Gettin' Happy!

In the Beitin Muhayim Haya, or Life Camp the girls used the snack breaks to do debka, the folk dance of the Palestinian people.

The Living Stones Team

A great team.  Imad, Nisreen, Manal, and Ahmad. The soccer balls were donated by a brother in the States who donated the bag of change he had been saving for years. Thanks Jimmy!

Beitin is Biblical Bethel

Beitin is a beautiful village. Just outside of Ramallah, it is on top of a hill.   It has a special beauty.  Something about its plowed fields, olive orchards, pomegranate trees, takes you back to an earlier day.

Beitin Summer Camp on the West Bank

Summer activities have started for Living Stones with the first day of summer day camp in the village of Beitin. Beitin is the biblical Bethel - where Abraham 'saw the Lord.'  This camp is specifically for older teenage girls - all of whom are Muslim.

It was an unusually peaceful and easy day - aided by a very helpful team of four Italian young people from the Baptist church in Trento, Italy!

Children Demonstrate

Today I observed  a student led demonstration in the center of Ramallah in the Manara circle. The kids were demonstrating for the Palestinian government to make it a law that children stay in school until they finish high school Often parents take their kids out of school by 6th grade to work. The students want it to be illegal for parents to do this. 

What a difference!  Ten years ago students were more likely to be burning the flag of Israel in this circle.  There is a change in tone in Palestine to the better.  Many signs are pointing towards the building of a constructive, healthy society.  On one side of the circle I noticed an overhead screen that posted via scrolling text the latest quotes fromt the Palestinian Stock Exchange.