wfn.org | Newsline for Dec. 17, 2004

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Newsline       Dec. 17, 2004

"Be  patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord."
James  5:7

NEWS
1) Church of the Brethren steps out on faith in Haiti.
2)  Church staff meet with Selective Service.
3) Council works on strategic plan  for Annual Conference.
4) Bethany Seminary board participates in  accreditation, strategic
plan.
5) New disaster project directors trained,  Florida project to
begin.
6) Brethren bits: Personnel, job openings, and	much more.

RESOURCES
7) Cross Cultural Ministries video is  available.
8) `Christian History and Biography' magazine features	Anabaptists.
9) Brethren produce video about threat to Alaska National  Wildlife
Refuge.

FEATURE
10) The red hat and the green  helmet.

***********************************************************
1)  Church of the Brethren steps out on faith in Haiti.

"We want a Haitian  church to be strong in its Church of the
Brethren understanding from the  beginning," said pastor Ludovic St.
Fleur of Eglise des Freres Haitiens, a	Haitian congregation of the
Church of the Brethren in Miami, Fla., speaking  of the new Church
of the Brethren mission venture in Haiti. A series of  strategy
meetings in the Dominican Republic in late November have  given
initial direction for the new mission.

In October, the General  Board gave its blessing for the Church of
the Brethren to be planted in  Haiti. The recommendation from the
Mission and Ministries Planning Council  (MMPC) came to the board
after several years of exploring ministry proposals  about Haiti,
including holding a consultation last April in Miami to hear  from
Brethren congregations and individuals already reaching out  to
Haiti.

Haitian Brethren in the US and the  DR who had pressed the question
will partner in the mission to Haiti. MMPC  had heard that the
energy for the mission had come from the Haitians  themselves and
had encouraged Haitians to lead the new work. Global  Mission
Partnerships staff will provide some overall coordination  and
oversight. "There has been keen interest from both the US  and
Dominican Haitians to take the Church of the Brethren to Haiti,"
said  Merv Keeney, executive director of the board's Global Mission
Partnerships.  "It is clear that Haitians in both the US and the DR
have embraced Brethren	identity as meaningful--especially the
combination of spiritual and social  dimensions of the Gospel that
are rooted in our Anabaptist-Pietist  heritage."

Among those attending the November meetings was St. Fleur,  whose
congregation is the largest church in Atlantic Southeast  District,
as well as longtime Dominican Haitian leaders Anastacia  Bueno
Beltre, moderator of the Church of the Brethren in the DR;  Isaias
Santos Tena, pastor of the San Luis congregation; and  Ernst
Merisier, pastor of the largest Dominican Church of the  Brethren
congregation, which also is mainly Haitian. Former  Dominican
moderator Wilson Nova; Nancy and Irvin Heishman, the  General
Board's mission coordinators in the DR; Jeff Boshart, the  board's
economic development staff in the DR; and Keeney were at  the
meeting.

Haiti was recently ravaged by Hurricane Jeanne, with  200,000 people
homeless and more than 2,600 killed or missing, according to  Church
World Service. Political instability and unrest continue. In  spite
of these hardships and what looks like bad timing to some,  Haitian
leaders are eager to move forward with the mission to  their
homeland, and see this action by the US church reflecting God  at
work in the midst of struggles, reported Keeney. Merisier  observed
during the meetings, "God is always thinking of His  children."

Haitian leaders called St. Fleur to coordinate and guide  the
mission, based on his long years of experience in the Church of  the
Brethren. St. Fleur has not only been successful in his  own
congregation, but has been central in the formation of a new
Haitian  congregation at Orlando, Fla., Keeney said. St. Fleur also
has been nurturing  a new fellowship in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
giving leadership to the new  effort from Miami.

Several Haitian leaders had reported eagerness from  friends and
family in Haiti about the coming of a new church planting  effort,
which prompted considerable discussion, Keeney said. St.  Fleur
emphasized the need to build a solid foundation. The approach of
the  mission work will be grassroots evangelism and church planting
rather than  inviting in existing congregations that have formed
another denominational	identity. In response to the question of how
others can help at this early  stage, St. Fleur responded, "What is
needed most right now is  prayer."

2) Church staff meet with Selective Service.

Three  staff directors of the General Board met with staff of
Selective Service at  the agency's office in Arlington, Va., Dec. 2.
The meeting followed up on an  unannounced visit to the Brethren
Service Center in New Windsor, Md., on Oct.  8 by Cassandra Costley,
director of the Alternative Service Division of  Selective Service.

New Windsor has a long history of being a site where  Brethren have
organized and gathered around issues of conscience and	military
service, most notably hosting Civilian Public Service workers  from
1944-46. Selective Service is the federal agency that registers  and
maintains a database of young men as they reach their  eighteenth
birthday in order to maintain an accounting of those available	for
military service in the event of a military draft.

"We went into  this meeting with a clear agenda of opening a
conversation with Selective  Service in an effort to better
understand why this visit to New Windsor  occurred, and how we as a
church could make clear our historic and active  voice as a people
of peace and nonviolence," reported Phil Jones, director  of
Brethren Witness/Washington Office. Also in the meeting were
Brethren  Volunteer Service director Dan McFadden and Brethren
Service Center executive  director Roy Winter.

The meeting lasted well into three hours, Jones  reported. Was the
New Windsor visit an indication that Selective Service was  gearing
up for a military conscription program, the group asked.  "The
answer is no, according to Costley, and her immediate  supervisor,
Richard Flahavan," Jones said. Costley, Flahavan, and the  newly
installed Director of Selective Service William Chatfield,  who
joined the meeting briefly, all indicated that their work was  in
regards to preparedness only. The New Windsor visit was made
because  Costley was in the area for other business and took the
opportunity to make  an outreach visit.

Flahavan went on to explain that there is no draft and	that none is
coming as indicated by statements from the White House and  Pentagon
in recent months, Jones reported. "He also pointed to the  late
October vote of Congress that overwhelmingly defeated a  proposed
draft bill" (HR 163), Jones said. "The gearing up for a draft  and
the sheer amount of funding and staff increases that would  be
necessary are reasons enough to indicate there will be no  draft,"
Flahavan stated, indicating that a draft would cost in excess  of
one half billion dollars to initiate. Most of the meeting was spent
in  learning more about Selective Service and how its Alternative
Service program  would operate if there were a draft.

"The fact that they were asking us a  lot of questions shows that
one of the things we have developed as a peace	church is a lot of
respect for our position," commented Stan Noffsinger,  general
secretary of the General Board. Within a week of the meeting  with
Selective Service, Noffsinger and Annual Conference moderator  Jim
Hardenbrook reported on the meeting to the Council of Moderators
and  Secretaries of the Anabaptist Churches. The council also
includes officers of  the Mennonite Church US, the Brethren in
Christ, the Conservative Mennonite  Church, Mennonite Central
Committee US, and the Mennonite Brethren  USA.

Planning is underway for an Anabaptist churches' Consultation  on
Alternative Service, to be held at the Church of the Brethren
General  Offices in Elgin, Ill. Details will be announced after the
first of the year.  McFadden will represent the Church of the
Brethren on the planning committee  along with Noffsinger.

"Now's the time to talk about the issues of  alternative service and
its future," Noffsinger said. "To me that's the  value" of the
conversation with Selective Service, he added.

3)  Council works on strategic plan for Annual Conference.

The members of the  Annual Conference Council met Nov. 29-30 in New
Windsor, Md. The major	portion of the two-day meeting was devoted
to completing a draft of the  first-ever strategic plan for Annual
Conference, a document to guide the  purpose and planning of the
Church of the Brethren annual meeting, reported  Annual Conference
secretary Fred W. Swartz.

The strategic plan  consists of mission, vision, and core value
statements, as well as objectives  and strategy actions. The
complete plan will be presented to the 2005  Standing Committee for
approval, and if accepted, the vision, mission, core  values, and
objectives sections will be shared with the 2005 Annual  Conference
delegates. Annual Conference agency executives and  district
executives will receive copies in advance of the Standing  Committee
review.

It is noted in the background material for the plan  that Annual
Conference has never been guided by mission, values,  and
objectives, Swartz reported. The plan is headed by the mission	for
Conference, which states, "The Church of the Brethren  Annual
Conference exists to unite, strengthen, and equip the Church of  the
Brethren to follow Jesus."

In other items addressed by the  meeting, the council continues to
work on a revision of the denomination's  Manual of Organization and
Polity. A new chapter containing organization  information about all
five of the Annual Conference agencies has been  completed and the
council has earmarked a number of points in the current  polity that
are no longer practiced. The council plans to submit the changes  to
Standing Committee for recommendation to Annual Conference. The
plan  for the polity manual is to have a working draft completed by
August 2005,  which will be available on the Annual Conference
website, and to publish a  print copy by 2008.

The council also continues to work at engaging	denominational
officials in forming answers to questions related to  ministry
issues, raised by a 2002 Annual Conference query from the  Michigan
District. The group is monitoring implementation of  Annual
Conference's answers to the 2004 queries on "Doing Church  Business"
and Multi-Ethnic and Cross Cultural Ministries; both  study
committees have organized and are underway with their work.

A  grant of $18,000 from Annual Conference funds was approved to
help the 300th	Anniversary Committee launch its plans for the
commemorative year. The  council acknowledged with gratitude in-kind
support that has come to the  committee from Brethren Press and
Brethren Benefit Trust.

4)  Bethany Seminary board participates in accreditation,  strategic
plan.

The Bethany Theological Seminary Board of Trustees  gathered for its
semi-annual meeting Oct. 29-31. The board participated in  the
seminary's accreditation self-study process by completing an  online
survey, adopted three questions for use in developing  Bethany's
2006 strategic plan, an approved a 4.4 percent tuition increase  for
the 2005-06 academic year, according to a release from the school.
The  board also welcomed new members Charles Boyer, of La Verne,
Calif.; Jerry  Davis, La Verne, Calif.; David Eller, Elizabethtown,
Pa.; and John Miller,  York, Pa.

The questions for the strategic plan were developed  through
extensive survey work with representatives of the  seminary's
internal and external constituencies, done by the board's  strategic
planning committee, the release said. The questions are: How do  we
provide a cogent and coherent identity to each degree program  and
educational venue in our graduate curriculum? How can we revise  our
ministry education program to better prepare leadership for  the
church, taking seriously the issues identified by constituency?  How
can we respond to the urgent call to help the Church of the
Brethren  better discern its distinctive faith and calling? These
questions will engage  the board, faculty, and staff for several
years as the seminary seeks to	identify ways its programs may be
revised.

In other business, the	board heard a presentation on the Watu Wa
Amani: People of Peace conference  in Nairobi this August and
received reports from its Institutional  Advancement Committee,
Student and Business Affairs Committee, and Academic  Affairs
Committee. The board learned that gifts for Bethany's  financial
campaign "Inspired by the SpiritbEducating for Ministry" now  exceed
$1.3 million; that college students attending a Plowshares  program
at adjacent Earlham College were invited to a luncheon at  the
Bethany Center, where they received information about the
seminary's  Peace Studies program; and that "Brethren Life and
Thought," the Church of  the Brethren academic journal, has accepted
a proposal from the American  Theological Library Association (ATLA)
to digitize all back issues. The  journal will receive royalties
from the sale of ATLA subscriptions and can  offer free access to
the electronic version to current subscribers. The  journal will
celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2005. A report of the  seminary's
centennial celebration was also given, as well as a report on  its
participation in the Church of the Brethren Christmas Eve  service.

5) New disaster project directors trained, Florida project  to
begin.

Eleven new disaster project directors in the General  Board's
Emergency Response program completed training at a seminar in  New
Windsor, Md., in early November. The program has also announced  the
beginning of a clean-up and roofing project in January in the
Orlando  and Kissimmee areas, following the series of hurricanes
that hit Florida this  year.

New disaster project directors are Kevin Dibert, a  Brethren
Volunteer Service (BVS) worker currently serving in Hallam,  Neb.;
Willard and Pauline Dulabaum, of Elgin, Ill.; Hal Heisey,  of
Indianola, Iowa; Larry and Sandee Kitzel, BVS workers currently
serving  at Poquoson, Va.; George Snavely, of Elizabethtown, Pa.;
Phil and Joan  Taylor, BVS workers who will begin work in the
spring; and Wayne and Kay  Vardaman, of Decatur, Ind.

The news media have reported that as many as  100 people per day
become homeless in Florida as a result of the four major  hurricanes
that struck in August and September, the Emergency Response  office
reported. "Most are being driven from their damaged homes due  to
the growth of black mold, a common problem following water damage
which  can cause severe medical problems," the update said. "Black
mold must be  eradicated before repairs can be done. It will take at
least several months  for all of the infected homes to be cleaned
up."

Phase one of the  Florida project will be to repair metal roofing at
Camp Ithiel, a Church of  the Brethren camp in Gotha. In return for
free housing for Disaster Child  Care and disaster response
volunteers, Emergency Response has offered to  repair roofs damaged
by the storms. Phase two of the project will be mold  eradication,
which will entail tearing out damaged material, scrubbing  down
moldy areas, and then sanitizing, repeating the process as
necessary.  "In addition to the mold, many storm survivors,
particularly the elderly,  still need help with debris cleanup and
tree removal," the update  said.

A disaster rebuilding project in Hallam, Neb., following a  tornado,
has been temporarily closed for the winter "except for groups  who
request to schedule a work date after the New Year,"  Emergency
Response reported. The project will open again Feb. 27.  Another
rebuilding project in Poquoson, Va., continues. Since  February,
about 600 Brethren disaster response volunteers have  completed
repairs to 29 homes, with six homes in process and eight waiting  to
be started.

The office also announced a 2005 Disaster Project  Directors
Conference at Camp Blue Diamond in Petersburg, Pa., May  21-26.

6) Brethren bits: Personnel, job openings, and much  more.

*Effective Dec. 10, Ron McAllister became the interim president  of
Brethren Colleges Abroad (BCA) replacing Karen Jenkins, who  has
resigned. In a release, the BCA board thanked  Jenkins for her	work
in strengthening the organization during her tenure.  McAllister,
former provost of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, served as a  member
of BCA's strategic planning committee. He has over 30  year's
experience at all levels in academia, including many years  at
Northeastern University in Boston where he was responsible  for
developing and overseeing international programs in the College  of
Arts and Sciences. He will continue in his role on a part-time
basis as  director of the Center for Global Citizenship and as
professor of Peace and	Conflict Studies at Elizabethtown. He is
expected to serve as interim  president of BCA through July 1, 2005,
as the board conducts a national  search for the next president. For
more information contact Debra J. Kunish,  Director, Human Resources
& International Seminars, Brethren Colleges  Abroad, 50 Alpha Dr.,
Elizabethtown, PA 17022; 717-361-6613;	dkunish@bcanet.org.

*Shepherd's Spring Outdoor Ministry Center in  Sharpsburg, Md., a
Church of the Brethren camp and conference center of  Mid-Atlantic
District, has the following openings: Fulltime program	director
responsible for summer camps and Elderhostel programs; strong  faith
background, knowledge of Brethren beliefs, and experience with
camps  and intergenerational groups are important. Part-time
assistant program  director to help with summer camps and
Elderhostel programs; strong  communication skills, good computer
skills, and flexible scheduling are  important. Part-time
maintenance assistant to assist with indoor and outdoor  maintenance
of facilities; self- motivated, detail-oriented, and  flexible
hours. Call 301-223-8193 for complete job descriptions.

*Camp  Mardela, a Church of the Brethren camp located on the eastern
shore of  Maryland, has a position open for an administrator.
Applicants should have at  least three years of camping experience.
Send a letter of interest and resume  to Curtis Hartman, 7187 Boggs
Schoolhouse Rd., Westover, MD 21871; or e-mail	the information to
curtishartman@hotmail.com. Apply by Jan. 31,  2005.

*Camp La Verne in Angelus Oaks, Calif., seeks a part-time  marketing
coordinator to work on personnel for the camps, market the camp  and
work with clients, and coordinate fundraising events and other
events	and plan implementation of actions with the board of
directors. Annual  compensation will be $17,000-20,000, to be
negotiated with the board.  Applications with a letter of interest
and list of three references are due  Dec. 29. For more information
and application forms contact Eric Boardman,  2634 2nd St., La
Verne, CA 91750; 909-593-2660;	elric.boardman@verizon.net.

*Dranesville Church of the Brethren in	Herndon, Va., will hold a
peace service at 6 p.m. Sunday Dec. 19 to  commemorate those who
died in the Battle of Dranesville during the Civil War.  The battle
took place Dec. 20, 1861, killing more than 50 soldiers engaged  in
a skirmish that began with a chance encounter as Union soldiers
were  foraging for winter food for their horses. For more
information call  703-430-7872.

*Goshen (Ind.) City Church of the Brethren and Ministerios  Cordero,
a nondenominational congregation that meets in the  church's
building, will worship together this year on Christmas	Eve.
Leadership will be shared by Goshen City pastor Yvonne Riege  and
Ministerios pastor Mario Duran. Worship bulletins will be printed
in  both English and Spanish. The Goshen City choir will bring five
anthems to  the candlelit ceremony. The two congregations also have
held Love Feast and  Communion Services together.

*Each year West Richmond (Va.) Church of the  Brethren participates
in the Richmond-area CROP Walk. The church usually  sponsors around
a dozen walkers for about $1,200. This year, the  congregation
sought to double their participation and contributions to  24
walkers and $2,400, reported pastor David Miller. On a warm  Sunday
afternoon in early November the church met that goal and then  some
with 29 CROP Walkers raising $3,093.29 to aid the hunger-relief  and
refugee assistance programs of Church World Service.

*On April  30, 2005, a "grand dedication service" will be held at
Camp Bethel, in  Fincastle, Va., announced the Virlina District
e-newsletter. "We plan to set  apart the new additions to Camp
Bethel in the name of Jesus Christ with the  hope that they will
provide a context for faith formation and the  transformation of
individuals and society." In 2001 the district purchased  246 acres
as an addition to the camp, effectively doubling the area  available
for activities, the newsletter reported. On Oct. 7 the	final
payment for the purchase was made, culminating a fundraising  effort
of Virlina congregations and members raising $614,665.51.

*The  Christian Peacemaker Team in Iraq has issued an invitation for
people of  faith to join with them each Tuesday for a day of prayer
and fasting. Church  of the Brethren member Cliff Kindy is on the
team. The prayer and fasting  will continue until Easter week. "You
are invited to participate as you are  led either by joining us in
fasting and/or participating with us a time of	joint prayer," a CPT
release said. "Additionally we will provide an action  step(s)
connected with the sacred passage that will be the focus for  our
time of prayer together." Scriptures, and suggestions for action
can  be found at www.prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com. Those
taking part in the  effort are invited to post reflections that
occur during their time of  prayer. Christian Peacemaker Teams is an
initiative of the historic peace  churches (Mennonites, Church of
the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and  membership from a range
of Catholic and Protestant  denominations.

*MutualAid eXchange (MAX) has created a Mutual Aid  Ministries
program to help care for the physical, spiritual, and  emotional
needs of Anabaptists under burden, a recent release announced.	MAX
began in 2001 with the mission of providing mutual aid services  to
Anabaptists throughout North America, developing insurance products
for  the home, farm, church, or business. Objectives of the new
program are to	partner with the church to develop mutual aid
ministries that are relevant,  meaningful, and tangible, the release
said. Four ministries are envisioned:  Burden Bearing Ministry,
Network Ministry, Financial Ministry through a	"share fund," and an
Education Ministry. Call 877-971-6300 or visit
www.mutualaidexchange.com.

7) Cross Cultural Ministries video is  available.

A new video highlighting the importance of cross cultural  ministry
in the Church of the Brethren has been produced by  the
Congregational Life Team of the General Board.	"No  Longer
Strangers..." provides a variety of voices from ethnic	Brethren
leaders sharing why becoming more cross cultural is vital for  the
church. The video contains images from the 2004 Cross  Cultural
Consultation in Castaner, P.R.

Limited copies are available  by contacting Duane Grady,
Congregational Life Team, 3124 E. 5th St.,  Anderson, IN 46012; or
call 800-505-1596; or e-mail dgrady_gb@brethren.org.  Copies also
can be borrowed from each district office.

8)  `Christian History and Biography' magazine features Anabaptists.

The Fall  2004 issue of "Christian History & Biography" magazine
features the  history and beliefs of the Anabaptist in America. The
magazine displays the  cover title, "Pilgrims and Exiles: Against
persecution and prosperity, the  Mennonites, Amish, and Brethren
have followed Christ and their	convictions."

Feature stories include "People of Conscience," by Bethany  Seminary
professor Jeff Bach and managing editor Chris Armstrong;  "The
Germans Have Landed," by David B. Eller, director of the Young
Center	for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown (Pa.)
College;  "Outsider's Guide to America's Anabaptists," by assistant
editor Steven  Gertz; "Pure and Simple," by Stephen Scott,
administrative assistant at the  Young Center; "Holy Ground," by
Frank Ramirez, pastor of Everett (Pa.) Church  of the Brethren; "Be
Not Conformed," by John D. Roth, professor at Goshen  (Ind.)
College; "From Mutual Aid to Global Action," by Gari-Anne  Patzwald
and William Kostlevy, who serves on the Brethren  Historical
Committee; and "Negotiating with the Modern World," by Donald  B.
Kraybill, professor at Elizabethtown.

"Through meeting these	authors over the phone and reading their
articles, I feel I have been  introduced not just to a set of
beliefs, but to a family of believers.	Indeed, not just introduced,
but invited to dinnerbeven to the famous  Brethren blove feast,'"
wrote Armstrong in his editorial. To gain background  and
information for the issue, he visited Lancaster County, Pa.,  with
hosts related to the Young Center including Eller, Scott,  Kraybill,
and Brethren historian Donald Durnbaugh. Armstrong also  received
help from staff of Brethren Press and the General Board.

The  magazine is published by Christianity Today. For more
information see  www.christianhistory.net or call 800-873-6986 or
e-mail	chcustserv@christianhistory.net.

9) Brethren produce video about  threat to Alaska National Wildlife
Refuge.

In August, Brent Carlson  and Ed Groff, members of Peace Church of
the Brethren in Portland, Ore.,  participated in a New Community
Project Learning Tour to Alaska. As part of  that experience Groff,
who works professionally in video production, has  produced an
hour-long video about the situation of the Gwich'in native  American
group, "The Gwich'in--A Matter of Survival." New Community  Project
is a Church of the Brethren-related faith-based nonprofit  working
at ecological and human justice concerns.

Gwich'in land and  lifestyle are in jeopardy, Groff said, as oil
companies and some in the US  government want to drill for oil in
the Alaska National Wildlife  Refuge--birthing grounds of the
Porcupine Caribou Herd. "Known as the  `Caribou People,'" Groff
said, the Gwich'in "live off the land. Nearly 75  percent of their
diet comes from caribou, moose, and fish."

Upon  leaving Alaska, Carlson and Groff planned visits to their
senators in Oregon  and Washington to advocate for the refuge. Groff
is offering to send a  13-minute version of the video to a network
of people who also will contact  their congressmen. "Most people in
Congress have never been to Alaska  National Wildlife Refuge," he
commented, "Congress also needs to know that  the possibility of oil
drilling also affects nearly 8,000 Gwich'in who are  dependent on
the caribou migrations."

"This shortened video is ideal	for congregations to use as part of
a study dealing with God's  creation/environment," Groff added. The
13-minute video features interviews  with Charley Swaney and Fannie
Gemmill of Arctic Village, a community of the  Gwich'in, and
Brethren musician Shawn Kirchner's song, "Augury of  Innocence/Song
(Seeing the World Through a Grain of Sand)." It may be	requested
from Groff Video Productions at groffprod1@msn.com.

10)  The red hat and the green helmet.

By Bob Gross

When I left the  Christian Peacemaker Teams apartment (in Hebron)
this morning to walk up to  the market for some groceries, I had not
gone far when I realized that I was  not wearing my red CPT hat.
Knowing that it is an important identifying  symbol for us and our
work, I returned to get it before going on.

I'm  glad I did. Walking out through the Beit Romano checkpoint, a
place where  CPTers have been harassed and arrested in the past, I
noticed soldiers  detaining three Palestinian men for an ID check,
so I waited and watched for  a few minutes to make  sure they would
be allowed to go on their way. I  noticed the soldiers noticing me,
which is part of their job, after  all.

After buying bananas and potatoes, I started for home. As  I
approached the checkpoint one of the soldiers I'd watched earlier
spoke  to me, "Your hat is very beautiful! May I buy one?" I stopped
to talk. When I  said that the hat was only for persons in our
organization, he said, "That is  why I would like to have it; I
think CPT is doing very good work."

He  told me his name, and said that he came to Israel from Iran when
he was 16  years old, and has a real concern for the plight of the
Palestinians here in  Hebron. "The people don't have enough money
and what they need is expensive  to buy." He has been stationed here
in Hebron since August, he said. "My next  duty will be in Gaza, and
it is very bad there because there is no CPT or  TIPH (Temporary
International Presence in Hebron) to monitor what is  happening."

It's good to meet the person behind the uniform and gun. I  hope
that one day he will trade his green helmet for a red hat.

--Bob  Gross is co-executive director of On Earth Peace. He took
part in a  delegation to the Middle East co-sponsored by Christian
Peacemaker Teams and  On Earth Peace Nov. 22-Dec. 4. The delegation
assisted Palestinian farmers in  replanting olive trees destroyed by
the Israeli military. Gross reported that  other highlights of the
trip were an invitation to supper with an Israeli  conscientious
objector and hearing from two members of "Israeli and  Palestinian
Bereaved Families for Peace," an Israeli graphic designer who  lost
his daughter in a West Jerusalem bombing, and a Palestinian
computer  engineer who lost his brother after imprisonment and
mistreatment in an  Israeli jail led to his death. Brethren in the
15-person delegation were Amy  Knickrehm, Val Knickrehm, Neal
Musselman, Rachel Peterson, and Bob Schnepp.  Christian Peacemaker
Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches  (Mennonites,
Church of the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and  membership
from a range of Catholic and Protestant  denominations.

*****************************************************************
Newsline  is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news
services for the  Church of the Brethren General Board, on the
first, third, and fifth Friday	of each month, with other editions
as needed. Newsline stories may be  reprinted provided that Newsline
is cited as the source. Ed Groff, Bob Gross,  Phil Jones, Debra J.
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