As we rush around this weekend to finish Christmas shopping and make it to holiday parties, it’s sadly a very different scene across the world in the Holy Land. The typical hustle and bustle of gift exchanges, family gatherings, and religious traditions are silent.
Stores remain closed. Border checkpoints are as limiting as ever. And countless families continue to be out of work and financially stressed. There’s a heaviness over the area that even the joy and hope of Christmas can’t seem to break through. So, in the very land and city of Bethlehem where Jesus was born, his birth will not be celebrated this year.
In every practical sense, Christmas is canceled in Jericho.
But not at Seeds of Hope.
While we’re not immune to the realities of life in the Middle East right now, we are finding ways to move forward. “Our big parties might be canceled, and our staff may not have our typical Christmas celebrations,” said Khader Ghanim, CEO of Seeds of Hope. “Still, in many ways, this terrible situation has allowed us to get back to the heart of what Christmas represents.”
Christmas is the truest example of hope. It’s a reminder that thousands of years ago, God reached out through what felt like complete darkness to offer the ultimate rescue—and he still does the same thing today.
And while we can’t celebrate Christmas the way we’re used to, that doesn’t mean we’re not celebrating. In fact, we’re celebrating Jesus’ birth by following the example he set through his life. We’re reaching out to our neighbors in need and doing what we can to care for those around us.
This week, we rolled out another food distribution in Jericho to help 250 more families meet their needs! Despite how hard things have been in the area, Seeds of Hope is still one of the only groups able to provide relief for local families. The community and government have repeatedly expressed how grateful they are for these projects.
Like last time, we provided families with food coupons they can redeem with local grocers. This model has been incredibly successful at helping families get what they need while also supporting small, family-owned businesses that are facing equally challenging times. We were even able to expand our partnerships to include new grocers and a few butchers around town!
Your generosity is also helping Christian refugees who have fled Gaza in the last two months. We’re continuing to work through our friends at Emmanuel Church in Bethlehem. Individuals there with family and trustworthy personal connections in the West Bank have allowed us to provide aid where very few people can right now. You’ve funded food, medications, winter clothes, and more for people who have lost everything. Your donations are currently feeding almost 1,000 people a day!
“As much as we hate the war and want it to end right now, one positive that can come out of it is the stripping away of all the ‘things’ and all the traditions,” shared Regina Shaheen, who leads the Seeds of Hope Cultural Center with her husband, Simon.
“This year, there is no big tree, no Santa, no gifts, no gatherings,” Regina reflected. “But it gives us the chance to explain and express that though the outward signs of Christmas are not happening, there is still a deep celebration abiding in our hearts of our Savior who came to the world to save us. And no one can ever take that from us.”
Even in a season where it doesn’t feel like there’s much to celebrate, Seeds of Hope is committed to living out what Christmas truly represents. We will be the light—reaching out through the darkness to offer a rescue and the hope of a Savior.
So, as you gather soon with family and loved ones to celebrate Christmas, we hope you’ll gather with incredible gratitude but also with a reminder of what Christmas truly represents: Our Heavenly Father breaking through the darkness to offer us hope and help when we most needed it, and then calling us to do the same for others.
