It is going to be difficult to put into words (or even pictures) how amazing this journey to the Holy Land was for all of us. In the next week, the Fellows will be sharing their stories and pictures on this blog in hopes to convey a little bit to the rest of the world the profundity of our experience.
thank you, to all of you who helped make this trip happen.
We arrived at the Tel Aviv airport around 8:30pm Tel Aviv time (1:30pm EST) after a full day of travel from Washington DC to Istanbul to Israel. Regardless of the time, we were pretty tired. It was about a two hour trek to Nazereth where we stayed in a compound of apartments attached to the English Hospital.
English Hospital accomodations
Ned made the call that we would start our official trip with a sunrise hike to Mount Precipice.
Christina taking in the view of the Valley of Armageddon from Mount Precipice
Sean read the Scripture from Luke where Jesus read the Isaiah passage about preaching the good news to the poor and freedom for the captives and releasing the oppressed then shared some insights while standing on the mountain the crowd led Jesus up in order to throw him off!
Sean
Sweet Spot to give a Sermon
Great job Sean!
We then spread out and spent some time alone.
Rahel overlooking Nazereth
Afterward we headed to Hunter and Lauri Lambeth's for breakfast and orientation.
The porch was the place to be
Rahel
After lunch we went on an afternoon adventure by the Sea of Galilee to one of my favorite places: Mount Arbel via the Jesus Trail.
We met our tour guide for the week, Amer Nikola who became a great friend to all of us.
Amer demonstrates the difference between Wheat and Chaff
Setting out
We logged 15+ miles Day 1!!!
The fields along the Jesus Trail
I met this little guy (nearly stepped on him!
The intrepid Dakota ready to climb now that he's had his fruit pop
halfway
Back up the valley from whence we came
Sunset from on top
Christina Sandstedt
Weary but full
the Sea of Galilee
Our home away from home
A great first day of learning...of adventure...and of walking in the footsteps of our Lord
Make sure to read the update below from our first summer camp….a truly unique experience for all of us!
Young Life Middle East: Holy Land Region Prayer Requests
Dear Regional Team,
I know it has been a few weeks since we last sent out our Praises and Prayers Update. With the heavy load of summer activities upon us, namely camps being underway, this update will likely come to you on a once a month basis. May the stories, updates and prayer needs bless, encourage and inspire you to continue joining us on this incredible journey that is Young Life in the Holy Land! Today’s report will focus only on the camp we just completed…it yielded so many amazing moments there was no room in this report for more!
A (BIG BIG Praise!): Yesterday we concluded our first camp of the summer. It was a camp brief in length (only 2 days) but monumental in terms of impact, on both the campers and those of us privileged with leading it. Even in this place which constantly poses so many new layers and experiences, this camp was a unique one for us. It was a combination family/adult and special needs “Capernaum” camp. Instead of just inviting these special needs kids and adults to camp, we decided to invite their parents to come with them! The majority of these “campers” came from Palestinian Muslim families, many observant and practicing their faith. There were blind campers, deaf and mute campers, some with severe mobility limitations, several confined to wheel chairs. Yousef did an amazing job as camp speaker, sharing about how we are God’s favorite creation, how he created us just like we are, no matter our physical or mental state and loves us just like he loves everyone, even able-bodied people. At the last club he shared the story of the paralytic in Mark 2 (the cornerstone scripture of all YL Capernaum ministries) and talked about how while Jesus can be a physical healer, it’s the healing on the inside that is most important, which is offered to each of us, maybe even especially those in the club room that day. By the end of camp, so many stories had unfolded that it’s hard to know where to begin in relaying them. Here are few quick “snapshots”:
One young woman, Aida, began to cry once she was on the bus and headed to camp. When her leader asked why, she explained that the last time she got on a bus and left town, it was to go and spend some time in an orphanage and she was so afriad she was going to be left again. Imagine Aida’s joy when she got to camp only to be welcomed by our program character “dancing painters” (including RT member Ned Erickson!), who twirled her about and then led her and the other campers to the field for mixers and games. Aida ended up sitting up front at every club and only being sad when she learned that she would not be left behind at camp! (Here is Aida during our field games)
On our last night of camp, we had our special needs dance party. One young woman, Miral, who had been struggling to suppress a constant smile since arriving at camp, told her leader she wanted to stand and dance…and so she did! With two leaders steadying her, she stood from her chair and made her way into the middle of the crowd where she danced until her legs could no longer hold her up.
One of the younger campers, Miriam, also in a wheel chair, but unable to stand at all, captured the attention of one of our visiting American work crew team members Camile. Camile spent hours holding Miriam’s hands and stroking her bare feet that were bent at such an angle that she could not lower them to the wheelchair pedals. But the most memorable part of this interaction was Miriam’s mother who could not stop filming the two of them on her cell phone, the whole while smiling from ear to ear. I understood immediately; she had never seen someone else show so much love to her disabled daughter. (Miriam, her mother, Lauri and Ned at camp)
But no one left her mark on camp more than Sauson. Sauson deals with severe mobility issues. She is not confined to a wheelchair, but she struggles to walk and moves very very slowly. When we reached the field for our welcome “mixers”, even though there were leaders to assist her, she slumped down against the fence and rejected all invitations to participate. Later, at lunch, Sauson began to cry, stood and then lumbered over to a chair, away from the eating area, where she sat crying. One of the YL volunteer leaders went over to sit with her. Sauson then explained to Ruba that she rarely left home and that she was not able to eat by herself, unable to use her hands for lifting utensils. She was embarrasd to sit at the table where others might notice. Ruba hugged her, then went and filled a plate, returned and sat there patiently feeding Sauson. From that moment on Sauson smiled, participated and even surprised us all when she struggled to her feet at the last club and asked Yousef if she could say something. Yousef leaned the microphone to her lips and this is what she said: “I have never in my life experienced any moments like this. No one in our village cares for us like this. And what I realize here is that is it not the person who has the problem with their body that has the problem. No, it’s the person who has a problem in their mind towards the person who has a problem in their body that has the problem. Thank you for showing us that we are special and that we can do things that normal people do."
(Ruba and Sauson eating lunch at camp)
We have many camps to go….the summer season is only beginning! Please pray with us that the camps to follow will yield similar amazing moments and life-changing, Kingdom memories.
So so grateful for our team…you guys!
-Hunter & Lauri
(all camp picture below!)
Bonus picture: Covered or Uncovered, Moms love Young Life camp!
Julia Lovett has been officially adopted by the city
AND WHAT A WEEK IT WAS
To steal a Roald Dahlism The Fellows continued to do a whiz bang job while I was away, and they continued to perform at whiz bang levels now that Ned has returned to the helm.
Susan Scott, Christina's host mother, hosted us on Monday night. (Susan's pictured here in the back with Christina's grandparents who came to town to visit.) Dinner was wonderful, with a special shout out to Stan who came to cook and hang out.
Welcome to Winston-Salem Christina's Grandparents!
A few days later, I was walking down fourth street and literally got a shout out from him from across the street! Ha! I love Winston-Salem.
Wednesday we had a fantastic Leader Lunch with Mike Ford at Wake Forest. In addition to sharing his story, Mike shared some insights on the significance of the twenties. He left us with some reading assignments and a list of key questions that are now thumb nailed to my wall.
Mike in action
I can't speak highly enough about Mike. The man embodies what the Fellows is all about. I'd be happy if I grew up to be half the man Mr. Ford is.
The man shines bright. There is no denying
Wednesday afternoon, the female Fellows were greeted by Grace Hilliard, daughter of Beth Hilliard who has been doing a fabulous job leading them this year.
Grace always steals the show
Then, we had an impromptu meeting about Israel at the Quiet Pint. I received no resistance from the Fellows.
That night, the Whitworths bailed me out and hosted a Fellows candidate coming into town to interview. Rereading her application, I saw on the last page that she was allergic to cats and dogs - so I scrambled. The Whitworths only have Friar Tuck the guinea pig. She interviewed in the morning, then we had another candidate drive into town Thursday night to stay with us. She interviewed in the morning after attending class.
Summit shout out!
Afterward, I gave out t-shirts from Summit School! Jeff Turner had given them to me after our Leader Lunch a few weeks back, and I finally got around to handing them out (I needed to do it when we could get a picture!) Thanks Ashley for taking the pic, by the way!
Thanks Summit! T-shirts is the Fellows love language (and mine!)
That afternoon, The Fellows headed to East Winston to help GIDE host an event called "Running From Crime"
More free t-shirts!!!
There was somewhere between 100 and 200 kids.
We were in charge of games.
Here is me explaining things from a top a sewer manhole
Reese running tug-of-war
There was a bit of managed chaos...
The winners of the water balloon toss
Ned doing some kind of rendition of the Hokey Pokey
The Fellows with the one and only Mr. Bill McClain
I'd do anything for this man
Christina showing off her hoop skills
ISRAEL!!!
I will be here next week!
I will be looking out over Nazareth next week!
I can hardly believe it. At this time next week, I will NOT be writing an Update. I will be standing on the precipice looking over Nazareth with eleven of my favorite people in the whole world! Twelve, thirteen and fourteen when you add Hunter, Laurie, and Haley Lambeth!!!
We will be going on adventures such as hiking the Jesus Trail, swimming in the Sea of Galilee, and climbing the Arbel Cliffs.
We will be visiting the sites where Jesus spoke, healed, and saved the world.
We will be supporting Young Life, encouraging leaders, and then to top it all off...We will be doing the Program and Work Crew for a brand new Young Life Capernaum Camp (Young Life for Special Needs) in Israel...where Capernaum actually is!!!
We will be hanging out with friends like this young man
And this young man...no Lia though...insert sad face emoji
Wow!
Thank you to all of you who have financially supported us. We are nearly to our goal. However, we continue to fundraise - the need of course is great.
So please think about how you want to contribute to this incredible, once in a life time opportunity!
give to www.wsfellows.com/give
or mail checks to Winston-Salem Fellows
851 W. 5th Street
WSNC 27101
of if you want me to pick checks up from your door or swipe your credit card - just call or text or email!!!
Recruitment Update
We continue to receive applications by the day. Praise the Lord!!! We now have seven females we are in process with. Two interviewed last week, and we have three more this week.
The team and I have enjoyed chatting with each of them, and I'm optimistic that the four we are looking for to fill our female quota will be among these folks.
It is nerve wracking because all of these Fellows are great and have options.
We continue to pray hard for Antonius who should be giving us a yay or nay this week. Please join us in praying this guy onto the team, as well as for Shuhui, Ashley, Mary, Kristen, Natalie, Grace, and Susannah! Come on Jesus!
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Enjoying the sunshine and refreshment at The Porch
Dave Dave (aka Bear Paw) and I headed up to Camp Hanes for Adventure Guides
Bear Paw's first archery experience - and he gets a bullseye!
Christina and a special visit from two of her favorite people
Please Pray for us as we finish up details for our trip...
There is so much amazing stuff going on I forgot to mention that before we head out for Israel, we are heading up to Washington D.C. to join the rest of Fellows Nation for the National Fellows Conference April 28-30!
We just got back from a family mission trip (highly
recommend family mission trips), and for my next three installments of the
brand spanking new Everyday Exiles I’ll be sharing with you a few of the God
Moments we experienced along the way.
Jenny wasn’t going on the trip, but she saw the sign for
donations at the back of the church and pulled my wife aside one Sunday after
the service to ask if we had any interest in wheelchairs. Interest? Were we
interested in figuring out the logistics, paying the fees, and lugging
wheelchairs through the airport? No. Lia gave a half-hearted “I guess so,”
which Jenny took as a “Yes.”
The next week, three wheelchairs show up at the back of
church. We put stuff on them so we didn’t have to lug the other donations like
children’s formula and bar soap to the room we did our packing in. My kids used
the wheelchairs to race each other back and forth down the hall while we packed
the other donations. We made jokes about how we could put fake casts on Dave
Dave and Anna Rose and role them through security.
The thing is the mission we were serving had its own wheelchair manufacturing business! There
were dozens of wheelchairs already there. What was the point in bringing three
more?
We took them anyway. TSA gave us some odd looks as we
able-bodied folks pushed them through security. The agents gave us some odd
looks when we asked them to gate check the wheelchairs all the way to Santo
Domingo. I was somewhat amazed to find them there when we arrived. We almost
forgot them to tell the truth. They hadn’t come through on the baggage
carousel. In my broken Spanish I asked this young woman wearing blue who looked
at me funny before she spoke into her walky talky that I was sure didn’t work.
She pointed to a door that led to a dingy back room.
My children were delighted. They raced each other through
customs. The hotel staff lugged them to our hotel room where the wheelchairs
stayed until Tuesday when we finally remembered to bring them to the mission.
They told us to throw them in the physical therapy room because they weren’t
sure where to put them.
I went off to the construction site. Lia went to work in the
clinic. A little while later, the mission’s physical therapist (a beautiful
Dominican named Yuvelis (you-vail-iece)) came into the clinic crying. Lia was
concerned. This woman has had hardships in the past. Lia has helped her in the
past. Lia was prepared for the next sad story.
Yuvelis said (in Spanish), “I have this patient who is in desperate
need of a very certain type of wheelchair. I have looked all over the Dominican
Republic and have found nothing. I have looked on the Internet, but the cost
was impossible. Then, I walk into the clinic this morning, and there it is!”
She told Lia, “For you, bringing this wheelchair is a small
thing. But for this family, this wheelchair will change their lives.”
This wheelchair we almost didn’t bring.
This wheelchair that we made jokes about and raced through
customs.
This wheelchair that will now provide the support Eliezer
needs to live, that will provide his mother the ability to push him instead of
carry him.
This wheelchair that God knew this family needed, that God
brought to them through a rag tag bunch of unknowing Americanos.
