And Now Back to the States

The worst part of traveling always is returning home. Not only do you have a bunch of dirty laundry to unpack, but you are constantly faced with the question, "how was your trip!?" How do you describe the relationships formed and the experiences had? How do you relay the sights, smells, and sounds of this other culture that gave you a completely new understanding? 

Last night at dinner, our whole group went around and shared with Forsan, the CEO of the JIY, the most impactful part of our trip. Now, we all had an extremely difficult time coming up with just one peice to share, but when it came down to it, our group agreed that we found inspiration and were really impacted by the unexpected experiences on this trip.

For me, coming to the Holy Land meant seeing all sorts of sights that are significant to my faith. I expected to have my mind blown by standing in the same places that Jesus and His followers stood, by swimming in the very waters that Jesus walked on, and by running my hands through the river that Jesus was baptized in. Now, don't get me wrong, that was indeed mind blowing, however,I never expected to learn so much, to have my outlook change so significantly, or to become as emotionally invested with the work of the Jerusalem International YMCA. To begin with, I had no idea of the magnitude of the political and religious tensions felt in this area and their effects on the people living there. And, as I have said before, these issues are extremely complicated and I still don't fully understand them (and probably never will.) However, after listening to the stories of all of the people (especially from Forsan, the night he took us to he olive trees in his village) I now see the great necessity for peace work, like that of the JIY. 

I take back to Charlotte with me a new knowledge, interest, and desire to help in whatever capacity I can from afar. I don't know whether I will have the opportunity to travel to this part of the world again or not, but I will carry the impact that this trip has left on me forever.

Written by Katey Calhoun 

The Final Day

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes this morning as I groggily rolled over to turn off my alarm. Ugh. Already 5am? Somehow, I convinced myself to get out of bed and I stumbled out onto the balcony. What awaited me was the most gorgeous sunrise I have ever seen, over the Sea if Galilee. The dozens of pictures I took of it will not suffice as I try to explain the beauty of this manifestation of God's love and provision for us. So I guess you could say that I thought it was definitely worth it to wake up a little early today. 

Our team met up in the office of the Peniel YMCA, bright and early, to experience fishing on the Sea of Galilee. There was a kind fisherman, who did not speak a work of English, waiting to take two of us at a time out on his boat. We would like to say that "we caught 8 fish!" But the truth is, all we did was silently sit and watch the fisherman work. 

After some sightseeing in Cana and Nazareth, we headed back to the JIY. We had some time before meeting up with Forsan and his wife, Reem, for dinner, so my dad and I ventured into the Old City one last time to find the Golden Gate, or the gate that Jesus used through on His entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The gate is not what you call a tourist attraction, considering its is closed until Jesus comes again and it is on the very far side of the city. After a pretty long trek there, we found it! The worst part was when my dad decided to use his instincts to find a "shortcut" all the way on the outside of the city walls, resulting in a LONG journey back to the hotel. 

Our dinner was a great one, filled with great time as a team and with our new friends. Our team all took turns to share one thing that has been impactful during the trip, and I had such a difficult time thinking of just one. This trip has been eyeopening. I came in thinking that the only meaningful experiences would come from seeing the Holy Sites, but I found that our time at the YMCA had such a greater effect on me than I ever expected. The people we have met and the stories that they have told us have taught me so much, and the words shared around the table from the team tonight reflected this same idea over and over.

Written by Katey Calhoun 

Meaningful experiences

This morning was our last day in Peniel and I'm sad that I won't be able to look outside the window and see the glorious Sea of Galilee. We woke up very early to go in a boat with a local fisherman and we ended up catching 8 fish! We then left to go to Cana, the place that Jesus turned water into wine. After that we left and went to Nazareth where it is said that the annunciation that Mary would give birth to Jesus happened. The structures were miraculous and the history behind all of the sights were unlike anything I've seen before. Soon after we went back to Jerusalem. 

We had our farewell dinner with Forsan and his wife Reem. We were asked by Andy, our CEO, to share the most meaningful part of the trip around the table. Many different answers were given but they all had a universal theme and that was that everyone was shocked by the difficulties that people in this country go through. All the struggles are hard for us to comprehend because none of us have ever had to think about the things they have to think about. Needless to say, things got emotional. What an impactful few days we have had. We have met some incredibly inspiring and selfless people- who put the well being of those around them before their own. We have met so many passionate people who all want peaceful coexistence in their nation. These people are willing to go through whatever takes to make the place more peaceful. I left that dinner feeling extremely inspired and touched by the things I have learned. This is an experience I will never forget. 

Written by: Katie Taylor 

From the beginning of time

Today we went to a number of places- Capernaum the place where St. Peter lived, the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Serman on the Mount, Tabgha where Jesus fed 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. But by far the most amazing thing we saw today was when we went to the Kibbutz to look at a 2000 year old boat that was found at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee. It is said that this boat may have been used during the times of Jesus. Two brothers found the boat during a drought and many people around the country came to see the incredible boat. 

It is interresting to me that the community came together to help preserve this boat. It didn't matter at that moment in time what religion or race everyone was. Their differences were put aside during the excavation of this boat that many had been hoping to find for quite some time. 

Written by: Katie Taylor 

Universal Goals

Today was the day that I could finally visualize it. As I sat on a wall by the fence on the Mount of the Beatitudes, reading Matthew 5-7 (The Sermon on the Mount), and gazing past the edge of the church property towards the untouched mountainside, I could just see Jesus teaching His followers. I could picture Jesus speaking in the synagogue in Capernaum and I could hear Him calling out for Peter to step out of the boat as I looked out upon the Sea of Galilee. It gave me chills to know that I was in the same exact locations that Jesus was 2000 years ago.

But aside from the typical tourist activities that our morning was filled with, we, of course, spent time at the Y. The very first thing that we did today was go on a tour of the YMCA retreat center that we are staying at. Despite the many obvious differences such as language, location, community needs, and short term goals, when it comes down to it, YMCA long-term goals are the same everywhere. In Charlotte, we may work to reduce the effects of the achievement gap in schools, and here, they work towards reconciliation and peace within the religious divisions among young people, but overall, we are all just trying to make a better world for future generations around us. In NC, the staff and volunteers work together to build the playgrounds that are at the branches, and in Israel, we pitch in to pick up trash that has scattered along the coast of the Sea of Galilee, however, in the end, we are all trying our best to improve the situation of our current surroundings. It brings joy to my heart when I see the "body, mind, and spirit" motto not only proclaimed on signs, but also in the actions of all involved in the YMCA, regardless of their location on the globe.

Written by Katey Calhoun 

The view of the Sea of Galilee from the Peniel YMCA balcony

Speechless

Today was probably the most insightful day so far. We learned about the Baha'i religion and toured the Baha'i gardens, which were so meticulously and beautifully cut by the 70 plus gardeners. We had the honor of going to Forsan's house, who is our incredible host and the CEO of the JIY, in Sha'Ab, to meet his family and have fresh fruit and small snacks with them. He then took us to these 2000 year old Olive trees where he played as a child. We all knew bits and pieces of Forsan's life before today but he actually sat us down and told us everything about his life. He has such a miraculous story that none of us knew what to say afterwards. We were literally speechless. We then drove to the Peniel to stay at the YMCA here for 2 nights. It sits right on the Sea of Galilee....as iif we hadn't already experienced enough today. We had the chance to eat dinner with Eddie, the manager of the Peniel YMCA and he explained the significance of the Y in his life.

The Y has always played a huge role in my life because I literally grew up there. Back home I have come across many people who have had life changing experiences at the Y. But it is an amazing experience to come to another country to meet people who have also had life changing experiences through the Y as well. Who knew that the Y would be this impactful to people all over the world. What an amazing organization we associate ourselves with. I have never been more proud to say I am an employee, volunteer, and lover of the YMCA. 

Written by: Katie Taylor