Hope Valley is the story of two women, one Jewish-Israeli and one Palestinian-Israeli, who come together to form the unlikeliest of friendships. Tikvah and Ruby meet one summer day right before the outbreak of the 2nd intifada, in the Galilean valley that separates the segregated villages in which they live. The valley Ruby's father had called Hope came to symbolize the political enmity that has defined the history of two nations in this troubled land and which has led to parallel cultures with little meaningful interaction between them. Tikvah, a fifty-two-year old artist from Long Island, is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and was raised in a loveless and lifeless household. Ruby, a world-renowned Palestinian-Israeli artist, returns to her childhood village from a life abroad to be treated for her worsening cancer. At first, Ruby pursues Tikvah's friendship to get into Tikvah's house and retrieve the diary Ruby's father had left behind when his family was expelled from that same house in the 1948 war. But as their friendship grows, they not only open up to each other's narratives and humanity, but uncover secrets from their own lives. Tikvah's and Ruby's stories show both the strength and fragility of family ties, the power that trauma and fear has in shaping our lives, the strength we muster to face death and suffering, the vicissitudes of marriage and the glorious meaning of friendship. Their lives tap into the primal need for connection, as well as the rich and transformative bonds that can be formed from synchronistic encounters. In Hope Valley we meet two strong women from nations in conflict, who circle each other and, in recognizing each other's pain, offer us hope that fear and resentment can grow into love.

An inspirational story that will resonate with all age groups from adults to teenagers, parents, mentors, and leaders, The Valley of Hope: A fable about self-discovery and a quest to find your true destiny takes us on an uplifting quest of self-discovery. Ping, a smooth little ball adopted by the Pong family is convinced his destiny is to be a golf champion. Misguidedly believing this is his true vocation, he strives valiantly to meet the aspirations of his family and bravely bears the vicious wrath of Thorn, his tutor in golf school, who whacks him relentlessly and fails miserably to get Ping to do anything right. Ping thinks he's a loser and finds solace among the Bad Balls for a while, but realises this too is not his true calling. Befriended by intriguing characters like Sunny the Sunflower, Chippie, Daphne, and Gardenia, Ping recognises the value of true friends, who strengthen his resolve and support him through his trials and tribulations as well as the joys and triumphs of his journey. With the help of Great Ping Fu, who acts as his guide and mentor, Ping encounters the lessons and mysteries of the Less Travelled Road, the Path Unknown, the Gardens of Criticism, Destruction, Forgiveness and Resentment to find his way onto the Destiny Train that sees him fulfil his potential. His journey ends in the Valley of Hope, where he discovers his true destiny. Carolyn Landesman is an inspirational leader, executive coach, and motivator. She believes in the power of self-help to change your life. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/CarolynLandesman

The fascinating and true account of one man's journey from the clutches of evil, depths of sin and wrong side of everything into the glorious light of God's Kingdom! From being born in a prison to being born again at an old-fashioned altar, this book will captivate, inspire, and stir you like few things you've ever read or heard.

Set in the early 1970s, the Valley of Hope follows a group of expatriates, predominately Americans and Australians, who are engaged at the forefront of Indonesia's ambitious quest for petroleum riches. They work for the Indonesian company NUKI—Nusa Udara Kisaran Indonesia (Island Helicopters Indonesia)—the largest helicopter operator in Indonesia. It operates a fleet of venerable Huey helicopters of Vietnam War fame—the same helicopter that is being featured daily, along with body-counts from the war, on prime-time TV. For the multitude of oil field workers and support personnel manning the rigs in the interior of Borneo, the Huey is their only link to civilization and perhaps their only chance for survival if they became injured or afflicted with illness. the Huey is both life and death. Due to the rigorous demands on both the flight crews and the aircraft, accidents are a frequent occurrence. Most NUKI employees approach life with a lighthearted attitude and strive do everything possible to make their existence in Indonesia more enjoyable. Even so, some of them are in the process of coming to terms with the traumas of their wartime experiences, while others are dealing with relationship problems. the Valley of Hope provides glimpses of Indonesian customs and culture that help to explain how decades of endemic corruption have resulted in the turmoil and political instability that is shattering Indonesia today.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Hope Valley has changed and developed over the last century

Penelope Bourdillon felt moved to write this book six years after her beloved husband died. Her fervent hope is that some sentence, paragraph or chapter will speak deeply into the heart of each of her readers. She believes that by sharing her personal journey of grief it could help others in their suffering. Of course everyone's experience is different, and Penelope never says that it is going to be easy, but she suggests that there are ways of easing the pain - not least by having total faith and trust in God.