Newsletters

Date: September 26th 2007

Friends,

I want to make you aware of four delegation opportunities that the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship is sponsoring between now and May.

There will be an Advent Trip to the Holy Lands, focusing on peacemaking and nonviolent witness in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, from November 23 to December 8th. Total cost is $2900 round trip from New York, and the delegation will be led by Walt Owensby, whom many remember for his years of service with the Washington Office of the PC(USA) and Kelly Baker, a youth pastor from Jacksonville. It's not too late to sign up, but you need to move fast if you want to do this one.

There will be a trip to Colombia to learn about the human rights situation and the response of the church and faith-based organizations. The dates are January 18 to 28, and the cost is $2500 round trip from Miami. Our partnership with the church of Colombia is strong, and they will be our teachers on this trip. Those who are considering being accompaniers will find this trip particularly helpful in your discernment. It will be co-led by Shannan Vance Ocampo (a PPF Accompanier), and Young Adult Volunteer Kirk Johnston.

An intentionally small delegation will be going to the Philippines to explore ways to deepen our partnerships in the midst of the growing violence and human rights crisis in that country. The cost will be $2750 round trip from Chicago, and the dates are February 17 to 27. This trip will be coordinated by several former Young Adult Volunteers who served in the Philippines. Participants will be asked to help the PPF discern appropriate ways to deepen our witness in the Philippines.

Finally, there also be a "Pentecost" trip to Palestine, Israel and Jordan from May 10 to 25. The cost will be approximately $3500 from New York, because airfares are higher at that time of year. The leaders of that trip will be Presbyterian Elder and Poet Ann Barr Weems and former Young Adult Volunteer Andrea Leonard.

All of these trips are designed to do three things:

1. Provide an opportunity for our participants to discern whether and how they would like to deepen their own work and witness as nonviolent accompaniers in situations of conflict.

2. Strengthen our organizational ties to our partners in the region and help us discern how the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship could be more effective there.

3. Accompany our sisters and brothers in their work and witness and return to the U.S. prepared to help "seed the transformation" of our local congregations and the broader church. We believe that genuine, humane policies to respond to difficult conflict around the world will only be created by our leaders when there is a strong, committed base of people of faith and conviction who will hold them accountable.

In the sixth chapter of the book of Mark, Jesus instructs his disciples to go out in pairs to teach, heal, and exorcise evil spirits. His instructions to "take nothing with you for the journey" can be read as an invitation to let go of our privilege and to accompany people wherever they are, staying with them in their homes and experiencing the challenges they confront to the fullest extent possible. Wise words about building trust for our time.

That's what these trips are all about. If you've wanted to make a personal response to violence in the world, the Peace Fellowship's partner relationships in the Middle East, Colombia and the Philippines can provide an appropriate way to experiment with that sense of call.

The details about all of these trips are on our website at www.presbypeacefellowship.org. Check it out, ask your family, friends, and local church for support, and join us for an empowering experience of those who live their faith in the midst of violence.

Blessings,

Rick