Meetings with NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) Today In West Bank

Exciting day today as we traveled to the West Bank to meet some of the NGOs we are working with, and deliver school and hygiene kits.  No one from the center is allowed to drive in to the West Bank so we had a driver take us.  Jeff and Joyce Smith, the service couple we are replacing, Reg and I, and the driver traveled in. We felt very comfortable traveling there, and everyone we met was so kind and welcoming.  

First stop was at the Peace Center for Heritage in Bethany, and lovely Sawsan welcomed us into her shop which sells beautifully handcrafted items made by local Bedouin/Palestinian women.  She holds classes in her building to teach women the skills needed to handcraft these beautiful items, thereby providing income for their families.  

Joyce and Sawsan

We, the Jerusalem Center (JC) provides materials for the production of these beautiful items.

Next stop was the Shorouq Society for Women run by Fatima.  

   http://www.shorouqsociety.org/ar

We dropped off kits here and had the best lunch I think I have ever had in my life - fresh, from scratch, locally grown food!  The JC has provided sewing machines, kitchen processing equipment, school supplies and many other things. 

Before we headed to Bethlehem we visited Lazarus' tomb!  John 11:1-45  

Old building remnants on way to Lazarus' tomb.

Down a long flight of stone steps...

Into an opening in the floor...

The tomb