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More Reflections from Palestine
Having returned from Synod Assembly (the Assembly elected a bishop, Pr. Jim Hazelwood, pastor of St. Andrews Lutheran, Charlestown, RI); a moving experience of discernment among 550 assembled voting Lutherans—with fine examples of Christian leadership from 7 excellent candidates, all local New England synod pastors). I now return to the blog, which I had difficulty in posting from my small traveling computer (sorry for all the typos and thanks to friend Kerstin for posting several recent posts).
Bethlehem—Christmas Lutheran Church, the financial gift was so appreciated. [photo of Angie and baptismal font above] We hired a driver and car to make a special trip the next day north of Jerusalem to Aboud, with visit with Hiyam Saleh (Mousa’s cousin) and the very ancient Aboudieh church, where Mousa worshiped as a child.
[photo of Hiyam and church]. The priest, Fr. Amanual, showed us the beautiful church. It was disheartening to see the main road out of town blocked by the Israeli government; heartening to see the age-old olive trees, some of which belonged to Hiam’s family.
In Bethlehem, we met with the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem. They are doing great work under great duress of occupation, helping to bring water and food to Palestinian villages. It was Living Water to meet with such excellent, dedicated
people [photo]. They hope to work with other countries, including Israel, to restore the Jordan River. 82 percent of the underground water in the West Bank goes to Israel and the settlements, and Israel charges Palestinians in the West Bank several times the prices for settlers for water. Water shows the injustice! ARIJ focuses on sustainable agriculture, including beehives; women; family poultry; a social worker visits 730 poor families around Jerusalem; Palestinian food baskets. They work with the EU, UNEP, Spanish and Netherlands governments, and US AID. Very inspiring; I came back with reports and maps, which I can show at our September sabbatical luncheon.
In Jerusalem at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land office,
at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, I met with Bishop Munib Younan [photo], Bishop of the ELCJHL and President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). I asked him what he wanted the NE synod to do to support the synod and also about the medium-income housing project being built next to Augusta Victoria hospital. He hopes to strengthen the relationship with the New England synod, and wants to strengthen the Lutheran identity toward 2017. The housing project, thankfully, is going forward. He spoke of the tendency among Palestinians to either succumb to depression or to struggle toward vision and hope. He spoke of Living Water, which gives life/hope/strength/ and motivation. I asked that he contribute the Ascension check to the Environmental Education Center of the ELCJHL (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land). The bishop himself is living water; the Living water of hope and compassion still runs amidst occupation of the West Bank and Gaza; there are many people of good will in Palestine and Israel who are working for a just and secure peace.
Living Water was evident in the mixture of people at the all-day hike in Wadi Qelt
(from Jerusalem to St. George’s monastery) [2 photos of people and hike]. Muslims, Jewish students, and us Americans, all wading in this beautiful stream on a holiday. The dry mountains above were the location of Jesus’ temptations. We overcome the temptations of fear, divisiveness, by struggling to create community and reconciliation and rejoicing and enjoying the natural gifts that God gives.
Also, I feel Living Water and hope in the baptism of Emma Karen Peake, our newly baptized Ascension member. I've added a photo of myself, swimming in the Jordan River very close to where Jesus was baptized. I felt renewed and rededicated to Christ.
Next week’s blog: Petra and Scotland (Findhorn and Iona).
Many blessings to all of you! Pr. Nancy
Having returned from Synod Assembly (the Assembly elected a bishop, Pr. Jim Hazelwood, pastor of St. Andrews Lutheran, Charlestown, RI); a moving experience of discernment among 550 assembled voting Lutherans—with fine examples of Christian leadership from 7 excellent candidates, all local New England synod pastors). I now return to the blog, which I had difficulty in posting from my small traveling computer (sorry for all the typos and thanks to friend Kerstin for posting several recent posts).
Bethlehem—Christmas Lutheran Church, the financial gift was so appreciated. [photo of Angie and baptismal font above] We hired a driver and car to make a special trip the next day north of Jerusalem to Aboud, with visit with Hiyam Saleh (Mousa’s cousin) and the very ancient Aboudieh church, where Mousa worshiped as a child. 
[photo of Hiyam and church]. The priest, Fr. Amanual, showed us the beautiful church. It was disheartening to see the main road out of town blocked by the Israeli government; heartening to see the age-old olive trees, some of which belonged to Hiam’s family.
In Bethlehem, we met with the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem. They are doing great work under great duress of occupation, helping to bring water and food to Palestinian villages. It was Living Water to meet with such excellent, dedicated 
people [photo]. They hope to work with other countries, including Israel, to restore the Jordan River. 82 percent of the underground water in the West Bank goes to Israel and the settlements, and Israel charges Palestinians in the West Bank several times the prices for settlers for water. Water shows the injustice! ARIJ focuses on sustainable agriculture, including beehives; women; family poultry; a social worker visits 730 poor families around Jerusalem; Palestinian food baskets. They work with the EU, UNEP, Spanish and Netherlands governments, and US AID. Very inspiring; I came back with reports and maps, which I can show at our September sabbatical luncheon.
In Jerusalem at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land office, 
at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, I met with Bishop Munib Younan [photo], Bishop of the ELCJHL and President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). I asked him what he wanted the NE synod to do to support the synod and also about the medium-income housing project being built next to Augusta Victoria hospital. He hopes to strengthen the relationship with the New England synod, and wants to strengthen the Lutheran identity toward 2017. The housing project, thankfully, is going forward. He spoke of the tendency among Palestinians to either succumb to depression or to struggle toward vision and hope. He spoke of Living Water, which gives life/hope/strength/ and motivation. I asked that he contribute the Ascension check to the Environmental Education Center of the ELCJHL (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land). The bishop himself is living water; the Living water of hope and compassion still runs amidst occupation of the West Bank and Gaza; there are many people of good will in Palestine and Israel who are working for a just and secure peace.
Living Water was evident in the mixture of people at the all-day hike in Wadi Qelt 
(from Jerusalem to St. George’s monastery) [2 photos of people and hike]. Muslims, Jewish students, and us Americans, all wading in this beautiful stream on a holiday. The dry mountains above were the location of Jesus’ temptations. We overcome the temptations of fear, divisiveness, by struggling to create community and reconciliation and rejoicing and enjoying the natural gifts that God gives.
Also, I feel Living Water and hope in the baptism of Emma Karen Peake, our newly baptized Ascension member. I've added a photo of myself, swimming in the Jordan River very close to where Jesus was baptized. I felt renewed and rededicated to Christ.
Next week’s blog: Petra and Scotland (Findhorn and Iona).
Many blessings to all of you! Pr. Nancy
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