It all began with a cup of tea ...
1996: We start off by renting a small storefront in the heart of Beit Jala and inviting people for a cup of tea. The cozy atmosphere of the “House of meeting” attracts many in the first few weeks. We are able to meet people and build relationships. Soon the Beit Al Liqa' is frequented by many, who are looking for the meaning and purpose of their lives.
May 1997: We open a Christian bookshop in the Beit Al Liqa', that offers around 1600 different Arabic titles, as well as many videos and music cassettes. Besides our on-going “tee-times”, we offer a variety of courses, seminars and workshops. Once in a while we also host concerts.
About 20 young people come to our weekly youth-events. In the midst of a fun program we start to introduce them to Jesus and to the word of God.
October 1997: We start to hold weekly children's meetings. About 15- 20 children come. Around Christmas and Easter we invite the neighborhood kids to a special event. Around 150-200 children come.
June 1998: We launch our first children summer camp in the Beit Al Liqa'. This four-week camp attracts 60 children. Our special challenge at this time: all activities must take place in-doors.
September 1998: We hire two staff for our brand-new day-care center.
After hunting around the area for a suitable property, we finally settle on buying 2000 square meters of land in the center of Beit Jala. The land here is sloped so we have three levels. On one level there is a 130-year-old fig tree. Soon we construct a beautiful sitting area under the tree and put grass on the 1000 square meters adjacent to it. A few months later this becomes the first public playground in whole Bethlehem area.
On October 1st, 2001 the cement trucks arrive and we pour the foundation of the new Beit Al Liqa' facility. Despite the fighting and bombing of the Al-Aksa Intifada we continue to build on this new building. When asked why he wanted to go on building something in the midst of these dangerous and uncertain times Johnny Shahwan (founder and head of the Beit Al Liqa' ministry) answers: “So that God receives all the glory for the things he can do. Even though buildings are being destroyed on one side of our city, we will continue to build on this side of the city.”
Even through many weeks of Israeli occupation and the ensuing curfews (in one year alone there were 168 days of curfew), we continue to see good progress on the building. In this time in which around 80% of the population is unemployed, we are able to hire more than 160 people to work for us on a day-to-day basis. Our building project also becomes a way of sustaining many families through these difficult times.
In October 2002, after only one year of building, we have finished building the shell and completed the interior of the first and second floors. As a result we move our ministry and take possession of this wonderful new facility.
In the summer of 2003 we finish the interior of the third and fourth floors, which house a conference center and a manager's flat. On the 3 rd of August 2003 we celebrate the official inauguration of the new Beit Al Liqa'.
