te a d p U L-R: Seniors Travis Green (Abilene), Aileen Choi (Calvin),
S P R I N G ’ 1 2 RJeremy E G IDevers ONA L T Jessup), R A V Carmen E L Weaver (Eastern) (William
Dear Colleagues and Friends of MESP,
APRIL-MAY-JUNE 2012
Since our last Update, MESP completed its Spring '12 regional travel and returned to Israel where we ended the semester with a Re-entry retreat in the seaport town of Haifa.
APPLICATION
FALL 2012
The final stop on our travel itinerary was the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (اَلهَاشِ ِميَّةاَألُرْ ُدنِيَّةاَل َممْ لَ َكةJ) a moderate, predominantly Muslim country, ruled by a constitutional monarchy with an appointed government. With a population of 6½ million (approximate 92% Muslim, 6% Christian) nearly 40% of
A few spots remain & apps will be reviewed on a rolling basis
Jordan's current residents were born in another country, comprising an Arab population that consists largely of Jordanians, Palestinians and Iraqis. This
SPRING 2013
diversity provides for a rich learning experience.
MESPer Kylie Stevens greets young girls at a school in Baqa’a refugee Camp
October 1, 2012
During our brief stay in Amman, MESPers were privileged to hear from experts--- an anthropologist, a church "worker" and a political scientist— who enlightened them on issues ranging from: the dynamics of Jordanian tribal society, to the challenges of Christian vocation, to the nuanced demographics of Palestinian society. We also spent an afternoon at the UN administered Baqa'a refugee camp , home to around 120,000 registered and البقعة non-registered Palestinian refugees. MESP was hosted by UN Camp officials, including an important local Sheik.
MESP on Facebook
CLI CK HERE
As always, MESPers enjoyed touring and hiking among the ruins of Petra. This particular group of students even spent some time in Jerash-one of the ancient Decapolis cities from the Hellenistic period. (see slide show) ~~~~> After 3½ weeks of travel (Turkey, Tunisia and Jordan), MESPers returned "home" to Tantur to complete final assignments, and just in time to witness the Jewish Pesach (Passover) holiday, and to celebrate Easter in the Holy Land. No small thing! While it is recommended that study abroad re-entry events occur when students return to their home countries, for practical purposes MESPers always participate in a semester-ending retreat with their cohort in the Middle East. This semester the retreat was held in the Mt. Carmel area of Haifa. In addition to small group discussions regarding the practical challenges of re-entry to the United States, students shared meaningful thoughts and reflections on their common learning experiences. Among the many observations shared during the retreat, one student noted: “I have learned to ask questions differently, I now respond more humbly, and I think through why the things that offend me, do offend me.” Suzanne and I are currently in the US with the usual agenda of attending the CCCU Program Directors meeting in DC, visiting family and friends, and enjoying a little downtime while preparing for next semester. Have a great summer!
Blessings,
David P. Holt
Jerash Pictures
MORE MESP LINKS
► About MESP ► Great Speakers ► Coursework ► Service Learning ► Home-Stays ► Feb. ‘12 Newsletter ► Mar. ‘12 Newsletter
ALUMS
….. In His Own Words Camp
Ben Younan Northwestern College, MN
After MESP, college graduation and getting married, my wife Amber (Northwestern College, IA) and I committed to two things for the first season of our marriage: we wanted to live in community and experience more deeply the Middle East. So in the fall of 2005 we Moved to Jubilee Partners, an intentional Christian Community in rural Georgia where we worked with newly re-settled refugees, learned about organic farming and experienced the joys and sorrows of community. But our urge to return to the Middle East was strong, and the following fall we accepted a position in Egypt with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Two years later we began a three-year assignment as MCC's Country Reps in Damascus, Syria. During that time we were also privileged to host and speak with some 150 MESP students as they visited Damascus during their regional travel. In 2011, (6 years and 2 kids later!), we moved to Minneapolis where we are focusing on a more long-term commitment to a place we could call home and a community of people we could invest in. This spring, I was invited to Lebanon to participate and to document a Cycle for Peace ride to promote civil peace among Lebanese, and to commemorate the bloody civil war that has crippled the country for over two decades. Along the route, from the southern border city of Tyre to the northern port town of Tripoli, we heard from Sunni, Christian and Shiite alike, about their hopes for a Amber Younan served as a MESP peaceful future for Lebanon. Tina, one of the sponsors of the event put it well. “We program assistant know this ride may touch only a few people, but our hope is that those people will touch others for 3 semesters and that this idea will spread to many people. Peace does not happen in a day or in one event, but by little efforts like this over time." As I reflect on my journey from the first time I got off the plane back in 2004 as a MESP student, through all the wonderful things I have been blessed to be a part of, I remember a conversation I had with a guest professor who spoke to us during our MESP semester. While walking through the alleys of the Khan il Khalili, I asked him if he had regrets about his life and what he might do differently if he had the chance. He said, "I do. If I could do it all over again, I would have taken the chance to get out and experience the world. The things I could have learned along the way would have made such a difference in how I see the world now." Thanks Dr. Kincaid, I took your advice.
NEW CENTER
PICTURES
Click here
Opening for the first time this fall (2012), the new MESP Center at Tantur in Jerusalem features a magnificent location overlooking the Judean Hills and Bethlehem region. With its rooftop and portico views, students will enjoy a privileged setting in which to absorb ideas, build relationships, meditate, and lift prayers to God. The Center was made possible through a joint project between MESP and the supportive Staff of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute. Both parties share a Christian vision to engage with the local Muslim, Eastern Christian, and Jewish populations in a meaningful way, and where possible, to act as a bridge between and for them
For further information about MESP please click here David P. Holt (PhD) Mesp.director@gmail.com http://www.cccu.org Director, Middle East Studies Program http://www.bestsemester.com/mesp Council for Christian Colleges & Universities Jerusalem, Israel and Washington, DC 0549051844 (Israel) (00972)549051844 (From the USA)