Free-trade, organic Palestinian Olive Oil will be on sale in the Commons this Sunday, October 2. Profits from these sales go to support projects that the Volunteer in Mission team to the Holy Land will be visiting during their upcoming trip. “Shares” in the trip will also be available – all proceeds from these will support the projects and everyone who purchases a share will receive a postcard from a member of the team.
Thanks to all for your support of the “kickoff” to the Palestinian Olive Oil Sales. We ran out on Sunday – but will have more available at our next sale in October. Watch this space for details!!
This Sunday, September 18, the Global Mission Committee and UMVIM team to Palestine/Israel will be offering tastings – and selling fair-trade Palestinian olive oil in the Commons after church. “Shares” in the trip will also be available. Stop by and support mission projects in the Holy Land!!
On October 22, 2011, 21 people will travel to Tel Aviv to begin the experience of a lifetime. This United Methodist Volunteer in Mission (UMVIM) team from Portland First UMC will include members of at least five Portland area churches, some of whom are veteran travelers and at least one of whom has just obtained her first passport ever!
Dee Poujade and Betty Cobb (now Cobb-Colgan) visited the Holy Land for a study trip with the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) in 2008. We came back wanting to share that experience with as many people as possible (and, indeed, did presentations in a number of area churches). But we believe that nothing beats first-hand observation and knowledge so, with the assistance and encouragement of Janet Lahr-Lewis, a Methodist missionary in the Holy Land (and one of First UMC’s “ three covenant” missionaries), we began planning this UMVIM trip.
We still don’t know exactly where we’re going – as one may imagine, conditions “on the ground” in the Middle East are in constant flux – but we go trusting that God will show us what he wants us to see. We expect to see the Biblical sites, of course – Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee – but we also will meet with the people who live in this troubled land – Christians, Jews and Muslims – especially those who are working to bring peace. We will have a “work project” of some sort (probably picking olives as our visit coincides with the olive harvest), but, as the team has been told, the trip is really not about the work we do; it is about the connections we make and the experiences we share – both with the other team members and with the local people we encounter along the way.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be selling “shares” in the trip and Palestinian olive oil to help financially support the work projects in the Holy Land. We’ll also be introducing the team members. In the meantime, please keep us all in your prayers!
Dee Poujade (UMVIM Team leader)
For some, the words “Holy Land” evoke an image of Biblical times – Jesus preaching in Galilee, shepherds tending flocks, fishermen fishing for food – and for men. For others, the words bring up a vivid image of modern times – complete with conflict and “separation walls.” The Global Mission committee would like to offer the opportunity for those interested to visit Palestine/Israel and to see for themselves the beauty and heartache of this troubled, yet magical place. A United Methodist Volunteer in Mission team is being formed to visit the Holy Land October 22 – November 5, 2011. The trip will be led by Dee Poujade, co-chair of the Global Mission committee and veteran of six UMVIM trips, and will be hosted by Janet Lahr Lewis, First UMC covenant missionary in the Holy Land.
The trip will include visits to such locales as the Old City of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum and the Mt. of Beatitudes, as well as opportunities to meet with Palestinian Christians and members of Jewish and Muslim groups who are working together toward peace in the Middle East. There will also be a work project commensurate with the abilities and interests of group participants (possibly helping with the olive harvest.)
On January 16, 2011, following the church service, an informational meeting will be held in the Fireside Room. Attendance at this meeting does not obligate anyone to participate in the trip; however, those attending will have the first opportunity to sign up for what promises to be a life-changing experience. Estimated cost of the trip is $3,000, which will include round-trip airfare from Portland to Tel Aviv, as well as accommodations and meals while in Palestine/Israel. Anyone who would like additional information can contact Dee Poujade.
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