Shalom and greetings to you from Norway!
I write to you today with a full heart. Even though I am shivering in this northern cold—something my Norwegian brothers and sisters find quite amusing—I am deeply warmed by the love of God and the fellowship I’ve experienced here. I am thankful for the chance to stand in this land, to proclaim the Good News of Yeshua, and to share with believers about what the Lord is doing in Israel during these very challenging days.
Everywhere I look here, I see the fingerprints of our great Creator.
The mountains, rivers, and valleys are like brushstrokes in His masterpiece. All of creation whispers of His glory, and it is impossible not to be in awe of the One who spoke it all into being.
As I stood on a bridge in Norway, gazing at the landscape, God reminded me of something central to our calling as His people: we are bridge builders. Reconciliation is not just an idea—it is a mission, a task entrusted to us by God Himself. My calling in Israel has always been clear: to build bridges between Arabs and Jews, to bring His peace where there has been conflict, and to show through my life and ministry that the love of Yeshua is stronger than hatred, stronger than fear, stronger than division.
A bridge is a powerful picture of what it means to follow this calling.
Sometimes bridges feel long or shaky, and sometimes they even seem dangerous to cross. Yet when you step onto the bridge, you find yourself in a place of new perspective. From the middle, you see both sides. From the middle, you see the beauty that God sees. This is what it means to be a peacemaker: to step courageously into the in-between, trusting the Lord to hold you steady, and to discover the view of reconciliation that only He can give.
Jesus Himself told us:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”
Matthew 5:9
This is not an optional calling—it is at the very heart of our identity as His followers. The world is full of voices of bad news, of hostility, of despair. But I want you to know that there is still Good News coming out of Nazareth. Testimonies are being written, lives are being changed, families are being fed, and communities are being embraced in the love of God.
This is why I ask for your prayers.
Pray for Norway, for its leaders, for the Body of Messiah here, and for our work in Israel. Pray for us as we continue to feed the hungry, care for the poor, and stand as a witness of reconciliation between Jews and Arabs during this season of war and conflict. And above all, pray that we would remain faithful bridge builders—never shrinking back from the challenges, but always moving forward with courage, knowing that our Lord is coming soon.
So I leave you with this encouragement: yes, Arabs and Jews can be friends—brothers even. Not by human strength, but by the grace of God. Let us all embrace our calling to be real bridge builders, true peacemakers, shining the love of Yeshua in every corner of the earth.
With love and blessings from Norway,
Pastor Saleem