Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation - August 2021 Update
Israel and Palestine
Children's Summer Camp
Musalaha was happy to report that they successfully executed a fantastic children’s Summer Camp in Givat Haviva this year. With less than two months' notice after the pandemic lockdowns were lifted, they organized the licenses and correct permissions the Ministry of Education required, trained a camp leader to conduct antigen COVID-19 tests, and tested all non-vaccinated participants.
In late July, they gathered over 80 individuals from every corner of the land. Children and teenagers from Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza attended, including Palestinian Christians, Palestinian Muslims, Messianic Jews, secular Jews, and several international volunteers. The camp theme was the story of the prophet Jonah, reflecting upon how God deals with our attitude towards people who are different from us. Besides the morning Bible study-skits prepared for the kids, an average day consisted of group competitions, arts and crafts, sports, pool time, night games, slip n slide, a talent show, and more.
Once again, children proved that they are effective reconcilers as they shared cabin rooms, learned each other's languages, played together, and created new friendships. These memories provide children with an alternative perspective and the ability to reject the hatred of the conflict at a later stage in life.
Women’s Jericho Meeting: Overcoming Obstacles
Rula, the leader of our Muslim-Christian group, welcomed 24 ladies from Nablus and Zababdeh to Jericho and spoke about the challenges Palestinian women face in the West Bank. While teaching the six Stages of Reconciliation, she emphasized the healing process that one goes through when interacting with the “other” side in a healthy way. During the trip, the ladies were given an exercise in which they wrote down personal stories that illustrated hurtful experiences or/and obstacles to reconciliation between Christians and Muslims. Several women presented their stories and shared constructive dialogue about their experiences. The women often talked into the night and began to develop genuine friendships. This brave group of women is to be commended for their strength, courage, and honesty and for seeking true understanding of their Muslim and Christian neighbors in a challenging context of oppression.
A prayer request
Our prayers are being answered and our message of reconciliation is spreading far and wide across our community. We ask that you join us in prayer for fruitful relationships as we join forces with other peace organizations in the area that share our vision and values.
Read more about Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation HERE.
THE NEED
The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts totaling $5,000 to support Musalaha’s ministries of reconciliation. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.
