YAGM Newsletter - May 2023

 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), and a sunrise service on Easter morning on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. This was a week of worship, connection, and beauty that I won't soon forget.

Just after Easter, I had another family visit - this time, my dad and my brother came to see me for a little over a week, during the school holiday. Their visit coincided with Orthodox Holy Week and part of Ramadan, so Jerusalem and Bethlehem had a very different vibe than usual, but it was definitely a unique way to experience life here.

While they were here, I got to show them around all the places I have gotten to know over the year. Instead of traveling around, I decided to stick with the places I was most familiar with so that they could get a real taste of what my life out here is like. We went to some of my favorite Bethlehem restaurants, visited one of my service sites (unfortunately the school was closed for the Easter holidays, but they got to tour the Environmental Education Center), and got matching tattoos at Razzouk Tattoo in the old city of Jerusalem. I'm incredibly grateful that they were able to come visit, and that I had the opportunity to share this part of my life with them.

Speaking of the EEC, in April the Center hosted two big events: the Spring Competition and the Spring Festival. During the competition, students from different schools come together to compete in writing, photography, and art. The winners' works are displayed during the Festival at the end of the month. During the Festival there are also performances of traditional Palestinian dance (dabke), traditional Palestinian music, and spoken word. It was a bright, sunny day full of joy and laughter. A beautiful way to welcome springtime.

I recently had my last day working at the EEC. I said the first of many goodbyes, and will finish out my year at Dar Al Kalima. While I am sad to be leaving this place, I do feel like the year is coming to a conclusion. That is to say, this year of service has been exactly what it needed to be, and nothing more. It has surprised me, forced me to think in new ways, and shown me the beauty in doing things that scare me.

I am in the process of wrapping up my time out here. There are many goodbyes to say, last-minute activities to plan, and next steps to consider. When I next write to you, I will be back home in beautiful Colorado, and I will no doubt be missing beautiful Palestine. This journey has helped me to grow in so many ways and has shown me things about myself and the world that I never would have come to on my own, and I will hold this experience close to my heart for the rest of my life. 

See you on the other side,
Harper