Everyone in the Arava already knows that when the end of December draws near, it's time for the UIA Mission. This year marked the fifth consecutive year that the residents of the Arava hosted the annual Key Workers' Mission to Israel in their homes for a winter weekend in the region. The delegation arrived in the afternoon hours of Friday, Dec. 29th, just two days after the beginning of the Mission, and the members were dropped off on the settlements of the Arava to enjoy the weekend with their hosts.

Dorit and Tomer Lintsenberger were the first members of the new settlement Tsukim to host delegation members, and Helen and her three children were delighted to be the young settlement's first guests. Helen, whose four previous visits to Israel include a stint as a volunteer during the first Gulf War, said that she chose the UIA Mission as a perfect option for her children's first visit to the country, on the basis of positive feedback from friends who had participated in the Mission in past years. The Lintsenbergers are already connected to Partnership 2000, as their son Shachar was a member of the 2006 student delegation from the Arava to Australia, and the family is now running the very first tourist attraction to begin operating on Tsukim, a Treasure Hunt which entertains while teaching about the region. As you can see from the smiles in the photo below, the weekend was a huge success!

Dorit and Tomer with their guest Helen on the right

All of the delegation members and their hosts gathered on Saturday evening for a festive meal in a Bedouin tent, where they were addressed by the newly elected Head of the Regional Council Ezra Ravins, and by Mission leader, shaliach Meir Buber, and joined by Partnership Director Rina Peretz Gal, and Reciprocal Relations Coordinator Nili Lipsky Melamed. After the meal they were entertained by a local musical ensemble, ending with an enthusiastic sing-a-long of some favorite folksongs.

Shaliach Meir Buber and Arava-Australia Partnership Director Rina Peretz Gal

On Sunday morning, after fond farewells from their host families, the group toured the Arava, learning a little bit about the region, its history, agriculture, tourism and the peaceful border with Jordan. They each left the Arava with warm memories and newly-made friendships, and have already said that the weekend in the region was the highlight of the Mission.