On Thanksgiving Day, Kelly Lomax,  Joe Gaston, Sharon Bohlen and Nancy Hemminger went to Nablus, while the rest of our HOPE group went on the pilgrimage that was planned.

It was a Thanksgiving none of us will ever forget, because we were blessed with many gifts wrapped in friendship and love. Visiting each of the classrooms and meeting the teachers and students and observing the Talents Unlimited Program as an integral part of the curriculum was impressive and we were told this would not have been possible without the support of Fr. Iyad.

There is no hospitality like Palestinian hospitality so lunch was unlike any Thanksgiving dinner any of us ever had and we realized the persons at the table were part of our family.

After lunch we were in the hallway of the school chatting with the students, when  a young lady approached us and asked if she could sing for us. We were in a busy stairwell of the school, but that was a blessing because of the acoustics! Maya opened her mouth and we heard an angel! She sang a beautiful song about children, a song in Arabic, and “Silent Night”. She was so happy to sing for us and her smile lit up that stairwell! We all hope that Maya can find a way for the world to hear her beautiful voice and see the passion she has for sharing her gift.

Listen to Maya sing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJG3mjsDRdg&feature=youtu.be

Submitted by Nancy Hemminger and Kelly Lomax