An Exciting Opportunity with Isam Ghattas and Manara International
The Blessed Olive Tree
On his recent trip to the Holy Land, Isam Ghattas of Manara International in Jordan was continually impressed by the Olive Tree – one of God’s best blessings. Here is how he described the experience and what he decided to do about it.
“We were privileged to see the Mount of Olives, where Jesus labored in prayer His final night before Good Friday. We witnessed fields of blessing with some olive trees dating back 2,000 years to Roman rule. The olive tree with its immense natural health benefits also signifies peace and plenty. The olive tree has created a new desire in me – an idea that I pray will also inspire you.
One of our dreams at Manara International is, with your help, to plant and grow a new Mount of Olives in Jordan. One thousand blooming new olive trees in Moab, the southern region, the land of Ruth (Daniel 11:41) and an adjoining mountainous property. One thousand beautiful new olive trees to herald the coming of one thousand years of peace at the return of Our Lord. One thousand fruitful new olive trees with all their healthy benefits for people and the environment within the next 3-4 years. On the land, there are already 200 planted trees, but our aim is to plant 800 more olive trees. We also have water storage of 220 cubic meters which is ready to irrigate the olive trees.
Our cost is $60 for each olive tree. After planting these trees of peace in your name, we will send you pictures of their progress along with our gratitude for helping us achieve this vision. I thank you, and even the honey bees will thank you, for being a part of a new Mount of Olives in Moab, Jordan. Thank you once more for your support in the past, and for continuing to serve with us at Manara International. Please feel free to participate in this new green effort which we pray will bring glory to Our Lord. You can send your gifts to the Hope Builders International address below or give here on the website. Simply put Olive trees for Jordan in the memo box.
Hope Builders International
PO Box 91359
Austin, TX 78709
USA
With grateful thanks and love in Christ,
Isam and The Manara International Team
This month, Manara was able to provide over 275 people with a hot meal; rice, sauce and meat, with a drink. They were invited to gather in a large church hall and enjoy eating their meal without worry.
The first summer camp of this year has started with great excitement and a lot of preparation. There are around 120 campers who are attending the camp and 35 volunteers who are able to serve the campers and lead them in these five days. The influence of Camp Gilead cannot be overestimated for during these summer weeks many Middle Eastern young people commit to following the Lord Jesus.
Our partners at Manara International are working on various projects that aim to comfort and support as many Christian refugees as possible. Thank you for your compassion and for your friendship. You are a constant encouragement to all those working with Manara and the people that they serve.
We recently received this report from our ministry partners in Nepal who are working in the quake areas. Your gifts are making a difference as GLOW is able to reach out to many through your help. Many hundreds of their church members like the woman shown here have lost homes in the devastating quakes. Even now ministry workers are trekking into difficult areas to bring aid, and are also reaching out to those in their immediate areas. 
The women at GLOW (God’s Love for Orphans and Widows), shown here, are a few of those who have been working long hours to make clothing for those who have lost everything. These women are among the widows and single women who have been trained in GLOW’s sewing classes in part through help from Hope Builders. Most people in the quake areas lost everything they owned when their houses collapsed in the earthquake’s aftermath. After the earthquake GLOW immediately began providing emergency food aid, water and tarps that were used to put up tent like protective structures. You can see their gladness in the picture below as they received the tarps. 
The short-term and long-term effects of the disaster are difficult to fully comprehend. Hundreds of thousands of families are without homes as the monsoon season looms, and the quakes and subsequent landslides and avalanches have undercut the country’s two primary sources of livelihood, agriculture and tourism. A leader of an indigenous ministry working in Dolakha District, where most of the casualties of the second earthquake occurred, said that 70,000 of the 75,000 houses there were destroyed. Another ministry leader said most survivors are living in the open air and need tents, food, water and medical assistance. Most aid that is being sent worldwide goes through government hands and is very slow to reach those most in need. That’s why we are so blessed to be able to work directly with Nepalis like Resham and Sita who can use sent funds to buy and prepare the kinds of goods that will bring relief to the hurting as well as love and comfort in the name of Christ. Clothing for a woman costs $10 and clothing for a child costs $5 to produce. Sita is pictured, on the left, with some of the GLOW center women and a sample of the clothes they have produced. 
We are very happy to share this news with you! We were recently able to open a mobile clinic in Erbil. The mobile clinic has been opened this month and is ready to serve everyone who is in need of medical attention and cannot afford it. This mobile clinic contains five different medical specializations, general doctor, gynecology, pharmacy, lab and dentist. It is located near to one building where refugees are living in Erbil, Northern Iraq.
We thank God for his provision and we pray this clinic will be a source of comfort for those who are in desperate need.
This month, we were able to visit two different centers where a large number of Christian Iraqi refugees reside. They received a hot meal, food parcels, shoes, boots, warm winter jackets and toys for the children. Each child also received a special bag filled with various kinds of snacks.
