...dplandis.com - photography

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.

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

Two new positions with Mennonite Central Committee’s SALT program have opened, one in Bethlehem and one in Jerusalem. SALT assignments are 1 year long and require participants to raise $4300.

- Bethlehem: School Volunteer in Hope Flowers School
- Jerusalem: Archival and Research Office Assistant in Sabeel

For a complete listing of SALT positions, visit the website here.

Since Thanksgiving, everyone seems to have shifted, into the Christmas season.  Nazareth’s stores are selling gaudy red and green decorations, colored lights are being strung between buildings, and we put up a Christmas tree and lights in the main hall of the Fauzi Azar Inn.  The weather has been distinctly colder this week, and it feels good to put on a warm fleece and drink hot mint tea.

Lately, many news stories are coming out relating to Bethlehem, including a featured story from National Geographic on the current situation relating to the context of the Christmas story.  It’s a good article that identifies the various people groups involved in the immediate region, the lives of Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the changing demographics of Christians and Muslims, and the effects of the Wall that surrounds the historic city on three sides.  I’d strongly recommend reading this article and would appreciate hearing your feedback.

This week I officially began Arabic lessons with Reham, my teacher/tutor from Nazareth.  I’ve also been working a lot on the Jesus Trail website, and there is a basic version online at http://jesustrail.com.  Last weekend, we gathered a group of volunteers to come and help paint over graffiti on the market doors near our building in Nazareth (view photos).  There was also an Oud Festival in town, presenting a serious of concerts with traditional music, both vocal and instrumental (view photos).  My friend Eric Kennel will be visiting next week, and I’m looking forward to spending time with him. Click here to view all photos from November 2007.

For this update, I’m going to point you a variety of links, news
articles, and videos that relate to Bethlehem, the Wall and Christmas. 
The UK graffiti artist Banksy has been receiving a lot of press
recently from his recent exhibit on the Wall, and there are a serious
of links relating to him below.  I recently discovered LinkTV from one
of our guests, an independent global TV news channel for Americans to
be better informed about the world.  They aggregate local news channels
worldwide and present video from various perspectives integrated into a
single program.

Bethlehem 2007 A.D. - National Geographic Featured Story

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-12/bethlehem/finkel-text.html

For more local news on the ground, check out MCC Bethlehem’s blog: http://www.mccpalestine.blogspot.com/

Wall Art

LinkTV Mosaic on the Annapolis Peace Conference

http://www.linktv.org/mosaic/mir

I have heard very little about the Annapolis peace conference from local people here, as it seems that many see it as yet another peace initiative in a series that have made little difference.  The most visible news I’ve been seeing has from BBC and CNN, as well as some independent sources like the one listed above.  Most people seem to be saying that without Palestinian Hamas being an active part of the process, they see little hope in lasting peace.  The division between Fatah and Hamas affiliated Palestinians continues to be a huge challenge internally in both the West Bank and Gaza.

Comments are welcome as always…

This past week I spent a few days visiting Mennonite connections living in the Jerusalem/Bethlehem area. Check out their blogs and websites below to learn more about what they’re doing.

• Ryan and Leather Lehman, MCC in Jerusalem: http://ryanandheatherlehman.blogspot.com/
• Trey and Jessie Hulsey, MCC in Bethlehem: http://www.mccpalestine.blogspot.com/
• Glenn Witmer, President of Bat Kol Institute: http://batkol.info/
• Danny and Tara Kreider Yoder, Nazareth Village: http://kreideryoder.org/ (Danny and Tara are not in Jerusalem, but I thought I’d just link their blog)

I also visited both Jerusalem University College and Brigham Young University in Jerusalem, sharing about the Jesus Trail and hanging out with students.

View photos from my Jerusalem visit