Our May 16-29 pilgrimage days flew rapidly. We met people every day whose ability to remain hopeful amazed us, who brought us to sights and insights that expanded our worldview and our hearts.

While our group was not great at blogging, we were truly great of heart. Pilgrims of Ibillin’s Facebook page has photos and commentary from every day of the trip. If you’re a Facebook user, please “like” our page at https://www.facebook.com/pilgrimsofibillin/.

If you like what you’ve seen from this trip, please consider joining us this fall: http://www.livingstonespilgrimage.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Itinerary-Oct-2017.pdf.

Here’s a collection of photos from the last part of our tour:

Meeting with families of Palestinian Prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli prisons

George Sa’adeh and Rami Elhanan, from the Bereaved Families Circle

Sam tries the water from Jacob’s Well

Father Firas and Usama, our fearless leaders

Sebastian, ruins from Roman era

Liwan Cultural Cafe, Nazareth

Meeting with Elias Abu Ghanima and Emil Haloun at Mar Elias High School

Abuna Elias Chacour addresses 8th grade graduation

In the ruins of a house in Biram

Testing the waters at the Sea of Galilee (Primacy of Peter)

Boating on the Sea of Galilee

Special ice cream in Shefa’amr

Dinner at Samir’s Restaurant in Ramle

Sunday was simply a lovely day, a break from the intensity of the past week, and a chance to renew and refresh. We got to have a leisurely morning before attending worship at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem where we were warmly welcomed as “frequent visitors.”

Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem

Christmas Lutheran Church

A quick return to the hotel to change clothes, and we headed to Qumran for lunch and to explore Qumran, the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, 1900-ish years after they were stashed in clay pots for safekeeping by the Essene Community.

Qumran, amazing day with Jordan easy to see in the distance

Cave 4 at Qumran, where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Last act of the afternoon was swimming (well, floating) in the Dead Sea. Everyone who swam loved it, and the ones who didn’t took photos.

Pat

Elizabeth, Jasmine, and Alycia model at the Dead Sea mud spa.

Charlie

Sam and Elizabeth

We closed the day with a stop at Wadi Qelt where we imagined ourselves into the Good Samaritan story (read for us by Alycia) and enjoyed the desert views, gale-force winds notwithstanding. Usama’s family joined us for the whole afternoon, and it was great to spend it with them.

Alycia

Wadi Qelt — our group in the gale!

It’s sad to think of leaving our Bethlehem home tomorrow. We have loved the kindness and hospitality of everyone in our Holy Land Hotel home.

Saturday, 5.20.2017

We spent the morning in Hebron, afternoon at Tent of Nations, and early evening with George Sa’adeh and Rami Elhanan of the Bereaved Families Circle. Words fail. Maybe pictures will hint at today’s powerful experiences. Check out Pilgrims of Ibillin’s Facebook Page for more photos and caption-descriptions of a full, challenging, inspiring day: https://www.facebook.com/pilgrimsofibillin/. While you are there, please “like” our page!

Open Shuhada Street

Before 1994, this part of Shuhada Street housed shops selling fine gold and silver jewelry. Now filled with trash from settlers.

Checkpoint!

Memorial to Abraham. Seen here from within the Ibrahimi Mosque.

After a truly inspiring hour at the Tent of Nations, Jasmine and Daoud share a moment.

Capping an incredible day, we heard from George Sa’adeh and Rami Elhanan as they shared their painful stories of each losing a daughter to the violence of the Occupation, and of committing their lives to the hard work of peacemaking. Check out the Bereaved Families Circle, website and YouTube videos.