Participants journeyed more than 900 steps to Petra during the Global Youth Ministry Summit.

Wally Yeager came from his church in Clovis, New Mexico, to meet other Nazarene Youth International (NYI) leaders for a 10-day tour of Jordan and the Holy Land from March 6-15.

Many of the 26 others from North, South, and Central America, Europe, and Africa came for the sights, hoping that walking in places like Nazareth and the Via Dolorosa would give them new insights into Scripture. But what most were talking about by the end of the first Global Youth Ministry Summit was the people they’d met.

For Yeager especially, friendship with a Syrian believer impacted him significantly. “We spent basically the whole day at Petra together,” Yeager said. “On the way out, he asked me about my story. And we each shared ours with each other. It was just really solid, our friendship. I’ve never experienced losing a best friend like I did when I said goodbye to him.”

In Jordan, believers from churches throughout the Eastern Mediterranean Field joined the group for seminars, games, traditional meals, and fellowship. Local Christians prayed blessings over their guests. Church members invited them into their homes for coffee. Participants heard from local pastors about the challenges they face and about the dreams they’re working toward.

For Brian Smith, a pastor in Hutchinson, Kansas, times like this gave him the ability to have “more intelligent” discussions about the Middle East.

“Being with people, hearing their stories, learning more about their culture [was crucial]. I understand more now about some of the hurt and pain and frustration about what’s happened in the past years,” he said, encouraging anyone who comes to connect with local churches. “You don’t get a feel for people and their stories and their passion for Christ and the Scriptures until you spend time with them.”

The tour continued into Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Galilee. The Pool of Bethesda affected Africa Regional NYI President Kenneth Phiri, who came away with a sense of spiritual healing. He spoke of embracing grief, but also of fears that were challenged during his time in the Holy Land.

“My eyes were opened to the stigma attached to this part of the world,” he said. “I’m used to hearing the prayer call back in South Africa, and it used to terrify me. This trip made me aware that all Arab people are not dangerous; they’re just as human as we are.”

For many, the wall around the West Bank raised questions and sparked conversations that began to challenge assumptions about the area. Learning more about local history and current political attitudes encouraged many to remain informed about ongoing dynamics after returning home.

“The way in which we live our lives, what we buy, how we vote, which organizations we support, has a great impact on other parts of the world, whether we’re aware of it or not,” said Eurasia Regional NYI President Tim Evans. “As Christians, it’s really important to be aware of the wider ramifications of our actions.”

The trip encouraged Eastern U.S. Regional NYI President James Heyward to work more closely with Arabic speakers in his community. Mostly, he said, walking and talking with people of the Middle East shifted his worldview. “Once you get here, the paradigm changes,” said Heyward. “It’s huge.”

--Simone Finney for Eurasia Communications