Bishop's Academy

On January 6th, we welcomed a group of 90 people, including about 40 Bishops from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Canada and their spouses and wonderful staff, to our new home in Palestine. After days of intense debating about whether or not they should come due to the situation in Gaza, we were all extremely happy to find out that they were in fact coming. As volunteers of the ELCA's Young Adults in Global Mission program, our "job" for the week the Bishops were here was to be "bus shepherds," which included welcoming them at the airport, accompanying them on busrides, and helping them get from one place to another. Our role during the week turned out to be much more than that, and we were blessed to have taken part in such a momentous journey. I was very excited and grateful for their presence during that week, as just the mere fact that they chose to come at a tense time spoke to their committment to peace and justice in Israel and Palestine. These are the leaders of our church and the people who are able to enact change, and their presence gave me a renewed hope, something which I had desparately been longing for.
The week was full of intense meetings with people such as the Chief Rabbi of Israel, the Foreign Minister of Israel, and officials of the Palestinian Authority. In addition to these meetings, the group traveled and did a lot of sight-seeing and visiting with various organizations in the area. I and the other YAGM's were fortunate enough to accompany them on many of these visits, and through our time with the Bishops, we were able to share with them some of our experiences and knowledge of the area. They were all very receptive to us and asked all the right questions. Their curiousity was refreshing, and it was definitely nice to have fresh ears to talk to. All of us living here of course talk with one another, but it was nice to talk to people who haven't been experiencing the same things we have and who can add a new perspective.
As I mentioned before, spending this time with the Bishops and seeing their reactions to situations and listening to their input gave me a renewed sense of hope. Bishop Hanson, the Presiding Bishop of the ElCA, was even invited by King Abdullah II of Jordan to Washington D.C. to meet with President Obama and discuss possible peace solutions. It makes me so happy and relieved to know that all of these people left here with a new outlook and passion for this conflict and area. I have faith and trust in the leaders of the Church, and I have nothing but full admiration and respect for the work they have done and will continue to do.
Please pray for these leaders of the ELCA and for all they do for humanity.