We Gaza Get Outta This Place!

We've been to Gaza three times now, and the first two times were, honestly, kind of miserable. Don't get me wrong, we are SO thankful that we had the opportunity to go, and we loved meeting people, and our eyes were opened to the suffering and struggle of everyday life there. But it was hot. Really, really hot. And we were kind of force-fed cookies and weird juices and coffee everywhere we visited (Gazan hospitality will not be outdone!) and we left the strip feeling sweaty, overfed and weighed down emotionally.

This last time was different. Instead of being tasked with distributing food packages or visiting homes that were given water filters, we went specifically to visit churches. The church in Gaza is constantly being put in a difficult position, and many Christians in Gaza have been fleeing the area as soon as opportunities arise, whether legally or not, and we really cannot blame them for wanting to leave. It was a welcome change to visit both the Roman Catholic church and the Baptist church. At the Baptist church, we were able to play music for worship, and the sermon was given by Rev. John Angle, an Anglican priest from England who has been visiting Gaza for several decades.

Statue of Mary and mural at the Catholic Church in Gaza.

After the evening church service we were invited to one of the best restaurants in Gaza for dinner with a group of students. This was such a different side to Gaza than what we had seen before. We ate our grilled meats while overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, a cool breeze coming off the water, and hundreds of Gazans enjoying the beach. However, being foreigners in the restaurant, we attracted some unexpected attention. At one point in the evening, a large group of young men who work for Jawwal, the largest cell-service provider in Palestine, noticed our group and were drawn to our table, and gave everyone at the table gift bags, and shot video and pictures of the foreigners holding Jawwal swag. Now we have some odd souvenirs with a funny story!

Boardwalk Sunset in Gaza.

A friend had given us a gift of one night at a hotel in Galilee, and our plan was to leave Gaza early on Monday morning and drive straight to Galilee, swim in the lake and spend a day relaxing. We offered to help a friend carry some luggage through Erez. Once you make it through the turstiles with one bag, you cannot go back for more. There were six large suitcases altogether. So getting through all of the security measures was made slightly more difficult. Once we got through to the baggage claim area, and only five bags came off the belt.  So we waited. For two hours. Eventually, we figured out that there had been some forbidden electrical items packed into the suitcase (the offensive items included a crockpot and a blender!), and it was being sent back to the Hamas border control, and we were forced to call the man who asked the luggage to be brought out to tell him that one of the bags never made it.

After this ordeal, we made it out of Erez and were on the road, making our way to Galilee. Of course, this did not go smoothly either, and about an hour out of Gaza, while stopped at a junction and listening to Harry Potter (Book 7!), we were rear-ended by woman who was not paying full attention. No one was hurt and there was no serious damage to either car. Finally, we arrived at Maagan resort in Galilee and enjoyed the sunshine, water, and peacocks.