November 2016
Rain in Eilat
Rain finally came to Israel! In the southern port city of Eilat, this was a miracle! Eilat is a dry desert town that reaches temperatures of 110C in the summer. It received a year’s worth of rain in one evening, 27.7 mm, with 21 mm falling in two hours. The rain closed the airport for a day, as well as most roads. All the vacation hotels had major flooding.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4871361,00.html
Please pray for more rain to come to a country that has not seen rain since March as the ground, crops, reservoirs need to be replenished.
Tanzania Helps Israel with UNESCO
The recent UNESCO decision to disregard Jewish ties to Jerusalem and the Western Wall and to call Israel the occupier has been softened with the help from Tanzania. This unlikely help came as a result of its new President, John Magufuli, a devout Catholic, who has vowed to help and stand by Israel. Tanzania had previously been hostile to Israel. Tanzania’s interventions helped to change UNESCO’S wording to be more respectful of Israel’s connection to its holy sites in Jerusalem; specifically, that Israel is no longer referenced as the occupying force. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4872473,00.html
Please pray for further connections and alliances with Israel and other African countries.
Holocaust Survivors Beauty Pageant
Fourteen elderly women who survived the Holocaust walked down the red carpet in Israel’s fourth annual beauty pageant for Holocaust Survivors. The pageant hoped to honor these women and their difficult pasts by giving them a chance to get dressed up and feel beautiful. Many had to have help as they walked down the aisle, their ages ranging from 73 to 89. Most of the women came to Israel in 1948.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4872648,00.html
Please pray for these woman and many others in Israel who survived the death camps across Europe.
Recycling Plastic Bottles
Israel is currently a leader in the world in plastic recycling – approximately 59% of plastics are recycled compared to the UK and France at 57% and the USA at 32%. In a country of almost 8 million people, 750,000 plastic bottles are recycled each day while a new mission is to recycle 1 million bottles a day. This saves 80,000 tons of landfill waste per year and saves money on the import of raw materials.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4874975,00.html
Please pray for Israel’s further development and innovation in recycling, lowering landfill waste and safer ways to use and develop plastics.
Netanyahu Calls to Congratulate
Prime Minister Netanyahu called President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his win. Netanyahu believes that the two leaders will continue to strengthen their unique alliance and calls Trump a special friend of Israel. Trump invited Netanyahu to Washington at his earliest convenience. As well, Netanyahu called Hillary Clinton and thanked her for her support for Israel and invited her to come to Israel – an open invitation to see him at his President’s office.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-phone-call-netanyahu-thanks-clinton-for-her-support-for-israel/
Please pray for Donald Trump, as he becomes the next President, that he would continue to support and help Israel, the United States’ ally in the Middle East.
Isaiah53.com Makes a Difference
Many Israelis are accessing the www.isaiah53.com website in Hebrew and researching and pondering who the Suffering Servant is that Isaiah 53 talks about. This is a great way for Israelis to hear the Gospel in the safety of their own homes. Often in the synagogues, Isaiah 53 is purposefully skipped over so that the clearness of Jesus’ death and forgiveness for us is not seen. Recently, 130 people have asked for the book to be mailed to their home. Please pray for the email follow-up and discipleship, hopefully in person, by our staff.