The cost, not including flight, for two months is $2,765 and, for one month, is $1,680. This includes your housing, you Arabic classes, most of your transportation, simple meals at St. Elias and accomodations during weekend trips. It does not include the cost of your airfare or your visa.

We do NOT make money off the program-every dollar you pay goes directly into the cost of setting up your trip in Syria.

In Damascus, there is a great deal of diversity in the way people dress. You will see women wearing headscarves, women not wearning headscarves, and, only occasionally, a woman wearing a full burka in which only her eyes (or not even her eyes) are visible. Most men and women in Damascus dress exactly as you might expect them to in a big city in America or Europe. No one will be wearing shorts or short dresses and it is strongly advised that you avoid these. But people will often be wearing jeans and leather jackets. People tend to dress formally in Syria, so you'll also see a lot of business suits and dress shirts. It's good to pack at least one set of formal clothes in case we go to a formal event, otherwise you might feel out-of-place.

As international guests you will receive added scrutiny. Middle East Fellowship expects you to dress modestly and appropriately. Please don't bother packing shorts (unless it's your bathing suit!), short dresses or sleeveless shirts. Women do not need to wear headscarves but it would be smart to pack a scarf in case you need one for some of our visits to mosques and other holy sites (you can also buy one here). Anytime we visit a mosque or shrine we will need to remove our shoes, so bringing a pair of shoes that is easy to slip on and off (shoes, not sandals) is also smart.

The summer will be hot. Bring a hat or hats and sunglasses as part of your basic protection against the effects of the sun.

The purpose of the Damascus Summer Encounter is to create opportunities for friendship and partnership between the peoples of the Middle East and the rest of the world. The program will allow participants from around the world to build relationships with the Christian and Islamic communities of Syria, to serve the local community through vital service projects and to learn about the peoples of Syria and the richness of their history and culture.

It is a great idea to read a few books about Syria and/or the Middle East before you leave if you feel generally unfamiliar with the region. The Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani is quite famous for his romantic poetry throughout the Arabic-speaking world. A travel guidebook can be very helpful find as well. You can find some bibliographies for worthwhile books on a variety of subjects here.

We expect all participants to adapt to and respect the local customs and cultural environment to the best of their ability, to be modest and respectful in their behavior, to have reasonable expectations about the amount of volunteer work and arabic study they will be able to accomplish in a short amount of time, to refrain from intoxication and drug use, and to follow the guidelines set out for participants during the orientation session. Remember that, as a guest in another country, you are here as a cultural learner. You are here to learn, not to teach and, as a volunteer, to serve, not to lead.

There are taxis available at the Damascus airport at almost any time of day or night. You are looking for the Saint Elias Monastery. This is located in the Dwaila (Dwella) neighborhood in Damascus on the same street as the Saint Elias Church (which is a larger landmark). The telephone number at the Monastery is: 011 472 2509. We will also give you the cell phone numbers of the program coordinators before you leave for Damascus. It is about a twenty minute drive from the airport to St. Elias. Basically you will go on the main highway and follow signs toward "Damascus" (rather than signs pointing to "Beirut"). The taxi ride from the airport to St. Elias should cost you about 700 Syrian Pounds. Please be sure we have your flight itinerary so we can plan for your arrival at the Monastery.

St. Elias Monastery
Dwaila, Damascus
(near St. Elias Church)
Phone: 011 472 2509

The program is split into two sessions. The first day of each session is a travel day. This means that you can arrive at any time day or night during that day. The program will not formerly begin until the following morning. So if you are arriving for the first session, you should arrive sometime during the morning, afternoon or evening of June 19th. If you arriving the second month, you should arrive sometime during the morning, afternoon or evening of July 17th. Please send us your flight itinerary by e-mail as soon as you have tickets. It is fine to arrive a day early, just let us know in advance (and you will be charged for an additional night at St. Elias).

Middle Eastern cuisine is actually rich with vegetarian options. A traditional Middle Eastern breakfast, for example, usually consists of a spread of: pita bread, cheese, hard boiled eggs, black and green olives, apricot jam, hummus and coffee or tea. Fresh fruit is available at local shops and stands and vegetable sides and salads are popular options at most resteraunts. Let us know in advance if you would strongly prefer vegetarian meals and we can plan this in advance. Where you might run into difficulty is when you stay with a host family or are a guest on any other occasion. Local Syrians take it as a point of pride to treat their guests very well, and often this includes serving them large portions of their best dishes, including meat dishes-it is sometimes difficult to politely refuse your host's hospitality.

The Damascus Summer Encounter is an extremely inexpensive program. All fees you pay go directly into the cost of your trip. Middle East Fellowship does not make a profit on your visit. The cost of the program includes three meals a day, accomodations, staff time, most transportation, weekend excursions and intensive Arabic classes. We keep all of our programs as cheap as possible because we feel they offer valuable opportunities to build relationships between internationals and the peoples of the Middle East.

Absolutely. In fact, we encourage you to stay as long as you can. There is no reason why you cannot continue your arabic study and your volunteer position beyond the length of the program. The Damascus Summer Encounter is a great immersion program for those who want to "jump start" a longer volunteer experience in the Middle East. Just let us know in advance exactly how much longer you would like to stay and will begin making arrangements and offer a revised fee.

Although the Berlitz program (for Arabic) is internationally recognized, with over 600 centers around the world, it is not affiliated with a specific accredited University. If you are a college student participating in the Damascus program, we recommend that you meet with your advisor before departing for the Middle East. It is possible that you can obtain independent study credits for your experiences abroad and that you can complete related assignments while overseas (for example, keeping a daily journal about your experiences or putting together a portfolio of photos from your trip).

Yes. We do accept participants who are under the age of eighteen on a case-by-case basis, particulalry if they are being accompanied on the program by a parent or guardian. If you are under the age of eighteen please contact us with a brief explanation of your interests in the program.

To see a partial list of available volunteer opportunities please refer to the volunteer opportunities portion of the website.

The Arabic classes will teach colloquial Arabic and focus on speaking skills. The teaching methodology will be based on the Berlitz method. You can learn more about this from the arabic portion of the website.

We strongly encourage you to participate in at least one full session of the program, starting either on June 19th or July 17th. It would be possible for participants to stay for a shorter period of time, for example two weeks, but we would design the program differently for them (for example, a participant would not be able to participate in the Arabic classes if they stayed for so short a time).

Yes. Although neighboring countries such as Lebanon and Iraq have suffered violent conflicts in recent years, Syria has been very stable and street crime is low. Having said that we recommend that you review your governments' website and review any travel warnings related to Syria.

Finding cheap flights is often one of the most difficult tasks of traveling to the Middle East. No matter what you try, the cost will be significant. The earlier you buy tickets the better. Below we provide links, tips, and other information as well as contact information for two travel agents we recommend using.

A few hints:

1. Spend the extra time to compare prices.
2. Buy tickets as soon as possible.
3. Try leaving a day later or arriving a day earlier to see if changing your departure days significantly reduces the price. Keep in mind if you do arrive early or stay late you will need to find housing.
4. Check out the non-western airlines:

www.turkishairlines.com
www.rja.com.jo

And check with other major airfare sites:
www.sidestep.com/
www.quixo.com
www.travelocity.com
www.expedia.com
www.cheaptickets.com

You will need to apply for a visa before departing for Syria. Visas are typically granted for three months. We will send out official letters of invitation to all participants which can be included with a visa request. We will also guide you through the visa process once you have been formally accepted into the program.

Simply fill out the online registration form. Once you have done this you will need to submit your $150 registration fee (see the payments page).

Middle East Fellowship reserves the right to reject any application submitted. We may, for example, impose a cap for a maximum number of participants. In this case any application submitted after we have filled all available spots will be returned. If for any reason whatsoever we feel that you may be a risk to yourself or others during the program, your application will be denied. We ask that people do not purchase their plane tickets until they have been formally accepted into the program.

Prices of most common goods in Syria have been raised over the last six months and will probably be raised in the future. Also the value of the U.S. dollar to the Syrian Pound is not constant. Any price estimates of goods we offer may quickly be out-of-date. Please be aware of this as you review the information below.

Remember that your accomodations, your arabic classes, simple meals at the hostel and your weekend trips are covered in the cost of the program. Additionally, every room is equipped with free internet access.

However, you will likely still encounter some daily expenses beyond what you've already paid for.

Some estimated prices of basic goods and services (as of 3/1/08):

A meal at a resteraunt = 100-250 S.P. (about $2 to $5 U.S.)
A full meal at a fancy resteraunt = 500 S.P. (about $10 U.S.)
Internet Cafe for one hour = 50-100 S.P. (about $1 to $2 U.S.)
Taxi to most places in Damascus = 50-100 S.P. (about $1 to $2 U.S.)
Taxi ride from Damascus Airport to St. Elias = 700 S.P. (about $14 U.S.)
Laundry Services (washing and ironing) = 500 S.P. (about $10 U.S.)
Price of a (very cheap) cell phone in Syria = 2,000 S.P. (about $40)*

* (these are ONLY estimates). S.P. = Syrian Pounds.

A good tip at a resteraunt is about 10 percent.

Damascus is packed with fancy resteraunts serving full course meals in stunning locations. Although simple breakfasts, lunches and dinners are provided for at the Hostel you will definitely be tempted to eat out and should plan on eating out at least a few times during your trip.

Taxis currently are very cheap for foreigners and the Old City is also in easy walking distance from St. Elias.

Although internet acces is free at all rooms at St. Elias, internet acces throughout Syria is fickle, so you may wind up at an internet cafe occasionally when the connection at St. Elias is not working (in turn, the internet cafes themselves sometimes close due to poor access).

There is also no end to the money you could spend on souveniers. Damascus and other Syrian cities are rich with antique stores and products range from the very cheap to the extremely expensive. If you have money to burn and want to bring home treasures for your friends and family, plan accordingly.

We will also be meeting with many organizations in Syria that are doing amazing work and providing critical services to those in need. You may be tempted to make some on-the-spot donations and its good to have a little bit of extra funds around just-in-case.

Please note that you cannot withdraw money from a U.S. bank account in Syria-Amercian check books and debit cards will do you no good here. It is advised to bring a Mastercard or Visa because these can be used for cash advances at banks or ATMs. It is recommend that you call your credit card company before your trip and let them know you will be traveling to Syria so that they will not red flag any cash advances you might collect while abroad. It is also recommended that you bring much of what you plan to spend in Syria with you in cash form (Ask the front desk at the St. Elias Monastery about storing any valuables securely).

We will be visiting all around Syria. The exact itinerary has not yet been set. It is likely, however, that we will be visiting Tartous, Latakia, the Mediterranean Sea, Saydnaya, Bosra City, Cracks Des Chevalier, Homs City, St. George Monastery, Aleppo, St. Simon Citadel, Hassake, Palmyra and many other cities and sites of historical, cultural and religious significance. We also, of course, be visiting the sites around Damascus.

When we set up your volunteer opportunity, we take three factors into consideration:

1) the expressed needs of the organizations in Damascus
2) Your skills and talents (based on an assesment of your application) and
3) Your preferences and interests.

We will work hard to to find a volunteer placement that is right for you. And please feel free to contact us regarding any strong preferences. We won't, however, guarantee that you will automatically get your top choice. And you will not know where you are volunteering before you submit your application. Once your application and application fee is turned in, we will begin the process of setting up a place for you to volunteer.

We advise obtaining travel insurance before going to the Middle East.

Factors to Consider While Looking for Travel Insurance:

First and most important is the fact that all policies offered in the marketplace do not insure your travel investment against the potential financial insolvency of any of the travel suppliers that provide us with the air, land or sea arrangements for your trip.

Second, for international trips, it is most important to have substantial medical and medical evacuation expense coverage. Finally, we know that there are times when people are concerned about the risk of terrorism causing them to cancel their journey with us. We recommend you obtain travel insurance that covers cancellations because of terrorism.

No. Unfortunately there are no scholarships available at this time. We hope to someday be able to offer small need or merit based scholarships in the future (if you know of anyone willing to make a generous donation for this purpose, please let us know!)

We do, however, strongly encourage all of our participants to fundraise for their trip- especially if they are having difficulty finding the money to cover their costs. Your friends and family can send in money on your behalf and it will be counted as a tax-deductible donation to Middle East Fellowship. We have had a number of participants who, through appeal letters and fundraising events, have been able to raise enough money to cover the entire cost of the program (including flight!). Please feel free to contact us if you want to brainstorm strategies for raising your own support.

June, July and August are hot seasons in Syria. Thankfully, the rooms at St. Elias have airconditioning. Participants are recommended to bring hats, sunglasses, sun screen and also swim trunks and a towel as there will be some arrangements to swim in some five stars hotel and in Lattakia in the Mediterranean sea.It can also get very cold at night. You should plan clothing in terms of layers, especially if you plan to travel around a great deal. At least one light jacket is advisable.

On an average weekday (Monday through Thursday), participants will have from about 8:00 to 8:45 A.M. to get breakfast at the St. Elias Hostel and grab their sack/box lunch for the day. We will then drive to the Berlitz Language Center and begin classes at 9:00 and end classes at noon (with probably a half an hour break). Around noon participants will make their way to their volunteer placements and should plan on being back at least by 6 or 7 P.M. At night there will be simple dinners at the Hostel and on some nights there will be debriefing sessions for participants to share stories and experiences, guest lectures on various topics and/or meetings with different groups.

Friday and Saturday are the weekend in Syria and on most weekends we will either be having meetings in Damascus or traveling to various cities throughout Syria such as Palmyra, Aleppo, etc., etc.

We will be staying at the St. Elias Hostel located near the old city of Damascus (it is about a 15 minute walk to the Oriental Gate in the old city). Single rooms and double rooms (to be shared with a roommate) are both available. Rooms include min-refrigerators, free internet access (ethernet cable needed), satellite TV, telephones and a private bathroom with a shower and seated toilet. The hostel contains a kitchen which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Rooms will be cleaned regularly and a laundry room is available and reasonably priced (about $10 for washing and ironing). Hot water and electricty are available 24 hours a day.

Participants will live with host families for a three day period during the program in order to get a more intimate view of everday life and culture in Damascus.

Pack light if possible. It will be hot, so pack for warm weather, but also please plan on dressing somewhat conservatively (no shorts or sleeveless shirts, for example). You should also bring at least one light jacket for cold nights.

Some other things you might consider packing:

For information on vaccinations and other travel tips regarding health visit the Center For Disease Control website at: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/mideast.htm. Many vaccinations require boosters or multiple shots so please plan in advance and accordingly.

Yes. Every room at the St. Elias Hostel is equipped with free internet access. You need to bring an ethernet cable to plug into the network. Additionally, there is an internet cafe located onlu a few doors down from the Hostel and numerous internet cafes in the Old City of Damascus. Internet access everywhere in Syria is fickle, but checking your e-mail, posting your trip photos online and sending messages to friends and family back home will be a relatively hassle-free process.

The Damascus Summer Encounter program is designed for participants of all ages, faith traditions, and nationalities* who feel called to serve and build relationships with the peoples of the Middle East.

* note that some nationalities will have greater difficulty obtaining a visa.