The Dream
The Bethlehem Evangelical Academy began as a dream in 2003. At that time, my wife, Rawda, and I were serving as directors of the Arab Evangelical Home in Hebron. And through our experience, we came to understand that Palestinian children face difficulties and challenges that are unique. Because of this, we realized that they deserve more help than most children in reaching their goals. So, we set ourselves the goal of creating a modern, spacious facility with a highly qualified staff to help Palestinian children fulfill their potential and realize their dreams. And we began to pray.
The Realization of the Dream
We spent the next three years looking for land and raising money, but with limited success. However, we didn’t give up. Then in 2006, God rewarded our faith and perseverance by bringing us a group of Korean Christians who had a vision for building a Christian school for the Palestinians. Among them was a couple named Do Won and Jinsook Chang. As we got to know each other better, the church decided to support our vision of building a new school, and the Changs committed themselves to donating the necessary funds. On that basis, then, we purchased two properties, one in Hebron and one in Beit Sahour. Then, after our plans for building in Hebron were blocked, we began construction of the BEA in 2010. Our dreams were finally realized in 2014 when the BEA opened with forty students in kindergarten and grade one. Since then, the BEA has grown rapidly, reaching the current enrollment of 525 students. And over time, we also added a soccer field and a new addition to the building.
We thank God then for his faithfulness, and we thank the parents who entrusted us with their precious children. Soli deo Gloria!
