June 24, 2002

Texas Baptist Men share food & love in Gaza Strip
___By John Hall
___Texas Baptist Communications
___Amid missiles, explosions and nighttime gunfire, Texas Baptist Men delivered food packages to Palestinians caught in the war-torn Gaza strip.
___The team of six Texans had delivered more than 16,500 pounds of food to Palestinians by June 12. Team members gave each home a 75-pound package of food to help support them through the current crisis.
___The Texans have remained safe despite escalating tensions in the area. The volunteers heard gunfire at night and saw fighter jets fly overhead. While staying in Gaza City, missile explosions shook their apartment building. Several team members climbed to the roof of the building and videotaped helicopters firing missiles at nearby targets late June 19. The missiles hit the neighborhood of Zeitun in Gaza City and the Jebaliya refugee camp just to the north of the city, according to news reports.
___American news outlets reported the military actions were part of Israel's response to two suicide bombings in two days.
___Despite their tenuous situation, the team is not worried about themselves, but they are concerned about the fate of the Palestinians.
___"We are going to refugee camps where people have nothing," said Jered Sellers of First Baptist Church in Plains. "The people are caught in between. Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinian nationals care about them. As those missiles were fired, I was thinking, 'More people are dying.'"
___The volunteers, who arrived in Israel June 8, told family members that about 40 people live in each house, which resemble "chicken coops." One woman slept next to her donkey because she feared it would be stolen during the night. Another woman was feeding her last bottle of milk to her baby.
___"This is great work, and the people are so gracious but so needy," wrote Mike Brittain, pastor of Morton Baptist Church in Diana. "Some have nothing at all. I could sell my truck and make someone the richest person in town."
___Palestinians have been receptive to the team's efforts, with groups of 50 children following the missionaries around, team reports indicate.
___"We walk in their homes, and they are puzzled as to why we are there," Sellers said. "We explain we are from America and God has sent us. God has sent food. He has chosen for them to get the food."
___He described the visitation as "a little thing" that may turn the Palestinians to God. The group also prayed with families in a majority of the homes, a taboo in the Muslim culture.
___Team members asked Texas Baptists to pray for the all people caught in the middle of the Middle East conflict.
___The team planned to drive to Tel Aviv June 20 and return to the United States June 23. Another team is tentatively scheduled to run a children's day camp in Israel in July.

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