Saturday, May 18
~ Ellen Rasmussen

My heart has grown bigger because of the love and care shown to me by my overnight hosts. “Treat this as your home,” they said. And it was better than true. Through laughter, story, and hospitality, friendships were made, prayers were prayed, and peace, a just peace solidified its place in our hearts.

My hosts have been dealing with some health issues and their community showed much love and care coming in and out throughout the evening. Much coffee, tea, candy and dessert was shared throughout the night. As their family and friends came to wish them well, the “stranger” in their midst was included.

From the patio, to the living room, and to the garden, the seeds of new relationships were planted so be that be love may grow. In the morning as I prepared to leave, my hostess blessed me with a gift of a fresh picked lemon from their garden.

Friday, May 17
~ by Mark Laux

Our last morning at the Mar Elias Guest House in Ibillin dawned like every other. Shortly after sunrise the beautiful voice of the Lebanese singer Fairuz was broadcast over loudspeakers for all in the surrounding neighborhood to hear. Singing in Arabic “Ya Oum Allah,” we are hearing a heartfelt prayer to Mary, Mother of God. “Oh Mother of God, Oh compassionate one, Oh treasure of mercy and hope. You are our refuge and in you we place our hope.” Fairuz is paying homage to a Jewish woman revered by the Palestinian Christians indigenous to this land along with the Muslim population now observing Ramadan. In fact, Mary is explicitly identified in the Quran as the greatest of all women. As we prepare to travel to Nazareth this morning, I have Mary on my mind.

On arrival in Nazareth we proceeded to the Basilica of the Annunciation, a 20th century structure built on one of the earliest Christian holy sites associated with Mary. Pilgrims were visiting from around the world, and a mass was being celebrated in Vietnamese. I was moved by the many beautiful representations of Mary painted, sculpted and crafted by artists from around the world. Nearby we toured the excavation of an ancient church, home and tomb beneath the convent of the Sisters of Nazareth. Mary, Joseph and Jesus may well have walked the floors of these structures.

For lunch we were hosted by Sally Azzam, co-founder of the Liwan Culture Cafe (https://www.facebook.com/liwannazareth/) which is committed to preserving and sharing Palestinian cultual identity with visitors to Nazareth.

After crossing into the West Bank from Israel we ended our day in Zababdeh at the home of Father Firas Khoury Diab, pastor of St. George Melkite Catholic Church. Joe and I were warmly accommodated overnight by Fr. Diab’s neibor, Khaleda, and her family. Khaleda’s daughter Maria is a student at the Arab-American University in Zababdeh. How fitting it was that this dynamic young woman, representing a new generation of Palestinians, should be named after Mary, beacon of hope.

Thursday, May 16
~ by Cora Shircel

Today our group traveled to Biram to see the destroyed village.

Unfortunately, we had issues with the bus causing a three hour delay before getting to the village. However, during our down time waiting for the bus to be repaired, the group was able to communicate and get to know one another sharing stories and also meeting our guest for the day, Bader, a graduate of Mar Elias High School in Ibillin. It was amazing to be able to hear his perspective on Biram and how these current events have affected his life. After learning the story of the villages, visiting Biram first hand made the destruction and violence a surreal reality.

We then took the bus to the holy sites which ended up short stops due to bus issues, but featured beautiful views of the Sea of Galilee, and a look into the church. I think a great end to the day was relaxing on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee to reminisce on the first century fishing boats. Such beautiful weather and a spectacular view to close the evening.