Thank you so much for your prayers and your encouragement. It means lot to me and to my family. I left for Gaza on March 2 and returned late Monday night (March 14). It was a very long trip but a very fruitful one. It is always a great blessing to visit and minister to my people.
Even though I am a native of Gaza, the only reason I was able to enter and leave my country through Egypt is because I carry an American passport. This is one of the ironies of life in the Middle East; my national passport doesn’t help, but a foreign passport works.
It breaks my heart to see the siege continue. Since Hamas overthrew and drove out the Palestinian Authority, Gaza has been a big prison. Palestinians are restricted internally by Hamas, at the northern crossing by Israel and at the southern crossing by Egypt. Most painful of all, our people are divided with one government in Gaza and the other in the West Bank.
I preached two Sundays at Gaza Baptist Church. Part of my message was evangelistic and part was teaching, because the church still has no pastor.
Many of the people are sick with terminal illnesses, so I spent a lot of time visiting them praying with them and counseling them through a group of believers. I also led Bible studies in people’s homes and in the Christian school and had opportunities to counsel several leaders of the Christian community.
One of the most moving experiences of my visit was laying hands on two students who studied with me through a Bethlehem Bible College extension and commissioning them for the ministry. My heart leaps to see the fruit of God’s work through us.
Unemployment in Gaza is still more than 40 percent. I am told that as much as 80 percent of the people depend on charities for food to feed their families. I thank God for you and your generosity that enabled me to bring with me food and medicine to share with both Christians and unbelievers. Christian Mission to Gaza continues to give about $10,000 every year to ease the suffering of the poor and needy in this tiny, congested strip of land.
Persecution of Christians in Gaza continues. A couple of months ago, a number of Christians received threats. And just three weeks ago, a Christian leader was threatened, and his garage was bombed. The government has not been able to find the bomber. Praise God that no one was hurt.
Please continue to pray for our suffering and persecuted brothers and sisters in Gaza:
· that God would provide a pastor for Gaza Baptist Church
· for the safety of the Christian community
· that our ministry in Gaza will bear much fruit
· for my sister, Renee (it was wonderful to see her, but she still suffers from Muscular Dystrophy)
· for my next visit to Gaza the first week in May
· for God’s grace for Suhad, my wife, and our girls while their husband and father is away
My family and I are praying about visiting the United States this summer, from July 1 to August 5. If you would like us to come and share with your church, we would be blessed and honored to do so. Please write to hanna3@palnet.com
Thank you again for your faithful prayers and sacrificial partnership in the work of Christian Mission to Gaza. It may sound obvious, but I and my family simply would not be able to do any of this without you.
Affectionately and gratefully,
Hanna, Suhad, Joyce and Jolene