Karen Dunham, pastor of the Living Bread International Church, draws hundreds each week to her services in Jericho.  But her ministry does not stop there. It also provides food, medical aid, toys, blankets and equipment for local hospitals and old-age homes.

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle she ministers "in a place where Christian-Muslim relations can be tense and sometimes spill over into violence [but] she says she will not quit . . . despite being fire-bombed by extremists."

Dunham, has worked in Jericho for five years with impoverished Palestinians.   She insists that she finds no inconsistency between her love of Israel and her service to the Palestinians.  But, the Chronicle notes, she found "No Christians [who] had any desire to help the Palestinians. . . .  Christians talked about the Palestinians as if they were lepers, as if they were the enemy."  Dunham is one of very few Christian missionaries living and working with Palestinians.  She does so with the approval of  both Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Bringing food, clothes toys, furniture soap Bibles, and other supplies, she initially funded her work by selling her family's property. She now has a warehouse for distribution of needed goods to poor families, old-age homes and hospitals and has started a food-stamp program that helps 5,000 families at cost of about $115 per family per month.

On one night most who attended her services were Muslims, who eagerly joined in the hymns and a laying-on of hands.
Her chief translator is a Muslim who, according to the Chronicle, says  "Everybody here in Jericho loves her. We want her to stay here. Even though we are Muslim, we believe in Jesus as one of the prophets. When I am reading from the Gospels, I feel power in my heart from Jesus. It makes me feel free and happy."

However conversion to Christianity is forbidden under Islam.  There are those in Jericho who object to the spread of Christianity and have made no secret of their opposition. Understandably Dunham declines to discuss how many people are actually being baptized as a result of her efforts. "If talk about it too much, we're just inviting more Molotov cocktails," she said.  In fact Dunham has moved four times after her homes were firebombed. Last summer, her house and her car were the subject of arson attacks.  But she is determined to stay and continue her work.