Sounds Like Recession

When I broke down and finally got internet I had to get a phone line, too. For some reason, internet is better and cheaper if you get phone service, than if you get internet alone. I finally got around to plugging in a phone and discovered 28 voicemails waiting for me. From what I can gather, the calls are intended for a single dad, X----, with a high school kid, an elementary school kid, and 2 dogs. I was not prepared for the sadness of the messages and found myself really bothered by them. They went something like this:

- call from a credit card collection agency
- call from elementary school nurse urgently advising him to pick up his daughter and take her to the doctor
- call about vehicle reposession
- call from high school guidance counselor about his son's failing grades
- call from credit card collection agency
- call from a man who sounds angry "X---, you NEED to call me NOW!"
- call from vet clinic on unpaid bill
- call from an agency about unemployment benefits
- call from high school teacher about son's behavior in Engish class
- more calls from credit card collection agencies

I found myself haunted by these calls to this stranger who previously had my number. I hope he and his kids will be ok, it sounds like their lives are falling apart.

Prayer for Those Who are Unemployed

O God of the vineyard,
you call us all to productive labor,
to employ our gifts and talents for you.
We pray for those who are unemployed.
Strengthen them in this difficult hour,
uplift their spirits,
and grant them a place among your laborers
until all be employed for the common good,
and we share fully in our true work
of praising you with heart and mind and soul forever. Amen

(UMC Book of Worship, David Schnasa Jacobsen)

Healing of the Sick

This cartoon by Neal Obermeyer ran in the Lincoln Journal Star. He's a friend from college and I just love anytime he includes Jesus in his cartoons. I post this in honor of my friend Elizabeth, the badass Mexican woman who led me through Palestine and back and stayed with me recently for the CPT Congress where she spoke about what the Bible says about caring for the immigrant. She led the CPT Borderland project while it was in existence.

Top 10 Reasons Why Men Shouldn't Be Ordained

I'm reposting this from Christian Feminism blog. Enjoy!

10. A man’s place is in the army.

9. For men who have children, their duties might distract them from the responsibilities of being a parent.

8. Their physical build indicates that men are more suited to tasks such as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be “unnatural” for them to do other forms of work.

7. Man was created before woman. It is therefore obvious that man was a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment, rather than the crowning achievement of creation.

6. Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. This is easily demonstrated by their conduct at football games and watching basketball tournaments.

5. Some men are handsome; they will distract women worshipers.

4. To be ordained pastor is to nurture the congregation. But this is not a traditional male role. Rather, throughout history, women have been considered to be not only more skilled than men at nurturing, but also more frequently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.

3. Men are overly prone to violence. No really manly man wants to settle disputes by any means other than by fighting about it. Thus, they would be poor role models, as well as being dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.

2. Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep paths, repair the church roof, change the oil in the church vans, and maybe even lead the singing on Father’s Day. By confining themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the Church.

1. In the New Testament account, the person who betrayed Jesus was a man. Thus, his lack of faith and ensuing punishment stands as a symbol of the subordinated position that all men should take.

A Good Man is Hard to Find

My friend Tiffany and I were just talking last night about how many girls and women live in slavery, especially in the global sex trade. We remarked that after watching a movie like "Taken" which shows young women being sold into slavery and knowing that those conditions exist in the world for real women, it can be easy to direct a lot of angry, bitter energy to those people in this world called men (even despite having so many wonderful men in my own family and circle of friends!).

It seemed serendipitous today when I heard about a fellow Flobots.org Board Member and all-around great guy, Nic, who is a finalist in GQ Magazine's "Better Men, Better World" contest. He's nominated because he started an organization, Somaly Mam Foundation, to rescue girls from sexual slavery in Southeast Asia. He's also a graduate of my church's preschool! Encourage one of those men who's getting it right and help him maybe even earn $10,000 to free girls from slavery by voting for Nic here: http://thegentlemensfund.com/final_vote.asp

A Few of My Favorite Things

This fall I've been babysitting for a couple of adorable kids who I'll call BrownEyes, a 4th grade girl, and Shark Dr., a 1st grade boy. Their parents are raising them to be a couple of revolutionaries which I love. I picked them up from school and got a kick out of this conversation in my car:

BrownEyes: She even does it when she's driving!

Shark Dr.: What?

BrownEyes: (whisper) She's smiling!

Shark Dr.: (to me) Oh yeah, you smile all the time! Why do you smile so much?

Me: Just happy I guess.

BrownEyes: What makes you happy?

Me: Let's see...sunshine.

BrownEyes: Yeah.

Me: And good music.

BrownEyes: Yeah.

Me: And good food.

BrownEyes: Oh yeah!

Me: And family and friends and hanging out with you two.

BrownEyes: Hey! Those are the same things that make me happy!

Shark Dr.: Me too.


If I had been a better nanny I would have made up a choreographed song out of the conversation, torn down the curtains to use the fabric for playclothes, and then used our songs to outwit Nazi soldiers. Oh well!

God Bless the Freaks

NORMAL is getting dressed
in clothes that you buy for work
and driving through traffic in a car
that you are still paying for-
in order to get to the job you need
to pay for the clothes
and the car
and the house
you leave vacant all day
so you can afford to live in it.
- Ellen Goodman

For all three of you who still check this page, I’m back at the blog! I broke down and finally splurged for internet at my apartment which should facilitate posts more often.

Since returning from the Middle East my life has had a high level of transition. Some things are big like leaving the UMC candidacy process, starting a new job and taking on the Treasurer role of an organization with which I’m involved. Others are smaller, yet significant like an awesome new haircut and reconnecting with friends I missed with commuting to and from Nebraska last year.

This weekend I went to a Brandi Carlile concert in Boulder with two really great friends, Stephanie and Nicole. They were my first two friends when I moved to Denver five years ago to take a job as an Auditor right out of college. They are both brilliant and have been promoted in the company, are homeowners, and have lots of clients who rely on them. It is strange to think that my life would be similar to theirs if I had stayed on the same trajectory. Though I enjoyed my brief career as an Auditor, I had an irrational fear that at any moment a mob of accountants would gather around my cubicle chanting “imposter”, as if they had found out that I was not really one of “them.”

When I graduated from college my mom bought me a coffee mug (which I’m using right now – it’s filled with Apple Cinnamon herbal tea) with a quote from Thoreau: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” It sounds cheesy to say, but I very much feel like this is what I’m doing, though I am more confident at some times than others. I’m experimenting with truth and beauty and living the life I’ve imagined, though it is not at all “normal.” I have moments when I lose faith in my beliefs about simplicity and security and panic about making so little money and not having a full-time job. I have moments when I feel like a freak for not living a “normal” life. At Convo the other weekend, my friend Tiffany and I found bumper stickers for sale that say “God Bless the Freaks”. They spoke to us immediately and I bought one for Tiffany and one for myself (I may put it up in the Middle School youth room).

What is normal, anyway? God bless the freaks.

Here's a little treat from Brandi Carlile, one of her new songs from her forthcoming album this fall:


P.S. Happy Birthday, Uncle Jerry!

Videos of At-Tuwani and Tuba

Here are some videos I found from another blogger, ibn Ezra, who recorded his experience doing some of the same things we did, with the same people, in the same places, at almost the same time. His first video shows shepherding in Tuba, the family featured is the family we stayed with. The situation he recorded is very similar to the one we experienced. The second video is about the school patrol and the route the children take in order to get to school. Shawn, the young American man in the hat, is one of the full-time CPT members in At-Tuwani who guided our team.

Strong, Savvy Women

I want to introduce you to one of my favorite places and one of my favorite persons from my trip to the Middle East: Nawal and the Women’s Cooperative of Hebron!

At the Women’s Cooperative of Hebron, we were greeted warmly by Nawal and her sister who invited us into their shop, served us delicious tea, and showed off their beautiful clothing, bags, wall-hangings, and other goodies embroidered by women. To support their families and become more financially independent, women from all over the West Bank learn skills like embroidery and make beautiful products in their homes to be sold in shops like this one.

Palestinians have been hit hard, economically, by the military occupation because of the violence, arrests, and restrictions of movement. In Hebron, the military ordered many businesses to close and several others closed themselves when the city was under curfew (they could not leave their homes) or the shops could not be profitable. Many men in Bethlehem can no longer go to their jobs in Jerusalem because of the separation wall and checkpoints. Farmers in the West Bank have a hard time getting their harvests to the market because of the roadblocks and restrictions on roads. Husbands and fathers have been killed, arrested, or deported to Gaza with no notice or explanation. All of these stories mean serious financial, social, psychological, and cultural implications for women and children.

Nawal's is the only women-owned shop in the marketplace and the male merchants often give them a hard time. It is especially difficult, Nawal said, on days when her son comes to work with her and he wants to run and play, not sit quietly in the shop! Our friend Kevin, a perpetual good sport, provided us all with lots of laughs when Nawal demonstrated how to wear the traditional Palestinian keffiyah. The women just loved that Kevin bought gifts for the women in his family there, including a coin purse embroidered with the words “Women Can Do ANYthing!”


When we visited the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron hills, we met Kifa, an entrepreneur who started a Women’s Co-op in her village. When Kifa first started the Co-op, there was little support in the village but her husband stood behind her. Little by little, more women (and supportive husbands) began to take part after seeing what a positive thing it was for the community and for their families. Now even some of the most conservative families take part in the Cooperative. Kifa told us that she does this work because it is good for women; it helps them financially, psychologically, and spiritually. She said it sets a good example not just for little girls but especially for little boys like her own sons whom she knows will grow up to be “good men”.

The full-time CPT members in the village told us that Kifa’s husband had been arrested a week earlier for taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the demolition orders of homes and electrical pylons in their village. British Prime Minister Tony Blair had previously visited the village and promised, on behalf of the Quartet, that they would receive electricity so the village built electrical pylons in preparation. But the village recently received notice from the Israeli government that the pylons were illegally constructed and will be bulldozed. Building permits must be approved by the government and it is almost impossible for Palestinians to be granted permits. At our visit, Kifa's family did not know yet when her husband would be allowed to return or how much the fine would cost. You can imagine the stress this causes for Kifa and her children and how important a source of income is for them now. The demonstration was likely an excuse to arrest her husband, the team told us, because the government knows he is a respected leader and organizer in the small community.

Holy Shenanigans: ways to put your faith into action:

• Support fair-trade women’s products and businesses, like 10,000 Villages, which sells products from women’s co-ops around the world. Plan ahead when you take vacations or mission trips and save your souvenir money for women’s co-ops or shop in areas that need the money most.
  
  
• Ask the Quartet to keep Tony Blair's promise that At-Tuwani will receive electricity.
  
  
• Teach your daughters, and just as importantly, your sons, that women can do anything! Model gender equity in your sermons, Sunday School curriculum, church committees, and family life.
  

Watch this video to hear from Nawal in her own words:

Powerful Women from Alternative Information Centre on Vimeo.

Better Know a Peacemaker, Episode 1

Meet Anna Baltzer. She is really brilliant. Here's her bio:
Anna Baltzer is a 28 -year-old Jewish American Columbia graduate, Fulbright scholar, and the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. She is a three-time volunteer with the International Women’s Peace Service, where she documented human rights abuses in the West Bank and supported the nonviolent movement against the Occupation. She has spent most of the past few years in Palestine or on tour with her book, Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories.

She has an oh-so-helpful video with pictures of settlements in the West Bank and an explanation of roadblocks:

Back in the USA

I am back in Colorado! We mailed our memory cards and literature home to avoid questions at the airport so I have to wait even longer to put pictures up but they are coming – I promise!
An important note I should share, I am no expert on these issues but will try to share what I’ve learned in a way that I think helps others understand, while still struggling to understand the issues.

This post is dedicated to my Uncle Jerry who asks many important and difficult questions about who the fundamentalist Jews are, how the settlements are funded, and Prime Minister Netenyahu’s recent order to demolish some settlements.

Who are the fundamentalist Jewish settlers?

We tried to get into a settlement for a tour but were not able to see one from the inside, unfortunately. What we heard from Israelis, Palestinians, and Internationals living in the area is that the largest population of fundamentalist Jews is from America (Brooklyn, specifically). We also heard that a large population comes from France.
Additionally, we've heard that a lot of the economically-motivated settlers are from Ethiopia and Russia.

How are the settlements funded?

We heard from several organizations that the settlements are heavily subsidized by the Israeli government. In an earlier post I wrote that the Israeli government pays for the settlements but I should clarify, they don't pay 100% of the costs. According to an article released while we were in Jerusalem, the Macro Center of the Israeli European Policy Network reported that settlements receive 57% of their funding from the Israeli government. (In contrast, Israeli municipalities receive 35% funding from the government.)

What about the recent news reports that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered the demolition of several settlements?

Israel has been pressured by Internationals to stop construction of new settlements and we heard news that Netanyahu announced his plans to bulldoze 12-20 outposts that were not approved by the Israeli government. People we spoke to had bittersweet reactions to this news. On one hand, it shows the value of International pressure and influence on the government. On the other hand, there is fear that this is a political move that will appease Internationals but that no real change will come from it. One of our CPT guides took us to an outpost that had been identified as one planned for demolition and it was a tent that housed a synagogue outside a settlement. No one lived there and it was not even a building, compared to the large settlement community of houses and buildings a few blocks away. I’ll post a picture when I have my memory card back. It is my understanding that the many of the outposts ordered for demolition are “political settlements” and few, if any, people actually live there.


A "settlement" outpost ordered for destruction in Hebron.

Caves, Shepherds, and Detention

We are back in Jerusalem from visiting some rural villages South of Hebron and we get on a flight back to Denver tomorrow night, I have so much to tell you about, but here are some of the most eventful stories.

One night some of us walked to a neighboring village, Tuba (what a cool name, huh?), to spend the night with families there. This is the village we marched to with the children although we took a longer, more difficult route there for the sake of safety. Along the walk we encountered 3 camels, some gazelle, and a herd of sheep with a shepherd.

Tiffany and I stayed with O's family who are shepherds. Though they own many acres of land, it is illegal for them to build anything on the land so they live in a cave below ground without electricity or water (obviously). We were welcomed with great hospitality and their children took us by the hand to show us their animals and play games. (I tried out my best sheep impression for laughs but I guess it looked more like a monkey...) Then they served us an incredible dinner of a tomato and Leban (salty cheese) soup with veggies and Tuboon bread, which is a delcious flat bread.

After dinner, the family told us stories of settler violence. Their children make the long walk to Tuwani every day between the settlements. Some of their children have been beaten up by settlers (grown men) and one of their youngest sons who is entering 1st grade this year, was nearly kidnapped by a settler. (Though the Army has an agreement to accompany the children to school, they often don't show up and when they do, they only complete part of the route, stopping short of one of the most dangerous parts of the path, near the settlers' barns).

We stayed up late talking and then slept outside underneath the stars (this is the family's custom in summer). The weather was perfect and it was the best night of sleep I've had during the trip, despite the nighmarish stories. When we woke up, there were all sorts of animals walking right past our beds - donkeys, chickens, doves, and sheep! I don't want to romanticize their life, though, because they very much want a house and would prefer not to live in a cave!!

In the morning, we accompanied the shepherds, who are in constant danger of violence and harassment from settlers and soldiers. I don't know what I was imagining when I thought of shepherds...maybe tough, grizzly old men? These shepherds were just boys - ages 11, 15, and 19, and part of the family who hosted us (another team accompanied a pair of shepherds ages 10 and 11).

The shepherds took the sheep out to graze on their land (the land they own, near Tuba) and we walked alongside. (They requested our presence because the presence of "Internationals" deters the risk of violence, they believe). Shepherding is a form of resistance because when land is stolen, one of the justifications that is given is that "the land was not being used" so the shepherds are sure to graze their sheep everyday.

All was beautiful and peaceful for about an hour until we spotted some soldiers making their way towards us. This happens nearly every day and the shephers must decide if they will stay and graze anyway or leave for another place. Staying means possible violence or arrest and leaving means a step towards losing their land. That day, the shepherds decided to stay.

More soldiers came and they called the Israeli police who arrived with some settlers. The settlers in fact had called the Army who detained the shepherds and the Internationals. The detention was spread out over a long time (I think it was 4 hours sitting in the sun, altogether). The police were waiting for the military government to show up with the official maps that would show who the land belonged to, according to the Israeli government. When the military government finally showed up they did not bring any maps or other evidence and told us that the land was state land, which means it is illegal for Palestinians, settlers, Israelis, and Internationals to be on it (yet the settlers present were certainly not detained or risking arrest). In actuality, O's family's land has not been seized by the Israeli state, yet...which is probably why the government did not bring a map to show.

Eventually, all detainees were let go, except the oldest shepherd boy. While we was not officially "arrested" (after all, there were no charges...he was legally on his land), he was not allowed to leave and was taken to the settlement police station so that the officers could "help answer his questions." They told us that the boy had requested to go and they were helping him, but it was clear he did not want to go to the police station.

I'm no lawyer...but this doesn't sound like justice to me...

Yesterday we spent an incredible day with Bedouins and I can't wait to tell you about them and their very complex issues, but this post is long enough.

Please pray for safe travels, especially an uneventful clearance through the Tel Aviv airport!!

Salaam! Shalom! Peace!

Settlements 101

I've posted the press release about the children's march below. It was absolutely amazing to be part of. The march was organized by the children and their teachers (teachers here are very tough!) and we were an international presence to walk alongside and be between the children and the settlers.

If you haven't been following the politics of Israel and Palestine, settlers are Israeli people who live in housing settlements over the Green Line - the line that divides the agreed-upon boundaries of the territories (...that's the short explanation, anyway). There are different types of settlers - economic, political, and religious. In areas further away from the big cities, the settlers are religious fundamentalists who believe the Bible gives them the land despite what International Law says, and many of them are very violent, even towards children. We have heard stories of Palestinian children and adults (and Internationals like us) being beaten by masked settlers with bats, chains, and rocks. The settlements are paid for by the Israeli govenment (which is heavily subsidized by the U.S. government). Click on the link in the post below and see the settlers that followed the march (but fortunately only tried to intimidate the marchers)...you will see that there are grown men in the car.

Settlements provide justification for heavy militarization - I've heard that there are 4-5 soldiers for every settler. The roads and water are controlled by Israel. Palestinians are not allowed to build anything or repair their homes. If they do, their buildings may be demolished.

I believe that very few Israeli citizens and much fewer American citizens have any idea that this goes on. It seems too extreme to believe but I am seeing it with my own eyes.

The children and young people here are my heroes. How hard would it be to live under these conditions and still remain committed to nonviolence? It is a miracle.

The last couple days we have been in Hebron which is very different to be in a city compared to a rural area. Here, there are settlements around the city, but the strange thing is that the government has seized many of the top floors of houses here for settlers. So settlers live literally on top of Palestinians. The city is haunted by demolished houses, closed shops, and wire nets above the market and homes with trash, bricks, and concrete slabs that have been thrown down on the Palestinians.

This is really heartbreaking, but there are great stories of triumph. I can't wait to tell you about Zalaika, our new friend and the bravest kindergarten teacher I've ever met!

I love you, thanks for the prayers!

Salaam! Shalom! Peace!

AT-TUWANI: Children walk in nonviolent witness from At-Tuwani to Tuba

CPTnet
28 July 2009
AT-TUWANI: Children walk in nonviolent witness from At-Tuwani to Tuba


At-Tuwani, South Hebron Hills, Palestine On the morning of 27 July 2009, more than one hundred Palestinian children marched from At-Tuwani to the village of Tuba along a path where Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian children, shepherds, and international human rights advocates. They carried banners and Palestinian flags as they drummed and chanted, “This land is Palestinian land; this is Palestinian land; the settlers have to leave.” Accompanying the children were women who had organized a two-week summer camp for the children, several fathers, members of Operation Dove, CPTers, and fourteen CPT delegates. Israeli soldiers and the Ma'on settlement security guard followed the procession, as well as two cars driven by settlers, who yelled at the group.

The march was part of the summer camp’s program, and was designed to demonstrate the right of Palestinians to travel on roads through their land and to show solidarity with the children of Tuba and Maghayir Al- Abed, who attend school in At-Tuwani. For the twenty children walking from Tuba and Maghayir Al-Abeed, the shortest Palestinian road to At-Tuwani runs through the valley between the settlement of Ma'on and the outpost of Havat Ma'on. Because of numerous settler attacks, the Israeli military accompanies these children to and from school in At-Tuwani.

The marchers walked without incident to the village of Tuba, taking the middle path around the Havat Ma'on outpost and through the hills. Upon their arrival, two Israeli military jeeps entered the village. One of the fathers negotiated with the soldiers, asking them to accompany the children and their adult chaperones along the Palestinian road where the Israeli army accompanies the children each school day. The soldiers refused to escort the entire group, saying they would accompany the children, but not the adult Palestinians and the internationals. The marchers returned to At-Tuwani on the middle path. As the group approached the outpost, settlers in two vehicles followed the marchers, shouting at them.

The action was the third nonviolent march that the children have undertaken from At-Tuwani to Tuba, and those participating agreed it had been a success.

Photos are available at http://cpt.org/gallery/09-07-09-Childrens-March-To-Tuba

Walking Humbling with God

Micah 6:8 - What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbling with your God?

We are "getting in the way" of violence tomorrow. The Palestinian children of at Tuwani are in the middle of summer camp. In order to get to camp they must walk on a road that goes between two settlements where grown men and women often throw rocks, threaten, or even beat the children. The soldiers are assigned to escort the children to guard them on the walk but they often do not show up or come late so the children have to "run the gauntlet" alone. Tomorrow the children and their mothers are walking together in a show of resistance of the occupation and they have requested that we walk with them.

The verse from Micah spoke to me as I was considering taking part in this witness. On one hand, I feel nervous because I know the risks. On the other hand, this is the walk that children do every day, which is very humbling. I believe in Jesus as God Incarnate, the God who came to live as a human, and the God who shows up in humans - especially in schoolchildren.

Please do pray for our team.

Salaam! Shalom! Peace!

P.S. In Arabic my name is Jrita!

On our way to Hebron

We leave soon for Hebron, a much more tense place than Bethlehem, from what I hear.

I was hoping to blog more regularly with pictures and videos but things move so fast and the technology has not allowed me to do so. I will tell you I feel an amazing honor of hearing stories and an incredible responsibility to tell them to you. Please continue to read my blog and I promise pictures and stories will be forthcoming. Last night I watched a Palesttinian youth folk dance presentation in traditional costumes and with traditional music. It was incredible! It is obvious that families have much hope and pride in their young people. As one team member said, "Here, resistance against occupation means living life."

I love you - please comment so I know you are reading! I love you!!

For now, some amazing places I've visited and people I've met...will tell you more when I have more time

Tent of Nations

IBDAA - where we have been staying

Lajee

Alternative Information Center - Israeli-Palestinian Information Center

Sabeel

Women in Black

Refugee Camp in Bethlehem

There is so much on my mind and not much time to post - I've had difficulty with access to internet access and electrical outlets so I'll make this quick since we all are sharing limited resources.

We are staying at a refugee camp in Bethlehem the next few nights. The stories are heartbreaking. We were greeted by many children - one of them a beautiful little girl riding a bicycle who smiled and ran to hug our leader, Elizabeth. Her uncle is our host, who showed us around camp and told us how one of his brothers was killed by an Israeli car bomb and another brother was arrested and deported to Gaza at the age of 18.

I asked what hopes they have for the children, for their futures. He said they do the best they can - they try to give them things kids would have outside of the camp. Their family worked hard to get the bicycle for the girl. They make their homes as nice as possible but still they wonder will their children know what it means to be free? As our host said, "Will they ever know what it is like to splash around in the sea? I don't know. But still we hope."

The people here are very proud. The homes I've seen are modest but very clean and decorated. The people, especially the women, dress stylishly (and modestly). There is artwork everywhere and children everywhere. Being proud and daring to make a good life for your children when you are told that you are nothing is a form of resistance against Occupation.

Some other quick facts:
- 11,000 people live in this camp, the oldest refugee camp in the 20th Century (since 1948). Some children are 4th generation refugees
- 30 teachers for 3,000 school age children
- 1 doctor for 11,000 people
- very high unemployment: most jobs available are constructing the Israeli settlements and the Separation Wall

Thank you for the prayers, please keep them up!

Shalom! Salaam! Peace!

Housing and Human Rights

This morning we met with Ashraf from Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD), a group founded 10 years ago, established in response to housing demolitions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They try to connect housing issues with the bigger picture of injustice beyond Palestinian suffering.

He told us stories of resistance to demolition and the importance of rebuilding. One family he met has rebuilt their home 5 times after it was demolished. Another family had rebuilt a few times but the last time it was demolished the father had a heart attack soon thereafter. The mother has vowed not to leave her land and lives in tent where her home used to stand.

Jerusalem is separated by a wall - the West side is the Israeli side and the East side is the Palestinian side, yet settlements encroach on the East side. Additionally, Palestinians cannot cross from one side to the other very easily (because some Palestinians were living in West Jerusalem before the wall, they continue to live there) so many families are separated from each other. Imagine not being able to see your grandchildren, brother, sister, or parents even though they live in the same city...

The West Bank he described today is not a Palestinian territory but little islands of Palestinians separated from one another by roads that are controlled by Israel. As one of my tour group members described, the West Bank is like a house and Palestinians live in the rooms but Israelis control the hallways. Tomorrow we go to the West Bank and I am looking forward to seeing for myself.

In the afternoon we visited B'tselem an Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. The name B'tselem means "in the image" because every human is created in the image of God (from Genesis). This organization investigates reports of human rights abuses and provides reports but engages in no political or activist work.

B'tselem's analysis prioritizes Israeli settlements as the biggest human rights issue in the Occupied Territories, the issue from which all other issues stem. Settlements are housing communities built in the Palestinian Territories, subsidized by the Israeli government, which violte Internationl Law and the Geneva Conventions. Some of the other issues are control of water, separation barriers (the wall), accountability of military abuses, and restriction of movement. We may be able to tour a settlement later in the week.

Both organizations we visited with spoke of the positive impact of the new American administration is having on settlement-related human rights abuses. In the last month they have closed some outposts (small settlements) because of pressure from President Obama and America.

Today was full of a lot of information-gathering which was incredibly valuable but I look forward to meeting actual people and hearing their stories.

Join Team Shiphrah:
Read more about Land Settlements and human rights abuses
Meditate on what it means for every person to be made in the image of God
Read more about ICAD's work

Sea of Galilee

We had an adventurous day today. We took an Israeli bus to the Sea of Galilee and saw the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes, the Mount of Beatitudes, and walked in the Sea of Galilee.

The bus was in an interesting experience - everything was in Hebrew but we made it safely. The Israeli soldiers ride the bus often so our buses were filled with soldiers. The soldiers carry their guns everywhere, even when they are off duty. At one point an 18 yr old soldier was dozing off in the back of bus with his mouth open and his M-16 pointed right at Tiffany and I!! (Don't worry - we don't think it was loaded) It just takes a while to get used to so many weapons everywhere.

Tonight we met up with our CPT team and I'm very excited to get started on our peacemaking work. We are a group of 13 persons from different parts of America and Scotland and range in age from 24 to 73. We all have different jobs to do this week and Tiffany and I are worship leaders.

Last night we went into the new city to meet one of Tiffany's friends. We had a great time seeing the nightlife and hanging out in the middle of the "new city" which is very modern and clean. A van pulled up in the middle of the street and some youth got out and started blaring music and jumped on top of the van, dancing like crazy. I think it was some kind of youth outreach because it was religious music. I have a video to upload when I have capability to do so.

We have eaten some delicious food! Lamb, chicken, couscous, falafel - yum!

ILIFF STUDENTS JOIN PEACE MISSION TO ISRAEL/PALESTINE

http://www.iliff.edu/news/iliff-students-join-middle-east-peacemaker-teams

Walking in Jerusalem

We have arrived safely in Jerusalem after two flights of a cumulative 15 hours, a 9 hr time change, and a crazy taxi ride. We had no problems getting through security though the woman did say "Kevin..." in a tone like he was in trouble...similar to how folks at Iliff talk to Kevin. But she just gave him a hard time for having a wrinkled passport and let us through.

We stayed last night at the beautiful Christ Church Guesthouse, home to the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East. One of the desk workers is an American and took up on a tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulcre last night. It was late enough that most of the tourists were gone so we could enjoy the solemn sites, sounds, and smells of the church. Our host is married to an Arab Christian and gave us a her (surprising) opinions on the political and social situation here. They are part of a growing evangelical and Charismatic movement of Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem that believe the land belongs to Israel and that God has a special plan for Palestinians who help them. She and her husband live in an Israeli settlement on the Israeli side of the wall, though they have family who lives on the Palestinian side. We did not offer our own opinions, but just listened and I couldn't help but wonder about the complexity of receiving gracious hospitality and welcoming from someone who so strongly believes something so different from me. That is often how God works, I think, in contradictions and surprises, reminding us of our humanity.

Today and tomorrow we are seeing the sites around Jerusalem and the Sea of Galillee. Then on Thursday our delegation officially begins.

Some Israel moments so far:
- sharing a taxi with a Russian Orthodox family
- praying together at Christ's tomb with Kevin and Tiffany
- the smells of incense and mass in Latin at Church of the Holy Sepulcre
- breeze at night in the court yard of our guesthouse
- standing in the middle of so many prayers, chants, and tears at the base of the Western Wall

Join Team Shiphrah:
Read about the stance of the UMC in its Church and Society site:
http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=2837503&content_id={4C91BD08-36A6-4F77-AB00-E39D00094384}&notoc=1

Getting in the Way

Tomorrow I leave for Palestine and Israel for a delegation with Christian Peacemaker Teams. Many have asked what I will be doing and why I am going.

CPT's clever motto is, "Getting in the Way" which is has multi-layered meanings. It means to get in the way of violence and their teams go to some of the most violent places in the world including Palestine and Israel, Iraq, Columbia, the USA/Mexico border, and more. It also means to get in "the Way" as in the "way of Jesus". Early Christians called themselves followers of The Way because they sought to live their lives the way Jesus did.

I believe in the work of CPT not just because their theology and strategies resonate with that part deep inside me that thinks it knows what truth is, but because I have also heard testimonies from its peacemakers. At various times in my life I have met CPTers and have utmost respect for their commitment, humility, faith, care, and sense of responsibility in their peace work. More than anything, I am moved by the testimonies of the communities they work with for the good they are doing in the world.

Why Palestine and Israel? I am personally interested in this issue for a couple reasons:

One, because I have been studying so much about colonization, globalization, etc. regarding Peace with Justice issues, I feel moved to go and see for myself the daily reality of territories under occupation.

Two, Jesus and the early Christians lived under occupation which greatly influenced their writings in a way that is difficult to understand as a citizen of the USA. I hope that this experience with illumine my reading of scripture.

Three, my citizenship as an American is relevant in this conflict. The United States by conservative estimates has given Israel foreign aid of $2.5 Billion ($2,500,000,000) in 2009 which supports its military. We receive very little news about what is happening, and the news that we receive focuses on the most glaring incidents of violence. I hope to gain more clarity about what is happening and my role as an American.

What I will be doing: I will be working with 12 other people to visit with Israeli and Palestinian peace organizations, document human rights abuses, witness for peace, and collect stories. Stay tuned to this blog for updates! Until then, read more about CPT's work in Palestine and Israel.

Join Team Shiphrah! Ways to put your faith into action around these issues:

• Pray for safe travels of our team.
  
• Read more about Christian Peacemaker Team's work.
• Support this mission trip, financially. I still have a small balance to raise for this mission trip (total cost is $2,750). If you would like to contribute to this cause, please click here and be sure to designate that it goes for "Greta-Palestine" so it is applied to my balance. Thank you!
  

Social Midwifery

My teacher, brother, and friend, Dr. Vincent Harding, introduced me to the idea of Social Midwives. In a class at Iliff School of Theology, Dr. Harding described his feeling that something new and exciting was about to be born in America and needs people to assist in the birthing process. This metaphor of birth gives me great hope and strikes me as true; it articulates the way I feel God is calling me to peace and justice work in the world. I will say much more about this Social Midwifery but for now, please read Dr. Harding’s inspiring essay.

I add to Dr. Harding’s thoughts another layer of Social Midwifery inspired by the Biblical story of the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. From Exodus 1, these women are a team of midwives who Pharaoh tells to kill the Israelite baby boys while assisting in their births. The subversive women defy Pharoah’s order, risk their lives and safety, and bring the babies into the world safely because they choose to serve God and not Pharoah. They use Pharoah’s own racism to deceive him. It is significant that the women worked as a team and not as individuals. By their courage, wit, and loyalty to God, they model how one might be a Social Midwife in the world. I would like to join this team of Midwives, birthing peace, justice, and beauty in the world and I invite you to join me.

A Blog is Born!

Welcome to Team Shiphrah’s blog, another subversive woman of faith documenting her experiments with truth on the worldwide web. Practically, I hope that this blog will connect churches and communities of faith with Christianity and Social Justice, starting first with my upcoming trip to Palestine and Israel with Christian Peacemaker Team.

But first a blog blessing:

Holy God,
Please bless this space and the experiments with truth documented here.
Please bless the writers and the readers.
May we abide by the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) in our comments and emails.
Protect this blog from the sins of self-importance, pretention, poor grammar, and boring irrelevance.
May the words of my keyboard and the meditations of our readers be acceptable in your sight.
Amen