So I've been terrible at keeping up with writing in this blog- I've just so enjoyed being disconnected from the electronic world. I've found that not having a cell phone and not accessing the internet constantly has allowed me to really see and experience what's going on around me. It's not until those kinds of things are gone that I've realized what a constant distraction they are.
My time in Jerusalem has been many things- restful, exciting, hot, challenging, educational, fun, frustrating...
Going from a full time school schedule, doing scholarship work, having a job, plus all of my commitments with family, friends and church- Jerusalem has forced me into a place of rest. The idea of being busy doesn't exist for me right now. My days consist of playing guitar in the house of prayer or church for about 3 hours, practicing for at least one, and exploring the city. Generally I have time off in the middle of the day, which is also the heat of the day, so I try to find a cool place to hang out. The Garden Tomb (the location where Jesus was Crucified & the tomb where he was buried) is just a 2 minute walk from the church- and it's a beautiful oasis of trees and shade. I've spent a lot of time at Succat Hallel- a 24-7 HOP that overlooks Mount Zion. Jerusalem is a walking city. Distance is a relevant term- anything that's close when walking means that it's within an hour. Last Sunday night I hung out with some friends and I walked 2 1/2 hours just getting to various places; and this is a hilly city- regardless of where you go, it's uphill both ways.
The ministry to the abused women is complicated- as most of the women coming in are Palestinian, and don't speak English. We need translators for this kind of counseling. At this point we are collecting the womens' stories in order to build a strong case with attorneys. In Jerusalem the greatest problem with any kind of sexual abuse is that the women don't have a voice-- if, for example, a woman gets raped on the streets- it is never her fault. The woman is always the one to blame, and that is why this particular ministry is so powerful and important- because these women have not only been abused, but they've been denied a voice and the ability to be healed from such awful trauma.
Anyways, this is just a brief update-- more to come about marriage customs, holidays, the lunar eclipse from the rooftop, and church in East Jeru.
Hey Michelle! thats great there is a place for abused women,
ReplyDeletesometimes I see young Arab women around the walls of the old city, they look about 25, attractive and well dressed, Im guessing they could be from forced marriages and have left with nothing, or not yet able to leave.
Would be good if you could blog on such a ministry and people like this and folks could help...