Our help comes from the Lord

Rejoicing in Baptisms

janclaus Bible Study, Jericho, West Bank , , ,

One of the greatest joys of being a Christian is watching new believers being baptized. And we were blessed to rejoice in baptisms often.

Jericho has several springs so finding a place to baptize new believers is not a problem. After people accepted Jesus we began to explain to them about being baptized.

Some of them took quite awhile to decide to be baptized, and others said yes right away. When a person said he wanted to be baptized, we immediately made plans to go to a stream! We would tell the believers who was being baptized and where it would take place and invited anyone who wanted to come witness the event. Continue reading →

Sight is important (part 2)

janclaus healthcare in a third world country, Jericho , ,

We were told it would be expensive. When we asked how much, we were told $700. I then asked how much the hospital would be.To make a long story short that was the total for the hospital, doctor, and a new pair of glasses.

We called our friend Kahlil to take us to the hospital since we didn’t know where it was in Ramallah. We made arrangements to take Bobby with us and Tim and Louise followed us in the car. Louise said she would spend the night with me.

The hospital was nothing like our hospitals. You got no amenities. You had to ask for a wash cloth and water. You bring your own tooth brush and paste and comb. I was fed, but not much. Continue reading →

Sight is important

janclaus Jericho , ,

I woke up and immediately knew something was wrong. I could not see out of my left eye. It was like someone had pulled a shade three quarters of the way down over my eyeball. I mentioned it to Bob and told him I didn’t think it was serious. That day we were moving to the Jesus House from the place we were staying. There was a lot happening at the house. Terry and Susan were packing to leave and we were unpacking. People were coming to the house to say good bye to Terry and Susan. I mentioned I could not see out of my eye and they prayed for me, but it wasn’t on the priority list.

That evening I mentioned to Bob it had not improved at all. He called a friend who is a general practitioner in Jericho. He said I should go to St. John’s eye clinic in Jerusalem. It was a first-come first-served clinic. We made arrangements for Tim and Louise, another American couple working with us, to come to the house early and keep it open while we went to Jerusalem the next day. Continue reading →

Who are they?

janclaus Jericho ,

On my way down from Jerusalem to Jericho  I saw a lot of tents out in the desert. When I say tents, I mean quite a few in an area together. I learned the people around these tents were Bedouins. The Bedouins have been in the area from the time of Abraham and they have stayed there. They have always lived in tents. They are sophisticated now as they have water brought in and they use generators for their villages. They are nomads and when the weather gets cold in the north, they move south. Yes, they pack up their donkeys and camels with their tents and belongings, and set up camp elsewhere. Usually, it is the same place they camped the year before. Continue reading →

One of the most basic needs

janclaus feeding the hungry, Jericho , ,

War brings a lot of needs. One of the most basic is food. After the war started in Palestine, a lot of people were out of work. Many Palestinians worked in Jerusalem or other parts of Israel. They were not allowed to go to work. Without money, they could not buy food.

People began coming to the Jesus House asking for help buying food. Honestly, those of us who worked there didn’t have the money to buy food for all the people. Terry McIntosh, who was in charge of the Jesus House, put out word we needed money for food. Soon people began responding. Terry, with the help of a grocer, put together a food package that we gave to people in need. Continue reading →

Such a scary word

janclaus Jericho, West Bank , ,

War! That is such a scary word and one most of us do not want to hear. But what happens when you find yourself in the middle of a war? It doesn’t have to be a big war. It could be what some people call a skirmish. There was a time I found myself in the middle of a war.

In 2000 the Israelis and the Palestinians went to war. It was called the Second Intifada. Intifada means throwing off. I won’t bore you with how it started, but I was there living in Jericho.

One morning we woke up and found we could not leave Jericho. If we did we would not be allowed back to the city. The stores were closed and we were told it was war. Continue reading →