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

Let the adventures begin!

A new Living Stones Pilgrimage starts May 13th, when 12 “Pilgrims” will fly from the USA to Tel Aviv, and walk this hallway in Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. They will enter a land that’s holy, historic, welcoming, and challenging, all at once.

Come look over our shoulders: bookmark this page and return to it often between now and May 26th to see what we’re doing and read our reflections!

We will visit key biblical sites in and near Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the Galilee region, and learn why the Holy Land is known as the Fifth Gospel. Follow us as we also meet Pilgrims of Ibillin’s partners in Ibillin, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramle, Ramallah, and Zababdeh — learning about the people and  organizations in Israel and the West Bank who seek a nonviolent path to peace and justice.

Experience Palestinian hospitality through our eyes and writings, including a home-stay in Zababdeh, in the upper West Bank.

Get to know students and leaders at the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin as we meet them. Join us from afar as we visit with MEEI founder and peace activist Archbishop Elias Chacour.

Visit the destroyed village of Biram where Fr. Chacour was born and lived until 1948.

We will return home equipped to give presentations, so do invite us to share with you when we return! But for now, we invite you to follow us as this pilgrimage unfolds. We will be sharing a story of new friends – Christians, Muslims, Druze, and Jews – who live with hope and work for peace despite great challenges.