Beauty
Beauty. If I had one word to describe my time here so far, I would have to choose that one. The energy of the Egyptians, the hospitality of the Bedouins in Jordan, the honor and passion I saw in every Palestinian, and the diverse landscapes of Israel all fall into this one-word description. All of....
Becoming part of the family
As we approach the end of our time in Guatemala, I have been thinking about my many memories here. Many of these are memories are from the time I鈥檝e spent with my host family. From the first weekend, as they had to listen to me try to speak broken Spanish, to the time when I....
Listening
February 15, 2012 It鈥檚 easy to say 鈥渢ear down the walls!鈥� It鈥檚 easy to say 鈥渨e need peace!鈥� It鈥檚 easy to say these things, but do people actually believe them? Do people want them for the correct reasons? It鈥檚 really hard to listen to this man who doesn鈥檛 believe in the Palestinians. He isn鈥檛 the....
Coban and the K鈥檈kchi
There are many things I have experienced here in Guatemala that I鈥檒l remember for a long time: picking limes off the tree in my backyard, hearing gunshots at night, learning how to salsa dance, the smell of platanos frying in the kitchen, and the satisfaction after understanding a whole conversation in Spanish. But perhaps one....
Making memories and A sojourner’s prayer
One of my favorite parts about being on Cross-cultural in Guatemala is that I am able to stay with a host family. I absolutely love my host family. They have graciously opened their home to me and the parents even call me 鈥渕ija鈥� (their daughter) while my little host sister calls me her 鈥渉ermanita鈥� (even....
Love and Fear in the shadow of the Wall
I have often observed cultures from the perspective of a foreigner, either as one or from the mind of one. My life has been characterized by movement, both permanent and temporary. My roots grow not from living in one land but through relationships and experiences. Being removed from homes I love brings sadness and fear,....
Language. Learning. Laughter. Love. Life.
Our past week has been filled with all of these 鈥淟鈥� words.聽 Our weekend consisted of an excursion to the highlands of Chichicastenango where we stayed for 2 nights at the Ruth and Naomi Project.聽 We were surrounded by another new language, K鈥檌che, which was spoken by many of the natives of this city.聽 We....
Mount Sinai and St. Catharine’s Monastery
Mount Sinai and St. Catharine鈥檚 Monastery After our experiences in Egypt, we took the bus eight hours into the desert, following the path of the Israelites out of Egypt. Once over the Suez Canal (or under, as we traveled through a tunnel underneath) we were in Asia! Egypt technically controls the Sinai after Israel withdrew....
Contrasts and challenges
Buenas D铆as! It is our second week here in Guatemala City and I think I鈥檓 finally starting to become accustomed to Guatemalan life. The Frijoles (beans) and eggs at least once a day, the crazy packed buses and their routes, the men with firearms that you can find on every street and the coffee at....
First insights from Egypt
I think I can speak for most of the group when I say this past week has been a whirl-wind of once in a lifetime experiences, delicious foods, and the start of some great friendships. Since arriving in Egypt, my time here has been what I had hoped it would be and more. I have....