Most Moving Moment of My Trip!

The moment captured in these photos would have to be the most moving moment of this trip for me. My dad and I were walking through the Old City Jerusalem. As we walked down the narrow paths, I saw a beautiful muslim woman just a few years older than me. Sitting next to her was a girl that was probably 7 or 8 years old. It’s possible this was her daughter. The woman was holding a brand new baby and asking the people passing by for money. The hard stone floor she was sitting on was filthy. Hundreds of people walked down these paths every day. It was filled with dirt and garbage. They were definitely not conditions you would want to bring a newborn baby into. I felt for her as I walked by. As we continued down the road, I could not stop thinking about her. I could not imagine caring for a brand new baby in those conditions. Minutes later we walked past her again. I felt like I needed to help her. I stopped my dad and asked him if I could go back and give her some money. He happily agreed and gave me 100 shekels. This would be a lot of money for her. I couldn’t wait. I approached the woman and she reached her hand up asking me for money. I pulled out of my pocket the money and her face said it all. She was shocked. I’ll bet people only give her coins, and that’s if she’s lucky. I got down to her eye level and told her that she had a very beautiful baby. We couldn’t communicate very well, but she understood what I was saying. I asked her if I could hold her baby. She got a big smile on her face, and handed me the newborn. The poor baby must’ve been so hot in that weather. I sat down right next to the woman on the filthy ground and held her baby in my arms. She was so beautiful. I asked what her name was and she responded by saying, “Muna.” This woman and I had come from completely different worlds, had different beliefs, different cultures, and different circumstances, however none of that mattered. We were both human beings and had a special bond. This woman helped me more than I helped her. I had come into this country so intimidated and almost fearful of these people. Miraculously, I was now able to sit next to her, communicate as best as possible, and hold her beautiful baby. The moment was so touching! As I handed the sweet baby back to her, I looked into their faces and I will never forget their smiles.