Kitchener, Ont.—Yella, a Mennonite Central Committee Ontario and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada three-week learning tour to Israel and Palestine for young adults, has been a life-impacting experience for those who have been a part of it in the past. “Travelling around Galilee and the Jezreel Valley, and going through the West Bank and Hebron, has lifted the veneer of this place,” writes Reid Kennel. “We saw the tourist sites and the beautiful landscapes, but now we have seen some of what lies beneath. There are so many people on both sides of this conflict who want peace but have had many barriers put up to stop them from working together.” Yella provides an opportunity for young adults to explore questions of Christian faith and life while interacting with Christians, Jews and Muslims, encountering complex peace and conflict issues and considering the context of Jesus’ life and ministry. The trip includes faith partners who offer a place for participants to connect, engage and dialogue with as they share this faith-forming experience amid the complexities of Israel/Palestine. Applications for the May 1 to 24, 2018, event are being received until Oct. 31, 2017. For more information, visit mcco.ca/yella-2018. —MC Eastern Canada/MCC Ontario
See stories about the Yella tour experience:
Beholding the grey area
Clarity and confusion in the Middle East
Marching to Zion
Swords and ploughshares
‘Let’s go’ to an amazing place
Participants of the Yella 2015 Middle Eastern Learning Tour read scriptures while dipping their feet in the Sea of Galilee. (Photo courtesy of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada)
