Peace and Joy for Christmas and through the New Year.

Dear Friends and Family

First of all I want to send you the best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, hopping that you had a good time with family and friends.

Christmas this year for me was a special Christmas. In a way I did few things that I am not used to doing during Christmas. Four of my friends from Belfast plus my friend Lidia Lammardo came and stayed in my house. One of the reasons my friends came to Bethlehem for is understanding more what is happening in here and helping the people as much as they can. So instead of spending the time in the touristy places, we went together and helped a family panting their house. A small house in a refugee camp where more than twelve thousand people are living in unhealthy crowded houses. The family is facing what lots of other Palestinian families are facing, three of their sons are in Israeli prisons, and their house was demolished once, but they rebuilt it. For me personally this was a great experience because I have never been to the refugee camp even though its five minutes away from my house. I spoke with the people and I felt the pain and suffering they are living in there, and it really touched me, and opened my eyes for lots of things I didn't know it exist before. This gave me as well another different meaning for Christmas. 

One of the significant things that happened as well, is the visit of four church leaders, in England to Bethlehem, and they also visited Bethlehem University. I had the chance of meeting The Most Revd Rt Hon Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, and talking with him for 40 minutes, we talked about what the Palestinians are living today, and how they are in need of encouragement and someone to hear them. We talked about peace and reconciliation and about my personal story and how the intifada affected my family and the wall separating my family. He listened, and he promised to tell others about what he heard. So this was a good experience for me.

As some of you may know, that for us Palestinians it is forbidden to go to Jerusalem, even thought its five minutes away from my house. But because its Christmas now, I have got a permission to go to Jerusalem, I got the permission and I visited my sister who lives 7 minuets away from my house, I didn't see her since last Easter because I didn't have a permit to do that. That made me happy seeing her again, and I am looking forward to seeing some of my Israeli friends soon.     

 This time I am writing to you and lots of things had changed, the first thing that I finished was finishing university, for good. I finished a degree in Sociology and Psychology. Which I started four years ago. And now as I finished studying, and stopped being a student things changed and what to do next is becoming a big challenge for me. There are some doors opening and it's hard somehow to really know which way to take. But one of the things I am sure I want to do is taking a course in England about relational peace making and diplomacy, which will be in the middle of January. Still I didn't apply for the visa, I didn't book my ticket, and I don't really know when I will be leaving, but I need all those to be done soon . So I will appreciate it if you can pray with me for this … 

Now and as I am sending you this email, it started snowing, and it gives me hope and refreshes me to see the city dressing white.

Again, I am wishing you a happy Christmas, and a happy new year …

Keep me in your prayers.

Elias Halabi