We were all moved by the sentiments and well-wishes from Ascension parishioners. Thank you! The church’s ministries to youth, older people, and children is so impressive. Dr Mitri Raheb, the pastor, was in Denmark.The sobering consequences of the illegal “security” wall are evident in the fact that the Palestinians cannot travel;the director of the Environmental Education Center of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Hoy Land,Simon Awad, a renowned bird expert,has a teenaged daughter who wishes to attend the national youth gathering this summer but who would never be allowed to return to the West Bank if she left. The director, Simon Awad, has been jailed by the Israeli police four times. The director of the Internatonal Center, Angie, told us that all young adults of her age are blacklisted. Yet the environnebtal center teaches thousands of youth each year to care for the land, water, plants and animals of Palestine.Other evidences of the occupation: Three springs outside Jerusalem in the barren hills feed the ancient town of Jericho. One spring begins in what is now an illegal settlemtn in Palestine; and only Israelis can walk there. We walked the adjacent spring, 7 miles through very arid countryside close to the mountain where we believe Jesus was tempted. It was wonderful to see Israeli young people, and Arab famiies, as well as we Americans all wading in the wadi (river) together. This was a true sign of living water. We helped each other cross over boulders. The Bedouins were also were very helpful; as we walked through flocks of goats, they parted.
Finally in Bethlehem we met with the Applied Research Intitute of Jerusalem. An excellent organization helping the Palestinians, working with grants from around the world. They help with sewage treatment, chickens, women’s projects and are very innovative. For example, they give loans to families to buy chickens .Under the umbrella of occupation, which includes an Israeli control of all water, even under the West Bank and which charges the Palestinians much more for water than frr the Israelis, this organization is a souce of living water.. He and others know that if the US were to be a truly honest broker for the peace and security that Israel and Palestinians need, progress could be made.
I met with Bishop Mounib Younan,of the Evanelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land, also a remarkable source of living water. He is very grateful for support from the New England synod. He said that Palestinians either succumb to depression or live out a call to commitment and to better their lives and others.The housing project has carried on and has now been granted permits from the Israeli government. I spoke with him about living Water; he said that Jesus saw the difference between stagnant pools of water and living water, how the grass revived; water gives life/hope/strength/motivation. he was gratefu for the check from Ascension.
Included are pictures of the bishop and me, the walk close to the Mount of Jesus’ Temptation, of myself renewing by baptismal vows in the Jordan river which is the general location where Jesus was baptized by John, and the receiving of the check from Ascension at our sister church in Bethlehem, and myself with Mousa’s cousin .
I bought a gift for ALC from our sister church's gift shop--a vessel to pour water into the baptismal bowl, blue to match the bowl.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Reflections from Bethlehem
The travels to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Aboud (where Mousa’s cousin lives) were eventful and moving.In Bethlehem, at our sister church, Christmas Lutheran, I gave the check from Ascension to the director of communications (see photo). 
We were all moved by the sentiments and well-wishes from Ascension parishioners. Thank you! The church’s ministries to youth, older people, and children is so impressive. Dr Mitri Raheb, the pastor, was in Denmark.The sobering consequences of the illegal “security” wall are evident in the fact that the Palestinians cannot travel;the director of the Environmental Education Center of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Hoy Land,Simon Awad, a renowned bird expert,has a teenaged daughter who wishes to attend the national youth gathering this summer but who would never be allowed to return to the West Bank if she left. The director, Simon Awad, has been jailed by the Israeli police four times. The director of the Internatonal Center, Angie, told us that all young adults of her age are blacklisted. Yet the environnebtal center teaches thousands of youth each year to care for the land, water, plants and animals of Palestine.Other evidences of the occupation: Three springs outside Jerusalem in the barren hills feed the ancient town of Jericho. One spring begins in what is now an illegal settlemtn in Palestine; and only Israelis can walk there. We walked the adjacent spring, 7 miles through very arid countryside close to the mountain where we believe Jesus was tempted. It was wonderful to see Israeli young people, and Arab famiies, as well as we Americans all wading in the wadi (river) together. This was a true sign of living water. We helped each other cross over boulders. The Bedouins were also were very helpful; as we walked through flocks of goats, they parted.
Finally in Bethlehem we met with the Applied Research Intitute of Jerusalem. An excellent organization helping the Palestinians, working with grants from around the world. They help with sewage treatment, chickens, women’s projects and are very innovative. For example, they give loans to families to buy chickens .Under the umbrella of occupation, which includes an Israeli control of all water, even under the West Bank and which charges the Palestinians much more for water than frr the Israelis, this organization is a souce of living water.. He and others know that if the US were to be a truly honest broker for the peace and security that Israel and Palestinians need, progress could be made.
I met with Bishop Mounib Younan,of the Evanelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land, also a remarkable source of living water. He is very grateful for support from the New England synod. He said that Palestinians either succumb to depression or live out a call to commitment and to better their lives and others.The housing project has carried on and has now been granted permits from the Israeli government. I spoke with him about living Water; he said that Jesus saw the difference between stagnant pools of water and living water, how the grass revived; water gives life/hope/strength/motivation. he was gratefu for the check from Ascension.
Included are pictures of the bishop and me, the walk close to the Mount of Jesus’ Temptation, of myself renewing by baptismal vows in the Jordan river which is the general location where Jesus was baptized by John, and the receiving of the check from Ascension at our sister church in Bethlehem, and myself with Mousa’s cousin .
I bought a gift for ALC from our sister church's gift shop--a vessel to pour water into the baptismal bowl, blue to match the bowl.
We were all moved by the sentiments and well-wishes from Ascension parishioners. Thank you! The church’s ministries to youth, older people, and children is so impressive. Dr Mitri Raheb, the pastor, was in Denmark.The sobering consequences of the illegal “security” wall are evident in the fact that the Palestinians cannot travel;the director of the Environmental Education Center of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Hoy Land,Simon Awad, a renowned bird expert,has a teenaged daughter who wishes to attend the national youth gathering this summer but who would never be allowed to return to the West Bank if she left. The director, Simon Awad, has been jailed by the Israeli police four times. The director of the Internatonal Center, Angie, told us that all young adults of her age are blacklisted. Yet the environnebtal center teaches thousands of youth each year to care for the land, water, plants and animals of Palestine.Other evidences of the occupation: Three springs outside Jerusalem in the barren hills feed the ancient town of Jericho. One spring begins in what is now an illegal settlemtn in Palestine; and only Israelis can walk there. We walked the adjacent spring, 7 miles through very arid countryside close to the mountain where we believe Jesus was tempted. It was wonderful to see Israeli young people, and Arab famiies, as well as we Americans all wading in the wadi (river) together. This was a true sign of living water. We helped each other cross over boulders. The Bedouins were also were very helpful; as we walked through flocks of goats, they parted.
Finally in Bethlehem we met with the Applied Research Intitute of Jerusalem. An excellent organization helping the Palestinians, working with grants from around the world. They help with sewage treatment, chickens, women’s projects and are very innovative. For example, they give loans to families to buy chickens .Under the umbrella of occupation, which includes an Israeli control of all water, even under the West Bank and which charges the Palestinians much more for water than frr the Israelis, this organization is a souce of living water.. He and others know that if the US were to be a truly honest broker for the peace and security that Israel and Palestinians need, progress could be made.
I met with Bishop Mounib Younan,of the Evanelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land, also a remarkable source of living water. He is very grateful for support from the New England synod. He said that Palestinians either succumb to depression or live out a call to commitment and to better their lives and others.The housing project has carried on and has now been granted permits from the Israeli government. I spoke with him about living Water; he said that Jesus saw the difference between stagnant pools of water and living water, how the grass revived; water gives life/hope/strength/motivation. he was gratefu for the check from Ascension.
Included are pictures of the bishop and me, the walk close to the Mount of Jesus’ Temptation, of myself renewing by baptismal vows in the Jordan river which is the general location where Jesus was baptized by John, and the receiving of the check from Ascension at our sister church in Bethlehem, and myself with Mousa’s cousin .
I bought a gift for ALC from our sister church's gift shop--a vessel to pour water into the baptismal bowl, blue to match the bowl.
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