Christmas is here, and Palo Alto’s very own Patty Parma lived in Bethlehem, Christ’s birthplace, for one month this past summer.

Parma is currently in her nineteenth year at Palo Alto College as a counselor and associate professor of Student Development. She also volunteers with The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation. With HCEF, Parma provides a helping hand in the Bethlehem region, which she has visited five times in all.

According to the HCEF website, the organization’s motto is: “We seek to replace despair with hope, fear with security, and humiliation with human dignity.” HCEF is committed to meeting Christians in the area, where the majority of residents are Arabs and less than 2 percent are Arab Christians.

“Wonderful, gracious, generous,” is how Parma described the Arab Christians in Bethlehem. “They just welcome you with open arms.”

Parma is anxious to return to Bethlehem in May of 2008. Parma has also visited Jerusalem, Haifa, Nazareth, Cana, Emmaus and the Sea of Galilee. There are plenty of sights, such as the holy sights of the three monotheistic religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Bethlehem, Nazareth and the markets in the old city of Jerusalem have an astonishing smell full of spices like nutmeg, ginger, thyme and pomegranate.

“Just think of Thanksgiving exploding with smells,” said Parma.

There are plenty of other sights, like city views and country views, but Bethlehem mainly brings to mind the Texas Hill Country with an array of wildflowers and lofty green trees.

Bethlehem is located in the West Bank. Right now, Israeli soldiers are in the area and tensions are extremely high. Being told military soldiers and beautiful, peace-loving cities are just a few miles apart is hard to fathom.

Parma said that cities over there are as peaceful as over here in the States. If the desire to go is there, then a visit is just fine. Like anywhere else when traveling, Parma recommended going with a group first.

When the Middle East comes to mind, often people think of war, violence, and many more images that are negative. Those negative things do happen in certain places, in both the U.S. and the Middle East, but not in every place. Parma feels comfortable walking alone down the main streets of Bethlehem because of the respect and greetings she receives.

“Most Arabs love Americans even though they do not agree with the policies of our government,” she said.

Parma worked with the Latin Patriarchate schools, where she mentors teens, younger children and even some parents. When the children turned in assignments about their lives, Parma was overwhelmed.

“They had me in tears,” she said. Some pictures the kids drew were of children dying. Many children have been desensitized over the years and think that violence is normal.

Bethlehem was Parma's home for one month this past summer.

Parma mentors the students by extending her own hand as a “good Samaritan,” spending time with children and cherishing a lifestyle with Christ at the center.

Even now when neighboring countries are at war, it is important for children to have mentors to show that life can be good. HCEF members are living the Bible in Bethlehem through people like Parma. They believe actions based on Christ’s teachings speak louder than words.

One example of this is that HCEF provides jobs for the local men. These jobs are familiar to their cultural backgrounds, such as olive woodcarving and carpentry, and they help with the unemployment rate in Bethlehem, which is around 60 percent. HCEF is also renovating homes, some with no electricity or water.

Israel is in the process of building a wall along the West Bank, making land and water more scarce. Military checkpoints are set up that prevent locals from traveling to nearby cities. Once in awhile, random checkpoints are posted, making it frustrating to travel. Parma was able to pass through checkpoints because she is a U.S. citizen, but she still would have to go through and show identification. The friends she made would wave goodbye to her until she returned later that same day.

For more information on HCEF, go to their website at www.hcef.org or contact Parma at (210) 921-5383 or pparma@mail.accd.edu.