Dear VIM Coordinators and friends,
Greetings from the Holy City of Bethlehem.
As we head into the summer months it is a good time to take a look at some of the opportunities that are available for Volunteer in Mission teams. Summer is low season in the Middle East. People general prefer to spend their time in locations where they do not have to deal with the desert sand and high temperatures. It is, however, a great time to begin planning for teams to come during the cooler months.
I am taking this opportunity to send you the list of potential project sites for teams who may be interested in coming to the Holy Land. Since this region holds much history, both religiously and politically, a usual two week team visit is typically split between the service project and visits to the holy sites and some of our partner projects in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The importance of carrying paving stones or paining classrooms is complimented by a visit to the Mt of the Beatitudes where Christ preached the “Sermon on the Mount”, or a quiet prayer in the Church of the Nativity where Christ was born. There are two sample itineraries that I can send at your request. These serve as a base from which your specific trip can be arranged. In addition there are project sites not listed if a team would like to be specific about the type of work in which they wish to be involved; medical team, construction crew, etc.
A local Christian travel agency with experience in working with VIM teams will be coordinating with me on all aspects of the travel itinerary to ensure that the teams have not only an enjoyable work experience, but a spiritually based visit as well. After all, this is the Holy Land!
Please distribute this to your conference coordinators and feel free to contact me if you have questions. Together we can create an opportunity for a life-changing experience that will enable spiritual growth, personal empowerment, and most importantly, help to build lasting relationships in our global community.
Janet Lahr Lewis
UM Liaison in Israel and Palestine
PO Box 14631
91146 Jerusalem
Israel-Palestine
Tel: +972 2 277 0047
Email: Jllewis@annadwa.org
Or jlahrlewis@yahoo.com