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May 2021 ACCTS Newsletter

Dear family and friends,

Ruba and I and the whole ACCTS-AWT team are so thankful for your faithfulness through the years. We have walked the journey together with some of you for the last twenty-seven years. We have experienced the Lord’s presence in so many ways.

We value transparency and want you to know that we are facing a financial deficit due to the global economy. I encourage you to pray for our situation. If you feel led to give, you can find the information in the newsletter below. Your partnership with a gift of any size will allow us to continue the work God has given us to do.

Together for building the kingdom,

Nabeeh and Ruba Abbassi

Recently, Ruba's mom suffered several strokes and is in very critical condition. Ruba went to the US in mid-May and quickly returned to Jordan to be with and care for her mom. She is 92 years old and loves the Lord.

“For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:9

Our hearts break to see Palestinians, mainly women and children, being victims of war as the conflict in the Middle East surrounds us. Our mission is on the front line, however, whether with men, women, or youth. Media is becoming the most vital tool that we use for reaching out to people. Our mission is burning to carry the message to the needy and weary people. We continually call to mind the disciples and the way they presented Jesus Christ, our Savior, as we present him. He never changes. His love endures forever. We give thanks and praise to God for the opportunity to part of the kingdom’s mission (Psalm 136:1-9).

Jordan’s Independence Day

On May 25, Jordan celebrated its 75th Independence Day. We are grateful for how God has continued to sustain Jordan and allowed Jordan to remain strong and determined in the midst of the pandemic and political and economic strains.

Youth Initiative: Working Diligently

The youth initiative integrates values of goodness and productivity into the mindset, culture, and processes of the youth in Jordan. We aim to motivate them to lead constructive change by providing them with a platform to develop and exhibit their skills, knowledge, and intellectual formation.

ACCTS seeks to address the aspirations of youth and create an enabling environment for inclusive and meaningful engagement and participation of young men and women. Through conducting and developing discussions, planning, programming, and decision-making processes, they grow in their awareness and knowledge. This requires formal and informal platforms where young men and women can express their opinions and perspectives. It also requires new forms of capacity development strategies and programs to equip young people with the employment and entrepreneurial skills they need, should we aspire to see them contribute to the overall growth and sustainable social development.

For this purpose, the youth initiative is preparing for the new live streaming and website content to be released expectedly by the end of May. In addition, we are praying for a robust presence on other social media platforms that is relevant to the youth on Facebook and Instagram.

First Group of Graduating Youth

After four years with us, the first group from the Youth and Genuine Citizenship is about to graduate. Because we firmly believe that everyone has to be part of the change, we are preparing essential material that incorporates the speakers who were with us through the previous years. The goal is to guide those graduating in building their material and influencing other people with what they have learned from us. Until you practice what you have learned, everything you hear is theory.

Walk Thru the Bible Workshops: Old and New Testament

In April, we had 24 women join our first Walk Thru the Bible training workshop that highlighted prominent picture elements covering the New Testament. In May, AWT held our second Walk Thru the Bible workshop covering the Old Testament, with 27 women attending. This training aims at igniting women’s passion for God’s Word in a fun and exciting event that teaches the big picture of the Bible. First, attendees learned the significant events, people, and chronology of the New and Old Testaments and understood the storyline. They put these familiar stories together during two sessions by memorizing 80 words with 80 signs that they can recall within 180 seconds.

Two Life-Growth Groups Beginning in June

In late June and early July, we will begin two new Nouara life-growth groups. The word Nouara means “blossom,” and this strategic program includes workshops, online content, and follow-up from trained professional coaches and staff. This Nouara program empowers women with knowledge, tools, and methods to assist them in evaluating the areas that require the most attention in their particular stages in life. It teaches them how to take practical steps toward developing four main aspects affecting their lives: their mindset, heart, health, and soul.

We look forward to seeing what God will do in and through these groups.

Launch of New AWT Arabic Website

AWT is on the brink of getting ready to launch our new AWT Arabic website! We are excited to have a new website that will allow us to serve and reach the women God has placed before us in a better way. The AWT team is enthusiastically preparing content and material for the website, which we expect to launch in late June.

A Story from Gaza:

A girl who was subjected to violence from her father underwent therapy sessions with our psychological specialist and has continued to communicate with us. Her father wanted to get rid of her by giving her in marriage to anyone willing to take her. She is educated, wants to find a job, and is seeking a better life, but faces opposition from people around her. When she came to us, she suffered very low self-esteem because of the abuse she experienced.

We provided her with the emotional support she needed and tried to find people who can help her even though she fears her family’s reaction. We helped her convince her parents to let her work and talk to them about the correct concept of marriage. Eventually, she recognized her value and became aware of the type of life she wants to live if she gets married. She is reading helpful articles and even succeeded in finding a job.

This lady followed AWT’s Honor and Shame Campaign and achieved many milestones. She mentioned, “I wish to be an ambassador of the new mindset of thinking despite all the challenges. Actually, I currently started to encourage many girls. They learned a lot from me. They stood against the oppression and recognized their rights. I want to influence more. Thank you for your efforts to support a generation to mature and be responsible.”

Unfortunately, because of the recent fighting in Gaza, she now faces new difficulties. She is afraid of losing a job she fought for and is suffering from fear and a lack of security. She recently shared, “We are dying, and there is no safe place. I am terrified and can’t even sleep for an hour. I don’t know how to comfort the kids. They are all crying and shouting. At the beginning of the conflict with Israel, I used to fear a lot. Since then, I have been constantly having nightmares and such strange dreams that I can’t even share about because of their intensity. I am emotionally exhausted and depressed most of the time. I am trying to cope, coexist, and act normal.”

AWT now referred her to undertake specialized post-trauma sessions. We will provide her with 8 counseling therapy sessions that will start in June through a partner therapist who works for House of Counseling in Egypt.

Nevertheless, she expressed her gratitude for our helping her in her journey. Women like her keep us going, so keep her and us in your prayers.

Give:

Would you prayerfully consider how you can support ACCTS-AWT through your partnership with us in building God’s kingdom? Your gift is tax-deductible and will help us cover our deficit and meet our budget. You can contact us with any questions or for more information on how to give.