in the middle east

We've been blessed to have Jessica's parents, Jack and Joyce, with us here for the holidays. Because Christmas is not celebrated in Judaism and Islam, and because this makes up the majority of Jerusalem's inhabitants, it's been a challenge to feel festive. No Christmas lights or trees or anythings except in a few Western hotels. We did, however, go to a Christmas eve service in Bethlehem at a Palestinian Lutheran church just up the street from Manger Square. It was surreal to celebrate the birth of Jesus with our Palestinian brothers and sisters whose families have lived in Bethlehem for over 1,000 years and who are suffering so much due to the apartheid wall being built around the West Bank. For more about their situation, Click Here. With Jessica's parents here, we've been walking our legs off all around the city, and have taken some shorter day trips to Bethlehem, Jericho, and Hebron. We leave tomorrow for a 5-day adventure up north: Nazereth, Galilee, Golan Heights, Haifa, and more. So, I won't be posting for a little while, but I've been collecting some really interestings things for future blogs: Apartheid in the West Bank; Peace, Love, and Hannuka in Jerusalem; Christmas Eve in Bethlehem; the Economic stranglehold around Jericho, and more. Stay tuned and I'll try to keep things coming in future weeks. Merry Christmas!