O Holy Night (Doug)

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.

It’s Christmas Eve in Bethlehem and the stars are indeed bright. The moon rose full over the town where Jesus was born and we took to the town. Mom and Dad Priore are here and it has added a whole new level of enjoyment to our Holiday. The wonder and joy of our first Christmas in Bethlehem were tempered last year by the thought that we were so far from our family and friends. This year that sting has been taken away by the excitement of having some family here in the Holy Land.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

As we brought Mom and Dad through Manger Square today, they drew the attention of the news media. Is anyone surprised? CNN interviewed these two conspicuous gringos asking them how they were finding Bethlehem. They got the chance to tell the world that they feel very safe, that everyone has been warm and friendly etc. The last question they asked was what they thought the answer was to The Situation here. Mom got to say that she thought Jesus was the hope for the world. Dad told the cameras that he thought people should treat each other the way they would want to be treated. So far this evening we’ve been watching CNN’s coverage of Christmas in Bethlehem and there’s no sign of their interviews. Actually, beyond the fact they’ve chosen not to air these two very well educated tourists we were very disappointed with CNN’s slant on their coverage. With more than a hint of pessimism they reported that this is the most tourism Bethlehem has seen since the second Intifada back in 2000. They talked about how tourists stop by but don’t typically stay in Bethlehem.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

In all of this, they seem to be glancing right over the wonderful fact that this is the best Bethlehem has seen in years. There has been peace here and the world is taking notice. Maybe CNN can’t see it from the roof tops around Manger Square but we can see it on the ground. You can see it to if you’d like to come and experience it. That’s what my parents have been doing.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was bornO night, O holy night, O night divine!

We’re having turkey for dinner tomorrow. As is my custom at major holidays I brought the turkey over to a bakery in Bethlehem. Nothing gets me in the holiday spirit like running across Manger Square with a couple of turkeys. That’s why I brought my parents there! (Sorry, I had to get to that one before someone else did.) As I crossed the square there was an orchestra performing Handel’s Messiah. This is hands down my favorite piece of music of all time. So the story goes, Handel wasn’t really a believer when he started out writing this masterpiece. After ingesting so much Scripture during the process though, he found himself believing by the time he was done. Every time I here this piece performed I hope it has the same effect on whomever is in earshot. I was really praying for that tonight. Like the angels who appeared here some 2000 years ago I hope these melodic voices brought news of Christ to some new hearts here in Bethlehem tonight.

Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace.

We met a Palestinian Christian man named Jaber last night who really gave me hope. He told us of how the Israelis had shot and almost killed his son who had happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Later in the conversation he went on to say that he really felt that his people could coexist with the Israelis. He said he had forgiven them for what they had inflicted upon his son. He said he believed that was what Jesus calls us to do. I was amazed. For me, this was a testimony to the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: extreme forgiveness. I heard the heart of Jesus in this man. I saw the “thrill of hope” that comes from knowing God’s love.

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. And in his name all oppression shall cease.

There’s a big steel gate up the hill in Bethlehem. It’s some sort of secondary entrance to the segregation wall that surrounds Bethlehem. I’ve never seen it open before tonight. We were on our way over to the Shepherd’s Fields for our second annual “Eat Like Shepherds on Christmas Eve” dinner. Traffic came to an absolute standstill and this gate cracked open. It scared me at first. I thought “what on earth could warrant THAT gate being opened?” But it was just the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas making his way to Manger Square. As I sat there watching the wall crack open I had a vision, a vision of a day when it will open for good, a vision of day when the Bethlehem Wall will tumble like the Berlin Wall, like Apartheid, like slavery. To me, Jaber’s words were like that gate creaking open. It was just a glimpse of what could be.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, With all our hearts we praise His holy name.

There is much to praise God for this year. Not the least of which for me is that our dear friends, Josh and Lauren (who were here in the Holy Land with us last Christmas) have finally found a home. Josh was called to be a pastor of Church in Maine. I’ve known Josh for almost ten years now. In all that time his focus has never changed. He’s wanted to pastor a local church in Maine. It brings great joy to my heart that God has honored his desire and they’ll be in their own home for Christmas.

Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we, His power and glory ever more proclaim! His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Merry Christmas everybody! We love you, and miss you all.

Mom and Dad Priore are here! (Mandy)

With the joy and excitement that comes with Christmas, it is magnified ten-fold this year with the presence of my in-laws! They arrived early Sunday morning on time and with all their luggage in tow. They've graced our classrooms with gifts for the students and brought many many smiles to our hallways! The American candy and chex mix has been a big hit especially.
We've been invited to numerous homes already-the Arabic hospitality has been just outstanding. Mom and Dad Priore are big stars around here!

For me, it's been a huge gift to have them here because they bring home to this foreign land, and they have brought perspective. Seeing our life through their eyes has been affirming. Tasting the numerous Arabic rice dishes, getting to know our students, crossing checkpoints, experiencing the crazy driving here, seeing the monstrosity that is the wall almost everywhere we go, and partaking in Arabic hospitality are just a few of the things that we've grown accustomed to, and I've been able to get a sense of that all over again for the first time in the past few days. The gratitude expressed often and the excitement by Mom and Dad Priore to jump into our life make me proud of where God has brought us this past year and a half. He's folded us into this amazing community, and brought family from around the world to shed light on how special our calling truly is. I am thrilled about celebrating Christmas in Bethlehem with them, and am so grateful they are here.

Just Doing My Job - Doug

So some days it’s hard to see if what I’m doing makes a difference. Some days my kids are hard to handle, I get frustrated, and I wonder how I’ll make it through. Some days I’m exhausted and I feel like I a hamster running around on a wheel with little to show for my efforts. Today was not one of those days.
I took one of my students to participate in a training weekend for the Model United Nation to be held at the American International School near Tel Aviv. This student was selected to be a member of the 8th Committee which is a group of students who get together to talk about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It was a long day. We left Bethlehem at 7:00 in the morning and didn’t get back until 9:00 tonight. I spent a whole Sunday out there but it was worth it to hear the dialogue in which my student took part. These kids talk more passionately, are better versed in the issues at hand, and discuss problems with more respect than many of their older counterparts in the real UN.
I came back exhausted. But it’s a different kind of exhausted. When my head hits the pillow tonight (a moment which is rapidly approaching) I’ll know that I was a part of something good today. All I did was drive a kid to meeting today but I feel like I did my job today. More than I’ve ever felt in any other job I’ve ever had in my life, I feel like I did my job today. That’s a good feeling.