The Christian Artisans

The area around Bethlehem has been known for centuries for its distinguished carvers of olive wood and mother-of-pearl.  It is an art handed down from father to son.  For years the Christian community made a very respectable living selling their carvings to the vast numbers of tourists and pilgrims who flocked to the Holy Land.  Today the situation is dramatically different.  The Palestinian economy is in shambles, the holy sites are empty, and there are few tourists to buy the beautiful carvings produced by local Christian families.  Unemployment is once again on the rise.  The artisans of the area desperately need to market their products.  This ministry is an attempt to help them do just that while providing our customers the opportunity to own a beautiful hand crafted product from the Holy Land.

The Palestinian Christians of the Holy Land desperately need our help in this difficult time.  Each piece of olive wood sold provides not only income and employment, but also dignity and hope to impoverished Christian families. 

Taybeh, the biblical village of Ephraim, is the last entirely Christian village in the West Bank.  Due to very high unemployment and severe travel restrictions the village population has dropped from 3,500 to a new low of 1,300.