As the summer approaches, Musalaha Reconciliation Ministries, which brings together young Israelis and Palestinians, is preparing for several major events this summer. A spokesman for the ministry says there are few opportunities for Israeli and Palestinian children to come together before they reach their teenage years.
"In many cases, children have a clear idea of who is the enemy, even as early as age 5. Musalaha has developed a summer camp program for children ages 9-12, providing them with opportunities to build understanding, awareness, and friendships of people on the other side."
Musalaha will host 40 campers at the Baptist Village in July.
"This year’s theme will focus on the story of Jonah. Please pray for our staff as they recruit camp counselors, prepare the program, and invite young people. We pray that the campers and counselors will grow in relationships with each other and with the Father through this experience."
Also in July, Muslaha will host its Sport for Life Camp.
"This will be Musalaha’s first ever program for youth among non-believers and believers. The pilot project is a camp for girls ages 13-17, using sports, recreation and educational programming to introduce reconciliation principles among new communities. Through this sports camp, we will create a platform to facilitate meaningful relationships that foster understanding and fight prejudice.
"While Musalaha believes that true reconciliation is only through Jesus, we can explore and share the Biblical messages such as embrace, love for enemies, and managing conflict with all of the peoples of this land. By sharing tools of reconciliation, we can impact our societies and be instruments of His peace. A team of volunteer coaches and athletes from the US will offer training in various sports, and our camp counselors will facilitate activities that provide opportunities for the girls to build relationships and learn about one another’s communities. Please pray for the recruiting and preparation involved in the camp."
The Leaders’ Family Conference is one of the most fruitful and successful events that Musalaha conducts, the spokesman said.
"In alternate years, Musalaha partners with an international organization to host a conference outside the country for 10 Israeli and 10 Palestinian families. This is a cross-generational event, with programs for the youth and the children.
"In our experience the process of families traveling together to a neutral environment provides an atmosphere conducive to deep, authentic, and lasting relationship-building. This Family Conference combines intense Bible study, meaningful discussion and powerful worship, with fun family activities. It has a profound impact on leaders and their families."
Among the biggest prayer requests for this conference are the logistics of visa applications, flight arrangements, and raising the funds for the conference. In addition, please pray for the staff of Near East Ministry as they prepare to host the group in Holland.
A new initiative among Musalaha’s projects is the establishment of local groups and regional seminars in order to foster awareness about reconciliation and to encourage community involvement and leadership.
"Women, particularly from the Palestinian side, have expressed the need for meetings within their own group before they move on to meeting with women from the other side. They desire to understand more about reconciliation and also to have some support system that empowers them to make an impact in their communities."
As a result, Musalaha conducted a conference in Bethlehem for women from Ramallah, the village of Aboud and the Bethlehem area.
"Forty women participated and many more are enthusiastic to join in the future. The conference provided a platform for Palestinian women to build a network of encouragement, resources and support. In the sessions, various speakers spoke about Biblical reconciliation principles, stages of reconciliation and the roles of women in the community.
"One participant told us that before the conference she had been hesitant about involvement in Musalaha. As she learned about the stages in reconciliation, she grasped the vision and process of reconciliation and decided that she wanted to be more involved. This was the case for a number of women, who had hesitations about participating in Musalaha, and following the conference are enthusiastic to meet with women from the other side. It is our hope that these women will continue take steps in reconciliation and to make an impact in their communities."
Musalaha took 40 youth into the Negev desert for a wilderness adventure. Shadia, the project coordinator, shares this about the experience:
"After a long day driving to the South, we found ourselves on a hill in the middle of the desert. As the youth explored the area, I knew that this trip was going to be one of a kind with many new experiences and challenges. The second day, we set out for a two-day hike into the desert. We had to walk for long periods while some were on camels. Every now and then, we exchanged turns, so that everyone would get his or her turn riding the camel. The camels were huge, and after sitting on them for a while it gets just as uncomfortable as walking on the desert floor.
"At lunch time, our guides built a tent using the camels to hold up the tent. The most exciting experience of all was that we had to make our own food. The guides divided duties for us and at first there were some complaints. ‘We are not used to walking for so long under this burning sun and now we have to cook too… I’m tired.’ But once we started cutting the vegetables and making the tehena (sesame paste), it wasn’t as bad as we thought. It was actually allot of fun. We all got into it and by the last meal; we were just chopping way too much. Some of the youth turned it into an art and did a beautiful job decorating the plates. Usually one is used to waking up, and within 10 minutes he’s already eating breakfast. However, in the desert, it took us a few hours until breakfast was ready. We had to light the fire, prepare the dough for Tabon Bread and make the salads.
"Everyone had something to do. We were all doing different chores so that we could eat for like 20 minutes. It was great and everyone really enjoyed it, even the cleaning after. The exercise in cooperation and helping one another was an important part of bringing the kids together. This reinforced the Bible studies that we did on friendship in the Bible, and how God can use the friendships that we make during the desert experience to impact our communities which are in conflict. We returned home sun-burned and exhausted, knowing that God did something for each of us in the desert."