[et_\u200bpb_\u200bsection fb_built=\u201e1\u201d _builder_version=\u201e4.16\u201d global_\u200bcolors_\u200binfo=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201epost_content\u201d][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201e4.16\u201d _module_preset=\u201edefault\u201d global_\u200bcolors_\u200binfo=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201epost_content\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201e4_4\u201d _builder_version=\u201e4.16\u201d _module_preset=\u201edefault\u201d global_\u200bcolors_\u200binfo=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201epost_content\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201e4.27.4\u201d _module_preset=\u201edefault\u201d global_\u200bcolors_\u200binfo=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201epost_content\u201d]<\/p>\n
Bethlehem\/\u200bBeit Jala, Octo\u00adber 13, 2025 <\/strong><\/p>\n by Burg\u00adhard Schunkert<\/em><\/p>\n We are now ente\u00adring the next phase of the expan\u00adsi\u00adon of the Lifegate buil\u00adding and are about to tack\u00adle the next floor of our facility.<\/p>\n When we began plan\u00adning the Lifegate Center in 2004 it was alre\u00ada\u00addy part of the over\u00adall concept that we would have 6 floors. The eleva\u00adtor is desi\u00adgned for six floors and the expan\u00adsi\u00adon parts are waiting in our warehouse. We also have 12 air\/\u200bheat pumps, purcha\u00adsed and in opera\u00adti\u00adon, that are capa\u00adble of heating and cooling 6 floors. <\/p>\n This next phase means buil\u00adding 3 new floors<\/strong> on top of the exis\u00adting 3 storey buil\u00adding. The top two floors will remain in shell form whilst the 4th floor will be fitted out and put into opera\u00adti\u00adon. By cons\u00adtruc\u00adting all three new floors now we can put the roof in its final place.<\/p>\n This final place\u00adment of the roof will enable us to install the photo\u00advol\u00adtaic system with solar panels for hot water and install a roof garden. We are also plan\u00adning a fish farm where the nutri\u00adent-rich water needed for the fish can be reused to enable us to grow vege\u00adta\u00adbles and spices, for our own use, but also for sale.<\/p>\n We are very grateful that we have alre\u00ada\u00addy recei\u00adved funding for the 4th floor, which will expand the faci\u00adli\u00adties for the school, work for the sever\u00adely disab\u00adled, assis\u00adti\u00adve device supp\u00adly, and an ortho\u00adpe\u00addic workshop.<\/p>\n The cons\u00adtruc\u00adtion of the last two floors in shell form will cost around \u20ac950,000<\/strong>, of which \u20ac350,000<\/strong> has alre\u00ada\u00addy been saved. Can we find peop\u00adle, foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adons, compa\u00adnies, orga\u00adniza\u00adti\u00adons, etc. who will help us on this stage of our jour\u00adney with the Lifegate Center and help us come closer to reali\u00adsing the visi\u00adon that we had in 2004? <\/span><\/p>\n What was our visi\u00adon in 2004 and how does it rela\u00adte to expan\u00adding the space available in the Lifegate Center?<\/p>\n The new space will mean that local fami\u00adlies (inclu\u00adding those from Gaza) will be able to recei\u00adve encou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adment, coun\u00adseling, thera\u00adpy, and medi\u00adcal care for their disab\u00adled child\u00adren and relatives.<\/p>\n But the increased space will also enable us to extend our visi\u00adon beyond helping peop\u00adle local\u00adly. We want to be able to welco\u00adme peop\u00adle from the Midd\u00adle East and around the world to semi\u00adnars, further educa\u00adti\u00adon cour\u00adses and barri\u00ader-free travel in the Holy Land.<\/p>\n Our colla\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon with the Ameri\u00adcan orga\u00adniza\u00adti\u00adon Joni and Friends has enab\u00adled us to estab\u00adlish many cont\u00adacts with our neigh\u00adbor\u00ading count\u00adries. We are network\u00aded with Chris\u00adti\u00adans in Jordan, Egypt, Arme\u00adnia, Iraq, Turkey, as well as Leba\u00adnon and Syria, whom we want to streng\u00adthen and provi\u00adde with aids for peop\u00adle with disa\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties that bene\u00adfit all peop\u00adle in these countries.<\/p>\n The Lifegate Center (geogra\u00adphi\u00adcal\u00adly in the center) can beco\u00adme a \u201elight\u00adhouse\u201d from which light and hope can shine out for the peop\u00adle of these count\u00adries. Perhaps even a beau\u00adtiful and appro\u00adpria\u00adte name for this project: \u201eLifegate Light\u00adhouse\u201d. Joni Erik\u00adson Tada and Samu\u00adel Koch have assu\u00admed patro\u00adna\u00adge for this project.<\/p>\n It is our pray\u00ader that peop\u00adle, even in the present circum\u00ads\u00adtances, will learn anew how to live in peace. But we are not waiting for it to happen through poli\u00adtics. Such a chan\u00adge must come from the grass\u00adroots of socie\u00adty by way of good examp\u00adles that inspi\u00adre peop\u00adle and give them the coura\u00adge to beco\u00adme peace\u00adma\u00adkers. And it is parti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly inspi\u00adring when these examp\u00adles come from peop\u00adle who have no lobby. We talk litt\u00adle and do much. The results and impact speak for themselves.<\/p>\n It would be a real source of joy to see hearts and doors open to funding this next stage of our project so that we can further pursue the well-being of the peop\u00adle we live among\u00adst. It is the same good news that was born into this world in Beit Jala\/\u200bBethlehem and that can still bring heal\u00ading and prospe\u00adring to this woun\u00added world.<\/p>\n With kind regards and blessings<\/p>\n Yours, Burg\u00adhard Schun\u00adkert and the Lifegate team<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201e4.27.4\u201d _module_preset=\u201edefault\u201d global_\u200bcolors_\u200binfo=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201epost_content\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201e4_4\u201d _builder_version=\u201e4.27.4\u201d _module_preset=\u201edefault\u201d global_\u200bcolors_\u200binfo=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201epost_content\u201d][et_pb_video src_webm=\u201ehttps:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/VIDEO-2024\u201304-23\u201313-33\u201304.mp4\u201d play_icon_color=\u201e#E09900\u201d thumbnail_overlay_color=\u201e#4D9488\u201d _builder_version=\u201e4.27.4\u201d _module_preset=\u201edefault\u201d global_\u200bcolors_\u200binfo=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201epost_content\u201d][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bethlehem\/\u200bBeit Jala, Octo\u00adber 13, 2025 by Burg\u00adhard Schun\u00adkert We are now ente\u00adring the next phase of the expan\u00adsi\u00adon of the Lifegate buil\u00adding and are about to tack\u00adle the next floor of our facility.When we began plan\u00adning the Lifegate Center in 2004 it was alre\u00ada\u00addy part of the over\u00adall concept that we would have 6 floors. The eleva\u00adtor is desi\u00adgned for six floors and the expan\u00adsi\u00adon parts are waiting in our warehouse. We also have 12 air\/\u200bheat pumps, purcha\u00adsed and in opera\u00adti\u00adon, that are capa\u00adble of heating and cooling 6 floors. This next phase means buil\u00adding 3 new floors on top of the exis\u00adting 3 storey buil\u00adding. The top two floors will remain in shell form whilst the 4th floor will be fitted out and put into opera\u00adti\u00adon. By cons\u00adtruc\u00adting all three new floors now we can put the roof in its final place.This final place\u00adment of the roof will enable us to install the photo\u00advol\u00adtaic system with solar panels for hot water and install a roof garden. We are also plan\u00adning a fish farm where the nutri\u00adent-rich water needed for the fish can be reused to enable us to grow vege\u00adta\u00adbles and spices, for our own use, but also for [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":64863,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88,91],"tags":[249,252,250,171,251,253],"class_list":["post-64977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifegate-beit-jala","category-lifegate-beit-jala-en","tag-ausbau","tag-gebaeude","tag-gebaeudeerweiterung","tag-lifegate","tag-spenden","tag-unsterstuetzung"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/186"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64977"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64987,"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64977\/revisions\/64987"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifegate.simonleimig.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}