In this update I will be mostly reminiscing, but some of it is only a few months old. Right before Christmas 2009, I went to Israel and the West Bank. When I am there, I always remember back in time.
I would like to talk a little about Aduaba, and my beginning there. After the boys’ home closed, I went to Aduaba for a few weeks and stayed with the family of Abu Shashu. The Abu Shashu family opened their arms wide in welcome to me. Prior to that, I had visited them with Ustas who was the director of the Home of the Sons at that time. Not just that, but my husband and I had sponsored Ustas for many years and also his two brothers, Kabir and Riad, who then (some 25 or more years ago) were boys at that home, or rather teenagers. But that is a long story all by itself, and one day I may pen that down. Ustas also has two sisters, Doniah and Rima.
I really liked the village of Aduaba all those years ago, and now there is a great difference. The village then was very poor, and still is, but not as poor anymore. Things have changed for the better. More education and better jobs are available now for younger ones, I also think a deeper awareness of God among the Christian Arabs, and 15 families or so whom Lifeline has helped over the past many years have had a little influence in care for their village and themselves. Many young ones have gotten an education via Lifeline friends in the States and Canada, and still do; we have also, as you have read on the website, been able to help with a few small businesses and much more. For now, we are trying to fix up a home for Jammer, and it is close to finished. It was from an old building that was already there. Jammer gave up her home for her youngest son when he got married to Mona. They now have a little lovely daughter they called Little Jaja. Jammer then only had a room to live in. But soon she will have a little home of her own with a bedroom, bathroom, small kitchenette and living area.
You see, in the Arab world like in any other, there are traditions. The difference is that in the Arab world, they are very old and hard to break, and some are really right-out stupid and expensive, silly to the Western mind but of course to them, they are a real thing. I could go into details about a bunch of them, but for now it would take a lot of pages to explain so I will wait. But the younger generation sees some of it and is trying to change some of the old traditions that seem so ancient; and some have passed over the years – and it’s a blessing for me to see and know, and I think it is for the better for people. I have had a little finger in the dike for a little bit of it. Just the changes I see in Park Hope and Joy from when it was done until now are special, and it is a help to the people of Aduaba as well. It took eight years of prayer and hope to get the park going (they now have it open all year – in the beginning it was six months), and now it is the middle gathering place and joy for the people, and, for three families, a small income. Well, I can ramble on about that; please enjoy a few pictures.
Also, when I first came, Aduaba was a dirty little village – a stink to Western noses. It was full of graffiti on the walls and gates, but you should see it now. Again, I think it is thanks to the newer generation and also a little of Western influence and older ones who traveled to the U.S.A. for a visit. They could see the difference. In the place of graffiti, now you will see murals.
I would like to share a little about my last trip, Leah, and the students. I went to the West Bank right before Christmas of 2009 for three weeks. It was very short this time; I normally stay for one and a half to two months. There was much to look after and many to visit on the Israel side as well. This time I was not my usual perky self; to battle with cancer and even with God on my side is no fun. I did get to see Pastor S for a day; it was a beautiful drive to his village. Shashu borrowed a car and drove me up, and it was a special day. Pastor S and family will be back in the States on furlough for three months this summer. They will be staying with us for the Minnesota part; it looks like it will, and I know it will, be a blessing to have them.
Then one of the boys, SD, came to visit in Aduaba, and we had lots of fun reminiscing about the time at the boys’ home so long ago. SD is a handsome young man, and he is doing quite well nowadays. I tease him and tell him it is about time he got married; a few days ago, he turned 31, and I talked to him on the phone for quite some time. And as always, we laugh a lot together. He asks me if I still keep losing my keys; I said no, and told him, “Remember when you were a little boy at the home and you made me a key house with hugs?” So now I have a place to hang my keys. That key house was made about 17 years ago, and I treasure it and those boys.
I was also able to spend a lot of time with my godson Joseph. He has grown up to be a lovely, young, handsome lad, and he speaks English enough so we can carry a simple conversation. Joseph will be eight years old this August.
Shashu and I took some video for a day, and I wish I had finished it. But all of a sudden, it was time to visit friends in Israel. When I came back to Aduaba the last few days of my trip, time just slipped away. And it did not seem to be the right time for videos. During the video time, we visited a few students’ families. Among them were Leah and Abu Luke. Luke and Moses are two of the students we sponsor. Abu Luke (their father) has been building on his house for the past 15 years, and it is absolutely beautiful. They have planted a veggie garden, and I think ten different fruit trees. I wish you could meet Luke and Moses; those two boys are treasures and great students. They are well-behaved – rare to find among the younger generation that are now parents. They have another brother and a sister; it is a very special family.
Then we round the corner from Abu Luke’s house and we stop to visit the widow Leah and her family. You may recall from the newsletters, and I think I put it in the reminiscing part of this website, her husband got killed approximately five years ago. Someone shot him, and they still have not found the one who did it. Lifeline has tried and does help Leah all we can, and two of her sons we sponsor in high school and college. What a blessing to see, not only does she work at the Christian school as custodian, but she also as a side job makes soap , a small business for her. One of her sons, the youngest one, is raising goats for milk and cheese, also as a little business. I think Razi is 12 years old now. Leah has been and is worthy of the help she gets from Lifeline; it is a joy to see when people try to help themselves and not just rely on help from the outside. And Leah is really poor.
Another family like that is Esam’s family, also very poor. The father finally works now wherever he can find it for a day or two. I also have learned he has become the caretaker of the evangelical church. That is once a week, his wife Zuzu is the main bread winner, and they have two daughters and two sons. Esam, the youngest, is now 17. Esam some years ago walked right into my heart, and he has stayed there since. I tend to get favorites over the years. I love them all, but in between, some walk right into my heart. Esam is one of them, Moses another, and I can mention more. They are all treasures and special. Esam’s parents are very poor, and six of them live in two rooms: the family room is also a bedroom for the parents. All four kids or young ones are in college or university. The eldest is finished now. Three of them are helped by Lifeline, and that enabled Zuzu to fix up the little place they have, especially the kitchen and bathroom. She did it bit by bit; what a joy to see that when people get help and they themselves try to better themselves. Is it all worth it? Yes, it is. On the way down to the Park Hope and Joy, I always stop by Perez and his family. Perez was one of the boys at the boys’ home as well. He is now a carpenter and a good one; his family too was poor but doing a bit better now. A friend in England paid Perez‘s schooling for four years. He tells me he is now a carpenter like Jesus was. And really he is a very excellent carpenter. He was one of the youngest ones at the boys’ home, and now I think he is about 25 years. He always was a shy little boy with big, brown, sad eyes. And he loved chocolate chip cookies. During those years at the boys’ home, I baked a lot. Nadia, Perez’s mom, and I became fast friends, and we still are.
Another treasure to me was to visit the family of Fahin. He is now home in Aduaba and works close by. Fahin came to our home in Minnesota at the end of his university years. He had to finish his degree in the States, and the last gift my husband gave to the Palestinians before he passed away was to pay for Fahin‘s schooling here in Minnesota. The day Fahin took his last exam, all A’s, was the day my husband passed away. So somehow Fahin has become very dear to our family and us to him. The day he arrived, I introduced him to my husband who was very ill. He talked a little to Fahin and later that day he told me, “Mine dear, go tell him I will pay for his schooling here in the States.” For me, it has been a great joy to be able to see the investment over the years in the young lives on the West Bank and in their families as well, a payoff in so many ways. Most of all, in the joy for a better life, and they all work hard at it. It has been a lot of work and often tears; I have had to turn many down. But what is done could not have been done without many of my friends, and my husband as well, investing in them. I marvel when I look back over the past 20 years, and I say, “God, how did You do it?” Yes, indeed, it has been worth it and I have the joy of seeing it. Fahin‘s mom was a great help to me this time. Without her help, I could not have gotten to Jerusalem with parcels and help to friends at another ministry and visit with them. God has so many unexpected ways to give strengths and blessings when things don’t seem to work out. It is still very hard to travel between Israel and the West Bank – even though things are better.
I hope you will enjoy the reading of this part of Lifeline’s website; there will be more to come in a few weeks about the students, Abu Seth’s family, Raed’s family, the Israel visit and a little from the home front.
Students and Last Trip
On my last trip to Aduaba, I had the opportunity to meet with most of the students that Lifeline sponsors, and even visit with some of those whom Lifeline has already helped put through school over the years. Looking back, it is amazing what God has done with so little. I marvel to see that those boys from the boys' home whom Lifeline helped now have a decent life and take care of their families and do not live poor, from hand-to-mouth, as the saying goes. Not just that, but they also care for their elderly parents and in some cases uncles and aunts who never married, which is one of their many traditions. In such a case was Aleka who took care of his two elderly sisters; now he is deceased. It became his son Shashu's responsibility. Nine months later, one of the elderly sisters passed on as well. Because Lifeline could help Shashu get a good education, he is able to care for his family and help care for his widowed sister and her twins as well. That's what education will do for a young man, for a young girl the same. It would not have been possible for him without Lifeline investing four years of education in him.
The fourteen students we now have are doing well in school according to the last report I got. One is finishing university, and that is Noha, Esam’s sister. We pray we can now help their sister Rozanne who will enter university this fall if Lifeline can find the funds or perhaps can transfer Noha’s funds to her. Rozanne is a lovely, precious young lady and has deserved all the help we can give her. The young students try to find work during the summer break, and take evening classes if available. They do work hard at it.
There are also two young men, ages 16 and 18, who will need help. My heart went out to them; one is from Nazareth, the other from Beth Sahur. I would love if Lifeline could help them. Without Lifeline’s help, they cannot. I do also know six of the young ones Lifeline helps are straight A students; all of them have at least a B average, some B +.
Fahin, another of the young ones who received help from Lifeline (my husband sponsored him), now has a good job. He cares for his parents, puts his youngest brother through university and hopes to get married soon. Without help from Lifeline this would not be possible for him. And I can go on like that. Perez is another one; he was the youngest at the boys’ home, and now he is a dear and sweet young man and an excellent carpenter. He is now 27 years and is building a home for himself, and when that is done, he will look for a wife. He is also very helpful to people in the village who cannot afford to get things fixed. He does it for them anyway; I ask him why he does it. He told me, “Auntie, how did I get my education for free? Lifeline put me through vo-tech for four years.” SD is another of these; he is now caring for his parents and helping his younger brother through vo-tech to learn to be a hotel manager and chef as well. And I can go on and on with stories like that. And now a new crop is coming up, if I can use those words.
Pastor S is maybe the one for whom I am most grateful Lifeline could help. He and his family came here to Minnesota to go to Bible school so he could get his master’s degree in Divinity. He now has a church in his village and it is growing. As mentioned, he and his family are in the States for furlough this time, and will soon visit with us here at Ben Israel. With helping Pastor S, we did not only invest in him for a better life but in the kingdom of God. The one day of visiting Pastor S and his family while I was on the West Bank this past year, I was able to see some of the other boys from the Home of the Sons, of course now young men. SH is one of them; he too got an education in chemistry and he is now a teacher in a village close to his own. I had not seen him for ten years, neither had Shashu. They even went to the same university years ago, but even a short distance in this part of the world separates them for a long time. John is another of the old crop of students, in his early 30’s now. He became a mechanic and, for making a long story short, he now lives in Texas and has a gas station there, taking care of his family on the West Bank. I have not seen him for eight years and am hoping he can make it to Minnesota for a visit this year.
Looking back to those precious lives makes it worth it when I get tired and wonder why I am doing it. But looking at the results in retrospect, it is worth it. And it could not be done unless friends get behind me and support the effort; and in my heart and mind it all counts into eternity.
Ann, one of the new students, is one of our A students and a very sweet girl who studies hard and work part time to help her mom. She is very worth of help; she hopes to become a doctor. Joab and Abir are brothers; one is in high school and one in university. Those two young men are very good students; their father is sick but even so, he keeps going and working. Joab and Abir, like Ann, keep a part time job, working to try to help their father. They have four sisters. Mika and Zorya are also keeping up their grades and doing well. As you may remember, their dad has cancer and the medicine he uses to keep alive is super expensive. Those are most of the newer students. Please, for those of you who believe in prayer, please pray for all of them. They need all the help they can get, and I hope to add to the list this fall: Rozanne, Peter and Michael.
Please enjoy the pictures of some of the new students. I have not put pictures of Pastor S and his family as per his request.
As mentioned several times in this update, this trip was short but a lot was taken care of and I saw lots of former students, and some students I was not able to visit. I did make it to Jerusalem for one day to deliver gifts to dear missionary friends there who actually live in Jordan but have a special ministry to people in Iraq, Jordan, Gaza and Kurdistan. Their headquarters are in Jerusalem. I also saw several other precious friends that day. I did not make it to Bethlehem to visit with former students; Family Daniel got help from Lifeline to go to Bible school in Bethlehem for three years. Now he is finishing his doctorate here in the States. He too will come for a visit before his return back to Bethlehem. I was able to spend eight days in Israel visiting friends there and, as always, Miki the guide for Amazing Grace Journeys picked me up at the airport and drove me where I needed to go. Lots of money and time are saved with Miki’s kindness to me; he is that way to other people, Jew and Arab alike.
During my visits I was also able to see how the projects were doing. The sheep farm is doing fine. The chicken farm the same; the Park Hope and Joy great, then Leah’s soap factory and her sons’ little goat project. It is great to see people come up with their own ideas and to see it work for them. And now Jammer’s house is very close to finished.
Abu Seth's family
Without Abu Seth (Shashu), it would be very hard, if not impossible, for Lifeline to exist on the West Bank. For years he has been my helper over there, he too was one of the boys at the Home of the Sons, only 13 when I met him. Like others, he got an education in chemistry and now he is the manager of a factory in veterinarian medicine. He married Dia, a close relative, and has three children now and cares for his entire family, including his widowed mother and his widowed sister and old aunt. I am very grateful for his help to Lifeline and for his friendship. Abu Seth is also involved with the political things in the village among his own age group, mid 30’s, and changes have been made. One of the things I pray for is for change to happen toward the widows and unmarried women. His mom Jammer is a great help to the widows in Aduaba, and she shares the little she has with them. And her son Shashu is going right in her footsteps. Aleka, his dad, was the same way. Who knows; maybe one day Shashu will be the mayor of Aduaba? I even pray for that!
Home Front
So how are things here at home with me? Thanks be to God, quite well. I have good days and not so good days, but traveling the road of life with its ups and downs, joys and sadnesses, with God is an amazing experience. Life is not kink-free and besides, I am 69 going on 70 years old. But even so, I can still do a lot. The 28th of June it was three years ago my husband, Abu David, passed away; I miss him, but the sting is gone. You may wonder what it means to say Abu this or Abu that. On the West Bank, it is how they identify fathers; their surnames are hardly used. Abu means father, and it is their eldest son whose name goes after Abu. So since Shashu’s eldest son is Seth, he becomes Abu Seth. For my husband, it became Abu David. (Somehow the girls don’t count too much. But praise be to God, it is changing.) He is buried here at home, and I take joy tending his grave. I finished a little booklet about Pappy as we called him; it is about the way I like to remember him.
Thinking back, the best way I can express it may sound a bit different. It is three years since my husband passed away and two and a half years since we discovered I had a very aggressive cancer. Both were extremely hard; as you know, I had surgery and no chemo, etc. Instead I went on a vegan diet, got very sick again in October two years ago, but still I am here. For me, those three years have been an amazing journey of grace. I have learned so much I would not have learned if it had not been for the hardships; and I am grateful for it all. It may sound crazy to thank God for hardships, but without them, there would not be the joy I have now and know I did not have before. I still can do a lot of things (although not like before); my grandkids, too, are a biggie in my life; Lifeline work is very dear to me; I have a beautiful garden of flowers I love to take care of: For me, it is like a little Eden, even close to a small park.
Samuel, my eldest grandson, graduated from college at age 18 and he walked away with a high school diploma and an associative degree; and this fall he will start university. The next in line is his brother, Jared, who wants to be a mechanic; he starts vo-tech this fall as well. Then three more grandsons to go, two of them in Florida. My only granddaughter, Sarah, is quite good playing the violin; I love to listen to her. She will again this year attend the young Miss Minnesota pageant – her third year. She is a lovely young lady, not anymore a little girl. This winter I plan to spend with my son and his family in Florida; I do not see my grandsons there except I go there. In my opinion, they are two little feisty fellas; I call them my little tigers. I am looking forward to spending time with the family. My oldest son is now 46, my daughter 44, and the youngest son 42. And we have Emi and her four daughters; yes, indeed, I am grateful and have much to thank God for.
If you are interested in learning more about us, not just me, but also B.I. and our lives, what we do, we have newsletters and a website where I have also written a little bit about my battle with cancer. Let me know. I am sure I have told you I cannot use a computer; my friends, Naomi and Simon, decipher my Danish/English spelling and chicken scratches and make the Lifeline Outreach website: Without them, there would not be a website. I also want to remind you the names of the West Bank people are fictitious. When I saw the beautiful pepper they had put in from the garden, I remember the gigantic cauliflower we pulled out of the Aduaba garden Lifeline was able to buy for the family of Abu Shashu some years ago. That garden feeds five to six families with two crops a year, and potatoes.
I still work but only about 15 hours a week; I love to cook and make up recipes; and that is good because friends come a lot to Ben Israel. When my husband was alive, it was like Grand Central Station. In a way, it still is. Many still enjoy his ministry that now is available on a website and people learn about the books he has. So you see, I have so much to thank God for all He has done and is doing in my life. What about my vegan diet; do I still keep it? Not 100%; it is more like what I have learned cancer likes to feed on I do not eat and try not to serve others when they come, even though I make it more like they are used to because what I eat is a radical diet. What fights cancer, I eat a lot of, and I juice fresh veggies and fruit every day, drink as much water as I can. That, and for sure God’s grace and mercy, have kept me alive and I function quite well. I believe I am cancer-free, but it is not proven medically yet. I may still try to do so.
I wonder have you ever taken time to look at the flowers, the trees, listen to the birds in the blue sky, take a bike ride in God’s nature, enjoy the clean, fresh air after the rain, and think about the colors and fragrances God has given us in nature to enjoy. If you have, how can you not marvel and thank God for all He has given us to enjoy? Well, I can keep rambling on as if you are my good friends, but in reality I do not know who even reads this. My hope and prayer as well is that someone will be blessed in reading my thoughts and of course will even pray and perhaps help others like those in Lifeline.
May God bless you all,
Lovingly,
Inger Hava, Saleh and Mama Rose
A true witness rescues lives. Proverbs 14.25
Copyright . Lifeline Outreach. All rights reserved.
