A Visit with Pastor Munther’s Family, including Two of God’s Smaller “Living Stones”

Last week, Pastor Munther Isaac & his wife Rudaina kindly invited us to have lunch with them after service at Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem. Their boys Karam (7) & Zaid (5) remind us SO much of our grandsons Theo (5) & Sean Michael (3), playing together, getting into mischief together, etc. At home, one of the boys, holding up his right index finger, begged, “Wahid!” (Arabic for “One!”), pleading for a cookie. A little boy, whether in the U.S. or in Palestine, figures you might as well try for a treat before lunch, even though you know the answer is going to be no.

When Karam & Zaid came close to thank Mike and me for a gift, we had the privilege of hugging them. I gave them each a bear hug, lifting them off the floor the way I do Theo & Sean Michael.

I showed them, on my phone, a video of Theo and Sean Michael wrestling with Mike — they liked it. Mike showed them a photo of himself with his bees. Karam asked in wonder, “How did you catch them all?”

They live in a town called Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem, in the house Munther’s father built in the 1970s. Munther & Rudaina added two bedrooms to it when they got married. Munther’s (widowed) mom & professional, single sister Mona live upstairs. It’s very common to have multiple generations in one house. I think this is a great image for John 14:2, where Jesus says, “In my father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”

Architect Rudaina designed the remodel they recently had done. Now it’s a lovely, modern, open floor plan.

In front of their home

Munther’s sister on left

With 2 of God’s smaller “living stones”