A day in Bethlehem

At least early on the process, I was a bit apprehensive about going to Bethlehem. After all, it's in the West Bank and ruled by Fatah. The checkpoint was ominous as we pulled our passports out in the bus. But to our surprise, we moved through the checkpoint quickly and on to Bethlehem Bible College for a lecture and lunch with some guests. Bethlehem Bible College is a recognized college in the West Bank whose purpose is to train men and women in the ministry that they might stay and minister to their people.

But it was our lunch that was the highlight. Over falafels we met with some of the college students at the Bible college to have lunch with them in order to get to know them. What we all realized is how easy it is to lump Palestinians all into one kind of person. Yet, here before us were Palestinian young men and women who loved the Lord and wanted to reach their own people group! We heard their stories about the difficulties they face both in being Christian and Palestinian. The sense is that they do feel like they are on the extreme margins. Our hearts went out to them as we first prayed for them and then exchanged names so we could add them as Facebook friends. The internet really does provide a level of community!

We toured a bit around the city - the church where the shepherds saw the star pointing to Christ's birth, the Herodian - Herod the Great's residence that he built in a mountain, and the Church of the Nativity that marks the place where Christ was born. We even had time to visit a Palestinian refugee camp to minister to people, to hear their stories, and to see the wall that was erected to separate Israel from the West Bank. It was one of the best days that we had but yet one of the heaviest as we all understood the weight of the conflict. There's a lot more to tell but that will do for now!

Today we are headed out to church and then on to camp outside of Tel Aviv. Our spirits and health are great! The excitement level is huge as all the preparation the last few days - exploring Jerusalem and Bethlehem and the lectures - has acclimated us to the Land. We are ready to minister to the kids. There will be 64 kids there from 9-12 years old, both from Palestinian Christian and Messianic families. That does not mean that these kids have chosen to follow Messiah personally but they will have opportunity to do so. Nor does it mean that these kids have had the chance to talk about reconciliation in an age appropriate way. We look forward to the opportunities that God has for us in Petah Tikvah... Door of Hope!! Thanks for praying for us!