Experiencing the Holy Lands Through Refugee Eyes

welcome to the table…

The aroma of sweet spices, cake, and coffee filled the air with an aura of warmth and hospitality. Mr. Amanallah Ayesh and his wife, Mariam Ayesh are prominent human rights leaders in the Palestinian community. They have three beloved children and a heart for welcoming guests into their home. The Ayesh family had a way of making you feel as if you were their sons and daughters. It was as if the land and the stories that would echo in our ears were preparing us to slow down, open our hearts, and listen intently. We arrived at the Ayesh home with the plan to retrace the footsteps of Christ in Bethlehem. Little did we know that Christ had so much more in store for us. The stories the Ayesh family entrusted to us allowed a way to listen with compassion and experience the Holy Land with new eyes.

Fellow journeyer, we invite you to enter these stories as we originally heard them. The stories that you are about to encounter are the real life accounts of the Ayesh family. This conversation took place in their living room recorded in Arabic and translated into English by Mr. Ayesh’s daughter, Mariam Ayesh.

Slow down, open your heart, and take a seat at the table. Come Holy Spirit, and give us new eyes to see.