Serving on the King's Highway!

Exams finished, employment ended, searching for God's will for your life? Or do you just want to break free from the pleasant life at home and see what God's Spirit is doing in the Middle East? Join our short-term program on the King's Highway! Three months away from your regular tasks of work or study at home, you will be engaged in assisting with existing health and social care projects, technical maintenance, repairs, odd jobs etc, in either Israel or one of the surrounding Arab countries. In addition to this, you will receive a fascinating introduction into the land and culture of the Bible. 

The NEM has been sending out people to the Middle East for more than 40 years. Needs in this region have increased in recent years, and Israel is becoming ever more isolated internationally. As a short-term worker you become part of the network of NEM volunteers working in cooperation with local churches. In this way you contribute to the Christian testimony and to the Highway as described in Isaiah 19:23-25: the vision of future peace between Jew and Arab. 

In Israel the short-term worker share an apartment together with the coordinator. The rooms are small, and depending on the number of participants will be shared with minimal one to maximal three colleagues. Each time we send out a group of maximum 6 short-termers. In general 5 days per week are reserved for voluntary work and 1 day for a programme of lessons or excursions provided by one of our long-term NEM workers. 

In the surrounding Arab countries, the short-term worker also share an apartment. During the programme of lessons and excursions one is introduced to the Arab culture and people, with reference to the wanderings of the people of Israel. For security reasons, the NEM works in the Arab countries under a different name.
 
The Middle East is an area of conflict. However since 1963 the NEM has had a continuous presence there. Not because NEM'ers are heroes, but in consultation with the local authorities and the Dutch and other foreign embassies it was decided that their continued presence could be justified. This does mean that we avoid risk areas and keep ourselves well informed of times and places of heightened risk. In the case of a threatened outbreak of war or attack etc, there is direct consultation between the NEM leadership in the Middle East and in the Netherlands, and the previously mentioned authorities. We comply fully with their advice.