Getting Adjusted

Day 4 in Jerusalem:

Damascus Gate

Today is the first day that I have felt adjusted to the jet lag. It has been a more difficult adjustment then I would have thought but the coffee and tea help immensely. On Wednesday Jill gave me my first mini-tour through the Old City. We started in the Muslim quarter via Herod's Gate. Immediately on the inside we saw a "Jewish settlement." I knew this was happening outside the walls in E. Jerusalem but I had no idea that this was happening everywhere. Anyway, Jill went on to show me the Western Wall and Holy Sepulcher and came out the Damascus Gate. The next day I went on a walk with Andrew, the course director, and his son down the Kidron Valley and back into the Old City. This time we went through the Jewish quarter. There was a distinct difference from the Muslim quarter. The Jewish quarter was much newer and cleaner having been built mostly since 1968ish.
Tonight is the start of Yom Kippur, one of the Jew's holiest days. As I understand it, this is a day for Jews to repent and atone with God. It is a somber day of prayer that begins very shortly. Tonight and tomorrow the whole country will be at pretty much a standstill. Jill says it is very hard to get around, everything is closed, and the Israelis are even shutting off the TV. (Maybe a little over the top) So tonight, if all goes well, I want to go to the Western Wall and observe. We aren't sure whether we will get in but it is worth a shot.

Old City from top of Austrian Hospice (Holy Sepulcher: top right;
Church of the Redeemer: top left)

 Now that I am feeling more or less normal I am happy to start working on preparations for the upcoming course "Ways in the Wilderness." This will be my first of three courses here through St. Georges. I can't even begin to reflect how excited I am for next week to come and the course to start. The theme of the course is following the Exodus route. An abridged version of the trip: Wednesday we take off from Jerusalem and travel across the boarder to Egypt. We spend a couple of nights in Cairo exploring the pyramids/sphinx then head south toward the Suez Gulf. Then cross over the gulf to the Sinai Desert for a jeep trek across to Mt Sinai. Then we travel to the Red Sea, cross over, then head to Petra for two nights. Then we cross back into Israel after two weeks of travel. Should be fun!


Insha'Allah
Warren