Facebook Missionary Support

Not my own photo today, rather a photo from one of my missionary support congregations!

I logged into facebook a couple of weeks ago because facebook had informed me I had been tagged in a new photo by a friend and colleague in Iowa and I was intrigued. What photo had he posted? And how did I warrant a tag? It was super fun to be greeted by this:



with the caption below the photo reading:

"Golfing fore pastor Elly McHan and the ELCJHL. We love you Elly and send prayers and cash your way!"

Thanks St. John's and St. Paul's for all of your prayers and support and accompaniment of not only me, but the ELCJHL, too!

And a big thanks to all of my other supporting congregations!

And to everyone else, I hope this made you smile, at least a little bit!

Peace,
Elly

Endless Courses Under Jordanian Skies

Mmm... I went to Jordan for work this week as we prepare to break ground on a Lutheran retreat center at the Baptismal Site at Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan (yup, that's a mouthful) and ended up being served a most amazing Lebanese meal at an open-air restaurant designed by our architect.

There's no way I could remember every dish and course we were served, and so I bummed my colleague's iPhone off of him (gadget envy) and snapped a few pictures of the night (below).

The most interesting food of the evening had to be the dish of tiny birds (last two photos on the bottom right). I don't think I want to know what kind of bird I ate, but my dinner mates suggested lemon juice, a bit of salt, and an all-at-once method. They asked me afterwards what I thought. The only response I could think of was "crunchy".

After so much food, I don't think I really ate at all the next day, and likely wouldn't have needed to eat for a week. But it was oh-so-yummy.

(from what I can remember, l-r: (top) main course, appetizer salads, olive tree above us, the never-ending-glass-of-Arak, (middle) shrimp, dinner mates (aka colleagues), more appetizer salads including raw kebab meat, (bottom) main course meats, desserts, tiny bird, Elly eating the tiny bird)

A very sated

Elly

New Year's Resolution

Yup, I am aware that it is nowhere near January 1st (of any year). But, in my call as Communications Assistant to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) I am embarking on a new year.

Can you believe it?

I have been an ordained pastor for more than 1 year and 1 month, and I have lived in Jerusalem for just a couple days shy of 1 year and 1 month now.

And it is time for a New Year's resolution:

Part I: BLOG MORE!

It shouldn't be that difficult, eh? I mean, I am, after all a Communications Assistant. But that's my job and this isn't. It's a complicated situation. I never seem to know what to say. Or how to say it correctly. Or I'm just too tired. Or the moment passes...

The excuses begin to make excuses for the excuses.

Hence, an addendum to New Year's resolution Part I:

Part II: WRITE LESS

Shu??? ("what?" in Arabic--or, in Elly-speak, "pardon me?"). Well, over the last year I have come to love photography more and more, and with my position, I take photos almost every day. And so...


BLOG MORE; WRITE LESS.



Over the next few days and weeks, I'm sure as you watch the news you will hear about the people I live with and serve with and be shown many 'faces' of the Palestinian-Israeli situation. The faces you may not always see are those shown in the photo above.

Did you know that nearly half of the Palestinian population is under 18 years old?

I took this photo less than a week ago when I had the opportunity to travel to the al-Jalazone Refugee Camp just seven kilometers away from Ramallah. As per the website of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, "Jalazone camp was established in 1949 on 0.25 square kilometers of rocky hillside 7km north of Ramallah."

Today more than 11,000 refugees are registered as living in al-Jalazone camp, 37% of which are between the ages of 0-14, with another 20% between the ages of 15-24. There are two UN schools in the camp, one of which runs on a double-shift basis, ie. there isn't enough space for every student to go to school for a full day each day, instead, some students will attend the first shift (morning), while others will attend the second shift (afternoon).

The photo above is of students at that double-shift school. We visited them just as they were supposed to line up and head back in after recess and, well, you can guess from the picture a bit of the chaos that ensued. They were so excited to have us there, and even more excited to be at the front of our photos. And, as we were leaving, one of the teachers handed each of us a container of buttermilk and a straw as the day was hot and our tour still had a ways to go. Simply part of the Arab Hospitality that is a part of my daily life.

And well, in keeping to my New Year's resolution, I think that's about enough writing for today. But I hope this glimpse into Palestinian life was worth the read.

Peace,
Elly