Last Week in Jerusalem

I am nearing the end of my last week in Jerusalem...can you believe it?! Early Saturday morning I leave for Egypt, and I will return to Green Bay December 14. This semester has gone by so fast.

This past week I finished up my final exams and term papers, did some Christmas shopping at the souk, and spent a lot of time enjoying the city and the relationships I have built here. Tuesday I went to a Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem called Tahatia, where 12,000 people live in less than half of a square kilometer. I was invited into a family’s home and got to hear their story. Yesterday I walked the ramparts of the Old City walls. Today I attended a free lecture on the “Theology of the Land." All these things were very thought-provoking. I have learned much during my time here, and in some ways I am coming home with more questions than answers.

Tomorrow I will spend my last day packing, walking around the city, and saying goodbye to Marwa and my friends at the Gypsy Center. After dinner I’m going to sing Christmas carols at St. Anne’s church with a group of friends, and after that we are going to Dr. Wright’s house for cookies and a time of sharing and praising God for his faithfulness this past semester. He is so good!