24 August 2006

nEtWoRkInG…

I went to pick Emma at the Damascus Gate… I was looking forward to see her and hear about the “Peace convoy” who are about to come as well… she was travelling with the vans from Lueneberg and left them in Istambul… they are now crossing Syria on the way to Jerusalem… Emma said that probably only one of the vans will come all the way to Jerusalem because the others want to stay in Syria… They are really impressed with the Syrian people, “the loveliest ones” they say… I will post a report from them that I got by e.mail… Encouraging to read and mind changing if you are open for that ☺…


So, I chatted a lot with Emma… anyway, she was the one who at first place inspired me for this trip…she was here last year for 4 months and now she came to build up the relationships she made last year… her heart is for Peace and reconciliation, and when I asked her what makes one person a peacemaker she replied straight away “Love”… she definitely has this heart, to love everyone despite their nationality, religion or beliefs… she’s an amazing woman !!! another inspiration for me !!!


She knows a lot of people as well…it was a bit hard to get home, coz every corner she would speak with someone ☺… but it was just amazing to hear her stories and hear those she went to visit or met on the way… First we went to an hostel where she stayed last year… a place of activists, pro-Palestine… really cool environment… we chatted there and had some nice tea…
We left that place and on the way we crossed with 2 nuns from the “Mather Teresa of Calcuta” order…she stopped them and asked for some other nuns she had met in Romania on her overland trip with the convoy… we chatted for a while there and it was nice to meet those nuns…they are Emma’s favourite order of nuns… and I also know about their mercy work, really inspiring too…

So we went to visit sister Brenda in “Ece Homo Convent”, another nun Emma met somewhere last year… she received us with a big smile and hug and we seated outside having some tea and eating some fruits… Brenda was delighted to hear Emma’s report trip … and so was I…
we said good-bye to Brenda and went for a while to the roof of the convent which has a nice view over the city and there we thanked God for that day and that time…it was a nice time with God and each other!!! I’m really thankful for this friendship ☺
After we went to visit Sheikh Abdul, also Emma’s friend, also a peacemaker… he’s a teacher and head of the Uzbek Community in Jerusalem… we sat in a nice room full with nice carpets, ancient pictures and crafts, and we had a nice tea…we met his daughters as well…the little one, Tania, asked a lot of questions about my piercings and then she took me for some walks around the house… it was fun… it was nice to meet the Sheik too, even though Tania took most of my attention…but he seamed to be a nice guy… well, someone who really lives for Peace needs to be a nice person I guess ☺ …
We found out that was “the day of the journey” when Mohamed went from Meca to Jerusalem, then to heaven and back, bringing the written Koran…all this on the same day, they believe…
so they were about to go to the Mosque and we were about to go home…

It was getting dark already and we still needed to go to the Mount of Olives where the others were waiting for us with a nice and big meal… but Emma had another occasional encounter with one of the German guys she met last year in the land of the “Tent of Nations” where they were planting trees and picking olives… that’s where we might go next days, but we’re still arranging it (Emma is )…
Well, we waited and chatted at the Damascus Gate for another friend and finally we went back home ☺ … This was a full day… intensive for me to hear so many things, but really cool day !!!
O.K., too long already for you too…
PEACE

2 comments:

lisa said...

Oh look at Emma's sweet face! Please give her big hugs from me!! Love you!

Unknown said...

Coool
travel is rich for the soul