The Israel-Hamas War: November 2-3, 2023
Here are some ministry updates directly from Staff on the Ground. Not all the staff have time to send in their updates, so please pray for the amazing unspoken ministry as well. Please keep the staff in prayer as they are serving with all their abilities and strength. Please pray for their safety and wholeness. As you read, you can see ways to pray – either directly or indirectly. Thank you so much for praying – we know the Body is praying for Israel!
Photos and Videos:
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0cJ058xyJI51TF
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0cGKQPy6G9tY95
From Efraim:
In the North of Israel, the city of Nahariya is 6 miles from the Lebanese border. After I returned, I could quickly see that the atmosphere was very different then when I had last been in Nahariya in the summer. Usually, the streets of our city of 65,000 people are bustling with shoppers and people strolling along the beach front. Today the streets are quiet and many of the shops and restaurants remain closed. There is vast military presence along the beach front. Soldiers are now stationed in our city – it looks like an army base.
At Congregation Light of Galilee, we are busy extending aid to people in need and special gifts to our soldiers. We especially look for opportunities to talk with people to encourage and pray with them. The other day, I was in a shop and bumped into a believer friend. It was a God Moment where we could stop and pray together. At the shop, PXXX (our co-pastor) and I purchased camelback water bags for the soldiers to use along with an assortment of specialty items. We give out these to soldiers and pray with them. PXXX’s son-in-law has been called up to reserve duty and has other friends and family who are serving.
– Prayer for PXXX’s son-in-law’s safety and for his wife and two young children. Pray for others in our congregation who have been called up or have evacuated.
– Pray for Divine protection over Nahariya and surrounding villages both Jewish and Arab as the situation heats up in the North
– Please pray for safety along the whole Norther Border, that Hezbollah would not open a second war front.
Staff Member:
Thursday November 2, we had the opportunity to serve IDF soldiers at their base. It wasn’t just any base, it was where our dear co-worker in the Lord, Mark, has been called up for reserve duty. We wanted to bless him and his fellow soldiers. We were planning on and prepared a barbecue dinner for 120 people, but found out on our drive over that the crew didn’t want their friends at the base next door to miss out, so they invited them to join in as well. In all, we had the opportunity to serve over 200 IDF soldiers a hot meal – BBQ! With the help of some friends from Ashkelon, and some sweet young ladies from the US, we fed and entertained these men and women. Many of us had very fruitful conversations with soldiers. All of them expressed tremendous gratitude, and were really curious as to why the friends and coworkers of one of their officers cared so much about them and went through all this effort to bless them. One of our teammates plans on buying tactical gloves for the whole unit and bringing them later this week. We are so grateful to have had this opportunity to bless and show the love of Jesus to these people in harm’s way to keep us and our families safe during this time.
- Please pray for further conversations about the Lord Mark will be able to have with the soldiers on his base.
- Please pray for Mark while he is serving and his family to be safe while he is away.
From Stacey:
My town of Arad has become a refuge city as people are being evacuated from Northern and Southern borders. More and more are coming to our Messianic congregation from other parts of Israel. Please pray for my elders and the rest of the congregation as we try to reach out to all.
Please pray for safety as I accompany a dear older friend as we travel to a Tel Aviv hospital for a medical appointment. Tel Aviv is far from Arad.
From Maxim:
I will have more to update next week as we have a full week in store. Thank you for praying for us and our team – serving those in need and reaching out with the love of the Messiah.
For now, you have read about the BBQ we planned yesterday. It was a really wonderful time together, to lift up the soldiers and the conversations we had with them. We were also able to package 70 food parcels that were driven to our network in Ashkelon. This much needed food will last them a week and hopefully brighten their Shabbat dinner table. Finally, it was nice to spend time with the people staying in our Jerusalem Messianic Center (JMC). Remember, it is full of those who have been evacuated from the South; some are believers and some are not yet believers. We have started a Bible study and everyone really enjoyed the study. The house was full, as people heard we were starting this Bible study and wanted to come, even if they were not sleeping at the JMC. Please pray for these Bible studies, a way to dive into the Word and study together – and for the not yet believers, as they happily join!
Friday night shabbat dinner, we will invite some people from Ashkelon and Sderot to join us at the Jerusalem Messianic Center. These friends have been evacuated and are staying at a local Jerusalem hotel. We look forward to being together and I am sure we will have a time of talking, laughing, singing and eating – the best cure.
Staff Member:
Please pray for the children of Israel. As the first week of the war has now progressed to Day 28, many in the country are used to quickly taking cover when daily sirens and rocket alerts sound. You can either enter your own safe room, a stair well, a basement or public shelter…. or laying down flat on the sidewalk and covering your head (and praying). Each time our young daughter became more aware of the growing tension and disruption to our daily life. Eventually she began to process what she was experiencing. Each time the siren sounded we tried making the process of going to the bomb shelter like a game. Most of the time she was laughing and thought it was fun, but as time went on, she became more serious. Words like “rocket” and “bomb shelter” were new vocabulary for our daughter and words no parent wants their young child to know, but this is the reality. No child should live like this, in fear. They should be able to play outside without thinking of an incoming rockets.
Many children are regressing and in fear. Everyone is jumpy at sudden noises. School is mainly on zoom with 1-2 in-person days a week (as bomb shelters can’t hold the capacity of an entire school). Public playgrounds are chosen on the basis of having a close bomb shelter. Of our staff, there are approx. 25 children. Please keep them in prayer. Please pray for the children of Israel, that they would be comforted by the Lord and that we can have interactions with them, to love and encourage them.
