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Couples making a difference:
The Sanders'
Salt of the Earth
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tlanta, Georgia husband and wife team, Marthame and Elizabeth Sanders married in 1995. As Presbyterians the couple shared a common bond through their faith and dedication to helping mankind; this dedication soon led them into a war zone, choosing to live amongst other Christians in the land Jesus once walked. Like many couples their common passion strengthened once brought together compelling them to share their
experiences, hopes, joys, triumphs and tribulations with others. The result of their adventure in the Holy Land beginning in August 2000 is their documentary Salt of the Earth. |
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Salt of the Earth is a film in nine chapters documenting the trials and tribulations of Christian families living in modern day Palestine, a "Labor of love " by husband and wife team Marthame and Elizabeth Sanders |
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Salt of the Earth documents the lives of nine Palestinian Christians living in the northern West Bank. This film grew out of a desire among their Palestinian neighbors to share their stories, and a desire among Christians in the West to hear them. The Sanders describe the project as "a labor of love, a response to the graciousness, warmth, hospitality, and welcome we received from our Palestinian neighbors and colleagues." Clips from
eight of the segments are available below.
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The salt of the earth |
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Marthame and Elizabeth Sanders lived in the mostly Christian Palestinian village of Zababdeh from August, 2000, through December, 2003. Volunteers with the Presbyterian Church (USA), their ministry was one of ecumenical support to the Church in the land of its birth.
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exile |
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Yvonne remembers how she and her family became refugees as they fled Haifa during the war in 1948. She visits the Church of the Ten Lepers in Burqin, where her family sought refuge from the war. She tries to return to Haifa to visit her
childhood home.
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a mantle
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As an Orthodox priest, Fr. To'mie's weekend is dedicated to his ministry. On Fridays, he leads the Divine Liturgy and shares in fellowship with the minority Christian community in Tubas. On Saturdays, he prays in with the "living stones" of
the ancient church of Burqin. On Sundays, he is priest in his home town of Zababdeh. He shares a challenging message for the Church in the West.
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The Way
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Sylvia is a sophomore in college majoring in Pharmacy. Every two weeks, she braves a difficult and dangerous journey from her home town of Tubas to study in
Nablus. Though the journey should be a 20 minute drive, it can take Sylvia hours - if she makes it at all.
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The garden
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Sawsan is a mother of two, a school secretary, and a college student. She faithfully attends church in her hometown of Jenin weekly. Her daily travel with her two children to the nearby school in
Zababdeh is harrowing, an uncertain and sometimes fearsome passage past tanks and soldiers.
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life
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Ninth grader Jeries and sixth grader Elia are typical boys whose days are defined by school, homework, soccer, karate, TV, church, Sunday School. However, these brothers' lives in Nablus are also demarcated by
soldiers, tanks, F-16s, and missiles.
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advent
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Advent is a time of waiting, and that is just what Mughannam is doing - waiting to continue his education, waiting to begin a new life living abroad. But he knows that leaving behind his hometown of Zababdeh will be tough, leaving behind his students, friends, and family.
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Video Clip
coming soon |
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The cross
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Afaf has lived a simple life of Christian witness, as a school teacher, daughter, and church volunteer in her native Nablus. For her, it is as simple and as challenging as following Christ's command to "take up thy cross." |
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resurrection
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Two years ago, Firas was an unemployed sweat shop laborer in his home town of Zababdeh. The Melkite church his grandfather pastored remained closed, and his Seminary training unused. That all changed in 2002, when he was ordained to the priesthood. The church has since reopened, a sign of life and
hope during a dark time.
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The Wall
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Each Friday, the Christian community of the West Bank border town of Jalame gathers in a congregant's home for worship. Sa'ed is one of them. But the Wall weighs heavily on his mind, which has confiscated his agricultural land and his family
heritage.
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Filmed in nine chapters, upon completion Salt of the Earth will be available as an educational resource in Sunday schools, Bible Studies, small groups, and other organizations and individuals interested in learning about life in the Holy Land today. To be notified when the film is completed, simply EMAIL the producers and give your e-mail address, name and organization if applicable.
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Marthame, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, is a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He received his B.A. in American history from Yale University and went on to earn his M. Div. from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. Marthame's call to ministry in the Middle East began taking shape when he first visited Palestine with a PC(USA) young adult mission trip to Ramallah in
1993. He is a member of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. Elizabeth, a Texan from Lubbock, is also a graduate of Yale University, receiving her B.A. in Environmental Biology. In 2002, she completed her M.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies from Northeastern Illinois University. Elizabeth's sense of call to mission work has been greatly shaped by Paul's description of the mutuality of common ministry (Romans 1:11-12).
Elizabeth and Marthame were married in Atlanta in 1995. Through the strong support of colleagues in the States and in Palestine/Israel, we continue to learn more and more about the needs of ministry in Palestine and the spiritual debt we as Western Christians owe to the church of our ancestors.
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In their own words,
The Sanders speak of their inspiration to create Salt of the Earth:
The Vision of Achaia
“Achaia has been pleased to share their resources with the saints in Jerusalem. They owe it to them – they have come to share in their spiritual blessings, so they ought to be of service to them.” (Romans 15:25-26) As when Saint Paul wrote his letter to the Church in Rome, Christians in Palestine are facing very difficult times. With their Muslim brothers and sisters, they are beset by great economic and political hardships, causing many to leave
their homeland in search of security and freedom elsewhere. The situation is especially dire with the current post-Oslo crisis, with immense losses - in life, in economy, and in hope. As Western Christians, we are the modern-day Achaians, having received much from our spiritual ancestors in the Holy Land. It is our obligation, duty, and joy to address the desperate needs of the Church in the birthplace of Christianity. Through our work in Palestine, we seek to support this ministry of the
Western Church. Geography: Living in Zababdeh, one of the few remaining predominantly Christian villages left in Palestine or Israel, we seek in particular to serve the Christians of the northern West Bank. Ably served by the priests of their various denominations, these Christians, far from the attractions of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, receive little attention or support from the Western world. Christian families living in the northern West Bank, in
Zababdeh and nearby towns such as Burqin, Tubas, Nablus, Jalame, and Jenin, are an ever-shrinking Christian witness amidst a Muslim majority. It is primarily among these people that we seek to serve.
Ecumenism: We do not seek to build our own church. Rather, we seek to support the various ministries of the churches that currently serve these people (including Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Anglican). We hope for the world to know that, particularly in this land, the Church is united in its desire to serve and worship God. We are American Presbyterians (PCUSA), and Marthame is an ordained
Minister of Word and Sacrament. By invitation of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, we came to Zababdeh in August, 2000, and have spent our time here working and living with the people and listening to their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Through our ministry, we hope to build up the Church in the land of Its birth and thereby build up the Church worldwide. To learn more about The Sander's
and their work, visit their website:
http://www.saltfilms.net/front.html
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This free e-books shares Israel Shamir's spiritual essay's on the Holy Land |
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Our Lady of Sorrow
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Interested in learning more about Christians in Palestine? Download the second book of Israel Shamir's essays, Our Lady of Sorrow at no charge. Israel lives in Jaffa and is a world renowned reporter
and author. In 2000 he left the corporate world to focus exclusively on the Occupation and its effect on Christians, Muslims and Jews in the Holy Land. Our Lady of Sorrow contains his spiritual essays, the stories of Iraqi War and the developments in Palestine, including The Wall, The Shadow of Zog and Apocalypse Now. Together with the First Book, the Galilee Flowers,
this collection sums up the works of Shamir presently available to the reader.
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