August 21, 2020

The Lord looks at the Heart

Olive Tree Centres
On Monday 24th August you will see a difference in us. Our name, logo and website are changing, but our heart will never change.
Our mission is to bring hope, help and healing in the Middle East. We focus on vulnerable and persecuted minorities. Our motivation is Christian compassion. The objective is to strengthen and empower those in need.
The team have spent months preparing a new website for our new name and it is finally ready!
Included on the new website will be many inspiring stories. We give a voice to the people we serve, ensuring that this drives our response to their needs.
Riveen with Guitar
Riveen, at the opening of our Olive Tree Centre in Madaba, Jordan
The woman in the photograph above epitomises what we are trying to achieve through our work. Her name is Riveen and you can read more about her below.
(By the way, our charity number remains the same as does the official name registered with the charity commission so there is no need to change your standing order or your Will if you have been kind enough to include us in those ways)
Riveen-working-on-our-mosaic
Above: Mike Simpson, our CEO with Riveen in the mosaic workshop in Jordan last year
Beauty from Brokenness
Six years ago, when ISIS swept across northern Iraq on their terrifying mission of murder and destruction, a young woman called Riveen fled.
In the middle of the night, fearing for her life, Riveen left her hometown of Qaraqosh in northern Iraq and ended up in Erbil. Eventually being forced to leave her home country she fled to a small city called Madaba in the neighbouring country of Jordan. Madaba is famous for its beautiful and ancient mosaics.
A wonderfully creative young woman, Riveen was trained in making mosaics through a project run by a Christian charity there. Her life has been transformed. Last year she made a beautiful mosaic for our new Olive Tree Centre. She also made a wonderful embroidered traditional Iraqi Christian costume which she wore at the opening.
EmbroideryOliveTree_Larger
A beautifully rich tapestry created for The Olive Tree Centre Launch
Some of us had the pleasure to meet Riveen last year and we have kept in touch. It was such a blessing to see the joy on her face as she shared her story. Out of the trauma of Iraq she has emerged into a beautiful new season of creativity and hope.
She sent us a lovely message during the lockdown in Jordan:

I would like to tell you all with all of my love and respect that I appreciate all your effort. Thank you for everything you are giving us. Thank you FRRME [now Mosaic Middle East]. We love you. God willing we will return to a normal life and this crazy virus will disappear.

from the team
Soul Restoration
In the 23rd Psalm David who went through so many trials and risks to his life, says of the Lord, "He restoreth my soul".
 
We as a charity seek by God's grace to be in the soul-restoration business.
 
Mike Simpson,
CEO, Mosaic Middle East
Posted by Mosaic Team