friends are participating, Matt Bucher and Elaine from MCC Egypt, Herb and Ginny Buckwalter from Canada, and my friends Conrad and Loren from Pennsylvania. It’s been fun to have so many familiar faces around, and I’m also looking forward to my parents’ visit in about two weeks and traveling with them. In April I will be home for a few weeks, and look forward to connecting with all of you in PA and VA while I’m home.
The attached photo albums and mini-updates attached below will give those of you know don’t check my blog an opportunity to see some of the more day-to-day stuff that keeps me busy.
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This past weekend I went to Jerusalem for a seminar related to the course I’m taking from Eastern Mennonite Seminary, called the “Jesus Movement in Early Context. Check out our discussion on our class’ Facebook group. These photos are from the class gathering, a trip to En Karem with Yonatan and Anna, and then catching the bus back to Nazareth with the EMU Cross Cultural group through Caesarea, Mount Carmel, and Megiddo.
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On Sunday some of us from the Fauzi Azar visited Ronny who works in Nazareth at the tourism office and lives in Eilabun, one of the few primarily Christian villages in the Galilee. He was curious about starting a guesthouse with a similar feel to the Fauzi Azar in his home village, as a way to create a unique cultural experience and build relationships across diverse backgrounds.
Eilabun has a unique and tragic history, and you can read more about it at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilabun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Eilaboun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_sons_of_Eilaboun
http://www.sonsofeilaboun.com/story
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We had 13 Mennonites living in the area gather for dinner in Nazareth the other evening. Ryan and Heather Lehman (http://ryanandheatherlehman.blogspot.com/) came up for a few days and the rest of us are currently staying in Nazareth, with the Nazareth Village and the English Hospital.
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My friend and co-worker Gaby and his brother Marco play for one of Nazareth’s soccer teams (there are three total). Last Saturday I went along to watch the game and shoot photos for the team. Gaby’s father Monsur has been helping with the team’s leadership for more than the last 20 years.
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We had a stand at the International Mediterranean Tourism Market convention in Tel Aviv to help promote the Jesus Trial and ILH (Israeli Hostels Network). You can find more details about our time there on the Jesus Trail update located at http://jesustrail.com/updates/international-mediterranean-tourism-market-2008.
Most of my day was spent handing out flyers on the Jesus Trail and trying to build relationships with other people working in tourism to help us promote the trail.
photos: Snow in Bethlehem
It only snows in the area once every few years, so it’s always a big deal when there’s even a dusting. All the shops were closed for most of the day and buses stopped running on the steep and icy streets. My sister Kristina and I went out to take a few photos in the morning and walked right into the entire town having a snowball fight, and no one could remain a bystander. Thankfully we emerged without getting too soaked or our cameras full of snow. Today most of the snow has already melted…
This weekend I will go to Hebron and Wadi Qilt with the group of 30 students in the Middle East this semester from Eastern Mennonite University.
Today the sun is out and it’s really starting to feel like spring is here as the temperatures reach into the 70s. Throughout the winter, I’ve spent a lot of time inside reading and working on my computer in my room in Nazareth, so it’s nice to be able to open the windows, get outside and enjoy the change of seasons.
