Day Five
Once again we were blessed! We traveled back to the village to give out more food. We gave at least 25 bags of food and chips to the families in the village. We were invited into a home to visit. We were given coffee and chocolate. The coffee here is VERY strong. We continued around the village and gave out food, smiles and love. May their hearts and minds be forever changed and softened. The women and children here are very beautiful (helwa). We got to visit at the Mayor's house. The hospitality of the people here is humbling. They insist on bringing coffee or tea and sweet for you to enjoy. They will not let you help and they seem to enjoy the company. Our prayer is that we have opened the doors for future visits and that they will one day entertain listening to the REAL truth and accept it.
We were taken to an overlook of Jerusalem ....breathtaking!
Afterwards we got to travel to Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity. We had a wonderful tour guide. The amazing thing was to be in a building that was built in the 3rd century. It is said to be the oldest church still standing in the world. The story is that when the Persians came through they were destroying everything including the churches. They came upon the Church of the Nativity and there was a mosiac of the Wise Men on the outside wall. The Wise Men were dressed as Persians so they believed that it was a holy site for them and they left it alone.
We have had an amazing trip here. We have learned to love these people and our hearts so break for them. May their eyes, ears and hearts be opened!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Happy School Days
Day Four....
Marhaba (Hello)
What an awesome day!!! We saw prayers answered today in so many ways. We arrived at the village today to do crafts with the children at school. There was an issue at first which required us to stand in the gap and pray silently. Immediately, we saw answered prayer. We were allowed to go into each classroom and interact with the children! The first class we entered we had our hearts stolen. There were beautiful brown, blue and grey eyes shining and smiling back at us. They said their ABC’s (in English) for us….it was so special. We then began our crafts (foam popsicle puppets and bookmarks) and took their pictures. They were having the time of their lives and so were we….just a blessing both ways. We made candied apples (apples wedges with powered cherry jello) and watched as the children enjoyed the treat. Each class was told that they were a blessing and that we were so thankful for them. The day was fabulous. We were told that the children in the school would probably never forget that we came to see them and love on them. We pray that this will open doors and open hearts and minds. Seeds are planted.
Afterwards we traveled to the Dead Sea. It was a long but beautiful drive. It was very interesting how the terrain changed in such a short distance. It became much warmer and much dryer. No vegetation was seen. Then suddenly we saw groves and groves of date trees. It is amazing to see what water or the lack of will do to the land. We arrived at the Dead Sea….we waded in and then you just lay back and ….FLOAT! We had such a great time there.
This trip to the West Bank has been very eye opening and very humbling. It will never been far from our minds what is happening here and how much prayer is needed here.
Salaam (Peace)
Marhaba (Hello)
What an awesome day!!! We saw prayers answered today in so many ways. We arrived at the village today to do crafts with the children at school. There was an issue at first which required us to stand in the gap and pray silently. Immediately, we saw answered prayer. We were allowed to go into each classroom and interact with the children! The first class we entered we had our hearts stolen. There were beautiful brown, blue and grey eyes shining and smiling back at us. They said their ABC’s (in English) for us….it was so special. We then began our crafts (foam popsicle puppets and bookmarks) and took their pictures. They were having the time of their lives and so were we….just a blessing both ways. We made candied apples (apples wedges with powered cherry jello) and watched as the children enjoyed the treat. Each class was told that they were a blessing and that we were so thankful for them. The day was fabulous. We were told that the children in the school would probably never forget that we came to see them and love on them. We pray that this will open doors and open hearts and minds. Seeds are planted.
Afterwards we traveled to the Dead Sea. It was a long but beautiful drive. It was very interesting how the terrain changed in such a short distance. It became much warmer and much dryer. No vegetation was seen. Then suddenly we saw groves and groves of date trees. It is amazing to see what water or the lack of will do to the land. We arrived at the Dead Sea….we waded in and then you just lay back and ….FLOAT! We had such a great time there.
This trip to the West Bank has been very eye opening and very humbling. It will never been far from our minds what is happening here and how much prayer is needed here.
Salaam (Peace)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Loving on the people
Day Three
Good Morning!
We slept a little later today (I believe we are tired :)).
We traveled back to the village to give out food. We were able to give out food to 25 families. We visited in the homes and were treated once again to coffee. We were given bread to take with us when we left. The men were away working or something. We gave the children bouncing balls and lollipops….what beautiful smiles they have when you smile at them. We played ball with the children and visited with the mothers. We hope to see these families again this week.
We traveled up the road to over look the village and pray for the people there. The olive trees are amazing to behold…some are hundreds of years old. We stopped and relaxed for awhile. We prayed for all the villagers and for everyone that is here loving on these people.
We were taken on a “secret” trip. Once we got there our guide told us this is where Jesus walked with two companions to…..”The Walk to Emmaus!” We were very very excited to be there. The Monk was so kind to walk us around and tell us about the history of the site. We were taken into the Basilica where we sang “Amazing Grace”. Some of us could barely sing realizing where we were sitting and the fact that Jesus might have been right there. We saw the remains of what was a Roman road that could have been the exact road which Jesus walked. Several of us were very overwhelmed and the tears flowed. Jesus walked on this very land we are walking on now.
We came back to the apartment and have been having great fellowship with each other and our new friends.
Tomorrow will be another great day to do God’s work.
Good Morning!
We slept a little later today (I believe we are tired :)).
We traveled back to the village to give out food. We were able to give out food to 25 families. We visited in the homes and were treated once again to coffee. We were given bread to take with us when we left. The men were away working or something. We gave the children bouncing balls and lollipops….what beautiful smiles they have when you smile at them. We played ball with the children and visited with the mothers. We hope to see these families again this week.
We traveled up the road to over look the village and pray for the people there. The olive trees are amazing to behold…some are hundreds of years old. We stopped and relaxed for awhile. We prayed for all the villagers and for everyone that is here loving on these people.
We were taken on a “secret” trip. Once we got there our guide told us this is where Jesus walked with two companions to…..”The Walk to Emmaus!” We were very very excited to be there. The Monk was so kind to walk us around and tell us about the history of the site. We were taken into the Basilica where we sang “Amazing Grace”. Some of us could barely sing realizing where we were sitting and the fact that Jesus might have been right there. We saw the remains of what was a Roman road that could have been the exact road which Jesus walked. Several of us were very overwhelmed and the tears flowed. Jesus walked on this very land we are walking on now.
We came back to the apartment and have been having great fellowship with each other and our new friends.
Tomorrow will be another great day to do God’s work.
Worshiping with the Palestinians
Day Two
Good Morning! Today we went to worship with other Christians. What an amazing and humbling morning. We sang English while they sang Arabic to “Count your many blessings” and “King of kings”. The people there are beautiful and very friendly. How awesome to worship the Lord with other believers in their land in their language. How BIG is our God!
We visited a village to arrange what we could do with them this week. We were treated to coffee and chocolates.
Afterwards we drove over to a creek on a mountainside and prayed for the village. To pray in the Holy Land just excites the soul.
We got to enjoy the food of the land for dinner. We had falafel sandwiches and shawrma sandwiches. Yummy!
Good Morning! Today we went to worship with other Christians. What an amazing and humbling morning. We sang English while they sang Arabic to “Count your many blessings” and “King of kings”. The people there are beautiful and very friendly. How awesome to worship the Lord with other believers in their land in their language. How BIG is our God!
We visited a village to arrange what we could do with them this week. We were treated to coffee and chocolates.
Afterwards we drove over to a creek on a mountainside and prayed for the village. To pray in the Holy Land just excites the soul.
We got to enjoy the food of the land for dinner. We had falafel sandwiches and shawrma sandwiches. Yummy!
Worshiping with the Palestinians
Day Two
Good Morning! Today we went to worship with other Christians. What an amazing and humbling morning. We sang English while they sang Arabic to “Count your many blessings” and “King of kings”. The people there are beautiful and very friendly. How awesome to worship the Lord with other believers in their land in their language. How BIG is our God!
We visited a village to arrange what we could do with them this week. We were treated to coffee and chocolates.
Afterwards we drove over to a creek on a mountainside and prayed for the village. To pray in the Holy Land just excites the soul.
We got to enjoy the food of the land for dinner. We had falafel sandwiches and shawrma sandwiches. Yummy!
Good Morning! Today we went to worship with other Christians. What an amazing and humbling morning. We sang English while they sang Arabic to “Count your many blessings” and “King of kings”. The people there are beautiful and very friendly. How awesome to worship the Lord with other believers in their land in their language. How BIG is our God!
We visited a village to arrange what we could do with them this week. We were treated to coffee and chocolates.
Afterwards we drove over to a creek on a mountainside and prayed for the village. To pray in the Holy Land just excites the soul.
We got to enjoy the food of the land for dinner. We had falafel sandwiches and shawrma sandwiches. Yummy!
Off We Go
Day One
The North Carolina team left home to travel to the West Bank. We got an earlier flight to Atlanta to avoid the bad weather that was in the area. No problems with security at all. We had a sit down dinner at the airport in Atlanta. We relaxed until we had to board the plane. Our flight would take 11 hours. We all got settled in for our long trip. The food on the plane was a lot better than we all thought it would be…then we fell asleep.
Okay we have arrived in the West Bank. What a beautiful land. It is much hillier than imagined. There is construction every where. We just imagined that there would be no more room to build on…fascinating.
We settled into our apartment and met our new friends. Looking forward to what is in store for tomorrow.
The North Carolina team left home to travel to the West Bank. We got an earlier flight to Atlanta to avoid the bad weather that was in the area. No problems with security at all. We had a sit down dinner at the airport in Atlanta. We relaxed until we had to board the plane. Our flight would take 11 hours. We all got settled in for our long trip. The food on the plane was a lot better than we all thought it would be…then we fell asleep.
Okay we have arrived in the West Bank. What a beautiful land. It is much hillier than imagined. There is construction every where. We just imagined that there would be no more room to build on…fascinating.
We settled into our apartment and met our new friends. Looking forward to what is in store for tomorrow.
Friday, October 12, 2007
A Tribute
Many of you know by now about the murder of our friend, Rami Ayyad, in Gaza this week. It was our honor to attend the funeral. Please be in prayer for Rami's family and the entire beliving community there. These are hard days.
Much has been written about the attack. I've copied a couple of articles below. The first is from the international press. The second is written by a friend of Rami's who worked in Gaza until this past summer.
Christian leader killed in Gaza
Believers in Gaza are mourning the loss of a Baptist leader killed this past weekend. It is believed he died for taking a stand for his faith. Rami Ayyad, 29, a prominent member of Gaza Baptist Church and manager of a Christian bookstore owned by the Palestinian Bible Society, was kidnapped Oct. 6 shortly after closing. His body was found the following day about a mile from the store. No one has claimed responsibility for his death. He had been shot twice and struck with a blunt object. Ayyad leaves behind a wife, Pauline, who is pregnant with their third child, and two children under the age of 3.
Hundreds of fellow Christians gathered Oct. 7 for his funeral. He was buried next to his father.“Rami was the most gentle member on the team, the ever-smiling one,” a colleague said. “He was the face of our Bible shop, always receiving visitors and serving them as Jesus would.” A Baptist worker said Ayyad worked the front desk of the bookstore and regularly answered questions about his faith. “Rami was known for his easy manner with people,” the worker said. “He was bold in his faith and not ashamed of the Gospel.”
Last week, Ayyad told his wife that he had noticed people following him. A couple days later, he closed the bookstore and never arrived home. That evening, friends contacted him by mobile phone after he didn’t show up to a children’s program at the church. “He said he’d be delayed another couple of hours,” the worker said. “He also spoke with his wife.” His body was discovered the next morning.
The Baptist worker describes local believers as shocked and shaken by Ayyad’s death. Those closest to him described him as “a hulk of a man,” “dynamic” and “extremely likeable.” “He was the guy that if anything [in the church] needed to be done, he did it,” the worker said. “He was known as a peacemaker.”
In recent months, tensions between Muslims and Christians have escalated. The Bible Society store was attacked last spring when a bomb was detonated at the door of the building, damaging the first floor. No one was injured. Other believers have been robbed and threatened in recent months, but this is the first known kidnapping and murder of a Christian in the Gaza area. Baptist workers ask for prayer for Ayyad’s family, the local community and for those who murdered him.
It is estimated that only 2,000 evangelical Christians live among the 1.5 million people who populate the Gaza Strip. The majority is Muslim. Less than 1 percent claim to be Christian. Of that percentage, most are Greek Orthodox.
My Friend, Rami
The last time I saw Rami we were at the beach near Gaza City. A group of us were in the water and I was trying to force Rami under water. Rami was a big man, weighing at least twice what I do, needless to say, I did not manage to get him to budge. When he in turn came after me all I could do to protect myself from suffocating under him was flee. Eventually I was able to sneak up on him under water and pull his legs out from under him and then escape again.
There are around 3000 Christians living in Gaza today. Rami was the office director of the Teacher’s bookstore, a Christian bookstore in downtown Gaza City. The store sells Christian books and offers computer and language lessons, which are attended by Palestinians from across the Gaza Strip. When I would visit the place on occasion Rami was always there on his swivel chair cracking jokes. Few people entered that did not already know him.
Gaza can be a place of sadness, Rami always reminded me much more of the mentality of Egyptians laughing and joking no matter how depressing life becomes. On Saturday afternoon Rami closed his shop as he always did at 4:30. He had told his brother that three days earlier he had sensed he was being followed home after work but had not made much of it. Two hours after closing up he called his wife and told her with much uncertainty that he hoped to be home in two hours and not to worry. He was not able to say where he was or why he was there. Rami never came home. Friends and family searched for him until late into the night. At 5:30am on Sunday morning his body was found beaten, a bullet through his head, another through his chest. His wallet, ID and watch were gone. No one has made any statements, no group has taken responsibility.
This is the first time in Gaza’s recent history for a Christian to be kidnapped and killed. Sadly, such incidents do occur in revenge killings usually of political nature but never with religious causes. In Gaza, Muslims and Christians live and die side by side, sharing every element of the Israeli occupation and containment that has been a reality there since most people alive today remember. Rami had no political or factional involvement, nor was his family implicated in any family feuds. Rami’s boss was quoted in the Independent saying "We don't know who was behind the killing or why. Was it for money, or was it because he was selling Bibles?"
The heart of the matter is the fact that Gaza is a place overrun with violence. Readers of this blog have followed the complexities of the makeup of Gaza’s social and political makeup, I will not repeat again what I have so often before. Violence here has deep roots in injustice and occupation, but beyond this every individual, every political grouping, every community makes the choice of projecting their experience outward and returning violence for violence. Gaza is deeply entrenched in violence. In Gaza victims of bloodshed often themselves become shedders of blood.
Rami experienced the harshness of occupation, the limitation of curfews, Israeli military incursions, civilian targeted sonic booms, restrictions on travel beyond the 365km2 confines of the Gaza Strip and the strife of civil war. Rami chose to respond to violence with laughter, love and peace. The strength to live such a life is what I hope for Rami’s killers, it is what I hope for every Palestinian living and born into the living hell of Gaza today.
Much has been written about the attack. I've copied a couple of articles below. The first is from the international press. The second is written by a friend of Rami's who worked in Gaza until this past summer.
Christian leader killed in Gaza
Believers in Gaza are mourning the loss of a Baptist leader killed this past weekend. It is believed he died for taking a stand for his faith. Rami Ayyad, 29, a prominent member of Gaza Baptist Church and manager of a Christian bookstore owned by the Palestinian Bible Society, was kidnapped Oct. 6 shortly after closing. His body was found the following day about a mile from the store. No one has claimed responsibility for his death. He had been shot twice and struck with a blunt object. Ayyad leaves behind a wife, Pauline, who is pregnant with their third child, and two children under the age of 3.
Hundreds of fellow Christians gathered Oct. 7 for his funeral. He was buried next to his father.“Rami was the most gentle member on the team, the ever-smiling one,” a colleague said. “He was the face of our Bible shop, always receiving visitors and serving them as Jesus would.” A Baptist worker said Ayyad worked the front desk of the bookstore and regularly answered questions about his faith. “Rami was known for his easy manner with people,” the worker said. “He was bold in his faith and not ashamed of the Gospel.”
Last week, Ayyad told his wife that he had noticed people following him. A couple days later, he closed the bookstore and never arrived home. That evening, friends contacted him by mobile phone after he didn’t show up to a children’s program at the church. “He said he’d be delayed another couple of hours,” the worker said. “He also spoke with his wife.” His body was discovered the next morning.
The Baptist worker describes local believers as shocked and shaken by Ayyad’s death. Those closest to him described him as “a hulk of a man,” “dynamic” and “extremely likeable.” “He was the guy that if anything [in the church] needed to be done, he did it,” the worker said. “He was known as a peacemaker.”
In recent months, tensions between Muslims and Christians have escalated. The Bible Society store was attacked last spring when a bomb was detonated at the door of the building, damaging the first floor. No one was injured. Other believers have been robbed and threatened in recent months, but this is the first known kidnapping and murder of a Christian in the Gaza area. Baptist workers ask for prayer for Ayyad’s family, the local community and for those who murdered him.
It is estimated that only 2,000 evangelical Christians live among the 1.5 million people who populate the Gaza Strip. The majority is Muslim. Less than 1 percent claim to be Christian. Of that percentage, most are Greek Orthodox.
My Friend, Rami
The last time I saw Rami we were at the beach near Gaza City. A group of us were in the water and I was trying to force Rami under water. Rami was a big man, weighing at least twice what I do, needless to say, I did not manage to get him to budge. When he in turn came after me all I could do to protect myself from suffocating under him was flee. Eventually I was able to sneak up on him under water and pull his legs out from under him and then escape again.
There are around 3000 Christians living in Gaza today. Rami was the office director of the Teacher’s bookstore, a Christian bookstore in downtown Gaza City. The store sells Christian books and offers computer and language lessons, which are attended by Palestinians from across the Gaza Strip. When I would visit the place on occasion Rami was always there on his swivel chair cracking jokes. Few people entered that did not already know him.
Gaza can be a place of sadness, Rami always reminded me much more of the mentality of Egyptians laughing and joking no matter how depressing life becomes. On Saturday afternoon Rami closed his shop as he always did at 4:30. He had told his brother that three days earlier he had sensed he was being followed home after work but had not made much of it. Two hours after closing up he called his wife and told her with much uncertainty that he hoped to be home in two hours and not to worry. He was not able to say where he was or why he was there. Rami never came home. Friends and family searched for him until late into the night. At 5:30am on Sunday morning his body was found beaten, a bullet through his head, another through his chest. His wallet, ID and watch were gone. No one has made any statements, no group has taken responsibility.
This is the first time in Gaza’s recent history for a Christian to be kidnapped and killed. Sadly, such incidents do occur in revenge killings usually of political nature but never with religious causes. In Gaza, Muslims and Christians live and die side by side, sharing every element of the Israeli occupation and containment that has been a reality there since most people alive today remember. Rami had no political or factional involvement, nor was his family implicated in any family feuds. Rami’s boss was quoted in the Independent saying "We don't know who was behind the killing or why. Was it for money, or was it because he was selling Bibles?"
The heart of the matter is the fact that Gaza is a place overrun with violence. Readers of this blog have followed the complexities of the makeup of Gaza’s social and political makeup, I will not repeat again what I have so often before. Violence here has deep roots in injustice and occupation, but beyond this every individual, every political grouping, every community makes the choice of projecting their experience outward and returning violence for violence. Gaza is deeply entrenched in violence. In Gaza victims of bloodshed often themselves become shedders of blood.
Rami experienced the harshness of occupation, the limitation of curfews, Israeli military incursions, civilian targeted sonic booms, restrictions on travel beyond the 365km2 confines of the Gaza Strip and the strife of civil war. Rami chose to respond to violence with laughter, love and peace. The strength to live such a life is what I hope for Rami’s killers, it is what I hope for every Palestinian living and born into the living hell of Gaza today.
Friday, October 05, 2007
May you be well every year
May you be well every year!
(Roughly translated holiday greeting)
Observations and opportunities from one of our team members
It’s been a couple of weeks since the fasting month started - Ramadan. For those of you who don’t know, it is the 40 days when Muslims abstain from food, drink, sex, and sometimes smoking during the daylight hours and then eat and drink and party during the night. I have lived through many of these months and I can’t honestly say it’s the most wonderful time of the year… People are cranky because they’re hungry and traffic is terrible because everyone has to go to the same places at the same time and there are more accidents on the street because no one gets any sleep this month and driving skills get EVEN worse. But there are many positive things about this month. I get invited to lots of people’s houses for some great food and there are lots of new soap operas on TV. They play 24-7 and people are glued to the TV, passing the time until they can eat. I am currently watching an exciting program that is set in Syria in the French colonial times. Apparently, the Syrians are known for the quality of their soap operas. The one I have decided to make sure to watch is the most popular. At 9.00pm every night, our living room is packed with neighbors who don’t have satellite TV as we wait to see if Um Esam’s busybody neighbor will put trash in front of her door again or if the evil spy masquerading as a blind beggar will kill someone else…
...It has been great for my language anyway.
But the most important part of this month is the fact that people are pushing themselves as hard as possible to do good things. They give to the poor and read their holy books and stop doing evil things like wearing make-up and plucking their eyebrows. Opportunities to share the free love of Christ that we can never earn by our own abilities are everywhere.
A couple of weeks ago I gave a Book to a friend I met at the gym. She promised to read it, although when I visited her Monday, she said she hadn’t gotten around to it (she does have 6 kids, the youngest 2 are adorable but energetic twins). I was disappointed because she had seemed really interested when I gave her the Book, and she was the one who brought up the subject that led to me give her that gift. But I did get a chance to share again in front of her, her two oldest daughters, and her neighbor. They listened very carefully and seemed interested.
I later got a chance to go back to this house and break fast and spend the night with them – her husband was out of town. We broke fast together and then watched TV and talked and ate all night. We went to bed at about 2 and got up at 4.30 to eat. It was fun to be a part of that experience, and while I don’t really want to do it again, I’m off to another friend’s house tonight for the same exciting experience. I’m looking forward to someday when I will get to sleep…
The best part of the night was that M agreed to meet with me once a week to read the Book together and do a language exchange. After we had a long and mostly uncomfortable conversation about JC, I was a little concerned that she wouldn’t want to do that, but she seems excited to meet with me. Now she has heard the whole story twice from me, and I pray that she’ll keep thinking about it.
During this month, please pr that God will work in the hearts of Ms all over the world. Pr that He will send dreams and visions. Pr that He will speak to the hearts of people so that they will see how futile all of their works are. Pr that people will be really begin to seek God during this time. What a powerful God we serve!
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Gaza's Forgotten Christians
We came across the following two articles and thought you might find them interesting.
Gaza's Forgotten Christians
Dan Wooding
ASSIST News Service
GAZA CITY -- “Caught amid the infighting between Hamas and Fatah and Israel’s retaliation for rockets launched at its southern cities is an easily overlooked segment of the population: Christians number only 2,000 among 1.5 million in the Gaza Strip—less than 1 percent of the population.” This was revealed recently by Nicole Jansezian in a story posted on the Israel Today (http://www.israeltoday.co.il/) website.
She added that “if you break it down even further, evangelical Christians number far less than that.” “We are a minority of minorities,” Hanna Massad, pastor of Gaza Baptist Church, told Israel Today. “It is really difficult. The Christian community here is 2,000 including Catholic, Greek Orthodox and evangelical Christians.” The six-floor Gaza Baptist Church, the only evangelical church in the Gaza Strip, ministers to 150 to 200 people.
“In the latest round of fighting, an Israeli bomb landed on a Hamas office just 300 feet from Massad’s home shattering all of the windows,” Jansezian continued in her story. “No one was injured, but the consequences of a war they are not involved in are continually getting closer to home. “Frequently, one Palestinian faction or the other commandeers the church’s buildings to use as a lookout point. Once, a library worker was literally caught in the crossfire and shot in the back. He has since recovered.
“The church driver wasn’t as fortunate. The 22-year-old newlywed was shot and killed in a Hamas-Fatah shootout, an innocent bystander. “Not long ago, militants carried through on a threat to bomb the Gaza Bible Society where Massad’s wife is a director. Now the church itself has been threatened.” Massad said, “There is a small militant group that hates everything western and Christian and in their minds, they are trying to clean up the city. They are a narrow-minded group and the government is unable to control it.”
But, Jansezian said that the Gaza church isn’t playing victim to the circumstances. Instead the Christians are running clinics, libraries, bringing humanitarian aid to the needy and carrying on meeting. They meet openly at the church. “One thing that strikes me is that you don’t hear negative language from them,” Labib Madanat, director of the Bible Society in Israel and Palestinian territories, told us. “Their language is positive, a language of mission: ‘What is my role as a believer; what can I do in this situation?’” “I’m not saying it is not hard, that they don’t have fears,” he said. “There are troubles, threats, danger and sometimes they are down. But the overall sum is they are a group of people who are resilient, totally dependent on the Lord and positively thinking of what God wants them to be in the Gaza Strip.”
Her story continued by saying, “Madanat said the church worldwide needs to encourage believers in Gaza. Compared to believers in the West Bank, the believers in Gaza are more ‘focused on what God wants them to do in this situation. Gaza is much more difficult. The sense of need of total dependency on the Lord is much stronger.’”
The American Consulate has been warning all Americans to get out of Gaza because of the constant dangers. Massad, who also holds American citizenship, was asked by the consulate if they want to leave. “Without any hesitation I said no,” he explained. “This is where we feel God wants us to be at this time and it is a privilege to be in the midst of God’s will.”
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/11555036/
Gaza’s forgotten Christians
The church worldwide needs to encourage believers in Gaza, who number only several hundred among 1.5 million Muslims and are caught in the crossfire of everyone else's battles.by Nicole Jansezian
Caught amid the infighting between Hamas and Fatah and Israel’s retaliation for rockets launched at its southern cities is an easily overlooked segment of the population: Christians number only 2,000 among 1.5 million in the Gaza Strip—less than 1 percent of the population.
And if you break it down even further, evangelical Christians number far less than that.
“We are a minority of minorities,” Hanna Massad, pastor of Gaza Baptist Church, told Israel Today. “It is really difficult. The Christian community here is 2,000 including Catholic, Greek Orthodox and evangelical Christians.” Gaza Baptist Church, the only evangelical church in the Gaza Strip, ministers to 150 to 200 people.
In the latest round of fighting, an Israeli bomb landed on a Hamas office just 300 feet from Massad’s home shattering all of the windows. No one was injured, but the consequences of a war they are not involved in are continually getting closer to home.
Frequently, one Palestinian faction or the other commandeers the church’s buildings to use as a lookout point. Once, a library worker was literally caught in the crossfire and shot in the back. He has since recovered.
The church driver wasn’t as fortunate. The 22-year-old newlywed was shot and killed in a Hamas-Fatah shootout, an innocent bystander.
Not long ago, militants carried through on a threat to bomb the Gaza Bible Society where Massad’s wife is a director. Now the church itself has been threatened. “There is a small militant group that hates everything western and Christian and in their minds, they are trying to clean up the city,” Massad said. “They are a narrow-minded group and the government is unable to control it.”
But the Gaza church isn’t playing victim to the circumstances. Instead the Christians are running clinics, libraries, bringing humanitarian aid to the needy and carrying on meeting. They meet openly at the church. “One thing that strikes me is that you don’t hear negative language from them,” Labib Madanat, director of the Bible Society in Israel and Palestinian territories, told us. “Their language is positive, a language of mission: ‘What is my role as a believer; what can I do in this situation?’” “I’m not saying it is not hard, that they don’t have fears,” he said. “There are troubles, threats, danger and sometimes they are down. But the overall sum is they are a group of people who are resilient, totally dependent on the Lord and positively thinking of what God wants them to be in the Gaza Strip.”
Madanat said the church worldwide needs to encourage believers in Gaza. Compared to believers in the West Bank, the believers in Gaza are more “focused on what God wants them to do in this situation. Gaza is much more difficult. The sense of need of total dependency on the Lord is much stronger.”
The American Consulate has been warning all Americans to get out of Gaza because of the constant dangers. Massad, who also holds American citizenship, was asked by the consulate if they want to leave.
“Without any hesitation I said no,” he explained. “This is where we feel God wants us to be at this time and it is a privilege to be in the midst of God’s will.”
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=132&view=item&idx=1413
Gaza's Forgotten Christians
Dan Wooding
ASSIST News Service
GAZA CITY -- “Caught amid the infighting between Hamas and Fatah and Israel’s retaliation for rockets launched at its southern cities is an easily overlooked segment of the population: Christians number only 2,000 among 1.5 million in the Gaza Strip—less than 1 percent of the population.” This was revealed recently by Nicole Jansezian in a story posted on the Israel Today (http://www.israeltoday.co.il/) website.
She added that “if you break it down even further, evangelical Christians number far less than that.” “We are a minority of minorities,” Hanna Massad, pastor of Gaza Baptist Church, told Israel Today. “It is really difficult. The Christian community here is 2,000 including Catholic, Greek Orthodox and evangelical Christians.” The six-floor Gaza Baptist Church, the only evangelical church in the Gaza Strip, ministers to 150 to 200 people.
“In the latest round of fighting, an Israeli bomb landed on a Hamas office just 300 feet from Massad’s home shattering all of the windows,” Jansezian continued in her story. “No one was injured, but the consequences of a war they are not involved in are continually getting closer to home. “Frequently, one Palestinian faction or the other commandeers the church’s buildings to use as a lookout point. Once, a library worker was literally caught in the crossfire and shot in the back. He has since recovered.
“The church driver wasn’t as fortunate. The 22-year-old newlywed was shot and killed in a Hamas-Fatah shootout, an innocent bystander. “Not long ago, militants carried through on a threat to bomb the Gaza Bible Society where Massad’s wife is a director. Now the church itself has been threatened.” Massad said, “There is a small militant group that hates everything western and Christian and in their minds, they are trying to clean up the city. They are a narrow-minded group and the government is unable to control it.”
But, Jansezian said that the Gaza church isn’t playing victim to the circumstances. Instead the Christians are running clinics, libraries, bringing humanitarian aid to the needy and carrying on meeting. They meet openly at the church. “One thing that strikes me is that you don’t hear negative language from them,” Labib Madanat, director of the Bible Society in Israel and Palestinian territories, told us. “Their language is positive, a language of mission: ‘What is my role as a believer; what can I do in this situation?’” “I’m not saying it is not hard, that they don’t have fears,” he said. “There are troubles, threats, danger and sometimes they are down. But the overall sum is they are a group of people who are resilient, totally dependent on the Lord and positively thinking of what God wants them to be in the Gaza Strip.”
Her story continued by saying, “Madanat said the church worldwide needs to encourage believers in Gaza. Compared to believers in the West Bank, the believers in Gaza are more ‘focused on what God wants them to do in this situation. Gaza is much more difficult. The sense of need of total dependency on the Lord is much stronger.’”
The American Consulate has been warning all Americans to get out of Gaza because of the constant dangers. Massad, who also holds American citizenship, was asked by the consulate if they want to leave. “Without any hesitation I said no,” he explained. “This is where we feel God wants us to be at this time and it is a privilege to be in the midst of God’s will.”
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/11555036/
Gaza’s forgotten Christians
The church worldwide needs to encourage believers in Gaza, who number only several hundred among 1.5 million Muslims and are caught in the crossfire of everyone else's battles.by Nicole Jansezian
Caught amid the infighting between Hamas and Fatah and Israel’s retaliation for rockets launched at its southern cities is an easily overlooked segment of the population: Christians number only 2,000 among 1.5 million in the Gaza Strip—less than 1 percent of the population.
And if you break it down even further, evangelical Christians number far less than that.
“We are a minority of minorities,” Hanna Massad, pastor of Gaza Baptist Church, told Israel Today. “It is really difficult. The Christian community here is 2,000 including Catholic, Greek Orthodox and evangelical Christians.” Gaza Baptist Church, the only evangelical church in the Gaza Strip, ministers to 150 to 200 people.
In the latest round of fighting, an Israeli bomb landed on a Hamas office just 300 feet from Massad’s home shattering all of the windows. No one was injured, but the consequences of a war they are not involved in are continually getting closer to home.
Frequently, one Palestinian faction or the other commandeers the church’s buildings to use as a lookout point. Once, a library worker was literally caught in the crossfire and shot in the back. He has since recovered.
The church driver wasn’t as fortunate. The 22-year-old newlywed was shot and killed in a Hamas-Fatah shootout, an innocent bystander.
Not long ago, militants carried through on a threat to bomb the Gaza Bible Society where Massad’s wife is a director. Now the church itself has been threatened. “There is a small militant group that hates everything western and Christian and in their minds, they are trying to clean up the city,” Massad said. “They are a narrow-minded group and the government is unable to control it.”
But the Gaza church isn’t playing victim to the circumstances. Instead the Christians are running clinics, libraries, bringing humanitarian aid to the needy and carrying on meeting. They meet openly at the church. “One thing that strikes me is that you don’t hear negative language from them,” Labib Madanat, director of the Bible Society in Israel and Palestinian territories, told us. “Their language is positive, a language of mission: ‘What is my role as a believer; what can I do in this situation?’” “I’m not saying it is not hard, that they don’t have fears,” he said. “There are troubles, threats, danger and sometimes they are down. But the overall sum is they are a group of people who are resilient, totally dependent on the Lord and positively thinking of what God wants them to be in the Gaza Strip.”
Madanat said the church worldwide needs to encourage believers in Gaza. Compared to believers in the West Bank, the believers in Gaza are more “focused on what God wants them to do in this situation. Gaza is much more difficult. The sense of need of total dependency on the Lord is much stronger.”
The American Consulate has been warning all Americans to get out of Gaza because of the constant dangers. Massad, who also holds American citizenship, was asked by the consulate if they want to leave.
“Without any hesitation I said no,” he explained. “This is where we feel God wants us to be at this time and it is a privilege to be in the midst of God’s will.”
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=132&view=item&idx=1413
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