A Note from Becky...

Today has been a day of contrasts or opposites for us.

We started out bright and early in Tiberius where it was cold, rainy, and lush. We traveled to the wilderness where it was warm, dry, and barren. We saw Jericho, the oldest and lowest city on earth. It was very interesting. Especially interesting was the fact that archeologist found that there probably wasn't even a wall around the city when Joshua visited!

The next opposite was the lack of walls, fences, and barbed wire in northern Israel and the prison like atmosphere we encountered at the West Bank. Wisam even said that Bethlehem, where he lives, is an open air prison. We went through a check point to go the Jerusalem and had no problem. But when we left the city it took a little more work.

In Bethlehem we saw the Shepherd's field and visited the place where Jesus was born. What an incredible experience!

The next contrast was food related.....I eat hummus and falafel now! Can you believe it?!?!?!?!

I think the biggest contrast was the feel of the day. As Katy said above, the first day was emotional, the second physical, and today political. Wisam spoke quite a bit about the Palestinian/Israeli issue and it truly makes you want to cry, scream, and do something, anything to help the Palestinian people. Palestinians can not travel freely (they can not even use the Tel Aviv airport), they do not have access to water all the time (the Israelis turn it on once a week if they remember), and they can not live where ever they want to live.

It has been a long exhausting day that has given me so much to think and pray about!