Harvest Rescue Video – http://youtu.be/HrhnyD-LKYI
Pastor Isa, founder of Harvest Rescue, is an Arab-American evangelical pastor whose heart and ministry center in Ramallah, West Bank, where his parents were born. Though legally blind, he has undertaken missionary trips to Cuba, Egypt, Tunisia, Greece, Romania, Hungary, England, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Guatemala and Mexico and has a compelling testimony for sharing Christ with the nations.
Pastor Isa grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and was born-again at a Baptist Church when he was 14. Many generations of his family lived in Ramallah and had ties to the Greek Orthodox Church. “Because of my family roots, I’ve always had a desire and a calling from God to better the lives of my people,” he says. “The thrust of our efforts is to bring educational opportunity and humanitarian relief to the people of Ramallah.”
A surprising incident clarified Pastor Isa’s ministry vision about 12 years ago. One afternoon as he walked toward his house he was startled by a shepherd running down a hill, chasing his sheep. He heard the man yelling, causing a commotion.
“I noticed the sound of sheep hooves coming from behind me along with a man shouting in Arabic for me to stop.
When Pastor Isa turned, he noticed the sheep were following him. “When I stopped the sheep stopped running,” he recalls. “The shepherd was out of breath and thanked me for stopping.”
“I don’t know why, but my sheep were following you home,” the man said, somewhat perplexed.
Pastor Isa continued to the door of his house when he felt God speak to his heart, saying, ‘If you continue to obey me, I will always cause sheep to follow you – and some shepherds.’
Pastor Isa has ministered in the Middle East since 1991. He sees a delicate balance between humanitarian relief and maintaining an effective witness. “We’re firm believers that the light of Jesus Christ shines first and foremost through your life,” he says.
“We befriend those we minister to in our humanitarian efforts,” he notes. “We attempt to somehow allow them to see the life of Jesus lived through us. We try to sink into the shadows of the background to allow His personality and character to be in the forefront.”
“That always opens the door to questioning on their part,” he adds.
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Mark Ellis,a Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service, is also Director of Communications for Guidelines International Ministries. markellis4@cox.net |
http://www.identitynetwork.net/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&view=post&articleid=39749
If you’re interested in contributing to Living Word’s support of this ministry, please write “to Pastor Isa” on your offering envelope or make out your check to Living Word and write “Pastor Isa” on the memo line.