Nessim Muse May 2009
Hello again and shalom from Israel.
The last weeks seem to be a never ending saga, with one event following another in quick succession. We hardly finish one saga and the next one is already on the doorstep. Within one short week, three leading brothers in Israel died, and two weddings took place, so that believers were running up and down the country from funeral to funeral and wedding to wedding, and sometimes we were meeting people we had not seen for years, on a daily basis. In spite of the many problems, it proved that we were really one big family supporting each other in joy and in sorrow. It was interesting to see how both Jews and Arabs were present at all these events, rejoicing or sorrowing together. One of which was the wedding of Carlos and Tanya, with whom we came to Britain for the CFI conference last year. If you have never seen Arabs rejoicing, and Jews rejoicing with them, you haven’t lived yet! I felt worn out just from watching them .
As I write this letter, I must confess that I am in a state of nearly complete exhaustion. Yesterday, daughter Debbie gave birth to her 6th child, a little girl, and I had to go off to Carmel to look after Miriam’s two children while she went to see her sister in Beersheva Hospital. We also had to visit a sister who lost her husband, as the custom here is not only to go to the funeral, but also to visit the family afterwards. Yesterday, also, a little boy was born to a non-too prosperous new immigrant couple in our assembly, and we will be hosting a Brit-Milah, (circumcision) next Thursday. So amidst all the gladness of the weddings and sorrow of the funerals, we are also celebrating new life.
While we are on the subject of New Life, you may remember that we told you about a sister who has been coming to our meeting for about a year. When we did the first chapter of 1John, she cried because she felt she had sinned much, and that she could not be forgiven. We told her about the dying thief on the cross, and how Jesus had forgiven even him. Recently, at a birthday party, she whispered to me that she had committed her life to Jesus finally, so this is the second person within three months, one Arab and one Jew! The Arab sister is now volunteering to do many jobs in the meetings, such as keeping the bathrooms clean, and looking after the kitchen. In spite of her many problems, she radiates!!
We are overjoyed but are still waiting for Cindy to give in, the one who said she is obviously living in darkness and likes it that way.
Perhaps the event of the month was Najeeb’s visit to “X”, a town on the West Bank, with his wife Elisabeth and his assistant, Ibrahim. Israeli Arabs are now allowed to visit “X” on Tuesdays, but Jews not yet! So I just had tostay and pray. They went to see the situation on the ground and to take pictures. I could not hold back the tears when Najeeb phoned me the next day. He had gone to “Z”.’s house, (the former Hamas fighter). There he was welcomed with open arms, and when he asked “Z” if he remembered him, his answer was, “How could I forget you when you laid your hand on my brow and prayed for me to recover?” The conversation got round to me, and he begged Najeeb to bring me to him, “I must meet this woman for myself, I have heard so much about her! If she comes over the border, we will take charge and care for her!” (More Hamas body guards?)
How I would love to go, but of course, I cannot go to “X”, I would not be allowed, but when “Z” gets his leg fixed, Najeeb will take me to Jordan to meet him. He said that “Z” is a really lovely person, and like his brother ABDM, was happy to hear the Gospel from Najeeb and look at the scriptures. He took a Bible and many books, and said he really wanted to learn about Jesus as much as he could. Their eyes were opened when they came to “enemy” Israel, and could not find their enemies, only friends! I just rejoice that the Gospel is reaching into the homes of former Hamas people because of Albert’s illness and death. I still cry for Albert, but thank God and now cry also tears of joy when I see what has come out of this, but I miss him terribly. While on this trip, they also visited the home of Rami and Manar, the Christian couple whose 8 year old son must be handed over to the family of his dead father. They are trying to get out of Palestine with their son. But with little success.
The meetings have been very blessed with the teaching of our regular Teacher, “M”, and Najeeb or sometimes Ibrahim, his assistant Pastor. We have also had a visit from another Palestinian (the husband of the above family from the same area as ABDM and his brother), and rejoice that we are able to host our brothers from the other side. They sang to us in Arabic and played Arabic songs, and there were also a number of prayers in Arabic as well as Hebrew andEnglish.
Quite a number of people have requested to go on our PDF list, and others on the Arad news list. If any of you would like to register, I am still compiling these two lists, so you can add your names if you wish to. And if any one wants to come off the newsletter list, we will not be offended, just hit the reply button and write in the subject line, Yes for PDF, or Yes for Arad news, Or Remove from Newsletter list!
God bless you all and thanks for praying,
In Yeshua,
Avi, Esther and Ruth 
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