Emergency Appeal
From the UBS World Service Center

17 April 2002

To all Regional and General Secretaries

Dear colleagues

“Refusing to succumb to despair”

The tragedy in the country of our Saviour’s birth continues.

We are inspired by the courage, faithfulness and dedication of Bible Society staff and volunteers there who, despite all the difficulties, continue to bring God’s Word to those in special need at this time.

You will remember that at Christmas our colleagues were able to make a special distribution to families in Bethlehem. The pathos was all too obvious to the world Fellowship which responded generously to an emergency appeal. Since then the situation has deteriorated further. We have just received this message from Labib Madanat the General Secretary of the Palestinian Bible Society.

“As the the crisis in Palestine/Israel escalates the world is getting more and more frustrated and bewildered. Our presence among the people and the direction the Palestinian Bible Society has taken as a community based organisation gives us the necessity to act. We are in touch with the people. We are faced every day with the bitter situation. But we refuse to succumb to despair. Jesus is our living hope and through His Word we want to serve this hope to the Palestinian people.”

The immediate response program will include the following three elements:

First, the distribution of the Scripture portion God is our Shelter and Strength to 10,000 families. These families will also receive Scripture readings, a song cassette celebrating the Easter story and selected Scripture verses on stickers. The budget is $27,000.

Second, 10,000 children will receive colouring books and video tapes telling the Easter story. The budget is $35,000.

Third, there will be an expansion of the “Let the children come to me” program which will show God’s love for Palestinian children in refugee camps and villages through the Bethlehem Bible experience team. A series of one-day Bible-based children’s programs will be run for 590 different Palestinian communities reaching no less than 10,000 children. The budget for this program is $25,000 including staff costs for eight months and the purchase of a video projector.

The Palestinian Bible Society has staff and/or volunteers in Gaza, Bethlehem, Bir Zeit, Nablus, Jenin villages (although not the City itself) and Ramallah and is therefore uniquely placed to respond to the crisis.

The total cost of the three programs outlined above, including a small administrative budget, is $95,700. The UBS Rapid Response Program is able to advance $50,000 to allow the work to get off the ground. I am today appealing to national Bible Societies for contributions towards the full $95,700.

Bible Societies able to respond to this appeal should contact John Poole at the World Service Center to make their pledges.

This is another opportunity for the Fellowship to show its solidarity with the staff and volunteers of the Palestinian Bible Society in this awful situation. I do hope you will be able to respond not only with your prayers but also with your financial support.

Yours sincerely

Neil Crosbie
General Secretary