At this uncertain time for the world, we are no doubt all wondering how this will end. In 2 Chronicles, we read of when large armies massed against King Jehoshaphat. Understandably, the king was afraid. Nonetheless, from his position of vulnerability Jehoshaphat sought the Lord Almighty. “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you,” ends his devout prayer. Remembering that God had been faithful in the past, Jehoshaphat maintained his hope for the future and trusted the Father’s consistency in each moment. Now, we must all do the same.
In Israel, we were among the first to experience the sweeping societal disruptions that are now being felt similarly around the globe. The government here has employed an especially proactive and rigorous approach to tackling the spread of COVID-19. Last week, it was declared that all entrants to the country must undergo a 14-day self-quarantine, with all foreigners who cannot prove that this is possible (i.e. that they have access to a private property) to be turned away at the border. Along with the ban on gatherings in excess of ten people, these measures have forced us to postpone our Nazareth Challenge fundraising event to protect the health and safety of our participants.
This week, all shops, restaurants, theatres, schools and universities have closed. Non-essential workers have been told to work from home. In Nazareth, a recent visitor to the Baptist School was found to have the virus and as a result all students are now being isolated at home for 14 days.
All our operations in Nazareth have been severely impacted. We have had no choice but to close the Nazareth Village until the broader restrictions are lifted, which will likely only be in several months. Most of our SERVE volunteers have returned home, although some long-term volunteers are intending to stay to provide crucial pastoral care. We are extremely grateful for this act of selfless service. Lectures for students at the School of Nursing have moved online. Finally, the hospital is being required by the Ministry of Health to provide as many as 50 intensive care beds for infected patients, which would result in the closure of some wards and reduced routine medical provisions across the board.
The situation is fluid and we call on our friends and supporters to pray for us earnestly and regularly.
Please pray for our medical staff who are under enormous pressure. While they continue to care for patients on 12-hour shifts, with many of their own families at home in self-isolation, pray for their protection from the virus, strength to carry out duties above and beyond the norm and peace in their hearts and minds at a time when their mental health is more crucial than ever.
Please pray for our hospital management team, particularly our Deputy CEO, Waseem Dibbini, and Medical Director, Dr Fahed Hakim, as they make daily decisions on complex issues. They desperately need the Lord’s wisdom and strength.
Please pray for our Nazareth Village staff who face an uncertain future due to the halt on tourism for the foreseeable future.
Please pray for our SERVE staff and the volunteers who remain, that they will be emboldened to provide crucial pastoral care to staff at the hospital.
Please pray as well for our School of Nursing students and the staff who continue to support them through their studies.
Lastly, please pray for continued financial provision for the Nazareth Trust as we experience enormous financial challenges due to loss of income alongside increased demands on the hospital. Please pray for wisdom for our Board and Executive Team who seek to guide the Trust and our staff through this difficult time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update. We understand that you will also be facing challenges and uncertainty and we hold you in our prayers as an organisation. We are God’s people and as such can be confident in His plan and His faithfulness. May we look to God as Jehoshaphat did. We appreciate your prayers and support.
Welcome to the online version of our 2019 Newsletter for autumn and winter.
We hope you enjoy reading stories about all areas of our work in this newsletter. We’re delighted to give you an update on our International Volunteer Chaplaincy, a progress report about the Doctor’s House renovation and much more. Please continue to pray for our staff, patients, volunteers and all those we encounter.
It is with great sadness that we have learnt this week of the passing of Nancy Martin.
Nancy and her husband Bob were great servants of the Nazareth Hospital and Nazareth School of Nursing, living here for a total of 17 years until 1995. Nancy was for many years the Director of the Nazareth School of Nursing. In partnership with local staff from Nazareth she helped the School gain recognition for the training of registered nurses, a major step in making it what it is today, a thriving educational institution teaching over 350 students each year.
Since returning to the US, Nancy remained in touch with the work in Nazareth and developed many close and deep friendships here. She also served for several years as a member of the Board of the Nazareth Trust. Nancy and her family have set up the Nancy Martin Memorial Scholarship fund for scholarships at the Nazareth Hospital School of Nursing – a fitting tribute to her lifelong dedication to nursing education and her connection to Nazareth.
We will be holding a memorial service in remembrance of Nancy at our hospital chapel in Nazareth on Monday 30th September.
Nancy L. Martin, 78, of Lancaster, PA, died Monday, September 16, 2019 at her home. She retired in 2007 after serving as former executive director of No Longer Alone Ministries, Lancaster, PA. As faculty, she taught nursing at West Virginia University, York College of PA and the Nazareth School of Nursing, Nazareth, Israel. She was certified as a clinical specialist in medical-surgical nursing.
A 1963 graduate of Goshen College, Goshen, IN, she received her master’s degree in nursing from West Virginia University in 1981. She earned her doctorate in Administration of Higher Education in 1987 from West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.
She was married to Robert W. Martin, MD for fifty-six years. They have lived in Lancaster and York since returning from Israel.
Nancy, with her husband, spent most of their careers in Nazareth, Israel as medical missionaries with the former Mennonite Board of Missions of Elkhart, IN, now known as Mennonite Mission Network. She had the privilege, with the help of local colleagues, of starting a school of nursing for registered nurses among the Arab Israelis of Galilee, which continues as the Nazareth School of Nursing, seeing it accredited by Israel’s Ministry of Health during her tenure. She served as director of nursing education there from 1987 to 1995.
Nancy served on many boards of non-profits in the USA and Israel. More recently she worked for some of these non-profits as a volunteer.
She was a member of East Chestnut St. Mennonite Church, Lancaster, where she served in various ministries. Her focus in life was to promote health and faith.
Born in York, PA, she was the daughter of the late James S. and Alma M. (Groff) Rudy. She had pleasure in doing family genealogy and writing of the family histories.
She is survived by her husband and two children, R. Craig Martin, MD, married to Carol Ann (Call) Martin of Georgetown, KY and Karen L. Gish, of Wrightsville, PA and five grandchildren: Zachary S. Gish, married to Alexandra (Poff) of Pittsburg, PA, Madelyn L., married to Macson McGuigan of Harrisonburg, VA, Charles G. Gish of Wrightsville, PA, John R. Martin of Barboursville, WV, and Samuel T. Martin of West Point, NY. Also surviving are her brothers: John H. Rudy and his wife, Lucy Gehman of Lancaster, Clarence E. Rudy of Lititz and a sister-in-law, Eva M. Stetter Rudy of Thomas, WV. Also surviving is her sister, Sarah E. Sauder of New Holland, PA. She was predeceased by her sister, Mary Jane Detweiler and her husband, Richard C. Detweiler of Lansdale, PA, as well as her brother, J. Paul Rudy of Thomas, WV.
A Celebration of Life Memorial Service for Nancy will take place on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at 3pm at Neffsville Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA. The burial will be private at Garbers Mennonite Cemetery.
You may remember that our 2019 Nazareth Challenge raised funds to support renovation work in the Nazareth Hospital’s Maternity Department. Thanks to our amazing Nazareth Challenge participants and all those who supported them, over £60,000 was raised. We’re delighted to say that the renovation work is well underway and you can see the results yourself below.
Last month we were delighted to welcome Bob and Jan Vartan to the Nazareth Hospital and Nazareth Village. Bob is the great grandson of our hospital’s founder, Dr Vartan. Watch our video to find out about their visit.
Last month we shared a reflection from one of our long-term SERVE volunteers, Sophie. This month we’re sharing another reflection from David, Sophie’s husband. After a year with SERVE, David and Sophie have now moved on to their next adventure, please continue to pray for them as begin this next chapter in their life and for all our SERVE volunteers.
Read on to find out more about David’s time with SERVE Nazareth.
The Nazareth Hospital EMMS hosted the Deputy Minister of Health, MK Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, on Thursday, 6 June 2019, for an official meeting. The Deputy Minister was welcomed by the Director of the hospital, Prof. Fahed Hakim, the deputy CEO of the hospital’s parent organisation The Nazareth Trust, Mr. Waseem Dibbini and members of the executive management team.
The visit began with a tour in some of the hospital’s departments, which have been awarded certificates of merit by the Ministry for their quality of service and excellence. The Deputy Minister received updates on departments and services the Ministry of Health supported last year. Further discussions took place regarding the hospital’s future development plans, which have been submitted by the hospital management to the Ministry of Health, aiming to improve the quality and availability of medical services in Nazareth and its surrounding communities.
At the end of the meeting, the hospital’s management thanked Deputy Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman for the partnership and continuous support of the Hospital. The Deputy minister in turn thanked the hospital’s management and staff for their contribution and service to the community and the region and expressed his commitment to the advancement of the hospital to enable it to continue its achievements in all fields. Following on from the visit, the Deputy Minister granted a license to operate a second CT scanner, necessary to operate the hospital’s Stroke Department as an emergency service. It is expected to become fully operational by the beginning of 2020.
Currently the Stroke Department is open and running, primarily as an out-patient service. The necessary building work is underway to extend our existing building to ensure we have enough space for the Department. We will also be renovating two patient rooms within our Internal Medicine Department, renovation on the first will start very soon and the second early next year.
A huge thank you to all those who have supported the creation of Nazareth’s first Stroke Department and helped us take this step closer to providing the life-saving care the people of Nazareth deserve.
