Today has been stressful, exciting, humbling, and heartbreaking.
Lukas and I started off the day super early to travel to meet with the Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign. It was a whirlwind of an adventure – we took the bus from Jerusalem to Ramallah, then another bus from Ramallah to Nablus, then a taxi from the Nablus bus station to the Nablus taxi station, then finally a shared taxi to Tubas, a small city outside Nablus. From there we met with two people from the Campaign, and we drove out to the Jordan Valley. (Stress – check!)
The Valley itself is absolutely gorgeous. Everywhere you look there are beautiful mountains, and it was nice being away from a city from a bit. Lukas and I both want to see as much as the region as possible, and I am so glad we had the opportunity to come here. I’ve always been more of a fan of mountains than the ocean, and even though it was incredibly hot, I loved this region of Palestine. (Excitement – check!)
The Jordan River Valley
To the untrained eye you wouldn’t think that water was such a big issue here. And from reports, water shouldn’t be an issue. If there’s one area within Israel and the West Bank that should have plenty of water, it’s the Jordan Valley. Yet, for the 60,000 – 80,000 Palestinians living in the Valley, water is a scarcity that is quickly driving people from the region.
We had the opportunity to meet with one family and get our first interview! This family was so incredibly welcoming, and didn’t even bat an eye when we rolled up to their home. There were two young girls, around the ages of 2 and 3, who were eyeing us suspiciously at first, but by the end of our visit we were able to get them to smile and high five us. Even though they were celebrating Ramadan, they made us lunch, and made sure we had plenty of coffee, tea, and water to drink. After being with them for over 2 hours, I was incredibly sad to leave, but so thankful for the opportunity to meet these wonderful people. (Humbled – check)
Unfortunately, the good vibes did not last very long. As soon as we returned home to Jerusalem, we learned that the bodies of the 3 kidnapped Israeli teens were found in a ditch north of Hebron. As of now, Lukas and I are keeping an eye on the news, and staying in Jerusalem until tensions die down. As always, we are hoping for the best for all parties involved. (Heartbreak… check…)
