Encounter Israel-Palestine

Report from Shadia on the Masalah Summer Camp

2006-08-03T10:38:00.000-01:00

"The story of Jonah teaches us that God's love embraces everyone, even our enemies. For a camp of 50 Israeli and Palestinian kids, it is a fitting theme for children coming together with people from the other side. Our special guest speaker was the whale. We were reminded that God's love is unconditional and embraces all, and would like to believe that we succeeding in implementing God's love throughout this camp.
This year the number of participants almost doubled, and some say that was the best Musalaha camp so far. The program was slightly different than previous years, the counselors more experienced, returning campers even helped the program flow smoothly. This age group of 9-12 year olds is a perfect age to bring kids together, and there are few projects that bring together Israeli and Palestinian kids of this enthusiastic age.
The situation in the country does not allow both sides to interact one with the other on a daily basis. For the most part, Israelis only see Palestinians on a television screen. The only interaction Palestinians have with Israelis is through the check point. Although there is a Palestinian population in Israel names "Israeli Arab," they too live segregated and in their own neighborhoods. Living side by side does not necessarily mean that both sides interact. Holding a camp like this one is something unique. We spend 5 whole days together depending on each other and building the unity of the camp.
A counselor noted, "The part I enjoyed most was taking a step back to watch the kids interact with each other. At this age, they are very social, dependant on friends for approval, and it seemed to be easy for the kids to connect with each other, across all perceivable barriers, to create a week of unforgettable memories."
By the end of the camp kids could sing worship songs in both Arabic and Hebrew. They went home singing songs not in their language and parents praised our work. We also had one section during Bible study where we would say words and the kids had to find them in the Bible. For example, they had to look up “stone” in the Bible. So, the first group that found one reference to a stone in the Bible won.
There were two levels of reconciliation in the camp: one between the children and the other between the counselors. This year, the counselors’ level of interaction and commitment stood out to me when one of the Israeli counselors, Avi, chose to spend his last week before enrolling in the army with us. The last evening, we held a party for this event. At first we all shared a nice snack and then some cultural dancing. It was moving to see Israelis attempt to dance to Arabic music, but mostly funny. I felt like the distinction of Palestinian or Israeli was removed and we became one group of brothers and sister. However, at the end of the evening, we decided that we wanted to pray for Avi as he goes onto the army. The Palestinians’ view of a soldier is very negative because often their only encounters with soldiers are at check points or in conflict situations. Palestinians view soldiers with fear, and perceive them as aggressors. However, to Israelis a soldier is someone who could be their brother, sister or parent; someone they love and admire. Once every Israeli Jew turns 18, he or she is drafted into the army. I was somewhat concerned about how Avi's party and his step into the army would be received by the Palestinian counselors. When we gathered to pray, many prayers were raised for Avi. Most of these prayers were said by the Palestinian side and they were in Arabic. I imagine it wasn't easy for them to pray for him, however, their love and care for him surpassed this fear. At that moment I felt like the group had made another step in reconciliation.
The counselors were a great crowd of young people to work with and I appreciate that they came and volunteered with us. For both the counselors and the campers, this camp ended with a high. I know that each kid who participated will remember the great friendship that evolved among the counselors and will take that friendship as an example of reconciliation for themselves".
~ Shadia Qubti, project coordinator

Encounter Israel-Palestine

2006-07-30T18:02:00.000-01:00

Hi everyone!
So - how was Israel? Did you have a good time? Bet you're glad you came back when you did!
I'm sure these questions are sounding pretty familiar to the rest of the team as well. It's a struggle as, depending on my mood, I either feel like replying to the second question with a simple and emphatic 'yes', or doing some extensive and disconnected rambling in an attempt to conjure the sights and smells, people, politics, and emotions we experienced over a cup of decidedly un-Arabic church hall coffee. I usually end up doing something between the two, and getting frustrated with my lack of decent adjectives. It's also hard to know whether to jump straight in with the shocking stories of oppression we heard, or to keep things a bit lighter.
I understand why people ask the third question, but I also - rightly or not - feel quite frustrated with it, because
1) I felt completely safe and was sad, rather than anxious, to go home
2) Whilst we could just leave, we were leaving many friends behind who could not escape the new conflict so easily
3) I would rather be asked about how the actions of the Israeli government affect the people living in Israel-Palestine, rather than whether or not I felt scared.

In Zebabdeh, we saw what it meant to be a Palestinian Christian caught up in the conflict, and how difficult it was for them to travel (even to work), to have a career, to envisage a peaceful future for their children, or to be free from fear. We were struck by their unwavering faith, their community spirit, and their warm welcome and attentiveness to us. Since being home, I have realised how much we can learn from the people there. We could do with some more of the Zebabdeh-style hospitality, their honesty and passion in conversation, their loyalty to each other, their determination to get on with life in the face of adversity, and, of course, their amazing cuisine and eating with fingers! I was worried at first that all the memories would fade too quickly, but I think my perspective on the world has changed, which is something that will be a lot more permanent than the lingering taste of falafel...

Susie

Encounter with Grace and Tension...

2006-07-25T17:54:00.000-01:00

Check out the news story that has been written for the CMS website talking about our visit to Israel-Palestine and reflecting on the current political tensions in the Middle East.
http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2006/encounter_grace_tension_240706.htm

Photos

2006-07-18T09:49:00.000-01:00

I have managed to upload about 300 photos to give you a flavour of the visit! They are split into three sections - Musalaha Childrens camp, our three days in Zebabdeh and then the rest of the time in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Dead sea.

Do enjoy!!

We are home!!

2006-07-17T07:58:00.000-01:00

Thanks to everyone who has been supporting our team on this trip to Isreal-Palestine. The prayers, comments and support have a been a huge encouragement for all of us as we took this this journey and put oursleves in Gods hands.

Now home it feels a little strange as we begin to reflect and talk about all that we experienced. The two weeks were great but also were emotional on many different levels. My mind is full of all the people we met and the stories we heard, and then I see the news of the bombings between Israel and Lebanon and it all feels a little more real than just a story on the news.

Throughout the two weeks we saw and heard very much how the Palestinians are being treated by the Israeli Goverment and army. As we spent time with Palestinian Christians we cried together, we prayed together and we ate together. We saw the wall in Bethlehem causing huge divisions and cutting the Palestinians off from any Israei's, and we saw the checkpoints in Palestine which create anger, humiliation and insult.

There are many questions that arise as we try and find any sense in this situation. We didn't have that much opportunity to understand the Israeli point of view or their reasons for behaving in this way, but from the little we did hear about fear and creating a Zionist state, this in my mind, does not qualify the actions that are being taken against the Palestinian people.

There are many questions I am now toiling with regarding the whys and wherefores of the whole situation, but I think the main question is will there ever be peace in the Holy Land? It is an absolutely beautiful country with great people, but this beauty is continually marred by the ongoing conflict and oppression.

I will be doing some more reading and research over the next few weeks as I am eager to try and understand all this a little better.

The other thing that I think many of us found difficult was visiting the Holy sights. We did this at the end of the visit and after all we had heard and seen, it was very difficult to connect with ornate church buildings which are thought to be the birth place, or the resting place of Jesus. So many tourists come to see the Holy sights without any understanding of the people and lives happening around them. They arrive by bus, visit the sight and then leave by bus. Its like a bubble where the tourists are protected from the reality of the country they are in.

We will all continue to reflect over the next few days and weeks about our experiences and hopefully blog some posts about it all.

We will also try and get some photos connected to the blog today so you can see all that we got up to while away.

Thanks again for all the support and we will continue to keep telling you all loads of stories over the coming weeks.

Abby

Ps, we spent the day at the dead sea, not the black sea!! Just to clarify that point!!

Also, Judith, Susie and Paul did you reach home ok? Paul, how was ur night with Andy?

Turning home

2006-07-15T07:46:00.000-01:00

Thank you again to all of you who have been reading and/or praying through our blog.

The comments have all been really appreciated and a source of encouragement for us.

We had a good time yesterday at the Black Sea. It was unbelievably hot (thermostat now set to a more believable level) which I think slowed down the pace of our thinking and reflections. That may not be a bad thing but we are still well short of having coherent answers! Hopefully however our hearts in some sense are more settled.

Thanks Dad for two cracking verses on dealing with difference (Gal 3:28 and Eph 2:14). I want to think about this some more below, before saying a word or two about us coming back.

The spilts we have seen are immensely frustrating. Injustice is compounded by ignorance. Whatever political, religious or other conclusions one arrives at, I think most would agree that many people here are trapped. They are trapped by leaders, media, history, physical barriers, identity cards and lies. The truth we know is meant to set us free. Jesus came to proclaim the now and not yet of the kingdom, of Jubilee, including freedom for the captive. I think we are all coming back with a desire to tell the truth and in some sense release words into the cosmos which changes situations.

There are three options for identity - it is innate, it is imposed, or it is adopted. Personally I think that it's a bit of all three. But here difference is manufactured. We are all different yet we share a common humanity. As well as pondering the verses above some more, I'd like to paraphrase a Christian Aid prayer which I came across>

"Pray not for Jew or Muslim or Christian, Israeli or Palestinian or Arab; pray rather for ourselves, that we might not separate them in our minds but instead join them in our prayers."

We don't want to be guilty of perpetuating the same divides.

Lastly, just a few (semi-flippant) notes on the returning team members:
Please feed us, but not too much! We have really eaten incredibly well here.
Please ask us questions. A lot are very eager to talk.
Be patient when waiting for answers - it's hard to communicate everything in one go. Please don't assume that our first answer is necessarily our best one. Ask us again in a few days or weeks.
Ask us for stories, particularly about the people we have met. We can tell these honestly and accurately.
Don't put us on a pedestal. We are very conscious that we are only here by grace.

Thanks and see you soon!

Please pray that we do not get asked any questions at the airport.

God bless,

AJ x

Blog happy

2006-07-12T08:45:00.000-01:00

Thank you to all of you who have read or contributed to the blog. Thanks also to those of you who have been praying for us. It is more valuable than any of us know!

We have found a very pleasant internet cafe around the corner from St George's where we are staying. Indulging in fixes technological and caffeinated.

I think we feel that we are winding down. We have had 10 frantic days of running after young people in the very different settings of the two camps. Some rest feels due and this morning has been relaxing.

The assimilation process continues. In this sense, I think the next few days' visits to meet people in Bethlehem and at a liberation theology centre (Sabeel) could be very helpful. As Dauda said last night, I think that oppression is a much more apparent theme than poverty here. I will be writing more on this but have yet to decide how to pitch it and with what intent.

We are also starting to think about how we reflect on this trip and carry its effects into our lives in England: linking individual with community with world. Please pray for us as we do this. We're anticipating a hard day of thinking, praying and discussing by the Black Sea on Friday ;o)

Please also pray that we might continue to encourage those we meet over the coming days. A lot of this is like drops in an ocean - you never really identify or quantify the effects, but no drops equals no ocean. I think we have received a lot here, but knowing what and how to give is quite mystifying... Some insight would be good!

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Love,

Andy

Not long to go!

2006-07-12T08:38:00.000-01:00

Hi all!

Where do I start ????? This trip has been amazing, I have learnt so much about God, the situation in Israel/Palestine and myself. I have made some incredible friends and talked to some of the most amazing people. Part of me would like to stay here for ever and part of me can't wait to get home and to see loved ones and tell everyone what I have learnt since coming out here. I have done things I did not know I was capable of doing, but with God's help I know I can do anything!

As a team we have grown together, we have relied on eachother when things have got tough and had a great time. We have hopefully changed a lot of the lives we have been in contact with in a positive way.

As a brief summary of what we have done so far; the first week at Musalaha camp was awesome. We talked to Christian - Jewish Israelis, Arab Israelis and Palestinians. We learnt about their culture and some Hebrew and Arabic. We got involved in all aspects of the camp including sports, competition games, crafts, music, dancing, singing, etc etc. We were accepted by everyone which felt so nice.

We then went to Zebabdah where the people were some of the most hospitable people EVER! I have to go now, getting kicked off the computer. I'll continue this ramble later

Paul

back to Jerusalem

2006-07-12T08:24:00.000-01:00

Thanks to everyone who has posted a comment on Andys note from Saturday. It is such an encouragement to hear from you all.

Well...what a 10 days. Its probably fair to say we are 6 confused people! Father Hasam at St Georges Cathedral said he had two words to sum up Israel-Palestine - Crazy Place! and from all we have seen and heard that is very true.

On a prctical note, we are all exhausted from the intensity of the last 10 days, we have all caught the sun, we have many mosquito bites, we are all a lot stronger and fitter (carrying bags and running around with children in 35 degree heat), and we have all eaten enough pitta bread and humous to last us a while, but we are all very excited and happy about all that has happened over the last 10 days and each feel it has been a great experience.

On a spiritual note, we feel that God has been so close to us throughout the visit. We have had a few moments where the reality of the situation has hit home and yet throughout God has protected us all. Going through the check points to and from Zebabdeh was at times quite worrying and showed the intense power the Israeli army have over causing immense disruption for the Palestinian people. At one point the army ordered our driver out of the van. he had to show his chest to prove he was carrying no weapons and had to walk 50metres to the soldiers who were pointing a gun at him the whole way! Here is a Palestinian travelling within Palestine and yet this is the treatment they are given. We passed through safely and our driver was fine...I think this is the reality of daily life!

Ok so much more to be said here but little time so we will talk more on our return. Its just so confusing, feels so wrong, and for many people we have spoken to they are trapped and oppressed by such an unbalanced situation.

On a personal note though we have met some great people who are such a witness to the Christian faith in the face of oppression. We were welcomed into homes, and treated like friends. The people of Zebabdeh had little but gave so much. Huge lessons for us to learn!

On a team note...we are getting on great, laughing lots, sharing loads, and are trying to help each other work out what this is all about! These past few days we have finally had more time to be a team and reflect which is so very important.

Off to Bethlehem today to meet more people and hopefully understand a bit more.
God Bless
Abby

Mid trip note

2006-07-08T18:43:00.000-01:00

Hello again,

I'm writing this entry from a very pretty village in the north part of the West Bank.

This comes as a sudden contrast. On arrival last week, we travelled to a village - more a suburb - of Tel Aviv, to help run a youth camp organised by an NGO, Musalaha. (http://www.musalaha.org/). We returned to Jerusalem yesterday evening and travelled out this morning.

It's probably fair to say that the team is feeling quite immersed in experiences here. I'm therefore finding it difficult to sort my thoughts in a way that will be meaningful to you, dear reader.

As one might expect, life is both infinitely simpler and more complicated when experienced at a personal level. I think we feel we are getting some different views of the kind that don't generally make headlines in the UK.

People live as they have always lived, making family, meeting friends, building home. But the mess of conflict, with its kaleidoscope of culture, ethnicity, language, religion and politics changes the dynamics of these things. In this sense, all of us may feel more rather than less confused by our contact with people here.

Those we have met have been gracious and patient hosts. You'll have to ask each of us about the characters of those we have met when we get back. Please do.

In terms of our activities, things have gone surprisingly close to how we expected. The camp was indeed full of lively kids - about 60 of them. We were sleeping in different dorms with them, feeling by turns frustrated and amused (probably as they were) by the limitations on our communication. Meeting the councillors was also immensely rewarding, with quite a diversity of ages and backgrounds. As a whole, it was well organised and enjoyable. It also felt quite Western, in my view. I'd like to have the space to unpack what I mean by that and weigh the assumptions but wil have to do so later.

Our time in the village here will also be spent with young people and the families we are staying with for the next three nights.

G2g.

Please pray for those we meet, that we might be a blessing to them. Also for sensitivity in our responses to some of the things we are being told.

Also for the team - we were scattered in different dorms before and so it would be good to have some time to meet, pray, reflect etc.

Love to you all,

Andy

Today really is the day

2006-07-01T02:14:00.000-01:00

Apologies in advance for typios etc. I'm having to proceed at speed given the extortionate airport rates.

Heathrow Terminal 2 was really dull but coffee and two doughnuts can work wonders, even at 3 am.

The whole team has assembled on the special chairs which are ergonomically engineered to only fit people with five limbs. Don;t ask me how. And the check in desk didn't open when they said it would. The thought of more pastry magic in Zurich sustains me. I'd like to say it was a higher power - we'll see!

I'm looking forward to that moment when the door opens and the air-conditioned cool of the aircraft is replaced by the sweet tang of real air and heat on the tongue. Arrival.

A bientot.

Andy

Todays the day...

2006-06-30T16:31:00.000-01:00

Well, its tomorrow actually but as we are travelling to the airport tonight it feels like today!! Many emails, txts and questions have been flying to and fro this week as we have been busily preparing for the off.

The biggest dilemma was how to get to the airport! Check in at 3:20am is not the most convenient when your trying to be cheap! After debating the last tube or a taxi it was agree that we would take the last tube so we could have 2 hours before and 3 hours after check in to have quality time together as a team!! So by the time we arrive on Saturday afternoon we may love each other, or may hate each other, but one thing for sure, we will be exhausted!!

So, how do we feel now...well, for myself there is a huge level of excitement. With all that is going on in the news at the moment, the main question everyone is asking is about nerves and how safe it is to go. Probably good questions but as we are going to be with local people and those who work there long term, we will be in safe hands and Im sure well looked after. So for this reason, I am not at all nervous and just very excited about all thats to come.

Now the bag is packed, the medication ordered, the craft materials planned and bought and the tickets and money in hand, it is suddenly very real. What has been in the future for so long is now here and I hope and pray we are ready for all that is to come.

I have many hopes and expectations for the next few weeks. I dont think you can go to a country such as Israel-Palestine and not be challenged. Challenged about Christianity, faith, war, conflict, Jesus, persecution, love, hate...the list could go on.

Sometimes our faith can get boxed by our surroundings. Our belief in Jesus may reflect our own circustances. What is it like to believe in Jesus when you live in conflict and suffer persecution? How does belief in one same God differ but also unite? How will God challenge us over the next few weeks through the people we meet and talk to?

Well, hopefully we can answer some of these questions in a few weeks time.
But now I have a taxi to order and one more check that I haven't forgotten anything!!

Abby

A week to go...

2006-06-25T11:45:00.000-01:00

Well, it’s not too far off now and everything is getting very real. As Andy mentioned there are loads of forms to fill in, information to read and planning to do but it is best to be well prepared.

Abby and Andy have done an awesome job with the leading and organising the trip. We have a very well balanced team and I feel confident that we will be able to get through any situation, which we could face.

I do have a few worries, including:

Heat and sun, I can get very tired in the sun and burn easily
Language barrier, learning 2 languages is quite daunting
Political situation, confusing even to locals

But mostly I am just exciting about learning about a new culture, meeting new people and using my gifts for God’s will. I get a feeling nervous anticipation every time I think about it.
I can’t wait!

Paul

My Feelings...

2006-06-21T10:25:00.000-01:00

I've got lots of things swimming around my head:

Rucksack - need to get one, need to fill one, need to be able to carry it!
Thank you letters - need to send lots, as people were so generous at my Middle Eastern Lunch
Testimony - help!
10o'clock news - Israel's on it a lot, and we're going there, and I could be within a few metres of those people and places in 10 days, but it'll still be a shock that the country exists behind the TV screen
Parents - they seem to be faffing about the practicalities more than me! I'm not organised in that way; I just want to get there!
Questions: Will I come back burnt? challenged? bitten? wanting to tell people everything? reluctant to tell the same stories over again? willingly? reluctantly? wanting to do a Hebrew/Arabic degree?(!) the same? or different?

Susie

Encounter Israel-Palestine

2006-06-19T17:41:00.000-01:00

How does it feel?

I wanted to try and give a flavour of how people feel - obviously I can only speak for myself, so please chip in guys!

Actually getting ready often seems to amount to a large number of unglamourous tasks. Blood groups and forms so that I can get prescription medicines in advance of a diarrhoea diagnosis do not fill me with delight. Of course they're important (I may yet be very glad I filled that form in) but it's hard to connect global situations with wee pills. Even the in-between bit - us in Israel-Palestine taking the pink pills - doesn't make it that much clearer on first reflection.

This is exactly why I think Encounter is so valuable as an experience. Meeting people is where it's at. It reconnects us with our neighbours' daily realities. What might be a short conversation can have a very powerful pull, even when one gets back to the UK.

So my feelings? Confusion! Mild tedium. Immense excitement and anticipation.

Andy

SO...

2006-06-18T21:56:00.000-01:00

We will all be planning and preparing for going away over the next few weeks. Once in Israel we will try to update the blog to let everyone see what we are up to and whats happening with our team. Please do keep checking the blog and keep up to date with all that we are doing.

When we return we will put all our photos onto the blog via Flickr.

TEAM STATEMENT...

2006-06-18T20:46:00.000-01:00

During our preparation weekend we looked at our expectations of the visit as individuals, and then combined them together to create a team statement for our time in Israel-Palestine.

"we would like to relate to people of our own faith and others by understanding different view points, so we can build relationships and learn from the local Christians, which will allow us to grow individually in our faith, to encourage those we meet and to share our experiences when we return"

WHAT WILL WE BE UP TO...

2006-06-18T19:58:00.000-01:00

CMS works with trusted partner organisations in Israel and the Occupied Territories and it is they who we will be linking with and working alongside as we spend our time in Israel-Palestine.

For the first week we are going to be helping at a childrens camp run by Musalaha.
"Musalah is a ministry that seeks to increase "reconciliation between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews according to scriptual principles" by way of testimony and witness. Since 1990, Muslaha has grown from a small grass roots ministry to a healthy, vibrant organisation based in Jerusalem".

The camp is for about 40 Israeli and Palestinian children aged 9-12, providing them with opportunities to build understanding, awareness, and friendships of people on the other side. The theme of the week is Jonah and the whale with bible teaching, meetings and crafts related to this story. We will also be doing different craft activities, sports, swimming, games, music and a talent show!!

"One of the biggest obstacles to reconciliation is the process of dehumanisation and demonisation...by the age of five, a child has a very clear picture of who the enemy is." Salim Munayer, Director of Musalaha.

The second week we will be based with the diocese of Jerusalem at St Georges Guest House. For two days we will be going to a village called Zebabheh. This is a Palestinian village located in the north of the West Bank. The village is predominantly Christian but is known as the forgotten village. Here we will again be spending time with the children and young people doing a mini summer camp for them. This will include lots of crafts, music, games and sports again! We will join the sunday morning church service and will have the opportunity to find out more about life in Palestine as we will be staying with local families in the village.

Back in Jerusalem we will then have a few days to visit some local projects there as well as visiting some of the holy sites. One of the projects we will be visiting is Sabeel. This is a Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre, working for Justice, Peace and Reconciliation in Palestine-Israel.

From Jerusalem we will then have a day visiting Bethlehem, and a day out at the dead sea to reflect on all we have seen and learnt during out time in Israel.

PREPARATION WEEKEND

2006-06-18T15:49:00.000-01:00

From the 2-4th June we spent a weekend together at Andy's parents home in Birmingham. It was a great chance to get to know each other better as a team. Throughout the weekend we did many things, including...

Visiting a local synagogue to understand more about Judiasm
Looking together at the Muslim faith
Discussing how we as Christians should initiate dialogue with people of other faiths
Listening to Louise Gleich, who spent a year in Jerusalem, talking to us about the political situation in Israel-Palestine, and giving us all the practical hints we will need for visiting the country
Completing a personality test to find out the strengths of each of the team members, so we know how we can best function as a team
Planning for the Childrens camp we will be helping at
Watching the film 'Crash'
Visiting St John's Church Harbourne on Sunday morning
Working out what kind of a team we would like to be
studying the bible

It was a lovely sunny weekend and to top it off we even had the luxury of a hot tub!! Check out the photos from the weekend on Flickr using the link on the right hand bar.

FLIGHTS

2006-06-18T15:14:00.000-01:00

We are flying with Swiss Air on Saturday 1st July and Saturday 15th July...

SAT 01 JULY
Depart London Heathrow Terminal 2 at 06:20 LX345
Arrive Zurich at 09:00
Depart Zurich at 09:45 LX254
Arrive Tel Aviv at 14:35

SAT 15 JULY
Depart Tel Aviv at 15:55 LX255
Arrive Zurich at 19:15
Depart Zurich at 20:25 LX340
Arrive London Heathrow Terminal 2 at 21:15

We need to be at check in at 03:20 on Saturday 1st July. Andy and Abby will be at the airport from about 00:30 and will camp out and meet everyone by the WHSmiths. More definate details to follow...

SO WHERE ARE WE GOING...

2006-06-18T15:01:00.000-01:00

London to Israel-Palestine - 1-15th July 2006

THE TEAM!

2006-06-18T14:56:00.001-01:00

There are 6 of us in the team...

Team Leaders...
Andy - Andy did a MAD placement with CMS in Russia and now lives and works in London with a company looking at inner city Urban regeneration programmes.
Abby - Abby did a MAD placement in the Gambia, West Africa and now works for CMS in Waterloo as the Cross-Cultural Engagment Administartor and Facilitator working with all the short term teams.

The team...
Dauda - 2nd year student at Bristol University studying Biomedical Sciences and hoping to transfer to medicine next year.
Judith - 3rd year student at Edinburgh University studying Sociology and Phsychology.
Susie - Language student taking a gap year before applying for university next year, working as a volunteer at a social action centre.
Paul - On a gap year before starting at Loughborough University in September, working as a Sales manager of a car letting agency.

ENCOUNTER ISRAEL-PALESTINE

2006-06-18T14:53:00.000-01:00

We are off to Israel-Palestine for two weeks in July. It is going to be a great experience for the whole team as we learn what it is like to be living as a Christian in such an unstable political situation.