Behind the Wall: Parties and laughter


This picture kind of describes how I'm feeling lately. So worn out!

Including the two weddings I will be attending this weekend, I will have attended two engagement parties, one engagement/bachelorette party, one baptism party, and two weddings in the course of 4 weeks! So yes, I am a little worn out. But these past couple of weeks have also been full of laughter and fun. I've loved getting to know more of the Palestinians in the HLT office, especially my buddy Marwan. He has really taken me under his wing and always makes sure that I am happy and worries if I'm not smiling. He is one of the main people in the non-violence office so he keeps me updated on the non-violence activity across the West Bank.

I was skyping with my parents the other day, and my mom commented that it seems like I laugh a lot here (I was sitting outside at a cafe in Bethlehem). I think this is really true. Some of my happiest times each day are when I am with Palestinian friends and family, talking in Arabic. Arabic brings a lot of joy to any conversation for me, which is good since my friends get a kick out of talking to me in Arabic haha. I love to laugh, whether it is with Marwan, with my host dad and his teasing about my belly (don't worry, I tease him about his belly too haha), or my taxi driver friend Mahmoud who will always take me ANYWHERE I want to go for just 2 1/2 shekels. God has really blessed me with beginning to appreciate what I DO have instead of missing what I don't have.

A couple highlights from recent memory:
-Skyping with Alaina Berg for the first time in over two months! She had been in Peru for an internship for two months, so it was great to hear her voice and be able to catch up some before she headed back to Wheaton.
-Finally getting to see my sister's pregnancy pictures so far. Those twins are growing so fast!!
-Someone I had just met, after we exchanged greetings, asked me if I was Arab! Very exciting.
-Starting interviews for my HLT research next week
-Being able to direct some French tourists around Bethlehem and towards the Church of the Nativity. I snuck in some explanations of the wall and the occupation while we walked. Marwan saw me outside of the office and he was so excited that I was becoming a tour guide!