From Jo Lucas of Mission Partnership:

We are blest to be partnered with work in Bethlehem.  We can celebrate this award, with all those around the world who support this work. To date the Presbytery of Ohio Valley congregations, individuals, foundations and the POV have provided nine scholarships, 23 people have traveled there, seven batches of used hearing aids have been sent, 87 formal presentations have been made, $125,000.00 has been sent for the work there, and prayer is offered daily for the work in Bethlehem and in Indiana.

The Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb of Bethlehem is announced as a winner of the International Award “Deutscher Medienpreis” for 2011.

The official announcement of Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb as recipient of the 2011 prestigious international award “Deutscher Medienpreis” was made in Germany today Friday, January 13, 2012. Launched in 1992, the award was mainly granted to Heads of States, including …the German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2009), the Dali Lama (2008), King Juan Carlos of Spain (2006), Kofi Anan (2003), Queen Rania of Jordan (2002), , Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (2000), Bill Clinton (1999), Nelson Mandela (1998), King Hussein of Jordan (1997), Boris Yeltsin (1996), President Arafat (1995), Yitshak Rabin (1995), Francois Mitterrand (1994), Chancellor Helmut Cole (1993), in addition to few and selected personalities such as Sir Richard Branson (2010), Steffi Graf (2007), Bono (2005) and Rudolph Giuliani (2002).

Aside from Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, the award is given to the Russian Stanislaw Petrow, who prevented a potential third world nuclear war in 1983; the Afghani Dr. Sakena Yacoobi who worked diligently on empowering women in Afghanistan; and to Dr. Denis Mukwege from Congo, who assisted thousands of rape victims in the Congo war.

The decision of the jury to give the award to Rev. Dr. Raheb was based on his tireless work in creating room for hope for his people, who are living under Israeli Occupation, through founding and building institutions of excellence in education, culture and health. He was also recognized due to his strong position and stance on the Culture of Life and Dialogue.

The official ceremony will be held in the city of Baden-Baden in Germany on February 14, 2012. The keynote speaker during the celebration will be the previous German Chancellor Professor Roman Herzog.

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb expressed his delight to receive this prestigious award, since it is indicative of the international appreciation and recognition of his efforts that are made on the local, regional and international levels.  He is pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, and founder and director of the Diyar Consortium, a group of educational, healing, and cultural ministries.
For more information, go to:
www.diyar.ps
www.deutscher-medienpreis.de
www.brightstarsbethlehem.org