Today, we had our opening worship service in the Garden of Gethsemane, where we had a lecture by Sabeel Director and Founder Rev. Naim Ateek. Afterwards, we toured the holy sites in Jerusalem, including the sites on the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Resurrection, and many other Holy Places. After lunch and a free afternoon of exploration, we heard a lecture by Mustafa Abu Sway on Islam and Islamophobia in the West, and later watched the movie Occupation 101 as an introduction to the situation in the Occupied Territories, where we will be heading tomorrow as we move on to Bethlehem. We also received the news that one of our participants was deported after a long detention at the airport and will not be able to join us; our prayers are with him.
