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United Methodists are responding to Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth ,a statement of faith and urgent call to action from Christians in Palestine. UMKR seeks, through nonviolent means and in partnership with Palestinian Christians, freedom, justice and equality for all Palestinians and Israelis.
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Pilgrims of Ibillin Study Tour in Palestine and Israel
A unique tour to listen, learn, and meet people working for a just peace
in Israel and Palestine
16-27 May 2023
This learning tour offers the opportunity to dive into political realities on the ground and to hear from people of faith. This is a tour that invites curiosity and deep listening with heart and mind. You will have the opportunity to reflect and contemplate on then and now.
Travel with Instructor and Early Christian Historian Dr. Celene Lillie, West Bank Guide Usama Nicola, and Pilgrimage Coordinator Brenda Mehos
Dr. Lillie’s expertise, an historian of early Christian history, will be a springboard to not only appreciate the holy sites but also to consider the human condition and human rights issues playing out in this area of the world that a third of humanity calls “the Holy Land.”
Early Bird Discounted rate is $2,900 double occupancy ($200 single room supplement for trip) for 11 nights including hotels, ground transportation, tips, honorariums, and meals with exception of airfare and trip insurance.
Pay your deposit by January 31, 2022 to receive $100 discount off the $500 deposit — or $400 if you register before the early bird deadline
(Cost of Pilgrimage goes up to $3,000 per person, as of February 1, 2023).
This Living Stones Group was hosted by an incredible group of Fourth Graders at the Ramallah Friends School. They let us listen in on their weekly Problem-Solving Class.
Fall Pilgrimage
Planned for 5-15 November 2023
We are finalizing the itinerary and details and will share those with you shortly – but in the meantime, hold those dates in your calendar if you wish to join us!
Pilgrimage Scholarships Available
Pilgrims of Ibillin has some scholarship funds available to help defray the cost of travel for individuals who do not have the means to do so on their own. Our intention in giving scholarships is to help build connections with both Pilgrims and Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI) with new and diverse communities. Ideal scholarship recipients are active as leaders in their communities, particularly youth and/or underrepresented populations.
Learn more, apply to join a pilgrimage, and apply for a scholarship:
https://pilgrimsofibillin.org/pilgrimages/
Learn about all that Pilgrims of Ibillin does:
www.pilgrimsofibillin.org
See blogs from past Living Stones Pilgrimages
- reflections by participants in real time during their tour:
http://www.livingstonespilgrimage.org/prior-pilgrimages/
About Living Stone Tours with Pilgrims of Ibillin
Living Stones Tours are a spiritual and physical journey to connect with the places and people of the Holy Land. Going now, in the midst of increased tension and violence, may be more important than ever as we go with open minds and hearts to meet peacemakers and remind them that they are not alone. We have committed to “Come and See, then Go and Tell.”
Goals of the trip
This is a study and listening tour! Get to know the “Living Stones” of Israel/Palestine. Meet Pilgrims of Ibillin’s peace-building partners in Ibillin, Zababdeh, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Ramle. Hear from leaders of organizations on both sides of the Green Line that seek a nonviolent path to a just peace.
Visit key biblical sites in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Hebron, and the Galilee (including Nazareth), and learn why the Holy Land is known as “the Fifth
Gospel.” Share reflections and insights in worship and group conversations.
Experience the hospitality of local hosts.
Get to know students and leaders at the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin. Visit with MEEI founder and peace activist Archbishop Elias Chacour.
With a native of Biram, visit the destroyed village where Abuna Chacour was born and lived until 1948.
Be equipped to give presentations after returning home. Prepare to share the story of new friends – Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Druze – who live with
hope and work for peace despite great challenges.
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