One of the few remaining Christian villages in the West Bank is Taybeh. It has been in the news lately due to the Israeli “settlers” who are attacking the residents daily and destroying their crops. Recently, their violence has been directed to American rabbis and journalists who have been accompanying the Palestinians as they attempt to harvest their olives. The silence of our governmental leaders about this is shocking.
‍
The people of Taybeh are part of a small Christian minority in the West Bank. Previously, Christians represented 29% of the population; now they are less than 1%. Some Palestinian scholars have raised the very real possibility of the eradication of the indigenous Christian community in the Holy Land.
‍
Our Lutheran partners in that region are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), led by their newly consecrated Bishop Haddad. He has asked us to come and accompany his church during this time of crisis. He points out that waiting until everything is calm is less helpful. He said, “we need you now.”
‍
With that in mind, we are offering people in our synod an opportunity to visit the Holy Land and walk alongside these siblings in Christ. From May 3-13, 2027, we will visit the holy sites and, more importantly, the holy people of this beautiful and troubled land. Our tour will be led by a Palestinian tour company who know and understand the local conditions so that our trip will be safe and meaningful. I can promise you that your faith will deepen and your perspective will be widened.
‍
My wife Celia and I will lead this trip. We would ask that you listen to the Holy Spirit and see if God is calling you to join us. We will have fun, eat amazing food, learn a ton, meet inspiring people, and pray with them for the peace and justice of Israel and Palestine. If you are interested in this pilgrimage, please email me, visit this link or register with Tony Abuita of Good Shepherd Travel using this flyer.
‍
I promised the local leaders in the West Bank that I would tell their story and bring people back to visit them. That is what they wanted. I told them that the people of the Pacifica Synod support them. Now I want them to meet people from our synod face to face. Of course, we will monitor the situation in that region closely, and if it becomes clear that it is too dangerous, we will postpone the trip. However, I am asking us to take a leap of faith and sign up now to accept Bishop Haddad’s sacred invitation for the trip of a lifetime.

Peace,
+Dave