November 2004 Newsletter

November 2004

Shalom Friends -

We really have a lot of wonderful news this month about incredible things God is doing in Africa. We also want to tell you about upcoming seminars for Hebrew, En-Gedi book signings and other events, and we hope you can join us.

Amazing Breakthrough in Uganda, and Reports from Kenya

For the past month, our executive director, Bruce Okkema has been in Uganda and Kenya, and is arriving home tomorrow, November 4. He went to both countries because En-Gedi's calling (like every Christian's) is to live out Jesus' words, not just to study them academically. Because En-Gedi's namesake is a spring of living water in the desert, we have been working to help a ministry called Water Missions International bring water purification units (Living Water Units!) to places where contaminated water sickens and kills thousands of people each year.

In December 2003, Bruce went to Uganda to work on site preparation for six water units to bring there. (His reports from that trip are here.) On this trip he went to obtain the necessary tax-free permission for the units, and also to do water testing for sites in Kenya. We had gotten very frustrated after working for a year to ask for a tax document from the Ugandan government to no avail, and on this trip Bruce had governmental meetings that were cancelled. At the end of his final day in Uganda, Bruce was speaking to a meeting of 300 pastors and asked them to pray for a breakthrough, and 15 minutes later the President's secretary called him to tell him that the President of Uganda would personally write him a tax document. So we are praising God for his wonderful intervention in response to prayer. We will tell the full story, which is even better, at an upcoming Fellowship Dinner.

Final Email From Bruce in Kenya

Since October 20 Bruce has been in Kenya, seeing much amazing wildlife, the terrible poverty of the slums of Nairobi, and scenes of daily living that look like they are from Bible times. He has been sending back amazing photos and reports by email. To see them, use this link. Here is his final email greeting, written today from Kenya:

Praise the Lord for technology that allows us to connect with each other all around the world -- the resources from En-Gedi and other sources truly are available where ever people have access to the Internet. The hunger for this has been powerfully reinforced through the seminars in Uganda, and here at the crossroads of the Mayfield guest house in Nairobi with pastors, teachers, and missionaries from all over the world. We have met people from Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Chad, Somalia, Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, Switzerland, England, and all across the US. The list of ministries and missions is long. Through our dinner discussions and travels, these people are now aware of two new sources of Living Water -- En-Gedi & WMI. They are especially excited that their biblical resources no longer have to remain limited to their sometimes meager libraries. Ideas are sprouting about how we might be able to build on this in the future as the Lord leads.

I have now rolled up the mosquito netting for the last time and spent my last night in Nairobi. I will be leaving behind many wonderful people and new friends but bringing home lots of stories, pictures and opportunities for us. We are already thinking about a fellowship dinner soon where we can give you the "rest of the story". The Lord has been faithful at every turn. I have been working long hours with little sleep in sometimes utterly filthy, disease-ridden environments, and in some life-threatening situations. There have been many and varied kinds of bug bites, and more than 3,000 kilometers on roads that you wouldn't believe, passing vehicles and drivers that you would believe still less. Yet I have not been sick a day; I have not been scratched, bruised, or harmed in any way; nor have we been prevented from going anywhere or doing anything that we had planned to do. And, we have had amazing "God things" happen that you will have to wait to hear about in person or read about when there is more space.

We can only attribute this to the protection by the Lord's angels and to the prayers of his people. To all of you who have so faithfully been lifting up Lois and Mary and myself during this venture, please accept our heartfelt thanks. I look forward to being home again soon and to things like cold drinks and long hot showers. -- Shalom from Nairobi!

Biblical Hebrew Night & Seminars with Gary and Sharon Alley

Many people are discovering that knowing a little Hebrew can greatly enhance their Bible study. If you also are interested in Hebrew, even if you know nothing, we invite you to join us for one of the following seminars with Gary and Sharon (Buth) Alley, of the Biblical Language Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Sharon and Gary are instructors and co-developers of the course Living Biblical Hebrew for Everyone with Dr. Randall Buth - an innovative approach that teaches Biblical Hebrew as a living language, learning like a child does through listening and physical interaction.

Biblical Hebrew Night
Thursday, November 1, 6:30 - 9:00 PM
Zeeland Christian School Media Center, 334 W Central, Zeeland, $15

If you have participated before or just have an interest, you are invited to join us for a Biblical Hebrew Night, Thursday, Nov. 11, 6:30 - 9 PM at Zeeland Christian School. Sharon and Gary will teach biblical Hebrew through interactive and exciting techniques that all ages and backgrounds can learn from and enjoy. This refresher night will be useful for anyone, whether they have a lot of Hebrew knowledge or none at all. Come experience this innovative method of teaching biblical Hebrew as a living language. If you have participated before or just have an interest, you are invited to join us. Please email us if you are coming so that we can plan for seating.

Map to Zeeland Christian School

Learning Biblical Hebrew: Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks
Tuesday, November 9, 11:15-12:15 Follow-up discussion until 1 PM
Western Theological Seminary – Cook Library, 6th Floor,
101 E 13th St, Holland, MI – Free, open to public

How often do students take biblical Hebrew courses and shortly thereafter lose much of their hard-earned knowledge? What would revolutionize our biblical language learning and make Hebrew truly accessible in our study of the Bible? Sharon and Gary Alley will demonstrate innovative teaching methods for biblical Hebrew and discuss the effects they have on future language use and proficiency. These interactive and entertaining teaching techniques have the potential to invite a larger circle of learners to enter and remain in the world of biblical Hebrew. A demonstration, as well as a panel discussion will follow. Questions and audience discussion welcome too.

Gary and Sharon (Buth) Alley are both graduate students at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and are part of the Jerusalem School, a group of scholars that study the gospels in the context of their first century language and Jewish culture. They will be speaking at other venues in the area as well. On Sunday, Nov. 7, they will speak at the Grand Valley State University evening worship in Allendale, MI; and on Sunday, Nov.14, they will be at Holland Heights Christian Reformed Church in Holland, MI. See the Calendar for times and details. All are welcome to attend.

Thank you to the DeVos Foundation

We would like to express our great appreciation to the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation, who recently awarded the En-Gedi Resource Center a grant of $25,000 toward the publication of Hebraic study materials. We are encouraged that they and other foundations see the great need in the Christian community for books and multi-media that will teach about the Bible in its cultural context.

The need is great and we are very much dependent on generosity like this, especially now with all the opportunities that lie ahead. We pray that all of you will take the opportunity to participate with us through your gifts, as the Lord leads you. We rarely send out requests, but we will be sending a mailing to you soon for consideration in your year-end giving. And thank you to all of you have been so faithfully supporting us, because every dollar you have given is an investment in the Kingdom.

Update & Book Signing for new book: Listening to the Language of the Bible

We are happy for all the enthusiastic response we have had to our first book, Listening to the Language of the Bible: Hearing It through Jesus' Ears. We are now working on a study guide so that it can be used for group Bible studies, for those wanting to go deeper. Please feel free to give us your feedback on the book. For more information and give your feedback, see this link.

If you live in the area, please join us for a book signing on Saturday, November 13 at Baker Book House at 2768 East Paris in Grand Rapids between 11 AM - 3 PM.

You are also welcome to attend two adult education sessions we will be leading at Christ Memorial Church, 595 Graafschap in Holland, MI at 10:30 AM, Nov. 28 & Dec. 19, called Listening to the Bible Through Jesus' Ears. Please keep checking the calendar for more events.

Along with ordering the book at the website of En-Gedi and at many bookstores in the Holland/Grand Rapids/Muskegon area, Listening to the Language of the Bible is also available through the following:

Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com
Jerusalem Perspective - http://www.jerusalemperspective.com
Center for Judaic-Christian Studies - http://www.jcstudies.com
That The World May Know Ministries - http://www.followtherabbi.com

Calendar of Selected Upcoming Events (see En-Gedi Event Calendar for more)

• Nov. 9 – (Thurs) Learning Biblical Hebrew, Gary and Sharon (Buth) Alley - Western Seminary - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM, further discussion until 1 PM.

• Nov. 11 – (Thurs) Biblical Hebrew Night, Gary and Sharon Alley, - Zeeland Christian School - 6:30 - 9 PM.

• Nov. 13 – (Sat) En-Gedi Book Signing, Baker Book House, 2768 East Paris Ave, Grand Rapids, 11 AM - 3 PM.

• Nov. 28 – (Sun) Listening to the Bible through Jesus’ Ears, Part 1, Christ Memorial Church, Holland, 10:30 AM.

• Dec. 19 – (Sun) Listening to the Bible through Jesus’ Ears, Part 2, Christ Memorial Church, Holland, 10:30 AM.

As always, we ask that you remember us in prayer. We are glad for your interest in our ministry, and pray that it matures and deepens your faith, and your walk as a disciple of our Lord Jesus.

May the Lord bless you!

Lois Tverberg & Bruce Okkema
En-Gedi Resource Center Directors