Another fun video from camp
At camp a few weeks ago the kids could choose what to learn during one of the time slots each day. While I was doing “circus skills” others were making this movie. I thought you might enjoy it.
Face Painting Tutorial
I’m flying home to the DC area today, by way of London. As I travel, please enjoy the following video from camp:-)…
Musalaha Palestinian/Israeli Summer Camp Report
“I love this camp,” a pre-teen girl told me as we played in the pool, “I love everything it stands for and everything it’s about, and it’s so fun!”
This attitude was echoed throughout Musalaha’s Israeli-Palestinian summer camp by the seventy Palestinian and Israeli believing children and both local and foreign leaders.
For me, after six months in the Land, this camp gave me real hope like nothing else I have experienced. There was hope in the Bible studies, in the competitions, in the craziness and laughter, and in the worship. There was hope as the children were creative with their crafts and reckless in their play. There was hope as they were just being girls and boys – having fun, making friends, getting a break from the pressures of their everyday environment.
The fifty leaders arrived on Saturday afternoon to begin a run-through of the camp activities. We were quite a mix – the Musalaha leadership team, Israeli and Palestinian young teens who were junior counselors, Palestinian and Israeli college-aged counselors, and an American team visiting the country to serve us and the children. Over the course of the two days of preparation we got to know each other, and when the children arrived on Monday, we were ready!
When they arrived, many of the children found friends they had met at last year’s camp. A group of two Palestinian and three Israeli girls negotiated to be in the same room. Upon receiving permission, they pulled five bunks together to make one huge bed where they could sleep together.
During my time here, I’ve gotten pretty good at identifying who is on which side – quickly profiling everyone I meet. It’s usually unconscious, automatic, and often seems necessary. When I get on a bus, I need to remember what kind of bus it is so I know if I should greet and thank the driver in Hebrew or Arabic. When I see a group, I notice which side they are from. When I talk to people, I want to know where their sympathies lie so I don’t say something terribly offensive.
At the camp I realized that I wasn’t noticing who is Israeli and who is Palestinian. I saw my brothers and sisters from both sides of the conflict demonstrate a love of Christ and each other above their love of sticking with their side. Leaders cared for kids, loving and instructing them regardless of where they are from. We were all there as believers in Jesus, and as should more often be the case, during camp no other identity really mattered.
One day after craft time, a Palestinian boy from the West Bank proudly pulled me aside to show me his pencil case. On it, he had painted an Israeli flag. I am not sure how his parents will feel about it, but it showed me how much more simple this situation is for the children. He loved his new friends and leaders and therefore had fond feelings about the place they are from.
As my coworker Tamara and I reflected on the camp, she said, “Innocence breaks down all this hatred that we have around us. You love the good things that you see in the other side. Like Jesus said, we should be little children.”
The reality is that the conflict will probably get harder for these dear young ones as they get older. They will be pulled and they will likely have experiences that will confirm what their communities teach about the other. The conflict is real and they will likely come face to face with it before long.
But that thought is followed by remembering what I saw in the young adults who helped to lead the camp, many of whom have been raised as a part of Musalaha. They are pulled, but they do not forget their friends. For them, the “enemy” will never be faceless, inhuman, or distant. For them, the situation will never be easy or black and white. That is good. With open eyes they can help bring change. They are the hope.
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 18:1-3
See previous post and my Picasa album for pictures from the camp. See videos from camp on Musalaha’s YouTube channel I’ll also put a few here over the next few posts.
Musalaha’s Palestinian-Israeli Summer Camp
Here is a picture update from last week’s summer camp. Tomorrow I’ll post my reflections on the camp. It was really wonderful, as you can see from the pictures below.
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| During leader orientation we did the activities we asked the kids to do later in the week. I think the guys did a pretty good job (even though we women won)! |
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| Hillary, one of the other leaders, with one of the girls in her cabin during the Bible study time. |
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| Doing something like a Bible drill. |
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| The kids did even better than the leaders with the newspaper clothes. I had a soft spot in my heart for this kid… just look at that face! |
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| I saw this girl walking through the camp on the last morning and chased her down for a picture. I think her shirt is great — and perfect for the camp. |
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| So much fun! |
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| This little guy was so sweet. He wanted his face painted as a football (soccer ball). He is originally from South Sudan. |
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| We had moon bounces galore and lots of water one afternoon. Everyone had a wonderful, fun time! |
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| No caption necessary:-) |
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| More fun. |
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| Enjoying the water. |
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| Picture in Ronit’s hand: what she said she was going to do to my face. My face: what she actually did to it. I’ll post the video she made in the next few days. |
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| Diligently working on the crafts. |
Palestinian-Israeli Camp
Today I’m going with about 40 other leaders for a two-day training prior to our Israeli-Palestinian summer camp. Through this camp, we intend to encourage relationships between young believers and expect the relationships to change the trajectory of their perspectives on the “other” in this conflict.
On Monday, we’ll be joined by 73 8-12 year-olds for the five day camp. Since I won’t likely be able to blog during the camp I’ll be keeping pictures and stories to share with you after the camp.
This camp marks the beginning of my last two weeks here. I’ll have a final week in the office and then be off toward home. Check in next week to see some posts about what I’m looking forward to about being home. I’ll only be home for a month, so will need to pack a lot in. Maybe having a record of what I want to do ahead of time will help me remember when I actually have the opportunity at home! I hope they’ll be fun to read, too:-).
“The Real Musalaha”
Saturday I attended the weeding of some friends of mine in Bethlehem. I sat across from an Israeli and a Palestinian friend. They were getting along great. I kept hearing, “I love you sister!”
Eventually, the conversation turned to Musalaha, where they concluded together: “This is the real Musalaha.” Sitting at a table, doing life together, enjoying each other.
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| My beautiful friends. |
I’m thankful that the work we do is laying the groundwork for these relationships to begin. May more continue beyond our programs and into normal life.
It is my hope that someday these friends will not have to wait for permits and special events to see each other.
