PALESTINE - Part 7 Young Life in the Middle East

So we had business to do on this trip, namely Young Life, which means serious, as in, serious fun, but still serious because relationships with others are important and a relationship with God is serious but if these relationships (with others and God) aren't also fun then I might have to question the quality of either relationship.

This was my question: Does Young Life work in the Middle East? In other words, does Young Life's recipe of meeting people where they're at, on their turf, on their terms, with no agenda accept to serve as the best representative of Jesus we can be really work in a part of the world where it appears everyone has already made up their mind?


We arrived in Zababdeh to find out. Yousef has been doing Young Life there for two years. Zababdeh is a historically Christian city; it's the traditional place Jesus met and healed the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). Currently, the 15,000 Christian and Muslim inhabitants live in relative peace with one another. Together, they suffer the frustrations of Israeli occupation; though it is more like a cloud than an ever-present torment. (I have more I could write about this, but I won't. There is plenty of blame to spread around, including America.)

football buddies

Back to Zababdeh. We arrived for arabic coffee and dessert. A note on arabic coffee: it's an acquired taste. That's my theory. I haven't acquired it yet. It is more caffeinated sauce than caffeinated beverage. Our team met the Young Life team while I played football (the true international language) in the street. We heard Yousef tell the story of Young Life here, then we walked to Young Life club.



Kids showed up in clumps. Twos, threes, five giggling girls, two shy guys...seventy of them by the time things started. We were in this finished basement of an unfinished house (there was no house).

Club House

Hunter did the ice cream hula hoop skit. I've done the same skit for years. It worked like a charm. Kids laughed. Walls were broken down. A Young Life leader led a mixer involving clothes pins. I did the same skit the week before at my club at Forsyth Country Day School!



The leaders played a couple more games, one I might take home with me, then Yousef gave a talk. And just like in the clubs I've been to all over the United States, the kids listened. They were engaged, rapt absorbing every word. It was amazing. It's always amazing.



Watching the leaders hang out with their teenage friends was like watching the way I want my leaders to hang out with their teenage friends here in North Carolina.

We spent the evening with them, laughing, singing, dancing, and telling stories. I told them, Yousef had to translate, that there was no difference in my opinion between these young men and women leaders than the young men and women that lead with me here in America. In my opinion, they could be Young Life leaders in America someday. Yousef said he wouldn't translate that part. I said, "Why?" He said, "It would make them too happy." He told them anyway. They were happy.

Leaders:

















Young Life works. I was convinced. But I actually had another experience that gave me personal proof.



The next day we were in Jericho. You know, the place where the walls knocked down. We were at the Oasis hotel, a five star...oasis...in the dessert. It was nice. We had a few hours to kill before dinner, so I awkwardly found my way in my shorts past other fully clothed (I mean fully clothed) guests to the gym. I lifted some weights. Pretty much all of them. There weren't that many. Then, ran on the treadmill in kilometers per hour. (It seemed longer than miles per hour). I don't know why.

Anyway, out of the corner of my eye I saw a ping pong table. Now that's what I call five star! I challenged the Keshians to singles. Took Nancy down. Then Rich. I was feeling it. Some Palestinian guys walked in and challenged me. I took on the bigger of the two. I'll call him Raj. I walloped him. But we had a good time. He cussed after every point - in perfect diction. It was great.

Hunter came in and we played Raj and his buddy in doubles. It was a heated, explicative-laced, death match. The Americans won. Raj, his friend, Hunter and I talked until dinner time.

Later, Hunter led our group in a little business meeting (see, business trip). I played a few songs. On the way back to my room this group of teenagers yell at me. Turns out, Raj was with them. They asked me if I could play for them. I said sure. Then Raj's buddy started singing Country Roads. I accompanied him. We laughed. They asked me if I knew any Jason Mraz. We sang I'm yours. Then on to Taylor Swift, Enrique Iglesias, etc. The result is probably on youtube somewhere. I haven't looked. It was unbelievable. We talked for awhile. I introduced Hunter and Yousef to them and headed to bed. Yousef ended up talking to Raj for about a half an hour. They're going to meet up in Nablus this week to talk some more. All that from ping pong.

That's Young Life.



Can't wait to see how the Lord my use them!

ISRAEL - Part 6 The Food

The staple wherever we went was pitas, hummus, and "salad" which consisted of several plates including marinated red cabbage, cucumber and tomato salad, tabouli, and medley of sweet peppers. These were often accompanied by meat, usually arriving on skewers.

Other mainstays were Schwarma. Basically, meat in a pita.

And falafel, which is basically fried chick pea balls in a pita.

Lots of pitas.

Good thing I love pitas.

A friend of mine advised me to eat falafel in Jerusalem, which is advice well-taken to all of you heading to Jerusalem any time soon. Falafel man's falafel will no doubt ruin every other falafel experience I will have for the rest of my life.

Correct falafel eating technique

Me and the Falafel Man

Some other memorable meals during the trip:

(1) The first morning, I befriended the chef (surprise, surprise) who in exchange for my friendship cooked me up an omelet I will never soon forget. It was your basic pepper, tomato and onion job with one subtle twist. A spice. I knew I knew it. I just couldn't figure out what it was. Finally, I asked him what it was. He said, "Mint." Mint in an omelet. Who would have thunk? Brilliant.

(2) Eating fish heads (it was actually Lia's fish head) by the Sea of Galilee brought back some serious memories from my time in Kenya when I used to eat kichwa cha samaki. It's a Swahili old wives tale that if you eat kichwa cha samaki (fish heads) you get smarter. I was hoping it would help me with Swahili. This time I was hoping I would keep it down.

befriend the fish before eating it

Hunter is hilarious in the background of both these shots

A third meal that I will remember with great fondness, mostly for the company (though the food was exceptional) was with our new friends Gary and Cindy Bayer, perhaps the two most hospitable human beings on God's earth. Much could be said about this couple. I'll leave it at this: they have a simple, clear vision that when realized could quite possibly change the world. It was there we also met the wonderful Erez and Cici (president and first lady of Jerusalem Bible College).

Gary and Cindy

Erez and Cici

A final meal that will remain in my mind was outside Zababida with our Palestinian Young Life friends (more to come on them). I'll also remember it for being my first hookah smoke!

It's all in the stance

Like a pro

Sorry Nancy, I'd photoshop you eyes if I knew how

ISRAEL - Part 5 Mount Arbel

Sometimes the best discoveries come totally by surprise. That's what happened to Hunter, Scott and I on our last day in Galilee. Near our outpost in Nos Ginosar there is a mountain called Arbel. The cliffs there were mouthwateringly close not to give them a shot.



We left before breakfast. Little did we know that there was far more to these cliffs than met the eye. Turns out, and we discovered this en route while we dodged horses and cows with horns, that the cliffs were riddled with caves.









We learned later that these caves go back as far as the Maccabean Rebellion which pre-dates Jesus by over 150 years!

I read this online: Josephus relates that Marc Antony had sent Herod to suppress a rebellion by the Jews (this is 37 B.C.) from Arbel "lurking in caves...opening up onto mountain precipices [that] were inaccessible from any quarter, except by some tortuous and extremely narrow paths leading up to them; the cliff in front of them dropped sheer down..." (Josephus, War 1:305, 310).




It was easy to imagine Jesus and his disciples sheltering out here. Heck, I wanted to shelter out there. Had I known they were there I would have kissed my bed at Nos Ginosar good-bye.





The only bummer was Lia wasn't there. Fortunately, we ended up with an extra 90 minutes in our morning schedule, and I twisted the tour group's arms into going back.





It was a quick, hot, strenuous hike. But it made the Coke at the end all the better.

ISRAEL - Part 4 The Team

Here's our team (plus THE BEST PHOTO BOMBER in history. The girl, second from the right in the back. Internet, do your work. I must know your name! You rock!)

Let me introduce the rest to you...

Hunter -
A true visionary. How about this for a resume: born in the Bible Belt (North Carolina), lived in God's Country (Montana), and settled in the Holy Land?

I have been a fan of his for years, but now I can claim him as a friend (I will still keep my fan status card, thank you)

My appreciation has only increased since getting to know his beautiful wife, Lauri (they have a better engagement(s) story than ours and that's saying something) and their wonderful daughter Haley, who helped me stave off homesickness by giving me three hugs a day.  

Now I miss Haley!

Haley! Visit me with you come to America this summer.

Scott - 
One of my dearest friends. It was an incredible treat to be with him for the week.

He was notoriously late...for everything! On one occasion we left him! It was part because we were on a time table, but I think it really was to teach him a lesson. He says he was stuck behind a police barricade, but his email betrays him ; )

Bruce and Alysia - 

Bruce and I had a moment I'll never forget. 

Picture this: singing the Star Spangled Banner on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. When Bruce throws his arm around me as we belt out the final part... Priceless. 

My moment with Alysia came on the last morning on the terrace in Jerusalem. Thanks Alysia. 

 

Steve and Annaliese - 

Steve is a professional storyteller. Many years ago he and his wife adopted Hunter. Over the course of the week, I think they adopted us. And we couldn't be happier about it! My favorite moment with the Maddox's happened in Jericho. It was dinner. There was wine. And we shared some great stories. (I owe them one actually.)

Annaliese is a professional smile-maker. She put one on me every day.

Allison - 

I have another name for her, but I won't share it.

We go to the same church. It's called Hope.

We didn't spray paint it. Thanks to whoever did.

Check out the smile she put on that camel. That's the kind of gal Allison is.

Mary Hil - 

She was a Young Life gal of mine, and still she turned out amazing!

She brought a lot of fun as well as a horde of snacks. My favorite Mary Hil moment was actually a meal we shared before leaving JFK. By the end of it, I think we had pretty much figured her entire life out. Ha!

And despite being the youngest, she fit in perfect. 

Yousef and Nisreen - 

Zebabdeh (sp?) born and bred. They got married on our anniversary. Yousef has promised to remind me, and vice versa.

One thing I love is Humor is universal. It's one of the fruits of the spirit. Seriously, they'll discover it someday in some ancient scroll (check back this week to read about our trip to Qumran)

And last but certainly not least...

Rich and Nancy - 

They remind Lia and I so much of Lia's parents I began to call Nancy "Sue"

And Rich, "Rich"!

Nancy was my partner in crime. Whenever I wanted to do something crazy, I knew I could count on her to do it with me. Rich got himself in his own trouble. He asked everyone. I mean everyone he met how they would solve the Israeli/Palestinian question. It was unbelievable. He even got cussed out! 

Leela and Me - 

This is us clean.

This is us dirty. 

(Dead Sea blog entry forthcoming as well)