News Update
Espanioly Events
May/June 2010
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Greetings!
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Warmest greetings from Nazareth! The past few months have flown by and we are currently anticipating our upcoming trip to the USA. We hope you'll take a moment to read some of our current news and please stay in touch. Many blessings!
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Update on SALAM Ministry
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We have had some great progress with our new ministry, SALAM in the Holy Land. Our vision continues to grow daily as we walk in faith. We currently have partnerships in place with four local ministries and even had the chance to welcome four American visitors to Nazareth in April. We will be sharing some of our vision with churches and individuals in America during our visit in July. We encourage you to visit our new homepage to
read more about SALAM and we
appreciate your prayers as we go forward. |
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Local News
|  Gaza Crisis
Many of you witnessed the recent debacle between Israel and Gaza which occurred on May 31st. A flotilla of boats carrying aid to refugees in Gaza attempted to break the navel blockade on the Gaza port, which prompted the Israeli military to forcibly board and take over the ships during the night. Several lives were lost in the incident and the atmosphere among Arab communities tensed world-wide.
In Nazareth, which is the largest Arab town in Israel, residents took to the street immediately to demonstrate, carrying signs protesting against Israel's actions. Rani was able to get some pictures of the demonstrators. They ended by burning signs and other material in the middle of the road and all businesses and schools were closed the following day in protest.
The world is watching Israel and America closely during this time, and Israeli Arabs are especially torn as they attempt to live peacefully in a country that is so opposed to the Arab world. We are really praying for a peaceful end to this situation and that this will provide an opportunity for many to come to Christ.
Global Day of Prayer
Another event, totally opposite to the Gaza crisis, took place a few days prior on May 23rd. It was the Global Day of Prayer, held in Nazareth. The event drew more than 600 participants and was a mix of Arab and Jewish believers. The day saw Arabs and Jews embracing and seeking forgiveness of one another and culminated with the ultimate act of humility - the washing of feet. Arab pastors knelt and washed the feet of their Jewish brothers in Christ and the Jewish pastors followed suit. It was truly an amazing experience. Rani was on hand, reporting for Linga, and managed to conduct a few interviews with several church leaders from both groups. You can see the interviews and read about the event here.
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A Word from Rani
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 The month of May was a very busy time for me, especially at NETS, but was a relief because classes officially ended on May 28th. I still have some work to catch up on, including some papers, but I have gotten an extension to complete them this summer.
I have also been very busy the past few months working with the Terana team. A few months ago, I was nominated by a good friend of mine for a fellowship with a new initiative of the U.N. It is called Terana and it is a global peace-keeping group that uses media to build peace worldwide. I received one of 25 global fellowships and have been very busy conducting interviews and film projects for this group. I am loving being a part of it and meeting different people from different cultures. I pray this will be an opportunity for me to be a shining representative of Christ, as I am one of only two evangelical Christians in the group.
My work with the Linga news team and my own ministry SALAM is going very well. I had the great honor of covering the Global Day of Prayer with Linga and was so moved by the powerful meeting. I hope you get the chance to read about it on the Linga site. Also, I have been busy preparing for our upcoming trip to America where I will be speaking in churches about my life as a Nazarene and also about SALAM. I am so excited about this summer!
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A Note from Hannah
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 The month of May brought a great deal of joy to our little household as we celebrated our first anniversary on May 24th. In honor of our first year, we spent the day at the natural hot springs of Hamat Gader, in the very north of Israel, along the Syrian border. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed soaking in the hot mineral water. The site has been in use since the Roman occupation, more than 2,000 years ago, and includes the ruins of the original Roman bath house. I loved every moment of it.
The month of May was also filled with choir performances! I am a member of Liturgi-Kal choir, a choir based in Netanya for local Israeli singers. We performed five concerts of Handel's The Messiah in Hebrew. It was such a fabulous experience. You can read about it here in an article that also provides links to a few YouTube samples from the first concert.
May also saw the conclusion of my time with NETS. I left my position as Communication and Publication Manager and have gone to work part-time as the Volunteer Coordinator at Nazareth Village. This job allows me much more freedom as I continue to work for SALAM and with my other extra-curricular activities. I am also preparing for our trip to America, where I will get to see my family again. It's been one full year since I saw any of them, which is a long time for me. Can't wait to be back home!
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Prayer Requests
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- Our ministry SALAM, as we continue growing and expanding our vision.
- Our upcoming trip to the USA - our speaking engagements especially, that God would use us to touch the lives of others.
- Hannah's visa process in Israel - we need to get an official 'permanent resident' visa in order to access any form of health insurance.
- The nations of Israel and Palestine as they deal with the current situation involving Gaza. We hope and pray that a peaceful solution will be reached!
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We're Thankful
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- We're so thankful for friends and family that have provided spiritual, emotional and financial support. We are so blessed!
- We are very thankful that we found an affordable car, made possible by a generous financial gift from a wonderful donor. Our new car is a 1998 Hyandai Accent and has working A/C! Praise the Lord!
- We're so grateful for all the invitations to speak and visit during our trip to the States. The Lord has blessed us with wonderful friends.
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Summer USA Travel Plans
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 We are so excited about our upcoming trip to the States: July 15 - August 19. We have a very full schedule and have posted our preliminary itinerary below. If you are in any of these areas during these dates, let us know!
 
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Again, thank you to everyone for all your thoughts, prayers
and financial support! We love each of you and continue to pray for you daily.
May our Lord bless each of you with your heart's desire.
Together in Christ,
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