Palestinian Christians are asking us to come and see. That is what we will do. April 16-27, 2018 First United Methodist Church in Des Moines is hosting a trip to Israel/Palestine. We will “come and see” the cities of Nazareth, Tiberius, Ibillin, Haifa, Capernaum, Cana, Nablus, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Jericho. We will visit many holy sites. But just as importantly we will also listen. We will hear from:
- Archbishop Elias Chacour as he talks about the plight of Christians in the Holy Land
- Families affected by Israeli settlements
- The staff of Wi’am, a conflict resolution center
- A former Israeli soldier as he rides with us through a settlement
- The staff at Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center
- The staff at Aida refugee camp
- Members of Kairos Palestine
- A rabbi working with human rights
- Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem
The cost of the trip is approximately $3,800. Registration deadline is December 31, 2017. For a detailed itinerary, contact Christine Anders at First Church. She can be reached at 515-244-6209 ext 3 or by email at
christine@dmfirstchurch.org
If you are a member of Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) and have not previously traveled to the Holy Land, you may apply for a $500 grant that can be applied toward the cost of this trip.
This trip meets all requirements of responsible Holy Land tourism as laid out by the UM Book of Resolutions.
