A Word from Rani
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 September is the start of the 'busy season' for tourism in Israel. The Nazareth Village has been getting loads of tourists, which is always a great opportunity for sharing the gospel of Jesus. It's also harvest season for olives, so we are about to begin gathering olives and pressing them in our first century olive oil press, which is always a fun and exciting 'festival' time.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I and a friend were involved in a very scary car chase through the streets of Nazareth. We drove at about 10 PM to the neighborhood of our friend to drop her off at home and I became suspicious of a man standing near some parked cars. I decided to drive to a different entrance to her neighborhood and as I was leaving, one of the cars turned on and drove right behind us. I pulled over to let him pass and he stopped behind me and tried to get out of the car. I immediately started the car and began driving to get away from him but he kept speeding up and trying to ram the back of my car! When the road was clear he would pull beside me and began rolling down his window and I became afraid he would shoot us! We raced like this through the streets, through red lights and over speed bumps with the car continuing to try and pull beside or ram us from behind. I called the police and was yelling for help but no police car was in the area. So I drove straight to the police station and this car followed us right to the gates!
The police gave us an escort home and a few days later the detective in charge called me and said he thought it was a case of 'mistaken identity.' The guy probably thought I was a member of rival family or gang and came after me. Many of the large Muslim families are fighting among themselves and this guy might have mistaken me for one of them. It was a very, very frightening experience for all of us and we are so thankful for the Lord's amazing protection! We also continue to pray for our city and for all the people who live here.
On September 25th I celebrated my 33rd birthday and enjoyed spending time with my family who made a special birthday celebration for me at our home. I am hopeful that this will be a wonderful year of my life! I have also made the difficult decision after two years of study, to discontinue my studies at NETS for the time being. Instead, I will be using this time off to dedicate myself to the growth of our ministry SALAM and the vision we have for it while I investigate other methods of evangelical training. I appreciate your prayers for me at this time as we continue our ministry work and look to the future!
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| A Word from Hannah |
 Oh how I miss the Autumn weather in America! We celebrated the arrival of Fall here in Nazareth by attempting a counterattack on a massive dust storm that blew in with a stifling heat wave. Our house was literally coated, inside and out, with a thick layer of yellow dust and visibility was greatly reduced by the cloud of dust in the atmosphere. Everything looked hazy and yellow, smudged around the edges.
With that being said, the end of September signals the beginning of the long awaited 'rainy season.' There's nothing like the sound and smell of rain as it arrives over a land entirely moisture deprived for 9 months of the year. It literally washes the streets and buildings clean. It really helps bring into light the dependence of ancient Israel for the yearly rains. After spending so much time in drought, the rain was (and continues to be) a divine blessing!
I'm always reminded during this season of waiting on the rain, of the Lord's ultimate fulfillment of His promises and of His blessing after times of trial. The past month has been one of challenge and overcoming obstacles as we seek to accomplish more of our vision for our ministry. This year will be one of very tough decisions as we pray for the Lord's guidance. We appreciate your prayers as we continue to work and develop our ministry. We are passionate about reclaiming the Holy Land for Jesus Christ and we need your prayers as we follow His leading. We know that after a drought the Lord will bring the rain and we are praying that he rains down revival in this land.
Be glad, O people of Zion,
rejoice in the LORD your God,
for he has given you
the autumn rains in righteousness.
He sends you abundant showers,
both autumn and spring rains, as before.
Joel 2:23
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We're Thankful
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- We continue to be so very thankful for our many prayer partners and financial contributors.
- We are thankful for the Lord's protection on our lives.
- We are thankful for the continual provision of our needs.
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Pray With Us
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- Pray for the city of Nazareth and for revival among the churches
- Pray for us as we participate in an upcoming youth camp for Arab kids. We pray many lives will be changed for the Lord.
- Pray for guidance and clarity as we seek the Lord's direction for the coming year.
- Pray for the Lord to work upon the hearts of those in ministry in this land as we increase our unity.
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