Hope Equals Team in the Holy Land
A wall separates Israelis and Palestinians on the West Bank.
This story has been updated.
A team of seven people are currently learning first-hand about the harsh realities of daily life in Israel/the West Bank.
The team members are mission activists with Hope Equals, a program of Christian Reformed World Missions. Together, they support reconciliation efforts of Israelis and Palestinians.
After two weeks, team members are already noting how they have been changed from their experience.
“Jesus's words have never resounded more true to me than here,” writes Kimberly Collins, who has been part of a Hope Equals group at Hope College. “ I understand more now why Jesus loved so well the leper, the adulteress, the Samaritan, the oppressed, the poor, and the marginalized.”
In the next few weeks, the team will continue to learn about reconciliation through visiting the Holy Land, talking to people, and serving alongside local organizations that support peace efforts.
Reminders of the need for peace in the Middle East appear in the news almost every day. Recently, the discoveries of three killed Israeli teens and later, one Palestinian teen, has caused further tensions.
Most recently, Israel has been bombing the Gaza Strip at the same time that rockets from Gaza are being launched into Israel.
Despite the ongoing difficulties, the team is still on their regular schedule. They are still taking each move to a new location on a day-to-day basis.
They are still planning on staying until July 22, aware that, given recent events, this is an especially important time to be learning about peace efforts there.
“I have long believed strongly in working toward peace, justice, and reconciliation,” said Kimberly Collins. “These resolves draw me to this trip, not because I presume I can fix their problems but because I desire to grow and learn together, so that all of us might live better in our places.”
Collins and other team members share more insights from their trip on the Hope Equals section of the Network.
As the team members continue traveling in an area of heavy conflict, pray for safety among the team members.
