“What we see in T.V. is so different from the reality here”

One of the members of the team from Brazil said to the group one night. They had journeyed from their country as part of a trip from their church to see this one. So often in the news, this two people living this land are misrepresented. The team of nine from Brazil had come to understand, to meet the people, and to serve. My hope for them was that they would really see the people not the labels.

We began our work at the Tent of Nations just outside Bethlehem. We spent much of our time tending to the olive and almond trees planted there the year pervious and assisting in running a camp for children from the largest refugee camp in Bethlehem. I wanted to take the group there because of the amazing example the family that owns the land are. Each day they face challenges of living with an occupied territory. Instead of letting their frustrations of their situation turn to hopelessness, they have done the opposite turning the very land they are fighting to keep into a place of hope and peace. I am always impacted and so was the team about a simple sign that painted on a rock at the property entrance that says “we refuse to be enemies”. It is a challenging statement to think about not only with Israel/Palestine but also in our individual lives.

Our journey then took us in to Bethlehem to spend a few days working in practical ways in one of the refugee camps. In translation that meant getting a bit dirty, as we assisted in the construction of a community centre for the camp, sanding walls applying grout to tiles. The women of the team also had an opportunity to go and work in a village outside of Bethlehem at the village’s women’s centre doing arts and crafts with the women and children. In all of this we hope that we could be a blessing to them and restore some hope and dignity to them as well.

Our time ended in Jaffa and we discussed the trip they were blown away but the hospitality and welcome they had been shown. Most of all the stories of the people they had met from both sides. As they left for home, they left with a desire to share all that had learnt and heard over the past ten days to those who had sent them.

Kristen Carson