Wednesday, May 15

Our visits today confirmed a Palestinian proverb I had heard that says “No Right is lost as long as there is one person to claim it.”

Our visit to Saffouria village destroyed in 1948 was worth a college semester of history if not more as the history of what happened in 1948 was told to us by Jonathan Cook. The take-away for me after listening to Jonathan is that the Israeli attempts at eliminating evidence of the existence of a Palestinian people by destroying villages and towns are systematic since then. They continue to pursue the same goal by creating laws that make it legal for Israel to take the land and deny Palestinians from owning their own land or property.

Earlier in the day we listened to Abuna Chacour telling us the story of how he built the Church of the Sermon on the Mount in Ibillin with support from different individuals and groups who believe in his mission of Peace and Unification of Palestinians and Jews in Palestine. Dianne Roe told us the story of the real people she painted on the “Building Bridges” Mural she created in the auditorium of the church.

Both story telling experiences today brought to focus for me that the strong and clear vision of building bridges though painful is powerful. The church is built here to stay and tell the story of Abuna Chacour himself and his legacy.

True by building bridges he set a model and legacy to confirm that Palestinian rights will not be lost because through building bridges he and his legacy will be claiming those rights.

Wednesday, 15 May
~ By Amy Shircel

Today we had the opportunity to visit Mar Elias High School in Ibillin, and interact with both students and staff at the school. While meeting with the director of the school, I was shocked to find out how open he was with discussing the injustices committed against him, the teachers, and the students as Arabs and Palestinians. He told us that many of the teachers were much too qualified to be teaching at a high school, but could not get hired at any of more elite universities due to their minority identities. He told us of the importance of representation in politics, and how hopeful he was with the election of Barack Obama in 2008, reminding us that this was a step in the right direction for America, and that countries that look to America as a role model.

We then got to visit with some 10th graders at the high school. They spoke very good English, and told us that they all speak three languages: Hebrew, English, and Arabic. Because my sister and I were relatively close to these kids in age, it was easy to relate to them, and we found we had more commonalities than we had differences. We liked the same celebrities, and watched the same TV shows. They even offered to show us around Ibillin and Haifa themselves! In retrospect, I wish I would have gotten their perspective on some of the violences and injustices currently being committed against them and their families, as it would have been interesting to see how politics and unrest can intersect with the lives of young people.

Wednesday, 15 May

~ by Ellen Rasmussen

It’s been a long couple of days that included surprises and triumphs as I have prepared for this trip. I trust that it will be transformative again. This experience has already grabbed my heart and I am awed by God’s grace and beauty.

We arrived in Ibillin near a time of call to prayer. As we got off the bus and collected our luggage, my heart was grabbed by a hauntingly beautiful call to prayer for my Muslim siblings. It’s Ramadan and I knew that they would soon be preparing to break their fast. A sense of peace enveloped me as I paused and listened for the call and gazed upon an evening coming to a close. I stayed outside until the call ended and others were calling me to come inside.

After our dinner, fellowship and sharing, I went to my room and again gazed out at the twilight and heard the evening call to prayer. Once again, a sense of peace fell over me as I witnessed God’s beauty and responded to prayer.

Shalom, Salaam, Peace