Above: Bishara Awad, President of the Bethlehem Bible College with Steve.
“Don’t pray for opportunities equal to your abilities.
Pray instead for abilities equal to your opportunities.”
On June 5, Brother Andrew of Open Doors and I, along with three others, flew to Tel Aviv. We stayed at the Bethlehem Bible College where we joined in the celebration of 30 years of ministry by the only Arab speaking Bible College in the region. More than 400 students have graduated from there, providing much-needed ministry leaders in Israel, West Bank and Gaza.
The main purpose of our trip was to visit Gaza. We received the permits on Friday morning, just hours before we were scheduled to depart. On Sunday, June 7 we visited Gaza Baptist church. They are the only evangelical church in Gaza and they are very isolated and discouraged. We knew that attendance had been low (maybe 10) since the war so we were surprised to find the church full. Apparently word had gone out that we were coming and there were 125 in attendance. Church leaders told us it was the best attendance they’d had in three years. Brother Andrew spoke about reaching out to Muslims. It turns out there were several Muslims in attendance and they were very open to his message.
Would you please pray for these Muslims and others who heard the gospel at the church service? Would you also pray that those who attended the service would continue to come and that the church would be revived in its ministry? There is so much need in Gaza and the church really has good news and hope for a people who desperately need hope. I’m convinced that there is no other hope for the Middle East—hearts must be changed and only Jesus can do that. And would you pray for Israel? It is reported that 85% of Israeli’s are atheists.
My head is still spinning and trying to make sense of what I saw, heard, and felt. It was both amazing and confusing. It is a land of contrasts and contradictions. There is a strong, vibrant body of believers who are relevant and making inroads into the Jewish and Islamic worlds. They suffer greatly, but are not bitter. They know it is not about them, but to the honor and glory of God. They are precious people. I saw the visible expression of 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 being lived out before me each day that we were with the Palestinian believers. There were times you would think that we weren’t “safe” in what we were doing, but it was awesome.
Below, left to right: John Angle, Brother Andrew, Alex Awad, Steve.
What a privilege to sit with people and openly share the Gospel. I can honestly say that outside of my conversion, I have never been so turned upside-down. It was an “I didn’t know, I didn’t know” kind of moment that turned into a “what now” response. That is what I am pondering now…
