The Star in the East - Autumn 2010

TheStar

Inside a refugee camp l Literacy for rural Egypt l Standing up for children's rights

intheEastT h e M a g a z i n e o f B i b l e L a n d s � C h r i s t i a n L o v e i n A c t i o n � A u t u m n 2 0 1 0

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory� Sunshine, shade and smiles

at The Sheepfold 4—5

� Making friends across the miles 6—7

Lebanon� A sense of purpose for displaced youth

8—10

Prayer Diary pull-out insert 11—14

Egypt� Standing up for children’s rights 15—17

� Opening up a world of knowledge18—19

News and Events� Retreat to the Lakes 20� Pilgrimages 20� Annual Service 21� Lent Study Guide 21� Beer and Carols 22� Making the most of your gifts 22� BibleLands in your region 23� Staff welcome 23

The Star in the East 2

BibleLands, PO Box 50,High Wycombe,Buckinghamshire, HP15 7QU

Tel: 01494 897950Email: [email protected]

The Star in the East is published in the UK

by BibleLands, Charity No: 1076329.

A Company Limited by Guarantee No. 3706037

Registered in England & Wales.

Registered office: The Old Kiln,

Willow Chase, High Wycombe, HP15 7QP

The Star in the East is free, available three times a yearfrom BibleLands, and is printed on paper sourced fromsustainable forests and other controlled sources.

TheStarintheEastChristian love in action in the lands of the Bible

BibleLands seeks to improve the lives of

vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the

Middle East. We do this in partnership with

local Christians, focusing on education,

healthcare and community development.

Patrons:• REV DR DAVID COFFEY OBE

PRESIDENT OF THE BAPTIST WORLD ALLIANCE

• RT REV DR MICHAEL LANGRISH DD, BSocSc, MA BISHOP OF EXETER

• REV BARONESS KATHLEEN RICHARDSON OF CALOW DLitt LLD DD

PresidentREV DANIEL BURTON

Chair of TrusteesHUGH BRADLEY

Vice-Chair of TrusteesREV BRIAN JOLLY

TreasurerVICTORIA SMITH

Editor: CAROLINE RANCE

Design: CAROL MARSH

Production: TRINITY COMMUNICATIONS

FIR

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ORDS

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WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE

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Please note that

the names of all

BibleLands-supported

beneficiaries in this

publication have been

changed to protect their

interests in accordance

with BibleLands’ Child

Protection Policy.

All articles and

photographs are the

copyright of BibleLands

or its overseas partners

unless otherwise stated,

and may only be

reproduced with the

editor's written

permission

First words:

Welcome

to this

latest

edition of The Star

in the East. As

always, you will

find it packed with

stories about the projects which

we are privileged to support in

the Middle East. I hope you will

enjoy reading about them and

will feel excited and inspired, as

we all do here, about the vital

ministry of BibleLands and our

partners in the Holy Land.

This is a time of change for the

charity. We have just reviewed

our charitable purpose and you

can read our new vision

statement on the opposite page.

It emphasises that our main

focus is to help those who are

most in need in the Middle East,

but that we will only do this by

working through local Christian

partners. We want to be

transformational, but also

support through prayer and

money the social ministry which

is such an important part of how

Christians in the Middle East

express their faith.

We are also seeking new ways

to make a difference. We have

worked with many of our

partners in the Middle East for

decades; one partner in Lebanon

has been with us since the

1920s! But we want to build new

relationships, which is why I am

so pleased we are now working

with the Middle East Council of

Churches and their Department

of Service to the Palestinian

Refugees (DSPR). I have seen at

first hand their work in the

refugee camp in Dbayeh in

Lebanon (which you can read

about on pages 8-10), and it is

impressive indeed. And what

most inspires is that this is the

different Christian churches

working together!

One of the unique features of

BibleLands, which sets us apart

from some other Christian

development charities, is our

genuinely ecumenical

background. Our supporters

come from all Christian

backgrounds, but then so do our

partners in the Middle East. We

are united in a common purpose:

to bring the compassion of

Christ to those most in need!

Jeremy Moodey

Chief Executive

Cover photo:A girl at Episcocare inEl Salam City, Egypt.

The Star in the East

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the new building for the residents’ use. We paid for a

wheelchair stairlift so that all the students can use

the whole building, including the veranda. The new

centre has a lovely spacious garden but because of

the summer heat, shade was essential. BibleLands

helped the Sheepfold buy a wooden gazebo so that

the children and teachers can sit in the shade,

enjoying their garden without the dangers of

heatstroke and sunburn.

With the new building fitted out properly, the

director aims to be able to help more children. She

explained to us the ethos behind all the Sheepfold’s

activities:

‘Foundational to the work is the unconditional love

and acceptance extended from the Lord Jesus Christ to

each individual; each person is created in his image,

infinitely precious to him and one for whom he died.’ �

BibleLands works with many partners who support

people with disabilities in Israel and the occupied

Palestinian territory, Lebanon and Egypt. To keep up to

date with the latest news and prayer information, sign

up for our email newsletter at www.biblelands.org.uk.

Get Involved!

For some children in the Middle East, rejection

is a way of life. Those with the most profound

disabilities are rejected by society, rejected by

organisations that care for other disabled children,

and sometimes even rejected by their own families.

In the early 1990s, a British woman living in Beit Jala

near Bethlehem, recognised the need for children with

severe or multiple disabilities to receive personal care

and rehabilitation, appropriate facilities and most of all

respect as individuals. She began looking after a small

number of children in her own home, later moving to

premises at Beit Sahour, a village traditionally thought to

be the site of the angels’ visit to the shepherds to

announce the birth of Christ.

The Sheepfold supports around 20 children and young

people who have a variety of physical and learning

disabilities. Some live at the centre while others attend

each day, and the teachers work closely with the

children’s families to ensure the highest standard of

care continues at home. They also aim to promote

acceptance of people with disabilities within the

community.

The Sheepfold is in a troubled and unstable area, and

the ever-present risk of conflict threatens to interrupt its

daycare programmes. For the past couple of years the

area has been quieter but during the centre’s 17-year

history the work has continued through two intifadas,

shooting, shelling and curfews. At times this has

prevented the day centre from functioning, but the

residential care side has gone on regardless, and the

Sheepfold also distributes humanitarian aid to local

disadvantaged families.

Recently the Sheepfold moved to larger premises and

BibleLandswas pleased to be able to help them adapt

Prayer PointsPlease pray:

� for Raha and all the other children at theSheepfold, that they willreceive the same respectfrom society as they dofrom the staff there

� for the director and herteachers who tirelesslycarry on their work in atroubling politicalsituation

� for all children withsevere disabilities whoface rejection by others.

shade and smiles at The SheepfoldSunshine,

4

Raha has been looked after by her

grandma all her life as her mother

rejected her at birth. She has

learning disabilities with loss of

vision and epilepsy. When she was

born, she was not expected to live

for more than two years, but is now

eight and enjoys attending the

Sheepfold every day.

Raha needed a new wheelchair

specially adapted for her needs, and

after several months delay, recently

received it. She and her grandma are

delighted with the new chair, and

now that BibleLands has funded the

Sheepfold’s wheelchair stairlift,

Raha will be able to get to all the

building’s facilities and won’t miss

out on any of the fun!


Jesse’s TreeThe joint curriculum project

between Harris School and

Hope School has resulted in a

wonderful new Advent

resource that is available

exclusively from BibleLands.

Ideal for use in families or

church groups, Jesse’s Tree is

a way of exploring the Bible and

talking about faith.

For each day of December, our

booklet contains an opening

response, a Bible reading, a short

reflection, a prayer and some

practical ideas to take the theme

of the day further. Accompanying

each section is a beautiful olive

wood symbol for you to hang on

a tree at home or in church.

Jesse’s Tree can be used as a

stand-alone resource or you can

incorporate it into your regular

service of worship.

Jesse’s Tree is available from

www.biblelands.co.uk or from

our Christmas catalogue. (If you

have not received a catalogue and

would like one, please call 01494

897950). All proceeds from the

sale of Jesse’s Treewill support

BibleLands’ work in Israel and the

occupied Palestinian territory,

Lebanon and Egypt. �

ISRAEL &

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ISRAEL &

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In between visits, Harris School

in Rugby and Hope School in

Beit Jala had been working on

a joint art project. The Rev. George

Lane from the Diocese of

Manchester has written a special

BibleLands version of the Jesse Tree

to be used by groups, churches and

individuals during Advent. The

students of Harris School have

designed the figures that will be

hung on the tree each day and

Hope School have organised

their production in olive wood in

Bethlehem. The visit in February

gave art teacher Fiona Lewis the

opportunity to meet with the

wood carver face to face and all

the figures have now been

produced and are ready for sale

through our Christmas

catalogue.

Sadly no funding is available for

the teachers from the

Jerusalem/Beit Jala schools to

visit the UK. However, the

generosity of BibleLands supporters

living within a 20 mile radius of

Exhall Grange School in Coventry

made it possible for two staff from

the Helen Keller Centre to visit there

in June. Jane Sanderson from Exhall

Grange wrote of the visit:

‘We have won great friends whom

we will cherish and value all our life.’

In November 2006 the UK Government

announced its target of having every school in

the UK linked with an international partner by

2012. In order to help UK schools engage with the

work of BibleLands, we launched a pilot schools

linking programme in 2008. Four Warwickshire

Schools were linked with four schools in Jerusalem

and Beit Jala (in the West Bank) and in the February

of that year representatives from the four

Warwickshire Schools visited their Holy Land

partners. The visit was funded by the British

Council and enabled the teachers to explore the

possibilities for joint curriculum activities with

their Middle Eastern colleagues.

In 2010 further funding became available from the

Specialist Schools and Academies

Trust to enable the schools to make a

follow-on visit, this time with more

teachers. The teachers spent a full

week in their partner schools taking

part in lessons, discussing best

practice with their subject

counterparts and setting up internet

links to enable the students to

communicate with each other. As

well as the follow-on visit, another

primary school was able to join the

programme, again with British

Council funding, and so they travelled

with the group.6

friends across the milesMakingBibleLands’ Regional Representative for Central England, Su McClellan, has been forging links between

UK and Holy Land schools. Here, Su reports on the success of these exciting new partnerships:


� for the students at the UK and Holy Land schools as they learn more about each other’s lives

� for the teachers who have visited each other, that they will be inspired by what they have learnt

� for the schools linking programmeeverywhere, that it will encourageunderstanding between differentcultures.

Art forAdvent


BibleLands has recentlygone into partnership

with the Joint ChristianCommittee for Social

Service in Lebanon, anorganisation that works

for the welfare ofdisplaced people living

in abject poverty.

A sense of purposefor displaced youth

Dbayeh refugee camp,

overlooking the

Beirut-Tripoli highway to

the north-east of Lebanon’s capital,

houses some 4000 Christian

Palestinian refugees. The earliest

refugees arrived in 1956 from the

Galilee region, and since then

thousands of families have spent their

lives there, longing to return to the

homeland that the younger

generations have never even seen.

Palestinian refugees face significant

problems in Lebanon. They have few

rights, limited access to the school

system and health services, and no

access at all to public social services.

Many could work if they were allowed

to, but as foreigners they are excluded

from many trades and professions.

Unemployment is high, and so the

refugees live an undignified existence

in crowded camps with poor

infrastructure.

Dbayeh has further problems because

its proximity to Beirut made it a focal

point of violence during the Lebanese

Civil War (1975-1990). In the last year

of the war alone, around a quarter of

the shelters were destroyed, leaving

the camp and its inhabitants with

difficulties that continue 20 years later.

Even now, some Lebanese people

blame the Palestinians for the Civil

War, and there is a lot of

discrimination against them.

Dbayeh is a small camp and cannot

expand beyond the space rented for it

by UNRWA (United Nations Relief and

Works Agency), so population growth

has made it more and more crowded.

In the midst of this difficult situation,

the Joint Christian Committee (part of

the Department of Service for

Palestinian Refugees) works to

empower people to help themselves,

and advocates for their civil rights

among the sometimes hostile

Lebanese population.

Education and vocational training are

the focus of JCC’s activities. There are

two vocational centres for women, an

electronics and computer facility,

� Could you help us raise awareness of

BibleLands in your church or workplace?

We have A3 posters available free of

charge – please phone 01494 897950

or email [email protected]

to request them.

Get Involved!

LEBANON

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SEPTEMBER: Lebanon� Joint Christian Committee for Social Service in Lebanon BibleLands has begun a new partnershipwith the Joint Christian Committee forSocial Service in Lebanon, supporting aproject to provide sports facilities atDbayeh refugee camp (see p8 of The Star inthe East). Please pray for the success of thisventure, which Sylvia Haddad, their Director,hopes will be ‘the first step in drawing thecommunity together, reducing their fighting,and giving all ages a venue to use theirenergy constructively’. Please also rememberall those across the region who aredisplaced from their homes.

� Cedar HomeCedar Home in Beirut provides a familyenvironment for girls who either have nofamily or, for a variety of reasons, can nolonger live with their parents. The residentsattend school in Beirut and have a safe,loving home to return to. As the new schoolterm begins, please pray for the girls,especially those who are going into a newclass and the older ones who are startinguniversity.

� J L Schneller School This year the schoolcelebrates 150 yearsof the Schnellerministry fordisadvantagedchildren. Please givethanks for this longhistory and theeducation and hopeit has given to somany. Please pray for the teachers at today’sSchneller school as they work to promotepeace and tolerance among a newgeneration of students of different faithsand backgrounds.

� Beit el NourThis humanitarian group in Lebanon runsseveral projects that reach out to at-riskyoung people. One of these projects is St Ephrem’s Orphanage, which cares forchildren whose parents cannot look afterthem. With the support of Beit el Nour’sworkers, some are able to rebuild arelationship with their family – we ask youto pray for these children in particular.


B I B L E L A N D S P R A Y E R D I A R Y s e p t e m b e r – d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Our overseas partners

often tell us how

encouraged they

are by the prayerful support

they receive. Your prayers

continue to make a difference

to those whose calling is to

work and serve with

vulnerable people in the

lands of the Bible.

We have a monthly news

and prayer email called

Re:Action – if you would like

to be added to the mailing

list, please email us at

[email protected]

with your name, postcode and

email address (and you’ll have

the option to unsubscribe

with every email).

PRAYER D

IARY


agricultural training for young people,

a kindergarten, a library, a centre for

children with learning difficulties and

a mainstream school.

JCC was also increasingly concerned

about the health situation in the

camp. Health problems are widespread

at Dbayeh, partly because of the living

conditions but also the long-term

psychological effects of poverty, loss of

identity, discrimination and inactivity.

For the youth in particular, there is the

temptation to spend time fighting,

gambling or experimenting with

drugs, while young women also face

the dangers of prostitution.

Some of the young people expressed

their frustration at having to sit

around and do nothing because work

is so scarce. To help them use their

energy in a positive way, BibleLands

and JCC are building a small indoor

sports facility where they can meet

up in a safe place, and improve their

health through exercise. The centre

will also cater for the older members

of the community, who are equally

deprived of employment and prone to

psychosomatic illness.

The problems at Dbayeh are

deep-rooted and there is no overnight

solution to the extremes of poverty

and disaffection among the

population. Small improvements like

the sports facility, however, can help

individuals become more positive and

pro-active, and help them avoid the

more damaging ways of occupying

their time.

‘The refugee as a human being remains

our main concern,’ says Sylvia Haddad,

JCC’s Director. ‘Every little change that

we can bring into their life to improve

the miserable condition that has

befallen them through no fault of theirs

is an important focus we are finding

ways to work on.’ �


� for the success of the newpartnership betweenBibleLands and the JointChristian Committee

� for the welfare of the refugees at Dbayeh and thatthe new sports facility willimprove their physical andpsychological health

� for all people across theMiddle East who are displacedfrom their homelands andliving in poverty.

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� EpiscocareEpiscocare works on community developmentin deprived areas of Egypt. BibleLands‘ supportfocuses on the child health and educationprogrammes at El Salam City near Cairo (seep15 of The Star in the East). We would like yourprayers for the ongoing success of this work, sothat more children will benefit both fromattending nursery and from receivingpreventive healthcare.

� The Deaf Unit Work is well under way on the Deaf Unit’s newvocational training centre in 6th of October City.The new centre will expand on the Unit’sexisting vocational training programme toallow young hearingimpaired people theopportunity to trainin car mechanics,bakery, IT, and othermarketable skills.Please pray that thebuilding work willcontinue to runsmoothly.

� Refuge EgyptBased at All Saints’ Cathedral in Cairo, thisservice offers a place of welcome for Sudaneserefugees, providing emergency food, clothingand healthcare, and advice on findingsomewhere to live and a source of income. Partof its work is to train Sudanese volunteers ascounsellors for others – a service that is verymuch in demand among the refugeecommunity and for which we ask you to pray.

� Think & DoWe are working with Think & Do to improveliteracy in rural Egypt (see p18 of The Star in theEast). They would appreciate your prayers forthe women who attend the classes, that they

will find confidenceand knowledge thatwill help them improvetheir own lives andthose of their families.Please also pray forThink & Do’s staff,without whosecommitment andenergy the work wouldnot be possible.

� St John Eye HospitalOne of the hospital’s satellite clinics is in Gaza,

where the ongoing humanitarian crisis makes it

a desperately needed healthcare facility. Some

patients would benefit from referral to the main

hospital, but it is not usually possible for them

to leave Gaza.

The hospital would like prayer that it can use itslobbying power to establish a referral systemthat will allow patients to get to Jerusalem.

� The SheepfoldThe Sheepfold cares for severely disabled

children who have been rejected by other

organisations (see p3 of The Star in the East).

Please pray for the 20 children it supports, that

they will receive the

same respect from

society as they do from

the staff there. We also

ask you to pray for the

director and her teachers

who tirelessly carry on

their work in a troubling

political situation, and

for all children across the

Middle East who face

rejection because of

their disabilities.

� Rawdat el-ZuhurThis school in Jerusalem teaches around 250

primary-age children from underprivileged

families. It recognises the importance of

building strong links with the children’s parents

so they can work together in providing the best

possible education. Through frequent visits to

the children’s families, the teachers aim to

support not only the pupils but the parents and

community too. Please pray for this aspect of

their work.

� The Spafford CentreThe centre provides medical services to children

in East Jerusalem, seeing around 4000 patients

each year. Because of the travel restrictions, it

also has clinics in

Bethany and Taybeh,

which ensure that as

many children as

possible receive

immunisations and

development checks.

Please pray for the

staff at these clinics

and for the children

who receive their care.

OCTOBER Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory NOVEMBER Egypt

© Steve Sabella. St John Eye Hospital

To keep in touch with the very latest prayer needs of our overseas partners, call our 24-hour prayer line on 01494 897939 or log on to www.biblelands.org.uk/prayerThe Star in the East 12 The Star in the East 13


� The Arab Evangelical School, HebronOver the past few years, the school has facedmany challenges arising from its situation as aChristian organisation in a Muslim area. A vocalminority of the local population are hostile, andthis has caused problems with the school’sattempts to purchase some land in the town sothat it can expand. Please pray for a peacefulresolution to this situation.

� The Helen Keller Centre The centre has recently developed links withExhall Grange School in Coventry so that teachersand pupils can exchange ideas and learn moreabout each other’s culture (see p5 of The Star inthe East). A similar link has developed betweenHope School in Bethlehem and Harris School inRugby. Please pray that these partnerships will bebeneficial for the students and teachers as theycommunicate across the miles.

� SIRA SchoolAs Christmas approaches and our thoughts turnto events in Bethlehem more than 2000 yearsago, we ask you to remember the children ofmodern Bethlehem and the challenges they face.The Swedish International Relief Associationschool provides an education to those withlearning difficulties. Please pray for all thechildren and teachers at the school.

� Al Ahli Arab HospitalTwo years ago, ‘Operation Cast Lead’ threw Gaza into crisis. Al Ahli Hospital respondedimmediately with emergency treatment andhumanitarian aid, but many in Gaza still sufferthe long-term health effects of poverty and fear.The staff of Al Ahli Hospital would appreciateyour prayers for the mobile clinics that relievechronic illness among the beleagueredpopulation.

BibleLandsPO Box 50, High Wycombe

Buckinghamshire HP15 7QUTel: 01494 897950 Fax: 01494 897951

email: [email protected]

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1076329

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory DECEMBER


EGYPT

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To keep in touch with the very latest prayer needs of our overseas partners, call our 24-hour prayer line on 01494 897939 or log on to www.biblelands.org.uk/prayer

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Education is not a top priority

when there might not even

be food on the table

tomorrow. But without education,

children grow up lacking the skills

to change their situation for the

better, and poverty takes hold of a

new generation.

BibleLands is working with

Episcocare in Cairo to help children

from deprived backgrounds gain a

good start in life.

Episcocare is an organisation set up

by the Anglican Diocese of Egypt to

co-ordinate all the Diocese’s social

and community development work

in and around Cairo. They run a

variety of programmes supporting

people of all ages, but one focus of

BibleLands’ partnership with them

is the childhood programme at

El Salam City, which enables

pre-school children to grow up in

a healthy environment.

When a family’s income is lessthan £1 per day,survival is moreimportant thanthinking aboutthe future.

Standing up forchildren’s rights


LEBANONSamia and Yasmin

Samia was at her wits’

end with her daughter.

Five-year-old Yasmin was very

aggressive towards other children,

and hated anything related to

education or being in a group.

Samia decided to send Yasmin to

the nursery at El Salam City. There,

the teachers recognised Yasmin’s

behavioural difficulties and devoted

a lot of time to her as an individual.

‘The teacher gave her special care,’

Samia says. ‘After a few months I

started to note a change in her

behaviour. She has developed to

have many friends at the nursery

and is now doing really well. I went

to the nursery and I thanked the

teacher. I told them that my

daughter is so smart and

enthusiastic now.‘

� Regular gifts enable us to plan

our support for our partners

and let them know that we will

be able to continue assisting

them and the people they

serve. If you would like to find

out more about making a

regular donation to BibleLands,

please contact Christine on

01494 897952 or email

[email protected]

Get Involved!

EGYPT

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The rights of the childBibleLands’ help also enables the hadana teachersto attend regular training in the latest childcaremethods. Last year 20 teachers attended coursesin child psychology and on the InternationalConvention on the Rights of the Child.

The Convention, ratified in 1989, sets out thehuman rights accorded to everyone under theage of 18. The right to life, to survival anddevelopment, and to a nationality and identity.The right to privacy, to protection fromexploitation, to education and to many morerights that you can find out about atwww.biblelands.org.uk/links.

Day-to-day care of young children is a vitallyimportant service provided by Episcocare, but the staff are also determined to raise awarenessabout the rights of children in the widercommunity. They make follow-up visits to thechildren’s homes to build up a relationship withthe family so that parents feel comfortableasking for advice, and so that those who arestruggling can receive support.

Episcocare also runs meetings for parents,encouraging them to be aware of the rights ofchildren, and these events have proved sopopular that they have started holding seminarsfor the general public too. In 2009, 517 peoplecame along to learn more about children’s rights as set out in the UN Convention on theRights of the Child – and we hope this will be the first step towards a more generalawareness of the issues in society. �

To read the UN Convention

on the Rights of the Child, visit

www.biblelands.org.uk/links

Fending for themselvesEl Salam is a satellite city of Cairo.Built to relieve overcrowding in thecapital, it contains deprived areaswhere unemployment is high, manypeople do not have legal documentssuch as birth certificates and ID cards,and a lack of vocational skills means

that those who do find work cannotearn much. Some families’ income isunder 150 Egyptian pounds permonth. At the current rate ofexchange, that’s £17.50.

One of the community’s problems isthat parents – who must acceptwhatever casual work is available –cannot afford childcare and have nochoice but to leave their children tofend for themselves.

The Episcocare nursery (‘hadana’ inArabic) is therefore vital for the safetyand well-being of pre-school children.While their parents are trying to makea living, the children can play togetherin a caring environment, and gain anearly appreciation of learning.

Health, nutrition... and fun!

An important part of the hadana’s

care is the provision of a balanced

meal – perhaps the only one the

children will receive in a day. There are

also regular check ups to detect

medical conditions and arrange early

intervention, and vaccinations for

those who have not previously been

immunised.

At such a young age, playtime is

important, and the nursery offers

plenty of opportunity for fun with

outings, birthday parties and

seasonal celebrations. The

parents often join in with these

special occasions, getting some

much-needed respite from the

cares of the household and work.


� for the health and happiness of all the children who attendEpiscocare’s nursery

� for the families in El Salam City living on less than £17.50 per month

� for the nursery staff as they advocate children’s rightsthroughout the community.

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and seventy-two went on to pass thegovernment literacy exam – anamazing achievementfor those who had neverhad the opportunity togo to school. The classesare run by local womenwho know the needs ofthe community and canidentify with and respectthe participants.

Think & Do is one of two BibleLands partnerstackling the problem ofilliteracy in rural Egypt.We also work with theDevelopment of UpperEgypt Trust (DUET) toreach even more peoplein the most isolatedvillages of the south.Illiteracy particularly affects womenand girls, whose families often don’tfeel it is important to send them toschool as they are destined for a lifearound the home. Under Egyptian law,women have many rights, but thosewho have spent all their lives in onevillage do not necessarily know aboutthese rights and are conditioned tohave a low opinion of themselves thatmakes them vulnerable to the controlof others.

Literacy classes are a simple but far-reaching way for women to gain

confidence and knowledge that isultimately beneficial to the whole

community. Once peoplecan read and write, a newworld of educationalopportunities opens up forthem. Through our partners,we provide seminars on awide range of subjects –child nutrition, preventionand treatment of commondiseases, family planning,breast cancer awareness,food hygiene and otherpractical topics relevant toeveryday life. We alsoeducate against FemaleGenital Mutilation (FGM), apractice that is still deeplyrooted in the traditionalmindset of the ruralcommunities in spite of

official efforts to ban it.

Not all women are able to go toliteracy or health classes. Familysituations make itdifficult for some toassert their wish togo. Those who doattend, however, canimpart what they havelearnt to their friends andneighbours, and graduallysome level of educationfilters through thecommunity. With

education, women can make more of acontribution to community life, canimprove the health of their children andfind ways of generating income thatcan help their families escape frompoverty. As a DUET representative says:

‘It works one household, one young girlgraduating from secondary school at atime. At first glance it might not seemmuch, but the ripple effect of these smallchoices made by mothers, wives anddaughters is the only way to go in asociety constrained by poverty andilliteracy.’ �


� for the women whoattend the literacyclasses, that they maygrow in knowledge andconfidence

� for the staff of Think &Do and DUET, withoutwhose energy the workwould not be possible

� for all those living inpoverty who have notyet had the opportunityto improve their literacy.

Two years later, as a housewife with aone-year-old child, Laila still wishedshe could learn to write. Then she

heard about a literacy class organised in hervillage by one of BibleLands’ partners, Think& Do – a Christian organisation set up in1995 to fight poverty and disease and togive disadvantaged people the opportunityto live in dignity. Laila joined the class along

with some of her friends.

‘Since then,’ she told us, ‘I have learnt how towrite my name and also my husband and mydaughter’s name. I am so happy, and I willcontinue in the class until I am able to readand write everything.’

Laila is one of 368 women who attendedThink & Do’s classes in 2009. Two hundred

� Our summer appeal

highlighted the issues of

poverty and illiteracy,

and how our Community

Development Programme is

tackling these problems in

Egypt. For a supply of leaflets

to raise awareness in your

church, please contact us on

01494 897950 or email

[email protected].

Get Involved! Eighteen-year-old Laila’s wedding day should have been a happy occasion, but onething was upsetting her. When the time came to sign the register, she couldn’t do it.Laila had never been to school and, to her embarrassment, could not write her ownname. Instead, she used an ink stamp to mark the documents.

EGYPTOpening up a world of knowledge

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A Harvestfor Peace

Available to download from

www.biblelands.org.uk/resources,

our harvest festival materials will

help you organise a special service around

the theme of the Palestinian olive harvest.

Featuring liturgy resources, ideas for an

all-age address and background information

about the harvest in the West Bank,

A harvest for peace shows how people of all

faiths are putting aside their differences to

make sure the olives are safely gathered in.The Star in the East

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Retreat to the Lakes with BibleLands

The Friends of BibleLands are making plans for a

Lenten retreat at the URC Conference Centre in the

beautiful surroundings of Windermere next year.

The retreat will last from

Friday evening until Sunday

afternoon from 8-10 April

2011, and will be the perfect

opportunity to step back from

the pace of everyday life and

spend time with God.

There will be a theme of

'The Road to Jerusalem' and

the cost of the weekend is

£130 per person, with the

option to add the Sunday

night as an extra.

To register your interest,

please email Judy Hackney at

[email protected]

or write to her c/o BibleLands

head office. If you would like

to secure your place, please

send a deposit of £30 (non-

returnable) made payable to

‘H Boulter Friends Account' to:

Dr Hugh Boulter, Lukers,

47 High Street, Theale,

Reading, Berks RG7 5AH.

Friends of BibleLandswill

have priority booking.

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Pilgrimages to the Middle East

There are still a few places left on our

pilgrimage to Lebanon and Syria this autumn.

BibleLands’ President, Daniel Burton, will be

leading a full itinerary that encompasses many of the

two countries’ cultural and historical sites. You will

also have the chance to visit some of BibleLands’

Lebanese partners and witness the amazing work

they are doing with your support.

Dates: 19 – 30 October 2010

Cost: £1525 (half board)

A brochure is available to download from

www.biblelands.org.uk, or please phone

01494 897950 to request a printed copy.

Plans are also under way for a pilgrimage to the Holy

Land in May 2011. Led by Cyril and Felicity Young,

this will be a wonderful opportunity to experience

the places where Jesus walked, and to meet the

‘living stones’ – the people of the modern Holy Land.

The dates are 20 – 30 May 2011 (subject to

confirmation) and further details will be available

in the next edition of The Star in the East

Lent StudyGuide 2011

While it might seem

early for thinking

about Lent, we know

that many churches are already

keen to choose their resources, so

we wanted to tell you about our

brand new six-part course.

Last year’s study guide was a huge

success and we are delighted that

so many of you found it useful as

you gathered for Lent lunches and

discussions.

The new guide takes its inspiration

from the wisdom of the Desert

Fathers. Each week features plenty

of material for your group to

discuss and is designed to be

accessible for all stages of the

journey of faith. The booklet will be

available free of charge from early

October – to request copies, please

phone 01494 897950, or you will

be able to download it from

www.biblelands.org.uk/resources.

A date for your diary

Come along to our annual service to hear about theinspirational work of the J L Schneller School in Lebanon. Ourkeynote speaker, the Rev George Haddad, will be telling us

about the challenges of life in the Bekaa Valley, where the J L SchnellerSchool educates over 500 children from underprivileged backgrounds.

The day will also include a service of thanksgiving, and we are pleased to welcome theRev Canon George Kavoor, Principal of Trinity College, Bristol, as our guest preacher.

Date: Saturday 2 October 2010Venue: St Michael’s, Chester Square, London SW1Time: 10.30am until 4pm

Tickets for the event are FREE and there is an optional lunch at a cost of £8. This will be a delicious buffet provided by Maramia Café, which specialises inPalestinian food, including homemade mosakhan pastry.

To book your tickets for the day, please contact Heather Taylor, BibleLands, PO Box 50, High Wycombe, Bucks HP15 7QU, tel: 01494 897933.

In the week leading up to the service, George Haddad will be speaking at two eventsin Scotland: Glasgow: 29 September, 7pm at the The Renfield Centre

Edinburgh: 30 September, 7pm at Augustine United Church

For further details please visit the events page at www.biblelands.org.uk

Making the mostof your gifts


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We are very grateful for each and

every donation sent in by our

supporters and would like to

thank you for your kind gifts and prayers.

You might have noticed that we say on our

donation forms that we prefer not to send a

receipt, so we thought it might be helpful to

explain the reasoning behind this.

We receive over 58,000 donations each year.

The approximate cost of stationery and

postage for a thank you letter is 40p, facing

us with a bill of £23,000 per year – not

counting the cost of employing someone to

process them. We hope you will understand

that £23,000 can make a huge difference to

the welfare of people living in poverty, and

that we want to use this sum to help them

rather than on administration. If you would

like a receipt for a donation over £10, simply

tick the box on the form, but otherwise

please be assured that we and our partners

really do appreciate your generous support.

BibleLands in your region Welcome!

Ben Saunders joined BibleLands

in April as Overseas Operations

Administrator, working

alongside Morag Gillies in the

Overseas Operations department.

Since graduating from the University

of Warwick in 2007 with a degree in

History, Ben has worked as an

administrator for a Financial Planner

and as a researcher for a firm of Patent

and Trade Mark Attorneys. He also

spent a year working for his church,

where he remains an active member.

Out of the office Ben sings with the

Wooburn Singers, plays in goal for

Wycombe Hockey Club, and has

become well-acquainted with the

bitter taste of defeat playing 5-a-side

football for the 'mighty' HP9.

Did you know that we have two

Regional Representatives who

can help your church get involved

with the work of BibleLands? Su McClellan

and Richard Jones are available to speak or

preach to groups of all sizes and would love

to visit your congregation. They also lead

school assemblies, can help you with your

fundraising events and provide advice and

resources if you would like to give your own

presentation about BibleLands.

Richard Jones covers the South of England

and can be contacted on 01689 858127,

mobile 07971 664414 or

[email protected]

Su McClellan covers Central England

and can be contacted on 01926 772824,

mobile 07855 479734 or

[email protected]

A freshexpressionof church


Do you want to take the message of

Christmas out into your community this

year? Don’t wait for people to come to

your carol service… take the carols to them!

For the second year running, we’re offering a Beer

and Carols pack to help you organise a fun evening

of singing and friendship in your local pub. The pack

contains an instruction booklet, collecting tin, carol

sheets and music book, and this year there are some

added extras too. There are drinks coasters for you to

give out, and leaflets that you can overprint to let

everyone know about all your church’s Christmas

events.

Reach out to your community, have fun singing your

favourite carols and support BibleLands at the same

time! To order your pack, please phone BibleLands

Trading on 01227 811646. (There is a charge of £10

to cover the cost of materials and postage.)

Exclusiveto BibleLands…

‘I Can Do All Things’ Philippians 4:13All sales of our cotton apron and tea towel support BibleLands’

work with vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the Middle East.

Apron Ref: ICAN £15.99Tea towelRef: EWTT £5.99

Order online at www.biblelands.co.ukor call BibleLands Trading on 01227 811646.

Our full range of gifts

and cards is available

online or from our

catalogue now!

The Star in the East - Autumn 2010

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Transcript of The Star in the East - Autumn 2010