Newsletter 25 July 2006
Plant a Tree in Palestine, cont'd
In January 2006, over seventy volunteers helped plant over 700 trees of various kinds. The teams of volunteers were from William and Mary College, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, and the Epsicopal Diocese of Massachusetts. This first phase of the project cost about $15,000. These S.B.S. volunteers tilled the soil and planted the trees on a windy mountaintop in cold, wet weather. They were supervised by a team of five European volunteers and our own staff. On Staff member, the Rev. Ric Koehn, who has led a number of mission teams with S.B.S., said, "Of all the Volunteers in Mission projects I have participated in, none was more meangingful than this."
The project took place on the family land of Daoud Nassar. The land was purchased early in the 20th century. Daoud has a deed dating to the Ottomon period. Located about two miles southwest of Bethlehem, three Israeli settlements occupy adjacent hilltops and have been slowing encroaching on Daoud's land. According to any non-zionist reading of international law, all Israeli settlements are illegal. The primary legal code is the 4th Geneva Convention. Be this as it may, Settlements expand by confiscation of Palestinian land. Residetns of the adjacent setlements have used every means available to them to procure Daoud's land. The land has been vandalized by Israeli settlers on numerous occasions. Daoud and his family members have received threats to induce them to vacate. The Israeli High Court has issued an injunction against an setler encroachment on Daoud's land. Recently, an anonymous caller, offered to give Daoud a blank check to sell his family property. In Palestinian culture, however, land has significance and means something that many Americans cannot fully identify with. Daoud turned down the offer. Parallels to 1 Kings 21 are obvious.
The success and significance of the Plant a Tree in Palestine program indicates that our constituency is eager to see the program continued. Already we are receiving pledges, donations and enrolling volunteers for next winters palnting season. You can help by pledging a donation and inviting others to do the same. If you respond with a pledge, we will advance the sum pledged and count on you to send us a check. This will enable us to forward funds right away without waiting for your actual donation. We need immediate support to purchase trees and supplies in preparation for the volunteers in January. A $50 gift purchases two trees. $100 purchases five. If you make a donation, we will send you a certificate. If you make a donation of $1,000 or more, the trees you purchase will be marked with a plaque, indicating your name and the person in whose memory or honor you are making the donation, or if you prefer to remain anonymous, that the trees were donated by an anonymous friend in the U.S.A. 100% of your gift is tax deductible. 100% is invested in the project.
Another way to help is to volunteer. You can join any group on any departure this winter or you can schedule your own individual dates.
