Sites, culture, and alley football.

I am quite amazed at just how much I have been able to see and do in such a short amount of time. I have visited the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, and the Church of the Nativity (which stands on top of the cave/stable where Jesus was born). On Monday, we visited the Dar al-Kalima Health and Wellness Center (dedicated to providing needed medical, spiritual, and psychological care for people) and received a tour of the construction on a new expanded school building; Shepherd's Field (where the angels appeared to the shepherds proclaiming the birth of Jesus); the Separation Barrier (roughly an 8-meter-high wall separating parts of Bethlehem); and toured Dheisheh, the oldest refugee camp (62 years) in the West Bank.
Yesterday, we heard a presentation by an Imam on Islamic faith and visited a Mosque. We were received very politely at the Mosque and guided throughout the building - even up the Minaret. The rest of the afternoon we were able to visit the markets, where we were welcomed and treated very hospitably. Often times given tea, coffee, or even gifts as we hosted in their shops. We made an extra special connection at one store and spent several hours talking with the shop keepers. We had purchased a soccer ball a few doors down the way and so a game of football broke out in the alley (at most 10 feet wide) next to their shop with some neighborhood kids. We had to pause our game for a little while when the local Mosque had its call to prayer, which incidentally allowed us to change into more appropriate attire. The second half of the game turned out to be quite the rumpus (or friendly street brawl) - filled with flying shoes, elbows, and bruised shins. It was all good natured fun. We shared laughter, high fives, and pats on the back as we exchanged shouts and ricocheted the ball off the alley walls and each others' feet.
Having spent most (if not all) of our energy, we said goodbye, exchanged handshakes, hugs, and high fives and headed home for dinner. Although we were sore, bruised, and exhausted our souls lifted our spirits from the inside out - bound to our fellow man in love and hope for the future.