Frequently Asked Questions - Application Process

Yes. There are several ways to do this. Your friends and family, of course, can give you money directly to use toward the cost of your program participation. These gifts, because they are given to you and not to a 501(C)(3) nonprofit, are likely NOT tax deductible. We encourage you to thank your friends and family for their support in person or in writing and then make your payment in full for the program.

If your donors would like to make a tax deductible donation to the generalized scholarship fund for Damascus Summer Encounter participants they are free to do so. Checks can be made out to "Middle East Fellowship." Please also have donors write "Damascus Summer Encounter" in the memo of the check. In a letter or e-mail included with the check or payment, the donor should indicate that they want their donation to be designated for the Damascus Summer Encounter Scholarship Fund. Additionally, they can recommend that the funds be used on behalf of a specific participant whom they would like to support. Although the dispersement of these funds is under the prerogative of Middle East Fellowship, we will carefully track these donations and give full consideration to all donor requests and specifications. Please understand that, by handling donations in this manner, we are merely adhering to IRS rules and regulations. If you have additional questions about how this process works, please contact us.

If a parent, guardian or other friend or relative is making a direct payment for your program, and the tax deductibility of their gift is not an issue, they should just make clear that their payment is being made to cover your program fees. They need not (and should not) designate their payment as a gift toward the scholarship fund.

We strongly encourage donors on your behalf to consult with a tax advisor as laws are subject to change.

No. Participants must be at least 18 years old to participate. If you are 17 and will be turning 18 before the start of the program please feel free to apply.

Simply fill out the online registration form Be as detailed as possible in your answers.

Then submit your $150 registration fee using the payments page.

If you have submitted both your registration fee and your application we will begin the process of reviewing your information. It may take a few days for us to get back to you. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or have questions about the status of your application. If accepted, we will send you an e-mail acceptance letter which will include a detailed orientation packet in PDF form. Once you are accepted into the program you can begin the process of applying for a visa and looking into flights. We will also at some point send you a letter of invitation from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate via e-mail. This letter can be included with your visa application and should also be printed and brought with you to Syria.

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.

Middle East Fellowship is a Christian nonprofit but the program is open to and designed for peoples of all backgrounds and faiths. Candidates under the age of 18 will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Some nationalities will have extreme difficulties obtaining a Syrian visa and may, as a result, not be able to participate in the program.

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.

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. The program is designed for fluent English speakers. No background in Arabic is required. 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.