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Feature Article

Called to Be Samaritans

In late September 1999, I left Jerusalem and crossed the Jordan River to join 24 members of Presbyterian Women as they prepared to visit countries in the Middle East. The 1999 Global Exchange would take them to the ancient and biblical lands of Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Israel, in addition to the Palestinian Authority areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Among their goals was a desire to listen to life and faith stories-to explore issues of children at risk, justice for women and the belief systems of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Each of the exchange participants was charged with returning home and sharing what she had seen, heard and experienced with Presbyterian Women and other interested organizations in their congregation, presbytery and synod. The challenge was to embody the trip's theme and become "no longer strangers" to the peoples of the Middle East.

More than two years have come and gone since that trip and I wonder, was this a life-changing experience for them? Were new friendships forged that have transcended the physical distance that separates the Middle East from the American West? What about the people they visited in Israel and Palestine-how have their lives changed since October 1999?

Read about the events since this visit and where the participants are today. To get your own copy of Horizons, subscribe today.

The Global Exchange influenced my life by confirming my already present inclination toward ecumenicism. I appreciate the new information I now have access to that balances what I read and hear from media in the United States. In turn, I know that I have influenced some of the people I have spoken with since returning home, causing them to reconsider their assumption that Israel is always right.

I have also coordinated the sales of Palestinian crafts for several PW gatherings and continue to tell the nurses I meet about opportunities for them to serve in the Middle East. Some are considering doing this when they retire.
---Joan Berry, Gambrills, MD

The Global Exchange to the Middle East was a life-changing event. For years the Middle East was a place where news happened, but did not affect me. The Global Exchange put places and faces on those news happenings as we met everyday with people who were making a difference in a very difficult, complex situation. When I hear references to "those people," I realize that used to be my opinion before embarking on this journey.

The almost daily news of the leveling of homes, the takeover of land for settlements and the injuries of so many people is very disturbing. When I share my thoughts on what I have read with friends, church members or relatives, it hurts that there is so little understanding of my concerns. People look at me as if to say, "She doesn't know what she is talking about because that's not what I read in the papers."

However, I have learned that I must speak out and I have been given the courage to do so.
---Florence Morrison, Traverse City, MI

When I returned from the Global Exchange, folks in the Synod of the Sun welcomed me into their churches and homes, but more important, they opened their minds and hearts to the challenging and often disturbing story of the Middle East. Those who have heard the story have responded in myriad ways:

· A PW circle in Oklahoma collected $365 and sent it to the Guidance and Training Center in Bethlehem, run by Dr. Viveca Hazboun.
· A PW group in San Antonio sent money to Jerusalem to provide hot meals to the elderly who are isolated from their families due to roadblocks and closures.
· A doctor responded by sending antibiotics to war torn areas desperately in need of medication.
· Men and women in all parts of the synod have generously supported the nonprofit ministry PAL CRAFTAID, purchasing more than $25,000 in beautifully sculpted olive wood and needlework crafts. This money has put food into the mouths of the Middle Eastern craftspeople and helped support the work of the Guidance and Training Center.
---Sheron Antczak, San Antonio, TX

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