Meet one of our Master's Students: Nahida Sleibi

I thank God with all my heart for the blessing He has bestowed upon me, so that I may grow in His love, gain more knowledge in His holy word, and draw closer to His divine mercy day after day. I also thank Bethlehem Bible College for opening the way for me to study and delve deeper into the Bible and the Word of God, which will enable and qualify me for Christian ministry in my community.

In this fall semester of 2020, the last semester before submitting my master’s thesis, we studied two subjects. The first was “Pastoral Care and Counseling,” which added a lot to my knowledge, especially in Christian guidance and methods of counseling for people in need, by telling them they are loved by God and they are created in His image and likeness. This course also contributed to the development of the necessary skills that I must possess, such as the art of good listening, among others, all of which make me better able to serve in the church. It is important for us to reflect love and unity with each other, to be witnesses of the love of Christ and to convey salvation to every needy and seeking person that God puts in our way.

The second subject we studied in this semester was “Biblical Theology.” Through it, I was acquainted with and delved into the events of the Bible in sequence, from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation, discovering God’s love that extends to all human beings, and contributing to building His kingdom on earth. This is done through the call to repentance, accepting Christ as Savior and King over our lives, keeping the commandments and acting upon them, walking in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus, accepting pain and sacrifice through complete obedience to God, and listening to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Hence, we will be witnesses of His love, contribute to the realization of God’s will on earth as in heaven, and prepare for the second coming of Christ.

I can say that this semester was rich and added a lot to my previous knowledge, despite the difficult conditions in which we studied due to the spread of the Coronavirus, as we had to study remotely through Zoom, and were not able to meet face-to-face at the College, in order to ensure the safety of everyone. However, this made the lecture lose its vitality due to the lack of interaction between the professor and the students despite the efforts that we were making to create an atmosphere of interaction and participation among us.

Studying at home was not easy for me personally, because my house is small and full of distractions, and there is no room for me to study and focus fully on lectures. Then we struggled with the usual internet problems such as slow speed or interruption in the network, etc.

Finally, all thanks and praise be to God that this semester has ended despite all the challenges. However, I can say that through distance learning, I increased my knowledge of using electronic encyclopedias, and downloading various books and references via the internet. What also made this semester extra special was getting to know new students from Gaza and the Nazareth College, where mutual respect and cooperation were the most apparent features among us.

Thanks to the Bethlehem Bible College administration for their communication with us, supporting and encouraging us despite all the harsh circumstances that we have gone through and are going through still, as they provided us with all the books and materials necessary to successfully complete this semester. I also thank the professors for their cooperation with us to the fullest extent, for they were very patient, and gave us sufficient time to complete the reports and duties required of us … to all of them I say thank you!