Yesterday I got to visit the little kiddo I sponsor through World Vision, it was incredible.
I traveled to Jerusalem by myself, with every intent of enjoying the solidarity... and I am, it is soo nice to be alone. Yes all those reading this and shaking their heads thinking, "Yep she will never get married," your probably right. LOL
Okay so back to the trip, it started in Bethlehem at the checkpoint. I had driven through them but never walked. I expected to just show the soldier my passport and walk through the gate. It didn't happen like that. After walking through the gate, constructed paths with barriers on all sides lead you to an uderground terminal. Much like the airport, I had to put all my things on the belt and they were scanned. Before you can retrieve your items a soldier checks your ID. If you are Palestinian and traveling from checkpoint to checkpoint and into different sections you have to get a permit. So you show them your permit, Palestinian ID #, and they scan your hand. The young man in front of me had some problems with the hand scanner and it took him about ten minutes to get past. I flashed a US passport and walked right through, at that moment I felt a distinct feeling of privelage that I had never felt before. The feeling stuck with me as we rode to the World Vision office in Jerusalem.
Once we arrived at the WV office on Mount of Olives I met with the staff and had a security breifing. The security briefing was intense and Tako, yea that is his name, kept telling me, "I don't mean to scare you." The project where my little boy lives is in a village called Kufraldik in the Silfit District. It is surrounded by settlements and much of the land and roads nearby are under IDF control. Needless to stay it doesn't make for very happy Palestinian residents. Tako went over what to do if I was tear gased or if rubber bullets were fired. What to do if I was shot at or if soldiers were hassling me. What else... oh yes, the sound bombs, he went over that too. Are you scared yet? :)
Here is the irony, it was the most peaceful place I have been to. Silfit is in the mountains and a longer trip then I had expected. Once we arrived in the city I was taken to the office and met with the project manager and the rest of the staff. He briefed me on what they were doing in the area. Their efforts inlcuded; empowering women, building a school, teaching locals how to cultivate the land, and a new livestock plan to give 90 families 2 sheep. He also told me how the money I send every month is dispersed. It doesn't go directly to the family, but rather serves the community as a whole. For instance my boy can go to school now because they built one, his father can cultivate the land and provide for the family, etc.
After my time at the office we drove down to the village. One of the staff members showed me the sewage valley where the sewage from the settlements goes and pollutes the water of the residents. There are so many things happening here, it is hard to comprehend them let alone portray the raw emotion that comes along with them in blog. We kept driving further into the mountains and after the smell faded we arrived at the Mayor's office. I met with him chatted for a bit and waited for the boy to come.
Ayem walked in and didn't even look up. Once in front of me he looked into my eyes and extended his hand and said, "Hello," in English. That was the best part, he become very quiet after that. I had an interpretor but I think he was super nervous and overwhelmed by all the people and this lady sitting by him with pale skin and blue eyes. I spoke to him a bit in Arabic and he got more comfortable as time went on and showed me his school and his home. He said he was on the honor roll at school and wanted to be astronaut. I asked him if he wanted to go to school in America, and he very distinctly answerd with a no. It was the first time I wished I could speak better Arabic, I wanted to talk to him so badly.
I couldn't go into his home because his mother was resting after recently having a baby girl. His father and sister were also along and showed us a spring that was polluted. Later we stopped and I got the kids some snacks. I wanted to stay longer, it was Ayem's birthday and he turned ten. The family was having a cake and party and invited me to join them but the staff had to get back. We were not expecting the trip to be so long. My pickup on the Jerusalem side of the Bethlehem checkpoint was at 9:30 and we didn't arrive back on Mount of Olives until 4:30. It was perfect though, not many people have chances like this. I am excited to watch him grow in letters and pictures and maybe come back to his graduation someday.
What is next? Today I am walking around Jerusalem. A kind of faith walk in the steps of Jesus. So later I will tell you all about it.
PS: Don't give me a hard time, the spell check wasn't working. :)
I traveled to Jerusalem by myself, with every intent of enjoying the solidarity... and I am, it is soo nice to be alone. Yes all those reading this and shaking their heads thinking, "Yep she will never get married," your probably right. LOL
Okay so back to the trip, it started in Bethlehem at the checkpoint. I had driven through them but never walked. I expected to just show the soldier my passport and walk through the gate. It didn't happen like that. After walking through the gate, constructed paths with barriers on all sides lead you to an uderground terminal. Much like the airport, I had to put all my things on the belt and they were scanned. Before you can retrieve your items a soldier checks your ID. If you are Palestinian and traveling from checkpoint to checkpoint and into different sections you have to get a permit. So you show them your permit, Palestinian ID #, and they scan your hand. The young man in front of me had some problems with the hand scanner and it took him about ten minutes to get past. I flashed a US passport and walked right through, at that moment I felt a distinct feeling of privelage that I had never felt before. The feeling stuck with me as we rode to the World Vision office in Jerusalem.
Once we arrived at the WV office on Mount of Olives I met with the staff and had a security breifing. The security briefing was intense and Tako, yea that is his name, kept telling me, "I don't mean to scare you." The project where my little boy lives is in a village called Kufraldik in the Silfit District. It is surrounded by settlements and much of the land and roads nearby are under IDF control. Needless to stay it doesn't make for very happy Palestinian residents. Tako went over what to do if I was tear gased or if rubber bullets were fired. What to do if I was shot at or if soldiers were hassling me. What else... oh yes, the sound bombs, he went over that too. Are you scared yet? :)
Here is the irony, it was the most peaceful place I have been to. Silfit is in the mountains and a longer trip then I had expected. Once we arrived in the city I was taken to the office and met with the project manager and the rest of the staff. He briefed me on what they were doing in the area. Their efforts inlcuded; empowering women, building a school, teaching locals how to cultivate the land, and a new livestock plan to give 90 families 2 sheep. He also told me how the money I send every month is dispersed. It doesn't go directly to the family, but rather serves the community as a whole. For instance my boy can go to school now because they built one, his father can cultivate the land and provide for the family, etc.
After my time at the office we drove down to the village. One of the staff members showed me the sewage valley where the sewage from the settlements goes and pollutes the water of the residents. There are so many things happening here, it is hard to comprehend them let alone portray the raw emotion that comes along with them in blog. We kept driving further into the mountains and after the smell faded we arrived at the Mayor's office. I met with him chatted for a bit and waited for the boy to come.
Ayem walked in and didn't even look up. Once in front of me he looked into my eyes and extended his hand and said, "Hello," in English. That was the best part, he become very quiet after that. I had an interpretor but I think he was super nervous and overwhelmed by all the people and this lady sitting by him with pale skin and blue eyes. I spoke to him a bit in Arabic and he got more comfortable as time went on and showed me his school and his home. He said he was on the honor roll at school and wanted to be astronaut. I asked him if he wanted to go to school in America, and he very distinctly answerd with a no. It was the first time I wished I could speak better Arabic, I wanted to talk to him so badly.
I couldn't go into his home because his mother was resting after recently having a baby girl. His father and sister were also along and showed us a spring that was polluted. Later we stopped and I got the kids some snacks. I wanted to stay longer, it was Ayem's birthday and he turned ten. The family was having a cake and party and invited me to join them but the staff had to get back. We were not expecting the trip to be so long. My pickup on the Jerusalem side of the Bethlehem checkpoint was at 9:30 and we didn't arrive back on Mount of Olives until 4:30. It was perfect though, not many people have chances like this. I am excited to watch him grow in letters and pictures and maybe come back to his graduation someday.
What is next? Today I am walking around Jerusalem. A kind of faith walk in the steps of Jesus. So later I will tell you all about it.
PS: Don't give me a hard time, the spell check wasn't working. :)
