Dear Friends of Saint George Taybeh,
I wish you a blessed and peaceful Triodion Period as many of us are preparing for the Holy Great Lenten Journey.
I wanted to share the witness of Justin Daniel so that you might view his film about the Holy Fire and vote. Please know the way he describes this amazing miracle is honest and true. It is the way I have experienced it... Please share The Miracle of the Holy Fire with your church community and Sunday school students especially this time of year when all of our eyes turn to Jerusalem to spiritually walk with Christ. Consider providing a link on your website.
Orthodox Filmmakers and Artists are hosting the first ever Orthodox Christian Short Film Festival via the internet. Justin Daniel's short video blog about the HOLY FIRE & PASCHA IN THE HOLY CITY has been selected to screen at Byzanfest along with 11 other short-films. Although the short film has not been nominated for any awards it can still have a chance of winning the AUDIENCE FAVOURITE AWARD.
This is awarded to the film that receives the most number of 'likes' on the Orthodox Filmmakers & Artists' YouTube Channel. You can view all 12 films via the YouTube link from the OFA Byzanfest Official Website which will lead you to the official Byzanfest viewing page to view all 12 films. If you have troubles, please use this link.
Justin's short video that did not make the awards is based on the tour I give in Taybeh: Tour of the Palestinian Traditional Parables Home.
We hope that you might recommend Taybeh to others when they are as close as Jerusalem. I am very heartbroken when the tour groups say that they are too scared to come and visit us. We are also human. We appreciate your prayers, support and solidarity.
We have a new eighty room hotel opening in the Fall, God willing and we would appreciate your visit and boost of the economy. The Taybeh Golden Hotel should be running by the time when we hope and pray to host the 10th annual Taybeh Oktoberfest, scheduled September 20-21, 2014 but still waiting for local approval. At any rate, on a personal note, we are celebrating 20 years of making an excellent beer in Palestine.
All that we do is based on the grace of God.
In Christ,
maria