Newsletter #4 - March 2023

Hello again dear readers!

As I write to you at the end of March (or the beginning of April now.... oops), I have only three months left here in Palestine. It is hard to believe I have been here so long, and that I have so little time left. With this in mind, I have been trying to soak up every moment and reflect on all the ways I have grown and changed this year. Many of these are hard for me to articulate, especially to an audience who has not experienced life here the way that I have over the past seven months (seven months!!!). For this reason, I am incredibly grateful for the other members of my cohort, who have all been incredible sources of support over the course of the year. So I want to take a moment to acknowledge how much we have been through together this year and to thank my fellow JWB YAGMs for walking with me through all the challenges life has thrown at us.

In mid-February, we had a big retreat in Jordan. We spent a few nights in Petra, a few nights in the desert in Wadi Rum, and a few nights in the capital city of Amman. It was a truly incredible experience; the desert in Jordan is unlike anything I have ever seen or experienced, and I will not soon forget it. From the ancient history evident in the still-extant structures in Petra to the absolute vastness and beauty of the desert, there was no shortage of interesting and enriching things to experience on the retreat. I would say in many ways it was a humbling experience - when I think about the span of time that separates me from the hands that carved the sandstone structures in Petra, or all the knowledge and wisdom of the desert possessed by the Bedouin people whose lifestyle is so vastly different from my own, I realize how minuscule my life and experiences are in comparison to all the diversity of human experience to have ever existed. But I also think about how every other individual human life is just as minuscule as mine, and rather than making me feel small or insignificant, this thought makes me feel profoundly connected to all of humanity.

In addition to our time in the desert, we spent some time in Amman. We visited a Syrian refugee camp where the Lutheran World Federation is doing some excellent work, and then on Sunday, we worshipped with the one congregation of the ELCJHL (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, the church body with which we are partnered) that exists in Jordan. Both experiences were great opportunities to learn about the work of the global church of which we are a part.

In March, we finally started to pull out of the dreary winter cold and experience more sunny days, which means a more active day-to-day life for me (someone who was probably some kind of hibernating mammal in a past life). I have had a few little adventures with some friends around the Bethlehem area, including walking to Solomon's Pools and visiting Herodian Park. In early March I also walked the 10k at the Palestine Marathon, an event that highlights the restriction on movement that is imposed on Palestinians by the occupation. People from all over the world participate in the event every year, showing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The past two months have been truly amazing, and I am greatly looking forward to Eastertime in Jerusalem. My next newsletter, at the end of May, will be the penultimate one of the year. I want to enter these last few months of service with an open heart and a readiness to absorb every moment.

As always, thank you for following along on my journey. I am grateful for the support of each and every one of you.

Peace,

Harper