Dear Friend of Kairos W. MI,
John Kleinheksel here, on behalf of the Kairos West Michigan(KWM) Board. Many of you have been with me/us from the earliest days when in 2003 Sharon and I moved back to my home town of Holland, MI. I value a long relationship with many of you personally and I write to share my enthusiasm for KWM today.
In 2009, I heard the cry for help from our Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters. Their Kairos Palestine document (inspired by Kairos S. Africa) led me to Mark Braverman who rallied ecumenical and evangelical Christians in composing a Kairos USA response to that cry. He told me about Mike Spath from Indiana Center for Middle East Peace (ICMEP). Mike and I met in June, 2014. He challenged me: “What do you want to do?” In May, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had wrongfully destroyed about 1,500 fruit trees at Daoud Nasser’s Tent of Nations farm near Bethlehem. I was incensed. Mike knew a guy who could bring pictures and a message from the Nasser farm. I was eager to rally local people of faith to address the injustices and work for peace.
At a July 14, 2014 meeting in the Holland Public Library, we officially launched Kairos West Michigan. Since then KWM has been bringing education, advocacy and action plans to west Michigan, extending to Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and the Tri-Cities in Grand Haven.
In fact, on October 8 of this year, 47 people jammed a theater @ Sperry Movie House and then the very next day another 47 (at our expense), gathered to view and discuss Josh Vis’ documentary, THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. This is a powerful exposé of the oppressive structures imposed by the Israeli Occupation on the indigenous Arab people. Then, on October 28, KWM welcomed the South African cleric, the Rev. Edwin Arrison in person, asking if there was any hope the Israeli Apartheid regime will give way to a truer, pluralistic democracy, as happened in South Africa.
On our behalf, I want to thank you for following us so faithfully through the years and contributing to our operational needs.
We know you have many worthy causes to support financially; we at KWM hope that this year you will help us build on this legacy going forward. (We are a 501(c) non-profit organization whose financial records are available upon request.).
We aspire to be your source of information, advocacy, inspiration and action in Israel/Palestine. Thank you for your thoughtful and generous gifts to KWM.
Faithfully yours,
John Kleinheksel,
Founder, KWM |
