Shefa-Amr December, 2003

“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” Pslam 90:17
 

The King’s Kids after outreach.

May your Christmas and New Year have in store,
all what you are praying for and more.

نصلّي أن يحمل عيد الميلاد المجيد والسّنة الجديدة في طيّهما
كل البركات واستجابة الصلوات

מתפללים שהשנה החדשה תשא המון ברכות
ותשובות לתפילות

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners, We thank the Lord for another year of blessings that the Lord has given us, even amidst the strife of those around us. We know that the Lord has called us to be a light, and we know that He is the One who enables us to fulfill that calling. King’s Kids Summer Camp – A Week of Joy and Unity The highlight this year was watching each of the kids spread out over the Port of Acre, enthusiastically sharing their personal faith with everyone they could. Our goal this year in the King’s Kids Summer Camp was for each child to be able to answer the question “What is the reason for the hope that is in me and you?” First we answered this question for ourselves studying the Four Spiritual Laws, and then we worked on how to share this answer with others. “This is the first time I’ve told someone about Jesus” were the words of Essa (from Nazareth) during our practice back at the hostel where we held the camp. Although the camp was a little bit shorter and smaller, we felt that the Lord really used this to give a real spirit of unity amongst the participants, both Messianic and Arab believers, love, and willingness to learn, in each child who was there.
Helping Hands Needed	The issue of the House of Light land has been brought back into the forefront by an unfortunate incident that happened on September 3rd. We discovered that thieves had climbed the fence around the land, broken into the storage container, and stolen our tools. How disheartening it was for us! The land has been sitting for so long now; we are seemingly at an impasse, and wondering what the Lord’s plan is for the land. After the robbery we went to the land, to pray, spend some time trimming the many little olive trees that have survived even without much care, and water the two grape vines and three shade trees.
We are praying fervently for a breakthrough in this issue. We believe the Lord has called us to use this land for His glory, and that the Lord will bring to pass what He has planned. One needed element is staff. With someone willing to farm the land, or at least to manage other workers on the land, we could begin the vision we’ve had for so long: Using the land as a place for drug addicts to work with their hands and get their mind off of the substances that hold them in submission. Pray with us! Come work with us! Prison Ministry Is Growing Strong Tears welled up in the eyes of “R” as we sang together in Tsalmon Prison last holiday season. Our joint team of Jewish and Arab believers was able to hold special services inside of four prisons, and we were received very well by the prisoners. God has been blessing the prison ministry with many open doors and many open hearts, and we have witnessed 19 prisoners, Arab and Russian, come to the Lord during the past three years. We praise God for the genuine change that seems to have taken place in the heart of “C” who decided to begin studying the Scriptures through correspondence Bethlehem Bible College. After getting the permission to hold special Christmas programs, we will begin visiting nine prisons starting December 22nd HOL meetings and Conferences The weekly meetings are still held on Tuesdays, and lately we’ve had some special sessions and individual counseling held by Christian psychologists since the need is growing. On Sept 14th the families of the HOL gathered in Tabgha for a day of fun, fellowship, and to learn from the word of God. (Tabgha is the traditional site of where Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two fish.) We were so happy that a Lebanese family we have been working with was able to join us. Youth Reconciliation Day On October 12th, Jewish and Arab kids ages 12-18 gathered in the Baptist School in Nazareth for a day of fun, games, and most importantly to get to know each other. About 90 kids were in attendance, from Nazareth, Qiryat Yam, Tiberias, Afula, Cana, and Shefa-Amr. After get-to-know-you games and dividing into 10 different teams (each team containing both Jewish and Arab kids) they hit the playing field where the teamwork oriented games provided excellent opportunities to work together and laugh together. One of the youth leaders was asking the boys if they had made any new friends. “All the people on my team!” was the response of Anaan (13) from Shefa-Amr. Although the kids tended to stick to their own groups and friends, there were several very promising examples of friendship across cultural barriers being made. One example was Yousef (from Shefa-Amr) and Eli (from Afula), who were working together to drench people with water from the leftover water balloons.
Loobye Forest Meeting	The second annual meeting in Loobye Forest was a fruitful time of fellowship. This annual gathering was started by the leaders of several Messianic Jewish and Arab Christian congregations. The leaders have joined together to form a group called “Eder Echad” (One Flock), and their purpose is to be leaders of reconciliation, bringing together Arabs and Jews in the love of Christ. This year the Loobye meeting saw about the same number of people as last year, with people participating from Nazareth, Tiberias, Shefa-Amr, Qiryat Yam, and other places.
Family News • The joy of the Barhoum household is little Anis, who is not so small anymore as he reaches the year-and-a-half mark and he can say Amen before he starts eating. We as his grandparents take care of him during the days that his mother Erini is teaching school and studying at the Technion for her Masters as well. Erini took a position teaching physical education two days a week. Although that is not her subject, it was the only thing available. • Nae’em is continuing at the company where he works, and spends long hours in the office and on the road. Both Naeem & Erini help with various activities at the HOL. • Zaher and Ranaa’ enjoyed their first wedding anniversary and are doing well in their home in Nazareth. Zaher is continuing as a physical education instructor and Ranaa’ is in her last year of M.A. Psychology studies at Haifa University and both of them are responsible for the work amongst students in Israel. • Rajaa’ is also in her last year of study in Tel Aviv University majoring in Communication Disorders (B.A.), and still enjoys spending the weekends at home and working among King’s Kids. • Anis and Nawal are busier than ever with all the expanding ministries of the HOL. One volunteer commented as they were going out visiting and praying with families, “It feels like the HOL is my house and you are the guests, because I’m here more than you are!” • Ies and Jeane, the Dutch volunteers, are continuing for their third year here in the House of Light, visiting and encouraging families, teaching the kids and youth crafts and arts and helping in the household of House of Light. • Ethan, the volunteer from the USA, finished a year with us and left for home in mid-November. We will miss him.
Praise The Lord! A New Van!	After four years of waiting, praying, and saving, the Lord has blessed us with a new VW Transporter! It has seats for eight passengers and the driver, and has already seen much use for King’s Kids activities, bringing people home from the Tuesday meeting, and transporting groups who come and visit us here in the HOL. To all those who have helped with the finances for the van we want to say a heartfelt “thank you!” We also give our sincere thanks to all those who assisted us with the finances needed to attend two training conferences this year, one in Madrid (about addictions) and one in Toronto (about prison ministry). Both conferences were a tremendous blessing. We learned many things and were encouraged to hear what our co-workers are doing around the world.
HOL Expansion Plans are continuing for the new room that we would like to build next to the existing meeting room. Nae’em has drawn up the plans for the room. Work also began on the meeting room entrance in early November. By the time you receive this newsletter it should be nearly finished! The new entrance will be safer (before the walkway and the stairs were rough), include a ramp for wheelchairs, and be much nicer looking. We’re so thankful to see the work finally under way! This would have not been possible without the generosity of our friends around the world who have contributed financially to this project. We will remember your gifts each time we use the new facilities!
Let Praise Ring Out! (And A Child Will Lead Them!)	Several months ago we began sending four kids (ages 13-14) for piano lessons. They are doing very well; a few months ago we held a concert for them to display what they had learned. Each child played two praise songs while the congregation sang along! Our vision is to expand the opportunities we are able to offer to these kids to study music, to build up the kids and to build up the body of Christ in this land. Thanks to a generous donation, we recently began purchasing instruments for the kids to use in their practices. We bought an acoustic guitar with amplification, and plan to purchase more instruments as time goes on.
The House of Light Is Online! See us at www.houseoflight.net Online you will find many more photos and information as we begin to expand the website.
Please Pray With Us:	• Personnel to work the HOL land, and permission to build a rehabilitation center there • The work of reconciliation to grow • Open opportunities and finances for the prison ministry • Continued growth of the King’s Kids group, both here and in Jerusalem • Strong leadership to be raised up to continue with King’s Kids as several of the young leaders are busy with university studies. • New volunteers who are thinking about joining us • Our family

We praise God for all His blessings, and for all He’s doing in each of our lives,

Anis & Nawal Barhoum
And the HOL Family

Donations can be made at:

1) Israel Discount bank, #373982 in Kiryat Ata, Zvolon St. 13. Fax # 972-4-8441266
2) Holland: Giro 333842 t.n.v. St. Vrienden
van the House of Light Papendrecht