Where is the reconciling presence in this world? I am experiencing it at this very moment as I reflect on my experiences in Jerusalem and the Holy Land in the summer of 2000 and reconnect with friends I made.

I am journeying toward Jerusalem in my memory and in my heart as I correspond via e-mail with Dr. Salim Anati, a resident in the Shufat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem. I spent a day in the Anati home meeting his wife and their seven beautiful children and visited the Community Center where I met several children who benefit from Dr. Anati’s work. I am blessed to know them and now even more blessed to share some of their story with you.

On February 23, our children and youth learned about the Anati family and the Shufat Refugee Camp where they live. Children and youth of the Chapel of the Cross were invited to join hands with children and youth in that camp throughout the 40 days of Lent as we collect gifts of money to be used for the purchase of equipment and supplies, specifically for three programs that are offered at the camp’s Community Center:
* An after school program for physically and mentally handicapped children,
* A summer camp program for children and youth, and
* A medical clinic that offers services to the 25,000 residents of the camp.

Each Church School class has been invited to create a fabric square that will become a section of a peace banner to be delivered to the Community Center to adorn the center’s walls. We will become bridge builders connecting our parish with people of Jerusalem. Our ministry of reconciliation calls us to be bridge builders, fostering communication and community building among all people.

On a recent visit to Shufat, my friend Jean Hopson from Centenary Methodist Church in Winston-Salem visited in the camp. She told Dr. Anati of the project that our parish would be participating in during Lent. Dr. Anati shared with her that within the camp there is hope because of people like us. He related that just knowing that people are hearing about them and praying for them, gives hope. For many in Palestine and Israel, hope has been completely snuffed out. In recent e-mail correspondence Dr. Anati states:

 

Many thanks for your concern and interest for us. Hoping that you will be able to help in my work and in our activities in the handicaps center. As you know we are living in a critical time; I am trying to bring some medicines here, to be ready if anything will happen. So if you can help me to buy some of these medicines?! Also, for your request about the needs, we have established severe mentally retarded class for children at the age from 6-12 years, we have six children with one caregiver Beside it we have a class for the age 6-12 years and we have 13 children with a teacher. We teach them a special way with supervision from the local school in the camp. So we need many things like:- crayons, markers, pencils, big quantity of papers for all kinds of activities. The mentally retarded class needs a small TV; we need a computer, a radio, and a cassette recorder will help in many ways. The copier is very important for the whole center. Next week we will have a big feast. I hope that I will be able to buy some clothes for the children in our center. I think you know that all of my work is volunteered,and I wish if can help the people as much as I can. Next time I will send you the names of the children. This is enough now; [I am] waiting for your answer. My computer is an old one; it was a gift from my dear Jean Hopson four years ago; I also need to renovate it; this will be when I will have enough money.

Sincerely yours,
Dr. Salim

You are invited to join hands with the children and youth of our parish and of Shufat Camp. There is a display in the dining room introducing you to some of the residents at Shufat. If you would like to make a donation, seek out one of the children or youth of the parish and help fill their boxes with coins and dollars of hope.

Send items for inclusion in future "Cross Roads."
The deadline is the first Thursday of the preceeding month.

© 2003 The Chapel of the Cross