15 June 2010

fACE 2 fAcE...fAiTh 2 fAiTh...hEre I gO...


Soon, me and Emma will be going to the Usa to participate in an inter-faith program called "Faith to Faith, Face to Face"... click here to find out more about it.
The program operates in four regions around the world, Belfast (Northern Ireland), Cape Town (South Africa), Jerusalem and United States. Emma is the leader of the Northern Ireland region and this is one of her jobs with the Corrymeela community that she's part of... so, this will not be new for her, but for me it will be the first time, both in this program and in the USA...
I'm really excited and looking forward for all the experiences that will await for us at this time...

I'm sure I'm gonna meet amazing people there... I'm sure I'm gonna learn a lot with all, and I know I will bring lots of "seeds" to be planted here at the land in the Mount of Oaks ... something that I've been challenged here so often : how to live peacefully and in unity with people of different belief systems... or at least, how to inspire that kind of life...
I'm sure it's gonna be a great experience for me to meet new people with the same mindset and also to create a prayer space for Christians (Catholics and Protestants), Jewish, Muslims and people with other belief systems... I'm looking forward to dip (deep) myself in the endless and incomprehensible nature of GOD, The Bigness !!! learning more with the many different perspectives each one has...
This program brings together teens from those 4 regions who will be involved in a year-long experience in their own region punctuated by this two-week intensive summer camp at the Presbyterian Centre in Holmes, NY.
Participants learn communication skills, build relationships across lines of difference, examine how faith (their own and others') can be an inspiration for peacemaking, and challenge each other to become agents of change in their communities.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to post much due to the really intensive schedule we'll have there, but surely I'll have much to share about it all. We'll have one week of training before the kids arrive, then 2 week with the kids, and we'll stay few days at the end with some of Emma's family.
we'll be back at the land only on the 17th of July (I hope I can cope so long away :-/...)

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God"(said Jesus in the sermon of the mount)
I like this version in "The Message"
"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family"

PEACE
SALAAM
SHALOM
PAZ
SHANTII

:-)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Um beijo enorme Prima!!!:)

Fico contente por saber que estás bem e a lutar pelas tuas convicções e ideais!

Um Beijo do Primo Zé Paulo

Baba said...

Que surpresa Ze Paulo, tas por Castelo Branco. Podiamo-nos encontrar...tamos tão perto.
PAz primo