Gaza Stip Documentary

It's worth your time. It's a documentary made by James Longley, who went over to Gaza in 2001, and follows the story of Mohammed Hejazi, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy. It is really an eye opener, to see the violence that occurs daily in the lives of these people. Anyways, thought you all might be interested. If you want more info on the documentary, and the story behind making it, you can go to http://www.littleredbutton.com/gaza/about.html.

Shamra's Jerusalem Blog

Okay, I accept my epic failure as a blogger. However, I want to still use this page to put up things that I have learned from my time in the Holy Land-- mostly about the Palestinian--Israeli conflict, and information I have come across about that. So hopefully some people out there are still reading my blog...I wouldn't blame any of you for being a bit skeptical when it comes to me and blogging, but I'm going to try.

For starters, there's a website one of the students from our trip put together. The website provides current information, and tries to keep people as informed as possible about the reality of the situation in the Holy Land. It's Progress4IsraelPalestine.wordpress.com. Go there!

If you didn't guess by now....

...I am back from Jerusalem. This is something I am very, very sad about, as you can see in this picture with my JC roommates and me at the airport on the way home.



I just wanted to tell all of you (2 months later...classic Shamra blogging technique..) THANK-YOU for reading my blog, being patient with my unreliable, awful blogging habits...and stay tuned (if any of you still look at this page!) because I have some ideas for this blog...

I am happy to be here in Oregon, with my friends, and a new job. And that's all I have to say about my life.

I'm Back (in purple and black, currently)

I'm back from Galilee, everyone. And there is more blogging to come. But probably not much--just a heads up. We have a lot going on the next couple weeks, and then it will be home for me. Sooo....shalom for now!

Blog Soon to be Private

Okay everyone. I'm going to privatize my blog. There was a not good incident a few days ago with someone who was contacted through the sort of information I've been posting. SO-- I NEED EVERYONE'S EMAIL ADDRESS. Just put it as a comment on this blog, and I will add you to the list. This will be happening soon...so comment soon! Also, check out my blogs below this. I've done a lot of posting today...they're good posts, I promise!

Jordan Blog...(if anyone has other title suggestions...)

Okay, first stop, Mt. Nebo, where Moses held up the Brazen Serpent. Then....Petra!!! etra was absolutely incredible. It was recently added as one of the wonders of the world, and is spectacular. It’s an ancient Nabatean city (originally), but the Romans and Byzantines also built there. The treasury was particularly stunning—it was carved out of the rock in a Romanesque style, and is massive. The colors in the rock added to the beauty—there were vivid blues, purples and reds stratified throughout the structure. We also got to see ruins from a Roman temple (called the Great Temple) and a monastery we had to hike up to. It was totally worth the million stairs we had to climb—the monastery appeared out of nowhere as we reached the top and was breathtaking. There was also a great view! After that, we went to the palace, which the Nabateans built for Pharaoh and his daughter, and explored the Great Temple, built by the Romans, We also went to a Byzantine church with amazing mosaics, and to top the day off, I rode out of Petra on a horse! The pictures are as follows:


This is at the Treasury--the statue was all the way eroded. Except for his abs.


This is our whole group outside Petra. My friend was too cheap to buy the picture, so she took a picture of the picture. :)


We're jumping for joy outside of Petra!


Me and some friends on the top of Mt. Nebo


Obelisk tombs in Petra


The canyon on the way into Petra


The Monastery we hiked up to


Spelling out Jordan in Jordan...haha....


Okay everyone...happy now??

A Nutty Adventure.

My roommate is obsessed with nuts. We went out in a storm to get some. I got really wet. It was fun. End of story.

The Happiest Day of My Life...

(...so far)

I held a thousand year old book!!! I touched it with my own hands! It was one of those moments where I got all tingly, my face turned red, I semi- hyperventilated because it was such an incredible moment!! It took a while to get to the point where we could see the library where these books where housed. The library belongs to a Palestinian woman, whose family has owned all the books for generations. We looked everywhere for this place in the Old City, and fortunately (with the help of some neighborhood boys) found her house, and made an appointment to see the books. We were really lucky, since it's been very difficult for anyone to see them, even our proffessor who has lived here. Anyways, one of the books was a Koran from the 8th century, a notice issued by Suleiman's wife, and a book detailing the Sultan Saladin's triumphs during the third crusade. We got to look through the books, and pick them up. I still can't believe it!

I'm Back!!

Okay, let me first say, in this series of blogs to come about Jordan, this was by far the best trip I've taken since I've been here in Israel. I absolutely LOVED everything in Jordan. So my blogging will be hopefully be much, much better than Egypt. I will have some more specific blogs very soon. Love you all!

Jordan!

I can't come up with a more clever blog name. Sorry. I'll be there for the next four days. So enjoy your week everyone, because I'll most certainly be enjoying mine!


P.S. Watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade if you want to see where I'm going!

Yad Veshem

We also visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. This is something that I was at first a bit anxious to do. But the museum was not what I expected at all. Though it captured the sober feel of the Holocaust, and the terrible events that occurred, and it accomplished its purpose without being an overwhelmingly dark and oppressive visit. I was also surprised by the emphasis that was put on the good people and good deeds done during the Holocaust. The pathways that lead up to the museum were lined with trees, each planted in honor for one of the “righteous among the nations”, or those who chose to aid the victims of the Nazis. There was a part of an exhibit dedicated to these people inside the museum, where stories and pictures were on display, including Schindler’s list. The building itself was really unique. The walls and outer structure were made of unfinished cement slabs, coming together in a triangular shape at the top, giving the feel of a prison. There are glass windows at the top that let in light, and give the entire building a more open feel. It’s the combination of the bleak oppressiveness of the walls combined with the light at the top that truly gives the building a sense of despair and hope at the same time.






**These are not my pictures :) They belong to the Internet

Jericho

The last couple weeks have gone by really fast. We got to visit Jericho, which is called “the oldest city on earth” because of a mud-brick structure that is almost 8,000 years old. This is where the Biblical story of Joshua occurred, when he marched around the city, and his horn calls caused the city walls to crumble. Some pics:

Tower of David Museum

The Tower of David Museum is over by Jaffa Gate, and is a part of the old city wall, and a citadel built in the second century and rebuilt in the 16th century. It was a windy, rainy day, full of fun! We got to see lots of archaeological ruins from all different time periods. What a great day!

Sisters!

Right now I am watching Little Women with Chelsea, and the movie reminded me of my sisters, and how much I miss them. At one part of the movie, Amy asks her older sister if she loves a boy more than her, and Jo replies: "Don't be silly! I could never love anyone more than I love my sisters!" So this is a blog for my sisters, who I love...and Aaron, too, since I would feel bad cropping him out of the photo, and it's the only one I have.




Yeah, we're an odd bunch.

A Blog of Appreciation...

I forgot--the pictures above (and a lot more to come) are not mine. They're Chelsea's. So this is a thank-you blog, to Chelsea, for aiding the handicapped picture takers of the world.

So I realized I haven't mentioned some very basic things about my stay here in Jerusalem. In an effort to improve my blogging skills, I have put together a photo guided tour of what living in Jerusalem is like (for me, at least!):





These are my roommates, Carly, Chelsea and Lauren, on our first Sunday here.


Chelsea and me, very happy about dinner in Egypt.


Carly, Chelsea and Lauren




Me eating at the Oasis, our cafeteria. The food is great!



And this is what I get to wake up to every morning! :)

So as you all have probably figured out, I'm not the best blogger. I'm also not the best at taking pictures. But for now, this is all I have to offer—I’m trying to improve! I'm having a wonderful time, and I can't wait to share my pictures and experiences with you all when I get back!

Scrabble Sabbath

Today is Shabbat, and it has been a great day! It has been raining pretty hard here, and the wind has been blowing all night. Today during church, there was a huge storm, which we watched through the windows in the chapel. The thunder and lightning was pretty intense, and I loved it! Later, we (my friends Nycole and Jacob, and my roommate Lauren) played Scrabble, which is our new tradition, “Scrabble Sabbath”. I lost. :) All in all—it’s been a good day!

V-Day

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. This is a great opportunity to let everyone in my life know how much I appreciate and love them. I am so grateful for you all! I think Valentine's Day is also a good time to reflect on how much love can make a difference in a world of war and hatred. Tolerance and love have healing power, so take advantage of it, and love your family, friends, neighbors, and all your fellow human beings. I hope you all have a wonderful day, full of love! Shalom!

Exodus to Egypt

">

Okay, our first day on the road. We stopped a few times on the way to the border, and then stayed the night at a kibbutz, which is a small community out in the middle of the desert, who support each other solely within the community.

Some pictures of our stops:

The Wilderness of Zin, where the host of Israel wandered for 40 years

A Nabataean trading post, where the remains of Byzantine church also lay.

More to come--promise!

More Egypt Pictures

Sorry I haven't posted more details!! Tomorrow is Shabbot, and I will have lots of time to update. For now, here are more pictures (start from the bottom)! 1) A statue of Ramses in Luxor 2) and 3)Temple of Ramses 4) a boat on the Nile 5)Karnak 6) the Mohammad Ali mosque.

Egypt

Okay everyone, I am sorry for not updating my blog--I've been in Egypt for the last 8 days, with no computers or phones. There will be extensive blogging about my trip, I promise, but for now, here's some pictures!!

Contact Info

My email address, for those who do not know it (cough, cough...Amy...) is:

shampooster@gmail.com

Shalom!

Inauguration Day

Being over in Israel is wonderful, but I definitely have an appreciation for my life back in the States. So this blog entry is just a brief expression of gratitude for all I have in my life, for nice bathrooms and clean water, to say the least. I look forward to this new time in our nation's history, under new leadership. I have great hopes for President Obama, and his contributions to our nation and to the world. Shalom to you all, and I truly mean that-- peace to all.

Dome of the Rock

So today was a great day! We went to the Dome of the Rock, which was incredible. The temple mount, or the Haram-esh-Sharif according to Muslims, was a almost surreal experience, when I think about the history behind the site. It was a long walk, and we had to go through Israeli checkpoints, but it was worth it. The Al Aqsa mosque, on the opposite end of the sit, was beautiful, and the Dome, right across from it was amazing. The colors and designs were very intricate and unique. We tried to see the rock through the windows of the Dome (the shrine houses the rock where Mohammad stepped as he was taken into heaven, and is where Muslim women go to worship; men go to Al-Aqsa). Anyways, it’s been a good day. Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom!

Today is Shabbat , or the Sabbath, for the Jews, and for us at the Center. It started yesterday evening, at 4:59, and we got to participate in welcoming in Shabbat with the Jews at the Western Wall (known as the Wailing Wall). Hundreds of Jews go to the only remnant of their temple at sunset, and sing and pray, touching the wall and rocking back and forth. There are hundreds of little scraps of paper stuck in the crevices of the stone; these are prayers, which are worth a thousand prayers anywhere else. All around us were these huge circles of people clapping, dancing and singing, celebrating their Sabbath. The men and women were separated by a wall, and we could see the top of all the men’s’ kippahs bobbing up and down as they danced. Some of us got caught up in the celebration (people would just randomly grab onto to you and pull you in—that’s what happened to me!). It amazed me how joyous everyone was. It was definitely an experience of a life time!!

Pictures

I haven't really been able to post pictures, and I won't be able to put much up in the future, but here are some for now, in order the pictures are of:

--Me and some friends eating falafals!
--Nabi Samwil--the ruins of the crusader church
--the outside of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
--This is from outside my room, on the balcony, and is picture of the Old City and the Dome of the Rock