A unique and thought-provoking day in our journey

Today was a day of listening, learning, and feeling the tensions that simmer so close to the surface of this beautiful and holy land. We heard statistics and stories that left many of us saddened, perplexed and wanting to know more.We came to see that for people on both sides of the issues, and for many complex reasons, the desire for peace is matched by the passion of their convictions. There are no easy answers or simple solutions.There is, however, hope, which is expressed by everyone.Hope is present in abundance at Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem where we began our day. Reverend Mark Brown, regional representative of the Lutheran World Federation Jerusalem Program, talked about the plight of the Palestinians and their need for health care. Established as a major medical facility in 1948, it became a haven for Palestinian refugees from the West Bank and Gaza. Today it's known for specialty departments in areas such as cancer and diabetes. It operates with assistance from a number of countries and organizations, including the U.S. and the ELCA.Last year, the U.S. provided $5.5 million for a top of the line radiation machine that provides treatment for more curative and complicated cases and treatment. And some of those school kits, health kits, blankets and quilts organized or made by Calvary members in Grand Forks make their way here.

Caption 1: Pastors Troy, Mark and Sarah pose with a card made by Calvary kids during the children's sermon. We also presented the Hospital with more than $2,000, raised mostly through the noisy offering.Then we boarded the bus for Bethlehem where we met our Palestinian Christian guide, Husan, who took us to the International Center, where we learned about Diyar, a program that provides cultural and recreational activities, education, health and wellness programs and counseling for Palestinian youth. Caption 2: A Deacon from the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church talked about the plight of the Palestinians and the challenges of being a Christian in an Islamic land, while at the same time facing various Israeli government restrictions.

Despite efforts to keep Christians in the communities, numbers have fallen and only about 10,000 remain.After that, it was time for a bit of sightseeing. We made our way through the colorful, crowded streets of Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity. A two-hour wait kept us from seeing the grotto where Christ was said to have been born, but we had a special treat at our next stop, Shepherd's Field. This is where an angel appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. As we were singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing in a lovely chapel, we were joined by a group of Canadians who added their voices to the choir. The results were quite impressive!Caption : The lively streets of Bethlehem.


Last on our tour was a visit to a Palestinian refugee camp near the Israeli security wall erected about 10 years ago. We got an up-close look at the wall, which separates Bethlehem from an Israeli settlement. We walked through the camp, which is actually a series of buildings, not huts or tents as some of us might have expected. It's been a camp since 1948 so it's likely to have evolved over time.

As we left Bethlehem, we passed through a check-point where two young, smiling, armed Israeli guards boarded our bus and did a security walk-though. At the end of the day, we all had a lot to digest and think about.