Here in the Holy Land

  Hello hello hello! This is the penultimate newsletter of my YAGM year. I have one week left of service at my volunteer sites, then after that, I will have two weeks to wrap things up, pack, and move out. It feels strange to be so close to the end after being here for so long, but recently I have also been feeling very grateful recently for this experience and all the ways that I have changed and grown throughout the year.  Palm Sunday and Holy Week brought us into April and the spring season. Bright flowers are blooming, fruits are ripening, and the sun is shining. Holy Week was, as I'm sure you can imagine, a very busy time in Jerusalem. I attended many services in the holy city that week, including a Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives to the old city with pilgrims from all over the world, a Good Friday gathering walking the Via Dolorosa (a path through the old city marked with the stations of the cross, where Jesus is said to have walked the day of his crucifixion)