An Arafat Man

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.           __Ephesians 1:13

On October 7 & 8th, Grace Church in Overland Park will host the Fruit of Forgive Conference. We are very pleased to  have Tass Saada join us in this life changing event. Below is a short bio and class description. I encourage you register early as class space is limited.
www.fruitofforgiveness.org

Class Title: From an Arafat Man to Forgiven Man    Taysir (Tass) Saada

Bio

To glorify God by reconciling Arabs and Jews to the Father, then to one another through the love of Jesus Christ

From Anger to Love

Taysir Abu Saada (Tass) knows first-hand what it means to be gripped by hopelessness. Born into a Muslim family in the Gaza Strip in 1951, his parents immigrated to Saudi Arabia shortly after his birth. After the humiliating Arab defeat in the 1967 war with Israel, Tass joined the “Fatah Forces” (PLO under Arafat). In Fatah, Tass was trained as a sniper to kill Jews. He also trained children to fight and kill Jews. 

After several years with Fatah, family circumstances drew him back home. Then, desperate for a change, Tass moved to the United States in 1974, married an American girl (Karen), and became successful in business. He gained American citizenship in 1979, and in 1993 he had an amazing conversion from anger to love, which is covered in his book, Once an Arafat Man.  Although he enjoyed his life in the US, Tass realized the people of his homeland were still trapped in a cycle of violence, poverty and despair. In response, he and his wife founded Hope for Ishmael, a 501(c)(3) religious organization intent on making a difference, one life at a time, in Israel and the West Bank.

“We recognize that the way to provide a better future for the people of Israel and the West Bank is to physically instill hope into their communities,” explains Tass. “By providing basic needs such as nutritious food, education and jobs, we can show them a more profitable way of living. By coming alongside them, we can establish working, peaceful communities that give hope where once there was none.”

Class description:

  Tass will share his background as a Palestinian who was displaced and thereby encountered bitterness and anger so much so that he became a terrorist. Come prepared to be challenged to set free from the bondage of unforgiveness. Dr Jeff Adams pastor of Graceway put it this way. “Like Saul of Tarsus, he sincerely thought he was doing God and his people a favor by killing the enemy.Tass’s account will take us into his journey to faith in Christ. “Learn to achieve the level of forgiveness he acquired that transcends to all of us regardless of the magnitude of the atrocities we have committed against others or ourselves.