From the 2008 Trip: A look inside...

Yesterday in Bethlehem, members of our group were permitted inside a Palestinian refugee camp to learn about their troubled history and current situation. There is so much we as Americans don't know about the situation here - imagine not being able to make an outgoing phone call, not being able to drive your call outside of the "wall" and not having water for over a month at a time. It was eye-opening to see the different sides of the story first hand. I am confident that our group will return to the United States to share the many stories we heard and to encourage those we know to learn more about this part of the world outside of what our media shows us. I bid the group farewell tomorrow and head out to conquer more of Jordan. Have a safe flight!

From the 2008 Trip: In Israel

We are just finishing our time in Jerusalem and are heading off to Bethlehem this morning. We have spent the last two days touring the Old City, visiting the Holocaust Museum, and avoiding street closures on account of the French Prime Minister staying at the King David Hotel across the street.

Yesterday we also visited a Bedouin work camp and school in the West Bank, a trip that was coordinated by Rabbis for Human Rights. This was a challenging opportunity to hear about the various hardships that face this community, and a very enlightening experience.

Our lack of free internet in Jerusalem has prevented more updates to the blog, but we will be sure to post some updates and pictures before heading home on Friday...

From the 2008 Trip: One More from Petra

Indianapolis group poses in front
of one of the iconic locations in the
ancient city of Petra, the "Treasury".

From the 2008 Trip: Ancient Petra

Dwarfed by their location, group members pose
on top of one of the many cliffs in the ancient
city of Petra.


Stacy poses on top of the camel that will take
her back to the treasury.


"Jamie of Arabia", riding her camel.


Camel poses in front of the
treasury. He did complain that
this was not his "best" side.
sigh.



The Treasury after all the tourists
have left.

From the 2008 Trip: Meetings with Iraqi Families in Jordan

The Indianapolis Interfaith Group meets with Iraqi
Refugee families in Amman and hears amazing
stories of surviving the chaos that Baghdad became.

Group meets with second group of Refugees
and hears more stories of loss and survival

Kelly Campbell Poses with family she talked with
at dinner and exchanged life stories.

Members of group pose with Iraqi Refugees in
Amman. All the refugees were very open and shared
stories that as an American, one cannot really
imagine what they have seen, endured and
survived since the the war began in 2003.

From the 2008 Trip: More Build Pictures

Dave Sings "If you are happy"...Crowd goes wild!
Charlie and Lew Work away setting Bricks


























George and Ahmed Arm wrestle,guess who won?
















Walid shows group how to build roof beams.














George is almost to the top.

From the 2008 Trip: The Adventure Continues

Bilal and Family are all Smiles in front of their

New House, this will be completed in next few weeks,

as The Indianapolis Interfaith group finished the
"hard part" over the past few days.













Bilal and Family with the famous Indianapolis
Interfaith Building Crew














Bilal's House!!














Bilal hangs out with Matt Haines and Matt Salzman
and Ahmed after Lunch.













Charlie and Kay share a smile with Lilly from
Habitat Jordan inside Bilal's hiouse.

From the 2008 Trip: Boys will be boys!

Today we spent the day traveling through Mt.Nebo, The Baptism Site, and the Dead Sea. We were able to see where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and do a little baptizing of our own! Everyone took full advantage of getting into the water hoping to be refreshed, only to find out the water was pretty hot itself. We did get to float and throw mud all over ourselves though. First and Second Matt put down their video games just long enough to coat themselves with the mineral rich mud and then jump in the pool. It was a scorching day, but well worth the history we encountered by traveling through this amazing countryside...

From the 2008 Trip: shabbat shalom from Madaba, Jordan

shabbat shalom from Madaba, Jordan. Thanks for the abbaday message. After four days moving bricks inAyn Al Bash, we're here in Moab Land. Yesterday we were at Wadi Musa and Petra. Today is laundry and off to Jebl Musa and the Dead Sea. Tomorrow off to Jerusalem, Israel. Awesome interfaith adventure. Peace Out.

From the 2008 Trip: Interfaith opportunity

Traveling as an interfaith group has provided a wonderful opportunity for increased understanding and building empathy. Comments about "others" that may have slipped by in different circumstances have hightened my awareness about the importance of language while working in an interfaith environment, particularly if we wish to be effective in forging effective partnerships based in trust.

From the 2008 Trip: Exploration in Madaba

Yesterday the group was free to explore the quaint town of Madaba on our own. We saw the 1500 year old Mosaic of the World at St. George's Church and learned about the miracle of the "blue hand..." I had an interesting conversation about religion with the owners of a local artesan store and picked their brains on how we can best help while in Jordan. With such a diverse population of Jordanians, Palestinians, and Iraqi refugees, it is difficult to know each community and to help in ways very specific to their situations. They gave me lots of ideas to think about, though. The group had a wonderful meal at Saraya Restaurant. We are eagerly awaiting our departure for Israel and Palestine. Wish us luck!

From the 2008 Trip: Learning the Lesson of Tea

Our visits with the Iraqi refugee communities have yielded wonderful conversations about war and peace, life and love, and the similarities and differences between our two countries. However, perhaps the most surprising lesson I have learned is about a very important subject – tea.

I have shared tea with our Middle Eastern friends on a cliff overlooking Amman, in a fabulous Lebanese restaurant, and in the middle of “Carpet City” in Madaba. Typically the tea is served hot, in a very tiny glass, and filled to the brim. Most of the glasses do not have a handle, so this makes holding the glass extremely difficult. At dinner a few nights ago, one member of our group asked a particularly “colorful” woman from Baghdad why it is that the tea is so often served this way. When she did not offer a practical resolution to this complicated tea question, I suggested the best thing to do is to NOT fill the glass completely, but leave a little space at the top where you could hold it without burning your fingers. This provoked a stunning array of curses and warnings that went something like this: “No! No, for shame! Tea must always be served filled to the brim! It is a huge mark of shame to be served a tea not filled to the top! If you receive tea this way, this person is not your friend! They have shamed you! They have taken your head scarf from your head, thrown it on the floor, and stomped all over it!!!!!” This emphatic explanation did not address the practical concerns of holding a glass of scalding hot tea, but did provide some very useful lessons in proper Iraqi tea etiquette. It also succeeded in generating several fits of hysterical laughter around our table that continued throughout our dinner.

There are many ways to address the very serious concerns facing millions of Iraqi refugees, and many ways to foster understanding and respect between different cultures. In our Habitat build, we have literally learned to break down walls by building them. And at this particular dinner, it was a little glass of tea and a lot of laughter that brought us all closer together.

And please remember to always fill the glass...

From the 2008 Trip: The adventure

George flips a brick













Charlie and Kay enjoy a light moment at lunch.













Charlie sets a brick with Atef's help on the Habitat
build.














Jamie waves as she sets bricks!














The famous " brick line", Jamie hands off to Lew.

From the 2008 Trip: More Pictures!

1. Fearless leader Charlie.

2. Caitlin, representing Butler well while hammering away at a cinder block.

3. Today's dedication ceremony at the home at which we've been working with the Abu Zoor family.

From the 2008 Trip: Check Us Out!

The view of Al Mazroora from just above where the team has been working on the home, seen here.
















Lew & Caitlin tie up our handy re-bar work for one of 12 cement cross beams to be installed when construction on the roof begins.
















"Da Boys," Ahmed, Jake, Fadi and George show their muscle after a hard day of mixing cement.

From the 2008 Trip: Movin' Up & Up

Now known as the group of all trades, our team has nearly finished walling the outside of the home we've been working on and having a great time while doing so. Not only do we specialize in cement making, mortar mixing, brick laying and block moving, but we're also getting better at wiping our plates clean at all three meals which seem to get bigger as the day pushes onward.

Last night we shared dinner with 25 Iraqis who have taken refuge in Amman, hearing their stories of escaping war, living without the ability to get a job and answering questions about the land from which we come. In each exchange, we were all reminded of the ties we share as humans regardless of backgrounds--stories which will be talked about and shared in the days and weeks to come.

We now have one day remaining at the work site before a dedication ceremony tomorrow at the house--until then, I'll make way for some pictures to be posted soon...

From the 2008 Trip: Yalla Yalla!

(aka Let's Go, Let's Go!)

Under the hot summer sun, our team of 14 (and now 15 after Imam Saahir's safe evening arrival) spent the day cinder block-ing the soon to be residence of Bilal and his family of six. While we had a great time, we surely hope that after it rains once, the walls will still stand. Our expertise, or lack thereof was found to be slightly lacking, though our persistence unwavering.

The site location is beautiful with a southernly view of a valley complete with fields of olive trees and sloping hills. We had an awesome lunch prepared by Bilal and his family--one that almost required a three hour afternoon nap.

Many of the kids took to the group as the day wore on and kept the group well supplied as far as cement. In fact at times we sent them away--a true sign of our lack of quickness, which we attributed to great quality. The exchanges reinforced the idea that this trip isn't just about the build itself, but also the relationships created with those who just yesterday were total strangers to us.

Tomorrow we will hit the build site once again and learn the ins and outs of cutting re-bar, continuing our walling and praying, in many faiths of course, that our work will stand the test of time...
















Old Amman's Roman Amphitheater, the home of fights back in the day now houses the Jordanian Summer Festival, this year featuring Placido Domingo and Diane Krall.

From the 2008 Trip: Safe Arrival in Amman

Marhaba from Amman, Jordan! The entire team has arrived safely, with baggage and all is well! After a relaxing dinner at the hotel this evening, the team is anxious for tomorrow's Habitat orientation and the start of construction. We'll add more soon but good night for now!

(The view, for 12 hours, aboard Royal Jordanian)
Photo by Jake Manaloor

From the 2008 Trip: The Team

1. Jacob Manaloor, Asst. Director for Grant Admin. Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis
2. Kelly Campbell, founder of The Village Experience
3. Charlie Wiles, Veterans for Peace & International Interfaith Initiative
4. Reverend Stacy Smith, 2nd Presbyterian Church
5. Imam Mikal Saahir, Nur Allah Islamic Center & Indianapolis Fire Fighter
6. The Hon. Rev. David Berry, 2nd Presbyterian Church
7. Kay Wiles, Outreach Director Indianapolis Homelessness Initiative Project
8. Jamie Devine, Cathedral High School student
9. Timothy King, Engineer, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East
10. George Srour, executive director Building Tomorrow
11. Rabbi Lew Weiss, Chaplain Clarian Hospital, Indianapolis Interfaith Alliance
12. Matthew Salzman, Marian College student. Marian Peace and Justice Society
13. Matthew Haines, Marian College students, Marian Peace and Justice Society
14. Bill Foley, Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist, worked throughout the
Middle East from 1978-96
15. Caitlin Jackson, Butler University Peace Studies

From the 2008 Trip: The Itinerary

Saturday June 14
Arrive in Amman settle in hotel and relax!

Sunday June 15
Meet with Habitat Jordan representatives and go to build site in the Ein al Basha neighborhood to Amman.
Meet with Father Burby and the Iraqi Chaldean community in the evening.

Monday June 16
Continue Habitat build
Meet with Najlaa al Nashi and members of the Iraqi community in the Hashmisheimani neighborhood of Amman. Visit and tour Bird’s Nest Iraqi refugee community center.

Tuesday June 17
Continue Habitat build
Meet with Dr. Curt Rhodes president of Questcope which is a not-for- profit working on educational needs of Iraqi refugees.

Wednesday June 18
Continue Habitat build
Meet with MercyCorps representatives

Thursday June 19
Possibly morning meeting then depart for Madaba, Jordan
Explore Madaba

Friday June 20
Early departure for Petra with a stop in Kerak and Wadi Mujib

Saturday June 21
Visit Mount Nebo and Dead Sea

Sunday June 22
Early departure for Israel and settle into hotel.
Tours of Jerusalem which may include: Hebrew Union College, Yad VaShem (the Holocaust Memorial), the Old City including the four gates, the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock (Harim al Sharif), the Israel Museum including the Shrine of the Book (the Dead Sea Scrolls)), Mahane Yehuida (the old market), Hebrew University, Hadassah Hospital, the Knesset (Parliament), Holyland Museum

Monday June 23
Meet with local groups for workshops : Meeting with Amy Kronish at the Jerusalem YMCA and tentative meetings with Rabbi Arik Ascherman from Rabbis for Human Rights and Dr. Ron Kronish from-Inter Religious Coordinating Council.

Tuesday June 24
Travel to Palestine and meet with Dr. Bishara and Sami Awad.
Visit Bethlehem Bible College for a presentation and tour of Bethlehem.

Wednesday June 25
Visit Dheisheh Refugee Camp with Areej Jafari from IBDAA Cultural Centre.
Visit Bethlehem University and meet with Sami Adwan and colleagues for a workshop.

Thursday June 26
Final shopping and return to Jordan

Friday June 27
Goodbyes & return to United States