Linga- Beit Jala

The ministry of Musalaha held its annual conference on Thursday, Friday and Saturday 23-25 May 2013 at Talitha Koumi School in Beit Jala for all women’s groups. The title of the conference was “Restoring Identity" and many women attended from different cities such as Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, Abud, Natanya, Haifa, Nazareth, Ashdod, Karma’el and Abu Sinan.

At the beginning of the conference, Hedva Haymov, coordinator of the women’s work at Musalaha, welcomed the attendance sharing some information about the upcoming women’s trip abroad. She also showed a few photos from the trip to Holland that one of the groups recently went on. Hedva welcomed the new women who are attending for the first time and followed by leading a discussion on the issue of love. She said that is it is an act rather than words and it is a decision that human beings make. If a person does not make a decision to love then he is being lazy. Apathy and indifference are not from God. As women we need to share the love everywhere we are, including churches, homes, and sharing it with others through voluntarily work as well as praying and talking to one another.

Before the evening meal, Hedva led a workshop session in order that the women might get to know one another. She talked about the characteristics of an olive tree and its benefits while quoting from psalm 123: 3. She said that the women of Muslaha were like an olive tree that has many branches around the table of the Lord. She lifted up many prayers revolving round many issues such as healing and the work of the ministry of Musalaha and its success. Later on she led another workshop where women got to make little bushes with different beads referring to their tree of life and working together for the glory of God.

Shadia Qubty led the time of praise and worship as prayers were also lifted up by the ladies who were there. They prayed for the current state of affairs and for all the countries that were going through wars and different persecutions in the world, especially in the Middle East.

A few of the sisters shared short devotions,  Huawida Dallo talked about the love through which we became sons of God. She said that acts of love are able to break the barrier of enmity that is between people. She quoted from the Gospel of John and the letter to the Ephesians 2:13. Through Christ those who were far have now become close. God wants to ignite the spiritual talents in all those who ask him. She asked for God’s peace to come upon everyone. Lorees shared from the book of Isaiah: “Rise and shine.”and from proverbs about the virtuous woman. The Biblical passages were read in three languages: Arabic, Hebrew and English.

Dr. Salim Munayyer, one of the founders of Musalaha, talked about restoring identity. He said: “conflict is at hand due to many factors like feeling insecure and not accepting the other, not having a sense of belonging to one’s family or land as well as the loss of rights and need to justice.

Dr. Munayyer added that every person who in need of these essentials would lack the language of communication. If the case continues to be so, this person who is lacking a lot will harbour violence within himself and will start feeling guilty and in need of looking for justifications. He started saying that this is when we need to start communicating lovingly with one another. He added that the successful solution comes from the truths that the Bible offers us. The identity of the free person stems from the person of Christ who gathers all people and helps us to understand and embrace one another. Both parties, Jews and Arabs claim that they are victims of the current state of affairs. A person without Christ has no identity nor freedom nor peace. The true character of a person is built on one’s knowledge of Christ rather than building a character on the account of other people.

Pastor Evan Thomas, of Beit Asaf congregation in Natanya and one of Musalaha’s leaders shared about embracing and loving one another and that identity can be affected by sin. Bondage does not lead to personal freedom. At the same time being loyal to a specific group of people can prevent people from understanding others as well as their theology, thoughts, customs and concepts. This can lead to conflict. On the other hand, Jesus offers us the source of successful relationships and equal identity for human beings.

At the end of the conference a Skype call was held with the Musalaha sisters in the UK. There was also a time of evaluation at the end. Some women sold products and the money made will be going towards the participants in Musalaha’s summer camps.