And Now...

I just finished an intensive 3-week-long crash-course in written Arabic. The course was amazing. The teacher covered more information in 3 weeks than I ever could have hoped for. I can now read and write in Arabic, I can speak in the past tense, a little in the present and future, but my vocabulary is limited to about 200 words.

On top of the course itself the program planned multiple outings for us so that we could get a feel for some of the Palestinian culture. We had an evening of Dabke dancing (traditional Palestinian dancing) and another evening of Oud music.

We were also taken on a day trip to Akko, a city a bit north of Haifa. We ate delicious hummus, visited a beautiful and old mosque, toured some Crusader ruins, and generally wondered around the ancient city.

So, what now? My master's courses don't start until the middle of October. What better way to work on Arabic than to go and live in an Arabic town - Abu Ghosh. I am volunteering at a guest house in exchange for room and board. I'm surrounded by Arabic speakers!!!

I picked up a book that teaches Arabic to keep me focused and motivated. It's a double challenge. It teaches Arabic from Hebrew.

So, here's to getting better at both Arabic and Hebrew in the coming months!

Where I Am Headed

This past week I visited Tel Aviv.

The main reason?

To start figuring out a student visa for beginning studies at Tel Aviv University in June!!!

I have been accepted to Tel Aviv University's international department, studying conflict resolution and mediation. This is an intensive year long masters program and will certify me internationally as a mediator. You can read more about the program here: Conflict Resolution and Mediation

I am really excited to see how God will use this program and degree in my life and I hope that it means that I'll get to stick around this area for quite some time.

Before the masters program begins in October, I will be taking an intensive Arabic course, starting at the end of June. I have been wanting to study Arabic for over a decade, and I am really excited about finally fulfilling this dream!