Settling down in Bethlehem

Wow! Time certainly goes by incredibly fast! The longer I am in Bethlehem, the faster the days and weeks seemed to pass. In my last update, I wrote about how I was adjusting to life lived in Bethlehem, rather than Jerusalem. Now that we are in November and I have lived in Bethlehem for three months, I would say that I am officially into the routine of life here.


A picture of the Treasury in Petra. I traveled here the end of September in order to extend my visa once again.

I continue to work at Bethlehem Bible College. In my three months there, I have gotten used to the constant ebb and flow of visitors and volunteer groups coming and going to the campus. One of my main jobs is coordinating our guesthouse, volunteer groups that come to the Bible College, and visitors who may come for a day. In order to do this job, I must constantly be in conversation with various people in the Bible College, administrators, teachers, cooks, and guesthouse managers, as well as local tour guides, in order to ensure that everybody’s visit goes smoothly. This task can prove difficult at times, and has not been without its mistakes. With each mishap, I learn more about how I can better make certain that visitors are given a warm welcome to Bethlehem Bible College.


Joining with Sabeel, I helped some Palestinian farmers with the annual Olive Harvest.

The school year at the Bible College is well on its way. In fact, the fall semester is winding down as Christmas is less than two months away. As Christmas draws near, the Bible College begins to prepare for numerous events. The choir plans to sing at many events during and around the Christmas Holiday and the Shepherd’s Society is preparing for their annual Christmas Dinner. On average, 1000 people attend this annual Christmas Dinner. It is a chance to bring people from many different walks of life within the Bethlehem Community together for a bountiful and joyful Christmas meal. In addition, Christmas baskets, food coupons and other humanitarian aids are given to families in need.

As I settle into life in Bethlehem, I seek to engage in different parts of the community in addition to the Bible College. Thus, I have begun to volunteer once a week at Al-Rowwad. Al-Rowwad is a cultural center situated in the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem. Recently, I have begun to help out with the music class for these kids. Life in refugee camps is often difficult in Palestine. Because of the lack of school space and teachers, most children only have school for half the day. One group of children will go in the morning; the other children will go in the afternoon. Half days of school only allows these children to learn the essentials of math, reading, writing, and science. It leaves them with no chance to for sports, music, or art. While I often took for granted the fact that my parents forced me to take piano lessons, for these kids, the two hours of play they get to have with music is an incredible opportunity. So far, I have really enjoyed getting to know these kids and seeing their enthusiasm for music and the arts. To learn more about Al-Rowwad, check out their website at:

The longer I am here, the more I realize the importance of joy. I have had a fortunate childhood filled with much joy. This joy has helped me face even tough situations, such as I have encountered here, with undying optimism. I believe that it is incredibly important for the children of Aida camp to have a chance to play and to experience the joy and beauty found in the arts. I hope that Al-Rowwad, and my participation with them, will instill a little bit of joy into these children and help them face the conflict in which they live daily with a little more optimism and hope.