“Living Stones” Pilgrimage to Israel & Palestine

September 29 – October 11, 2022

Instructor, Rev. Dr. James Thomas
West Bank Tour Guide, Usama Nicola
Tour Coordinator, Brenda Mehos

A unique tour of witness and pilgrimage in the service of peace in the region a third of humanity call “The Holy Land”.

Living Stones Pilgrimages – Father Chacour says, “We invite visitors to see the ruins of holy sites but also engage with the “living stones” — the people that live and make their homes there. With this as inspiration, since 1995 Pilgrims of Ibillin has taken nearly 350 individuals on two-week pilgrimages to “Meet the Peacekeepers” in Israel and Palestine. Led by Pilgrims staff, board members, and local partners in the West Bank and the Galilee, we visit Christians, Muslims, and Jews who are working creatively to plant and nourish the seeds of a just peace. Our tours also include visits to various holy sites and conversations which connect our experiences with our faith.

For prices and itinerary, please complete the form below. Our trip coordinator will contact you.

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.

Meet Our Tour Leaders

The Rev. Dr. James Thomas served on the board of Pilgrims of Ibillin from 2019-2021. He has a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Minnesota, and has served as pastor, assistant to the Bishop in Minneapolis, taught at multiple seminaries, and is most recently retired as the Associate Professor of Church and Ministry for the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary of Lenoir Rhyne University in Columbia, South Carolina. He was a reserve Air Force Chaplain for 28 years. He is the author of, The Intersectionality of the Palestinian Human Rights Movement with Black Lives Matter in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies Winter 2020, Vol 33, Number 1.  Rev. Dr. Thomas has received many awards over the years for his humanitarian, teaching, and service work.  He has a certificate in Intensive Training in Peacemaking and Active Nonviolence from Christian Peacemaker Teams in Chicago, Illinois and has volunteered multiple times as a Christian Peacemaker with CPT in Hebron.

West Bank Tour Guide:
Usama Nicola, our West Bank Tour guide, is the Citizens Diplomacy Project coordinator along with Zoughbi Al Zoughbi at Wi’am in Bethlehem (The Palestinian conflict Transformation Center). Wi’am is one of our Peace Partner organizations and our West Bank tour planner. Since its inception, Wi’am has offered alternative tourist programs with opportunities for individuals and groups to visit the Holy places (Holy Stones) and as an introduction to the socio-economic and political conditions (Rolling Stones).

Brenda Mehos is the Pilgrimage Coordinator for Pilgrims of Ibillin. Brenda with her husband, Mark, have 2 adult daughters and live in Boulder, Colorado. She has traveled to the West Bank and Israel multiple times since 2013, worked as Interim Exec. Director for Pilgrims of Ibillin 9/20 to 5/21, and is on the board of the Boulder Nablus Sister City Project.

Plan to join us for a future Living Stones pilgrimage. If you are interested, please complete the following form: