Aside from the major considerations regarding how and where the Lord would have you serve, are the practical matters of what it’s like to live in any given area. The following information is provided to fill you in on some of the questions you may be having about what it’s like to live and work in Bethlehem.
Purpose
The West Bank in general has had times of unrest; the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is well reported (although not always accurately). First and foremost it should be clear that Holy Land Ministries is not concerned with politics. We are there to minister to the children and families of the West Bank by providing a quality education in a biblically-centered environment. Everything else is a distant second. If your primary desire of serving in this region is to “right wrongs”, educate people regarding perceived “political or social realties”, or work exclusively in “reconciliation activities” we would suggest that this ministry is not a good fit for you. If you are burdened by educating children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, regardless of religious or cultural background, we believe you may have found the right team to work with. You may want to refer to our Statement of Purpose for more information.
Practical Considerations
Safety. In spite of the occasional unrest in this area our school has had no issues regarding safety. On the rare occasion when tensions are running particularly high we have closed the school for a day or so.
Cost of Living. As a “raise your own support” ministry you are certainly asking the question, “What is it going to cost to live there for a year?” While there is no exact amount, based on the experiences of other teachers we have developed budgets to give you some guidance. We’ve found that a family of four can live on about $35,000 for year; a single teacher for about half of that. Everyone is different of course, and many line items will vary for you depending on your interests and lifestyle. See our budget for families and our singles budget to see our line by line estimates.
Financial Management. We have relationships with two organizations that help us with managing all donor support. Your suppporters will get receipts for their giving as well as a year-end giving statement to help with their tax preparation. You will receive a W-2 statement for your tax filing, and help through the filing process. At the appropriate time we will help you decide which of these two organizations might be best for you
We define short term as one to three months. One month is generally the minimum; we’ve discovered it is difficult to get settled and trained sufficiently with any shorter length of time (although there may be exceptions for certain volunteer activities). Three months is the maximum allowed on a Tourist Visa, which is what you’d be working under.
With a school of our size (k-12) there are all sorts of needs that arise on a regular basis. A few of the areas are:
- Teachers Aid – Assisting the full-time teacher by reading or telling stories, using flash cards, singing songs, one-on-one with remedial students, etc.
- Preschool Aid – Similar to teacher’s aid above but focusing on our youngest students. Having a native English speaker in these classes is crucial to their English language acquisition.
- Library – Keep our (sizeable) collection organized and properly cataloged. Helping students find and check out books. Help teachers when they bring their class to the library.
- Administrative work – We are always on the lookout for help in the office.
- Bulletin Boards/Art – There is always a need to manage the various visual displays we have around the school- from bulletin boards in public areas to classroom displays.
- Multimedia – We have more ideas than time in this important area of helping us promote the school- from photo shoots, videos, produce slideshows, design PR material, etc.
We define long term as one school year or longer. This requires a special extension of your tourist visa, and requires some advance notice to arrange.
For these long-term commitments we are generally looking for certified teachers, although we are certainly open to discussing other skill-sets you may have. Some specific areas that we typically have on-going needs are:
- Elementary Education – All subjects for grades K through 5
- History Teachers – This is a particularly challenging area as you can well imagine, given the political and religious environment of the Middle East.
- Specialty Areas – Math, Science, Art
- Assistant and/or High School Counselor – As our students reach the upper grades there is an increased need for them to have wise counsel. Helping them more fully explore who they are in Christ, and what He would have them do with their future.
Training & Acclimation. Most of our volunteers will need training in the particular job they are volunteering for as well as some coaching in becoming acclimated to a new culture. We provide lots of helpful information once you decide to join the staff, including help on support raising and setting up a relationship with one of the organizations we partner with to make managing supporters easier. We have training sessions before school begins each year, so we suggest you arrive in the area by early August or so. You will hear from our administrative team regarding how the schools works, curriculum, lesson plans, and your specific teaching role at Bethlehem Academy. We will also come along side you as you get settled in to your new home and begin to mingle with the local residents.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term
Short-Term Volunteer Activities
We define short term as one to three months. One month is generally the minimum; we’ve discovered it is difficult to get settled and trained sufficiently with any shorter length of time (although there may be exceptions for certain volunteer activities). Three months is the maximum allowed on a Tourist Visa, which is what you’d be working under.
With a school of our size (k-12) there are all sorts of needs that arise on a regular basis. A few of the areas are:
- Teachers Aid – Assisting the full-time teacher by reading or telling stories, using flash cards, singing songs, one-on-one with remedial students, etc.
- Preschool Aid – Similar to teacher’s aid above but focusing on our youngest students. Having a native English speaker in these classes is crucial to their English language acquisition.
- Library – Keep our (sizeable) collection organized and properly cataloged. Helping students find and check out books. Help teachers when they bring their class to the library.
- Administrative work – We are always on the lookout for help in the office.
- Bulletin Boards/Art – There is always a need to manage the various visual displays we have around the school- from bulletin boards in public areas to classroom displays.
- Multimedia – We have more ideas than time in this important area of helping us promote the school- from photo shoots, videos, produce slideshows, design PR material, etc.
Long-Term Volunteer Activities
We define long term as at least one school year (we prefer two). This requires a special extension of your tourist visa, and requires some advance notice to arrange.
For these long-term commitments we are generally looking for certified teachers, although we are certainly open to discussing other skill-sets you may have. Some specific areas that we typically have on-going needs are:
- Elementary Education – All subjects for grades K through 5
- History Teachers – This is a particularly challenging area as you can well imagine, given the political and religious environment of the Middle East.
- Specialty Areas – Math, Science, Art
- Assistant and/or High School Counselor – As our students reach the upper grades there is an increased need for them to have wise counsel. Helping them more fully explore who they are in Christ, and what He would have them do with their future.
