Putting down roots
These feelings of confusion and distress at feeling I have finally found a place here were amplified a little earlier when my friend Alicia arrived in the beginning of the month of March and stayed with me a week. Jess, our mutual friend was also able to join us during her vacation and we had a grand time reliving our college days and doing a little sightseeing. It was so nice to see her and remember what it is that I’m all about, my dreams and ideals from before. She also brought me clothes I bought online, and Easter candy, so I was excessively giddy, like Christmas. We went down to At-Tuwani village and stayed overnight and then toured Hebron, over my weekend, and that was really interesting for me and hopefully for Alicia too. It was a bit cold and rainy though, not the usual for Palestine. Showing her around my ‘home’ here felt so comfortable and I realized that I have quite adapted and established myself in some ways in the community. It is going to be so hard to pick up and leave again…
So last Sunday the young adult bible study I am a part of that is mainly comprised of Lutheran types went to the Lutheran World Federation at Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives to plant an olive tree that we purchased with a $1000 donation to the hospital. We decided to put it very near the offices where it could be well tended. It was a kind of emotional process, and I felt like planting this tree for posterity, to bring olives and olive oil and financial support to the hospital was sort of acknowledging our farewell, early perhaps. We had a good time with it, picking out the location, digging the perfect hole, getting the angle correct and watering our new tree. Maybe it will be easier to go back home knowing that I’ve really, literally left roots here for generations to come.
See photos of Haifa and Akko here.
See photos of At-Tuwani and tree planting here.
