On February 17, twenty six tripsters will venture off to the "Promised Land." Moses didn't make it into the land of milk and honey but I have had the good fortune to get there eleven times. It amazes me that the preparations still fill me with such happy anticipation. It is a place that fascinates me and enriches my life and faith. The Bible has come to life and my world vision has grown exponentially. Each time I pack and prepare I leave space for new learnings and adventure and I have never been disappointed. My head and heart always come back bursting with the joy of discovery and new insight.
There is, however, always a small cloud of concern in the midst of my preparation...While I have never felt a moment of unrest or danger in my travels to the middle east, I always wonder how to best alleviate the worry and concern of family and friends who are here at home. That is, of course, especially true right now. I have watched the chaos in Egypt with a heavy heart. I have also spent hours watching the news to be well informed. Additionally, I have gathered comments from folks in Israel and Jordan that confirm my sense of travel safety. Our itinerary is hundreds of miles from Cairo and the events there are very contained. I suspect, too, that Israel has the world's most secure borders. These comments, along with careful attention to the news, ease my mind.
From Sara Brubacher, my contact at Sabeel Ecumenical Theology Center in Jerusalem..."Please give your group my assurance that it is perfectly safe to travel here. There are no major protests or anything abnormal happening in Israel or Palestine, and no one expects there to be. Rather, we too are all breathlessly watching the news."
From Hanna Massad, our Palestinian pastor friend we are scheduled to meet on Feb. 19...."Here in Amman everything is ok, yes there were some peaceful demonstrations after Friday prayers, it happens like that once a week, but in general we did not feel these demonstrations and everything is going as usual. The situation is quiet here and the new change is good. (The king changed much of his cabinet this week to prevent what is happening in Egypt, but you should also know that King Abdullah is not the problem with the people in Jordan that Mubarak is in Egypt. )"
From Matt Ponikvar, businessman...."I was trading emails with a colleague of mine who lives and works in Israel, and he said people are definitely interested in what's going on in neighboring countries, but it hasn't affected their day to day lives."
From Carm Hammon's sister who is on a tour in Israel right now with a similar itinerary to ours...."We are watching the news in Egypt with great interest. Still, while we like you watch the news, our time here is nothing but quiet."
From Jim Fleming (our teacher and guide)..."We will have a great trip. I have talked with our agents in Israel and Jordan and they say there is no reason to not come.
So, having shared all that, I am beginning to put things next to the suitcase.
As an added measure of support and communication to those at home, I have set up this blog page. You can follow the Israeli Tripsters as we journey to new discoveries and deepened faith. I will try to write each day.
I am so sorry for this added layer of travel concern this year. How I wish I had some control :) We will be smart travelers. We will stay safe. We will be having a grand adventure.
Blessings, Mary
