Thursday, January 28

We left the guesthouse early this morning to travel to the top of the Mount of Olives, to visit Augusta Victoria hospital. it is a hospital run by the Lutheran World Federation, and they do great work here in the holy land. they provide cancer screenings and treatment, dialysis services, and services for the elderly, along with other medical services. it is the only hospital in palestine where cancer diagnosis and treatment is provided, so they also send out mobile mammography units to the rest of the west bank and gaza strip. it was amazing to hear from Rev. Mark Brown, the director, about the much needed services that augusta victoria provides. i now know where many of the quilts and health kits that churches put together are distributed from here in the holy land, and it warmed my heart to hear stories of how much joy those things bring. the quilts are especially appreciated by the children in the refugee camps, who have never had anything to call their own, and bring a bit of joyous color into a world that most times looks bleak. another project that augusta victoria and the lutheran world federation is taking on is building housing units for palestinian christians next to the hospital, in order to help maintain a christian presence here. God willing, construction on these units will begin later this year. we ended our time at augusta victoria with a visit to the church there, which is built on the traditional site from which Christ ascended into heaven. it was a beautiful church and we enjoyed singing together in it. the acoustics were very good, and we sounded really great! the church has a very high tower, which we were able to climb up inside. i opted not to climb, as my knees are getting a little sore and i knew we had a long walk down the mount of olives awaiting us. the view from the top provides a spectacular view of all of jerusalem, up into the galilee, and down into the jordan valley and the dead sea. i had a friend take my camera up and get pictures for me, so that i can live vicariously through my camera!
the journey down the mount of olives provided a stop at the place where Jesus wept over jerusalem, then continued down to the garden of gethsemane. it was a beautiful, clear blue sky, sunshiney day, about 70 degrees and i enjoyed sitting in the sun and appreciating the peace and calm of the garden and the grove of olive trees. i know why Christ loved to go here and pray, it is very peaceful and calming.
many of us are now on the countdown to the number of hours that it will be until we see our families, not that we haven't enjoyed our time here. it is time, however, to go home, embrace our loved ones, and carry on the work that Christ commissioned us all to do when he ascended back home from that peak that we stood on today - "Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
words to live by.