ICB Partnership Blog

Dear Friends and Family:

Today we began our day in Bethlehem.  We visited the Dar Al Kalima School started by Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb.  It is a wonderful school for children age 3 all the way through high school.  The school has a capacity of 350 students and they currently have 294 students.  The director reports that the young classes are full and there are waiting lists.  They have less students that are older.  Their commitment is to create a balance of Christian students with Muslim students, boys with girls.   The students come from the refugee camps as well as the surrounding villages.  Tuition for a family is $1,000 per year which is about 1/3 of the cost to attend.   Jo Lucas reports that our Presbytery and interested people have given over $30,000 to support the work here.  Over $11,000 of this money has gone towards scholarships to help poor families send their children.    One of the important tasks of the school is to sponsor workshops for parents.  They want to educate the people both parents and students about working for peace.  Their 6th graduating class is in 2010 and in 2009 their first  graduates from this school have now graduated from colleges either here or abroad.  I visited some classrooms.  The teens in the 10th grade wanted me to send you a picture of them so it will be attached. 

We then visited the Women’s welllness center located in the same building.  I will attach a picture of Jo Lucas handing hearing aids over to the audiologist of this clinic which they deeply appreciated.  We saw the place where the school, the wellness center and more classes will be added in the future as they receive support.  I hope to also attach a picture of their mission statement so that you can read it for yourself.

Finally this afternoon we were able to visit Hebron and the tomb of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekkah.  A mosque is built over the caves where they believe that the people were buried.   You will see a picture of the Bethlehem traveler women outfitted appropriately so that we could enter the mosque. 

We returned to the Abu Gruban guesthouse tonight.  We will visit Masada and plan to swim (or float) in the Dead Sea tomorrow.  Then we will travel back to the Abu Gruban guesthouse for a rest as we prepare to leave here about 1:00 a.m. in the morning to travel to Tel Aviv to fly home.

It has been a wonderful blessed trip.    Thank you for reading the blog and traveling with us in your prayers.   Our flights should arrive home Wednesday evening.

Blessings

Pastor Peggy and the Bethlehem Travelers

Part of Dar Al Kalima Mission Statement

10th grade teens class studying at the school

Jo Lucas delivering much needed hearing aids to Wellness Center

Bethlehem Traveler Women visiting the Mosque over Tomb of Sarah

Hi Teens:

Today at church I met Tala Raheb, daughter of Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb.  She is 15 and a teenager just like you.  I asked her to share a bit about her life so that you can learn about teens in the West Bank.  Tala said the teens here also like to have fun.  They go to restaurants, movies but mostly gather at someone’s house.  They don’t go out of this area much.  To do so requires a permit.  She must be 16 to get an ID and a permit. 

In Bethlehem she lives as all people do behind the separation wall.  I asked her how she feels about the wall.  Tala said that where she lives she doesn’t see it much as it is not so close to her house, but when she does she says it makes her feel gloomy like they cannot see the sun.  Knowing the wall is there is something that is in their thoughts every day. 

A normal day for Tala starts with school at 7:30 a.m. and home by 2:30 p.m.  Then she studies and stays home maybe watching TV in the evening.  Teens usually only go out on certain days like Saturday, Sunday and maybe Thursday or Friday.  Sports are basketball and football.   The teens love hamburgers and pizza – sound familiar?  Tala speaks Arabic, English and German which is true for the teens and children educated in this area.

Her dream is for a free life, for people to have more open minds, to have rights and a bigger society. 

I hope you will enjoy seeing her picture and a picture of some of the children in her church.  I have lots of stories to share with you when I return to FPC.

Talk to you soon!   Pastor Peggy

Pastor Peggy and Tala Raheb at Christmas Lutheran Church

Pastor Peggy and the children of Christmas Lutheran Church

Friends and Family;

I have changed my greeting as friends and our families are watching this blog.  Don’t worry – we are safe and having the time of our lives.  Our tour guide is very informed and navigates here with excellence!

Friday, we toured the Old City and I hope to post pictures from the Wailing Wall.  We then visited the Women in Black as they stood and continue to stand against the occupation.  I saw 2 Israeli women that I visited with 4 years ago.  Four years ago they had hope for 2 state solution, today they don’t have much hope of that but continue to stand as a reminder of what happens to the Palestinian people. 

We then went to Jericho (no walls fell down) and on to Galilee.  The first night in Galilee we went to the shore.  Meg Hainer came out with a mussel attached to her foot – she pulled it off and handed it to me – then told me what it was.  As it moved – so did I

Today we sailed on the Sea of Galilee, visited Capernaum where Jesus performed many healings, Tabgha where Jesus fed the 5,000, and the Mt of Beatitudes.  We are back in Jerusalem tonight.  We will travel back to Bethlehem in the morning (Sunday) to worship with the Christmas Lutheran Church part of the International Center of Bethlehem and return to Jerusalem for more site seeing.

We are being fed really well – lots of GREAT experiences.  We miss you all and it is wonderful to being hearing from so many of you on the blog!  We are hearing news of many of you and are keeping you in our prayers.

Blessings on your Sabbath.  More later.  Much love,

Jo Lucas @ Wailing Wall - wonder who she is praying for?

Pastor Peggy w/Women in Black

Our ship for Ride on Sea of Galilee

Meg Hainer, Marietta Macy, Pastor Peggy. Yes I AM working!

Pastor Peggy and the Bethlehem Travelers

Visiting the Separation Wall

The DeHeisha Refugee Camp

We began our day with a tour of the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square.   We then proceeded to one of three refugee camps in this area.  This camp is called the DeHeisha Refugee Camp.  These camps were established in 1948 when many Palestinian people were displaced from their homes.  12,000 Palestinian people still live in the DeHeisha camp that remains under United Nations authority.  Our host Raji Oda said that the Palestinians ‘rented’ this land from Jordan with a 99 year contract.  Only 38 years are left and they do not know what will happen to them afterwards.

Some of the students at the International Center of Bethlehem live in the DeHeisha Refugee Camp.  The poverty and quality of life is beyond imagination.    Of course what stuck me is that there is no place for the children to play.  The streets are in very bad shape within the camp and they are also very narrow.

We had lunch and visited another portion of the separation wall.  I stood at this 27 foot concrete wall and I could hear the busy life on the other side but could see nothing.  At one point in Bethlehem the wall cuts into Palestinian territory for a space of about 2 blocks and then juts back out again – just enough to disrupt a neighborhood.

Later, our guide took us to shepherd’s field where it is believed that the angels visited the shepherds announcing the birth of Jesus.  Since we were early, our guide thought that we would enjoy seeing a hill that King Herod built and some Roman ruins in the area.  We were the only tourists in this area.  Upon arrival, the person in charge of this place, quickly came and told us that this site was closed.  So we snapped a few quick pictures and reboarded our tour bus.  Once on the bus, our tour guide explained that this is also a place where very new Jewish settlements are being built within the West Bank and is heavily guarded.

Afterwards we enjoyed a Bedouin dinner (don’t believe all the stories that you may hear about your Moderator and Associate Pastor even though there might be some pictoral evidence).

Every night we return to ICB.  As has been customary, the bus brings us so far and we walk the balance of the distance.  Tomorrow we leave for a tour of the Old City during the day and are heading to the Sea of Galilee for the evening.  We go sailing on Saturday.  I don’t know what my access to computers will be in that area – so if you don’t read more news for a day or two – do not be alarmed.

We love your comments – keep them coming!  Keep us in your prayers.  Much love to you all – Pastor Peggy and the Holy Land Travelers

Travel partners in Jerusalem

Playground for Palestinian Children

Viewing the wall and settlements East of Jerusalem

Friends:

As we arrived at the International Center of Bethlehem, we were greeted by Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb.  He was sorry to not be able to spend more time with us as he was off to Canada to an international gathering of contextual theologians.  However, late last night he returned before trying to exit Bethlehem for his trip to sit down with Jo Lucas and me. 

I told Mitri about the blog and asked him what words I could pass along to our Presbytery from him.  Mitri said, “to be serious about peace they need to develop new leaders.  Their dream is to be a clearing house for leaders where they are able to see a new vision, get a good set of ingrained values and change the world for the better.”   I told him that the wall was not complete during my last visit and the wall being complete was the first thing I noticed.  He said that they can’t focus or worry about the wall, they prefer to work with broad projects such as education and to inspire creativity .

It is an honor to sit with a man who continues to live a vision that God has given him every day despite the obstacles and to keep hope.  He and the center feels blessed for our partnership, our prayers and even for the gifts we brought to their library and their health and wellness center.  Mitri said that God continues to open doors.

Today our group toured several of the sacred holy sites, but we also had a visit with Itamar Shapira, an Israeli citizen in Jerusalem that volunteers with the Israeli Committee against house demolition.  He did an excellent job of helping us to understand how complex the issues are and took us on a tour around Jerusalem.    We will have much to share.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.  Keep us in your prayers.

Blessings, Peggy Casteel and the Travel Partners

Greetings from the International Center of Bethlehem!  The travel partners representing our Presbytery arrived tired but safe.   We are hopeful of having a short meeting with Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb about the work of the center tomorrow.  Two bits of early news I want to  share (one bit is good and one not so good).  The good news is that since I was here 4 years ago, the center is full of young people taking classes.  Jo Lucas and I got to watch a dance troop rehearse this evening.  In their dance they tell their story.  They told Jo and I that they dream of coming to our next General Assembly to perform.  It is fun to see them dance and enjoy music and be nourished by this wonderful place.

The not so good news is that the wall is much more complete and the feeling of isolation in this area is incredible.  The newer restrictions even affect our tour guide and we have to walk to meet our bus as there are places the people here are not allowed.

Hope to post more later.   Keep us in your prayers!

Blessings,  Rev Peggy Casteel and the travel partners.

Friends:  Many have said they will be watching this site as our group representing the Presbytery of Ohio Valley leaves for Bethlehem.  We should arrive at the Abu Gubran Guesthouse the evening of November 3rd.  We begin our visit on the 4th.  My hope is to begin posting pictures and learnings from our trip the evening of the 4th or early on the 5th of November. 

Thanks for your prayers.  We know that many of you are traveling with us in your hearts.

Blessings, Peggy Casteel

The Mission and Social Justice Committee of the Presbytery of Ohio Valley will be using this site to communicate about our trip to the International Center of Bethlehem from November 2 – 9th. Our Presbytery is in a partnership with this Christian organization. Our hope is to send pictures and reports from the center to provide our Presbytery with updates about all the good work that is taking place in addition to comments from Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb. Please watch for our reports beginning in November!
Rev. Peggy Casteel