Sunday, 27 Oct ~ Dick Morgan

On Sunday, our able leader, Rev. Joan, gently guided us through our final day. We gathered in the church of the Mar Elias Education Institution (MEEI) for a time of sharing as part of a moving communion service. (More on the sharing below.) The floor below the chapel is a large auditorium used for school ceremonies. At the rear of the auditorium is a spectacular mural which illustrates the story of MEEI in pictures, icons ad symbols which is also a story of building a society based on peace and unity among all peoples.

We travelled from Ibillin in the north of Israel to Jaffa and Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean. Usama informed us that Jaffa had been a large (the largest) Palestinian industrial city, destroyed by the Zionists in 1948 and now numbering only 20,000 Palestinians. The enormous, modern city of Tel Aviv grew up alongside Jaffa. After lunch we experienced a beautiful sunset on the Mediterrean to end the day before going to the airport.

Without attempting to do justice to the many different points shared at the morning service, several mentioned the situations of injustice which we witnessed: issues of water, land, movement, economic and education opportunity. The patience and perseverance of the Palestinians impressed many as well as the faith and hope on their part, that, in the end, peace and unity will prevail, in spite of difficult current circumstances. Many looked to the next generation, the children, as a source of hope. In spite of expressions of the difficulty of processing this complex experience, there was the sense that we need to communicate with others when we get home. “What, then, is the message we heard from the living stones of Palestine/Israel that we need to pass on to others?” Rev. Joan asked in conclusion.

Saturday, October 26, 2019 ~ Deb Gamble & Jayne Smith

Hope inspires the good to reveal itself. ~ Emily Dickenson

As we near the end of our pilgrimage it seems fitting to reflect on what we have seen. The best analogy I can think of is a roller coaster. We have had so many highs – the places we have been privileged to visit and the people, oh, the wonderful people we have been blessed to meet. This seems to be followed (sometimes way too quickly!) by the sobering reality of the politics of this land and the devastating effects on its people. But no matter where we were on the roller coaster, there was always hope present.

Today was most certainly a pinnacle of the highs. Visiting the students at Mar Elias Middle School was pure delight.

The children’s enthusiasm in engaging in conversation with us, wanting to know about our families and where we live, telling us about theirs, was infectious. I talked with a future engineer, teacher, computer scientist, biologist and even a future professional swimmer and soccer player. And the English class! Wow! What intensity and eagerness to learn.

And the inspiration we received from Nabila Espanioly at the Al Tufula Center for Women and Children. Being a political activist could have been enough. Starting the school could have been enough. Being a resource and inspiration to young women could have been enough. But she somehow dug deeper to write children’s books full of history and inspiration and once again, hope.

Coming here I thought of hope as a noun, but I have learned that hope, used wisely, is a verb, a very active verb. That is a lesson I won’t forget.
~ Deb Gamble

After visiting Mar Elias School and Al Tufula Center for Women and Children we walked to the Liwan Culture Café and delighted in a marvelous lunch and traditional lute music.

Sally Azzam, one of the owners, told her story of why they decided to open the Café. The hope in her story was that after their Café opened it brought in other businesses to a formerly deserted part of town. Wonderful local art was available for purchase and several of us shopped!

We visited the Basilica of the Annunciation and St. Joseph’s Church and that visit was made more special because of a wedding being held there. Beautiful children so excited to be in the wedding! The band leading them into the church was something to watch for sure. Thanks to Haifa for talking me into getting very close!

Our before-dinner time with Abuna Elias Chacour….I have heard him speak years ago but the impact of his story was only made clearer by the sights and stories we have heard.

It made me hopeful again about the fate of Palestine and Israel by Abuna’s words:
“The closest road to Jerusalem runs through Washington D.C.” Reminding me to write politicians.
“Men from Galilee don’t make appointments…we make appearances.” Reminding me to use every opportunity.
“Are you ready to raise hell for peace?” Reminding me to always strive for peace.
~ Jayne Smith

Saturday, Oct 26 ~ Marcia Myhre

We came to the Holy Land as pilgrims from many different places and stations in life; some for the first time while others had been here before. Regardless of experiences, we all arrived filled with the Holy Spirit. Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, seemed like an appropriate place to start.

Jesus wandered these roads over two-thousand years ago; we followed his path just as the apostles had done in his later years.

We had many teachers along the way and no matter how sad the story might be, the answer was always the same; have hope.

We danced at a special Shabbat, huddled in a cave to hear a generational saga of a family clinging to their land, and wept with Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Christian fathers who had both lost daughters through violence. We never heard anger in any of these voices but rather the call for justice and peace.

We arrived as pilgrims twelve days ago and we leave being asked to tell the story of our Palestinians brothers’ and sisters’ plight and their ‘right of return’ to their homes and their land. Their cries will not go unheard.