Musalaha News letter December, 1999
"---- but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3
Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
WOMEN MEETING IN BETHLEHEM
NEW STAFF
PRAYER REQUESTS
NEWS FROM THE MUNAYERS
"---- but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3
by Evan Thomas
When one sets out for five days for a desert encounter with Musalaha there is always a deep sense of apprehension of what will unfold. For Salim and Evan this was certainly true as the bus pulled away from Jerusalem at the beginning of our long journey to Wadi Rum, in the heart of the Jordanian southern desert. We were still licking our wounds from the aborted trip to the Sinai during the Passover/ Easter period and now once again we were crossing a border with all the political implications of our sensitive region. Our group as always was complex, consisting of 27 participants from the Israeli heartland, the Galilee and Haifa, from Jerusalem and the West Bank.
This in itself might not seem so strange except that within this small diverse group we had people whose mother tongue was Arabic or Hebrew or Russian or English with no language common to all. Even our passports spoke of complexity; Israeli (both Jewish and Arabic), Palestinian (for the West Bankers) and Jordanian (for those Palestinian brothers living in East Jerusalem.) As such, once again we were faced with the reality of separate border crossings - the Palestinians at the Allenby Bridge and the rest of us at Aquaba in the south.
Such was the political context for one of the most blessed of our desert journeys. Our Jordanian host, Abu Rami received us graciously into his newly constructed Bedouin encampment complete with showers and sit-down toilets! We couldn't believe our eyes at the relative luxury set in this extraordinarily harsh and beautiful place. Salim and Evan realised too that this kind of comfort only made it more difficult to break down the social barriers so necessary for the Holy Spirit to do his work in our hearts. Nevertheless, morale was very high as we were treated to the best of desert hospitality and settled down for the night on full stomachs, having spent some time in getting-to-know-one-another games as part of our orientation.
The next day we were up with the flies (oops! sunrise) and out for a full day on the camels - this time one per person. This of course gave no excuse for the faint-hearted to swap positions to give sore bottoms a rest and the rhythm and heat of the day began their work on us all. By the time we reached camp the showers and mattresses looked wonderful, but after only after a brief respite we sent everybody off into the wilderness with water and Bibles to be alone until sunset. Salim had already begun to introduce the motif of the desert in relation to the Scriptures and this unique environment was beginning to have its effect.
People were very quiet as we gathered after supper to worship and share. Being the season of Succot (Feast of Booths) we also had the benefit of a full moon over the desert, which provided such beautiful light effects as it reflected off the cliffs and wadis.
The next day was also an early rise to meet the challenge of a full day on open-back jeeps, exploring the desert. We stopped for shade and refreshment and to deepen our connection to the desert motifs (the desert as a place of sanctuary, a place to seek God.) After two days together despite minimal previous connection, a number of people began to take risks and enter into sensitive subjects of discussion. Fuelled by the mid-afternoon sun the discussions began to get heated and many felt it was time to move on. This was just the opportunity we were waiting for - engineered by the Lord - and we sent everybody off in groups of five to listen to the stories and pray for one another.
Hanna shared her story with us and our hearts wept at her bitter-sweet testimony. She had come to Israel over 30 years ago from an ultra-orthodox Jewish background, married into the community and began to raise a family. Her own spiritual hunger led her to Yeshua the Messiah and as she began to share her excitement with her husband, "baptism of fire" began. Over the ensuing years she would be dragged through the Rabbinic courts, lose her marriage, children and community and even suffer the indignity of overnight imprisonment. Despite enormous pain she remained faithful to her new faith, her Jewish identity and her nation.
In another group, "Mahmoud," a young ex-Muslim serving in the security services of the Palestinian Authority shared his story of finding Yeshua. This young man infused us with his joy and enthusiasm.
Leor and Nassim were to discover one another and through their desert encounter, begin a process of heart change. Leor is a young Israeli Bible college student and Nassim (a Palestinian) is a project manager for a large Christian organization based in Jerusalem. He grew up in the West Bank and has lived many years outside the Holy Land. Despite their initial rather "hot" interaction, and their many differences they requested to room together when we came out of the desert to Aquaba for our last night. They had stepped towards each other in response to the Lord's challenge.
After a feast of spit-roasted lamb, we gathered to worship under the light of a large desert moon (Wadi Rum is known as the valley of the moon.) We read from Philippians 2:1-11 and then began to serve one another from the Table of the Lord as is our tradition in Musalaha. In this way we grasped the reality of Paul's words.
The next day found us back in civilisation in the Jordanian seaport of Aqaba to enjoy the comforts of our hotel and the joy swimming in the Red Sea. The evening meal at the hotel offered Salim and Evan a bit of a challenge when quite unexpectedly a live show began, complete with belly dancer in traditional garb. Taking about 20 seconds for a high degree of excitement to show itself among our young men, Salim quickly reassured everyone that this was not planned! To the glory of God we ushered everyone out to the hotel rooftop to be greeted by a magnificent view across to Eilat and northward to Moab and the Arava valley. The rest of the evening was spent in spontaneous sharing and blessing one another as the Lord restored our focus on Him.
This sense of blessing and rightness continued the next morning - our last before the border crossing and return to our respective communities. Dan, an Israeli brother shared a beautiful devotional word and led us into a time of prayer. This time the emphasis was on the blessing of our communities and we took it in turn to stand in representational groups and be blessed. This provided a moving finale before our as-always prolonged goodbyes. Once again God had invested a large portion of His grace among a few local Believers to accomplish his goal to break down the barrier of the dividing wall
Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
Exodus 8:1b
Student Retreat in Haifa
How hard can it be to take a group of Palestinian students from Bethlehem to Haifa? Surely we only need to load up the bus, count people, weave our way through Jerusalem traffic, and set out on the Haifa highway.
This was the plan as the Musalaha staff sat down in our office sometime in July 1999, brainstorming and planning our upcoming programs. Rola Zaid had joined us from Haifa and her idea was to hold a meeting between a fellowship of university students in Haifa and students from the Bethlehem Bible College. It seemed easy enough, and really quite exciting, as she described her vision for the two groups to meet each other.
The first time Rola herself had visited Bethlehem was only a few weeks earlier, when she visited friends she had made on a Musalaha Desert Encounter. As an Arab living in Israel, even she had to overcome certain fears in order to cross the border between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. From these experiences the desire arose to bring together students from Bethlehem and Haifa.
We thought it best to begin the exchange by taking a group to Haifa; where a Christian hostel had graciously offered their facilities for the weekend. The occurrence of this retreat hinged on one major factor: the Palestinians receiving permission to leave the Palestinian Authority area and travel into Israel.
After several changes and holidays, we set a final date for October 29. October arrived, Rola and the office staff began concentrating on the details of the project. The food was arranged (delicious shwarma), the program created, leaders recruited, and people informed. Anticipation increased as we realized that this was finally going to happen.
Two weeks prior to the retreat, the list of Palestinians was sent to the Palestinian Authority so that they could give it to the Israeli authority in order to issue individual permits. A week passed and when we checked on the status of the application, there was no information. Monday and Tuesday before the trip on Friday, phone calls and visits were made again, and still we knew nothing. As we needed to inform the hostel that they could make other arrangements, on Wednesday the entire project was cancelled.
After months of planning, after some difficulties convincing people of the need for such a meeting, and after several dates had been set and moved, you can imagine the sense of disappointment felt by all who had played part in this process.
Early Thursday morning, a leader from Haifa called to see if he could help the situation. After making some additional inquiries, we only then learned that the requests were never passed on to the proper authorities. We began making rather frantic phone calls and faxes, essentially asking the authorities to cram a two-week process into one day. Five o'clock came and went, and still we were waiting. Finally, at 11:30 at night, Salim received phone call that the Palestinians had received the proper permission and were free to travel!
It is evident that God had many lessons to teach us from this process. It was good for us, who don't normally experience the difficulties in our current political situation, to learn about some of the practical obstacles that many face.
Also it came clear that our human plans and agendas may fall to pieces, but His provision and plan is constant. When we finally made it to Haifa and all smilingly agreed that we had been part of a miracle, the retreat itself unfolded beautifully. The students, at first hesitant, were quickly swept into the evenings activities and enjoyed playing games, worshiping and praying together. Several shared their testimonies, and one Palestinian student, Rami,told us how he found God and was completely changed from a life of doing "very bad things." Rami continued to emphasize that God's love extends to our brothers and sisters, of all nationalities and backgrounds.
One game we played perhaps offers a little bit of insight into our circumstances. It was a dramatic version of the old "Telephone" game, where a message is whispered from person to person. In this case, a short skit was acted and then reenacted by a second, third, and fourth pair. The game provided some side-splitting entertainment as what started as a man selling hotdogs and fainting, ended up as a bellydancer finding her true love and dying. As we have all come to understand, what we begin with, so carefully arranged, does not always turn out as planned. We are again reminded that God is faithful and full of grace, and our efforts can be transformed by his power.
Women Meeting in Bethlehem
It was Monday evening on November 19 when a group of women from the Israeli side of the checkpoint ventured into Bethlehem to visit their Palestinian sisters. For an Israeli it can be quite a challenge to overcome the fear of going to this area, but the streets were silent and the welcome of the Palestinian women was warm. Some women had attended the former meeting, for others it was the first time to get together in a small group. We shared the vision that when we gather from both sides, friendships and understanding develop. Having good experiences with a small group will gradually change our whole perception of people and help us to love our neighbors.
New Staff
We are thankful for the addition of another part time worker. Dania Minor has joined Musalaha in order to help with our programs,and will be concentrating her efforts on Expo 2000. Dania grew up in Jerusalem and served in the Israeli army. After finishing the army, she studied Arabic in Jordan for one year, and is currently studying Bible at Hebrew University. Dania and her husband Wes recently returned to live in Jerusalem after spending a year in North America.
Prayer Requests
Please join us in praying for the upcoming activities and events.
Youth Follow-up Service Project: The youth from the July Desert Encounter plan to serve the elderly in the Israeli community, by helping them with home repairs and remodeling.
Post-Army, Post-Intifada Desert Encounter Follow-Up
Following the picnic on November 13, the participants in September's Desert Encounter agreed to meet on several occasions for a variety of projects. They want to join in some teaching on both Palestinian and Jewish history and culture. In addition, they are planning a visit to hardship places and a social service project.
Theology of the Land book: Throughout the past few years, a theological consultation has been held in Cyprus and Bethlehem, with Palestinian, Jewish and Western believers participating. We have been asked to publish a collection of the articles that have been presented concerning the theology of the land. We feel that it is important that the body of Messiah have a full range of discussion on this vital and timely subject. Please join us in praying that the details of printing and producing this book will be completed by the end of the year.
Women's Meeting: The women in the Jerusalem area are planning to meet a third time on December 13, to share in Christmas thoughts and traditions. It will also be a time of prayer for the upcoming women's conference. In Haifa, women continue to meet and ask for your prayers that the Lord will direct and give them a vision for the future of the gathering.
Women's Conference: Musalaha's fifth annual women's conference will take place at Tantur on January 14 and 15; the theme is "Ready and Waiting."In light of expectations surrounding the turn of the millennium, it is timely to examine our attitudes and expectations. What are we waiting for and are we prepared. In these difficult times, as women living in this conflicted part of the world, we want to focus on our Lord, our common hope and expectation. Please pray for the women's committee and office staff as we prepare for this conference, and that the Lord will bring participants who can benefit from and contribute to this gathering.
News from the Munayers
This October we had a special event as our families gathered to witness Jack's baptism. For the last year Jack had been wanting to be baptized. After talking together and making sure he understood the meaning of the act, we waited for Kay's parents to come and participate. Kay's mother and father, Salim's parents, siblings and their families, were all able to attend as Jack and another girl from our congregation were baptized. Our families shared a blessed time together as Jack took this step in a testimony of his faith. Of course all of the boys were excited to have their grandparents visiting for two weeks.
Daniel is playing basketball at the YMCA and becoming quite the athlete. John continues to learn in both Arabic and Hebrew, and seems to be coping quite well. Sam is talking selectively (his favorite word is "star").
Kay continues to volunteer at the Sunbula crafts shop. They held their annual Christmas fair, hosting women from the Palestinian authority areas who brought crafts and handiwork to sell. Everyone was thrilled with the success of the event.
The final draft of Salim's PhD was approved by his mentor in November and sent off to Oxford for review. In January, he will go to England to defend the thesis. This marks the culmination of six years of work, and we are all thankful to have this project completed. As well, he is keeping busy at the Bethlehem Bible College teaching an Old Testament class in the tour guide program, and a class on Revelations to the college students.
Bethlehem is becoming increasingly busy and full of visitors as we near the holiday season. It is exciting to be a part of the celebrations, and we pray for God's protection and peace amidst the activity and festivities.
