CREEDY FOR CHANGE.

So this is our team creed... yes, we stole it. (http://www.iona.org.uk/) Oftentimes we'll end our team meetings off with the recital of this; it's inspiring and always help to energize and refocus us.


Happy (sad) Good Friday to you.
Blessings. 


We believe that God is present
in the darkness before dawn;
in the waiting and uncertainty
where fear and courage join hands,
conflict and caring link arms,
and the sun rises over barbed wire.

We believe in a with-us God
who sits down in our midst
to share our humanity.

(a little sassy in Hebron)

We affirm a faith

that takes us beyond a safe place:

into action, into vulnerability

and onto the streets.

We commit ourselves to work for change
and put ourselves on the line;
to bear responsibility, take risks,
live powerfully
and face humiliation;
to stand with those on the edge;
to choose life and be used by the Spirit
for God's new community of hope.

Amen 

like western black rhinos

As it has been almost a month since the last post on here, I would firstly like to warmly welcome a new team member! Daniel Briscoe will be joining us now, and we couldn't be more excited. Dan is a second year business student at Trinity and one of my close friends. I can't wait to watch him give and receive blessing in an entirely different environment.  Myself and Emily are tickled that he felt convicted to jump into this, and there's a lot of peace around the decision. 

Anywhoo, what I wanted to post about was this (click the links if you're interested): 

YNET NEWS - CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

BBC NEWS - CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

and finally...

DISCOVER MAGAZINE - (opinion) CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

I know that some people reading this probably consider themselves to be anti-religious or non-religious, thus meaning that they don't really care if the Christian presence is evaporating. I would like to propose that even if you're not concerned about the spreading of the gospel message and love, the traditional Christian presence has been important in supporting a lot of humanitarian work - social service establishment, education, and medical care as well. Additionally, the last article offers an interesting perspective:


..."Finally, there’s the principle. Who cares? I don’t believe in any religion, let alone the Christian religion, so what does it matter that a particular ethno-religious group loses its coherency in the face persecution if they persist as individuals? I think this is a fair logical point, and I don’t have a fair logical defense. I’m in fact broadly skeptical of the proposition that groups have collective “rights” as opposed to individuals. Rather, let me simply observe as a descriptive matter that just as we live in the age when the Western Black Rhino goes extinct, so we live in the generation that will likely see the passing of the ~2,000 year old living Christian communities of Iraq and Palestine. Of course the scions of these communities will continue to make pilgrimages to their ancient holy sites, but without a living community to care for them they will become as the ruins of Nineveh, a testament to memories and ages forgotten."

I wasn't expecting this, but it really makes the situation that much more unsettling for me.

Just some things to munch on for our Thursday morning. 

Chels

Zain's 'Wonderful Life' advert for UNRWA + some

I watch this video often. I find it eerily lovely, but it stirs something dangerous in me. A bitter fury. I think the song "Wonderful Life" is what does it. It nearly (unintentionally) transposes the ravaged images of the camps into something beautiful. But the truth is, the destruction and ravishing that these families have seen is anything but acceptable. I could go on, but I'd probably regret whatever I said next.


Fun fact: This is my friend Orabi's blog: http://orabinakhleh.blogspot.com/


He is a positively brilliant and dapper lad in his early twenties. He has his degree in engineering and although his English isn't perfect, his emotions are certainly clear. I think that he paints a very clear picture of Palestinian refugee life from a sensitive young man's perspective. I couldn't speak more highly of the love and hospitality that he has offered me through our friendship. I exhort you to take the time to filter through some of his postings. He grew up in the Jalazone camp, just outside of Ramallah. http://www.unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=117  - if you're curious.


Welp. Back to the books! 


Chels

Contrast

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, 1930s

Child in Biet Hanoun, Gaza, 2008

Women work a quarry in Kibbutz Ein Harod, Mandate Palestine, 1941

Woman cries in front of demolished home, Hares, West Bank, 2010

Genesis 35:11 (NASB)
I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from you. 

Proverbs 17:1 (NIV)
Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.

Proverbs 17:19 (NLT)
Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.

Missions Fest Vancouver

"Missions Fest Vancouver is part of Missions Fest International and highlights global mission opportunities, showcases over 260 international mission organizations..."

260 International missions organizations!

It's true, and although I didn't count, there were indeed PLENTY of booths set up in the exhibition room. While I enjoyed walking through the many isles and losing myself in conversations about local and overseas work, it seemed second nature to be seeking out information about people located in the 10/40 window (http://www.joshuaproject.net/10-40-window.php), and more specifically the Middle East. I cannot claim that I spoke to every single exhibitor about Israel/Palestine and the surrounding few countries, but after a couple hours of finding nil through polite roundabout conversation, I certainly forwent the icebreakers and facades where I tried/pretended to be interested in other regions. What I found was this:

-4(or so) Organizations who had projects in either Iraq, Jordan, or Afghanistan
-4 Pro Israel organizations
-No groups that had projects in Iran
-No groups that had projects in Palestine
-No groups that had projects in Syria
-No groups that had projects in Lebanon 


...I forgot to ask about Yemen. I know. I wish I had remembered. Have you seen pictures of Yemen recently? What a cool place! Sadly, the population is statistically unreached with the hope of Christ. 


Comparatively speaking, there was an abundance of known activity happening in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Of course that isn't to say that there aren't any large umbrella organizations in the above above listed areas, just that they weren't represented at this specific conference. 


I wish that I would have know that I was going to blog about this, because I really would have taken better notes and sources. Anyhow, these aren't academic musings. I'm not saying that there isn't a Christian presence in the "forgotten" countries (because there most certainly is), but that presence is definitely a lot more grass roots (grass roots is awesome, just difficult to follow abroad). As people looking for opportunities to go overseas with the intention to work/serve/volunteer, I feel strongly that more focus should be given to the forgotten promised land, not simply because there is a lack of Gospel being circulated, but because many areas are actually very impoverished and therefore needing plenty of practical help with things like community development, access to clean water, and education. I'm specifically thinking of refugee camps in Palestine, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. 


As a side note, there seems to be quite a few established English teaching opportunities in Iraq. Shane Claiborne shared a bit about his experience with the local church in Baghdad and his stories were intensely captivating.  If we come back safe and sound from Palestine/Israel, perhaps that will be a future TWU trip proposal. Haha, that's mostly a joke for my mom. Sorry.


If you're interested: www.thesimpleway.org  [Shane's site]


Blessed that I could share this with you.
Happiest of Saturdays and peace,


Chels

YEMEN 

"We talk of the Second Coming; half of the world has never heard of the first." 

- Oswald J. Smith, Canadian pastor

"To belong to Jesus is to embrace the nations with him." 
- John Piper

starting something new and wonderful

This is a blog about six spirited college kids who are stepping out from Trinity Western University to go where no Global Projects team has gone before. Until this year, TWU has never sent students to the Middle East in order to build community and serve with volunteer work. This summer will be the fulfilling of a wonderful vision given me in September of 2010. It has been an exercise of faith to get this started, but God has recently given our project wings and it has taken off much more gracefully than we could have envisioned. Besides myself, there is co-leader Emily Gemmell, Emily Zmak, Rhys Volkenant, Lindsay Dijkman, and Levi Jerome embarking on this journey to the Holy Land of Palestine/Israel. God-willing, we shall go for six weeks, commencing at the beginning of May 2012. That means that it will be less than two years since my last visit to the region. I am so pleased at the opportunity to go back to my heartland. Emily Gemmell will also be making a return to the refugee camps and we couldn't be more thrilled with the passion moving our souls. We would really appreciate it if you would consider praying for our team's guidance, courage, provision, and humilty from now until our safe return mid June. 

I reckon that this blog will be updated regularly by either myself or one of my inspiring teammates. I hope that you won't mind the casual nature of these entries. I think it would be neat to post pictures, poems, verses, short blurbs, dialogues, songs, and videos in order to share what's stirring amongst us. 

It would be unreal if this blog could stay in service for years to come with other teams travelling to serve in the Middle East. What a blessing that would be. I really hope that this is just the start of something new and wonderful in our hearts and on campus.

I feel like this song encompasses some of what's going on right now.

"there's a pounding in my heart

 it's gonna leave a mark

 it's a knocking on my door

 it's the signal of a start

 it's You, it's You."

http://aaronstrumpel.bandcamp.com/track/never-finished

More info to come.

Salam, Shalom, Peace,

Miss Chelsea Ayers

city of the moon [Jericho]

running in Aqabat Jaber