First Day

Yesterday was my first day of work at Sabeel. This day followed a weekend of getting my bearings in Jerusalem. I arrived here on Friday at 4 am in the morning. I was glad that one of the other Sabeel volunteers picked me up. I probably could have made it to Jerusalem by myself, but I would have had no idea how to find my way around Jerusalem in the dark.
When I first arrived in Jerusalem, I was completely lost. All the roads seemed to be very curvy and I didn't think I would ever be able to make my way around. The first day, I went on a walking tour of the main roads in East Jerusalem, up to the office at Sabeel, around by Hebrew University, where there is a great panoramic view of Jerusalem and I was given a poster by Palestinian boy, and to the Mount of Olives, where there is a Lutheran hospital, and back down around. The day ended meeting a tour group from a Lutheran Seminary and drinking Taybeh beer at a Palestinian restaurant. Taybeh beer is manufactured in a small village called Taybeh in the West Bank. Taybeh is very proud of being the only all Christian village remaining in the West Bank. My first trek through the Old City, made me think it was a complete maze. I wasn't expecting the roads to be so small. It seemed as if I was walking inside a building, yet I could see the sky. The next day, I toured the Old City again. I saw the wailing wall, the temple mount, the market in the Muslim quarter, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. On Sunday, I went to a Catholic service in the Christian quarter of the Old City. A group from Sabeel went because the church was having a special prayer service for Gaza. After church, a group went to eat falafel and drink Arabic coffee (which I have tried twice and don't know if I particularly like the taste). Then, I went and toured the church of the Holy Sepulchre with one of the volunteers. He seemed to know all the symbolism and history of the church, so it was a very educational tour.
At Sabeel, everyone is very friendly. They are very willing to help me with everything. And many of them have invited me to do many things already. I am beginning to realize they are also very flexible. It seems as if I will be able to sort of do what I want while I am here. Hopefully that will become more clear in the next week or so.
I am currently staying at a guest house in a Franciscan convent. It is a very safe place to be right now. I have discovered that almost everyone speaks English here. I am going to really have to work hard if I am going to learn Arabic. I think I have a good start, because it doesn't seem as if most volunteers came here with any knowledge of Arabic. I have a hard time understanding people, but I can get around with simple phrases. I am looking into finding a place to stay with a family, so that I can practice my Arabic by being immersed. Hopefully something will come up soon.
This pretty much summarizes my first few days. I am feeling more comfortable everyday, but I hope to become even more immersed in life here as time goes on.