Pilgrims of Ibillin has canceled the October 2020 pilgrimage due to the uncertainty around travel restrictions and COVID-19. Our next pilgrimage is scheduled for May 16-27, 2021. The 2021 itinerary and price will be determined later since there are too many unknown factors right now.
Please let us know if you are interested in future pilgrimages with Pilgrims. Contact Brenda Mehos, Pilgrimage Coordinator, email: bmehos@comcast.net , or call: 303-931-2577 or contact, Executive Director Laurie Lyter Bright, email: laurie@pilgrimsofibillin.org.
Save the Dates for 2021 Tours:
Living Stones Pilgrimage, May 16-27, 2021
The itinerary and price will be determined as travel details become available. bmehos@comcast.net
Encountering Women Peacemakers of the Holy Land
This unique pilgrimage and study tour will focus on the essential contributions of women in the Bible and today. All are welcome and encouraged to come join us. Pilgrims of Ibillin Executive Director Rev. Laurie Lyter Bright and Dr. Monte Luker will co-teach this cross-cultural immersion experience through the auspices of the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies. Let us know your interest for this Spring 2021 tour: laurie@pilgrimsofibillin.org
Read the blogs of volunteers and previous participants – plan to join us on a future trip.
Our Living Stones Pilgrimages are rare opportunities to travel throughout Israel and the West Bank. The tour itinerary includes plans to:
Meet Pilgrims of Ibillin Peace Partners and hear how they are working for a non-violent path to a just peace.
Visit key Holy sites in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Hebron, and Galilee (including Nazareth).
Experience the amazing Palestinian hospitality with local hosts during an overnight stay.
Visit the Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center (Wi’am), the Aida Refugee Camp and the Walled-Off Hotel in Bethlehem.
Get to know students and teachers at the Mar Elias Educational Institution (MEEI) in Ibillin Israel and meet the founder, Emeritus Archbishop Elias Chacour.
Listen to a briefing at the UN Human Rights Watch organization OCHA in Jerusalem.
Visit the Tent of Nations and pick olives.
Hike in Wadi El-Makhour Valley to Battier Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Listen to stories from members of the Parents’ Circle/Bereaved Families.
– Read about Pilgrims’ Peace Partners in the West Bank who are weathering the storm with hope but also great difficulty. Select “Weathering the Storm” to read the email Pilgrims received in April.
To be added to our NEWSLETTER mail or email lists, send an email with your request to laurie@pilgrimsofibillin.org.
During this difficult experience with the Coronavirus, we pray. We pray a lot asking our heavenly Father to protect and bless our friends and all the world. This is a unique opportunity to turn to God for help. It is also a time of reflection about the meaning of our life and the importance of being able to communicate with each other.
I am sitting alone in my office. There is no one else on campus as it is closed for already more than a week and for nobody knows how long. The school is not beautiful without the children. I MISS THEM ALL!
So far, no students or teachers are infected with the virus. Hopefully they will all rest and overcome this dangerous world crisis. I try to be in touch with the teachers and with some students by telephone. What I am sure of, is that all of them and everyone with no exception is staying at home waiting to come back to school. Many among teachers and among the students called to say being forced to stay at home is making us see how vital the school is because it brings us all together.
We think of you, dear beloved friends in the United
States. Our prayers include you and your country.
We yearn for the day when we would be able to welcome you here
and to fly to the US and meet with, as many as possible, of you. You all are
very dear and extremely important in our lives.
We pray the Almighty God to protect you and to protect humanity|
from this strange virus. This virus is teaching us that we are one again. No
black no white no man no woman no child no adult but we are equal in the eyes
of God We hope that humanity will be converted too much tolerance, much more
compassion. May the lord bless you and bless all of you.
On February 2, 2020, we returned as volunteers for the sixth time to the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in I’billin, Israel. We plan the dates of our flights around the length of time that tourists are permitted to stay in Israel, 90 days. Accordingly, our flight home was scheduled for May 1st, not knowing that the Coronavirus would be upon us and require us to change the date for our return home.
At the Mar Elias Educational Institutions,
the top floor (6th) of the Mariam Bawardi Elementary School is the
guest house for visitors to the school who plan to stay at least one night. The guest house has 15 rooms: 12 of the rooms
have a bathroom as part of the room; and three rooms share a bathroom at the
end of a hallway. In addition to the
guest rooms, there is a kitchen in which Chef Badeaa plans and prepares
delicious meals. The meals are served
buffet style in the large area in the center of the guest house.
We come at this time of the year to help prepare the high school seniors for the oral part of the state English exam, the Bagrut Exam. This year for the first time, the students do not meet in person with an inspector. Instead, the exam is conducted through a computer program. Students have 30 minutes to complete the oral exam. There are three parts to the oral exam: in the first part of the exam, the students are given the option of selecting between two topics about which they are to answer questions (there are about 30 different topics in all); in the second part, they are asked questions about a research project they have written, either alone, or with other students. The final part is new this year. The students have to watch a minute-long video. The video has no speaking, but each video has a problem/dilemma the actor or actors face and have to resolve. The students are asked to identify the problem and the solution given in the video. They are also asked if they agree with the solution, if so, why? If not, why not?
The Ministry of Education provides the schools with a simulation that can be used with the students. Janan, the computer person at Mar Elias. set up the simulation in the three computer labs on the 5th floor of the high school. Teachers signed up to take their classes there to experience the simulation, so when the actual time came for them to take the test it would not be completely new to them. The image to the right is the screen they will see that presents them with the option of two subjects to talk about. The questions they will have to answer are stated verbally, and on the screen, and then they have to choose one of the options. Once a choice is made and they are ready to provide answers, they press the record button. They have to talk for at least one minute and not more than two. For the second part of the exam, students have to talk about a research project they have completed. Again, when they are ready to answer the questions about the project, they are to press the record button and record for at least a minute and not more than two minutes.
Our daily schedule was to go to
the high school when the senior English classes were meeting. There were seven different English teachers
and 12 classes. While the classes were
meeting, individual students would come to Jane or me (we had separate offices)
and meet with us for about 15 minutes.
We would go over what the exam was like and then ask them to
practice. We would give them a choice
between two subjects. We told them to
take some time to think about the answers they would give and then, using a recorder
app on our iPhones, we would tell them to push the recorder when they were
ready. They found pretty quickly that a
minute is much longer than thought. Also
we would let them hear themselves so they could see how often they paused with
an “uh” or “ah”. We told them that
points would be taken off for “uh” and “ah” pauses. We also told them that they could pause the
recorder once, if they were concerned about the recording. If that happened, they had to start all over
again (create a second file), they could not continue on the first file. And, they could only do this once. Any more than two files, they would lose at
least 50% on their score for the question.
The opportunity to interact with
individual students meant a lot to Jane and me, especially when the topic of
the first part concerned their plans for their future. Mar Elias has an amazing bunch of seniors
with some bright futures!
One of our assignments upon arrival at Mar
Elias was to find out about the needs of the guest house regarding the purchase
of a new washer and dryer, the purchase of which had been approved the Board of
Directors of the Pilgrims of I’billin at the December meeting. We found that both washing machines had
stopped working and that the school had already purchased a new washing
machine. We arranged with Nawar for the
purchase of a new dryer and they both
were installed in time to do the wash after a group from the USA had spent two
nights in the guest house. The oldest
washer was removed and the other washer was repaired so now we had two good
washing machines, one brand new, and a new dryer in the room on the roof where
the washing and drying takes place.
There are clothes lines (covered) on the roof also but we experienced
considerable rain during the time we were there so having the two washers and a
new dryer was a “Pilgrim” send. Since the school had purchased a new washer, we
asked Peter if we might help in another way, through the purchase of a new
stove/range. Badeaa works wonders on two
very old stoves/ranges. This was
arranged and the new stove was installed just in time for all the guests soon
to come, we thought.
We worked with students right up
to the day the school was closed by order of the Ministry of Education, due to
the Coronavirus, Thursday, March 12th. While the other Bargrut exams were postponed,
the oral English Bagrut exams were still to take place on Monday, March 16th
and Wednesday, March 18th. It
was only late Sunday night that we heard the oral Bagrut exam was also
postponed. Once the schools were closed,
and with travel elsewhere in Israel restricted, we changed our flight
reservation from May 1st to March 21st. During the last week we were able to have
dinner with the family of two of our former students Einas and Nour Abu Hjour,
actually travel ot Bir’am with the Archbishop , and have our last meal, Friday
night, with Badeaa and Elias in their home in I’billin. We were on the road early Saturday norning
being driven to the airport by the Archbishop’s brother, Hanna, in the
Archbishop’s car with diplomatic plates.
Along the way a sign of hope.
*For much greater detail on our experiences, see our blog at:
George Kamel Shalabi was an integral part of Pilgrims of Ibillin. As a board member, a pilgrimage trip co-leader, a friend of Abuna Chacour and a voice for peace from Palestine, he gave so much of himself to the important work. George’s storytelling, humor and insight were cherished by all of us. He will be greatly missed.
Dear Pilgrims Family, As we reach the end of this year, and this decade, it seems an apt time to reflect on where we have been and consider where we might go. In the time-line that’s a part of this year-end note, you can see clearly where we’ve been. What you can’t see, but many of you have been lucky enough to experience, is the deep joy of the hospitality at the Mar Elias Guest house through the incredible grace of hosts Samar and Badea.
You can’t see the determination of the students studying furiously for their national exams, with the help of board members / long-time volunteers Ted and Jane Settle and tireless teachers. You can’t see the warmth of the Wi’am Conflict Transformation Center as they welcome in visitors and explain the need for peace building within the community of Bethlehem. You might not know the bliss of eating a feast in Jerusalem, splashing in the waters of the Sea of Galilee, or hearing Abuna tell of his memories of growing up in Biram.
You might not have had these experiences… yet. But with your help, we can continue to invite others (and hopefully you can join us!) to come and better know the people and stories of Palestine and Israel. You can help us build peace on desktops, and ensure that the story continues for generations to come.
On behalf of the board, our volunteers, the staff, and my newest Pilgrim (Sonora Nancy Lyter Bright, born August 23, 2019!), thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement. May this be a season of peace for you and yours!
Abuna Elias Chacour, Archbishop Emeritus of Galilee
Dear Pilgrims, You know that the Lord and yourself have called me to care for the young generation which is in desperate need of education, caring and love. Through the long years, we have collaborated together to give our best for planting the seed of hope, and the respect of life in the hearts of the next generation.
You have been partners in this enterprise. I am grateful and proud of you. After all, the Lord has done for us great things. We have the gift to translate our respect of others, through providing them with our care, with our prayers and with our financial help.
I urge you to continue, keep the faith alive. We are continuing to develop the awareness of thousands of young people to go in depth and discover the many positive sides of our human life.
I want first to wish you all a very happy Advent, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We hope that many among you would take or be given the opportunity to visit us in the Holy Land and be our distinguished guests.
Yours with deep appreciation and prayerful thoughts, Abuna Elias Chacour Archbishop Emeritus of Galilee
Archbishop Visited the U.S. in May It was an opportunity for old friends and new ones – to gather, celebrate, and learn more directly from the founder and visionary of MEEI, Archbishop Chacour.
Four U.S. Locations Greeted the Archbishop:
Grosse Pointe Memorial ChurchGrosse Pointe, MI Sunday, May 19, 2019 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, IL Sunday, May 26, 2019 Chicago, IL 60611 We welcomed the Archbishop for worship services.
Montreat Conference CenterMontreat, NC Wednesday, May 29, 2019 Anderson Auditorium, Montreat Conference Center Montreat, NC 28757
We celebrated the on-going vibrancy of the community at Mar Elias Educational Institutions and the relationship with Pilgrims of Ibillin. It was a rare opportunities to hear our remarkable Abuna preach, speak, and share his story!
Watch this space for stories and photos from the May visit.
Christmas and New Year Letter from Abuna Elias Chacour
Dear Friends in Pilgrims of Ibillin,
This is how we look at you, friends of Pilgrims of lbillin. You are our brothers and sisters. We all have the same dignity and the same yearning. We thank you wholeheartedly for your generosity and your help to the Pilgrims of lbillin. May the Lord reward you all and every one of you for your friendship and solidarity, no matter how high the amount you donate to Pilgrims provided your prayer and your friendship is granted. We surely need your prayers and your friendship, but whenever possible also your generous contributions wish would able us to continue the development of the educational projects at MEEI.
At present, we are in the full speed building a very much-needed retaining wall for keeping the mountain of falling stones from the big yard of the school. We are happy to have Laurie as our executive director.
To all of you, Merry Christmas. To all of you Happy New Year.
Yours Sincerely,
Abuna Elias Chacour
Archbishop em. of Akko Haifa Nazareth and all the Galilee
PS from Pilgrims of Ibillin: Your generous gifts make a daily difference in Abuna’s schools and for all our Peace-building Partners in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. Give securely here, or send your gift (dated in the year you want to receive the tax credit) to: Pilgrims of Ibillin ℅ Jitasa, 1750 W Front St, Suite 200, Boise, ID 83720
The Pilgrims of Ibillin annual review will be in mailboxes soon. Please let us know your preferences in communicating with you (email, website, mail) and provide us current contact information. Our funds can stretch further for our mission projects when we can communicate digitally. Thank you for your interest in Pilgrims!
I love being your executive director. This work of peace-building through relationships is challenging, and the hope we get to witness first-hand is inspiring.
Every time I get the chance to share the mission of Pilgrims of Ibillin with someone new, I tell them the same thing: that we’re about peace and justice, and the belief that you can’t have one without the other. I tell them that we actively resist the idea that we know all the answers, particularly in a place as complex as Israel and Palestine, and instead we try to show up with an open, inquisitive presence.
At our heart, I effuse, we are an educational organization. We seek to educate in the United States, and support education initiatives in Israel and Palestine that work towards cross-cultural and interfaith collaboration. MEEI is a peace-centered institution, bringing together low-income students and providing first rate education for students in Israel from multiple faith and ethnic backgrounds. A Jewish teacher of a gifted and talented program for Muslim and Christian children teaches down the hall from the only special needs program in the region boosting students from Druze villages across the Galilee region. This is a rare and extraordinary community.
The remarkable commitment to non-violence, to peace, and to hope is at the core of MEEI, Wi’am, and all our peace partners.
As division, animosity, and vitriol seem to take center stage, we ask you to join us in the most audacious goal of all: be persistently, relentlessly hopeful. Hope is not blind optimism, or naiveté, or an affectation. It is a rebellious, revolutionary act and one to which we are called to renew our commitment.
By that point in the conversation, most people are hooked, and understandably. This is a remarkable thing we get to do, Pilgrims Family.
Thank you for being a part of it and I look forward to sharing the road ahead with you!
Living Stones Pilgrimage, May 16-27, 2021
