A hike from the Nabi Musa complex to Mar Saba Monastery took place on November8, 2014with 15 participants from Sabeel Jerusalem. Some new faces took part and the group was a mix of local and international youth. Moreover, the new Interim Executive Director at Sabeel, Rev. William Roberts, joined and had a perfect opportunity to meet the youth, get to know them, and learn more about the youth program itself.
The group started with a guided tour at the Nabi Musa complex, followed by a four-hour long challenging but enjoyable hike that took the group all the way to Mar Saba Monastery. Along the way, the group had the possibility to learn more about the many natural scenes, the Bedouin community of the area, and the historical significance of the sites, many of which included stories of the prophet Abraham. The fact that the hike was moderate to advanced made the group work together as a team.
Much appreciation goes to Nasser, our guide who is from Jericho and knows the path very well, forencouraging us along the way. He always mentioned that he just did this hike yesterday, and that we were doing a great job.
After the hike, the group continued to the Greek Catholic Church in Beit Sahour where Fr. Suheil Fakhourytalked about the importance of volunteering and how this can be seen through Christianity;a discussionwas followed. Then the group had lunch together with youth from the Christian community of Beit Sahour, which enabled further meaningful discussions. The trip was very much appreciated among the participants, who after the lunch returned to Jerusalem. We had great feedback from the youth, who mentioned how a hike was needed under the current situation we live in, and how it restored our energy of hope.
