Our staff in Israel has been busy responding to the atrocities happening in the country. They serve day in and day out, giving all they can to help people. The following daily updates “From the Frontlines” may inspire you to join us in prayer for them, and the Holy Land.
Bringing Aid to Soldiers and Survivors in Jerusalem
Life as we know it has changed in Israel.
Looking back on Saturday, October 7, after arising from the bomb shelter and recovering from the shock and trauma of the news of the horrifying attack in the south, we began to organize the purchase and delivery of food for reservists suddenly called to duty. We were able to recruit friends in the north who were happy to volunteer, and many joined them.
Our deputy director began to help families relocate and many, thankfully, opened their doors in Jerusalem to let them in. We helped find housing for one family who miraculously survived the tragedy in Sderot and we also helped foreign visitors to leave the country.
Today, we are taking sixty people out of Ashkelon for a spiritual retreat to recover from the constant rocket attacks.
We have also ordered food for elderly people in the south. Other friends helped us purchase battery packs for soldiers and terror victims to charge their phones. Our phones have been ringing constantly with requests for help with food, shelter, and plane tickets. Staying busy has protected us from watching the news too much!
One of the most devastating things has been to know the son of some acquaintances was killed in battle, and the daughter of others was shot by terrorists…our hearts break with theirs. And our beloved Holocaust survivors—who we have shown love to for years—were captured by terrorists. The horror for them must have been so painful as these acts probably resembled what they saw as children during World War II.
We love Israel, we live in our own country, and we want this country to live. Thank you for your prayers, help, and love of Israel! if you’re inclined to pray, may I invite you to please pray for soldiers, for the citizens of our country, for unity, for Israel?
Praying for comfort for the families who lost loved ones!
Psalm 46:11 offers us these words of encouragement:
“The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.”
Another Day of Service
A week ago, my wife and I were working on plans to move to Asia and do ministry with Israelis who travel around the world and bring the Gospel through hospitality and the love of Jesus.
As of this past weekend, our plans have changed and today, we took supplies to the bases up in the north. The army supplies soldiers most of what they need, but because 360,000 civilians were called into reserve duty with no notice, many did not pack what they needed. In some areas, soldiers are on the front lines and cannot access daily necessities, so we bought t-shirts, underwear, socks, and sleeping bags, all according to what the base commanders asked for. As we drove up north, we met up with some friends, collected more supplies, and traveled with three vehicles.
As we approached the border, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The soldiers—many of them very young—had serious expressions. We saw numerous tanks and police in combat vehicles. We met an officer who I was in touch with and she helped us bring the right supplies to the right locations. It was great the bases sent soldiers out to collect the items from us, since we are not allowed on the bases because of safety concerns. They were very happy to receive them, and we conveyed Christian friends of Israel are praying and supporting the Jewish state during this difficult time…to hear believers support them is a fresh message of support beyond the physical needs. Some soldiers told stories about their children and wives back home.
The trip was stressful, but we are grateful for the opportunity to serve our people in this challenging time. Dear friends, thank you for your love and support.
Staff Provide Much-Needed Help as Supplies Running Out
My family and I have lived in Israel for decades and have a deep heart for Israelis and the Jewish people. We have seen the work of the Holy Spirit pour into the lives of young Jewish and Arab people, giving us a glimpse of Heaven as the King of Israel is also the Lord of all the nations.
As we are now faced with a new reality, we have embarked in assisting people wherever we can. Yesterday, we contacted many stores looking for ones which had stock. Nearly everyone we know from the age of eighteen to forty was called into military service to protect our country from a surprise war. We are in touch with them, and they needed supplies on their bases, so we made calls. We finally found a store with a large warehouse and ordered supplies. We picked them up and were about to deliver them, but the officer at the base told us not to come yesterday due to safety concerns. Some of us took the supplies today, while others worked on making another order and organizing our team’s next efforts. We are doing what we can to serve.
Today, we purchased 100 battery backs to be distributed to various soldiers, and we will collect more from a friend who will arrive with them from Japan and will go up north to the unit where a believer has requested them. We worked on ordering more supplies, however, the stores had a backlog. One told me they can send me the price for our order tomorrow or more likely Sunday.
Lastly, we worked on sending video encouragements to our community on our social media and contacted many reservists who were called up to encourage them and get their prayer requests.
Prayers and Encouragement
I’ve recently welcomed my first-born baby and so I will keep this short for you. We have been in contact with our young adults’ group and encouraging them. We started a prayer request system, which has proven to be helpful. Five of our young adults have been called up to serve in the army. We are organizing a prayer meeting to pray for all of our friends and loved ones in dangerous locations.
Evacuees From Ravaged Towns Find Shelter in Dead Sea Hotel
Today was a very busy day. We took sixty people from Ashkelon to a Dead Sea hotel. These are families with a lot of kids and it took three hours for them to drive here. There was a tank escorting their bus out of the city. What surprised me was that more people came than we anticipated, the hotel was so full! People are sleeping on mattresses in the hallways. A lot of people came from the south. The staff of the hotel was so nice to us and gave us three additional rooms.
So right now everyone has a room until Sunday. But many people do not want to go back to Ashkelon. Can you blame them? Please pray for them!
Also, right now the entire city of Sderot was evacuated, and it is a very terrible situation! Please, we ask for a lot of prayers. Also, my friend from Jerusalem helped us to purchase 100 power banks and 70 flashlights for the Israeli Defense Forces.
