A story from your Global Ministries JANUARY 2007

“Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt…”
M AT T H E W 2 : 1 4

The Way to Safety
I left Beirut on Sunday July 9th, 2006 to spend a week as
the representative of the U.S. and Global Ministries at the Forum
for Development, Culture and Dialogue annual International Work
and Study Camp in Mount Lebanon. There were nearly thirty
young adult participants representing Palestine, Jordan, Syria,
Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, the U.S., Holland, Germany, and Denmark.
This diverse group was to work on breaking down stereotypes and
creating dialogue across culture and faith communities by sharing our own stories...
But we also witnessed the beginning of a war and were evacuated together.
On Wednesday, July 12th we were on a field visit when we learned of some bombing
at the border. At the time I didn’t think anything of it. On Thursday, July 13th we
continued on with our plan of visiting some mountain villages. Everyone had come
equipped with cell phones, and then the calls started pouring in.We decided to give
ourselves 30 minutes to go to our rooms, grab what we needed and rejoin the group.
It was hard to decide whether to stay in the safety of the mountains or try to evacuate.
Once it was decided that we would be leaving, the feeling of uncertainty vanished. But
IIt was hard to decide whether to stay in the safety of the mountains or try to evacuate.
Once it was decided that we would be leaving, the feeling of uncertainty vanished. But
I can’t explain the feeling and the actual physical pain I felt in saying goodbye to those
who would not be leaving with us. Life had changed for us all.
Saturday we traveled the smaller mountainous roads on a bus to the Syrian border.
There we saw the highway from Lebanon being bombed. Fortunately we passed through
the Lebanese border crossing quickly.We traveled through Syria to Jordan.We arrived
in Amman at last at 1 am. It had been a grueling and emotionally draining 12-hour trip.
I now know how beautiful Lebanon was. Even if I am able to go back to Beirut, it has all
been changed. So my memories are wonderful but full of sadness.
We pray for those who have no safe place to go.We ask for courage to make the choice to
work for change, and to keep believing there is enough hope and love to build a better world.
Before evacuation, Ruth Edens was a Global Mission Intern serving as program staff for
the Forum for Development, Culture and Dialogue (FDCD) based in Beirut, Lebanon.

RUTH EDENS
You make the difference . . .
The prayers and help you provide through your local congregations make
possible the work and witness of GLOBAL MINISTRIES, which is supported
by Disciples Mission Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and
Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) of the United Church of Christ.
A story from your Global Ministries JANUARY
2007
GLOBAL MINISTRIES
W W W. G L O B A L M I N I S T R I E S . O R G
RUTH EDENS