Linga - Nazareth

Musalaha ministry held its third women meeting on May 18th 2013.
Eman Hanna, leader of the women’s meeting in Nazareth and upper Nazareth with the help of Nana Hamati, organised for the meeting to be held in the staff hall of Nazareth hospital.

The group began their day by a visit to the Nazareth village site with Hedva Haimuv (Leader of Musalaha’s women’s group as they have heard sufficient information about the village’s history, enjoying the authentic site and its findings such as 1st century wine press from the times of Jesus.

About twenty women attended the meeting, both Jewish and Arab;  after welcoming words by Eman Hanna, Basma Basha prayed for God’s blessing over the meeting.

There was a time of worship and praise as the women gave thanks to God almighty that strengthens the weak and gives hope to everyone in meeting all the needs of his people.

Nana Hamati (responsible for the Emergency Unit at the hospital) gave a short summary about the history of the hospital during the time of war with Lebanon as there weren’t any possibilities to treat the wounded. This motivated Dr. Fartan to initiate the building of the first hospital of its kind in Nazareth in 1861, situated between Beirut and Jerusalem.

Hedva Haimuv explained that the goal of the meeting was for women to get to know one another through sharing different opinions, and pouring their hearts before the Lord in prayer for the sake of building relationships, friendships and love.
These meetings that Musalaha’s ministry initiated for the past twenty years, so that women from both sides would check on one another especially during difficulties and crises especially the politically tensed times. She also emphasised on the issue of physical, physiological and spiritual health is a right for every person in the world and which has become complicated in the current states.
Hedva presented a great workshop through using a potato game, as everyone had to identify the piece they received after carefully considering it. She wanted to illustrate the importance of women being transparent and sensitive to the needs of others. Caring for people is important, although getting to know one another can be difficult just like trying to identify the piece of potato every woman received. Every person has their own characteristics and special feautures. Some are negative and some are positive characteristics but God, the Father of all, is able to give the spirit of transparency and the spirit of love and understanding for those who ask Him. The ladies really found this game helpful and it led them to come up with different spiritual thoughts. Hedva gave time for the ladies to voice the positive thoughts they came up with.
 
Eman Hanna showed a video clip done by the Better Life Junior Team, that through showing it, she wanted to explain about the reasons for conflict and damaged relationships in our land, societies and churches. These conflicts start with a small spark that can turn into a great destruction for many reasons like jealousy, greed and lust. She quoted from several Bible Stories mentioning that every woman has to face the difficulties and consequences as a daughter of God through loving one another according to the great commandment (Matthew 22: 36-40), and obeying the Lord(1John 4: 20). For how can someone love God whom he cannot see and not love his brother whom he can see? God is able to transform our broken relationships to great buildings of forgiveness and love. She also quoted from Romans 8: 28 where we read that everything works for the good of the believer.

One of the special comments that a Jewish lady gave was at the end of the meeting as she said ‘that the teaching she heard was like a musical piece to her ears and that she loved meeting with the women. The Lord answered her prayer in a miraculous way because she continued to pray for her Arab sisters until God answered her prayer through making way for this meeting.’