Global Engagement

Jul 18 2023

“Differences of Identity” Luisa Dutchersmith As we loaded onto a big tour bus and started our drive from Bethlehem north towards the Galilee, I could tell that this part of our trip was going to be different. We had spent...

Jul 18 2023

Teaching two hours of English daily is no joke, especially when you have no teaching experience and are creating your own curriculum. Teachers and students alike get tired and worn out by the constant focus it takes to learn a...

Jul 18 2023

“Reconciliation” Naomi Torres Being back in the U.S., I still have trouble processing everything I witnessed on our SST. I do not say this discontentedly, but with awe and bewilderment. It was a blessing to see all the religious sites...

Jul 18 2023

“The Land is Not Empty” Ruby Meyer Moving methodically down rows of young grape vines, olive trees, and almond trees, our class worked together to water the plants in each row. We dug around each one, poured in a small...

Jul 18 2023

“The Tent of Nations” Meredith Blossom During our trip to Israel/Palestine, we had the opportunity to volunteer at Tent of Nations, a hill farm that has been owned by the Nassar family for over 100 years. We were able to...

Jul 18 2023

“Melkite Worship and Sighting a Patriarch” Phil Witmer-Rich On the evening of Saturday May 6, the sound of four-part harmony could be heard throughout the halls of Bethlehem Bible College. Our group had been asked to perform a song at...

Jul 18 2023

“The Silent Street of Hebron” Ana Neufeld Weaver One unexpected reality of the Israeli occupation of Palestine is that explicit violence is not a constant reality. Instead, it is sporadic and inconsistent. The daily realities of living under occupation are...

Jul 18 2023

“Walking in Hebron” Rosita Lomas Everything about this SST experience was memorable from start to finish. One of the experiences that I keep replaying in my mind was walking through Hebron and meeting with volunteers from Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT)....

Jul 18 2023

“The Kindness of Tea” Sophia Smucker We stayed at Bethlehem Bible College during our extended period in the city, located only 15 minutes away from Star Street with its many markets. The first time we got to walk down this...

Jul 18 2023

“Daily Interactions in Bethlehem” Carlos Lichty Visiting Israel/Palestine for the first time was a surreal experience. It was my first time leaving the United States, and I didn’t quite know what to expect. I feel incredibly blessed to have been...

Jul 18 2023

“Pressing Palms to Stone”: My Experience at the Western Wall Faith Fegley The Western Wall’s courtyard smelled of frying onions, sour red wine and yeastless bread. The sun blazed down on our heads, to the point that it made my...

Jul 18 2023

“Resilience and Hospitality” Sadie Brenneman On the third day of our trip in Israel and Palestine, we made our way to Aida refugee camp, located just a few miles from our guest house. The Aida camp is one of three...

Jul 18 2023

“Transformation through Discomfort: What Does it Mean to Be a Tourist?” Liam Minielly What does it mean to be a tourist in a setting such as Israel and Palestine? There is no easy answer to this question. I believe a...

Jul 18 2023

In May 2023, Goshen College launched a new course titled Interreligious Peacebuilding in Israel/Palestine. The blogs that follow reflect the joys, struggles, and transformations of our inaugural group: two faculty leaders and sixteen stunningly courageous and compassionate students, pictured below....

Jul 17 2023

I thought the initial bus ride from my study to service placement a few weeks ago was simultaneously the longest and shortest bus ride of my life. After finally getting comfortable with a schedule, host family, and fellow SSTers in...

Jul 16 2023

The first words I heard used to describe my service town were hot and buggy. Upon hearing this I was a little apprehensive about what service would have in store for me and how my body would respond to the...

Jul 14 2023

Most of SST is not glamorous. There are times of incredible joy and sadness, comedic moments, and discomfort certainly, but the majority of the time is very normal. For example:  doing laundry. My host family doesn’t have a washing machine,...

Jul 13 2023

Hello again Summer 2023 Ecuador SST blog readers.  It’s been a couple of weeks since we checked in with you and my has it been busy.  There is a myth that circulates about SST leadership regarding a time of relaxation...

Jul 07 2023

Ana Yoder makes connections with a favorite childhood memory: A Diné College student named Travis Mammedaty shared some Kiowa songs with us.  A song that stood out to me in particular was a children’s song called the “Prairie Dog Song”...

Jul 06 2023

Fae Sommers reflects on an unforgettable road trip: You can learn a lot about someone in 300 miles. Lukas, Jonathan, Micah and I stayed with our host father, pastor Daniel Smiley of Black Mountain Mennonite Church.  On our second day...

Jul 02 2023

Micah reflects on our visit to Cliff Palace, an Ancestral Pueblo archaeological site in Mesa Verde National Park: The story I would like to reflect on today took place at Cliff Palace, a cliff dwelling of the Pueblo people who...

Jul 01 2023

  What happens when thirteen eager Goshen College students step off an Amtrak train in Albuquerque, New Mexico to begin experiencing Indigenous cultures in the Desert Southwest? We’ll let the students themselves tell you their stories…       Reflections...

Jun 19 2023

As you may have noticed if you have been following along with this blog or if you have had the opportunity to experience SST firsthand yourself, you know that it is simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting, fulfilling and draining, beautiful and...

Jun 18 2023

Welcome to the 2023 Hopi Navajo Study Service Term!  This summer’s group from Goshen College begins their adventure aboard an Amtrak train headed west.  The students start in the lush green farmland of the Midwest and travel across the country...