Day of Hope

Hi friends!

I'm writing to you from gate C8 at the Ben Gurion airport. My passport is stamped, my ticket is printed and stuffed inside, and the students of Europe Semester 2011 sit on their computers, mingle and chat about their  duty free purchases, they share nostalgic thoughts. We're really good at waiting now, we make ourselves way too much at home wherever we are! We're all trying to avoid thinking too much about how our adventure is ending, we're still together and it's just a normal travel day, right?

This sunday was the first sunday of Advent, as many of you know. I love Advent! Alex, Tiff and I went to the the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer for church this Sunday where they had the little kids light the first candle on the wreath, the candle of Hope, of expectation for better things to come.

We have learned so much about the conflict here in Israel/Palestine! We have talked to a number of Palestinians who are adamant about holding onto hope for freedom, they call the Israeli's presence in Palestine "occupation", it's a state where they have to have permission to go to Jerusalem, where the Israeli government cuts off their water in the summer for 20 days, where Gaza's resources are so monitored that each person is limited to a 1600 calorie diet. They are hurting, but they have hope for freedom.

At the same time, we talked to several Israelis who are glowing with their new country, who feel that this is finally the place where their people can settle, cultivate the land, their culture, language, and the new generation. With a past filled with persecution, they have hope for a secure future.

And me? I have hope that I get to come home! I'm so excited! It's going to be Christmas when we fly in! I'm so sad to leave my 43 family members, for us to empty our suitcases for the last time and put them in the closet and only be in contact through phones and e-mail and skype and such. That said, now we have this incredible trip to be the foundations of great friendships to come, and I can finally have time to mentally and emotionally unpack this trip.

I can't wait to see you all! I'm coming back home!