The Current Situation in Jerusalem

I know a lot of you have been watching the news about the recent conflicts in Israel. For those of you that haven't heard, there has been a bunch of fighting recently in Gaza (a highly disputed area on the southwestern coast of Israel). As far as I can tell, fighting broke out and about 4 Israelis died. As a result, the Israelis got really mad and started bombing Gaza and killed about 300 Palestinians. Not so good.

With the conflict, things are a little tenser here in the Holy Land. We're all fine. The center keeps us away from any dangerous areas. Since the conflict, we've been banned from going to Bethlehem, anywhere on the West Bank (duh!) and certain areas of Jerusalem. The program directors haven't said anything about cancelling the program yet. I really hope they won't. The last few weeks in Jerusalem have been amazing. This morning we got to see the Mount of Transfiguration and Nain. They both had a really special feeling to them. This whole land has a special feeling to it. Most of the people here have been so nice to us, and the sites have been really fun to see.

I'm safe, and my family is safe. That's a relief. But, I really want to be able to finish my time in Jerusalem. I want to be able to fully immerse myself in the Old and New Testament sites here. This is a chance of a lifetime.

I also want the people here to be safe. Most of them are wonderful, kind people, who are just trying to get by. Very few are violent, like the fanatics causing the problems in Gaza. The people here are good people. They're trying the best they can, and they need peace too.

So pray for the people. Pray that the violence will stop and that peace talks will go forth.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.