by Judy Morlan

Crossing the Green Line at the Jalameh Check Point from Palestine into the West Bank was cause for anxiety, but it turned out to be just 2 minutes of conversation by our leader with Israeli soldiers. I’ve been told that it will be quite different when we go from Palestine into Israel, when we will have to show our passports. It is much more difficult for Palestinians to do the same thing. In fact, if you are a male between the ages of 16 and 45, you can rarely get a permit at all, not even to go to Jerusalem!

Father Firas Khoury at the Church of Ten Lepers in Burqin

Father Firas Khoury met us at the Church of Ten Lepers in Burqin. The interior of this Greek Orthodox church was light-filled with fresh flowers and lovely icons. The acoustics were wonderful and when we sang the Doxology it brought tears to my eyes, as has a number of other experiences on this trip.

The visit to the Church of Jacob’s Well was an emotional experience as well… to think that this deep well of cool sweet water was the exact same well that was used by Jacob, and where Jesus met the Samaritan woman and offered her living water. All of us drank from the well and were moved by the experience. It almost seems unreal that I am actually here, where history happened.

Drawing water