On Christmas Eve, I will make the trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem, retracing the familiar route of Mary and Joseph on the first Christmas. In Bethlehem a service of celebration is held in the Church of the Nativity, the traditional site of the birth of Jesus. Beneath the church lies a small grotto with a 14-point star on the ground surrounded by candles and pilgrims waiting for their turn to bow down and kiss the sacred spot. Christians from all over the world travel to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve for the celebration, joined by a community of Palestinian Christians from Bethlehem.
When I was in Bethlehem last week visiting the Church of the Nativity, I ran into Samer, an old friend that I have known since I studied in the Middle East with EMU in 2002. He and his daughters were visiting the grotto to light candles and prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth. Samer had invited me to his house for dinner three years ago, and we spent an evening squeezing lemons and making fried spinach pirogies. When we met last week, he remembered our meal years ago and invited me back again. We had a wonderful evening catching up on the past years and talking about the upcoming Christmas celebration in Bethlehem.
Samer’s family’s optimistic presence has been an ongoing reminder to me of the hope of the Palestinian Christians. They experience daily the irony of living in a place where the purpose of Jesus’ birth was to bring ‘peace on earth and goodwill to men.’ Their ability to share this peace through hospitality has helped many find hope while waiting for Christ’s coming peace in the midst of despair and conflict.
Thank you for your continued prayer as I serve in the Middle East. I am currently living in Nazareth and volunteering at a guest house, providing many opportunities to interact and share with travelers from all over the world. The last two months have been full of diverse experiences and learning opportunities, and I feel blessed to be able to be here with your support. Much of my time has been spent getting to know my neighborhood as well as the Mennonites working in the region. I am enjoying studying Arabic, and I will continue lessons with increased discipline throughout the winter months.
This fall I have spent a lot of time working on the Jesus Trail, a hiking route connecting the places of Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee. I have been exploring the best walking paths using Hebrew hiking maps and Google Earth and compiling them on http://jesustrail.com. I believe this will be a creative
and authentic way for travelers to experience the adventure of Jesus’ life and ministry.
This Christmas, remember to pray for:
- All the people living here who have been affected by the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict
- Energy and strength as I work with a variety of internet development projects and spend much of the cold and rainy winter months inside on the computer
- Continued progress learning Arabic and Hebrew
- The Eastern Mennonite University cross cultural group studying here this spring semester
- The various Mennonites serving in the region including Nazareth Village and MCC work in Bethlehem and Jerusalem
Thank you for the Christmas cards and emails you have sent. It’s always wonderful to receive kind
words of encouragement from friends at home. I will think of you all on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem.
The following links are posted on my website, http://dplandis.com
View photos from December 2007
photos: Hebron (Al Khalil)
photos: Christmas in Bethlehem
Monks and Nuns singing in the grotto at the Church of the Nativity
Conversation with Palestinian taxi driver in Manger Square about art on the wall and the painting of the hand with religions as fingers
Kid’s orchestra
