Musalaha Newsletter
September 2003
From the Director.
Musalaha Completes First Ever Summer Camp
Youth Leaders Conference
Family Update
Upcoming Events and Prayer Requests
Women's Leadership Retreat, September 19-20
Student Desert Encounter, October 12-16
Conference on Youth and Conflict
From the Director.
This summer embarked on a new adventure, conducting our first ever youth summer camp. At the same time, we were planning a Youth Leaders Conference. We thank the Lord for his faithfulness and blessings in both events.
Coordinating such programs, as many of you know, is an all-consuming task. In planning reconciliation activities, we face added dimensions that are unique to our context and conflict. Organizers of such events invest much time encouraging people from both camps to participate. Not everyone has the vision of reconciliation. Some people question the effectiveness of meeting with the other side. Others suspect a hidden agenda. For most who enter the process, there is a great deal of pain and anger; many are afraid. To take the first steps in the process, these barriers must be overcome. Therefore, our staff and leaders spend a great deal of time in personal conversations on the telephone, preparing and clarifying issues for people who have never participated.
Another important aspect of these encounters is that in order to have an effective meeting, there must be a balanced number of Israelis and Palestinians, and the right gender and age mix. With each group we try to have representatives from different geographical locations and populations, both in the Palestinian areas and Israel . In our case, we also try to maintain a balance between congregations that have different theological persuasions. With each group, we hope to bring new people into the process of reconciliation.
The location of the meeting is another sensitive issue. Some locations are perceived as more dangerous, and there is more violence in certain areas that makes more people fearful to come. Also, choice of location can be perceived as a bias. Anywhere we choose will be in the space of one side or the other. Where one group might feel at home and comfortable, the others may experience discomfort and pain. For this reason, Musalaha has embarked on the desert as a location that is perceived as neutral for both sides. Another alternative has been to conduct seminars in different countries, such as Germany , Turkey , Holland , or Egypt . Arranging travel brings its own set of obstacles and bureacracy, which has proven challenging and emotionally draining. Getting permission for our Palestinian participants to leave Palestinian areas is no simple task, and we are always uncertain until the moment the permission is in hand. Still, with the bureaucratic difficulties, traveling abroad together has proven to be an effective way to build relationships within the group.
These were some of the dynamics at play as we planned our Youth Leaders Conference in Germany . Getting permissions and visas for Palestinians was a long process, and a miracle in the end. More details about this are in the enclosed report. Also included in this newsletter is a report and pictures from the first annual summer camp. On behalf of the Musalaha team and participants, I want to thank all those who have prayed for these events.
Musalaha Completes First Ever Summer Camp
"Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes, Lord." This was the sound of forty Israeli and Palestinian young people singing (almost screaming) at the top of their lungs. It was the first evening of Musalaha's Summer Camp, and the first time that we had conducted a program for youth ages 10 -14.
This was the culmination of 6 months of meetings, recruiting staff, inviting campers, securing a location and planning the program. The project was born in a conversation between participants at last year's Youth Leader's Conference. One of them asked, "Why don't we do a camp?" And here we were.
We were blessed and overwhelmed that so many young people responded to the invitation. At first, registration was slow and our staff was concerned that we would have an unbalanced participation; too many from one side or one gender. However, in the days before camp, almost exactly 20 Israelis and 20 Palestinians were signed up. We were encouraged that not were the young people open to Musalaha and reconciliation, but their families were supportive and encouraging their involvement.
For young people this age, there are not many opportunities to interact with people from the other side. They may see Palestinians or Israelis as distant and 'other,' not as people with whom you eat and talk and play games. One of the functions of this camp was to create an environment where kids could interact on many levels: sharing a cabin, swimming, playing, worshiping, and studying the Bible together.
The campers learned songs and even Bible verses in each other's languages. We divided the youth into red, blue, green and yellow teams, and together they worked to earn points in competitions and contests. Together they studied God's Word, focusing on the themes of love, forgiveness and reconciliation. It seemed that they came together with ease, not restricted by language and cultural barriers, but open to each other and ready to embrace.
Some highlights of the program included a guest break-dancer, a talent show full of hysterical skits, water games, building their own cameras, a pre-breakfast football (soccer) game, assembling a massive puzzle, dressing up as twins, competing in color groups and cheering for their teams. The last evening was a special time together as the youth sat around the fire and talked about the camp and what they had learned that week. One young Israeli girl, Roni, shared that for her a highlight was meeting Androus. This boy of 12 had given a Bible study about the Good Samaritan earlier that day, and was always ready and eager to pray or add to a discussion. Roni said that she was touched by seeing how much Androus loved Jesus.
An environment and experience like this one can make a tremendous impact on perceptions and relating to people from the other side. No longer will these Palestinian and Israeli young people be distant and "other," but they will be people who the youth sang songs with, shared a cabin with, played crazy games together, and worshiped and prayed together. We pray that this experience will be a seed that grows and that it will have a lasting impression in the lives of the young people.
Youth Leaders Conference
The story of this conference begins weeks or even months before the conference itself took place. The months beforehand were spent recruiting participants, and the Lord formed a group of dynamic youth leaders from across Israel and Palestinian areas. We had Israelis from Russian, Ethiopian, and Hebrew speaking backgrounds; the Palestinians came from Bethlehem , Jerusalem , Jaffa and the north of Israel . The group included students, a teacher, a policewoman, an engineer, an accountant, a soldier, and most were involved in youth and other ministries in their congregations. They ranged in ages from 18 to 45.
In the weeks before the conference, our office began working on visas and permissions that are required of Palestinians from the Palestinian Authority. These processes are always complicated and often delayed until the last minute. Early on, we began soliciting assistance and prayers from all who could help out. Getting the visas to Germany was a complicated matter of collecting pictures and documents. Since it took a while to complete the applications, we received the visas just in time (five minutes before the visa office closed for the weekend.)
Acquiring permission for Palestinians to enter Israel and fly through Ben Gurion airport is quite an ordeal. Without going into too many details, the Church of the Nazarene and the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs approached the Israeli army on our behalf. Things were looking positive until the terrible suicide bombing in Jerusalem . As a result, it looked like we would not get permission and had to proceed with sending the 5 Palestinian participants to fly through Amman , Jordan . This did not look hopeful either, as alternate paperwork is required and they were only on the waiting lists for flights. One hour after being told that there was no way we would get permission, we were told that it was ready at the army base near Bethlehem . Although in making these arrangements, the Palestinian participants had to take a different flight to the conference, everyone was able to attend! This was nothing less than a miracle.
Such is the reality of people's lives and situations here. It is from this environment and atmosphere that they come to participate in these conferences. On both sides, there are a lot of emotions and fears. People not only have to cross borders to meet with each other, but have to make an emotional and spiritual journey as well. One of the young participants who currently serves in the Israeli army was close to the same suicide bombing that happened the week before the conference, and helped with rescue efforts. It was not easy for him to lay aside the feelings of anger and to come meet with his brothers and sisters from the 'other' side. This is the case for many participants on both sides, who have experienced acutely and first hand the violence and hardships of the conflict.
So this is how we come to meet each other. The group was enthusiastic to be with believers from the other side, and found great joy in the fellowship. At the same time, each brought with them the difficult political realities.
Musalaha's vision for bringing together youth leaders was multi-faceted. There is a high demand for trained youth leaders in both communities. Youth for Christ and Musalaha share the goal of building up youth work in order to strengthen and support the body of believers. Youth who live in this land face a reality that is conflict-ridden. Attitudes of hatred, anger, and dehumanization develop at an early age. Therefore, in bringing youth leaders to an event where they further understand the importance of reconciliation, Musalaha's vision is to equip them to bring youth into the process. This was effective last year, as our first Youth Leaders Conference resulted in the summer camp and unprecedented participation in the Youth Desert Encounter. We hope that this conference will also bear fruit in the lives of the participants and in their youth groups.
The training provided by Youth for Christ was excellent and useful teaching. We focused on topics such as communication, creativity, vision, evangelism, and planning youth programs. As one of the participants put it, "What we are learning is like a massage for the soul."
In the evenings and afternoons, there were times of worship, fellowship, testimonies and games. Our evening sessions were intense and real times of sharing together. One of the leaders gave an honest and straightforward talk about his own process of reconciliation, and opened the floor for anyone who wanted to speak. Someone began with "I don't think there are problems or enemies between us, we are all believers." Others disagreed and responded that their experiences sometimes challenged their desire to pursue reconciliation. Palestinians spoke of being stuck at checkpoints. Israelis talked about their feelings of fear while guarding. One of the participants brought the discussion back to the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:43-48. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Although the issues were deep and intense, it was refreshing to be away from home together. The experience of being outside our comfort zones created a special bond among the participants. In free time, we took a walk in the gorgeous and green woods, or went shopping in a nearby village. One woman, when walking through the woods commented, "I think God is pampering us." Another participant commented on how nice it was for him not to have to be responsible for anyone and to just enjoy the program and fellowship.
After intensive sessions of learning and discussion, we enjoyed being outdoors and playing games together. After an afternoon game of volleyball, one of the women from the Bethlehem area said, "Wow, me playing with Israelis. An Arab and a Jew playing volleyball together. They wouldn't believe this at home." This group, although very mixed in age, had a lot of fun together and very quickly the ice was broken between people.
We are very grateful to our hosts, EDI, in Germany for providing this opportunity. They coordinated and sponsored the accommodations for the conference. In addition, they arranged for us to visit Heidelberg , a beautiful German city, and take a boat ride together. Onlookers were surprised by this mixed group of Israelis and Palestinians. Two of the young people, during the visit to Heidelberg , were looking for a place to buy water. They ended up finding water for sale in a bar, and began talking about the Lord with the bartender. He was skeptical. One of them said, "Hey look at us, an Arab and an Israeli together. If God can do that, he can do anything."
Family Update
We had a good summer together. We stayed in Jerusalem this year and took a few days out for a family trip to the Sinai. A major highlight of the summer was John and Daniel's baptism. They made the decision that they both wanted to be baptized, so we invited friends and family to witness the event. It was a very important time for our family.
Jack was able to go to England to attend a Christian camp and visit Kay's parents. He served as a counselor in the Potter's Wheel children's camp in the Galilee , and has begun showing leadership capability and spiritual maturity. He will turn 14 this autumn.
Daniel qualified for the national swimming competition in July. He excelled and reached fourth place in the country. John is also a great swimmer, and won the Jerusalem championship for his age group.
Sam is growing and joining his brothers in the same school. This is something that he is very excited about, being with his big brothers. This summer for Kay was quite busy with the family, which decreased her work with the charity organizations. But she is looking forward to continuing that after everyone has returned to school. She is excited to go to England with John for her parents' Golden anniversary.
Salim's work at the Bethlehem Bible College has been focused especially on the growth and expansion of the Nazareth extension. Right now, they have developed almost a full program and Salim travels to Nazareth to teach and coordinate the work there. He will be teaching the book of Revelation there, and in Bethlehem he is teaching exegesis, as well as continuing with his responsibilities as academic dean.
Upcoming Events and Prayer Requests
Women's Leadership Retreat, September 19-20
A small group of women came together last June for a time of study and fellowship. The purpose of the retreat was to provide a more intimate setting for deeper study and to build relationships between a core group of women who are active in reconciliation. They will meet again this month for a time of vision-building, discussion, and fellowship.
Student Desert Encounter, October 12-16
This annual event for young adults and university students will take place in Wadi Rum, Jordan. This desert is a fantastic setting in which to bring a group together. They will spend 5 days camping and riding camels, jeeps, with times of study of God's Word and discussion. Please pray specifically that the Lord will bring the right participants who are ready to open their hearts and minds towards each other. Pray also for the wisdom and energy of the leaders and facilitators.
Conference on Youth and Conflict
Nov. 6-8
As a continuation to our work with youth leaders, Musalaha and Youth for Christ have invited youth workers from Northern Ireland . Our guests will share with local youth leaders about their experiences of working with youth in conflict and violent situations. We pray that this will open the doors of dialogue and action for addressing these issues among the youth of our communities.
