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The flock of the Lord in the Christian Era
began in Israel with the Jewish followers of Christ. Jesus' intention was for the Gospel to spread to the entire world. As He said in the Gospel according to Saint John, chapter 10 verse 16: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." We who live in the rest of the earth and were converted by later generations of disciples can remember that a part of the flock of Jesus is still in the Holy Land. When the news media covers this part of the Middle East, only Jews and Muslims are mentioned; however, we cannot forget the Christian Palestinians who are still trying to live in their ancient homelands. The political climate does not favor the Christians, and many peaceful men have lost their jobs since the outbreak of hostilities several years ago.
Many Palestinians have emigrated to find work and peace, and the number of Christians left in the land of the Bible is dwindling. For some Christians who cannot or will not leave the land of their fathers, carving olivewood is the only means of income they have to obtain the basic necessities of life for their families - food,
clothing, shelter, and education. Most of their customers were tourists
and religious pilgrims, but sadly, the constant hostilities in Israel
and Palestine have stayed the flow of tourists. Consequently, wood carvers
are deprived of customers through no fault of their own, and they are
left with almost no way of earning money.
This website was formed as a way to remedy this miserable situation. As a way of showing
compassion to my spiritual and ethnic brethren,
I have decided to bring their creations to the potential customers.
If the people cannot come to Bethlehem, then the products can go to the people.
Buying through this website is a way to help the Palestinian Christians, members of Christ's Church with the rest of us, earn money to support their families.
The products sold on this website are of good quality. The artisans are very talented, and produce a wide range of religious items, as you can see from the pictures on this website. They oversee the process from the growing of the olive trees to the final polishing.
We hope that you will appreciate their efforts and find something that can grace your home or the homes of loved ones.
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