Activities
The main activity of Tabitha Ministries is giving humanitarian aid to Christian Palestinians in the West- Bank.
In addition to that Tabitha Ministries has plans to establish a social and cultural centre for woman and children in Zababdeh in the north of the West Bank. Tabitha Ministries is also involved in the organisation of Seminars and Youth Camps.
Visit to Zababdeh
by Bram and Pem Rutgers
The
main purpose of our visit to Zababdeh in the north
of the West Bank last April was to look at land, buy
a plot as the first step to build a social-cultural
centre for mothers and children. And to establish
links with the four local churches in Zababdeh and
the municipality-authorities. In the Zababdeh area
live around 5000 Christian Palestinians. They are
mostly without work and income.
During
our first visit to Zababdeh, two years before,
we had visited churches and churchleaders, friends
of our mission partner Jonathan Esawi. We met for
instance with Feraz Diab, the Makalite (Greek
Catholic) priest, and with Sammy Barham, a Baptist
pastor without a church, who had recently returned
to his place of birth to help his fellow brothers
and sisters to survive. Together they formed a team
to spot and support the suffering Christian community
of Zababdah and the surrounding villages. Father Feraz
Diab, who had just finished the last bit of painting
in his small church which he had build up with his
own hands, was preparing for the Easter service with
his small herd of Maronites. He joyfully accepted
a gift to be able to buy bread and wine for the celebration
of Holy Communion from the hands of his colleague
Jonathan Esawi.
This
time we got introduced to the new vicar of the Anglican
Church, the reverend Fadi
Diab. It happened that the bishop of the Anglican
Church in Jerusalem, bishop Riah, and the vicar had
discussed a plan to purchase land and place on it
a social- cultural centre with many facilities for
the young and the elderly.
It
was a great opportunity for us to introduce Jonathan
Esawi (who is the director of Tabitha Ministries Netherlands
on the Palestinian side) as a mission partner of the
Anglican Church in The Hague, and explain to Fadi
Diab the longstanding vision Jonathan and Hilda had
cherished to establish a much needed centre for mothers
and children in Zababdeh. Now it turns out that we
can work together in this.
From: Link Magazine/August
Photos:
Top left: Zababdeh seen from an opposite hill
Top right: Land to be purchased
Down left: Jonathan Esawi and Feraz Diab, the Greek Catholic priest
Down right: The
Anglican Church in Zababdeh
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Jonathan
Esawi is one of the mission partners of the
Anglican Church of St. John and St. Philip in
The Hague. Jonathan and his wife Hilda after
the 11 o'clock morning service on sunday 4rth
of septembre. Jonathan reflected on the peace
the Scriptures speak of while Hilda spoke for
the Youth Church about daily life for girls
and boys in Bethlehem.The Anglican Church is
represented in the Committee of Recommendation
of Tabitha Ministries.
"May
God the source of hope fill you with all joy
and peace by means of your faith in Him, so
that your hope will continue to grow by the
power of the Holy Spirit." ( Romans 15:13) |
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