Planning for 2010 Pilgrimage Underway

A new group from the Diocese of Olympia, known as the Committee for Youth Exchange and Mission, has been formed to provide opportunities for our young people to live out their faith through interactions with young people in other cultures. The 2010 Youth Pilgrimage to the Holy Land will be the launch project of this new committee. The initial schedule for this journey is:

July 8th - Departure from Sea-Tac

July 9th - Arrival in Tel Aviv, transfer to Raineh, Israel

July 9th-11th - Raineh, Israel

July 11th - Transfer to Jerusalem

July 11th-21st- Youth Course at St. George's College, Jerusalem

July 21st- 23rd - Tel Aviv

July 23rd - Return to Sea Tac

The cost per youth of this trip is expected to be about $4000

As with the 2008 Pilgrimage, we hope that this will be funded through three primary sources:

1) Parish Fundraising (at least $1000 per youth)

2) Family Funds (We ask families to pledge what they are able, up to and beyond the $3000 difference)

3) Diocesan Fundraising (We will work to raise the balance of funds needed, so that no young person will be denied participation due to family circumstances)

If you know a young person who might be interested, please have them contact JR at jameslander@gmail.com.

1 Year Later- Reflections from Flora

The trip last year for me was such an amazing experience. Not only did I get to see the sites I had read about in the Bible and heard about in church, but I also got to meet Palestinians and hear their perspective on the things that they have to live through that we only hear about on the news. It was entirely eye opening, and I got to see how different the culture is from our own. It is a trip and experience that I will never forget and it has truely helped my faith to grow so much over this past year. I completely recommend it!