This week was quite a special week with 800 origami cranes packed in two large boxes and sent from Greenville, Ca, to Hope School. The elementary students there started folding paper cranes two years ago and decided to send some to Hope School accompanied by cards and letters. This was quite an event in Greenville, a small town in the Sierras, north of Tahoe. Don Lee's wife, Reverend Mc Donald had a lot to do with this. WEll, when we unpacked the first box our prinicpal, Solomon Nour, just shook his head because the cranes were grouped in plastic bags on a string and you could only see lots of grocery bags with string coming out every direction. I had to pick up the second large box in the Post Office in Jerusalem and dragged the box into the #21 bus in Jerusalem to return to Beit Jala. Fortunately the driver let me put the box next to him because there was not any room in the small bus. I was so relieved. Anyway, after untangling and hanging 800 cranes we put a string of them in the chapel and the next morning I gave a "chapel talk" during which I explained the origins of origami and told the students that the cranes represented a wish for Hope and Peace for the students of Hope School. Furthermore each crane also was accompanied by a prayer. I was afraid the kids would find it silly because almost no one had even heard about origami. I told the story of Sadako, a young Japanese girl who survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, and folded over a 1000 cranes in the hope that she would be saved from dying of leukemia, brought on by the radiation of the atomic bomb. Sadly she died, but her story became famous by way of a book that had been written about her life. I was touched by not only the gesture of the Greenville students, but also by our students' eagerness to have a crane, and by the reaction of the adults.The cranes were quite the talk of the school and how wonderful that something like this can happen, thanks to a dedicated elementary teacher. What a lesson for all of us. One string has remained in the chapel to remind us that we are all conncted in magical ways and that support for each other can come from far away places. I personally have felt that support from my family and friends at home, but also have been supported here in many kind ways. My love goes out to all of you and know that I am deeply grateful to be here, even though life is diffcult around me. It is amazing how resilient the human spirit is. yvonne

This past Sunday I was invited to lunch at one of the teachers' homes and it was a traditional dinner of filled grape leaves and roast chicken. The leaves are filled with a mixture of hamburger and rice and it is very tasty. Soft drinke were served with the meal and after dinner as we sat around the gas stove to stay warm, we were served a home made choclate cake and wonderful coffee. Then later fruit was passed around. I was stuffed, but oh so grateful.
After visiting for a while I was invited to join my hosts to a birthday party of their granddaughter who turned 6. It was a delightful gathering of families with children. The children played in one of the bedrooms and the adults were in the living room. The Mom had been preparing food since 6 a.m. and there were delicious savories made with a kind of pizza dough on top of which was a mixture of hamburger with onions. Very traditional here. She had also baked a chocolate cake and there were all kinds of other sweets. A beautiful cake from the bakery graced the kitchen table and when the candles were lit the father also lit some sparklers and we all sang Happy Birthday in English and then in Arabic. Some decorations had been put up and it so reminded me of a birthday at home. The women spoke very little English, but the men did better. I have learned to just sit and absorb all that is going on. At the end we all went home with plastic containers filled with the most delectable leftovers. What a wonderful afternoon, and I felt fortunate to have been invited and was touched by the hospitality. People in Beit Jala all seem related in some way and I feel I have become a part of this wonderful web of friends. Beit Jala really is a lovely town and I now know my way around and even know some of the merchants. I had an interesting experience in the Post Office recently, where I went to pick up a package.
The area of the clerks is behind a heavy metal screen, sort of like the banks were in the 20th century. I had to sign for the pacakge and had brought the stamp from Hope School with me because the transaction was hand posted in a special ledger. It is a very small office and the postmaster was leisurely reading the paper as the only clerked helped me. When they new I was from Hope School I was treated most respectfully. Our director, Solomon Nour, knows everyone here! It is the most amazing experience. I never worry about my safety and have special taxi drivers that I can call on. I am in the throws of trying to figure out how I will extend my tourist visa. It will probably take a trip out of the country to accomplish a very tedious and unnecessary procedure,but that is the way life is here. I think of home often, but this is home now too. With love, yvonne

March 9, 2009

This past week end I was invited by some volunteers of Bethlehem Bible College to visit Akko, an ancient city just north of Haifa, on the Mediterranean. It is a remarkable city that goes back to the 19th century BC. It is mentioned in Egyptian texts and its port has been visited by ships from as far as Genoa, Pisa, Venice and Amalfi, and Marco Polo and St. Francis of Assisi were guests here. The city has been conquered by the Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Turks, until in 1917 the British captured Palestine and with it Akko. The city has been destroyed and rebuitl many times and today you can visit the ramparts which jut into the sea, the underground Knight's Hall, the prison and the dining hall. Within the walls homes are still lived in and there is a busy market area. The weather was warm and sunny and being so close to the sea was a real treat. We spent many hours exploring this old city and I visited the Turkish Bath. A mutlimedia presentation in the old Turkish Bath house made it come alive and it became clear that this was the hub of sociall life . The baths were only for men where they were pampered, and business deals as well as social gossip were passed along here. There was also an area for women where they could bring their children, have weddings, and even give birth. The aniquity of this town is remarkable and it is considered to be one of the most beautiful historic sites in Israel. Upon returning home that evening (sitting in traffic, just like home!) I was invited to join the staff of Bethlehem Bible College, and the volunteers, to a traditional dinner in a restaurant called The Tent. It is a (sort of )copy of a Bedouin tent and you sit at long tables surrounded by traditional Bedouin wall hangings. It was very similar to what I had experienced in Egypt. The food was delicious and I was grateful to have been included. Alex and Bishira Awad, and their wives, are very gracious hosts.
After this wonderful day on the coast I spent two days in Jerusalem, due to the holiday in honor of Mohammed's birthday. It is warming up and you can see real signs of spring. I enjoyed just having the free time to walk around and savour the sounds and smells of the arabic section of the city. Thank you for your continued support and messages. Love, yvonne