Closing Words

The Yella program in Israel/Palestine is now complete, but the experiences we had will continue to shape participants and faith partners for years to come. Here are a few concluding reflections from some of the Yella 2010 faith partners. Thanks to everyone who has been supportive of the Yella program along the way...



They say the hardest part of going away cross-culturally for any length of time is coming home. That probably would have been very true were it not for the sickness that hit our group right at the end. I would imagine, there's nothing that makes you more happy to be 'home' than being grossly sick in a foreign land.

That has me thinking.

What is it about our 'home' that makes us so happy to be there?

When we were in Israel, the one thing we kept hearing about from both sides of the conflict was how 'connected' they were to the land. The land, we discovered, was what the struggle was really about. This undeniable, unmistakable, and unfathomable connection to a very specific piece of real estate.

The Dome of the Rock for example is built upon the rock that tradition says Abraham was to sacrifice Jacob on. This rock has become the foundation stone of faith. Abraham proved his faithfulness to God above all else, and from Abraham has sprung the 3 largest and most influential religions on the planet, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The Rock is also where King David's son Solomon built the first Temple, the first 'home' for God on earth. The first temple was destroyed, but then rebuilt again in the same spot.
The Muslims also believe that this Rock is where Muhammad ascended to the heavens and received the Qur'an. Another more obscure thing I heard is that the Muslims also believe this Rock is where God created the world from...it was the starting point of all creation.

The Rock then has become a 'home' where heaven and earth meet, and for created beings who are both spiritual and physical in nature, it begins to make a bit more sense why such a place holds our attention.

Maybe we can't fully comprehend why these people are so attached to this piece of real estate. I know the entire time I was there listening to both Israeli Zionists, and Arab freedom fighters I couldn't do it. When I heard a Jewish settler talk about why he decided to leave his high paying job in Chicago to move to a little suburb in Israel, about how the land had called him, and that he felt he was fulfilling God's promises by living in that specific part of the world...I tried but I couldn't relate.

I listened to the story of a Palestinian who had been beaten, had had his child's teeth bashed in, and his wife had lost two pregnancies because of attacks by radical Jewish settlers, and yet he was going to stay in his home even if they killed him. When I listened to him, I tried but I couldn't relate.

Their connection with the land was so strong, and they were willing to die and kill for it.
It seemed very foreign to me. That is until 17 of the 24 of us got leveled with food poisoning, my wife included, and I started hearing people say...'I just want to go home'.
There was agony, panic, shock, and fear as one after another fell victim to this horrible sickness. Although food poisoning only lasts a short time (24-48 hours), it is violent and extreme. It has become a window into the suffering and struggle that both the Jews through the Holocaust and now the Palestinians through the realities of the Jewish state has experienced. That pain and fear, agony and shock makes humans say, 'I just want to go home.'

Compounding this very human instinct to get home when things get bad, is the mysterious intersection of the Spiritual and Physical which appears all over the land in the form of 'Holy' sites. Places in space and time where God has visited His people and left a mark. I believe that we have been designed to contain both natures, the physical and the spiritual. That we are drawn to seek reality beyond what we can see, touch, taste and smell. We are drawn so seek the Designer, the One who created both the human and the land. There is no doubt that we get confused in that pursuit. We make false gods because it's easier to worship something we can see and imagine in the physical, or we reject the good that is in the physical world and condemn everything that isn't spiritual.
Living with both the physical and spiritual at once, acknowledging the relationship between the two, and the importance of both is foundational to the Christian faith. After all, it is Jesus Christ who is both God and man in 1 person. He showed us how to live with the tension, and how beautiful it can be. He showed us how to live well in the land and yet not live for the land only.

In the gospel of John Jesus says some profound words to His disciples. He is preparing them for the bad news of His death. He knows that they will experience pain, shock, and fear when their Messiah dies. This is how He comforts them:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3

Our final 'home' is in the Father's house. A house with many rooms, and Jesus is preparing a place for us there, just as He is preparing us for that place.
Israel has been a tremendous experience. I have gained some insight into the world and life of Jesus, and have come face to face with one of the most intense conflicts in our world today. I strongly doubt that I am aware of all that this experience has taught me, but I have recognized 1 thing above all others – God desires that we trust Him.

- Steve Cox


I've been reflecting this past week how challenging and stretching my 3 weeks in Israel/Palestine was - emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Each day had challenges I never could have anticipated. By facing each challenge and engaging fully I have grown and been transformed. I didn't know I could climb a mountain!! Didn't know I was capable of trekking through an under-ground water tunnel either. During my 3 weeks I was continually faced with my fears and recognized the choices I had to make along the way - I could push past my fears or allow my fears to rule. I'm so grateful for the strength and courage God provided along the way. I continually looked to the hills and was reminded of Psalm 121:

I lift my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord maker of heaven and earth.

The ancients believed the mountains were God - the Psalmist reminds us that our God CREATED the mountains. I was assured of God's protective presence upon our group and guiding hand each day.

Our "non-tourist tour" experience knit our group together in a most unique way. We encouraged one another through so many challenges - caregivers arose from our group as needed - care and support was abundant. What a joy and delight to walk alongside others in our group and encourage them as they faced their own challenges!

The conversations along the way with both Israelis and Palestinians continue to churn within me. The sights were amazing but the conversations along the way have most likely had the greatest impact upon me personally. What a remarkable experience to listen to other's stories and learn from folks who call Israel/Palestine home. Such a complex situation in the land our Lord called holy. The personal connections were an important contribution to my learnings.

I have returned home full of sights, insights, learnings, conversations, and endless questions. I am aware that Yella was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As I continue to reflect I am curious how God will prompt me to share these experiences in ministry settings. As a full-time student, this experience has been invaluable! I have been able to connect the bible story in new ways - have a greater appreciation for the land and for Jesus' ministry in an occupied land.

- Kara Carter



'Now I see in part, then I shall see fully'

I thought that I would learn the most about Jesus by walking the Jesus Trail, literally following the footsteps of God. It turns out that as I reflect on our travels, it is the present day conflict that is informing me the most about the character of our God. We witnessed incredible stories of hardship and pain and at times it felt like more than I could handle.

Living in fear of army raids, having your children abused and beaten, being forced into the army, these are the struggles that I am left thinking about. And yet these are the struggles that Jesus was faced with every day of his life. He lived in an occupied land, in the midst of a very hierarchical society. The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus encountering the pain of this world and offering the hope of a new one. 'The Gospels' or 'The Good News' never sounded so good.

- Christina Cox