Israel-Hamas War Updates and Resources

In the past weeks we have borne witness to the horrors of the escalating crisis between Israel and Hamas. Our prayers are with all our siblings in the region, including ELCA missionaries and our partners in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). The Young Adults in Global Mission program made the difficult decision to evacuate the five YAGM participants and their country coordinators serving in Jerusalem and the West Bank. In a recent newsletter, missionaries to the Holy Land Gabi and Meghan Aelabouni shared what life is like for them right now: “We are safe. And we grieve for so many who are not. We are heartbroken. And we are deeply, deeply grateful to be here, standing and working with our Palestinian partners on behalf of our church. Thanks be to God.” .

During an interview with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Dr. Fadi Atrash, chief executive officer of Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in East Jerusalem, shared how the war is affecting the hospital’s staff and patients. AVH, which is owned and operated by LWF and supported by ELCA World Hunger, provides specialized cancer treatments and hemodialysis. “On top of their very painful journey of cancer treatment,” Dr. Atrash says, “[our patients] are losing family members and their homes.” Read the full story

In response to the Hamas attacks in southern Israel, Israel’s declaration of war against Hamas, and the ongoing Israeli siege of Gaza, the ELCA offers statements from some of our Lutheran and global partners in the region. Included are ELCA resources that provide a deeper understanding of the region’s history, the humanitarian crises caused by the current war, and the ELCA’s work for a just peace in Palestine and Israel.

News Around the World

The most recent Global Mission updates show some of the ways our global partners are at work in communities around the world. They include stories about women leaders in Asia and the Pacific, workshops helping to heal the trauma of war in Europe, and an immersion trip to Mexico that taught young adults how to better accompany immigrants. Read the full report to learn more about these and other ways the ELCA is walking alongside our neighbors, near and far.

Mission Personnel

Members of the 2023-2024 Young Adults in Global Mission cohort are getting to know their host families, their communities and their co-workers around the world. In her first newsletter, Kerry Dolan describes her work as a volunteer in Buenos Aires, Argentina:

“Three days out of the week I volunteer at Hogar Armbruster, a care home for elderly people and people with disabilities. My volunteer work looks different nearly every day; some days I paint with residents, other days I spend time outside chatting and getting to know them, and sometimes we all play bingo! The other two days of my week I volunteer in Caseros at La Santísima Trinidad. I help Pastor Diego with First Communion classes and youth group. The kids have so much energy – I love it! Each day I am reminded of what a gift it is to work with such different demographics of people; I am learning how best to serve each and every person with whom I work.”

When you support a YAGM participant, you receive regular newsletters from them with more photos and updates throughout their journey.

Get Involved

• New Advent resources: The theme for ELCA World Hunger’s new seasonal materials is “The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed.” Where and how do you encounter God? Through the prophet Isaiah, God urges us to take comfort, trusting that “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). Download the new Advent study, calendar and more here.
• Apply for YAGM: Applications for Young Adults in Global Mission are now open year-round. However, if you would like to apply to participate in the program in 2024-2025, the deadline to submit your application is Feb. 1, 2024 (with priority consideration given to those who apply before Jan. 15). Are you ready for a life-changing year of global fellowship? Begin your application today!
• The ELCA’s Truth and Healing Movement gives the people of this church an opportunity to enlarge their understanding of our colonizing impact on Indigenous people in the past and present. The movement began this spring and will continue until Advent – and there’s still time to get involved! Find out more about upcoming learning opportunities at ELCA.org/TruthAndHealing.
• Go and Do News: Would you like to learn more about how you can address the root causes of hunger and poverty around the world? Sign up for “Go and Do News,” the e-newsletter from ELCA World Hunger. It contains updates, stories and resources that can help you and your community work toward a just world where all are fed. Sign up here.