Jerusalem Finally!

We are here. Jerusalem! And it was all that we thought it was going to be and more!!! The first night we actually dropped our stuff off and then went back to Bethlehem where it all started to see a Palestinian dance program. This was one of the coolest things I've seen on the whole trip. I love music and dance as most of you know and it very cool to be so stimulated for 1.5 hours. The dance movement is so hard to explain but I loved watching their hand movements. They were very graceful and yet rhythmic (Note: I also apologize for all the spelling errors on this blog as a whole, the spellcheck doesn't work here). Plus, they did put a political spin on it and yet there was a message of hope at the end. The dancers were also all kids, grades 4-12 probably from the refugee camp that we had visited earlier which made this all the more poignant.

Then, Jerusalem!!! That night we decided to start out with a bang and a group of us (Karis, Mugaas, Lindsay, Mark, John, Daniel, and I and a friend who knows the area) went out in search of a good club or bar. It was also Mugaas and Karis' birthdays so we had more reason to celebrate. :) We found a dance club/bar in the New City and got down. It was a really cool club for a few reasons. First, the music was all very old school and there were a lot of stuff I didn't recognize but yet it was from the US. Second, it was really diverse! The styles of dance varied and we had people from the US, natives of the area, soldiers, travelers, etc. and it was also very racially diverse which we all really appreciated. Dancing style was also a bit of throwback and included forming a circle and watching people try to break dance. Good times!

Then, today we started our tour of the city. We worshipped at the English Service at the Church of the Redeemer which was great. Even though we do not worship at the exact same time, it really reminds me that there are many of us out there, no matter what denomination that all set aside time to worship and praise God and share in the sacarment of Holy Communion all over the world. I felt very connected to the community of Christians today through that. Then, we talked with the pastor (which I will write about later) which was great and he had a lot of really important things to say. Then, we started touring the city.

First, we are staying in the Old City of Jerusalem which has a lot of the classic buildings and historical-religious sites. There is a Jewish, Christian, Armenians, and Muslim Quarter. We toured the Jewish quarter today which was very cool. There are some old ruins and museusm and most importantly, the Western or Wailing Wall which is the only remaining part of the Jewish temple. People go there to pray and worship which is quite the sight. We went there and I got to go up and touch it and pray a little bit and reflect. I don't quite know what I was expecting but it wasn't what I was expecting. I very much respect my Jewish brothers and sisters and their faith and dedication and their hope. And my beliefs are also tied to theirs. Yet, the wall is something that I don't really connect with. And yet, this wall and this hope of the rebuilding of the temple is such an important issue especially with the Dome of the Rock being there in place of the temple. So, I didn't really know how I felt or what I thought. However, the wall felt cold(not cold as in hot cold) and I don't really think I liked the feel and I don't know why. I'll see if I have any answers in the trip.

Shalom and I'm jealous of all of you that get to watch american football today. ;)