Other projects the Metropolitan has begun involve producing and marketing traditional foods like wine, juice and labneh and instruction in how to care for olive trees. Father Paul the Monk, who lived in Wichita and assisted Bishop Basil for several years, spent time in Hauran helping them to establish gardens.

Metropolitan SABA has a concern to support all people of the region regardless of creed or religion. He has said that one cannot merely preach the gospel of Christ to the poorest of the poor. One must BE the gospel.

The Metropolitan’s vision is to show God’s mercy and healing to everyone in need. He has begun the following programs:

• A food box program for the poorest of the Sharing with and praying for poor. He helps everyone, whether a Our sister Archdiocese Christian or not, especially families with St. Timon, children, the elderly, and widows. Bosra Hauran, Jabal al Arab Patron Saint of Hauran and the Golan, Syria • Kindergartens where children can go to One of the Seven Deacons sent out school in clean and caring places. Most of by the Twelve, and one of the the children are not Christian, but they feel the love of Christ there. Seventy Apostles sent out by our Our beloved Bishop Basil has Lord Christ to preach to this land. asked us to adopt the Hauran • A medical clinic where people are treated region, one so full of oppressed kindly, and where each one is cared for as a people who need our help, our unique person. +In the name of the Father and of love and our prayers. We in the U.S. are blessed by great abundance the Son and of the Holy Spirit, so that we may support our churches. But in Against the hostility and the bleak land of Hauran, the people are so Amen. Remember, O Lord Jesus poverty of the region, the need poor that the church has to have programs Christ, Our God, Thy mercies...and seems overwhelming and never to help support them. Metropolitan SABA’s programs will help the people, but he wants to have mercy on us. Save, O Lord, ending. But by the grace of God, we can reach out and do much more to help them to be able to earn and have mercy upon all the clergy money to take care of themselves. extend the arms of Jesus to the and people of Hauran. And lastly, faithful of that needy land, and Given the added harsh realities in these days save, O Lord, and have mercy upon to those who have only begun of conflict, let us pledge ourselves to faithful to taste the goodness of God prayer and support, so that the Archdiocese me, for Thou art a good God and of Bosra Hauran, Jabal, al Arab and the that we so richly enjoy. Golan may see the answers to their prayers, lovest mankind, and unto Thee and God glorified in their land! we give glory. Amen. Hauran’s Biblical history In the days of the Roman Empire, Hauran St. George is the oldest functioning church as explained by Bishop BASIL was the granary of the world--just like “mid- in the region. Carved above the main entrance America!” But today Hauran is a treeless is this saying: “This has become a house of Acts 2:9-11 lists nations who heard for the very place with volcano peaks and barren lava fields God which (was once) a lodging place of first time the Good News of the Apostles, each of black and grey basalt stones left from demons. Where....now (are) choirs of “in his own language”. The “Arabians” were volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago. angels....A certain Christ loving man...... made from Rome’s frontier province Arabia Petraea offering of (this) noble structure placing (the area of modern Syria south of Damascus, A woman herein the revered relic of the holy martyr part of modern Jordan, the Sinai peninsula and prepares lunch George...the glorious victorious who appeared near an ancient to him....in....(515 A.D.)” the northwestern tip of modern Saudi Arabia). Roman column outside her The relics of St. George were here for many home. years!

There are many Greek and Roman ruins of Its architecture was so innovative that the giant temples, marketplaces, and huge Cathedral, Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in amphitheaters cut into the hills and built of the Istanbul, was patterned after it, including the plentiful stone. Symbols of wheat and grapes windows low in the dome, as you can see in are carved into many of the ruins. There are this picture. ancient towns whose buildings and furniture are made entirely of the lava rock. About 300 of these “giant cities” have been found.

Matthew 4:23-25 describes the journeys of A photo, taken  Jesus through this region. When the news in the 1920’s spread through Syria, it included a ten-city of Greek Sadly, the cross no longer stands atop Hagia region, called Decapolis, in this “Arabia.” temple ruins Sophia. But, we can pray for its restoration! in Hauran (from 2,000 Matthew 16:13-20 references Ceasarea years ago). When the Metropolitan arrived in Hauran, Philippi, in Hauran. Peter’s famous answer to there were hardly any priests and hardly Christ’s question occurred here. any churches left open. As there were so few priests, scattered and needy parishioners, and In Galatians 1:15-18 we read that it was to this This land became an important Christian center crumbling church buildings, Metropolitan Arabia that, following his baptism in Damascus during the late Roman times. It was full of SABA began helping the people of this region by St. Ananias, and his escape over the city churches! St. George in Izraa was built in by creating a way to experience support from wall, the Holy Apostle Paul fled and spent three 515 A.D. on the ruins of a pagan temple. It other Christians. years. was built of those black and gray basalt stones left from volcanic eruptions thousands of years Christians here were cut off from other We also read in Acts 6:5 that it was to this ago. Its walls were crumbling,a few years ago, churches because there was no hotel in Sweida Arabia that St. Timon, one of the Seventy but our Diocese gave, (the home of the Archdiocese) for visiting Apostles, appointed by the Lord Christ and one to help repair the delegations and groups, so he established a of the Seven Deacons chosen by the Twelve, ancient church. It is guest house for them. was sent to preach, and where he later served as the prayer of both Dioceses first Bishop of the province’s capital city-- that restored churches Today there are 20 churches in Hauran! modern Bosra in Syria. The Orthodox who live such as St. George Many churches in the Diocese of Wichita and in this territory are descendants of those can be a beacon to call Mid-America have established “twin sister converted to faith in Christ Jesus by St. Timon. many to Christ churches” in “The Archdiocese of Bosra and His Church. Hauran, Jabal al Arab and the Golan, Syria.”