One of three purposes for traveling to Palestine this time, in addition to providing support for the Nassar family, and visiting new places, was the opportunity to introduce two groups from the U.S to the Project the family leads. On Monday, the Interfaith Peacebuilder Group whom I had travelled with over the weekend, were coming for lunch at the farm, and to learn about the family's story.
IFPB delegations come to the farm almost each time they visit the country. Some of the travelers had been to the farm before, but none in the last few years. They were surpised by the changes on the Farm, and to obvious increase of settlement development around it. After hearing Amal Nasar tell the story, many of the travelers were enraged once again with the picture she painted, but impressed that she expressed no anger, or made claim of victimhood. The message is powerful, and those that might still be teetering on the edge, were swung over to supporting an end to the misery, and obvious violations of human rights. In my role as respresentative for Fotonna, and as a fellow traveler with their delegation, and a former delegate myself, I had their audience for a few more minutes and shared what we had done to support the families' efforts to hold on to the land, and to offer a place where internationals and others could come and work together on the land. I was encouraged that the delegation had a number of young people aboard. All of them expressed an interest in returning again as a volunteer. We will no doubt have additional support in Fotonna's effort to secure new circles friends.
The second group were fourteen members from church in Arlington. I had long waited their coming to the land, and was pleased that they were not only there to see the dead stones, but to see the living ones as well. After briefing them in the morning about what they might see, we divided into two groups and headed for the taxis we had hired for the trip of some six miles. We had planned for them to be exposed to two routes of travel, one via the villages with all of its trials, and the other, a return via the main highway back to Bethlehem. This would give the travelers an exposure to the harsh realities of village people as well as that of the Nassar family. The return trip never happened as the drivers needed to return through the village as they had to make a run along the same route we had traveled earlier. WE were only able to complete one half of the experience for them in that case. Driving the main highway to fetch us would have been a problem for them. It was just fine.
Two Canadian pilgrims, staying at the same place as the group, joined us for the trip too. Amal's story, told in the cave of her fathers. grabbed the hearts of the listeners. I was so happy that the group heard for themselves what we had written about and talked about for four years at our church. It was a highly satisfying experience for me, and worth the wait to hear their testimonies about the injustices they had SEEN. I heard the travelers talking about writing letters and letting the world they knew, know about what they had now witnessed. IT was a great day for everyone. Scwi scwi, (little by little). BIll
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