Living Life to its Fullest

October 26, 2010

Just a couple of weeks ago 5 years ago I embarked on my first service trip.  That trip was to the Gulf Coast in Ocean Springs, Mississippi with several members from my church, and my family.  I can still remember clearly the drive down Interstate 81 through the Smokey Mountains, and the beautiful fall foliage.  The work we did there in Mississippi post Katrina forever changed my life.  I was exposed to an entirely new world in that one week along the Gulf Coast that has been heavy on my mind these past few weeks.  So much of who I am today is shaped from that time I spent there along the Gulf Coast cleaning and listening to others stories.  Quite frankly, I do not know if I would be here in the Holy Land today if it was not for that trip.  There are so many things that have fallen in place for me throughout the past five years, which I know God is guiding me on such a journey that will be instrumental in my future. 

Recently I read a post made by the YAGM webpage on Facebook, and have been thinking about this quote that was posted…

"Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks--we will also find our path of authentic service in the world." --Parker Palmer

This journey that started only two months ago has transformed me already in so many ways, and writing this entry has been a multiple day endeavor.  There is no doubt that there are some times when everything seems so clear, and then the times when the fog will never lift.  The fog has settled in this week for me, and every thought is just one flowing indistinguishable idea.  I feel a heavy weight on me on trying to figure out official plans for the coming year, where I will go, what I am going to do, and how to describe this place.  I have been trying to think about what questions people may have back home for me, and how to formulate my blog entries in a way that can explain my daily life here. 

This is when I look to the quote I mentioned above, and truly know that I am growing into my own authentic self-hood which is unveiling so many things to me.  I feel so fortunate that my journey of service work with others coincided so well with my call to Seminary.  The two paths were running parallel for a little bit, but I quickly realized that there was no escaping a call to ministry.  I always find it interesting that the perception of someone going to Seminary is some idealized individual that seems to have everything going for them, and the idea that a person has to be perfect or strive to be.  No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes in life which makes us all human, and although this image does not conform to some image that people may want to see, it is the image that we need to live by.  We are flawed, but that is what makes us strive to be better.  Knowing that we will never be perfect, but will work towards a better way of life. 

There is just a sense of knowing when something is right, and that what you are doing is what’s supposed to be.  I have been thinking a lot about the fall season back home, cooler temperatures, great baked food, and the advent of the holiday season.  The reason why this has been on my mind the past few days is because today I taught two classes about Halloween, traditions with the holiday, and decorating for the fall season.  This is such an exciting time of year, and telling the students about this today was taking me back to recent memories of fall at Susquehanna.  Thinking about all of the things from past fall seasons back at home made me realize how well all of those experiences have prepared me for being here in Palestine.  My exposure to all of the different activities and customs for this time of year here in Palestine has been amazing also.  Yes, of course this is completely different then picking pumpkins, tying together corn stocks, or being able to wear jeans, a sweatshirt, and flip-flops and be comfortable, it is extraordinary in so many ways.  I mean this past Saturday we picked olives on the Mount of Olives and could see all of Jerusalem from the one side, and on a clear day see the Dead Sea and Jordan on the other side of the Mount.  Doing things like this is boggling my mind more and more.  I guess initially I was just like wow, this is so incredible…but now I am blown away by the role that I have here in the coming year. 

There is such an important role that I have being here, and I think I am beginning to realize this.  This opportunity is one that is beyond any of my wildest dreams growing up, and now that it is here I am beginning to see what I need to be…not do.  I have mentioned the role of being in most of my posts, but I think I know where to look to see how I need to be.  Sure we can all run on the adrenaline at first to be able to do whatever, or just be in the situation that you are in and soak everything in that you can but a greater sense of being seems to come from knowing that whatever I am doing or being, someone is looking to see not only what my reaction is, but how I am reacting.  Attitude, charisma, and enthusiasm are all a part of “growing into our own authentic self-hood.”  How can we grow into an authentic self-hood without being completely exposed to others, showing them your true self, not being afraid of what they think…because this could destroy a person’s heart and soul if they take it to hard.  I find this idea of being completely open to others is the way to earning someone’s trust, because if I expose my personality to scrutiny then, I am proving to others that I am not afraid to show others who I am and that we can share anything. 

I guess I have been doing a lot of self reflection over this blog post, and not as much about what I am doing but there just comes a point where things have to be put down into words so that they are not weighing down anymore.  I definitely believe this is part of the journey when a person is living in a completely new culture, lifestyle, and overall view of existence in this world. 

The routines of the past few weeks have been a blessing for me to start processing all of these thoughts.  One of these routines is taking five or so minutes in the morning before school to listen to two songs at random on my iTunes, and use that time to just do nothing.  Those few minutes are what center me for the coming day, and even though I never did this in the past I have found that time to be my mine, and mine alone which is quite nice considering I can listen to English to start my day.  Another great time that I have found for self-reflection has been my drives to and from Bethlehem on the weekends.  The journey is long, bumpy, and fast paced, but I just switch over my thinking to a nice slow paced train of thought free of worry and just focused on being in the now, and loving every minute of it.

Life is such a beautiful thing, and my wish for everyone is to do what you are passionate about.  Do not avoid doing something thinking that you will do it sometime in the future, because to be honest life flies by and there might not be another chance.  Live life with no regrets, and if some come along the way know that they have made you that much stronger for the future because you persevered.  May the peace of God be with you always, throughout the coming months and may God be with you with whatever confrontation you have in you life.

Salaam Always,

David      

The Fruits of our Work

October 10, 2010

So, today was without a doubt one of the best days I have had here and now it is time to try to articulate it here haha.  Here it goes!

I had to wake up a bit early (around 6:30am) to allow enough time to make it to Ramallah by 10:30am for church which was a bit of a struggle to say the least.  The drive this morning on the taxi (aka…service and container) was very different then the past few trips I have made.  The cool morning air was very refreshing walking to the Bethlehem bus station, and the visibility this morning of the surrounding countryside was breathtaking!  One of my friends pointed out that the way the taxi goes to Ramallah is likely similar to the route that Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem, and this journey is one that is difficult enough in a vehicle.  The huge hills that they would have crossed over, the rocky terrain and the unpredictable weather would have been unreal for them to endure.  One of the most beautiful things about the journey is how much you can see on a clear day.  This morning, I could see the Jordanian mountains and the Mount of Olives at the same time!  One of the most amazing, and depressing things about being here is how close all of these different places are, but because of checkpoints everywhere, walls, fences, and other boundaries travel takes hours longer than necessary.  I find it so hard to believe that everything is so close together.  When I read the Bible before coming here I thought of these places being so far apart, but in reality several areas can be seen at one place on top of some of these hills.  I can not help but think, “so close, but yet so far,” because after living here I believe the saying had to have come from this region for sure. 

Today after church, one of the teachers’s at my school picked me up and took me to his village.  This experience was one that I will forever remember and cherish as being so enlightening for me.  The funny thing was that it was not what was being said that was so profound, rather the silence that we had sitting under the olive trees that we picked from and just admiring the surrounding hillsides, caves, and the shepherds tending their sheep.  The serenity of those moments just opened my eyes to the pure beauty of this land here in Palestine.  Sitting there on the hillside and walking around the teacher’s house picking olives off the trees was just amazing, and I felt so privileged to take part in this tradition because olives are the heart and soul of agriculture, sustenance, and much more here in Palestine.  The olive picking season is a wonderful time of the year as the maintenance and care that was given to these trees is now yielding a new life source for the coming months.  These small olives mean so much to the lives of every Palestinian family, and I feel like I have a much better understanding of this now.  I am sure this task of picking olives may seem mundane to some people, but I feel like I was deeply involved with a very historical aspect of Palestinian culture today that everyone needs to know about.

While traveling through these different areas of Palestine I am a witness to some of the most cherished land in the world to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, but the time I spend in community with the people who live here is often more real to me then visiting some of these historical sights.  Of course being at Nativity Church, the Holy Sepulchre, and the Mount of Olives are forever going to be in my mind as life changing moments for me, but the people I have met have already changed me in so many ways.  Their perseverance keeps these stories alive so that we may come to this land and understand what we are looking at and experiencing, and we have the responsibility to tell their stories to everyone we meet when we return from our journey.

May we all be good shepherds of faith as we enter new places in our lives, so that we may be open to everyone regardless of their beliefs, and simply see everyone as our brothers and sisters in faith.  May the peace of God be with you all!

Peace always,

David

The Season is a Changing

October 9, 2010

First off, happy October to everyone back home!  I am sure the leaves are looking beautiful, and everyone is excited to wear their jeans, sweatshirts, and flip-flops…haha.  The weather here is finally getting a bit cooler, which is amazing and we will start to get some rain soon!  There is still a few weeks left for swimming in the Mediterranean or Dead Sea, but the cooler weather is a much needed blessing right now.  I find everything very ironic right now that the season is changing, because as the season is changing…I am seeing big changes in myself. 

The changes that are occurring in my thought process are rather a change of my perception of life.  For instance, today I talked to one of my friends about how excited I am for the fall and winter season and especially Christmas.  In our discussion we talked about what church we were going to go to on Christmas Eve and what sleeping arrangements we can make so we can all be together.  The most interesting thing was that I did not even think about how we can get Christmas presents to where we were going, or how much food we would need for everyone.  The one thing going through my head was making sure we could all be able to be together for the Holiday.  The traditions of exchanging presents, the perfect holiday meal, and many other activities are important to remembering others that are not with us anymore, but when the resources are not available to do these extravagant things we know that our friends and family are what make these traditions come alive.  Although the presence of all the YAGM’s will be missed at their homes as the holidays come upon us, know that those times spent with family and friends at home are making us very strong as we share our loving kindness with the new people in our lives in our respective country placements.

I always have to laugh that it takes going so far away from what you know and are comfortable with, to be a witness to the simple things in life that truly make all the difference in the world.  The simple things in life are what keep us going, keep us comfortable in foreign areas, and bring us back to the wonderful untarnished things in life.  Part of my journey this year is to live simply and yes that means monetary simplicity but I believe simple living is far more than this.  My mindset has changed to a more “being” style of living, rather than focused on “doing”.  I have mentioned this several times before in my blog, but I do feel like this operation of living is a strong guiding force for me right now.  In any type of service work, a volunteer wants something tangible to show the supporters of their journey, but the impact that we hope to have on the people in our community is something that requires time to build and will likely never have a finished tangible product to show others.  In some of my first service trips that I did with hurricane Katrina clean-up I was happy to do the mucking out, but even happier when we were able to get a lot of houses done in a couple days.  I gradually became more aware of the importance of sharing in the journey with the others that I am serving.  The tangible forms of completion that we want to show others is very good, but the life stories that people tell you will affect those back home in a different way.  This is not to say that it is worse, or better, rather a new perspective of thought that is introspective in a way that goes beyond the dimensions of a new clean house.  Those houses are just that, houses, but the people that live in them and their stories tells us about their home.  A person’s home is wherever they are in community with those that they love and care for, and can always have a person they can rely on when in trouble.  My home, away from home here in Palestine has become such a comfortable place where everything just feels right, and the people I have met make this process so much easier and more fun. 

Family is the source of all worth here in Palestine, and their religious belief does not make this any different because of the importance that family has in this region.  A Palestinian home is the grandparents, aunts and uncles, mother and father, and children all living in one house or at least relatively close to one another.  This has made me think of the way how we live in America, and yes it is very different, but we all come together as one when we want and need to.  The close network that families have here in Palestine is quite amazing to be a part of whenever entering a friend’s home, and I am looking forward to implementing this rare unconditional warm hospitality in my own life when I return to the States.  There is just something to how Palestinians go head over heals to make sure that you are happy, comfortable, and most importantly well fed.  Another aspect of Palestinian homes is that they are built to be unfinished on the top so that if the family continues to grow, they will simply add on to the top.  I love this also because it is a great symbol of hope for the future, and that the future is never closed off. 

Over the past few weeks I have been able to sit in on several tour groups that came to Ramallah, and actually did a little bit of tour guiding myself on our way to Bethlehem.  The funny thing was that through those trips I also found myself meeting so many people that are very familiar with where I am from in Pennsylvania, and know about Susquehanna University.  In America everyone jokes how small the Lutheran world is, and let me tell you it gets even smaller when you travel outside of the country.  I can not believe how many people I have met that have lived in York PA at one time in their life, or have traveled through the area.  Each time I meet a new tour group we go through the normal where you are from, what are you doing here, and each time now I want to say that most of the time I am not “doing” rather just being in the moment of whatever situation is in front of me.  My times spent with these different groups with people from places like Norway, Australia, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, the States, and many other places has been so enlightening to hear their questions and see the response of my new friends at the School of Hope.  These tour groups come in for a week or two, and are full of so many questions about the area here and I can clearly remember feeling the same way when I also first arrived.  Now, there seems to be a sense of knowing that I do not know anything, and each week here shows me how many layers there are to the conflict here in the Holy Land.

The holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and many others that are only a couple months away are going to be here before we know it.  This time of joining with family, friends, and loved ones will be a wonderful time that we will rejoice for everything that we have, and enjoy everyday.  As these great times approach us, I ask that we keep in our prayers all the people in the world that daily deal with oppression, strife, and a constant reminder of the barriers that prevent them from doing many activities that they would love to do.  I would also like to thank all of those following my blog, and the prayers that are felt here everyday!

Peace Salaam Shalom,

David