Letters from Jerusalem
November 13, 2025
Dear brothers and sisters, Shalom.
May The Prince of Peace be glorified and may we be found walking WITH Him.
I will not add anything to this piece, written by a friend, Talia Voice. I thought that it was excellent and so I'm sharing it.
I will only add a brief 'health update', as I did have my post op visit yesterday.
I still have no voice because a large 'rigid granuloma' (which is fibrous and not cancerous) has grown in the same area and is pressing against the opposite vocal cord. If it doesn't 'fall off' naturally within 3 months, it too, will have to be removed. The tumor, itself, was PRE cancerous, but the biopsy showed that it had been an aggressive cancer truly 'ready to explode', so the surgeon was very encouraging and I need no treatment as of now. Praise The Lord! The fact that I still have no speaking voice shows me that I still have more to learn in silence. He is so faithful! Thank you for your prayers.
13 November 25 - by Talia Voice
OPINIONThe war is over - or not?
How we can pray — and act — to help turn the tide
Today one of my friends remarked, “Now that the war is over, we can get back to normal”. I was a little shocked. Is the war over? Yes, the missiles have stopped falling on our heads. The warning sirens haven’t sounded for a few weeks and yes, here in Israel, life has pretty much returned to ‘normal’, but it is, as we said during the Covid epidemic, a ‘new normal’, and one that is very fragile.
Our soldiers and airmen are still fighting in Gaza and Lebanon. Hamas still holds the bodies of 4 hostages in captivity. Israel has not officially declared the war over, nor have there been any public celebrations. I don’t feel any sense of jubilation on the streets and most people I have talked to are cautious and doubtful about any lasting peace with our enemies. Under the superficial normality, there is a heavy and solemn atmosphere.
It is true that Israel’s enemies, especially Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis have all taken a serious hit during this war, and they may have been weakened militarily, but in boxing terms, they are ‘down but not out’.
The Peace Plan, brokered by the President of the U.S. Donald Trump, is predicated on the surrender of Hamas in Gaza, its disarmament and its displacement as a governing power. Hamas agreed only to the first phase of this plan, the return of the 20 remaining hostages in exchange for around 2000 Hamas prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas has not signed on to the second or following phases of the Plan, which require it to disarm. Hamas has neither surrendered nor disarmed and has made it clear that it has no intention of doing so. And why would it? Its whole raison d’etre is the destruction of Israel. Without its weapons, Hamas is nothing.
On the northern front, Hezbollah is busy rearming and building new infrastructure, already preparing for a renewed round of fighting with Israel. Iran just gave Hezbollah $US 1 billion for rearmament purposes, even though Iran’s own economy is in dire straits and the people of Iran don’t even have enough water to drink or a regular supply of electricity.
Iran is also rebuilding its nuclear program and they claim to still have around 400kg of enriched, near-weapons grade uranium that was not destroyed in the US/Israel attacks. It is boasting that it will fire barrages of 2000 missiles per day at Israel should we dare to attack, even though it probably doesn’t have enough launchers to do so. Iran is given to bombastic threats, but we do know that it has acquired launchers and other military equipment from China and Russia. There is no way that Israel, or the world, can permit Iran to have a nuclear weapon. It seems another war with Iran is inevitable and necessary.
Trump, is proclaiming that the Middle East is ‘now at peace’, but it will take more than a proclamation to bring any meaningful or lasting peace in the Middle East. If the Islamists, Iran or its terrorist proxies, have made agreements or ‘deals’, it is only because it is somehow in the interest of their cause to do so. Their cause is global jihad, the spread of extreme Shiia Islam, the imposition of Sharia Law and the downfall of Western civilization. They have made no secret of their goals, nor that they are currently taking advantage of the negotiated ceasefires to regroup and rearm.
The Trump Peace Plan is also based on the assumption that the actors in the Middle East want peace and western-style democracy and capitalism above all. This is a quintessentially western value, but not one held high in the Muslim world. The drive for global Islamization carries a much greater value. For the jihadis death and martyrdom is held in greater esteem than life and peace. This is an impossible idea for westerners to get their heads around, but we need to understand what we are dealing with here.
The Plan also depends on the international community, particularly the ‘moderate’ Sunni Muslim states of the Middle East. But they are not rushing to send troops to disarm Hamas, nor are they showing interest in being part of the coalition for the rule of Gaza. They have even come up with at least two alternative plans in rejection of the Trump Plan.
Around 200 Hamas murderers, released by Israel in exchange for our hostages, are currently living in a luxury hotel in Egypt awaiting asylum in a third country. No country has volunteered to take them in, and Egypt does not want them either. Surprise!
Now another 200 Hamas terrorists are trapped inside the Israeli controlled part of the Gaza Strip. Israel has agreed to allow them to leave unarmed, but they must be expelled from Gaza. Perhaps your country would like to grant asylum to 200 fanatical, hate-filled terrorists?
The Plan envisions a rebuilt Gaza controlled, at least initially, by a coalition of states headed and overseen by the USA. The US has already established a headquarters in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat to begin this process and it is reported that it will soon begin the construction of a large American base, housing at least 2000 US military and civilian personnel, in the Gaza envelope region within Israel. There are also reports of plans to establish a number of other US military installations along Israel’s other border areas. If true, these bases would contravene Israel’s long-standing policy of independence with regard to its security. Is this the first step of Israel becoming the US’s 51st state? The Gaza Strip is part of the God-given homeland of the people of Israel. Are the nations once more dividing the Holy Land?
The Trump Plan also involves the United Nations, which is extremely biased against Israel, and should not play any part in the reconstruction and control of Gaza. The UN UNWRA organization through its schools, from kindergarten upwards, has brainwashed at least two generations of Palestinians to mindlessly hate and murder Jews. Ask a Palestinian kindergarten student what he or she wants to be when they grow up, and they will tell you that they want to be a martyr and kill many Jews. It would take a totally purged education system and several generations to undo this atrocity. The UN should play no part whatsoever in the reconstruction of Gaza.
Trump also seems to want to involve Turkey and Qatar in the future governance of Gaza. The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made it clear that he desires to restore the Turkish Empire. A foothold in Gaza would be a step towards such an eventuality. Israel will never agree to a Turkish presence there. Qatar is playing a double game and cannot be trusted.
Perhaps I am being overly critical but for all these reasons, and more, I cannot see the Trump Plan working. Already today, US leaders are admitting that the implementation of the second part of the Plan, the disarmament of Hamas, has stalled.
I am not sure if Trump is naïve, delusional or somehow complicit. He has met with many of the Islamist leaders, including the leaders of Turkey, Syria and Qatar, and declared them to be “nice people” - “people he can work with”. I wonder if Hitler or Stalin were ‘nice’, charming people too? After all abrasive or obnoxious people are not likely to rise into positions of political power. The Bible even describes Satan as an angel of light: “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness” ( 2 Corinthians 11: 14-15).
The war between Hamas and Israel that began on October 7, 2023, is just one battle in the greater war, the global jihad. Israel may have had amazing success in this current battle, with the help of God, but jihad is not over and has merely entered into a new phase. This phase will not be waged primarily with guns but in the minds and institutions of the people of the West. It may sound like a fantastic, apocalyptic movie or an exaggeration, but what we are seeing is truly a clash of civilizations, a clash between Islam and the Judeo/Christian-based Western civilization.
At this point it seems to me that Islam is winning. The Islamists have brilliantly mastered the art of propaganda and are using it to win over Western minds. In nearly every major western nation we have seen thousands waving banners and chanting antisemitic and anti-Israel slogans on the streets, even though most of those protesters have no idea what those slogans actually mean, nor their implications. They demonstrate because it makes them feel good. It puts them on the ‘moral high ground’ to scapegoat Israel with albeit, unfounded accusations of genocide or apartheid. They do not understand that they are being manipulated by the Islamists who are working to undermine, and eventually destroy, the very civilization that gives them the freedom to demonstrate and speak freely. If the Islamists win, they will not tolerate free speech, free thought, freedom of religion, dissension or demonstrations. Women will be relegated to the status of chattels belonging to the men, with fewer rights than the animals. Members of the LGBTQ community will be thrown off high buildings or hung.
Expressions of antisemitism and acts of violence against Jews have once again become socially acceptable all over the world. The night of the 9-10 November was the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of the Broken Glass, when Nazis carried out pogroms against the Jews of Germany and Austria in 1938. I grew up thinking the world had learned its lesson. We thought the Holocaust would never happen again. But it is happening again and on steroids – not just in one region but all over the world. Holocaust survivors claim the atmosphere today is just like it was in 1938, on the eve of World War II and the Holocaust.
Western nations have been infiltrated by Islamic jihadists, who mingled with genuine immigrants and refugees from Islamic nations. Once in our midst they have set up charities, institutions and educational centers which subvert others.
(Note: I am not saying that all Muslims promote or support jihad). Many cities and nations in the west now have political leaders who are antisemitic and support the jihadi cause, whether they do so consciously or not. Terror organizations have hundreds, if not thousands, of ‘sleeper cells’ waiting in every nation, preparing to carry out terrorist attacks designed to sow fear, hatred and chaos. Universities have been subverted by the injection of large amounts of finance from sources such as Qatar. The education of our children is being corrupted by ‘political correctness’ and ‘woke philosophy’, preventing critical thinking and healthy discernment. All of this is intended to bring down western civilization replacing it with Islamic rule and Sharia Law.
So what can we do? Is it too late to stop this process?
I don’t know, but we must try, especially if we believe in the Bible, in Truth and Righteousness. Here are some suggestions on how we as individuals can help turn the tide.
In Joel 3 God declares, “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel... (Joel 3:1-2).
Dear brothers and sisters, Shalom.
May The Prince of Peace be glorified and may we be found walking WITH Him.
I will not add anything to this piece, written by a friend, Talia Voice. I thought that it was excellent and so I'm sharing it.
I will only add a brief 'health update', as I did have my post op visit yesterday.
I still have no voice because a large 'rigid granuloma' (which is fibrous and not cancerous) has grown in the same area and is pressing against the opposite vocal cord. If it doesn't 'fall off' naturally within 3 months, it too, will have to be removed. The tumor, itself, was PRE cancerous, but the biopsy showed that it had been an aggressive cancer truly 'ready to explode', so the surgeon was very encouraging and I need no treatment as of now. Praise The Lord! The fact that I still have no speaking voice shows me that I still have more to learn in silence. He is so faithful! Thank you for your prayers.
13 November 25 - by Talia Voice
OPINIONThe war is over - or not?
How we can pray — and act — to help turn the tide
Today one of my friends remarked, “Now that the war is over, we can get back to normal”. I was a little shocked. Is the war over? Yes, the missiles have stopped falling on our heads. The warning sirens haven’t sounded for a few weeks and yes, here in Israel, life has pretty much returned to ‘normal’, but it is, as we said during the Covid epidemic, a ‘new normal’, and one that is very fragile.
Our soldiers and airmen are still fighting in Gaza and Lebanon. Hamas still holds the bodies of 4 hostages in captivity. Israel has not officially declared the war over, nor have there been any public celebrations. I don’t feel any sense of jubilation on the streets and most people I have talked to are cautious and doubtful about any lasting peace with our enemies. Under the superficial normality, there is a heavy and solemn atmosphere.
It is true that Israel’s enemies, especially Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis have all taken a serious hit during this war, and they may have been weakened militarily, but in boxing terms, they are ‘down but not out’.
The Peace Plan, brokered by the President of the U.S. Donald Trump, is predicated on the surrender of Hamas in Gaza, its disarmament and its displacement as a governing power. Hamas agreed only to the first phase of this plan, the return of the 20 remaining hostages in exchange for around 2000 Hamas prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas has not signed on to the second or following phases of the Plan, which require it to disarm. Hamas has neither surrendered nor disarmed and has made it clear that it has no intention of doing so. And why would it? Its whole raison d’etre is the destruction of Israel. Without its weapons, Hamas is nothing.
On the northern front, Hezbollah is busy rearming and building new infrastructure, already preparing for a renewed round of fighting with Israel. Iran just gave Hezbollah $US 1 billion for rearmament purposes, even though Iran’s own economy is in dire straits and the people of Iran don’t even have enough water to drink or a regular supply of electricity.
Iran is also rebuilding its nuclear program and they claim to still have around 400kg of enriched, near-weapons grade uranium that was not destroyed in the US/Israel attacks. It is boasting that it will fire barrages of 2000 missiles per day at Israel should we dare to attack, even though it probably doesn’t have enough launchers to do so. Iran is given to bombastic threats, but we do know that it has acquired launchers and other military equipment from China and Russia. There is no way that Israel, or the world, can permit Iran to have a nuclear weapon. It seems another war with Iran is inevitable and necessary.
Trump, is proclaiming that the Middle East is ‘now at peace’, but it will take more than a proclamation to bring any meaningful or lasting peace in the Middle East. If the Islamists, Iran or its terrorist proxies, have made agreements or ‘deals’, it is only because it is somehow in the interest of their cause to do so. Their cause is global jihad, the spread of extreme Shiia Islam, the imposition of Sharia Law and the downfall of Western civilization. They have made no secret of their goals, nor that they are currently taking advantage of the negotiated ceasefires to regroup and rearm.
The Trump Peace Plan is also based on the assumption that the actors in the Middle East want peace and western-style democracy and capitalism above all. This is a quintessentially western value, but not one held high in the Muslim world. The drive for global Islamization carries a much greater value. For the jihadis death and martyrdom is held in greater esteem than life and peace. This is an impossible idea for westerners to get their heads around, but we need to understand what we are dealing with here.
The Plan also depends on the international community, particularly the ‘moderate’ Sunni Muslim states of the Middle East. But they are not rushing to send troops to disarm Hamas, nor are they showing interest in being part of the coalition for the rule of Gaza. They have even come up with at least two alternative plans in rejection of the Trump Plan.
Around 200 Hamas murderers, released by Israel in exchange for our hostages, are currently living in a luxury hotel in Egypt awaiting asylum in a third country. No country has volunteered to take them in, and Egypt does not want them either. Surprise!
Now another 200 Hamas terrorists are trapped inside the Israeli controlled part of the Gaza Strip. Israel has agreed to allow them to leave unarmed, but they must be expelled from Gaza. Perhaps your country would like to grant asylum to 200 fanatical, hate-filled terrorists?
The Plan envisions a rebuilt Gaza controlled, at least initially, by a coalition of states headed and overseen by the USA. The US has already established a headquarters in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat to begin this process and it is reported that it will soon begin the construction of a large American base, housing at least 2000 US military and civilian personnel, in the Gaza envelope region within Israel. There are also reports of plans to establish a number of other US military installations along Israel’s other border areas. If true, these bases would contravene Israel’s long-standing policy of independence with regard to its security. Is this the first step of Israel becoming the US’s 51st state? The Gaza Strip is part of the God-given homeland of the people of Israel. Are the nations once more dividing the Holy Land?
The Trump Plan also involves the United Nations, which is extremely biased against Israel, and should not play any part in the reconstruction and control of Gaza. The UN UNWRA organization through its schools, from kindergarten upwards, has brainwashed at least two generations of Palestinians to mindlessly hate and murder Jews. Ask a Palestinian kindergarten student what he or she wants to be when they grow up, and they will tell you that they want to be a martyr and kill many Jews. It would take a totally purged education system and several generations to undo this atrocity. The UN should play no part whatsoever in the reconstruction of Gaza.
Trump also seems to want to involve Turkey and Qatar in the future governance of Gaza. The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made it clear that he desires to restore the Turkish Empire. A foothold in Gaza would be a step towards such an eventuality. Israel will never agree to a Turkish presence there. Qatar is playing a double game and cannot be trusted.
Perhaps I am being overly critical but for all these reasons, and more, I cannot see the Trump Plan working. Already today, US leaders are admitting that the implementation of the second part of the Plan, the disarmament of Hamas, has stalled.
I am not sure if Trump is naïve, delusional or somehow complicit. He has met with many of the Islamist leaders, including the leaders of Turkey, Syria and Qatar, and declared them to be “nice people” - “people he can work with”. I wonder if Hitler or Stalin were ‘nice’, charming people too? After all abrasive or obnoxious people are not likely to rise into positions of political power. The Bible even describes Satan as an angel of light: “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness” ( 2 Corinthians 11: 14-15).
The war between Hamas and Israel that began on October 7, 2023, is just one battle in the greater war, the global jihad. Israel may have had amazing success in this current battle, with the help of God, but jihad is not over and has merely entered into a new phase. This phase will not be waged primarily with guns but in the minds and institutions of the people of the West. It may sound like a fantastic, apocalyptic movie or an exaggeration, but what we are seeing is truly a clash of civilizations, a clash between Islam and the Judeo/Christian-based Western civilization.
At this point it seems to me that Islam is winning. The Islamists have brilliantly mastered the art of propaganda and are using it to win over Western minds. In nearly every major western nation we have seen thousands waving banners and chanting antisemitic and anti-Israel slogans on the streets, even though most of those protesters have no idea what those slogans actually mean, nor their implications. They demonstrate because it makes them feel good. It puts them on the ‘moral high ground’ to scapegoat Israel with albeit, unfounded accusations of genocide or apartheid. They do not understand that they are being manipulated by the Islamists who are working to undermine, and eventually destroy, the very civilization that gives them the freedom to demonstrate and speak freely. If the Islamists win, they will not tolerate free speech, free thought, freedom of religion, dissension or demonstrations. Women will be relegated to the status of chattels belonging to the men, with fewer rights than the animals. Members of the LGBTQ community will be thrown off high buildings or hung.
Expressions of antisemitism and acts of violence against Jews have once again become socially acceptable all over the world. The night of the 9-10 November was the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of the Broken Glass, when Nazis carried out pogroms against the Jews of Germany and Austria in 1938. I grew up thinking the world had learned its lesson. We thought the Holocaust would never happen again. But it is happening again and on steroids – not just in one region but all over the world. Holocaust survivors claim the atmosphere today is just like it was in 1938, on the eve of World War II and the Holocaust.
Western nations have been infiltrated by Islamic jihadists, who mingled with genuine immigrants and refugees from Islamic nations. Once in our midst they have set up charities, institutions and educational centers which subvert others.
(Note: I am not saying that all Muslims promote or support jihad). Many cities and nations in the west now have political leaders who are antisemitic and support the jihadi cause, whether they do so consciously or not. Terror organizations have hundreds, if not thousands, of ‘sleeper cells’ waiting in every nation, preparing to carry out terrorist attacks designed to sow fear, hatred and chaos. Universities have been subverted by the injection of large amounts of finance from sources such as Qatar. The education of our children is being corrupted by ‘political correctness’ and ‘woke philosophy’, preventing critical thinking and healthy discernment. All of this is intended to bring down western civilization replacing it with Islamic rule and Sharia Law.
So what can we do? Is it too late to stop this process?
I don’t know, but we must try, especially if we believe in the Bible, in Truth and Righteousness. Here are some suggestions on how we as individuals can help turn the tide.
- First and foremost – pray. Call out to God. He hears and it matters.
- We all need to educate ourselves. Know your enemy. Listen to what the Islamic jihadis are saying and believe they mean it. They are not keeping their plans secret, but many in the West are refusing to take them seriously. Identify the threat, name it and decide to take action.
- Study the whole Bible exegetically and understand what is happening from a Biblical perspective and encourage others to do the same. Start a Bible Study group or a prayer group and spread the word. Educate your children and young people regarding the role of Israel in God’s redemption plan, his love for and promises towards Israel. Resist replacement theology. Spread the gospel of salvation to the Jew first, and also to the ‘Greek’ (meaning all gentiles including the Muslims). The gospel is the only hope for a true and lasting peace on earth.
- Speak up. The silent majority needs to make its voice heard. Remember that silence in the face of evil is complicity. Write to your leaders. Write on social media. Write comments. Make videos. Tell your friends. Demonstrate.
- Pray for your governments, that they will understand the threat, stand against it, resist Islamist takeovers, and support Israel which is fighting in the vanguard of the war against jihad.
In Joel 3 God declares, “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel... (Joel 3:1-2).
October 27, 2025
(CORRECTION)
I apologize!
The testimony that I was referring to belongs to OR LEVY - not to Omer Shem Tov. (His is ALSO good!)
Please look for the interview with OR LEVY.
(SEEING AND HEARING:)“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” LUKE 10:22
Again, greetings, from me, to each of you, for His glory, and in The Name of our Lord Yeshua h’Meshiach. How FAITHFUL He is! How His purposes are steady, sure and Amen! How we can trust in Him and His Word when ALL else shakes. May you be blessed and encouraged and may He be glorified and blessed.
It has been DEEPLY encouraging, hearing the testimonies of our newly released hostages! This country really IS like one family, and NOTHING is ‘personal’; every encounter is shared with everyone else. Everyone has been praying, crying and waiting, and to see 20 living hostages released at once, our media and social media is overloaded with interviews and recordings that are SO encouraging! Repeatedly, we are hearing the hostages tell of how they encountered God in the darkness and deprivation. These are, by and large, totally secular young people who had no interest in God before. One testimony has been most encouraging, the testimony of Omer Shem Tov. I WISH that I could just share a video of him sharing. Perhaps you can find one online; there are many. He speaks (also in English, or translated) about being transferred to 3 different places. In the first place, he started speaking to a crack on the ceiling and addressing it as ‘crack’. In the next place that he was taken to, he had only a led light, so he found himself speaking to that…addressing ‘the Light’. Finally, he was left in total darkness…and then The Light came to him and he knew that it was God…and he began speaking to God each day. He is a changed man. We are hearing these things over and over again, spoken before crowds of people who can’t hear enough. There IS an awakening happening…there IS answer to prayer.
I was speaking about these things with a sister whom I pray with. I said to her:
‘What troubles me is that they ARE finding The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…The Creator God of Israel. WHY are we not hearing of anyone saying that they met Yeshua?’
She, herself, came here from Poland after the war when she was 2. Her mother survived the Holocaust. She said to me:
“To my understanding, The Lord moves very gently with His revelation to our people…[*not my personal experience. He INVADED my reality!!*] He’s gently preparing our hearts by different means…also has His own timing…and then all of a sudden YESHUA WILL BE HERE!”
Well…He IS sovereign…but this only silenced me; it didn’t answer my ‘why’.
However, His WORD did that evening as I was reading!
“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” LUKE 10:22
So…The Comforter WAS with they (as they testified) and HE was revealing The Father to them! Do I understand? NO. Is that how He dealt with me? NO. HOWEVER, this made it so very clear to me that, YES, we are seeing The Hand of The Lord moving.
John 6: 35-40 and 44 suddenly popped into my mind and took on a deep and living image!
(consider this also…that although they were starved, they survived) “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst…all that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”…44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Oh boy, Halleluyah! I don’t know if this resonates with you, but suddenly these people are in a position for Abba to draw them to Yeshua!...to give them as a gift to His Son.
Omer Shem Tov made a shocking statement before a group of people. He said that he is still talking to God every night but that the same intensity of PRESENCE isn’t there. He said (to the obvious shock of everyone and he said he understood their shock) ‘If there is one thing that I miss about captivity, it is that PRESENCE of God!’.
I believe, that as we pray, he WILL seek…and seeking, he WILL find!
We know and understand so little really…but we CAN pray. May we be found in the place of prayer.
Lovingly, your sister here (still, as yet, with no voice)
(CORRECTION)
I apologize!
The testimony that I was referring to belongs to OR LEVY - not to Omer Shem Tov. (His is ALSO good!)
Please look for the interview with OR LEVY.
(SEEING AND HEARING:)“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” LUKE 10:22
Again, greetings, from me, to each of you, for His glory, and in The Name of our Lord Yeshua h’Meshiach. How FAITHFUL He is! How His purposes are steady, sure and Amen! How we can trust in Him and His Word when ALL else shakes. May you be blessed and encouraged and may He be glorified and blessed.
It has been DEEPLY encouraging, hearing the testimonies of our newly released hostages! This country really IS like one family, and NOTHING is ‘personal’; every encounter is shared with everyone else. Everyone has been praying, crying and waiting, and to see 20 living hostages released at once, our media and social media is overloaded with interviews and recordings that are SO encouraging! Repeatedly, we are hearing the hostages tell of how they encountered God in the darkness and deprivation. These are, by and large, totally secular young people who had no interest in God before. One testimony has been most encouraging, the testimony of Omer Shem Tov. I WISH that I could just share a video of him sharing. Perhaps you can find one online; there are many. He speaks (also in English, or translated) about being transferred to 3 different places. In the first place, he started speaking to a crack on the ceiling and addressing it as ‘crack’. In the next place that he was taken to, he had only a led light, so he found himself speaking to that…addressing ‘the Light’. Finally, he was left in total darkness…and then The Light came to him and he knew that it was God…and he began speaking to God each day. He is a changed man. We are hearing these things over and over again, spoken before crowds of people who can’t hear enough. There IS an awakening happening…there IS answer to prayer.
I was speaking about these things with a sister whom I pray with. I said to her:
‘What troubles me is that they ARE finding The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…The Creator God of Israel. WHY are we not hearing of anyone saying that they met Yeshua?’
She, herself, came here from Poland after the war when she was 2. Her mother survived the Holocaust. She said to me:
“To my understanding, The Lord moves very gently with His revelation to our people…[*not my personal experience. He INVADED my reality!!*] He’s gently preparing our hearts by different means…also has His own timing…and then all of a sudden YESHUA WILL BE HERE!”
Well…He IS sovereign…but this only silenced me; it didn’t answer my ‘why’.
However, His WORD did that evening as I was reading!
“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” LUKE 10:22
So…The Comforter WAS with they (as they testified) and HE was revealing The Father to them! Do I understand? NO. Is that how He dealt with me? NO. HOWEVER, this made it so very clear to me that, YES, we are seeing The Hand of The Lord moving.
John 6: 35-40 and 44 suddenly popped into my mind and took on a deep and living image!
(consider this also…that although they were starved, they survived) “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst…all that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”…44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Oh boy, Halleluyah! I don’t know if this resonates with you, but suddenly these people are in a position for Abba to draw them to Yeshua!...to give them as a gift to His Son.
Omer Shem Tov made a shocking statement before a group of people. He said that he is still talking to God every night but that the same intensity of PRESENCE isn’t there. He said (to the obvious shock of everyone and he said he understood their shock) ‘If there is one thing that I miss about captivity, it is that PRESENCE of God!’.
I believe, that as we pray, he WILL seek…and seeking, he WILL find!
We know and understand so little really…but we CAN pray. May we be found in the place of prayer.
Lovingly, your sister here (still, as yet, with no voice)
October 24, 2025
“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.” PSALM 34:3
Greetings, dear brothers and sisters. How wonderful our God is! Worthy of ALL praise and glory and fear and love…because HE IS!
I just wanted to update you before Shabbat comes in here, because many of you were praying for me, and I just got some good news. I’m quoting from the Doctor’s biopsy report. She wrote this to me:
“Overall, the news is good: it's a precancerous lesion, and we have excised it, so everything looks good.
I will explain more during your follow-up visit.”
Thank you for praying! Our sovereign God decided THIS path. He’s faithful on ALL paths, both hard and easier. May WE remain faithful in the harder and easier paths!
I’m still not feeling well and do not have my voice back yet, but it is wonderful news and so I wanted to share it.
Shabbat shalom to you all. No matter what the situation, may we enter into His rest given by His love.
Loving blessings, your sister
“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.” PSALM 34:3
Greetings, dear brothers and sisters. How wonderful our God is! Worthy of ALL praise and glory and fear and love…because HE IS!
I just wanted to update you before Shabbat comes in here, because many of you were praying for me, and I just got some good news. I’m quoting from the Doctor’s biopsy report. She wrote this to me:
“Overall, the news is good: it's a precancerous lesion, and we have excised it, so everything looks good.
I will explain more during your follow-up visit.”
Thank you for praying! Our sovereign God decided THIS path. He’s faithful on ALL paths, both hard and easier. May WE remain faithful in the harder and easier paths!
I’m still not feeling well and do not have my voice back yet, but it is wonderful news and so I wanted to share it.
Shabbat shalom to you all. No matter what the situation, may we enter into His rest given by His love.
Loving blessings, your sister
October 20, 2025
“You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.” Exodus 25:21
Greetings, dear sisters and brothers, in The Name of our most precious and holy Lord, Yeshua h’meshiach-The Lamb of God through Whom Alone can we be cleansed from sin! May we be found praising His Name and bearing fruit worthy of His great sacrifice.
Thank you so much for your prayers! This note will be short, as I am still weak and tired. The procedure was not particularly painful and although I can not speak for another few weeks, I would only have a sore throat if it weren’t for reacting to a strong antibiotic that I am taking, leaving me weak and tired (so resting a lot). The biopsy results will take about two weeks. Thank you! I do know that He put me on the hearts of a number of you…He is faithful!
Our older daughter (who had been badly burned just over 2 months ago and is healing well) came from London to stay with me. She is still here until Thursday when she must go home. Our younger daughter (who has much younger children) stayed with me for the two nights in the hospital. Both husbands (and 6 Grandchildren) made a big sacrifice, for which I am so thankful. It was my first surgery without my husband. The girls will also be with me for their father’s birthday, tomorrow. He would have been 80. It has been good to be together through all of this.
And, OFCOURSE, that “all of this” includes the return of all of the living hostages and some of the dead. What a SHOCKING range of emotions they have borne witness to, along with me!
One of those hostages, Elkana Bohbot, is a neighbor of mine from here in the Kastel (Maoz Zion) neighborhood of Mevaseret Zion. Although I could not walk up the hill to greet him on his release from hospital last evening, our daughter, S.... was able. She joined the throng of thousands, cheering, singing, dancing, flag waving, gathered to celebrate his return and to bear witness as his car slowly made its way through the crowd. Weeping, he reached his hand out of the window to grasp so many hands of those who had prayed for his safe return to his young wife and now 2 year old son. Prayers and blessings rose as he recited ‘the shehechiyanu prayer
The full text of this beautiful blessing is as follows:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, אלוהינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽינוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה (in Hebrew)
(transliteration) Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam, shehechiyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higianu lazman hazeh.
(translation) Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all (King of the universe), who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this moment in time.
I love this particular blessing…to stop and remember that we have been brought to this very moment by our merciful and sovereign KING.
There have been so many moving photos, videos and accounts, witnessing what is going on here. If any of you would like for me to send you some – please tell me how to send some to you on Instagram or on whatsapp. I am not very technologically minded, so I won’t be able to figure it out if I don’t have your information and I can’t seem to attach any here.
At the same time, we are truly under no illusions concerning the ‘peace’ that has been decided upon by the nations, is anything that will be…’peace’. We are not deaf, nor blind, so we simply need to listen and took. You all know the ransom that was paid for the release of our kidnapped people. I listened to an interview with a woman whom many of you have heard of, Kay Wilson, when she was attacked and stabbed 17 times, her friend to whom she was giving a tour, was hacked to death by a machete (in 2010). The murderer has been released in this deal, and all of the horror of the attack has been renewed for her. 250 murderers have been released…so multiply that reaction over and over, for many of them are responsible for many brutal deaths. Both Turkey and Quatar are negotiating to take leadership in Gaza. These are not powers whom we are wanting on our immediate border. There are many dark shadows forming.
But for today…we stop and rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep…all with abandon and in a way that is unique to Israel.
There is so much more, but I do want to get a few words out…words of thanksgiving and praise…and yet I am tired.
Let me just share a few special touches that encouraged me concerning my throat surgery (there were so many more). The night before my surgery, I heard a piano and singing in the distance. It stopped but heard no more. However, in a short while a timid young man appeared at my door with a piano and asked if I would like for him to sing for me. Oh yes please! He sang such blessings and the room filled with His Presence! What a gift! I asked him if he does this often and he answered ‘No. Hardly ever, but this night he strongly felt that he should come and play for someone special.’ What a gift! Later I saw that my room had an Israeli flag taped to the wall by the door. That most likely meant that a soldier had been treated in the room that I was in. As the messenger came to wheel me to the operating room the next morning his eyes twinkled and he began to bless me and to bless The One God of all creation all the way to there. AND! My anesthesiologist was a very dear sister in Him! THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS! HOW GOOD AND FAITHFUL IS OUR GOD WHO ALLOWS US TO BEAR WITNESS TO HIS GLORY…FOR HIS GLORY!
Loving blessings,
Your sister here.
(You know that 31 years ago we made aliyah from Alaska. As we are going through all that we are here, a typhoon has wiped out villages in Western Alaska, near where we lived. More than 1,000 people have been displaced as their homes were washed away. What a mixture of extreme emotions. I don't usually mention the other dramatic events happening elsewhere...but...they are my husband's people...should you think to pray)
“You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.” Exodus 25:21
Greetings, dear sisters and brothers, in The Name of our most precious and holy Lord, Yeshua h’meshiach-The Lamb of God through Whom Alone can we be cleansed from sin! May we be found praising His Name and bearing fruit worthy of His great sacrifice.
Thank you so much for your prayers! This note will be short, as I am still weak and tired. The procedure was not particularly painful and although I can not speak for another few weeks, I would only have a sore throat if it weren’t for reacting to a strong antibiotic that I am taking, leaving me weak and tired (so resting a lot). The biopsy results will take about two weeks. Thank you! I do know that He put me on the hearts of a number of you…He is faithful!
Our older daughter (who had been badly burned just over 2 months ago and is healing well) came from London to stay with me. She is still here until Thursday when she must go home. Our younger daughter (who has much younger children) stayed with me for the two nights in the hospital. Both husbands (and 6 Grandchildren) made a big sacrifice, for which I am so thankful. It was my first surgery without my husband. The girls will also be with me for their father’s birthday, tomorrow. He would have been 80. It has been good to be together through all of this.
And, OFCOURSE, that “all of this” includes the return of all of the living hostages and some of the dead. What a SHOCKING range of emotions they have borne witness to, along with me!
One of those hostages, Elkana Bohbot, is a neighbor of mine from here in the Kastel (Maoz Zion) neighborhood of Mevaseret Zion. Although I could not walk up the hill to greet him on his release from hospital last evening, our daughter, S.... was able. She joined the throng of thousands, cheering, singing, dancing, flag waving, gathered to celebrate his return and to bear witness as his car slowly made its way through the crowd. Weeping, he reached his hand out of the window to grasp so many hands of those who had prayed for his safe return to his young wife and now 2 year old son. Prayers and blessings rose as he recited ‘the shehechiyanu prayer
The full text of this beautiful blessing is as follows:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, אלוהינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽינוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה (in Hebrew)
(transliteration) Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam, shehechiyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higianu lazman hazeh.
(translation) Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all (King of the universe), who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this moment in time.
I love this particular blessing…to stop and remember that we have been brought to this very moment by our merciful and sovereign KING.
There have been so many moving photos, videos and accounts, witnessing what is going on here. If any of you would like for me to send you some – please tell me how to send some to you on Instagram or on whatsapp. I am not very technologically minded, so I won’t be able to figure it out if I don’t have your information and I can’t seem to attach any here.
At the same time, we are truly under no illusions concerning the ‘peace’ that has been decided upon by the nations, is anything that will be…’peace’. We are not deaf, nor blind, so we simply need to listen and took. You all know the ransom that was paid for the release of our kidnapped people. I listened to an interview with a woman whom many of you have heard of, Kay Wilson, when she was attacked and stabbed 17 times, her friend to whom she was giving a tour, was hacked to death by a machete (in 2010). The murderer has been released in this deal, and all of the horror of the attack has been renewed for her. 250 murderers have been released…so multiply that reaction over and over, for many of them are responsible for many brutal deaths. Both Turkey and Quatar are negotiating to take leadership in Gaza. These are not powers whom we are wanting on our immediate border. There are many dark shadows forming.
But for today…we stop and rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep…all with abandon and in a way that is unique to Israel.
There is so much more, but I do want to get a few words out…words of thanksgiving and praise…and yet I am tired.
Let me just share a few special touches that encouraged me concerning my throat surgery (there were so many more). The night before my surgery, I heard a piano and singing in the distance. It stopped but heard no more. However, in a short while a timid young man appeared at my door with a piano and asked if I would like for him to sing for me. Oh yes please! He sang such blessings and the room filled with His Presence! What a gift! I asked him if he does this often and he answered ‘No. Hardly ever, but this night he strongly felt that he should come and play for someone special.’ What a gift! Later I saw that my room had an Israeli flag taped to the wall by the door. That most likely meant that a soldier had been treated in the room that I was in. As the messenger came to wheel me to the operating room the next morning his eyes twinkled and he began to bless me and to bless The One God of all creation all the way to there. AND! My anesthesiologist was a very dear sister in Him! THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS! HOW GOOD AND FAITHFUL IS OUR GOD WHO ALLOWS US TO BEAR WITNESS TO HIS GLORY…FOR HIS GLORY!
Loving blessings,
Your sister here.
(You know that 31 years ago we made aliyah from Alaska. As we are going through all that we are here, a typhoon has wiped out villages in Western Alaska, near where we lived. More than 1,000 people have been displaced as their homes were washed away. What a mixture of extreme emotions. I don't usually mention the other dramatic events happening elsewhere...but...they are my husband's people...should you think to pray)
October 12, 2025
… for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, andfaithful.”REVELATION 17:14b.
PSALM 35
Greetings brothers and sisters. In the midst of the feast of rejoicing, we rejoice, because HE COMMANDED. MAY HE ALONE BE GLORIFIED.
I hadn’t expected to write again before my surgery, but many have written and asked what I am seeing here concerning ‘the deal’.
The emotional roller coaster is out of control. These emotions were exhibited, simultaneously, on top of one another:
EUPHORIA
GRIEF
TREPIDATION
HOPE
HYPER-VIGILANCE
RELIEF
ANGER
APPREHENSION
TEARS
FEAR
That’s aLOT of emotion to experience at once!
Perhaps this best expresses it: In Tel Aviv, after the announcement, there was euphoric dancing in the streets.
At the same time, Roii, a nova party survivor, who had been seriously shot as he witnessed his girlfriend murdered, committed suicide after hearing the news.
There is nobody who did not want the captives back! Nobody is breathing until they are here. The entire country awaits them with deep emotion, collectively holding our breath.
The plans to ‘finish the work begun 7 October 2023’ are already underway, at accelerated speed…and openly. The clearly spoken words are; ‘All the way to alaksa this time’ (Temple Mount- Jerusalem)! ‘Finish the slaughter!’
You undoubtedly remember that Sinwar (the architect of 7 October) was released in the Gilad Shalit captive deal. On the list of the thousands of prisoners to be released this time are 250 more Sinwars. As of today, hamas has already recruited and armed 2,000 new ‘faithful fighters’ IN GAZA since we pulled out. They have executed the strongest of the leaders of the movement that was seeking new leadership. All of this in front of the open eyes of the world.
The agreement being signed in Egypt is not being signed by Israel and hamas, but by other countries.
Most people on the streets are silent and grim. They have that ‘resigned stance’. And everyone is tired.
And yet, those who believe The Word of God, ARE rejoicing in their sukkas ANYWAY, because GOD COMMANDED.
In all fairness, I don’t think that we had a choice. We NEEDED our captives back. The grief of the country and in particular the FAMILIES…their suffering … the suffering of the captives…and then there is the suffering of the army widows and orphans…the slaughter-widows, widowers and orphans and the bereaved parents and siblings. Add to that the hatred being directed toward us by the world…the country is bleeding. This was the FIRST agreement proposed, where ALL of the captives were promised back.
Many times, I thought back to when we were standing between Pharaoh's army and the sea. We have longed for the sea to part again this time. It didn’t. Not YET anyway. And tomorrow night begins Simchat Torah...Tuesday will mark the second year since this began, on the Hebrew calendar.
As I write this, I am hearing planes overhead. The media has a confusing mixture of ‘guesses’ (I guess), with one source saying this and one saying that. It looks as if the release of the living hostages is possible at any moment. The suspense is tangible. One of the 20 live hostages who is being released, lives here in my village; .......... We were told that once he is out of the hospital and coming home, we will all be given flags and will line the streets together to bless the family.
This is what I am seeing and hearing.
AND THEN I LOOK AWAY TO OUR FAITHFUL LORD, HIS WORD AND HIS PROMISES.
How blessed I am that I can, both, enter the house of The Lord (my fellowship – to worship together with brothers and sisters) AND the sukka of rejoicing and sitting in the mystery of His HUGE plan and purpose (a double reminder). He ALONE is our defense. Our Pastor read Psalm 135 last night before we worshipped The Lord. We gathered around the communion table and remembered afresh The Sacrificed Lamb and The Blood that IS The GREATEST power that exists…It Alone can cleanse us from sin and deliver us from all of the works of darkness. I was reading in Revelation 17 this morning and was struck by the words above; those of us who know that we are His, know that we have been indeed, called and chosen…but am I FAITHFUL? To work out the world’s problems, I’m not called to do…but I am called to be FAITHFUL. That is my work. May we all be found in Him FAITHFUL each moment.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR US! For this nation and people to be saved. For all of God’s purposes to come to pass. And thank you for even remembering me and my family.
Loving blessings, your sister.
IFI PRAYER POINTS
… for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, andfaithful.”REVELATION 17:14b.
PSALM 35
Greetings brothers and sisters. In the midst of the feast of rejoicing, we rejoice, because HE COMMANDED. MAY HE ALONE BE GLORIFIED.
I hadn’t expected to write again before my surgery, but many have written and asked what I am seeing here concerning ‘the deal’.
The emotional roller coaster is out of control. These emotions were exhibited, simultaneously, on top of one another:
EUPHORIA
GRIEF
TREPIDATION
HOPE
HYPER-VIGILANCE
RELIEF
ANGER
APPREHENSION
TEARS
FEAR
That’s aLOT of emotion to experience at once!
Perhaps this best expresses it: In Tel Aviv, after the announcement, there was euphoric dancing in the streets.
At the same time, Roii, a nova party survivor, who had been seriously shot as he witnessed his girlfriend murdered, committed suicide after hearing the news.
There is nobody who did not want the captives back! Nobody is breathing until they are here. The entire country awaits them with deep emotion, collectively holding our breath.
The plans to ‘finish the work begun 7 October 2023’ are already underway, at accelerated speed…and openly. The clearly spoken words are; ‘All the way to alaksa this time’ (Temple Mount- Jerusalem)! ‘Finish the slaughter!’
You undoubtedly remember that Sinwar (the architect of 7 October) was released in the Gilad Shalit captive deal. On the list of the thousands of prisoners to be released this time are 250 more Sinwars. As of today, hamas has already recruited and armed 2,000 new ‘faithful fighters’ IN GAZA since we pulled out. They have executed the strongest of the leaders of the movement that was seeking new leadership. All of this in front of the open eyes of the world.
The agreement being signed in Egypt is not being signed by Israel and hamas, but by other countries.
Most people on the streets are silent and grim. They have that ‘resigned stance’. And everyone is tired.
And yet, those who believe The Word of God, ARE rejoicing in their sukkas ANYWAY, because GOD COMMANDED.
In all fairness, I don’t think that we had a choice. We NEEDED our captives back. The grief of the country and in particular the FAMILIES…their suffering … the suffering of the captives…and then there is the suffering of the army widows and orphans…the slaughter-widows, widowers and orphans and the bereaved parents and siblings. Add to that the hatred being directed toward us by the world…the country is bleeding. This was the FIRST agreement proposed, where ALL of the captives were promised back.
Many times, I thought back to when we were standing between Pharaoh's army and the sea. We have longed for the sea to part again this time. It didn’t. Not YET anyway. And tomorrow night begins Simchat Torah...Tuesday will mark the second year since this began, on the Hebrew calendar.
As I write this, I am hearing planes overhead. The media has a confusing mixture of ‘guesses’ (I guess), with one source saying this and one saying that. It looks as if the release of the living hostages is possible at any moment. The suspense is tangible. One of the 20 live hostages who is being released, lives here in my village; .......... We were told that once he is out of the hospital and coming home, we will all be given flags and will line the streets together to bless the family.
This is what I am seeing and hearing.
AND THEN I LOOK AWAY TO OUR FAITHFUL LORD, HIS WORD AND HIS PROMISES.
How blessed I am that I can, both, enter the house of The Lord (my fellowship – to worship together with brothers and sisters) AND the sukka of rejoicing and sitting in the mystery of His HUGE plan and purpose (a double reminder). He ALONE is our defense. Our Pastor read Psalm 135 last night before we worshipped The Lord. We gathered around the communion table and remembered afresh The Sacrificed Lamb and The Blood that IS The GREATEST power that exists…It Alone can cleanse us from sin and deliver us from all of the works of darkness. I was reading in Revelation 17 this morning and was struck by the words above; those of us who know that we are His, know that we have been indeed, called and chosen…but am I FAITHFUL? To work out the world’s problems, I’m not called to do…but I am called to be FAITHFUL. That is my work. May we all be found in Him FAITHFUL each moment.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR US! For this nation and people to be saved. For all of God’s purposes to come to pass. And thank you for even remembering me and my family.
Loving blessings, your sister.
IFI PRAYER POINTS
October 6, 2025
“Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’ ” LEVITICUS 23:39-43 (Nehemiah 12)
Dear Brothers and sisters,
This is more a letter from my heart than a report of what I am seeing (although it has been much) and hearing, although we are at the very the door of Sukkot AND 7 October – AND war or peace!
May THE LORD, glorious in majesty, Creator, Redeemer, to Whom belongs ALL power and glory and wisdom and mercy and obedience and adoration be glorified in every word and thought, in The Name of Messiah Yeshua glorify His Name alone and encourage us all unto Himself.
I have not written throughout the holidays (hagim). On Rosh h’shana, I wrote a bit. Yom Kippur – the incredible day set aside for repentance, with weeping prayers and fasting, where EVERYTHING comes to a complete halt, and is always a day of awe for me, has also come and gone. I found out that in cleaning out the garage, my landlords, inadvertently, threw out my sukka. They felt badly, so they put up a VERY large sukka that they usually put behind the house, in front of my apartment. Soon I must go out and work on it. Sukkot begins at sundown tonight through sundown tomorrow…which is also the 7th of October.
Some of you know that I have had a horse throat since May. For three years I had noticed a lack of range of voice scale when I sang, and had made an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor, but the appointment was scheduled for right after E... fell…and it never happened. This past June I finally saw the doctor and he thought that he found a polyp, which he said did not look serious but should be removed. He gave me a referral to a specialist in Hadassah Hospital. I was finally able to get an appointment in mid-September, and while she examined my throat, her expression changed. She told me that it is not a polyp, but a tumor that, although completely enclosed (very good), appeared large and black and showed other signs of possible malignancy. She did not want to disturb it by a biopsy, but rather remove it completely and then have it biopsied. I was initially scheduled for surgery after 2 November, but the surgery has just been moved up to 16th October, the day after Simchat Torah. Our daughter in London is (God bless her and her family!) planning on arriving on the 14th of October – 24th. She will stay with me and be able to take care of my very geriatric dog while I’m gone, and then rather geriatric me as well. Our daughter in Gush Etzion Judea, plans to stay with me in the hospital as long as I need to be there. I understand that I will NOT be able to use my voice AT ALL after the surgery for 2-4 weeks, so…please no calls.
I have wonderful prayer support here (although there is nothing like prayer support, and I thank each one of you will be praying along) and I am not afraid. I have peace in my heart and firm anchor – not doubting that His perfect will will be done. I have had much prayer for healing, and this seems to be part of the path. My anesthesiologist is a dear friend, sister believer! I DO need prayer that the bureaucracy will unfrazzle…it is currently in a pretty secure knot…somewhat stressful. Thank you all for your prayers.
Well…I WILL close with some memories, poignant to me.
Considering the commercially printed, giant sukka infront of my window, that I will be sharing this year with the neighbors, I began to think about 31 sukkot’s past.
At the beginning, when we made Aliyah, we were in wonder of the holiday that we only knew in our heads and knew so little about really! As a child, our family would go to the sukka set up at the synagogue – festively decorated and full of fruit…but I had no idea why. We were Jewish, so we ‘did’ this. As a believer, in Alaska, I learned more from the scriptures and found out the Christian interpretations…but was unprepared for the beautiful ‘scroll’ of Sukkot as it has unrolled in front of my eyes over the past 31 years.
The first year that we were here for Sukkot, E.. and I were waiting for a bus in the center of Jerusalem to return to our home, when SUDDENLY everything was roped off in front of us and the city turned into the happiest parade that I had ever witnessed! Groups rejoicing, dancing, hugging, throwing candy…such joy in the marchers and in the viewers! When it was past, the ropes were removed and we went on our way in wonder. Thus began our learning about Sukkot.
In those early years, we joined the Christian pilgrims coming to the feast of tabernacles, enjoying the many meetings and singing, but slowly slowly we began to see that there was ANOTHER feast going on ‘along side’. One year I was walking to town and I was passing a long sukka on the street. I heard happy voices coming out. My Hebrew was not yet good at all…nor my courage, but I managed to enter this sukka filled with a family around the table and say something like ‘Blessings. I am a new olah (citizen).’ And immediately a chair was pulled out and a plate handed to me and I was embraced by that joy.
The next sukkot that stands out to me was the ‘sukkot of my revelation’. It was during the awful intifada and there were so many bombs around us. We were going to funerals and shivas every day…but now it was sukkot. I was riding the buses to work and had seen both the bus behind me and the bus in front of me blow up…it was a very very painful time…not unlike now. We went out and built our flimsy sukka (see pictures below) and THAT NIGHT I UNDERSTOOD SUKKOT! I looked through the branches that made up the roof above our heads and I SAW THE STARS! Such a flimsy little booth with branches for a roof, a carpet on the ground and material walls…and THE CREATOR GOD ABOVE US – WHO SET THE STARS IN THEIR PLACES AND KEPT THEM THERE…HE ALONE KEEPS US EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY…NO MATTER WHAT! It has all been written. Our times ARE in His Hands (if we are following Him) and no man can pluck us out of His Hand. HE called Abraham, whom He found in the howling wilderness, with a heart that He loved and could love Him…and HE made an everlasting covenant with him…THAT INCLUDED THIS LAND! HE led our people out of Egypt THROUGH the sea…for HIS purposes and glory, by HIS choice. He tested them in the wilderness to call a people of promise for HIMSELF and HIS purposes. HE fed them manna…HE gave His commands…and so we were fulfilling them that night. Forget about the bombs and REJOICE NOW BEFORE ME UNDER THIS FLIMSY NON PROTECTIVE BRANCH ROOF, FOR I ALONE AM YOUR LIFE!
That night I ‘got it’!
And so, today, I WILL rejoice in the sukka provided…I WILL rejoice in Him Who Alone is worthy.
And I rejoice WITH you, my sisters and brothers. There is so little that we truly understand, but our cry together – may it be – to return to our first love…to follow and OBEY. “To know HIM, and the power of HIS resurrection, and the fellowship of HIS suffering BEING MADE CONFORMABLE UNTO HIS death.” Phil. 3:10
Loving blessings from me.
“Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’ ” LEVITICUS 23:39-43 (Nehemiah 12)
Dear Brothers and sisters,
This is more a letter from my heart than a report of what I am seeing (although it has been much) and hearing, although we are at the very the door of Sukkot AND 7 October – AND war or peace!
May THE LORD, glorious in majesty, Creator, Redeemer, to Whom belongs ALL power and glory and wisdom and mercy and obedience and adoration be glorified in every word and thought, in The Name of Messiah Yeshua glorify His Name alone and encourage us all unto Himself.
I have not written throughout the holidays (hagim). On Rosh h’shana, I wrote a bit. Yom Kippur – the incredible day set aside for repentance, with weeping prayers and fasting, where EVERYTHING comes to a complete halt, and is always a day of awe for me, has also come and gone. I found out that in cleaning out the garage, my landlords, inadvertently, threw out my sukka. They felt badly, so they put up a VERY large sukka that they usually put behind the house, in front of my apartment. Soon I must go out and work on it. Sukkot begins at sundown tonight through sundown tomorrow…which is also the 7th of October.
Some of you know that I have had a horse throat since May. For three years I had noticed a lack of range of voice scale when I sang, and had made an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor, but the appointment was scheduled for right after E... fell…and it never happened. This past June I finally saw the doctor and he thought that he found a polyp, which he said did not look serious but should be removed. He gave me a referral to a specialist in Hadassah Hospital. I was finally able to get an appointment in mid-September, and while she examined my throat, her expression changed. She told me that it is not a polyp, but a tumor that, although completely enclosed (very good), appeared large and black and showed other signs of possible malignancy. She did not want to disturb it by a biopsy, but rather remove it completely and then have it biopsied. I was initially scheduled for surgery after 2 November, but the surgery has just been moved up to 16th October, the day after Simchat Torah. Our daughter in London is (God bless her and her family!) planning on arriving on the 14th of October – 24th. She will stay with me and be able to take care of my very geriatric dog while I’m gone, and then rather geriatric me as well. Our daughter in Gush Etzion Judea, plans to stay with me in the hospital as long as I need to be there. I understand that I will NOT be able to use my voice AT ALL after the surgery for 2-4 weeks, so…please no calls.
I have wonderful prayer support here (although there is nothing like prayer support, and I thank each one of you will be praying along) and I am not afraid. I have peace in my heart and firm anchor – not doubting that His perfect will will be done. I have had much prayer for healing, and this seems to be part of the path. My anesthesiologist is a dear friend, sister believer! I DO need prayer that the bureaucracy will unfrazzle…it is currently in a pretty secure knot…somewhat stressful. Thank you all for your prayers.
Well…I WILL close with some memories, poignant to me.
Considering the commercially printed, giant sukka infront of my window, that I will be sharing this year with the neighbors, I began to think about 31 sukkot’s past.
At the beginning, when we made Aliyah, we were in wonder of the holiday that we only knew in our heads and knew so little about really! As a child, our family would go to the sukka set up at the synagogue – festively decorated and full of fruit…but I had no idea why. We were Jewish, so we ‘did’ this. As a believer, in Alaska, I learned more from the scriptures and found out the Christian interpretations…but was unprepared for the beautiful ‘scroll’ of Sukkot as it has unrolled in front of my eyes over the past 31 years.
The first year that we were here for Sukkot, E.. and I were waiting for a bus in the center of Jerusalem to return to our home, when SUDDENLY everything was roped off in front of us and the city turned into the happiest parade that I had ever witnessed! Groups rejoicing, dancing, hugging, throwing candy…such joy in the marchers and in the viewers! When it was past, the ropes were removed and we went on our way in wonder. Thus began our learning about Sukkot.
In those early years, we joined the Christian pilgrims coming to the feast of tabernacles, enjoying the many meetings and singing, but slowly slowly we began to see that there was ANOTHER feast going on ‘along side’. One year I was walking to town and I was passing a long sukka on the street. I heard happy voices coming out. My Hebrew was not yet good at all…nor my courage, but I managed to enter this sukka filled with a family around the table and say something like ‘Blessings. I am a new olah (citizen).’ And immediately a chair was pulled out and a plate handed to me and I was embraced by that joy.
The next sukkot that stands out to me was the ‘sukkot of my revelation’. It was during the awful intifada and there were so many bombs around us. We were going to funerals and shivas every day…but now it was sukkot. I was riding the buses to work and had seen both the bus behind me and the bus in front of me blow up…it was a very very painful time…not unlike now. We went out and built our flimsy sukka (see pictures below) and THAT NIGHT I UNDERSTOOD SUKKOT! I looked through the branches that made up the roof above our heads and I SAW THE STARS! Such a flimsy little booth with branches for a roof, a carpet on the ground and material walls…and THE CREATOR GOD ABOVE US – WHO SET THE STARS IN THEIR PLACES AND KEPT THEM THERE…HE ALONE KEEPS US EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY…NO MATTER WHAT! It has all been written. Our times ARE in His Hands (if we are following Him) and no man can pluck us out of His Hand. HE called Abraham, whom He found in the howling wilderness, with a heart that He loved and could love Him…and HE made an everlasting covenant with him…THAT INCLUDED THIS LAND! HE led our people out of Egypt THROUGH the sea…for HIS purposes and glory, by HIS choice. He tested them in the wilderness to call a people of promise for HIMSELF and HIS purposes. HE fed them manna…HE gave His commands…and so we were fulfilling them that night. Forget about the bombs and REJOICE NOW BEFORE ME UNDER THIS FLIMSY NON PROTECTIVE BRANCH ROOF, FOR I ALONE AM YOUR LIFE!
That night I ‘got it’!
And so, today, I WILL rejoice in the sukka provided…I WILL rejoice in Him Who Alone is worthy.
And I rejoice WITH you, my sisters and brothers. There is so little that we truly understand, but our cry together – may it be – to return to our first love…to follow and OBEY. “To know HIM, and the power of HIS resurrection, and the fellowship of HIS suffering BEING MADE CONFORMABLE UNTO HIS death.” Phil. 3:10
Loving blessings from me.
September 23, 2025
“Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.” Numbers 10:10
‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. Numbers 29:1
Loving greetings again, brothers and sisters,
May The Lord be glorified- for He ALONE is worthy!
We expect to be leaving in a few more hours, to celebrate Rosh h’shana (the head of the year)– Yom Truah (the day of the blowing of trumpets). It will mark the beginning of the year on the Jewish calendar 5,786. Depending upon which stream of Judaic tradition is followed, that date is supposed to mark from the beginning of creation, OR, from the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. I grew up with the tradition that the date marked the giving of Torah. God knows!
The scriptural commands for this holiday are somewhat simple. There were sacrifices to be made and the giving of offerings, there is no customary work to be done (as on Shabbat) and it is a day of ‘the blowing of the shofar’: And we do blow the shofar. It takes some practice to be able to blow a ram’s horn and to get any sort of sound out of it, and then, there are specific ‘songs’ for each occasion. For several weeks, younger boys have been practicing to follow in their father’s steps and the air has been filled with the sound that calls to the very core of your being. Most of you have probably heard it, but I will attach a link (if it works!) for those who might not have and would like to.
Our daughter in Gush Etzion (Judea) and her family have been sick (those of you with school age children will understand…school has just started) so I was unable to join them for this holiday since I will need to have surgery and must be more cautious. Thankfully, we had a number of invitations. I was blessed and surprised to receive a call from one of our patients from the doctor’s office where I worked for 25 years. You might remember that my boss retired (and I did too) on the evening of the beginning of Sukkot two years ago…exactly one week before the war began. I had a long relationship with the patients. Twenty five years meant that I met some patients when they were 20 and left when they were 45. Others were 60 and now they are well into their 80s. I became quite involved in their lives and it was a privilege designed by The Lord, as the patients opened to me a cross section of Israeli society in a way that perhaps nothing else could have. I learned SO much from them! Where we are going tonight is to a couple in their 80s, whose parents were also our patients. I grew to love them all. The wife had been born in El Salvador, and for awhile had given up her Israeli citizenship to become El Salvador’s ambassador to Israel. (Yes, you read that correctly). How well I recall her invitation to E... and I to her ‘inauguration ball’, where we felt like spies amidst the dignitaries from all over the world. What an experience!
The husband, D..., is from Finland and was a tour guide for many years; an interesting and warm man.
I’m sharing this with you because I am excited to go. They are very gracious, loving people, but they are not (yet) believers and PERHAPS tonight The Lord will open a door to share…and anoint for His glory. Here we are Lord.
Back to the shofar, and the traditions of the holiday: The shofar is used ‘to call people together’, for the purposes of God. We all know that one day the last trump WILL sound. One of the greetings exchanged at Rosh h’Shana is ‘May your name be inscribed in the book of Life’. (Revelation 20:12) Tradition says that these books are open at Rosh h’shana, and sealed at Yom Kippur. Some are sealed to life and some to death. My earthly Father was in hospital during Rosh h’shana. He told me how he longed to hear the blast of the shofar, and, sure enough, a Rabbi came into the hospital and blew the shofar…and then my Dad left…between the first and second blasts of the shofar. The shofar calls us to Himself…AND to one another…to gather together for His purposes. We ALL have our times written. May we be found faithful, written in The Lamb’s Book of Life, and using the time here for His glory.
May our path be sweet, no matter how difficult. May our response reflect His mercy, grace, and holiness in this poor world.
Shana tova – blessed new year.
Lovingly, me
sound of the shofar
“Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.” Numbers 10:10
‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. Numbers 29:1
Loving greetings again, brothers and sisters,
May The Lord be glorified- for He ALONE is worthy!
We expect to be leaving in a few more hours, to celebrate Rosh h’shana (the head of the year)– Yom Truah (the day of the blowing of trumpets). It will mark the beginning of the year on the Jewish calendar 5,786. Depending upon which stream of Judaic tradition is followed, that date is supposed to mark from the beginning of creation, OR, from the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. I grew up with the tradition that the date marked the giving of Torah. God knows!
The scriptural commands for this holiday are somewhat simple. There were sacrifices to be made and the giving of offerings, there is no customary work to be done (as on Shabbat) and it is a day of ‘the blowing of the shofar’: And we do blow the shofar. It takes some practice to be able to blow a ram’s horn and to get any sort of sound out of it, and then, there are specific ‘songs’ for each occasion. For several weeks, younger boys have been practicing to follow in their father’s steps and the air has been filled with the sound that calls to the very core of your being. Most of you have probably heard it, but I will attach a link (if it works!) for those who might not have and would like to.
Our daughter in Gush Etzion (Judea) and her family have been sick (those of you with school age children will understand…school has just started) so I was unable to join them for this holiday since I will need to have surgery and must be more cautious. Thankfully, we had a number of invitations. I was blessed and surprised to receive a call from one of our patients from the doctor’s office where I worked for 25 years. You might remember that my boss retired (and I did too) on the evening of the beginning of Sukkot two years ago…exactly one week before the war began. I had a long relationship with the patients. Twenty five years meant that I met some patients when they were 20 and left when they were 45. Others were 60 and now they are well into their 80s. I became quite involved in their lives and it was a privilege designed by The Lord, as the patients opened to me a cross section of Israeli society in a way that perhaps nothing else could have. I learned SO much from them! Where we are going tonight is to a couple in their 80s, whose parents were also our patients. I grew to love them all. The wife had been born in El Salvador, and for awhile had given up her Israeli citizenship to become El Salvador’s ambassador to Israel. (Yes, you read that correctly). How well I recall her invitation to E... and I to her ‘inauguration ball’, where we felt like spies amidst the dignitaries from all over the world. What an experience!
The husband, D..., is from Finland and was a tour guide for many years; an interesting and warm man.
I’m sharing this with you because I am excited to go. They are very gracious, loving people, but they are not (yet) believers and PERHAPS tonight The Lord will open a door to share…and anoint for His glory. Here we are Lord.
Back to the shofar, and the traditions of the holiday: The shofar is used ‘to call people together’, for the purposes of God. We all know that one day the last trump WILL sound. One of the greetings exchanged at Rosh h’Shana is ‘May your name be inscribed in the book of Life’. (Revelation 20:12) Tradition says that these books are open at Rosh h’shana, and sealed at Yom Kippur. Some are sealed to life and some to death. My earthly Father was in hospital during Rosh h’shana. He told me how he longed to hear the blast of the shofar, and, sure enough, a Rabbi came into the hospital and blew the shofar…and then my Dad left…between the first and second blasts of the shofar. The shofar calls us to Himself…AND to one another…to gather together for His purposes. We ALL have our times written. May we be found faithful, written in The Lamb’s Book of Life, and using the time here for His glory.
May our path be sweet, no matter how difficult. May our response reflect His mercy, grace, and holiness in this poor world.
Shana tova – blessed new year.
Lovingly, me
sound of the shofar
September 16, 2025
“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you...”… “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”Matthew 24:1-4 and 13
It will soon be shabbat, and I will turn off my computer and phone until Saturday night, but I would like to share these observations, meditations with you…and so I greet you, lovingly, in The Name of our Lord Yeshua h’Meshiach. Oh! may HE be blessed and glorified, and may we follow Him all the way…obedient to His will and for His glory alone, trusting Him, resting in Him.
Here we are, eh? And WHERE is that exactly?
I love the way my daily reading echoes back and forth, one section speaking to another section and all fitting together so beautifully, it delights my heart.
With all of the shock concerning the murder in Utah, USA, of Charlie Kirk, I came to a full stop this morning during my daily reading, as I read Matthew 24:1 “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple…”. I am also concurrently reading in Ezra concerning the building of the second temple in Jerusalem. My heart suddenly grieved when I thought of Yeshua departingfrom the temple. The disciples stopped to show him the stones and the buildings; their eyes and affections were still on earthly things. Yeshua told them that these would be destroyed, and, again…they wanted tangible knowledge ‘What will be the sign of Your coming and the ending of the age?’; but His answer was “Take heed that no one deceives you.”
When Charlie Kirk was murdered, God was not asleep. He wasn’t powerless or taken by surprise. We live in ‘that day’. We have never been here before. Just as the disciples had never been at a place like the foot of the cross with Yeshua hanging there, shedding His Blood for our sins. They couldn’t grasp it…they didn’t understand. They still had their feet firmly planted on this earth: their vision was still of an earthly messiah who would bring peace and ‘make Israel great again’. The longer that I live the more I realize how little I know of God and His ways unless I am walking in His Spirit, where I, none the less, see through a glass darkly. BUT, having said that…more and more I want His way to be the path through my heart and HIS kingdom to come, HIS will to be done…no matter what the cost…no matter where the altar is set. It is on HIS terms and not mine. He spoke and the world was created; His Word is that powerful and that strong. Oh my! We are so small.
I thought about the grave of martyred John Baptist…of martyred Stephen and James…and the empty tomb of Yeshua. We are TOLD to praise Him throughout Job and Revelation, it is clear; set our eyes on Him. God forbid that any of us set up a golden calf. Charlie Kirk would NOT have wanted that. He didn’t want people to follow him, but to follow The Lord…and the way becomes narrower and steeper daily. Will we continue? Already we see that what satan meant for evil is turning for the good. It is powerful to watch young people turning to God through a man who, though dead, yet speaks. It’s not just America and western countries seeing such a stirring, but Iranians, Israelis and people world wide who never heard of Charlie Kirk before are suddenly throwing themselves on their knees and repenting. All I can say is … ‘WOW!’
(The above was written on Friday and was never finished, and I wonder if it will be finished now.)
It is almost Rosh h’shana again. Next Monday night will begin the Autumn cycle of high holidays. Rosh h’shana is celebrated as the new year on the Jewish calendar, but scripturally it is the day for the blowing of the shofar (the ram’s horn) and this also is done. Scripturally, Passover (in the Spring) is the first day of the Jewish calendar.
We are weary, but we continue to walk. The Houthis have been sending ballistic missiles regularly. Most are intercepted or fall short. A few get through. Last week, one got through and hit the arrivals hall of our Rimon Airport near Eilat. There were injuries, although the airports were working again two hours later. We try to guess when the sirens will sound and if they will wake us up. Although the attacks are frequent and usually are intercepted before they do any damage (thank You Lord), we tend to get sloppy and just tired of obeying. It’s important to remember that we should not take our safety for granted…nor our obedience. There have been several deadly terror attacks. One was in N. Jerusalem this week killing 6 when two opened gunfire on and off of a bus in the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot. Several days ago, there was another knife attack at Kibbutz Tsuba, fairly near me, in the western Jerusalem Hills. One was seriously injured, another moderately. The war rages on and on. In spite of reports otherwise, most of the soldiers, although weary, have very high morale. On the other hand, there have been so many suicides among soldiers with post trauma adding pain to pain. Since our (apparently) failed attack on the Hamas leaders in Doha, the results of that attack we really still do not know.
(I had to stop mid sentence to shelter from Houthi ballistic missile. Lots of booms but haven’t heard yet of any damage or casualties. How do I continue? Can you, somehow, grasp that? I’m sitting here writing about the insanity of current life when the siren goes off. I unplug the computer, close the shutters, pull down the shades, grab the dog, contact the children and sit on my bed to pray, knowing that our only safety is in The Lord. The all clear was received and I returned to reverse my steps…it is surreal.)
I think that I was about to reflect upon the fact that, although we have always been somewhat isolated, and a constant contender in the arena to defend ourselves; this takes the prize. The UN voted to establish and recognize a Palestinian state…while our hostages remain in captivity. Economic and trade sanctions have been set as snares all around us, travel warnings encircle us. We are deeply thankful for our friends and the people are aware of the Christian support. Many are waking up to the fact that this is, indeed, a ‘REAL’ spiritual battle and that the price is all or nothing.
I had to go for some medical tests today, and to run some errands. I ventured to take the bus to the clinic and was the only passenger. The kind bus driver asked me where I was getting off and offered to help me. It is a beautiful Autumn day and I was looking forward to walking home. My bank is along the way and I wanted to withdraw some cash. The bank is situated along a main street above what was a restaurant, and to get to the bank, I would take an elevator in the restaurant, but when I got there, I saw that the restaurant had gone out of business and the elevator was no longer an option. I prayed about climbing the 22 steep steps behind the restaurant to the street above, realizing that coming down would be even more difficult. There was a fruit and vegetable store next door and as I stood wondering, the young Arab proprietor came out and I posed my dilemma to him. He told me that the only way was up the stairs or drive, because to walk around to the street above would take about 45 minutes and was quite hilly. Ah, after all, in the light of everything, this is a small issue, so I smiled at him and thanked him and went inside to buy 3 cucumbers, which was all I could add to what I was already carrying. He came running after me with a beautiful peach and said ‘Here. Eat this. It is very sweet.’ And SWEET was the kindness, the gesture in the midst. These small moments are so precious!
With everyone against us since our attack on Palestinian leadership in Qatar, it actually frees us to do the hard things that we were restrained from doing…and yesterday we launched the most painful operation yet, the ground operation into Gaza City. For weeks we have been warning the citizens of Gaza City with text messages, leaflets, announcements, to evacuate. Gaza City has been the opulent center of Gazan wealth. It was a Mediterranean resort area frequented by wealthy European and Scandinavian vacationers, known for its luxurious hotels, beaches and coveted jewelry… it is now being laid waste. Its fancy high rise buildings were known to house much of the hamas intelligence centers, but Israel was warned again and again not to touch such a place. Many of our hostages are there. It is a very dangerous mission, and our soldiers are our sons, fathers, husbands, brothers…and many of them have been fighting since 7 October 23…and we are heading toward the second anniversary of that day. This is the 7th call up for many of our reservists, a lot of whom are our brothers in Messiah. May HE be seen in their midst and may The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…lead by The Lord of Hosts Himself, go with them unto victory. This IS a battle of battles.
I must go to bed. I am including some videos that you might have seen … No. I just see that they will not forward and I am not sharp enough to understand how to attach them. I would ask you to put into GOOGLE SEARCH (or whatever search you use) Rubio, Netanyahu reopen ancient Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem and to watch the opening of the newly excavated archeological discovery; the Pilgrim road to the Temple and the powerful proclamations concerning God’s sovereignty and purposes through America’s Marco Rubio and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee. This is such a powerful display of faith put forward by two professing Christians in Jerusalem, before our country as I have never seen before. Religious Jews are responding to their faith, as well as to the bold testimony of Charlie Kirk in quite a demonstration of softening hearts. Mike Huckabee has been, perhaps the boldest witness to Yeshua with the public ear that Israel has seen in many a year.
May THE LORD be glorified and seen as He IS. May we be found trusting and obeying…and pointing to Him. God BLESS YOU!: from your weary sister here.
“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you...”… “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”Matthew 24:1-4 and 13
It will soon be shabbat, and I will turn off my computer and phone until Saturday night, but I would like to share these observations, meditations with you…and so I greet you, lovingly, in The Name of our Lord Yeshua h’Meshiach. Oh! may HE be blessed and glorified, and may we follow Him all the way…obedient to His will and for His glory alone, trusting Him, resting in Him.
Here we are, eh? And WHERE is that exactly?
I love the way my daily reading echoes back and forth, one section speaking to another section and all fitting together so beautifully, it delights my heart.
With all of the shock concerning the murder in Utah, USA, of Charlie Kirk, I came to a full stop this morning during my daily reading, as I read Matthew 24:1 “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple…”. I am also concurrently reading in Ezra concerning the building of the second temple in Jerusalem. My heart suddenly grieved when I thought of Yeshua departingfrom the temple. The disciples stopped to show him the stones and the buildings; their eyes and affections were still on earthly things. Yeshua told them that these would be destroyed, and, again…they wanted tangible knowledge ‘What will be the sign of Your coming and the ending of the age?’; but His answer was “Take heed that no one deceives you.”
When Charlie Kirk was murdered, God was not asleep. He wasn’t powerless or taken by surprise. We live in ‘that day’. We have never been here before. Just as the disciples had never been at a place like the foot of the cross with Yeshua hanging there, shedding His Blood for our sins. They couldn’t grasp it…they didn’t understand. They still had their feet firmly planted on this earth: their vision was still of an earthly messiah who would bring peace and ‘make Israel great again’. The longer that I live the more I realize how little I know of God and His ways unless I am walking in His Spirit, where I, none the less, see through a glass darkly. BUT, having said that…more and more I want His way to be the path through my heart and HIS kingdom to come, HIS will to be done…no matter what the cost…no matter where the altar is set. It is on HIS terms and not mine. He spoke and the world was created; His Word is that powerful and that strong. Oh my! We are so small.
I thought about the grave of martyred John Baptist…of martyred Stephen and James…and the empty tomb of Yeshua. We are TOLD to praise Him throughout Job and Revelation, it is clear; set our eyes on Him. God forbid that any of us set up a golden calf. Charlie Kirk would NOT have wanted that. He didn’t want people to follow him, but to follow The Lord…and the way becomes narrower and steeper daily. Will we continue? Already we see that what satan meant for evil is turning for the good. It is powerful to watch young people turning to God through a man who, though dead, yet speaks. It’s not just America and western countries seeing such a stirring, but Iranians, Israelis and people world wide who never heard of Charlie Kirk before are suddenly throwing themselves on their knees and repenting. All I can say is … ‘WOW!’
(The above was written on Friday and was never finished, and I wonder if it will be finished now.)
It is almost Rosh h’shana again. Next Monday night will begin the Autumn cycle of high holidays. Rosh h’shana is celebrated as the new year on the Jewish calendar, but scripturally it is the day for the blowing of the shofar (the ram’s horn) and this also is done. Scripturally, Passover (in the Spring) is the first day of the Jewish calendar.
We are weary, but we continue to walk. The Houthis have been sending ballistic missiles regularly. Most are intercepted or fall short. A few get through. Last week, one got through and hit the arrivals hall of our Rimon Airport near Eilat. There were injuries, although the airports were working again two hours later. We try to guess when the sirens will sound and if they will wake us up. Although the attacks are frequent and usually are intercepted before they do any damage (thank You Lord), we tend to get sloppy and just tired of obeying. It’s important to remember that we should not take our safety for granted…nor our obedience. There have been several deadly terror attacks. One was in N. Jerusalem this week killing 6 when two opened gunfire on and off of a bus in the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot. Several days ago, there was another knife attack at Kibbutz Tsuba, fairly near me, in the western Jerusalem Hills. One was seriously injured, another moderately. The war rages on and on. In spite of reports otherwise, most of the soldiers, although weary, have very high morale. On the other hand, there have been so many suicides among soldiers with post trauma adding pain to pain. Since our (apparently) failed attack on the Hamas leaders in Doha, the results of that attack we really still do not know.
(I had to stop mid sentence to shelter from Houthi ballistic missile. Lots of booms but haven’t heard yet of any damage or casualties. How do I continue? Can you, somehow, grasp that? I’m sitting here writing about the insanity of current life when the siren goes off. I unplug the computer, close the shutters, pull down the shades, grab the dog, contact the children and sit on my bed to pray, knowing that our only safety is in The Lord. The all clear was received and I returned to reverse my steps…it is surreal.)
I think that I was about to reflect upon the fact that, although we have always been somewhat isolated, and a constant contender in the arena to defend ourselves; this takes the prize. The UN voted to establish and recognize a Palestinian state…while our hostages remain in captivity. Economic and trade sanctions have been set as snares all around us, travel warnings encircle us. We are deeply thankful for our friends and the people are aware of the Christian support. Many are waking up to the fact that this is, indeed, a ‘REAL’ spiritual battle and that the price is all or nothing.
I had to go for some medical tests today, and to run some errands. I ventured to take the bus to the clinic and was the only passenger. The kind bus driver asked me where I was getting off and offered to help me. It is a beautiful Autumn day and I was looking forward to walking home. My bank is along the way and I wanted to withdraw some cash. The bank is situated along a main street above what was a restaurant, and to get to the bank, I would take an elevator in the restaurant, but when I got there, I saw that the restaurant had gone out of business and the elevator was no longer an option. I prayed about climbing the 22 steep steps behind the restaurant to the street above, realizing that coming down would be even more difficult. There was a fruit and vegetable store next door and as I stood wondering, the young Arab proprietor came out and I posed my dilemma to him. He told me that the only way was up the stairs or drive, because to walk around to the street above would take about 45 minutes and was quite hilly. Ah, after all, in the light of everything, this is a small issue, so I smiled at him and thanked him and went inside to buy 3 cucumbers, which was all I could add to what I was already carrying. He came running after me with a beautiful peach and said ‘Here. Eat this. It is very sweet.’ And SWEET was the kindness, the gesture in the midst. These small moments are so precious!
With everyone against us since our attack on Palestinian leadership in Qatar, it actually frees us to do the hard things that we were restrained from doing…and yesterday we launched the most painful operation yet, the ground operation into Gaza City. For weeks we have been warning the citizens of Gaza City with text messages, leaflets, announcements, to evacuate. Gaza City has been the opulent center of Gazan wealth. It was a Mediterranean resort area frequented by wealthy European and Scandinavian vacationers, known for its luxurious hotels, beaches and coveted jewelry… it is now being laid waste. Its fancy high rise buildings were known to house much of the hamas intelligence centers, but Israel was warned again and again not to touch such a place. Many of our hostages are there. It is a very dangerous mission, and our soldiers are our sons, fathers, husbands, brothers…and many of them have been fighting since 7 October 23…and we are heading toward the second anniversary of that day. This is the 7th call up for many of our reservists, a lot of whom are our brothers in Messiah. May HE be seen in their midst and may The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…lead by The Lord of Hosts Himself, go with them unto victory. This IS a battle of battles.
I must go to bed. I am including some videos that you might have seen … No. I just see that they will not forward and I am not sharp enough to understand how to attach them. I would ask you to put into GOOGLE SEARCH (or whatever search you use) Rubio, Netanyahu reopen ancient Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem and to watch the opening of the newly excavated archeological discovery; the Pilgrim road to the Temple and the powerful proclamations concerning God’s sovereignty and purposes through America’s Marco Rubio and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee. This is such a powerful display of faith put forward by two professing Christians in Jerusalem, before our country as I have never seen before. Religious Jews are responding to their faith, as well as to the bold testimony of Charlie Kirk in quite a demonstration of softening hearts. Mike Huckabee has been, perhaps the boldest witness to Yeshua with the public ear that Israel has seen in many a year.
May THE LORD be glorified and seen as He IS. May we be found trusting and obeying…and pointing to Him. God BLESS YOU!: from your weary sister here.
August 26, 2025
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
I greet you, sisters and brothers in Yeshua, what a great PRIVILEGE to be part of His body in such a time as this; in these particular days. May HE be glorified and blessed and may you be encouraged and edified.
Well…’be not weary in well doing’…but the country is tired, even exhausted. This is what I see and hear…and experience. There is a shocking amount of fatal road accidents and fights in the market. The tempers of many seem to snap easily and a recklessness is exhibited in ways that I haven’t witnessed before. Children and particularly teens (ofcourse well known for their propensity to rebellion) are publicly emotional and often violent to an extent that I haven’t seen before as emotions run so high. It appears to me that EVERYONE’S ‘opinion’ is now set in stone, both nationally and internationally, so civil discussion is not as relevant as it was and the division within the country is far more dangerous than anything that we are facing from the outside. The enemy recognizes it and it is well spoken in Arabic… they can sit back and watch ourselves implode.
However, there IS A God in Israel, who has made a covenant and repeated it again and again. In Genesis 17:7,8 The Lord said to Avraham: “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” He confirmed His covenant, even after rebellion, darkness and failings, and so many, painful chastenings. Much of Israel is standing on that covenant today.
A wonderful example was seen this week as the Hebrew month of Elul began again on Monday. I remember that last year the words traditionally whispered; ‘The King is in the field!’ began to mean so much to me…and here it is again, already. If you recall, the month of Elul begins the 40 days of soul searching and repentance leading up to Yom Kippur, the day of atonement (the day of national fasting and prayer) On Sunday night, as the ‘slikot prayers’ (prayers seeking forgiveness) began at the Western Wall, for the first time ever, the police had to close down further entry to the area and transportation leading to the area because of OVERCROWDING! So many people had gathered to seek God, that there was no more room. I, personally, find that encouraging. His Word says (also oft repeated) “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. Atleast some of these are seeking with their whole hearts. It IS a time to pray…for ’The KING is in the field’, and not only the field of Muslims, for surely we are hearing many wonderful testimonies of ex- Muslims coming to Him, praise God!
Doubtless you have heard much concerning the war. As I sat before my weeping Granddaughter who has seen so many videos of starving and slaughtered children supposedly in Gaza, I can not explain any longer. I encourage you to pray for discernment and KNOW HIS WORD. I found myself, simultaneously, reading about Yosef in Genesis and Daniel and I could only thank God for reminding me that we CAN stand quietly and firmly, knowing that we see through a glass darkly. It is hard to refute video ‘evidence’, even when you know that it is a lie…there are just no more words, except God-ward.
I will include a link to the BEST (seriously, please watch, although you have read his book and heard many things that he has said, this IS THE BEST!) interview that I have seen lately. A very sober one with Musab Yosif (the Green Prince, the Son of hamas) appeared on Israel t.v. last week. Much of the commentary is in Hebrew, but the interview is all in English, so please be patient. It is not very long, but it is a straight arrow.
On the personal front, this is the last week before school begins and every Grandparent is ‘doing their best’, including me. E... had just come over last Wednesday, with the girls, to spend a couple of days, when we both got a call from my oldest daughter. She had proverbial good news and bad news. The good news was that she had saved the house from burning down when a curtain caught fire from a candle left unattended in a bedroom, thus saving the family. The bad news being that she had third degree burns (the worst) on her hands and feet, from putting out the fire by smothering it with bedding. No one else was hurt.
I had third degree burns on my arm and chest in 1983 and was hospitalized for 6 weeks, so it is an experienced that I can not forget, and, thinking of my daughter going through that pain is heartbreaking for me. Please pray for her and for the situation. She is at home, completely dependent upon her family in this marathon of healing and going back and forth to the hospital for treatment. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRAYING!
Thank you so very much for holding this family and I up in prayer…and for what is dear to the Heart of God; this people whom He chose for His own reasons and glory and purposes. How the enemy rages…we must pray all the more! God BLESS you! The Granddaughters are JUST arriving and I must run! Loving blessings!
excellent Israeli t.v. interview with Son of Hamas
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
I greet you, sisters and brothers in Yeshua, what a great PRIVILEGE to be part of His body in such a time as this; in these particular days. May HE be glorified and blessed and may you be encouraged and edified.
Well…’be not weary in well doing’…but the country is tired, even exhausted. This is what I see and hear…and experience. There is a shocking amount of fatal road accidents and fights in the market. The tempers of many seem to snap easily and a recklessness is exhibited in ways that I haven’t witnessed before. Children and particularly teens (ofcourse well known for their propensity to rebellion) are publicly emotional and often violent to an extent that I haven’t seen before as emotions run so high. It appears to me that EVERYONE’S ‘opinion’ is now set in stone, both nationally and internationally, so civil discussion is not as relevant as it was and the division within the country is far more dangerous than anything that we are facing from the outside. The enemy recognizes it and it is well spoken in Arabic… they can sit back and watch ourselves implode.
However, there IS A God in Israel, who has made a covenant and repeated it again and again. In Genesis 17:7,8 The Lord said to Avraham: “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” He confirmed His covenant, even after rebellion, darkness and failings, and so many, painful chastenings. Much of Israel is standing on that covenant today.
A wonderful example was seen this week as the Hebrew month of Elul began again on Monday. I remember that last year the words traditionally whispered; ‘The King is in the field!’ began to mean so much to me…and here it is again, already. If you recall, the month of Elul begins the 40 days of soul searching and repentance leading up to Yom Kippur, the day of atonement (the day of national fasting and prayer) On Sunday night, as the ‘slikot prayers’ (prayers seeking forgiveness) began at the Western Wall, for the first time ever, the police had to close down further entry to the area and transportation leading to the area because of OVERCROWDING! So many people had gathered to seek God, that there was no more room. I, personally, find that encouraging. His Word says (also oft repeated) “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. Atleast some of these are seeking with their whole hearts. It IS a time to pray…for ’The KING is in the field’, and not only the field of Muslims, for surely we are hearing many wonderful testimonies of ex- Muslims coming to Him, praise God!
Doubtless you have heard much concerning the war. As I sat before my weeping Granddaughter who has seen so many videos of starving and slaughtered children supposedly in Gaza, I can not explain any longer. I encourage you to pray for discernment and KNOW HIS WORD. I found myself, simultaneously, reading about Yosef in Genesis and Daniel and I could only thank God for reminding me that we CAN stand quietly and firmly, knowing that we see through a glass darkly. It is hard to refute video ‘evidence’, even when you know that it is a lie…there are just no more words, except God-ward.
I will include a link to the BEST (seriously, please watch, although you have read his book and heard many things that he has said, this IS THE BEST!) interview that I have seen lately. A very sober one with Musab Yosif (the Green Prince, the Son of hamas) appeared on Israel t.v. last week. Much of the commentary is in Hebrew, but the interview is all in English, so please be patient. It is not very long, but it is a straight arrow.
On the personal front, this is the last week before school begins and every Grandparent is ‘doing their best’, including me. E... had just come over last Wednesday, with the girls, to spend a couple of days, when we both got a call from my oldest daughter. She had proverbial good news and bad news. The good news was that she had saved the house from burning down when a curtain caught fire from a candle left unattended in a bedroom, thus saving the family. The bad news being that she had third degree burns (the worst) on her hands and feet, from putting out the fire by smothering it with bedding. No one else was hurt.
I had third degree burns on my arm and chest in 1983 and was hospitalized for 6 weeks, so it is an experienced that I can not forget, and, thinking of my daughter going through that pain is heartbreaking for me. Please pray for her and for the situation. She is at home, completely dependent upon her family in this marathon of healing and going back and forth to the hospital for treatment. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRAYING!
Thank you so very much for holding this family and I up in prayer…and for what is dear to the Heart of God; this people whom He chose for His own reasons and glory and purposes. How the enemy rages…we must pray all the more! God BLESS you! The Granddaughters are JUST arriving and I must run! Loving blessings!
excellent Israeli t.v. interview with Son of Hamas
August 14, 2025
“…a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, Because for every matter there is a time and judgment.” Ecclesiastes 8:5
“What will you do in the appointed day, And in the day of the feast of the Lord?” Hosea 9:5
Greetings brothers and sisters, bought by The Precious Blood of The Lamb, Yeshua h’meshiach. He Lives! And Israel lives…because of power and promises and ‘the way things work’ that we have only a glimpse of. May He Alone be blessed and glorified and may you be encouraged and edified.
This letter will be different…many small, personal stories…for there IS INDEED, a time for every purpose under heaven and how small is our vision (or just mine?) of those times and purposes.
Let’s start off with the LAST miracle that just happened. I arrived home from the (oh wonder of wonders) trip to Cyprus, yesterday morning at 3am, arriving to a monster heat wave. All of my life I have been somewhat of a stoic, for better or for worse; things like heat I would generally take in stride…but…my skin has gotten thin with age and today I realized that I was in trouble in my two room apartment with no air conditioning. Fans have always been enough if I add a bit of ‘grin and bear it’. Today, in spite of ice packs, rehydration fluid and iced drinks, my blood pressure suddenly went up and it was scary. I prayed, but I was scared. And then: A MIRACLE! My upstairs neighbors (the family of 4 from Estonia) moved into a much larger and better apartment this week and each room has air-conditioning. Shortly after I moved into this apartment, their air conditioning broke and they weren’t yet used to the heat of the land. I felt the strong leading of The Lord to get them a portable air conditioner. That was 2 years ago. Shortly after I called out to The Lord about my own situation, I got a message on my phone from S..... He said that he had just been thinking about how hot my apartment must be and he would like to come over ‘RIGHT NOW’ and bring the air conditioner and install it for me, which he did…and I feel much better and I praise The Lord for His wondrous timing and ways!
So, after beginning at the end (because the ways of The Lord are so exciting) …how in the world do I continue?
FIRST, THANK YOU SO MUCH, THOSE OF YOU WHO PRAYED! OH, HOW I WAS SUSTAINED ON THE WINGS OF PRAYER! I have been blessed to arrive to a number of emails but I think that I should write a group email before trying to respond to each one individually. THANK YOU!
My adventure began at the airport. The flight to Cyprus from here is less than an hour, so the plane that we were to use was smaller. Most, if not all, of the people on the flight were Israelis with many children and I was the only old person. We were approached by a smiling employee who asked if I might like some help. He told me that, to board the plane, I would have to go down a flight of stairs and up another, so I said yes, I would. I was treated to such kindness AND a ride on a sort of fancy fork lift complete with my own gang plank on to the plane…and I laughed all the way. I was first to board and have never had such treatment. The Houthis even kindly waited until 1am to send a missile toward us, so there were no last minute evacuations and I could feel myself begin to relax.
We arrived in Cyprus just before midnight and I thought that this would be the easy part. Cyprus is a small Island. My son in law rented a car, but it could not fit all 6 of us (they have 3 children) so I had planned to take a taxi. Thankfully our daughter took the youngest and rode with me, because after 45 minutes of driving, our taxi driver tried to let us off in the middle of a banana plantation. Although I don’t understand Greek, I am certain that Greek has many curse words and I think that we heard them all. The entire ride was out of a Greek comedy…and I did laugh! Life is so strange. We finally found the house that our other daughter and son in law had rented by about 2am and I thought that I was in a dream, on the top of a mountain with an expansive view of the sea…and perhaps I was for the entire week. Sadly, our 14 year old Grandson did not come as he wasn’t feeling well, so his Dad stayed back in London as well, but the 9 of us together was still a dream.
E... and I never had much opportunity for ‘vacations’, and when we did go somewhere, it was almost always to visit family. I have never swum in a private swimming pool, nor lived in a house with a dishwasher nor more than one bathroom...and I never coveted such things; but it was delightful to cuddle together in such a comfortable place and to watch our Grandchildren love and enjoy one another with so much abandon. Our 3 Granddaughters from here, learned to swim (yes, even the 3 year old!). We spent evenings illustrating our trip in sketch diaries that I brought for each of the Grandchildren, while I worked on reading the Chronicles of Narnia to them. We finished The Silver Chair and began The Final Battle…seeds were planted. It was a great joy to see our two daughters being graceful and talented adults together and our two older Grandchildren growing so strong and mature as they wrestle with ‘all of it’.
Wrestling with ‘all of it’ is another thing that I don’t envy. In that way, I am thankful that youth is behind me. I have wrestled that one. Our London Grandchildren are surrounded and so have bought the propaganda, and, as young people are, the angst of being Israeli and seeing us reported as monsters has an effect. They won’t identify as Israelis. The Lord gave me a moment of His touch to speak with our A... about how hard it is to know Truth in the age of AI, media distortions and agendas. I did not try to argue for Truth, but encouraged her to remember that God knows the Truth and He can lead her if she will ask. She heard my few words: she looked tearfully and lovingly into my eyes as I spoke, and now I can pray. N... also said ‘war can’t continue forever’ and I remembered my peace marching days and the simple idealism of youth. It’s a spiritual battle and so are the weapons of my warfare on their behalf. I had a window into the struggles of our daughter’s lives (they don’t speak about them) and so I also understand better how to pray. What a GIFT He has given me in this trip and now to be true to His call to prevailing prayer. My flesh is SO lazy and full of excuses! Oh, to REALIZE that faithfulness is a life and death issue and that the time is ‘NOW’.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR ME FOR THIS TRIP…AND FOR HIS PURPOSES!
Also, I realized how much of a personal toll this war has had on me…and on every Israeli. It is not only the war…but the hatred, both in and out of the country. The ‘enmity’ all around!
I came across the word ‘enmity’ twice in Hosea 9 today; a fearsome chapter! The word arrested me when I read in 9:8 about “…enmity in the house of God”. Although I know the word, I looked up the definitions both in English and Hebrew and my stomach turned at how very opposite it is to the nature of The Lord! “Mutual hatred, hostility or ill-will”! The dictionary elaborates, and as I read the list of words describing enmity…and how it was (and is) judged …found in the house of God…. How it must have broken His heart! And how it must break His heart today. James 4:4 says “…Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” And Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” But in Hosea, God was speaking about ENMITY BETWEEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS (dare I add family members?) I began to search my heart…is there enmity in me towards anyone?
Our last day in Cyprus, we had many hours to wait between leaving the house and going to the airport, so it was the one time that we went to the mall to get the children things to play with during the wait. (Actually, we stayed at the house the entire time except to go food shopping and they all went to the beach one morning.) It was so peaceful to be out of touch with the war, the grief, the enmity. I forgot not to allow the menorah that I wear around my neck to show. E... had given me when he came back from his one and only trip to Israel. He gave me this necklace and said: “Ma, we are making Aliyah”. I wear it all the time…but I forgot. I was in the woman’s bathroom, washing my hands when a nice looking woman came in. She looked at me pleasantly, saw my necklace and GROWLED and bared her teeth. It was a shock.
We were returning. It was TIME to go home.
The tension was palatable and I thanked The Lord for the incredible gift that He gave me. It reminded me that, no matter what; HE IS IN CONTROL…our family, our land, our people, our future. My job is to be faithful to what He has called me to do…and to just keep walking.
May we finish the work, and glorify Him!
Thank you all again, with my whole heart! Loving blessings from a sister here.
“…a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, Because for every matter there is a time and judgment.” Ecclesiastes 8:5
“What will you do in the appointed day, And in the day of the feast of the Lord?” Hosea 9:5
Greetings brothers and sisters, bought by The Precious Blood of The Lamb, Yeshua h’meshiach. He Lives! And Israel lives…because of power and promises and ‘the way things work’ that we have only a glimpse of. May He Alone be blessed and glorified and may you be encouraged and edified.
This letter will be different…many small, personal stories…for there IS INDEED, a time for every purpose under heaven and how small is our vision (or just mine?) of those times and purposes.
Let’s start off with the LAST miracle that just happened. I arrived home from the (oh wonder of wonders) trip to Cyprus, yesterday morning at 3am, arriving to a monster heat wave. All of my life I have been somewhat of a stoic, for better or for worse; things like heat I would generally take in stride…but…my skin has gotten thin with age and today I realized that I was in trouble in my two room apartment with no air conditioning. Fans have always been enough if I add a bit of ‘grin and bear it’. Today, in spite of ice packs, rehydration fluid and iced drinks, my blood pressure suddenly went up and it was scary. I prayed, but I was scared. And then: A MIRACLE! My upstairs neighbors (the family of 4 from Estonia) moved into a much larger and better apartment this week and each room has air-conditioning. Shortly after I moved into this apartment, their air conditioning broke and they weren’t yet used to the heat of the land. I felt the strong leading of The Lord to get them a portable air conditioner. That was 2 years ago. Shortly after I called out to The Lord about my own situation, I got a message on my phone from S..... He said that he had just been thinking about how hot my apartment must be and he would like to come over ‘RIGHT NOW’ and bring the air conditioner and install it for me, which he did…and I feel much better and I praise The Lord for His wondrous timing and ways!
So, after beginning at the end (because the ways of The Lord are so exciting) …how in the world do I continue?
FIRST, THANK YOU SO MUCH, THOSE OF YOU WHO PRAYED! OH, HOW I WAS SUSTAINED ON THE WINGS OF PRAYER! I have been blessed to arrive to a number of emails but I think that I should write a group email before trying to respond to each one individually. THANK YOU!
My adventure began at the airport. The flight to Cyprus from here is less than an hour, so the plane that we were to use was smaller. Most, if not all, of the people on the flight were Israelis with many children and I was the only old person. We were approached by a smiling employee who asked if I might like some help. He told me that, to board the plane, I would have to go down a flight of stairs and up another, so I said yes, I would. I was treated to such kindness AND a ride on a sort of fancy fork lift complete with my own gang plank on to the plane…and I laughed all the way. I was first to board and have never had such treatment. The Houthis even kindly waited until 1am to send a missile toward us, so there were no last minute evacuations and I could feel myself begin to relax.
We arrived in Cyprus just before midnight and I thought that this would be the easy part. Cyprus is a small Island. My son in law rented a car, but it could not fit all 6 of us (they have 3 children) so I had planned to take a taxi. Thankfully our daughter took the youngest and rode with me, because after 45 minutes of driving, our taxi driver tried to let us off in the middle of a banana plantation. Although I don’t understand Greek, I am certain that Greek has many curse words and I think that we heard them all. The entire ride was out of a Greek comedy…and I did laugh! Life is so strange. We finally found the house that our other daughter and son in law had rented by about 2am and I thought that I was in a dream, on the top of a mountain with an expansive view of the sea…and perhaps I was for the entire week. Sadly, our 14 year old Grandson did not come as he wasn’t feeling well, so his Dad stayed back in London as well, but the 9 of us together was still a dream.
E... and I never had much opportunity for ‘vacations’, and when we did go somewhere, it was almost always to visit family. I have never swum in a private swimming pool, nor lived in a house with a dishwasher nor more than one bathroom...and I never coveted such things; but it was delightful to cuddle together in such a comfortable place and to watch our Grandchildren love and enjoy one another with so much abandon. Our 3 Granddaughters from here, learned to swim (yes, even the 3 year old!). We spent evenings illustrating our trip in sketch diaries that I brought for each of the Grandchildren, while I worked on reading the Chronicles of Narnia to them. We finished The Silver Chair and began The Final Battle…seeds were planted. It was a great joy to see our two daughters being graceful and talented adults together and our two older Grandchildren growing so strong and mature as they wrestle with ‘all of it’.
Wrestling with ‘all of it’ is another thing that I don’t envy. In that way, I am thankful that youth is behind me. I have wrestled that one. Our London Grandchildren are surrounded and so have bought the propaganda, and, as young people are, the angst of being Israeli and seeing us reported as monsters has an effect. They won’t identify as Israelis. The Lord gave me a moment of His touch to speak with our A... about how hard it is to know Truth in the age of AI, media distortions and agendas. I did not try to argue for Truth, but encouraged her to remember that God knows the Truth and He can lead her if she will ask. She heard my few words: she looked tearfully and lovingly into my eyes as I spoke, and now I can pray. N... also said ‘war can’t continue forever’ and I remembered my peace marching days and the simple idealism of youth. It’s a spiritual battle and so are the weapons of my warfare on their behalf. I had a window into the struggles of our daughter’s lives (they don’t speak about them) and so I also understand better how to pray. What a GIFT He has given me in this trip and now to be true to His call to prevailing prayer. My flesh is SO lazy and full of excuses! Oh, to REALIZE that faithfulness is a life and death issue and that the time is ‘NOW’.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR ME FOR THIS TRIP…AND FOR HIS PURPOSES!
Also, I realized how much of a personal toll this war has had on me…and on every Israeli. It is not only the war…but the hatred, both in and out of the country. The ‘enmity’ all around!
I came across the word ‘enmity’ twice in Hosea 9 today; a fearsome chapter! The word arrested me when I read in 9:8 about “…enmity in the house of God”. Although I know the word, I looked up the definitions both in English and Hebrew and my stomach turned at how very opposite it is to the nature of The Lord! “Mutual hatred, hostility or ill-will”! The dictionary elaborates, and as I read the list of words describing enmity…and how it was (and is) judged …found in the house of God…. How it must have broken His heart! And how it must break His heart today. James 4:4 says “…Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” And Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” But in Hosea, God was speaking about ENMITY BETWEEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS (dare I add family members?) I began to search my heart…is there enmity in me towards anyone?
Our last day in Cyprus, we had many hours to wait between leaving the house and going to the airport, so it was the one time that we went to the mall to get the children things to play with during the wait. (Actually, we stayed at the house the entire time except to go food shopping and they all went to the beach one morning.) It was so peaceful to be out of touch with the war, the grief, the enmity. I forgot not to allow the menorah that I wear around my neck to show. E... had given me when he came back from his one and only trip to Israel. He gave me this necklace and said: “Ma, we are making Aliyah”. I wear it all the time…but I forgot. I was in the woman’s bathroom, washing my hands when a nice looking woman came in. She looked at me pleasantly, saw my necklace and GROWLED and bared her teeth. It was a shock.
We were returning. It was TIME to go home.
The tension was palatable and I thanked The Lord for the incredible gift that He gave me. It reminded me that, no matter what; HE IS IN CONTROL…our family, our land, our people, our future. My job is to be faithful to what He has called me to do…and to just keep walking.
May we finish the work, and glorify Him!
Thank you all again, with my whole heart! Loving blessings from a sister here.
August 3, 2025
“For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.” Hosea 3:4,5
Greetings, brothers and sisters in Messiah Yeshua, Jesus.
May The Lord be glorified and blessed and may you be encouraged toward Him for His glory...for the time is short.
It is very late, but I do feel pressed to write this letter as Tisha b’Av – the ninth day of the month of Av on the Hebrew calendar, began at sundown. I know that I have written about it for many years, but perhaps some of you don’t remember.
It is late Shabbat night and I am scheduled to leave for Cyprus with my family on Monday evening. It has not been an uneventful preparation time as my dear ‘roommate’ (the quotation marks are because I don’t like that term…she is friend, sister, gift) tested positive for covid. Yes, panic set in. This trip IS a huge deal and the enemy has been working overtime on many fronts to thwart it. Since my two room apartment is tiny and I have a compromised immune system, there was space for concern (AND prayer) and lots of lessons. Thankfully, she appears to be recovering well. We were very careful all week, but decided to eat together outside in the garden last night for Shabbat. We had just brought out the bread and grape juice when the sirens began. You know that you are Israeli when you hear the siren and the first thing you think of is ‘WHERE is it coming from?’ If the missile is Houthi Yemenite, we are not so concerned. Oh, it is still deadly and destructive, but our defense systems have been intercepting them well and the Houthi pattern of firing has become fairly predictable. If (on the other hand) it is from Iran, that is another story. But at this point, ofcourse, we do not know who fired it yet. We sighed. We have the system down pat: Close the shutters, pull down the shades, unplug the computer, turn off the stove, go to the bathroom, get the dog on the bed, shutter ourselves into the bedroom…and pray. After about 5 minutes we can see on the news that it was launched from Yemen, so we can relax a bit…but we NEVER take safety for granted! He IS our defense and shelter period. THANK YOU, LORD! Sometimes the booms from the interceptions and falling shrapnel are loud and disconcerting, and sometimes we don’t hear them. Last night we didn’t hear any, but waited for the all clear and proceeded to go outside and to bless the bread and juice…thanking Him for His Shabbat Peace and safety and eventually dinner. Such is life here.
But that is just the anecdotal part of the letter, because Tisha b’Av…the 9th of Av, startedat sundown and streams of people began to make their way to the Western Wall, or to synagogues for the day of grieving, fasting, praying and repentance…a day for crying out for mercy. The ONLY scripture read is the book of Lamentations, written by the prophet Jeremiah. Because reading scripture is considered a pleasure (and it is!), even the reading of other scriptures isn't indulged in by the very religious. Surely no one else has wept and grieved as did Jeremiah, who sacrificed EVERYTHING to cry out to people, priests, prophets and kings ‘WE ARE UNDER JUDGMENT AND DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION! REPENT!’ But you know the book and the story. We as humans find true repentance so hard. As we saw in Jeremiah, many felt sorry enough to change their ways for a TIME, but when it really pinched, they reverted to their old behavior. My heart is here because deep within I feel that we are, again, seeing God’s Hand stretched forth in divine judgment and I don’t know why it isn’t evident to all.
I could go on for hours sharing my heart on this, but I’m here to tell you about the 9th of Av. I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO GO TO GOOGLE AND DO A SEARCH. I have written exhaustively about it many times, but I can not do that tonight. On this day, BOTH the first Temple AND the second Temple were destroyed. That’s not all; attributed to this day are other events. Here’s one list:
“For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.” Hosea 3:4,5
Greetings, brothers and sisters in Messiah Yeshua, Jesus.
May The Lord be glorified and blessed and may you be encouraged toward Him for His glory...for the time is short.
It is very late, but I do feel pressed to write this letter as Tisha b’Av – the ninth day of the month of Av on the Hebrew calendar, began at sundown. I know that I have written about it for many years, but perhaps some of you don’t remember.
It is late Shabbat night and I am scheduled to leave for Cyprus with my family on Monday evening. It has not been an uneventful preparation time as my dear ‘roommate’ (the quotation marks are because I don’t like that term…she is friend, sister, gift) tested positive for covid. Yes, panic set in. This trip IS a huge deal and the enemy has been working overtime on many fronts to thwart it. Since my two room apartment is tiny and I have a compromised immune system, there was space for concern (AND prayer) and lots of lessons. Thankfully, she appears to be recovering well. We were very careful all week, but decided to eat together outside in the garden last night for Shabbat. We had just brought out the bread and grape juice when the sirens began. You know that you are Israeli when you hear the siren and the first thing you think of is ‘WHERE is it coming from?’ If the missile is Houthi Yemenite, we are not so concerned. Oh, it is still deadly and destructive, but our defense systems have been intercepting them well and the Houthi pattern of firing has become fairly predictable. If (on the other hand) it is from Iran, that is another story. But at this point, ofcourse, we do not know who fired it yet. We sighed. We have the system down pat: Close the shutters, pull down the shades, unplug the computer, turn off the stove, go to the bathroom, get the dog on the bed, shutter ourselves into the bedroom…and pray. After about 5 minutes we can see on the news that it was launched from Yemen, so we can relax a bit…but we NEVER take safety for granted! He IS our defense and shelter period. THANK YOU, LORD! Sometimes the booms from the interceptions and falling shrapnel are loud and disconcerting, and sometimes we don’t hear them. Last night we didn’t hear any, but waited for the all clear and proceeded to go outside and to bless the bread and juice…thanking Him for His Shabbat Peace and safety and eventually dinner. Such is life here.
But that is just the anecdotal part of the letter, because Tisha b’Av…the 9th of Av, startedat sundown and streams of people began to make their way to the Western Wall, or to synagogues for the day of grieving, fasting, praying and repentance…a day for crying out for mercy. The ONLY scripture read is the book of Lamentations, written by the prophet Jeremiah. Because reading scripture is considered a pleasure (and it is!), even the reading of other scriptures isn't indulged in by the very religious. Surely no one else has wept and grieved as did Jeremiah, who sacrificed EVERYTHING to cry out to people, priests, prophets and kings ‘WE ARE UNDER JUDGMENT AND DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION! REPENT!’ But you know the book and the story. We as humans find true repentance so hard. As we saw in Jeremiah, many felt sorry enough to change their ways for a TIME, but when it really pinched, they reverted to their old behavior. My heart is here because deep within I feel that we are, again, seeing God’s Hand stretched forth in divine judgment and I don’t know why it isn’t evident to all.
I could go on for hours sharing my heart on this, but I’m here to tell you about the 9th of Av. I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO GO TO GOOGLE AND DO A SEARCH. I have written exhaustively about it many times, but I can not do that tonight. On this day, BOTH the first Temple AND the second Temple were destroyed. That’s not all; attributed to this day are other events. Here’s one list:
This is a partial list. I encourage you to do some research. The word ‘coincidence’ doesn’t apply. Since we have been here, besides the 1994 bombing of Jews in Argentina, we have witnessed bus bombings on this day and even the expulsion of the Jews from Gaza by Ariel Sharon’s government in 2005…yes…on the 9th of Av.
When we came, it was really only the more religious who fasted and prayed, but I have witnessed that, as things got darker, more and more people are seeking God and participating. Many people gather at the Western Wall, weeping and crying out, lying on the ground, some even in sackcloth and ashes. When we lived in Jerusalem, I remember hearing people weeping and praying through the night.
Traditionally, the rabbis say that these things came upon us because of hatred among brethren…but this is not what is written in Jeremiah…or any of the prophets…OR the book of Deuteronomy for that matter. In Deuteronomy, the causes for the curse, or judgment of God are spelled out…and the list is LONG. What of rebellion? What of idol worship (be it objects, ideas, people)? What of addictions? What of greed, lust, leaving our first Love (spiritual adultery) we all know the list. I tremble in my shoes had I not met Yeshua Who leads to repentance and Whose Precious Blood (HALLELUYAH!) prevails to cleanse us from ALL (repented of) sin…but my people do not yet know Him! Nor can we dare forget that judgment BEGINS at the household of GOD.
And now…it is darker yet! We are surrounded by a degree of hatred that very possibly exceeds the hatred of Hitler’s times. And the HOPELESSNESS and PAIN of our captives, their families, the soldiers and families…the widows and orphans!
As I read the scripture above this morning, as part of my devotions, I thought about the hope that we have in Him, and so as the tribes of Israel gather and are reading Lamentations, even in the midst of the of the agonizing cries of Jeremiah, there are these great verses of Hope:
Lamentations 3:21-26 “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.”
…for He IS The God of Hope!
I MUST sleep now. Perhaps this will help to join with Israel in prayer as the time of seeking The God of repentance and forgiveness is here, and many are open. Perhaps in the midst, He will hear and relent and we might yet see mercy instead of wrath. And praying…may we PRAY.
God BLESS you as you seek Him. Thank you for remembering my little family as we travel…for HIS glory!
When we came, it was really only the more religious who fasted and prayed, but I have witnessed that, as things got darker, more and more people are seeking God and participating. Many people gather at the Western Wall, weeping and crying out, lying on the ground, some even in sackcloth and ashes. When we lived in Jerusalem, I remember hearing people weeping and praying through the night.
Traditionally, the rabbis say that these things came upon us because of hatred among brethren…but this is not what is written in Jeremiah…or any of the prophets…OR the book of Deuteronomy for that matter. In Deuteronomy, the causes for the curse, or judgment of God are spelled out…and the list is LONG. What of rebellion? What of idol worship (be it objects, ideas, people)? What of addictions? What of greed, lust, leaving our first Love (spiritual adultery) we all know the list. I tremble in my shoes had I not met Yeshua Who leads to repentance and Whose Precious Blood (HALLELUYAH!) prevails to cleanse us from ALL (repented of) sin…but my people do not yet know Him! Nor can we dare forget that judgment BEGINS at the household of GOD.
And now…it is darker yet! We are surrounded by a degree of hatred that very possibly exceeds the hatred of Hitler’s times. And the HOPELESSNESS and PAIN of our captives, their families, the soldiers and families…the widows and orphans!
As I read the scripture above this morning, as part of my devotions, I thought about the hope that we have in Him, and so as the tribes of Israel gather and are reading Lamentations, even in the midst of the of the agonizing cries of Jeremiah, there are these great verses of Hope:
Lamentations 3:21-26 “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.”
…for He IS The God of Hope!
I MUST sleep now. Perhaps this will help to join with Israel in prayer as the time of seeking The God of repentance and forgiveness is here, and many are open. Perhaps in the midst, He will hear and relent and we might yet see mercy instead of wrath. And praying…may we PRAY.
God BLESS you as you seek Him. Thank you for remembering my little family as we travel…for HIS glory!
July 23, 2025
“And He said, ‘I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.’” Genesis 18:10
“And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.”
Genesis 21:1-2
” Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.” …”So Abraham rose early in the morning” … “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” … Genesis 22:1,8,12
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Shalom. May we be found settled in His Peace as we live in such a time as this, and may we be found looking up and glorifying Him Alone. Only He is worthy!
The prayer request that I sent out concerning the Syrian Christians, was a sobering reminder of the reality of the times that we live in, and the state of the Middle East. Syria is our North Eastern border. I also found it a bit alarming how many people wrote back and said that they had not heard of it…nor even the Nigerian slaughter of our brothers and sisters, going on for many years already…and the list of other countries not mentioned in the news media, is long! It is comforting to know that their blood, so precious, cries out from the ground unto heaven. I thought of Revelation 6:9-11 and 7:14-17, and as I re-read these verses, I have to ask myself if I am REALLY ‘ready’, both to live FOR Him and to die FOR Him?
Well, yes, that IS what I often am thinking about, praying about, as I walk through the streets. You know the verse (Luke 18:8) where Yeshua asks ‘…but when The Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?’
Living through a ‘real war’ does something to you. I can’t yet write to you about it in retrospect, because we are still very much ‘in it’, but, like every other experience in our lives, how we respond to it is very important. In 2 Corin. 13:5, Paul exhorts us to ‘examine ourselves to see if we are [indeed] in the faith.’ You know that I read through the Bible, as I have for 50 years, straight through both testaments and as part of my daily reading I have, again begun Genesis. I was deeply challenged this week by the progression of Abraham’s call; he had to believe Gen. 18:10 (verses above)…he saw the fulfillment in 21:1…but THE TEST in chapter 22 is ALWAYS a shock to me…a mirror. This was MY GOD..THE ONE TRUE GOD…THE LIVING CREATOR telling Abraham to take his beloved so…the son of the promise fulfilled…and burn him on the altar. I have to catch my breath…I can barely grasp that as I try to apply it to my own life. It says that Abraham arose early in the morning to obey IMMEDIATELY. “Here I am…” is his only answer to God. He is called the father of faith, and then we see our Heavenly Father, taking His Only Begotten [BELOVED] Son and tuning His Face away as He is…. Is…torn to pieces, mocked, shredded and crucified…and THIS IS OUR GOD!
Oh my! I am NOT saying that this is the description of Who our God IS, for we KNOW that He is LOVE and He is TRUTH and He is JUST, and He is Holy…and it is that great Love that prepares us for whatever walk He has ahead for each of us. But this, too, a part of Him that we don’t have the liberty to close our eyes to.
And so, I find myself thinking a lot about faith and sacrifice these days.
On the night that we were first bombed by Iran (13 April, 24), we had been warned to prepare and as I was waiting, (alone) I got frightened. I called our older daughter and she said to me ‘Mama…you have been waiting for this all of your life’. At first I was taken aback, but then I though that in a way she was right. Before I was a believer, I had been plagued with extremely vivid dreams about war, and after I was saved, I believe that The Lord spoke to me about Iran beginning in 1988…but was I PREPARED? That’s a valid question. I felt that it has become an important question for me to lift before Him and to ask Him to prepare me for whatever lies ahead. I do not, at all, NEED to KNOW what lies ahead, but I know that my heart NEEDS to be ready, and I am so thankful that that is HIS work…my job is to ask, and prepare my ‘Here I am’.
We are in the midst of the long hot summer after a winter drought. We only get rain in the winter and this year we were given 1/3 of the expected rainfall. Nonetheless, the trees and vines continue to produce their abundant and delicious fruit, even where the farms have been ravaged by the war. We would be lying if we did not say, that, even in the midst of all of this, God IS VERY GOOD to us! And amazingly, that IS what many people say…outloud and to one another and more and more truly are seeking Him. How wonderfully faithful HE is, even when we are not.
Our political situation is ALSO a miracle…because in spite of horrendous journalistic perversion, (that seems to me what it is), somehow, beyond all reason, we continue to function as a country. A much hated and maligned one, but ALIVE, none the less! I can not begin to attempt to explain our political situation. At BEST of times, it is a difficult one to explain but now? OH! I have a good illustration!
Yesterday, an Israeli cruise ship sought to land on a Greek Island. Now, you might think, ‘What kind of hard hearted people would go on a cruise during WAR TIME? Well…I’ll tell you! Exhausted people. People with families that need some quiet and rest, some of them who haven’t lived in their own homes for 2 years. People who work hard and feel that, to survive, they must clear their heads and take some pressure off. The ship, mostly full of families and young people, arrived to dock and were met by violent anti-Israel demonstrators, who refused to allow them to disembark. The Israelis chose to sing and hold up flags. Eventually they moved on, hoping to dock in Cyprus. I don’t know what happened there. Several young soldiers have arrested as they traveled to Belgium and more in other countries around the world.
My own family is planning a much anticipated quiet time together in Cyprus 4-12 August. S.... family rented a house there for the week and E....’s family and I will travel there…LORD WILLING. It has been too long since the families were together and we are so very much looking forward to this. I long to be with our daughters and their husbands, and all of our Grandchildren. It is a big step of faith for me as I haven’t been on a plane since 2019 and I didn’t do well physically that time, but this time I will be with E.... and family. Please pray for His Presence and blessing? It would mean a lot to me.
Israel has a loyal and strong Druze population that I have written about many times over the years. Just like the Aleuts (E... was Aleut) who had family members straddling Siberia and Alaska, so the Druze have family in South Western Syria just across the border. Just as the Christian community has been experiencing slaughter, so have the Druzim. Israel has intervened to the wrath of the world (media?). Many of our Druzim citizens have been fighting valiantly since the 7 October slaughter, and it seemed our moral responsibility to stand with their families in their time of need. The world doesn’t see it that way. It would all be so confusing if we didn’t already know that the onslaught against what is morally right has fallen in the streets …along with Truth.
Well, this letter is SUPPOSED to be ‘what I SEE and HEAR, that write’…so I hope that I haven’t overstepped my bounds. I was pretty sick for about 6 weeks and much of what I see and hear has been restricted to a smaller area than normal. Thank you for traveling this path with me. It IS a path…HIS path…and we ARE just passing through, though the battles rage, I am so very thankful that He gave us His Word and His Spirit! He did NOT leave us comfortless.
May you be comforted and blessed in Him and may we, together, do ALL and think ALL for His glory.
Lovingly, your sister here.
(I am attaching a very interesting old video)
1937 video Kibbutz Degania
“And He said, ‘I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.’” Genesis 18:10
“And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.”
Genesis 21:1-2
” Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.” …”So Abraham rose early in the morning” … “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” … Genesis 22:1,8,12
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Shalom. May we be found settled in His Peace as we live in such a time as this, and may we be found looking up and glorifying Him Alone. Only He is worthy!
The prayer request that I sent out concerning the Syrian Christians, was a sobering reminder of the reality of the times that we live in, and the state of the Middle East. Syria is our North Eastern border. I also found it a bit alarming how many people wrote back and said that they had not heard of it…nor even the Nigerian slaughter of our brothers and sisters, going on for many years already…and the list of other countries not mentioned in the news media, is long! It is comforting to know that their blood, so precious, cries out from the ground unto heaven. I thought of Revelation 6:9-11 and 7:14-17, and as I re-read these verses, I have to ask myself if I am REALLY ‘ready’, both to live FOR Him and to die FOR Him?
Well, yes, that IS what I often am thinking about, praying about, as I walk through the streets. You know the verse (Luke 18:8) where Yeshua asks ‘…but when The Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?’
Living through a ‘real war’ does something to you. I can’t yet write to you about it in retrospect, because we are still very much ‘in it’, but, like every other experience in our lives, how we respond to it is very important. In 2 Corin. 13:5, Paul exhorts us to ‘examine ourselves to see if we are [indeed] in the faith.’ You know that I read through the Bible, as I have for 50 years, straight through both testaments and as part of my daily reading I have, again begun Genesis. I was deeply challenged this week by the progression of Abraham’s call; he had to believe Gen. 18:10 (verses above)…he saw the fulfillment in 21:1…but THE TEST in chapter 22 is ALWAYS a shock to me…a mirror. This was MY GOD..THE ONE TRUE GOD…THE LIVING CREATOR telling Abraham to take his beloved so…the son of the promise fulfilled…and burn him on the altar. I have to catch my breath…I can barely grasp that as I try to apply it to my own life. It says that Abraham arose early in the morning to obey IMMEDIATELY. “Here I am…” is his only answer to God. He is called the father of faith, and then we see our Heavenly Father, taking His Only Begotten [BELOVED] Son and tuning His Face away as He is…. Is…torn to pieces, mocked, shredded and crucified…and THIS IS OUR GOD!
Oh my! I am NOT saying that this is the description of Who our God IS, for we KNOW that He is LOVE and He is TRUTH and He is JUST, and He is Holy…and it is that great Love that prepares us for whatever walk He has ahead for each of us. But this, too, a part of Him that we don’t have the liberty to close our eyes to.
And so, I find myself thinking a lot about faith and sacrifice these days.
On the night that we were first bombed by Iran (13 April, 24), we had been warned to prepare and as I was waiting, (alone) I got frightened. I called our older daughter and she said to me ‘Mama…you have been waiting for this all of your life’. At first I was taken aback, but then I though that in a way she was right. Before I was a believer, I had been plagued with extremely vivid dreams about war, and after I was saved, I believe that The Lord spoke to me about Iran beginning in 1988…but was I PREPARED? That’s a valid question. I felt that it has become an important question for me to lift before Him and to ask Him to prepare me for whatever lies ahead. I do not, at all, NEED to KNOW what lies ahead, but I know that my heart NEEDS to be ready, and I am so thankful that that is HIS work…my job is to ask, and prepare my ‘Here I am’.
We are in the midst of the long hot summer after a winter drought. We only get rain in the winter and this year we were given 1/3 of the expected rainfall. Nonetheless, the trees and vines continue to produce their abundant and delicious fruit, even where the farms have been ravaged by the war. We would be lying if we did not say, that, even in the midst of all of this, God IS VERY GOOD to us! And amazingly, that IS what many people say…outloud and to one another and more and more truly are seeking Him. How wonderfully faithful HE is, even when we are not.
Our political situation is ALSO a miracle…because in spite of horrendous journalistic perversion, (that seems to me what it is), somehow, beyond all reason, we continue to function as a country. A much hated and maligned one, but ALIVE, none the less! I can not begin to attempt to explain our political situation. At BEST of times, it is a difficult one to explain but now? OH! I have a good illustration!
Yesterday, an Israeli cruise ship sought to land on a Greek Island. Now, you might think, ‘What kind of hard hearted people would go on a cruise during WAR TIME? Well…I’ll tell you! Exhausted people. People with families that need some quiet and rest, some of them who haven’t lived in their own homes for 2 years. People who work hard and feel that, to survive, they must clear their heads and take some pressure off. The ship, mostly full of families and young people, arrived to dock and were met by violent anti-Israel demonstrators, who refused to allow them to disembark. The Israelis chose to sing and hold up flags. Eventually they moved on, hoping to dock in Cyprus. I don’t know what happened there. Several young soldiers have arrested as they traveled to Belgium and more in other countries around the world.
My own family is planning a much anticipated quiet time together in Cyprus 4-12 August. S.... family rented a house there for the week and E....’s family and I will travel there…LORD WILLING. It has been too long since the families were together and we are so very much looking forward to this. I long to be with our daughters and their husbands, and all of our Grandchildren. It is a big step of faith for me as I haven’t been on a plane since 2019 and I didn’t do well physically that time, but this time I will be with E.... and family. Please pray for His Presence and blessing? It would mean a lot to me.
Israel has a loyal and strong Druze population that I have written about many times over the years. Just like the Aleuts (E... was Aleut) who had family members straddling Siberia and Alaska, so the Druze have family in South Western Syria just across the border. Just as the Christian community has been experiencing slaughter, so have the Druzim. Israel has intervened to the wrath of the world (media?). Many of our Druzim citizens have been fighting valiantly since the 7 October slaughter, and it seemed our moral responsibility to stand with their families in their time of need. The world doesn’t see it that way. It would all be so confusing if we didn’t already know that the onslaught against what is morally right has fallen in the streets …along with Truth.
Well, this letter is SUPPOSED to be ‘what I SEE and HEAR, that write’…so I hope that I haven’t overstepped my bounds. I was pretty sick for about 6 weeks and much of what I see and hear has been restricted to a smaller area than normal. Thank you for traveling this path with me. It IS a path…HIS path…and we ARE just passing through, though the battles rage, I am so very thankful that He gave us His Word and His Spirit! He did NOT leave us comfortless.
May you be comforted and blessed in Him and may we, together, do ALL and think ALL for His glory.
Lovingly, your sister here.
(I am attaching a very interesting old video)
1937 video Kibbutz Degania
July 6, 2025
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them. Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,” …1-3… ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations;”6-7…” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations…”8…” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,” therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan shall fall by the sword. I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,” says the Lord God….”12-14…” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,” therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will...”.” 15-
EZEKIEL 25:
Greetings with love and hope, because of our Lord Yeshua The Messiah, Jesus Christ, THE Hope…such Truth, such Promise, such Light, such Peace that is no where but in Him. How thankful for such a Love that is deeper than the darkness and overcomes hatred. May He be seen and blessed and glorified and may you be encouraged in Him.
I think that it is safe to say that, generally, we here are all still rather disoriented.
Twelve intense days during which our existence was not a ‘given’, suddenly ‘over’ and ‘get on with it’…hum. There is a distinct feeling that we are waiting for the other foot to drop. Many things flow through both the media and the social media, but we feel in our hearts a ‘waiting silence’. There is such peace in KNOWING that HE KNOWS! It is real. I can testify to it.
Suddenly, the morning of 4 July, my mind ran back into memories. (although ofcourse I share the grief and horror of the shocking deadly floods in Texas…I am not ignorant of such pain…and I am so sorry!)
But my memory ran back to several points all at once; one was Naknek Alaska where we lived for many years. On 4 July, the salmon run would begin to peak and there was no more rest! Bristol Bay Alaska is the salmon capital of the world and we ALL worked in salmon, whether commercially or for subsistence, or both. Every hand, no matter how small, was part of the salmon harvest, and as people began to mention 4 July, the memories of the intensity of participating in one of God’s great wonders came pouring in on me. Our oldest daughter was born in 1976…and that 4 July marked the wonder of America being 200 years old. That number sounds so young to me now! The memory of another 4 July came flooding in at the same time…the ‘disorientation’ of our situation here seems to juggle memories, events, emotions flood my mind. It was on the evening of the 4 July 1994 that we left Alaska to make Aliyah. We took 9 days to say goodbye to family in Seattle, Ohio, New York and New Jersey before finally arriving here on Friday the 13th of July, 1994. We are all somewhere along this path…the journey that we see partially and yet the fact that we are journeying THROUGH to a kingdom not made by hands, becomes clearer and clearer. All around us a battle rages between kingdoms and our choices come minute by minute.
As I write, our Prime Minister is on his way to America. None of us know anything, although rumors and speculation run rampant across the media. One thing that I have learned through all of this is that Israeli leaders DO remember how to keep their mouths shut at times, and frankly, I’m thankful for that. So, we can speculate, but we do not know what is happening.
I don’t talk about politics as a rule. I don’t THINK about politics as a personal rule. I do pray for leaders as another rule. The day before the 12 day Iranian war began, a sister told me that they had been reading Prime Minister Netanyahu’s AUTObiography and offered to loan it to me. They said that it was worth getting through the more than 600 pages. As I began to read it, I got the chills for I saw WHY he is our Prime Minister now! I am about 1/3 of the way through the book and I am so thankful to be reading this at this time. I have always preferred to listen TO (or read) a full speech rather than hear a commentary. When I was in university (in ancient times!) I fell in love with research and spent days and weeks in the oldest NYC libraries, delving into original sources and it fed my hunger to know truth. And so… I would rather read The Bible than listen to an interpretation. I am often surprised by the discrepancy between what is said and the way it is interpreted and so, going to the source has been a way of life for me, and this experience of reading Prime Minister Netanyahu’s story in his own words has been an eye opener. Should you be interested, the book is called ‘BiBi’ and it’s his AUTObiography…there are many ‘biographies’ that I do NOT recommend.
So as I said, people whom I speak to are feeling disoriented. One young family from our congregation, who lives in Tel Aviv, had their apartment destroyed by a direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile. Thankfully they were not home. It will be a year before the apartment can be lived in again and they are being put up in a room (or two?) in a rather ratty hotel with their 3 young children. They are not complaining and are thankful that they were not hurt and that their children were spared the trauma of needing to escape, but they both work in Tel Aviv and she explained that 250 neighbors with families who lost their apartments are also looking for an apartment in the same area. The Lord has given them peace and a thankful heart. It is so encouraging to see!
In my last letter, I told you about the suddenly open door to share with Y.. and thank you so much, those of you who pray! There has been no more said, although for the first time I was able to tell her ‘where I go’ on Shabbat… that I go to my Kehila, to which she answered ‘Oh’. As we speak daily about all that is going on around us, she said to me again; ‘Messiah has to come. You know that He is already here…’ I said ‘Yes, He IS…I know.’ But there were no open doors to say anything like ‘Right here in my heart!’ Now that I have seen God’s Hand toward her, my flesh wants to be impatient, but I dare not be. “Be still and know that I Am God” He reminds me; His work for His glory.
In the Kenyon (the mall) the shops are busy and the coffee shops are full, but as I listen to the conversations around me, there is much tension. So many soldiers are still in Gaza or Lebanon and there have been so many injured and killed…families seeking to survive the constant stress…and then there are the captives, and their suffering families and the division in the country. Yes, there is a palpable tension.
Our schools began summer vacation on the 1st of July and I am amazed how many people jumped on the first plane, knowing that the air space again, could close at any time. However, many others are taking the opportunity to volunteer and help clearing damaged areas and buildings, and even help with reconstruction or running volunteer programs for smaller children. It is encouraging to see.
Once again, I must apologize for a scattered and not very informative letter. I thank you with my whole heart for your prayers for our nation and your own…for your prayers for the salvation of our people, which is a great key…may we see these hearts unlocked! For it WILL play a role in the salvation of ALL people. GOD is doing a work in our days…may our eyes and the eyes of our hearts be open to discern the times!
God bless and comfort you with more of Himself…more of Himself…Just as HE IS.
Loving blessings, a tired sister near Jerusalem.
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them. Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,” …1-3… ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations;”6-7…” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations…”8…” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,” therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan shall fall by the sword. I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,” says the Lord God….”12-14…” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,” therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will...”.” 15-
EZEKIEL 25:
Greetings with love and hope, because of our Lord Yeshua The Messiah, Jesus Christ, THE Hope…such Truth, such Promise, such Light, such Peace that is no where but in Him. How thankful for such a Love that is deeper than the darkness and overcomes hatred. May He be seen and blessed and glorified and may you be encouraged in Him.
I think that it is safe to say that, generally, we here are all still rather disoriented.
Twelve intense days during which our existence was not a ‘given’, suddenly ‘over’ and ‘get on with it’…hum. There is a distinct feeling that we are waiting for the other foot to drop. Many things flow through both the media and the social media, but we feel in our hearts a ‘waiting silence’. There is such peace in KNOWING that HE KNOWS! It is real. I can testify to it.
Suddenly, the morning of 4 July, my mind ran back into memories. (although ofcourse I share the grief and horror of the shocking deadly floods in Texas…I am not ignorant of such pain…and I am so sorry!)
But my memory ran back to several points all at once; one was Naknek Alaska where we lived for many years. On 4 July, the salmon run would begin to peak and there was no more rest! Bristol Bay Alaska is the salmon capital of the world and we ALL worked in salmon, whether commercially or for subsistence, or both. Every hand, no matter how small, was part of the salmon harvest, and as people began to mention 4 July, the memories of the intensity of participating in one of God’s great wonders came pouring in on me. Our oldest daughter was born in 1976…and that 4 July marked the wonder of America being 200 years old. That number sounds so young to me now! The memory of another 4 July came flooding in at the same time…the ‘disorientation’ of our situation here seems to juggle memories, events, emotions flood my mind. It was on the evening of the 4 July 1994 that we left Alaska to make Aliyah. We took 9 days to say goodbye to family in Seattle, Ohio, New York and New Jersey before finally arriving here on Friday the 13th of July, 1994. We are all somewhere along this path…the journey that we see partially and yet the fact that we are journeying THROUGH to a kingdom not made by hands, becomes clearer and clearer. All around us a battle rages between kingdoms and our choices come minute by minute.
As I write, our Prime Minister is on his way to America. None of us know anything, although rumors and speculation run rampant across the media. One thing that I have learned through all of this is that Israeli leaders DO remember how to keep their mouths shut at times, and frankly, I’m thankful for that. So, we can speculate, but we do not know what is happening.
I don’t talk about politics as a rule. I don’t THINK about politics as a personal rule. I do pray for leaders as another rule. The day before the 12 day Iranian war began, a sister told me that they had been reading Prime Minister Netanyahu’s AUTObiography and offered to loan it to me. They said that it was worth getting through the more than 600 pages. As I began to read it, I got the chills for I saw WHY he is our Prime Minister now! I am about 1/3 of the way through the book and I am so thankful to be reading this at this time. I have always preferred to listen TO (or read) a full speech rather than hear a commentary. When I was in university (in ancient times!) I fell in love with research and spent days and weeks in the oldest NYC libraries, delving into original sources and it fed my hunger to know truth. And so… I would rather read The Bible than listen to an interpretation. I am often surprised by the discrepancy between what is said and the way it is interpreted and so, going to the source has been a way of life for me, and this experience of reading Prime Minister Netanyahu’s story in his own words has been an eye opener. Should you be interested, the book is called ‘BiBi’ and it’s his AUTObiography…there are many ‘biographies’ that I do NOT recommend.
So as I said, people whom I speak to are feeling disoriented. One young family from our congregation, who lives in Tel Aviv, had their apartment destroyed by a direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile. Thankfully they were not home. It will be a year before the apartment can be lived in again and they are being put up in a room (or two?) in a rather ratty hotel with their 3 young children. They are not complaining and are thankful that they were not hurt and that their children were spared the trauma of needing to escape, but they both work in Tel Aviv and she explained that 250 neighbors with families who lost their apartments are also looking for an apartment in the same area. The Lord has given them peace and a thankful heart. It is so encouraging to see!
In my last letter, I told you about the suddenly open door to share with Y.. and thank you so much, those of you who pray! There has been no more said, although for the first time I was able to tell her ‘where I go’ on Shabbat… that I go to my Kehila, to which she answered ‘Oh’. As we speak daily about all that is going on around us, she said to me again; ‘Messiah has to come. You know that He is already here…’ I said ‘Yes, He IS…I know.’ But there were no open doors to say anything like ‘Right here in my heart!’ Now that I have seen God’s Hand toward her, my flesh wants to be impatient, but I dare not be. “Be still and know that I Am God” He reminds me; His work for His glory.
In the Kenyon (the mall) the shops are busy and the coffee shops are full, but as I listen to the conversations around me, there is much tension. So many soldiers are still in Gaza or Lebanon and there have been so many injured and killed…families seeking to survive the constant stress…and then there are the captives, and their suffering families and the division in the country. Yes, there is a palpable tension.
Our schools began summer vacation on the 1st of July and I am amazed how many people jumped on the first plane, knowing that the air space again, could close at any time. However, many others are taking the opportunity to volunteer and help clearing damaged areas and buildings, and even help with reconstruction or running volunteer programs for smaller children. It is encouraging to see.
Once again, I must apologize for a scattered and not very informative letter. I thank you with my whole heart for your prayers for our nation and your own…for your prayers for the salvation of our people, which is a great key…may we see these hearts unlocked! For it WILL play a role in the salvation of ALL people. GOD is doing a work in our days…may our eyes and the eyes of our hearts be open to discern the times!
God bless and comfort you with more of Himself…more of Himself…Just as HE IS.
Loving blessings, a tired sister near Jerusalem.
June 22, 2025
“Let the nations be wakened, and come up …For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow--
For their wickedness is great.”…. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision…. The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel. “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain.
Then Jerusalem shall be holy,…” JOEL 3:12 – 17… PIECES TAKEN OUT OF FULL CONTEXT
Greetings, sisters and brothers in Yeshua,
May our eyes be fixed on Him Alone Who IS our life, truth, redeemer and peace. May He be seen in these words (anything that makes sense WON’T be from me! This may be somewhat incoherent). May His grace lead them and interpret them. May HE ALONE be glorified.
I couldn’t sleep at all last night and there was no reason for that. I was very tired. There had been no sirens yet, and I seemed to be anticipating them; I was tense…hyper tense. I tried to pray but it is hard to keep my focus when I’m lying down, so finally I went to my chair at about 1am to read. I was going to take my phone but I saw that it wasn’t fully charged, so left it charging and was without distraction. Still, at 3am there was no sleep, so I went and opened my phone and as I looked, they were JUST posting that US planes had all returned safely after their successful, surprise strike on Iranian nuclear facilities; I took a deep breath and directed my heart to The Lord. (3am our time is the time that the strike was announced as the US planes left the area safely) The news items duplicated below are from ‘Israel Real Time’.
The times have been challenging and I have not been able to write. It takes all of the energy that I use for writing just to function. My health has also been doing strange things for the past 5-6 weeks (thank you for any prayers that you might be led to pray).
Last week, when the war expanded, I tried to send out the link to ‘Israel Real Time’, which I rely on above all other sources for reliable and up to date news. The information was blocked on many of your email accounts and I received a large number of rejected emails. I realize that there are servers that don’t like this information, so if you didn’t avail yourselves of it before, please write to me individually and I will try to help. In my opinion, it is the best Israeli news source.
Right now, the unity in the nation, which has been so divided, is beautiful to behold. It is unique and even the political opposition is either firmly supporting the government or atleast being quiet. For this I praise God. We have prayed and asked for Him to choose and lead the government and we continue to look to Him Alone for leadership and pray for our leaders.
I want to share a word of encouragement. I have tired to explain to you about my neighbor Y''…the wonderful lady who brings food to me daily. She is such a gift…but being such a deeply traditional Orthodox Jew, to share with her that I was a believer, I knew would be a great challenge. She doesn’t speak any English, but has seen my Hebrew English Bible and still not ‘gathered’ that I was a believer. It is a concept alien and completely wrong to her. We have prayed for her heart to be prepared and that I would have His open door only at the right time. I actually was not expecting one.
Yesterday, Shabbat, before this latest news, she came over bearing her usual feast for us. She and I sat outside on the swing, under the large Israeli flag which is draped over it, and she shared the deep things of her heart. She has had a very hard life and she has a strong root of bitterness. In Middle Eastern culture, girls are counted as nothing. She was the only daughter with 4 brothers and she was badly treated. She married Ido when she was 20 and had never even looked at a boy more or less held a boy’s hand. He, too, is a strong Middle Eastern man who counted his wife as a slave. She bore them 9 children and cooks feasts daily. She has worked very hard and cared for many other children besides their own, and for the sick and elderly. She is considered a wise woman among the community and she reminds me very much of the woman described in Proverbs 31. She is only a bit younger than I, and now that Ido’s health is broken, he is much kinder, needing her care, but this root of bitterness runs deep and is eating at her.
As we talked, (we spoke for about an hour, outside on the swing) she said that it would be wonderful when Ido goes and she can be alone and do what she wants. I told her, that it is true that can sit and read my Tenach (Bible) for 5 hours a day without interruption, but that I was able to forgive my husband, and I miss him. The Lord anointed my speech and I found that I was able to tell her about some hard times and how The Lord had put His Hand over my heart. She said that she loved how I knew the Tenach…and suddenly she added; ‘But you DON’T read the Brit h’Hadasha – New Testament – ofcourse.’ I looked at her, and said ‘Yes, I do. I read it ALL, from beginning to end’. In shock she said ‘No! You must NOT read that! It is NOT for us. You are Jewish, aren’t you?’ I told her ‘Ofcourse I am…every relative since the beginning, but I KNOW that He IS our Jewish Messiah!’ Our discussion continued and I felt His Peace as I explained to her as much as I could of what He had done in my heart, and she heard, although kept informing me that this is ‘forbidden’. It was the Peace that made me understand that He had anointed me for this moment, because in the natural, I was TERRIFIED of this moment. When she called Him yeshu, I corrected her and said ‘His Name is Yeshua’. She said ‘I won’t tell Ido’ (and yes, I was relieved) …so now we have a ‘secret’…and I covet your prayers for the seed that was planted to take root and grow in GOOD SOIL and that The Lord will guard it, and her from the enemy…and that it will produce fruit 100 fold for His glory! (She did NOT come by to see me today…)
AND…may His salvation be finally known throughout our people.
As far as what is happening here…I really don’t know what kind of news, and how much, you are all getting from here. I do know that some of you receive loads and others don’t, so I know that what I share IS redundant for some of you. As I write, heavily loaded planes again, are flying overhead while I also hear booms from Gaza. (Our soldiers retrieved 3 hostage bodies today!) The booms from Gaza are not nearly so loud as the huge missiles being dropped on us daily, shaking the earth and our nerves. There was quite a barrage this morning at 7:30ish that was very destructive to property in 3 or 4 big cities (we are told to keep locations OFF of the internet as the enemy uses coordinates that they find on social media through pictures and names of places.) but THANKFULLY, no loss of life! Over the past 9 days, 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile strikes and 1,290 injured. 10.630 evacuated from homes and 32.700 claims made to the tax department already for property damage. May the stress of the time press us more deeply into Him…and those who don’t yet know Him…may they find Him!
From another, anecdotal perspective, I thought about how we deal with this stress and had to laugh. Janet and I were listening to the news this evening (there is a 1 hour English local Israeli news update nightly) when we got a ‘pre-alert’ on our home front command app that suicide drones had been launched towards us. I turned up the radio sound so that I could keep hearing the news while I ran outside and closed the shutters from the, then came back in and sat down again to listen to the rest of the news. We have our system down pat already and can do it in our sleep. We continued to make plans for tomorrow: I have a ride to the food store and Janet is still forced to work from home. Currently only necessary businesses are open (medical, food) and public transportation is limited to 35%, only operating are those going to such necessary places.
[I neglected to mention that the verses above from Joel and NOT intended to be prophetic from me…I AM NOT A PROPHET. As part of my daily reading, for many years, I have a habit of meditating in a short portion of scripture…in order…and I have been meditating through the book of Joel and these were my verses this morning. I purposely did not include the signs that the prophet Joel included…as it stands it stirred my heart. Perhaps it would bless you too.]
I have now become so tired that I am NOT making sense, and so I will close. We are award of all of the prayer going up on our behalf from those who love Him and we are deeply grateful and pray for you as well. Our Iranian brothers and sisters are also praying for us, as we are for them.
And now…to sleep…until the next alert. Loving blessings!
(From today’s news:)
Updated: June 22, 2025 | 1:50 PM IST
In a national address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel and the United States carried out a highly coordinated strike operation—Operation Am Kalavi ("Rising Lion")—against three of Iran’s key nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Netanyahu declared: “From the beginning of this operation, I promised that Iran’s nuclear facilities would be destroyed—one way or another. That promise was kept.” He described how U.S. B-2 stealth bombers struck Fordow, while American submarines launched Tomahawk missiles at Natanz and Isfahan. Netanyahu emphasized that the missions were executed in full operational coordination between the IDF, the Mossad, and U.S. military forces.
Netanyahu praised President Trump, stating: “President Trump is a great friend of Israel, a friend like no other… I thank him from the bottom of my heart, and I know that I speak from the heart of every Israeli.” He concluded his address with a message of unity and resolve: “We stand together. We fight together. And with God’s help—we win together.” Quoting the Torah, he added: “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
June 22, 2025 | 3:30 PM IST
In a preemptive strike, the Israeli Air Force successfully targeted and destroyed Iranian missile launchers that were moments away from being used. The operation eliminated the Iranian forces operating these launchers. The footage of this strike, captured before this morning’s barrage, confirms Israel’s continued precision in neutralizing immediate threats.
Simultaneously, Israel launched another wave of airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure in Northern and Western Iran. These coordinated attacks are part of the broader Israeli military campaign against Iranian aggression.
Iran has significantly escalated electronic warfare in the Strait of Hormuz, jamming GPS signals and disrupting the navigation of approximately 970 commercial vessels, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also confirmed severe AIS (Automatic Identification System) interference, which is rendering navigation in the Persian Gulf unreliable. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has further raised tensions by threatening to shut down the Strait entirely within hours, a move that would have global economic consequences.
“Let the nations be wakened, and come up …For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow--
For their wickedness is great.”…. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision…. The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel. “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain.
Then Jerusalem shall be holy,…” JOEL 3:12 – 17… PIECES TAKEN OUT OF FULL CONTEXT
Greetings, sisters and brothers in Yeshua,
May our eyes be fixed on Him Alone Who IS our life, truth, redeemer and peace. May He be seen in these words (anything that makes sense WON’T be from me! This may be somewhat incoherent). May His grace lead them and interpret them. May HE ALONE be glorified.
I couldn’t sleep at all last night and there was no reason for that. I was very tired. There had been no sirens yet, and I seemed to be anticipating them; I was tense…hyper tense. I tried to pray but it is hard to keep my focus when I’m lying down, so finally I went to my chair at about 1am to read. I was going to take my phone but I saw that it wasn’t fully charged, so left it charging and was without distraction. Still, at 3am there was no sleep, so I went and opened my phone and as I looked, they were JUST posting that US planes had all returned safely after their successful, surprise strike on Iranian nuclear facilities; I took a deep breath and directed my heart to The Lord. (3am our time is the time that the strike was announced as the US planes left the area safely) The news items duplicated below are from ‘Israel Real Time’.
The times have been challenging and I have not been able to write. It takes all of the energy that I use for writing just to function. My health has also been doing strange things for the past 5-6 weeks (thank you for any prayers that you might be led to pray).
Last week, when the war expanded, I tried to send out the link to ‘Israel Real Time’, which I rely on above all other sources for reliable and up to date news. The information was blocked on many of your email accounts and I received a large number of rejected emails. I realize that there are servers that don’t like this information, so if you didn’t avail yourselves of it before, please write to me individually and I will try to help. In my opinion, it is the best Israeli news source.
Right now, the unity in the nation, which has been so divided, is beautiful to behold. It is unique and even the political opposition is either firmly supporting the government or atleast being quiet. For this I praise God. We have prayed and asked for Him to choose and lead the government and we continue to look to Him Alone for leadership and pray for our leaders.
I want to share a word of encouragement. I have tired to explain to you about my neighbor Y''…the wonderful lady who brings food to me daily. She is such a gift…but being such a deeply traditional Orthodox Jew, to share with her that I was a believer, I knew would be a great challenge. She doesn’t speak any English, but has seen my Hebrew English Bible and still not ‘gathered’ that I was a believer. It is a concept alien and completely wrong to her. We have prayed for her heart to be prepared and that I would have His open door only at the right time. I actually was not expecting one.
Yesterday, Shabbat, before this latest news, she came over bearing her usual feast for us. She and I sat outside on the swing, under the large Israeli flag which is draped over it, and she shared the deep things of her heart. She has had a very hard life and she has a strong root of bitterness. In Middle Eastern culture, girls are counted as nothing. She was the only daughter with 4 brothers and she was badly treated. She married Ido when she was 20 and had never even looked at a boy more or less held a boy’s hand. He, too, is a strong Middle Eastern man who counted his wife as a slave. She bore them 9 children and cooks feasts daily. She has worked very hard and cared for many other children besides their own, and for the sick and elderly. She is considered a wise woman among the community and she reminds me very much of the woman described in Proverbs 31. She is only a bit younger than I, and now that Ido’s health is broken, he is much kinder, needing her care, but this root of bitterness runs deep and is eating at her.
As we talked, (we spoke for about an hour, outside on the swing) she said that it would be wonderful when Ido goes and she can be alone and do what she wants. I told her, that it is true that can sit and read my Tenach (Bible) for 5 hours a day without interruption, but that I was able to forgive my husband, and I miss him. The Lord anointed my speech and I found that I was able to tell her about some hard times and how The Lord had put His Hand over my heart. She said that she loved how I knew the Tenach…and suddenly she added; ‘But you DON’T read the Brit h’Hadasha – New Testament – ofcourse.’ I looked at her, and said ‘Yes, I do. I read it ALL, from beginning to end’. In shock she said ‘No! You must NOT read that! It is NOT for us. You are Jewish, aren’t you?’ I told her ‘Ofcourse I am…every relative since the beginning, but I KNOW that He IS our Jewish Messiah!’ Our discussion continued and I felt His Peace as I explained to her as much as I could of what He had done in my heart, and she heard, although kept informing me that this is ‘forbidden’. It was the Peace that made me understand that He had anointed me for this moment, because in the natural, I was TERRIFIED of this moment. When she called Him yeshu, I corrected her and said ‘His Name is Yeshua’. She said ‘I won’t tell Ido’ (and yes, I was relieved) …so now we have a ‘secret’…and I covet your prayers for the seed that was planted to take root and grow in GOOD SOIL and that The Lord will guard it, and her from the enemy…and that it will produce fruit 100 fold for His glory! (She did NOT come by to see me today…)
AND…may His salvation be finally known throughout our people.
As far as what is happening here…I really don’t know what kind of news, and how much, you are all getting from here. I do know that some of you receive loads and others don’t, so I know that what I share IS redundant for some of you. As I write, heavily loaded planes again, are flying overhead while I also hear booms from Gaza. (Our soldiers retrieved 3 hostage bodies today!) The booms from Gaza are not nearly so loud as the huge missiles being dropped on us daily, shaking the earth and our nerves. There was quite a barrage this morning at 7:30ish that was very destructive to property in 3 or 4 big cities (we are told to keep locations OFF of the internet as the enemy uses coordinates that they find on social media through pictures and names of places.) but THANKFULLY, no loss of life! Over the past 9 days, 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile strikes and 1,290 injured. 10.630 evacuated from homes and 32.700 claims made to the tax department already for property damage. May the stress of the time press us more deeply into Him…and those who don’t yet know Him…may they find Him!
From another, anecdotal perspective, I thought about how we deal with this stress and had to laugh. Janet and I were listening to the news this evening (there is a 1 hour English local Israeli news update nightly) when we got a ‘pre-alert’ on our home front command app that suicide drones had been launched towards us. I turned up the radio sound so that I could keep hearing the news while I ran outside and closed the shutters from the, then came back in and sat down again to listen to the rest of the news. We have our system down pat already and can do it in our sleep. We continued to make plans for tomorrow: I have a ride to the food store and Janet is still forced to work from home. Currently only necessary businesses are open (medical, food) and public transportation is limited to 35%, only operating are those going to such necessary places.
[I neglected to mention that the verses above from Joel and NOT intended to be prophetic from me…I AM NOT A PROPHET. As part of my daily reading, for many years, I have a habit of meditating in a short portion of scripture…in order…and I have been meditating through the book of Joel and these were my verses this morning. I purposely did not include the signs that the prophet Joel included…as it stands it stirred my heart. Perhaps it would bless you too.]
I have now become so tired that I am NOT making sense, and so I will close. We are award of all of the prayer going up on our behalf from those who love Him and we are deeply grateful and pray for you as well. Our Iranian brothers and sisters are also praying for us, as we are for them.
And now…to sleep…until the next alert. Loving blessings!
(From today’s news:)
Updated: June 22, 2025 | 1:50 PM IST
In a national address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel and the United States carried out a highly coordinated strike operation—Operation Am Kalavi ("Rising Lion")—against three of Iran’s key nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Netanyahu declared: “From the beginning of this operation, I promised that Iran’s nuclear facilities would be destroyed—one way or another. That promise was kept.” He described how U.S. B-2 stealth bombers struck Fordow, while American submarines launched Tomahawk missiles at Natanz and Isfahan. Netanyahu emphasized that the missions were executed in full operational coordination between the IDF, the Mossad, and U.S. military forces.
Netanyahu praised President Trump, stating: “President Trump is a great friend of Israel, a friend like no other… I thank him from the bottom of my heart, and I know that I speak from the heart of every Israeli.” He concluded his address with a message of unity and resolve: “We stand together. We fight together. And with God’s help—we win together.” Quoting the Torah, he added: “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
June 22, 2025 | 3:30 PM IST
In a preemptive strike, the Israeli Air Force successfully targeted and destroyed Iranian missile launchers that were moments away from being used. The operation eliminated the Iranian forces operating these launchers. The footage of this strike, captured before this morning’s barrage, confirms Israel’s continued precision in neutralizing immediate threats.
Simultaneously, Israel launched another wave of airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure in Northern and Western Iran. These coordinated attacks are part of the broader Israeli military campaign against Iranian aggression.
Iran has significantly escalated electronic warfare in the Strait of Hormuz, jamming GPS signals and disrupting the navigation of approximately 970 commercial vessels, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also confirmed severe AIS (Automatic Identification System) interference, which is rendering navigation in the Persian Gulf unreliable. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has further raised tensions by threatening to shut down the Strait entirely within hours, a move that would have global economic consequences.
June 15, 2025
I have really not slept in two days so please pardon my lack of literacy. Because there have been so many questions, and THANKFULLY, I am aware that there is SO much prayer from the believers among the nations who are standing with us here...(Thank you...yes, we know that you are there and we are not alone, and that is so comforting.) I will simply try to send you a glimpse, so that you can pray as if you are here.
I have just finished being under 'home hospital' care so that I could receive iv antibiotics at home following some strong infections following the covid about a month ago already.
On Friday night, the 13th June, we received a strange alert but with no bombs following. It was a wake up call to announce that we had just attacked Iran which we all know is posing a very vocal, existential threat to Israel.
I will inject here that I have a VERY low key instagram account that I have used to repost short items that, in my opinion, present Israel's situation well. Through that, I have made a friend in N. Iran who has been part of the rebellion against the regime, and supports the return of the shah of Iran. I have been in touch with him and he even tells me when they are being told that we will be attacked. (kind of sweet)
Anyway...that was an 'aside'. I am quite tired.
We were told on the night of the 13th that we should be prepared for strong, destructive attacks lasting possibly weeks. All shelters are open including schools, underground train tunnels, parking lots etc. I am unable to go up or down stairs easily and we have had peace about staying at home in a room (yes it has windows...neither of my rooms are without windows) atleast for now. Thus far 10-14 of our people are known killed and hundreds injured...last I heard 3 still missing in a collapsed building. As of last night, the major strikes that hit and caused such destruction and injury, have been in the center of the country. We have been told, clearly by the government, to AVOID posting pictures with locations, since the enemy uses this information to set their gps. Our country has been taking destructive direct hits even though our incredible defence system has been taking down about 93%-97% of the missles...the sheer number that they are sending at one time means that several get through and they are very strong and sophisticated; it DOES look like a James Bond star wars movie NEVERTHELESS GOD! We see many posts of people worshipping in or around bomb shelters, singing, raising their voices to The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and those who know Yeshua...praise God, as well.
ALL services that are not deemed necessary to life have been closed down. I think that the notice below (which I received from a place called chaim v'hesed (an information group here) will give you a bit of understanding about what that means. Whereas the Houthis attacked anytime, Iran can be counted on for major barrages toward civilian centers throughout the night. The barrages are large and yes, fearsome, but a wonderful time of prayer! It is GOOD to pray through the night.
Again, I recommend these local news sites (secular- English) for GENERALLY accurate, reliable (if taken together) and up to date reports.
ISRAEL HAYOM YNET ENGLISH TIMES OF ISRAEL JERUSALEM POST
Published June 15, 2025 12:48 AM IST
As tensions continue in the wake of Israel’s military action against Iran, widespread disruptions across the country persist. While Chaim V’Chessed is not a news outlet, the organization continues to provide critical updates on how the conflict is affecting schools, government services, transportation, and travel.
Here is the latest information:
Please pray for our children...our oldest daughter and family, still in London...and it is hard for our daughter who's heart longs to be here. Also our younger daughter, who lives rurally and more remotely in Judea (Gush Etzion - Bat Ayin) where there are many challenges (including getting the 3 Littles to a shelter at the top of the mountain). Thank you for remembering this family of mine...thank you!
And thank you for your grace as I am beyond tired and will now lie down until the sirens begin again. (some people sleep through them...I'm not one of them).
Loving blessings
Am Yisrael Chai! FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!
I have really not slept in two days so please pardon my lack of literacy. Because there have been so many questions, and THANKFULLY, I am aware that there is SO much prayer from the believers among the nations who are standing with us here...(Thank you...yes, we know that you are there and we are not alone, and that is so comforting.) I will simply try to send you a glimpse, so that you can pray as if you are here.
I have just finished being under 'home hospital' care so that I could receive iv antibiotics at home following some strong infections following the covid about a month ago already.
On Friday night, the 13th June, we received a strange alert but with no bombs following. It was a wake up call to announce that we had just attacked Iran which we all know is posing a very vocal, existential threat to Israel.
I will inject here that I have a VERY low key instagram account that I have used to repost short items that, in my opinion, present Israel's situation well. Through that, I have made a friend in N. Iran who has been part of the rebellion against the regime, and supports the return of the shah of Iran. I have been in touch with him and he even tells me when they are being told that we will be attacked. (kind of sweet)
Anyway...that was an 'aside'. I am quite tired.
We were told on the night of the 13th that we should be prepared for strong, destructive attacks lasting possibly weeks. All shelters are open including schools, underground train tunnels, parking lots etc. I am unable to go up or down stairs easily and we have had peace about staying at home in a room (yes it has windows...neither of my rooms are without windows) atleast for now. Thus far 10-14 of our people are known killed and hundreds injured...last I heard 3 still missing in a collapsed building. As of last night, the major strikes that hit and caused such destruction and injury, have been in the center of the country. We have been told, clearly by the government, to AVOID posting pictures with locations, since the enemy uses this information to set their gps. Our country has been taking destructive direct hits even though our incredible defence system has been taking down about 93%-97% of the missles...the sheer number that they are sending at one time means that several get through and they are very strong and sophisticated; it DOES look like a James Bond star wars movie NEVERTHELESS GOD! We see many posts of people worshipping in or around bomb shelters, singing, raising their voices to The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and those who know Yeshua...praise God, as well.
ALL services that are not deemed necessary to life have been closed down. I think that the notice below (which I received from a place called chaim v'hesed (an information group here) will give you a bit of understanding about what that means. Whereas the Houthis attacked anytime, Iran can be counted on for major barrages toward civilian centers throughout the night. The barrages are large and yes, fearsome, but a wonderful time of prayer! It is GOOD to pray through the night.
Again, I recommend these local news sites (secular- English) for GENERALLY accurate, reliable (if taken together) and up to date reports.
ISRAEL HAYOM YNET ENGLISH TIMES OF ISRAEL JERUSALEM POST
Published June 15, 2025 12:48 AM IST
As tensions continue in the wake of Israel’s military action against Iran, widespread disruptions across the country persist. While Chaim V’Chessed is not a news outlet, the organization continues to provide critical updates on how the conflict is affecting schools, government services, transportation, and travel.
Here is the latest information:
- Government Services: Most government offices are expected to remain closed in the coming days. Services such as Interior Ministry branches, Bituach Leumi, and Misrad HaKlita are not operating regularly and may be inaccessible altogether in some areas.
- Individuals facing urgent government-related issues are encouraged to contact Chaim V’Chessed for assistance.
- Public Transportation: Transportation remains severely curtailed. Only a limited number of bus lines are currently operating, primarily serving hospitals and other essential locations. The light rail systems in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are not operating until further notice.
- School Closures: The Ministry of Education has ordered all schools closed for the coming days. Most schools nationwide are expected to comply with this directive.
- Air Travel Halted: Israeli airspace remains closed. There are no flights entering or leaving the country. Sources tell Chaim V’Chessed that this closure is likely to remain in effect for at least several more days.
- Travel Options Extremely Limited: Chaim V’Chessed has been contacted by numerous individuals with urgent need to either enter or exit Israel. Unfortunately, at this time, there are almost no viable options for leaving Israel. Travel to Cyprus by ship is being explored as a possible emergency solution. No confirmed options are available yet.
Please pray for our children...our oldest daughter and family, still in London...and it is hard for our daughter who's heart longs to be here. Also our younger daughter, who lives rurally and more remotely in Judea (Gush Etzion - Bat Ayin) where there are many challenges (including getting the 3 Littles to a shelter at the top of the mountain). Thank you for remembering this family of mine...thank you!
And thank you for your grace as I am beyond tired and will now lie down until the sirens begin again. (some people sleep through them...I'm not one of them).
Loving blessings
Am Yisrael Chai! FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!
June 6, 2025
“Be still and KNOW that I AM GOD; I WILL be exalted among the nations. I WILL be exalted in the earth!” PSALM 46:10
Greetings Brothers and Sisters, beloved for the sake and glory of The Messiah, the Only Son of God, Yeshua. May He be blessed and glorified and may you be encouraged…for the time is short. May we run the race thus: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” …” and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (1 Corin. 9:24 and Hebrews 12:1)
As I looked for ‘the right verse’ upon which to focus this letter, the verse above, so well known and beloved, seemed completely appropriate.
When we first made Aliyah, (nearly 31 years ago) we attended a Bible study in the basement of the home of our Pastor, and I so clearly remember him telling us, that during wartime, the biggest problem often facing soldiers was the need to deal with civilians who panicked and couldn’t focus on being still; they required the attention of the soldiers, who SHOULD remain focused on the battle before them. The spiritual applications were, and remain, huge for me: to be still and KNOW that HE is God…HIS will be done…my flesh did NOT like this. My flesh did not LIKE to have attention taken away from the discomfort that IT was in! Having lived now through…HOW many wars? I honestly have lost count, and this one has overshadowed them all, I see how maintaining a stillness in the midst, is a manifestation of His Presence when the temptation is to chaos…to ‘self’ centeredness…to ‘neediness’ instead of being able to ‘see’ the needs that I can possibly meet, according to His strength given me.
It is a lesson that I surely have not fully learned, but so LONG to.
In my devotions this morning, part of my reading was in Mark15…the crucifixion. (I can barely type those words…) In the midst of that chapter (verses 6-12), there is a section that mentions that ‘Barabbas, who was chained to his fellow rebels, had committed murder in the rebellion.’ I was thinking how Yeshua lived, walked, ministered in the very midst of this time…and there was a rebellion …political upheaval…and he never mentioned it! He never ‘gave his opinion, never taught his disciples concerning it… His kingdom was NOT of this earth…the kingdom of which HE IS KING is, indeed another one.
None the less…we live in this world and He said that it is not His will that we be taken out of this world (John 17:15)…SOOOOO… here we are when the sirens go off, which is just about daily, and we remember that, even though it has been a great miracle that the Houthi ballistic missiles and resulting shrapnel have, thus far, seriously injured no one, it is not a ‘given’ and not to be taken for granted. God HAS been gracious to us and the fact that we live in a country that provides shelters, sirens, warnings, instructions; none of this is to be taken for granted.
Surely I explained before, that there is a reinforced room upstairs, in the big house where I live, and also a strong underground public shelter just 2 doors down from me, but more people are severely injured running to shelters and my knees are not dependable on stairs, so it seems prudent to me (and to many other older people) to close our shutters and windows and, sitting against and inner wall…to pray. God IS our shelter and our refuge and a present help in time of need. Dare I say that it is ‘easy’ to get used to the familiarity of these daily bombings and to get sloppy. Isn’t that strange? So what have I learned? That I must work at staying vigilant without agitation; that I must respond to the best of my ability and yet remain resilient; that I must keep my heart soft…and that I MUST be still and KNOW THAT HE IS GOD!
As I wrote last time, I have been sick for weeks now with covid and feel as if I am finally seeing the other side after a relapse LAST time that I thought that I was recovering. I was sick through the counting of the Omer and through Shavuot (Pentecost), so I did not get to partake in any of the ‘doings’, but my trusty neighbor, Y..., brought me ALL of the traditional foods (and more) and smiles, and even came knocking at my door one night at 10:30 to make sure that ‘I hadn’t died’ (! That touched me…strangely…it did!) She asked me if she could tie a potato to my head to lower me fever. That was a remedy that I hadn’t heard of before, but I wasn’t feeling up to having a potato tied around my head, so I can’t tell you from personal experience, if it works or not. Y.... was a child during the famine in Jerusalem and she experienced starvation. During such times, home remedies are the only place that people could turn to for relief of illness and they continue to abound; some are superstitions and some work well. I learned awhile ago, from a patient in the doctor’s office where I worked, that making a strong (bitter) tea out of olive leaves and taking a Tablespoon every half hour, will lower blood pressure, and I can vouch for this working very well. Before I was a believer, when I lived on an American Indian Reservation, I learned much about ancient herbal cures, and became quite an expert, as hippies fancied ourselves, in natural foods and natural cures. When The Lord entered my heart, He humbled me, and continues to do so…so there are many areas of knowledge that I approach with moderation.
Shabbat is approaching and I will end this letter. Thank you for all of your prayers. We have a huge need for prayer for political stability in this nation. God knows all of the details and my opinions will not add to the wisdom in praying that only He can give. It is a grievous time and there is much suffering. People long for ‘easy answers’. The people are weary. I don’t need to tell any of you about the rise in antisemitism and hatred worldwide. It is time for the Jews to return home. More and more I pray for God’s will to be done…and I mean that. May we not ‘beat the air’ with our prayers. May HE be merciful…HE ALONE IS GOD (I know that you know that…but to say it strengthens me).
I send you much love, from both myself and my dear sister Janet who is such a blessing to me.
May The Lord be glorified.
Loving blessings, your sister here
“Be still and KNOW that I AM GOD; I WILL be exalted among the nations. I WILL be exalted in the earth!” PSALM 46:10
Greetings Brothers and Sisters, beloved for the sake and glory of The Messiah, the Only Son of God, Yeshua. May He be blessed and glorified and may you be encouraged…for the time is short. May we run the race thus: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” …” and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (1 Corin. 9:24 and Hebrews 12:1)
As I looked for ‘the right verse’ upon which to focus this letter, the verse above, so well known and beloved, seemed completely appropriate.
When we first made Aliyah, (nearly 31 years ago) we attended a Bible study in the basement of the home of our Pastor, and I so clearly remember him telling us, that during wartime, the biggest problem often facing soldiers was the need to deal with civilians who panicked and couldn’t focus on being still; they required the attention of the soldiers, who SHOULD remain focused on the battle before them. The spiritual applications were, and remain, huge for me: to be still and KNOW that HE is God…HIS will be done…my flesh did NOT like this. My flesh did not LIKE to have attention taken away from the discomfort that IT was in! Having lived now through…HOW many wars? I honestly have lost count, and this one has overshadowed them all, I see how maintaining a stillness in the midst, is a manifestation of His Presence when the temptation is to chaos…to ‘self’ centeredness…to ‘neediness’ instead of being able to ‘see’ the needs that I can possibly meet, according to His strength given me.
It is a lesson that I surely have not fully learned, but so LONG to.
In my devotions this morning, part of my reading was in Mark15…the crucifixion. (I can barely type those words…) In the midst of that chapter (verses 6-12), there is a section that mentions that ‘Barabbas, who was chained to his fellow rebels, had committed murder in the rebellion.’ I was thinking how Yeshua lived, walked, ministered in the very midst of this time…and there was a rebellion …political upheaval…and he never mentioned it! He never ‘gave his opinion, never taught his disciples concerning it… His kingdom was NOT of this earth…the kingdom of which HE IS KING is, indeed another one.
None the less…we live in this world and He said that it is not His will that we be taken out of this world (John 17:15)…SOOOOO… here we are when the sirens go off, which is just about daily, and we remember that, even though it has been a great miracle that the Houthi ballistic missiles and resulting shrapnel have, thus far, seriously injured no one, it is not a ‘given’ and not to be taken for granted. God HAS been gracious to us and the fact that we live in a country that provides shelters, sirens, warnings, instructions; none of this is to be taken for granted.
Surely I explained before, that there is a reinforced room upstairs, in the big house where I live, and also a strong underground public shelter just 2 doors down from me, but more people are severely injured running to shelters and my knees are not dependable on stairs, so it seems prudent to me (and to many other older people) to close our shutters and windows and, sitting against and inner wall…to pray. God IS our shelter and our refuge and a present help in time of need. Dare I say that it is ‘easy’ to get used to the familiarity of these daily bombings and to get sloppy. Isn’t that strange? So what have I learned? That I must work at staying vigilant without agitation; that I must respond to the best of my ability and yet remain resilient; that I must keep my heart soft…and that I MUST be still and KNOW THAT HE IS GOD!
As I wrote last time, I have been sick for weeks now with covid and feel as if I am finally seeing the other side after a relapse LAST time that I thought that I was recovering. I was sick through the counting of the Omer and through Shavuot (Pentecost), so I did not get to partake in any of the ‘doings’, but my trusty neighbor, Y..., brought me ALL of the traditional foods (and more) and smiles, and even came knocking at my door one night at 10:30 to make sure that ‘I hadn’t died’ (! That touched me…strangely…it did!) She asked me if she could tie a potato to my head to lower me fever. That was a remedy that I hadn’t heard of before, but I wasn’t feeling up to having a potato tied around my head, so I can’t tell you from personal experience, if it works or not. Y.... was a child during the famine in Jerusalem and she experienced starvation. During such times, home remedies are the only place that people could turn to for relief of illness and they continue to abound; some are superstitions and some work well. I learned awhile ago, from a patient in the doctor’s office where I worked, that making a strong (bitter) tea out of olive leaves and taking a Tablespoon every half hour, will lower blood pressure, and I can vouch for this working very well. Before I was a believer, when I lived on an American Indian Reservation, I learned much about ancient herbal cures, and became quite an expert, as hippies fancied ourselves, in natural foods and natural cures. When The Lord entered my heart, He humbled me, and continues to do so…so there are many areas of knowledge that I approach with moderation.
Shabbat is approaching and I will end this letter. Thank you for all of your prayers. We have a huge need for prayer for political stability in this nation. God knows all of the details and my opinions will not add to the wisdom in praying that only He can give. It is a grievous time and there is much suffering. People long for ‘easy answers’. The people are weary. I don’t need to tell any of you about the rise in antisemitism and hatred worldwide. It is time for the Jews to return home. More and more I pray for God’s will to be done…and I mean that. May we not ‘beat the air’ with our prayers. May HE be merciful…HE ALONE IS GOD (I know that you know that…but to say it strengthens me).
I send you much love, from both myself and my dear sister Janet who is such a blessing to me.
May The Lord be glorified.
Loving blessings, your sister here
May 25, 2025
“When You said ‘Seek My face’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek’” PSALM 27:8
Greetings, dear sisters and brothers…more fervently as we see the day approaching. Knowing that His ways are so much higher than ours and His thought so above ours, may we be found in the fear of God, submitted into His will with no resistance. May we bring Him glory and have our eyes fixed on things above, not the things of earth…on things eternal, not on things temporal. May He be glorified!
The night before I came down with covid, there was a moment in time that so perfectly depicts life here, that I had intended to share it with you the next day…but…I came down with covid instead. Nonetheless, even though so MUCH has happened since, it is still appropriate to recount; perhaps you can enter into this sketch in time for a moment.
Since those of you who read my letters come from many different countries, I know that some of you know what Eurovision is and some of you don’t, so bear with me as I attempt to explain to those who don’t know. It is not an event that would normally be something that I would watch; I can best describe it as the Olympics of song presentation. Each country presents its entry and judges vote before the continent wide audience also votes. To say that it is competitive, is an understatement.
As you can imagine, everything that Israel participates in right now is ‘CONTROVERSIAL’ with a capital ‘C’! Israel’s Eurovision entry, (Yuval Raphel) who herself was a survivor of the horrors of 7 October, having lost many friends, received abundant death threats from throughout Europe ‘should she participate’. She brought a powerful, symbolic song with her to the competition is Basel Switzerland, called ‘A New Day Will Rise’ which contained Song of Solomon 8:7 “Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised.” (the verse sung in Hebrew.) It doesn’t take much to encourage Israel these days…it’s been a ‘difficult time’ for the country. I think that it’s fair to say that the whole country was watching, cheering her on, praying for her, seeking encouragement.
Across the street, in the house of Y.. and I.. (whom I’ve told you about), all of their relatives had gathered to watch the event. They are a very large family (they had 9 children) and all of the extended family came together. They sang along and I could hear the bird like middle eastern ‘trill’ that women make when they are celebrating. The country’s judges voted first and gave Israel a low rating…but it was 2am our time when the final tallies were posted bringing Israel up to SECOND place (first place in the popular vote) and the family across from me poured into the street rejoicing and singing. At that very moment the sirens began sounding…a missile was incoming from the Houthis in Yemen. The rise and fall of the air raid did not drown out the rejoicing of Y... and I..’s family, and as we heard the loud BOOMS from the interceptions, my 2am fuzzy brain wondered if they were setting off fireworks. IT WAS BIZARRE! We are being bombed by Yemen and rejoicing over the victory of a survivor’s song… (if you want a link to the song, please ask and I will send it)
And this seemed like a good description of how things look from my vantage point these days.
But before I could share that with you, I came down with covid.
We have been experiencing Houthi missiles almost daily. We have a new addition to our ‘red alert’ app, which now warns us several minutes BEFORE the siren that there has been a launch toward Israel, and there will likely be a siren. It gives me time to go to the bathroom, run around and shutter the windows and grab my Bible to position myself on my bed before the siren goes off. Because these ballistic missiles are so large and are coming from a long distance, our interceptions take place at a high altitude, and the risk of falling shrapnel (the shrapnel is very big, heavy and deadly) covers a very large area of the country. On Thursday or Friday night we had a siren at 2am. As I checked my phone to see the updated report, there was the news of the murder in Washington DC America at the Jewish Museum of Yaron and Sarah. I did not personally know Yaron or his family, but he was very well known in the messianic community in Jerusalem, where he lived, and throughout the country…a beloved youth leader…a shocking loss. His father is Jewish from Argentina, his mother is a German Christian. The funeral took place today, nearby a few hours ago…emotions that won’t stop…there is no time between intense events. We MUST just keep walking.
And you know…at 8pm our time tonight…begins Yom Yerushalym…Jerusalem Day! Jerusalem Day; more and more volatile each year…
How GOOD, at times like this…in days like these…to remember that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD! Where was Israel when GOD SAID through Moses, ‘LET MY PEOPLE GO’? They were between the Sea and Pharaoh's army! They were in an impossible place! Where was Israel in 1967? Standing at the brink of certain destruction by Egypt, Jordan and Syria, who had aligned themselves together against us…impossible ‘odds’. BUT GOD… After 2,000 years, the dream of the Jews…the impossible dream…the hope that was passed down through the millennium…The city that God CHOSE to put HIS Name…JERUSALEM! It wasn’t even part of the PLAN or aim of the war! Jerusalem came into our hands from God’s Own Hands to the wonder of the entire nation (and the consternation of the world, I might add). While I was working I got to listen to so many first hand stories from people who were there…running barefoot through the newly open City gates in wonder, crying and laughing. Google the 6 Day war and look at some of the photographs…the wonder is contagious. THE 6 DAY WAR
When E... and I had just made Aliyah, we were exploring our new home of which we were totally ignorant. We wandered into The Old City. It was a hot day and we were tired. We had walked all day and now the sun was nearly setting when we spied some folding chairs being set up, and we thought that we would sit down. They seemed to be placed around an old stone stage. We sat down and were approached by a guard who asked us if we would mind moving over since ‘those two seats were for the mayor and his wife’ (!) E.. and I looked at each other and moved a few chairs down. Seemingly out of nowhere people began to appear and a beautiful dark haired woman came out and began to sing. We were clueless that we had stumbled upon a performance by Ofra Haza…a famous singer…as we listened to Yerushalym Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold) for the first time, causing our hearts to shiver with the…the…what word?
Listen for yourself. I have added some videos and I apologize for the ads (I’m not very technical). Jerusalem of Gold - Ofra Haza
I am tired and it is late. I must close…but I felt that I had to share…something of this that I am witnessing…IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM…AND FOR HIS GLORY. May we draw near to the very Well of Life and drink deeply, for His grace is sufficient, even for now.
Lovingly, your sister
“When You said ‘Seek My face’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek’” PSALM 27:8
Greetings, dear sisters and brothers…more fervently as we see the day approaching. Knowing that His ways are so much higher than ours and His thought so above ours, may we be found in the fear of God, submitted into His will with no resistance. May we bring Him glory and have our eyes fixed on things above, not the things of earth…on things eternal, not on things temporal. May He be glorified!
The night before I came down with covid, there was a moment in time that so perfectly depicts life here, that I had intended to share it with you the next day…but…I came down with covid instead. Nonetheless, even though so MUCH has happened since, it is still appropriate to recount; perhaps you can enter into this sketch in time for a moment.
Since those of you who read my letters come from many different countries, I know that some of you know what Eurovision is and some of you don’t, so bear with me as I attempt to explain to those who don’t know. It is not an event that would normally be something that I would watch; I can best describe it as the Olympics of song presentation. Each country presents its entry and judges vote before the continent wide audience also votes. To say that it is competitive, is an understatement.
As you can imagine, everything that Israel participates in right now is ‘CONTROVERSIAL’ with a capital ‘C’! Israel’s Eurovision entry, (Yuval Raphel) who herself was a survivor of the horrors of 7 October, having lost many friends, received abundant death threats from throughout Europe ‘should she participate’. She brought a powerful, symbolic song with her to the competition is Basel Switzerland, called ‘A New Day Will Rise’ which contained Song of Solomon 8:7 “Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised.” (the verse sung in Hebrew.) It doesn’t take much to encourage Israel these days…it’s been a ‘difficult time’ for the country. I think that it’s fair to say that the whole country was watching, cheering her on, praying for her, seeking encouragement.
Across the street, in the house of Y.. and I.. (whom I’ve told you about), all of their relatives had gathered to watch the event. They are a very large family (they had 9 children) and all of the extended family came together. They sang along and I could hear the bird like middle eastern ‘trill’ that women make when they are celebrating. The country’s judges voted first and gave Israel a low rating…but it was 2am our time when the final tallies were posted bringing Israel up to SECOND place (first place in the popular vote) and the family across from me poured into the street rejoicing and singing. At that very moment the sirens began sounding…a missile was incoming from the Houthis in Yemen. The rise and fall of the air raid did not drown out the rejoicing of Y... and I..’s family, and as we heard the loud BOOMS from the interceptions, my 2am fuzzy brain wondered if they were setting off fireworks. IT WAS BIZARRE! We are being bombed by Yemen and rejoicing over the victory of a survivor’s song… (if you want a link to the song, please ask and I will send it)
And this seemed like a good description of how things look from my vantage point these days.
But before I could share that with you, I came down with covid.
We have been experiencing Houthi missiles almost daily. We have a new addition to our ‘red alert’ app, which now warns us several minutes BEFORE the siren that there has been a launch toward Israel, and there will likely be a siren. It gives me time to go to the bathroom, run around and shutter the windows and grab my Bible to position myself on my bed before the siren goes off. Because these ballistic missiles are so large and are coming from a long distance, our interceptions take place at a high altitude, and the risk of falling shrapnel (the shrapnel is very big, heavy and deadly) covers a very large area of the country. On Thursday or Friday night we had a siren at 2am. As I checked my phone to see the updated report, there was the news of the murder in Washington DC America at the Jewish Museum of Yaron and Sarah. I did not personally know Yaron or his family, but he was very well known in the messianic community in Jerusalem, where he lived, and throughout the country…a beloved youth leader…a shocking loss. His father is Jewish from Argentina, his mother is a German Christian. The funeral took place today, nearby a few hours ago…emotions that won’t stop…there is no time between intense events. We MUST just keep walking.
And you know…at 8pm our time tonight…begins Yom Yerushalym…Jerusalem Day! Jerusalem Day; more and more volatile each year…
How GOOD, at times like this…in days like these…to remember that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD! Where was Israel when GOD SAID through Moses, ‘LET MY PEOPLE GO’? They were between the Sea and Pharaoh's army! They were in an impossible place! Where was Israel in 1967? Standing at the brink of certain destruction by Egypt, Jordan and Syria, who had aligned themselves together against us…impossible ‘odds’. BUT GOD… After 2,000 years, the dream of the Jews…the impossible dream…the hope that was passed down through the millennium…The city that God CHOSE to put HIS Name…JERUSALEM! It wasn’t even part of the PLAN or aim of the war! Jerusalem came into our hands from God’s Own Hands to the wonder of the entire nation (and the consternation of the world, I might add). While I was working I got to listen to so many first hand stories from people who were there…running barefoot through the newly open City gates in wonder, crying and laughing. Google the 6 Day war and look at some of the photographs…the wonder is contagious. THE 6 DAY WAR
When E... and I had just made Aliyah, we were exploring our new home of which we were totally ignorant. We wandered into The Old City. It was a hot day and we were tired. We had walked all day and now the sun was nearly setting when we spied some folding chairs being set up, and we thought that we would sit down. They seemed to be placed around an old stone stage. We sat down and were approached by a guard who asked us if we would mind moving over since ‘those two seats were for the mayor and his wife’ (!) E.. and I looked at each other and moved a few chairs down. Seemingly out of nowhere people began to appear and a beautiful dark haired woman came out and began to sing. We were clueless that we had stumbled upon a performance by Ofra Haza…a famous singer…as we listened to Yerushalym Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold) for the first time, causing our hearts to shiver with the…the…what word?
Listen for yourself. I have added some videos and I apologize for the ads (I’m not very technical). Jerusalem of Gold - Ofra Haza
I am tired and it is late. I must close…but I felt that I had to share…something of this that I am witnessing…IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM…AND FOR HIS GLORY. May we draw near to the very Well of Life and drink deeply, for His grace is sufficient, even for now.
Lovingly, your sister
May 12, 2025
ESTHER 3:14-15 “A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.”
LUKE 24:3-5 “Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
JOHN 13:21-22 “When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.”
ACTS 2:11-12 “Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-9 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—"
ZACHARIAH 4:6 “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.”
Greetings, brothers and sisters, in The Name of The Sovereign God through The Blood of His Most Precious Only Son…Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ. May HE be glorified and blessed, and may you be encouraged and strengthened.
It is a very strange day here, weather wise. The clouds are strange, the air is strange, the winds are strange. It reflects the general feeling; PERPLEXED. I looked up the word ‘perplexed’ just now and did not find any surprises: puzzled, baffled, uncertainty, bewildered…yes, that is the word.
‘We’ are waiting for the release of hostage Idan Alexander, dual American Israeli citizen, while the remaining hostage families look on. Powered through by US President Donald Trump, suddenly announced meetings were held in the Middle East that included Hamas…Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt…but not Israel. A ‘deal’ was brokered and we are told…not much of anything. The perplexity was similar last week when our airport, Ben Gurion, was hit by a Houthi missile, right after the US signed a cease fire with Yemen, who suddenly agreed to stop firing on all ships…except Israeli.
It is quiet here…the people are PERPLEXED. That is one of the ‘good traits’ of people here…when the chips are down, they tend to shut up. Before social media it was far more remarkable. When you think of the ‘beeper affair’…that was kept hush for so many years in the preparation. James was so right when he said in James 3:2 that the tongue is such an unruly member…and if one can bridle it, that’s powerful! (my rendition).
So, I WON’T comment on what is happening right now. I walked for 4 km. today praying and seeking His Light, but all I could do was to pray for mercy.
I had wanted to share with you a few anecdotes that I had intended to share with you along the way, but they were usurped by more dramatic events…like fires, floods (in the south…did I mention that Ein Gedi Nature Preserve was badly damaged by flooding?), bombs and the like. Oh yes…and we retrieved the remains of Tzvi Feldman, POW from the first Lebanon war in 1988. His remains were brought home to his family yesterday after being missing for 43 years.
I wanted to share with you some vignettes that I witnessed while I was in the hospital last week. I was in an observation ward for people with fevers (contagion). It was actually pretty nice since the cubicles were larger than usual and quieter to keep contagious stuff from spreading. There were probably 30 beds that surrounded the Doctor’s and Nurse’s station, so I could easily watch what was going on and listen to doctor’s discussions. In the second night, an infectious disease researcher came to the doctor on call and asked him to see a patient from the emergency waiting room. This was highly against protocol, and the doctor told her so. She explained to him that the patient had just come off of the battle field and that the dramas going on in the emergency room were causing some PTSD responses. She requested that even though it was highly irregular, would the doctor please agree to see him in the quiet of the Observation ward. Ofcourse he did and it was a poignant thing to witness.
There was another young man nearby to my spot, and once we were feeling better, he helped me take a tray of food to my bed. I really liked him and prayed quietly for him. Later that day, two soldiers came to his bed and were asking him questions about how long the doctors thought that he would have to stay and exactly what was going on. They told him where their office in the hospital was, and gave him a number to call if he needed anything. Afterward I asked him if he were a soldier and he said ‘Yes…I am fighting…’ The word for ‘fighter…combatant…warrior’ in Hebrew is לוחם or ‘lo-(k)hem’. Perhaps you know how some words carry a ‘weight’ with them? Maybe you don’t…but right now when someone says that they are a ‘lo-khem’…a picture of the grief and intensity and fatigue of battle suddenly sits on their shoulders and, personally, it grabs me and I long to comfort them…to ‘fix’ them and make it ‘all right’…to THANK them. I told him that I would be praying for him, and although I don’t know his name, God does. I was thankful for that moment in time.
And then there was my ‘epiphany’ moment. I have definitely noticed, over the years, that The Lord uses the times that I am slammed down into a hospital bed with no distractions, to speak to me about deep issues, and this time was no different.
Because I met The Lord in a very dramatic and real face to Face way, early on He taught me Himself, and answered my questions in a manner that took root and grew - and that I never questioned. I had no doubt Whom I had believed in and have remained totally persuaded that He IS ABLE to do and be all that He says. I have often resisted ‘theological discussions’ that sometimes confuse me rather than strengthen me (I thought). I am deeply grateful for my Pastor who has been a gift from The Lord to me…The Word preached has been as a sharp two edged sword in my life. Lately he has shared some issues of doctrine that I have ‘put on the shelf’, because I understood them through what The Lord had shown me 50 years ago and I didn’t LIKE filtering them through a process of reasoning. But while I was in the hospital, The Lord took the night hours to bring me through yet another door, halleluyah!! HE IS FAITHFUL!
(Just posted on the news)
“Hostages' families to Trump ahead of Mideast visit: 'Your vision depends on releasing everyone'
An English advertisement by the Hostages' Families Headquarters was published in the American New York Post. In the advertisement, released ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East, the families appealed to the president hoping he would succeed in securing the return of all hostages held by Hamas. 'President Trump, we wish you success on your historic journey to the Middle East,' the ad stated, 'Your vision for Middle East peace depends on the release of all 59 hostages held by Hamas. Their return will bring hope for a new reality in the Middle East. We know bringing everyone home is a personal mission for you. Our hopes are with you.'
(Lihia Gordon) [THE CURRENT ISRAELI PERPLEXITY – COPIED FROM YNET NEWS JUST NOW]
GOD ALONE IS OUR DELIVERER AND HIS VISION FOR THE MIDDLE EAST…AND THE WORLD…WILL STAND!
(A couple of emails back, when I sent the pictures of the baby grapes and baby pomegranates, I neglected to identify them. As I was looking at the beautiful Pomegranate buds I realized that some of you may not remember from years ago when I wrote about them. Their color is almost electric and their perfect 7 points form an impressive crown on each bud. They are surely a reflection of God’s creative glory!)
ESTHER 3:14-15 “A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.”
LUKE 24:3-5 “Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
JOHN 13:21-22 “When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.”
ACTS 2:11-12 “Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-9 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—"
ZACHARIAH 4:6 “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.”
Greetings, brothers and sisters, in The Name of The Sovereign God through The Blood of His Most Precious Only Son…Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ. May HE be glorified and blessed, and may you be encouraged and strengthened.
It is a very strange day here, weather wise. The clouds are strange, the air is strange, the winds are strange. It reflects the general feeling; PERPLEXED. I looked up the word ‘perplexed’ just now and did not find any surprises: puzzled, baffled, uncertainty, bewildered…yes, that is the word.
‘We’ are waiting for the release of hostage Idan Alexander, dual American Israeli citizen, while the remaining hostage families look on. Powered through by US President Donald Trump, suddenly announced meetings were held in the Middle East that included Hamas…Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt…but not Israel. A ‘deal’ was brokered and we are told…not much of anything. The perplexity was similar last week when our airport, Ben Gurion, was hit by a Houthi missile, right after the US signed a cease fire with Yemen, who suddenly agreed to stop firing on all ships…except Israeli.
It is quiet here…the people are PERPLEXED. That is one of the ‘good traits’ of people here…when the chips are down, they tend to shut up. Before social media it was far more remarkable. When you think of the ‘beeper affair’…that was kept hush for so many years in the preparation. James was so right when he said in James 3:2 that the tongue is such an unruly member…and if one can bridle it, that’s powerful! (my rendition).
So, I WON’T comment on what is happening right now. I walked for 4 km. today praying and seeking His Light, but all I could do was to pray for mercy.
I had wanted to share with you a few anecdotes that I had intended to share with you along the way, but they were usurped by more dramatic events…like fires, floods (in the south…did I mention that Ein Gedi Nature Preserve was badly damaged by flooding?), bombs and the like. Oh yes…and we retrieved the remains of Tzvi Feldman, POW from the first Lebanon war in 1988. His remains were brought home to his family yesterday after being missing for 43 years.
I wanted to share with you some vignettes that I witnessed while I was in the hospital last week. I was in an observation ward for people with fevers (contagion). It was actually pretty nice since the cubicles were larger than usual and quieter to keep contagious stuff from spreading. There were probably 30 beds that surrounded the Doctor’s and Nurse’s station, so I could easily watch what was going on and listen to doctor’s discussions. In the second night, an infectious disease researcher came to the doctor on call and asked him to see a patient from the emergency waiting room. This was highly against protocol, and the doctor told her so. She explained to him that the patient had just come off of the battle field and that the dramas going on in the emergency room were causing some PTSD responses. She requested that even though it was highly irregular, would the doctor please agree to see him in the quiet of the Observation ward. Ofcourse he did and it was a poignant thing to witness.
There was another young man nearby to my spot, and once we were feeling better, he helped me take a tray of food to my bed. I really liked him and prayed quietly for him. Later that day, two soldiers came to his bed and were asking him questions about how long the doctors thought that he would have to stay and exactly what was going on. They told him where their office in the hospital was, and gave him a number to call if he needed anything. Afterward I asked him if he were a soldier and he said ‘Yes…I am fighting…’ The word for ‘fighter…combatant…warrior’ in Hebrew is לוחם or ‘lo-(k)hem’. Perhaps you know how some words carry a ‘weight’ with them? Maybe you don’t…but right now when someone says that they are a ‘lo-khem’…a picture of the grief and intensity and fatigue of battle suddenly sits on their shoulders and, personally, it grabs me and I long to comfort them…to ‘fix’ them and make it ‘all right’…to THANK them. I told him that I would be praying for him, and although I don’t know his name, God does. I was thankful for that moment in time.
And then there was my ‘epiphany’ moment. I have definitely noticed, over the years, that The Lord uses the times that I am slammed down into a hospital bed with no distractions, to speak to me about deep issues, and this time was no different.
Because I met The Lord in a very dramatic and real face to Face way, early on He taught me Himself, and answered my questions in a manner that took root and grew - and that I never questioned. I had no doubt Whom I had believed in and have remained totally persuaded that He IS ABLE to do and be all that He says. I have often resisted ‘theological discussions’ that sometimes confuse me rather than strengthen me (I thought). I am deeply grateful for my Pastor who has been a gift from The Lord to me…The Word preached has been as a sharp two edged sword in my life. Lately he has shared some issues of doctrine that I have ‘put on the shelf’, because I understood them through what The Lord had shown me 50 years ago and I didn’t LIKE filtering them through a process of reasoning. But while I was in the hospital, The Lord took the night hours to bring me through yet another door, halleluyah!! HE IS FAITHFUL!
(Just posted on the news)
“Hostages' families to Trump ahead of Mideast visit: 'Your vision depends on releasing everyone'
An English advertisement by the Hostages' Families Headquarters was published in the American New York Post. In the advertisement, released ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East, the families appealed to the president hoping he would succeed in securing the return of all hostages held by Hamas. 'President Trump, we wish you success on your historic journey to the Middle East,' the ad stated, 'Your vision for Middle East peace depends on the release of all 59 hostages held by Hamas. Their return will bring hope for a new reality in the Middle East. We know bringing everyone home is a personal mission for you. Our hopes are with you.'
(Lihia Gordon) [THE CURRENT ISRAELI PERPLEXITY – COPIED FROM YNET NEWS JUST NOW]
GOD ALONE IS OUR DELIVERER AND HIS VISION FOR THE MIDDLE EAST…AND THE WORLD…WILL STAND!
(A couple of emails back, when I sent the pictures of the baby grapes and baby pomegranates, I neglected to identify them. As I was looking at the beautiful Pomegranate buds I realized that some of you may not remember from years ago when I wrote about them. Their color is almost electric and their perfect 7 points form an impressive crown on each bud. They are surely a reflection of God’s creative glory!)
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This is a short, patchy note…thank you for your patience with me and mostly for your prayers both for our nation and for my family
-- ani b'derek אני בדרך |
May 5, 2025
“And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” ACTS 26:11-14
Greetings, brothers and sisters, in Him Who IS and WAS and IS TO COME. May He Alone be glorified and seen and may you be blessed and encouraged.
Today is the day BEFORE yom h’zkron – Memorial Day for the soldiers and victims of terror – and even though it is ‘the day before’…’THE’ day has already begun. Beginning tonight, there will be ceremonies all over the country, but today is a solemn day for the families (as of today, the names of 850 soldiers killed in this war have been released) who go to the graves today, before the crowds join them tomorrow. Each family has a soldier escort if they wish. Each bereaved family has a soldier assigned to them, to contact them, to help them and to make sure that they can navigate the
………………………………………………….
2 CHRONICLES 31:20-21 “Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.”
I greet you AGAIN, and STILL, wondering how far I shall get this time. I will make this short or will send nothing out, but I so appreciate your faithful prayers, both for our country and people and personally, for our family.
I did not finish the above because of the chaos and real danger caused by the massive fires that many of you know were set purposely, but some of you live in places where it was simply reported as 'wildfires' (if it was reported at all). This second set of fires caused our Memorial Day and Independence Day activities to be cancelled (although the Memorial Day ceremonies were carried out the evening before and the rehearsals for the Independence Day ceremonies were aired on television.) Our area prepared to be evacuated and our emergency bag was packed, but thankfully, we weren’t. Our Pastor and his wife were again evacuated for a second time, as well as dear brothers and sisters at Yad h’Shmona and other nearby villages. It was necessary to call in fire fighting planes from neighboring countries. I am sad to say that contrary to a video shared widely on Christian social media, there was no rain to speak of (although there were drops of mud, which happens when a hamseen breaks – very brief and leaving no moisture) I don’t know where the pictures came from, but it CERTAINLY was NOT happening all over the fire area. It looked like Jerusalem, which was NOT affected by the fires (except for the smell of smoke, thank God.) It grieves my heart deeply when people feel that they must exaggerate or make up stories to support the fact that GOD IS GREAT AND SOVEREIGN. HE IS ALSO TRUTH.
The storm was truly an unusual one with such high winds and high dry heat. Many stories of heroism came out of it as did much loss of forest and agricultural land…thankfully no lives.
A call went out over social media for Arabs to rise up and burn the land. Many have been arrested, even in the act of lighting fires. It is just so sad.
But God is speaking loudly, and yesterday and today there were unusual flash floods through our South...fires and floods. HE IS OUR SOLID ROCK.
AND the Houthis redoubled their attacks.
I fell behind with my writing because I was suddenly taken ill and was in the hospital, only for a few days, but I was there for two air raids, the second one being the one in which our defenses failed and a ballistic missile fell on the border of our main Airport…once again major airlines have cancelled their flights to Israel.
There IS a LOT of drama!
I took the pictures below while walking some days ago…for I suddenly was reminded that the fruit of the promise can be seen wherever we look; the baby fruits of Sukkot appear at Passover! God’s rhythms…His seasons WILL follow one another. May we understand His ways in His judgments!
I know that this is a patchy and bleak report…but I must go and hope to write again shortly!
LOVING BLESSINGS! From your sister (with Peace and a song of Thanksgiving in her heart) here.
“And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” ACTS 26:11-14
Greetings, brothers and sisters, in Him Who IS and WAS and IS TO COME. May He Alone be glorified and seen and may you be blessed and encouraged.
Today is the day BEFORE yom h’zkron – Memorial Day for the soldiers and victims of terror – and even though it is ‘the day before’…’THE’ day has already begun. Beginning tonight, there will be ceremonies all over the country, but today is a solemn day for the families (as of today, the names of 850 soldiers killed in this war have been released) who go to the graves today, before the crowds join them tomorrow. Each family has a soldier escort if they wish. Each bereaved family has a soldier assigned to them, to contact them, to help them and to make sure that they can navigate the
………………………………………………….
2 CHRONICLES 31:20-21 “Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.”
I greet you AGAIN, and STILL, wondering how far I shall get this time. I will make this short or will send nothing out, but I so appreciate your faithful prayers, both for our country and people and personally, for our family.
I did not finish the above because of the chaos and real danger caused by the massive fires that many of you know were set purposely, but some of you live in places where it was simply reported as 'wildfires' (if it was reported at all). This second set of fires caused our Memorial Day and Independence Day activities to be cancelled (although the Memorial Day ceremonies were carried out the evening before and the rehearsals for the Independence Day ceremonies were aired on television.) Our area prepared to be evacuated and our emergency bag was packed, but thankfully, we weren’t. Our Pastor and his wife were again evacuated for a second time, as well as dear brothers and sisters at Yad h’Shmona and other nearby villages. It was necessary to call in fire fighting planes from neighboring countries. I am sad to say that contrary to a video shared widely on Christian social media, there was no rain to speak of (although there were drops of mud, which happens when a hamseen breaks – very brief and leaving no moisture) I don’t know where the pictures came from, but it CERTAINLY was NOT happening all over the fire area. It looked like Jerusalem, which was NOT affected by the fires (except for the smell of smoke, thank God.) It grieves my heart deeply when people feel that they must exaggerate or make up stories to support the fact that GOD IS GREAT AND SOVEREIGN. HE IS ALSO TRUTH.
The storm was truly an unusual one with such high winds and high dry heat. Many stories of heroism came out of it as did much loss of forest and agricultural land…thankfully no lives.
A call went out over social media for Arabs to rise up and burn the land. Many have been arrested, even in the act of lighting fires. It is just so sad.
But God is speaking loudly, and yesterday and today there were unusual flash floods through our South...fires and floods. HE IS OUR SOLID ROCK.
AND the Houthis redoubled their attacks.
I fell behind with my writing because I was suddenly taken ill and was in the hospital, only for a few days, but I was there for two air raids, the second one being the one in which our defenses failed and a ballistic missile fell on the border of our main Airport…once again major airlines have cancelled their flights to Israel.
There IS a LOT of drama!
I took the pictures below while walking some days ago…for I suddenly was reminded that the fruit of the promise can be seen wherever we look; the baby fruits of Sukkot appear at Passover! God’s rhythms…His seasons WILL follow one another. May we understand His ways in His judgments!
I know that this is a patchy and bleak report…but I must go and hope to write again shortly!
LOVING BLESSINGS! From your sister (with Peace and a song of Thanksgiving in her heart) here.
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April 25, 2025
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,…” PHILIPIANS 1:3
“O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.” PSALM 140:7
Beloved sisters and brother, may you be blessed IN Yeshua h’Meshiach – Jesus Christ The Messiah…but above all, may The God of all Mercy, Peace and Judgment be glorified in your lives and mine…all of our days on this earth.
The siren sounded, but not the undulating one alerting us to take cover. We seem to live between the two these days. May we learn from what we remember! This siren was the steady two minute wail; the siren sounded at 10:00am on yom h’zkron h’shoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) from the North to the South, the length and breath of the entire country…calling everyone to enter into the mourning of the survivors…to stand still and help them to carry their life’s burden…and to REMEMBER. (It will sound again this coming Wednesday at 10:00 for the Memorial Day for Soldiers and victims of terror, just preceding Yom h'atzmaoot - Independence Day.)
The radio and television switched off all regular programming at 8pm last night and played older, sadder, meaningful music. There are also testimonies and discussions and movies that ‘tell the story’. Places of entertainment and restaurants are supposed to be closed, but over the passing years, more and more remain open (sadly, in my opinion).
But I’m jumping WAY ahead of myself here. That was TODAY! (SORRY! NOW YESTERDAY!...this letter takes awhile to write.)
So much to REMEMBER; so much seemed suddenly so significant and to take shape. Have these memories already dissipated into the fog of minutes running too swiftly for me to retain?
Yesterday was Wednesday the 23rd of April. You know that the Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar, and it is different than the western calendar. According to the Hebrew calendar, yesterday was 3 years since my husband, E..., left this world for His perfected one. Three years ago, we had stopped his funeral procession the following morning at 10am for the siren; it seemed appropriate to me. I was thinking about this yesterday as my bus to Jerusalem passed E...’s resting place. I had a 2:30 appointment and had gone into the city quite early, but as I walked around, the strong acrid smell of smoke began to sting my nose. The sky was ominous with smoke. It was a sha’arav (VERY hot dry weather) and the winds were strong. Obviously, there was a fire in the Jerusalem Hills. I couldn’t yet see it. Over the past years, since the last intifada, there has been, what you could call ‘fire warfare’ every summer, with deliberately set fires, and it is serious (we don’t know yet if that is the cause of this one). I checked my news and saw that it had begun in the Beit Shemesh region, just east of where I live, and an area in which there are many believers. Just then, our Kehila (fellowship) got a group whatsapp prayer request from our Pastors who were needing to evacuate immediately. [addendum: Praise God, their home was spared!] Fire IS devastating. Here was fire blackening the sky on the eve of yom h’zkeron h’shoah.
As I walked around Jerusalem in the thickening smoke, I couldn’t help but think about all of the changes in this city since we moved here more than 30 years ago. The city doesn’t even resemble the one that we came to. The young, ancient city that we came to had a 3 story limit (yes it did!) for new buildings, and all of the buildings in Jerusalem had to be faced with Jerusalem stone. There was, ofcourse, no lite rail and probably half of the cars that there are now…or less. There were still donkeys on the streets. (AND in the veterinarian’s office!) But that was 1994 and the modern state of Israel was just 46 years old, and E... and I were only 48. How we walk through the significant events of our lives, intended for us to learn…but we rush through, busy, and often don’t slow down enough to see and COMPREHEND the bigger picture.
Jerusalem today was covered, literally COVERED with posters! There are pictures of fallen soldiers interspersed with signs reading ‘AD H’NITZAKHON!’ Or UNTIL VICTORY! You understand that the country is greatly divided – much to the delight of our enemies. Part is saying ‘Free the hostages at ANY COST and end the war NOW!’ They don’t seem to remember the intent of the enemy to exterminate us. The quieter majority is calling for continuation of the war until Hamas is disarmed and no longer in power. That is the meaning of ‘UNTIL VICTORY’. Both sides equally want the hostages to all be returned ofcourse; that is a no-brainer.
There are also bumper stickers EVERYWHERE, but not on 'bumpers'...on walls and seats. They are (I believe) a unique phenomenon where both those killed on 7 October, and the many soldiers whose lives have been sacrificed to fight this battle are eulogized on (of all things) bumper stickers that paper our bus and train stops, lamp posts and even benches. The messages on them are filled with the love and longing of youth (‘How he loved life, music, and to travel, but he wanted a family.’ or ‘she was studying to be a doctor and was the kindest person that I ever knew.’ As I look at each one it is as if I can see someone touching the sticker and planting a kiss…they are unique, poignant…and everywhere.
I went into the lite rail offices to take care of some train card problems and was taken aback to see a large screen over the desks flashing the pictures of the hostages along with parts of their stories. This is in the train office! So, I hear it is in the airport…along with the ever present empty yellow chairs.
People are shopping, living, preparing, but there is not one space that is not echoing the emotions of this war…and its larger implications: weeping hearts.
Roads out of Jerusalem were closing quickly, so by the time that I needed to go home, I had to take a taxi. It is usually a 10-15 minute drive, but yesterday it was an hour and a half history lesson…and spiritual lesson. There was an argument among the drivers that I approached, concerning if it was possible to take me home or not, but when I finally got into a cab, the driver said; ‘I have driven you before, haven’t I?’ I looked and sure enough it was Y... N.... (meaning HE will Redeem, Light of GOD) whom I shared about before. My heart was joyful to see him, and I told him so. I had PLENTY of time to tell him that, since we spent an hour and a half searching for a way home, as roads continued to close in front of us. As we drove through back ways, Y.... shared with me about his youth, growing up in the Nachlaot neighborhood of the city, bordering the shuk. He shared a great deal about life in the city, and particularly before the 1973 war, which changed his views a great deal. It was fascinating! But as we drove off into the hills, my spiritual lesson began. It actually began as I wondered about these encounters with Y...; they seemed meaningful for some reason, so I lifted it to Him. Suddenly Y... began to talk about Wadi Sorek. Now, Wadi Sorek is a wonderful wild area that I know well since we made Aliyah. Early on, E... and I found an amazing goat farm out there, where the youngish family made and sold goat cheese. They were also taking in troubled kids as workers, teaching them to care for the land and to work hard. We loved the people and the place and went out there weekly. We would hike the hills and during those hikes we found many old bunkers and hidden caves with wonderful objects in them…some from the war of Independence, some with old kettles still on the crumbling fire pit etc. It was a most beloved area to us and we picked wild almonds and olives and fell in love with those hills. Y... looked at me and said; there ARE many bunkers in these hills, AND many secret things that we can not talk about. He smiled and I had chills running up and down my spine. I thought about how The Lord had led E... and I over the years through places that we didn’t know. He took us out of our home and that we had made in Alaska and brought us to the home that HE had for us…Oh! The intricate weaving of it all! REMEMBER! LOOK AND SEE WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR YOU AND FOR ME THROUGH THE FIRE AND THE FLOOD! THROUGH THE PAIN AND THE JOY! “THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US, WHEREOF WE ARE GLAD!”
Easy?
No way!
Worth it? For HIS GLORY?
May we walk it HIS way!
As the siren went off this morning, I prayed for K... Z.... She is 101 years old and as sweet as you could imagine. Kala and Noach were patients of my boss, Dr. R..... Each had been the only survivors of their respective families, from the concentration camps. They were brought to Israel where they found one another and married, and despite the horrors that they had endured (See the link to K...’s exhibit at Yad V’Shem, where she shared for many years), they became productive blessings in Israel. Both were artists, and N... became a Dentist, K... being his nurse. They raised 3 boys, two of whom became doctors. One day at work I was deeply saddened by the bitter tirade of another Holocaust survivor, who had said to me ‘If there is a god, he is a sadist and I would spit in his face.’ Just after that, K... walked in and asked me what was wrong. When I told her, the expression on her face became so deep and she said; ‘How sad that many did come out that way…but…If there WAS NO GOD, HOW COULD I HAVE SURVIVED? OFCOURSE GOD IS SO GOOD!’…This is K... and she is still sharing her hope here in Jerusalem.
There is a small exhibit of her life in Yad v’Shem and here is a link to the English. In Hebrew her name is Kala Zeltzer…the English seems to appear Selzer.
https://www.yadvashem.org/he/artifacts/featured/glove-grunberg-camp.html
This is a very inadequate letter. It has been an emotional and significant season…His ways and thoughts are far above mine. I can only marvel at the small amount of Him that I see and how much more I long for. We ARE in a surreal time when the very existence of the Jewish people and Israel is AGAIN being fought for. Planes are flying constantly, there are unexplained booms, sirens in the night and today yesterday another soldier was killed in Gaza. May we be found gazing at Him, doing His will.
May we rightly divide (by His Holy Spirit) The Whole counsel of His Word of Truth. May we obey Him, be gentle with one another and love what He loves…and hate what He hates.
May we do the next thing.
It is almost Shabbat. I have begun closing my phone except for emergencies on Shabbat as it is so much more restful, and remember, Shabbat IS SHABBAT here.
I am sorry that I left so much out!
God’s loving blessings,
Your sister here.
April 17, 2025
“Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams’ horns. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.”
2 Chronicles 15:12-15
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
Greetings brothers and sisters, in The Love of Him Who promised, and is true to all of His promises. Greetings in Him Who parted the sea, chose a people for His Own reasons and purposes, sent His Only Son to redeem His lost children, Him Who IS and Who WAS and IS COMING AGAIN! May you be blessed and encouraged and may He be glorified, feared and adored…and REMEMBERED!
I have not written as I normally do, just before Passover and at the beginning, and I was just jarred as I checked and saw that the celebration of The Resurrection is this coming Sunday. Our calendars here do not record the date, and so I must remember to look it up online. Because, as believers, we incorporate The Resurrection with the Pesach, the time of remembrance is observed individually, differently than in the western countries.
We are nearing the end of the 7 day observance of Passover here in just a few more days. It ends this coming Saturday night, 19 April this year. As I watch the balagan around me…the chaos and the division both here and in the world…I take heed to separate my spirit unto Him, as best as I can; to quiet it. Even the weather in most places seems to be reflecting the chaos all around us, doesn’t it?
As I have shared for the last 3o years with you, the picture of how our people prepare for the Passover…cleaning out all possible leaven, (chametz – and even the definition of LEAVEN is up for debate!) even using high powered hoses on the entire apartment after moving all of their furniture out into the street…most people had just about gotten their apartments clean when the sky turned a strange, ominous yellow, signaling a hot sand storm from the deserts of Egypt to Saudi Arabia and even North Africa. When hot, dry winds appear, they are called either a ‘sha’arav’, or an ‘kham’seen’, they are so dry that all water is literally sucked up and our skin can ‘hurt’ from such a dryness. When these winds occur in the Spring, they usually don’t last for too many days. During the summer they can last for a long, dusty time. When they are accompanied by the ‘yellow sky’, we know that it is a khamseen blowing in Saudi, N. African or Egyptian sand. It is nasty stuff in the lungs and needless to say, all of those clean surfaces, windows, cars…must be done again. When the rain suddenly appears, signaling that it is breaking, it actually rains MUD, leaving quite the mess behind.
So, that is how this year’s Pesach was ushered in.
It was sort of a good picture of the land spiritually and emotionally.
I didn’t hear anyone complain…people sighed and shrugged and cleaned again. We were preparing our hearts for the Passover…a heavy Passover with 59 captives (‘kha’too’feem חטופים) still not brought home after more than 500 days (as I write, 505 days). As we search our hearts for leaven (yes, this really is done here by many, and discussed in the streets, looking inward for that which offends God) we carry the heaviness of the indescribable situation that we find ourselves wearily in. There just ARE no words.
Since the Passover Sedar fell on Saturday night this year, it complicated the situation for observant wives, having to prepare 12 meals ahead of time, as no work is done either on Shabbat nor on high holy days. Our Kehila (fellowship) had a Sedar together this year, and I did so much want to be there. Our Messianic Sedars ofcourse include YESHUA; WHAT JOY! J.... (who is living with me and is such a blessing from God for me) got to go, but E... and Y... and our three smallest Grandchildren were going to be alone and so invited me (they had no room for J.... Y... slept on the couch so that I could have his place in their bed). With all of those meals for 6 of us, I set about preparing matzo lasagna for a milk meal and sweet and sour chicken for a meat meal. A friend helped me with meatballs and rice for another meat meal. Since they are religious Jews, they separate meat and milk…a rabbinic (not scriptural) command.
You probably remember that E..., our youngest daughter, lives quite rurally in Gush Etzion (Judea and Samaria which the world press refers to as ‘the west bank’ or ‘the settlements’). I was able to get a ride out to her home with a brother from K.... on Friday morning, and at sunset, we turned off all screens and our phones (a hard one!), and only lights that were left on would be used, as the command to kindle no flame is carried over to the use of electricity. The oven is also left on low for the entire time and certain items (like an electric kettle and refrigerator) are left on a ‘shabbat timer’ which goes on and off automatically.
Our Sedar was traditional and began at 8pm, finally ending at midnight with all of the traditional songs and the reciting of the Hillel (praise Psalms) and the children, aged 3-11, did a wonderful job of paying attention and participating to the maximum. It WAS fun, but oh how my heart longs to share Yeshua with them!
We are allowed to read and play games during this three day Shabbat, so, INTERESTINGLY, (thank YOU LORD), I have been reading the entire Narnia series to them. We finished up The Dawntreader and got to read how Reepacheep left into the kingdom of Light and how the children met The Lamb Who became The Lion and I can only pray that the veil will be removed and that one day (may it be soon!) they will meet The One Whom their hearts already love: The Lion/The Lamb (Rev. 5:5,6) To this end I pray!
On Monday morning I headed back home, this time with 11 year old M... and 8 year old N... in tow: It is a Grandmother’s great joy! They stayed for two days and today I am alone, and so I write. J... comes back this evening.
The Lord commands us to REMEMBER. This is a COMMAND! I spent a good amount of time thinking about this, for don’t we all THINK that we do remember the important things and really don’t forget them? We look at the children of Israel and by the beginning of chapter 16 of Exodus we read “And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness” … It wasn’t the first time that they complained and FORGOT, and, so sadly, not the last. We tend to look at them as fickle and faithless – unable to grasp what they had just experienced: and yet it is us! As I read through my Bible, I wonder at how many things that I had FORGOTTEN since I last read a particular section the last time. The Lord gave us ‘APPOINTED FEASTS’ for the purpose of PUTTING AN IMPORTANT LANDMARK IN REMEMBRANCE. He gave us an APPOINTED day of rest in which to remember HIM…He gave us times and seasons to stop and REMEMBER.
We are such poor, frail creatures…such sheep…that He had to send THE LAMB…His Own SON…to redeem us! We could NOT do it ourselves, and we still can not! Oh, the WONDER OF IT ALL!
And here, in His Israel, the bog continues. Our brave soldiers continue to dismantle hamas stone by stone…and to stand on the borders with Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan while the Houthis continue sending us ballistic missiles. On Pesach, I was reading to the girls when suddenly there was the wail of sirens and we sat on the bottom bunk of the girls’ bed. M... was visibly troubled and I pray for her…the children! We heard the booms as the body of the missile landed nearby in Ramala (Palestinian city) and big pieces of shrapnel hit in the area of Hebron, also nearby. The booms were loud…but then they stopped and we went back to reading.
The most grievous situation seems to me to be the division within the country (I KNOW that many of your countries are also experiencing this.) Before 7th of October, there was, as there is now, a non-relenting move to overthrow the government with constant disruptive demonstrations. Days before 7th October, a letter was written by retired airforce figures, calling for IDF pilots to not show up for service. This is being done again. There was (in my opinion) an excellent letter written in one of our media outlets today and I would like to share it with you, for, although we are battling huge and dangerous enemies on 7 fronts, I believe that the enemy within is the most serious. I’m reprinting this letter from Arutz 7:
Written by Haggai Luber is very well known in Israel as an actor, playwright, theater director, acting teacher, and the founder and artistic director of the Aspaklaria Theater and Acting School. He is the father of Yehonatan Hy"d, who fell in battle in Gaza in the Swords of Iron War, leaving a pregnant wife and infant son.
“To all those who blithely signed letters (former air force, intelligence and medical personnel, etc recently signed letters saying that the hostages must be freed even if the price is stopping the war, ed.) against the ongoing war, don’t wave your military-security past in our faces and don’t wave your professions in our faces, you are no more worthy than anyone else in Israel. Your past is irrelevant, and your profession is of no significance.
We have seen enough “emeriti” has-beens who in the name of their military record, pushed us into the blood-soaked, egregious Oslo disaster, we have seen the “intelligentsia” and the “wise experts” who led us to leave the Katif Bloc in the Gaza Strip while swearing that not one rocket would be launched from there and that tranquility would reign at our southern border. It did not quite work out that way. The time has come for a bit of humility.
To my mind, my sweet son Yonatan was killed because of the Oslo Accord adventure and the Disengagement, plans that most of you supported. The spirit of those disasters permeates every line of your letters.
Despite that, I am not accusing you of not valuing my son’s life and the lives of so many others who were victims of Oslo and the Disengagement from Gaza, nor am I accusing you for your naive eagerness to sign agreements with murderers. I am not accusing you of “personal and political interests” that made you advance the vision of the lauded “New Middle East” that collapsed on us.
Don’t you dare accuse me either.
You have opinions, and the right to express your opinions, but you do not have the right to taint me and millions of other people who think differently. You do not have the right to say that we want the war to continue because of a “desire for revenge” – that is a disgusting lie.
And on the same subject:
You do not have the right to say that we are willing to abandon the hostages because of “political and personal interests.” That, too, is an abominable lie. It is a mendacious portrayal of me, and of the government with whose policies millions agree, policies that say that in the name of the sanctity of the lives of the hostages, the citizens and the soldiers, it is incumbent upon us to continue to fight with all our might until the last terrorist is eliminated.
And don’t you dare preach to me about the “sanctity of life.” Believe me, I know what it is to lose someone. I cry for my fallen holy son every day, I want the hostages home no less than you do, but I still think differently than you. Say whatever you wish. Erase the idea of refusal to serve. And stop saying that all the truth and morality is in your hands. It is insulting to those who go out to battle as you do, it insults others in your profession who do not agree with you. It insults me. Become accustomed to hearing disagreements with respect, even on critical issues, and learn to listen to other opinions.
Leave your echo chamber.
Translation from Hebrew: Rochel Sylvetsky”
Dear brothers and sisters, may we keep our eyes steadfastly fixed, lest we forget…least we lose sight of the goal; the purpose; the Cross. May you each be blessed and encouraged. May you each fulfill His purpose for you, for He does have a purpose – a vision – for each of us. May we pray together ‘THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN’ and mean it…not my will, but Yours.
Thank you so much for praying for Israel…for praying His Heart…remembering that the promise is ‘to him who overcomes.’ Thank you so much for praying for my family, both here and S.... and her family in England.
May He be seen…risen in our hearts.
Loving blessings,
Your sister here.
“Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams’ horns. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.”
2 Chronicles 15:12-15
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
Greetings brothers and sisters, in The Love of Him Who promised, and is true to all of His promises. Greetings in Him Who parted the sea, chose a people for His Own reasons and purposes, sent His Only Son to redeem His lost children, Him Who IS and Who WAS and IS COMING AGAIN! May you be blessed and encouraged and may He be glorified, feared and adored…and REMEMBERED!
I have not written as I normally do, just before Passover and at the beginning, and I was just jarred as I checked and saw that the celebration of The Resurrection is this coming Sunday. Our calendars here do not record the date, and so I must remember to look it up online. Because, as believers, we incorporate The Resurrection with the Pesach, the time of remembrance is observed individually, differently than in the western countries.
We are nearing the end of the 7 day observance of Passover here in just a few more days. It ends this coming Saturday night, 19 April this year. As I watch the balagan around me…the chaos and the division both here and in the world…I take heed to separate my spirit unto Him, as best as I can; to quiet it. Even the weather in most places seems to be reflecting the chaos all around us, doesn’t it?
As I have shared for the last 3o years with you, the picture of how our people prepare for the Passover…cleaning out all possible leaven, (chametz – and even the definition of LEAVEN is up for debate!) even using high powered hoses on the entire apartment after moving all of their furniture out into the street…most people had just about gotten their apartments clean when the sky turned a strange, ominous yellow, signaling a hot sand storm from the deserts of Egypt to Saudi Arabia and even North Africa. When hot, dry winds appear, they are called either a ‘sha’arav’, or an ‘kham’seen’, they are so dry that all water is literally sucked up and our skin can ‘hurt’ from such a dryness. When these winds occur in the Spring, they usually don’t last for too many days. During the summer they can last for a long, dusty time. When they are accompanied by the ‘yellow sky’, we know that it is a khamseen blowing in Saudi, N. African or Egyptian sand. It is nasty stuff in the lungs and needless to say, all of those clean surfaces, windows, cars…must be done again. When the rain suddenly appears, signaling that it is breaking, it actually rains MUD, leaving quite the mess behind.
So, that is how this year’s Pesach was ushered in.
It was sort of a good picture of the land spiritually and emotionally.
I didn’t hear anyone complain…people sighed and shrugged and cleaned again. We were preparing our hearts for the Passover…a heavy Passover with 59 captives (‘kha’too’feem חטופים) still not brought home after more than 500 days (as I write, 505 days). As we search our hearts for leaven (yes, this really is done here by many, and discussed in the streets, looking inward for that which offends God) we carry the heaviness of the indescribable situation that we find ourselves wearily in. There just ARE no words.
Since the Passover Sedar fell on Saturday night this year, it complicated the situation for observant wives, having to prepare 12 meals ahead of time, as no work is done either on Shabbat nor on high holy days. Our Kehila (fellowship) had a Sedar together this year, and I did so much want to be there. Our Messianic Sedars ofcourse include YESHUA; WHAT JOY! J.... (who is living with me and is such a blessing from God for me) got to go, but E... and Y... and our three smallest Grandchildren were going to be alone and so invited me (they had no room for J.... Y... slept on the couch so that I could have his place in their bed). With all of those meals for 6 of us, I set about preparing matzo lasagna for a milk meal and sweet and sour chicken for a meat meal. A friend helped me with meatballs and rice for another meat meal. Since they are religious Jews, they separate meat and milk…a rabbinic (not scriptural) command.
You probably remember that E..., our youngest daughter, lives quite rurally in Gush Etzion (Judea and Samaria which the world press refers to as ‘the west bank’ or ‘the settlements’). I was able to get a ride out to her home with a brother from K.... on Friday morning, and at sunset, we turned off all screens and our phones (a hard one!), and only lights that were left on would be used, as the command to kindle no flame is carried over to the use of electricity. The oven is also left on low for the entire time and certain items (like an electric kettle and refrigerator) are left on a ‘shabbat timer’ which goes on and off automatically.
Our Sedar was traditional and began at 8pm, finally ending at midnight with all of the traditional songs and the reciting of the Hillel (praise Psalms) and the children, aged 3-11, did a wonderful job of paying attention and participating to the maximum. It WAS fun, but oh how my heart longs to share Yeshua with them!
We are allowed to read and play games during this three day Shabbat, so, INTERESTINGLY, (thank YOU LORD), I have been reading the entire Narnia series to them. We finished up The Dawntreader and got to read how Reepacheep left into the kingdom of Light and how the children met The Lamb Who became The Lion and I can only pray that the veil will be removed and that one day (may it be soon!) they will meet The One Whom their hearts already love: The Lion/The Lamb (Rev. 5:5,6) To this end I pray!
On Monday morning I headed back home, this time with 11 year old M... and 8 year old N... in tow: It is a Grandmother’s great joy! They stayed for two days and today I am alone, and so I write. J... comes back this evening.
The Lord commands us to REMEMBER. This is a COMMAND! I spent a good amount of time thinking about this, for don’t we all THINK that we do remember the important things and really don’t forget them? We look at the children of Israel and by the beginning of chapter 16 of Exodus we read “And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness” … It wasn’t the first time that they complained and FORGOT, and, so sadly, not the last. We tend to look at them as fickle and faithless – unable to grasp what they had just experienced: and yet it is us! As I read through my Bible, I wonder at how many things that I had FORGOTTEN since I last read a particular section the last time. The Lord gave us ‘APPOINTED FEASTS’ for the purpose of PUTTING AN IMPORTANT LANDMARK IN REMEMBRANCE. He gave us an APPOINTED day of rest in which to remember HIM…He gave us times and seasons to stop and REMEMBER.
We are such poor, frail creatures…such sheep…that He had to send THE LAMB…His Own SON…to redeem us! We could NOT do it ourselves, and we still can not! Oh, the WONDER OF IT ALL!
And here, in His Israel, the bog continues. Our brave soldiers continue to dismantle hamas stone by stone…and to stand on the borders with Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan while the Houthis continue sending us ballistic missiles. On Pesach, I was reading to the girls when suddenly there was the wail of sirens and we sat on the bottom bunk of the girls’ bed. M... was visibly troubled and I pray for her…the children! We heard the booms as the body of the missile landed nearby in Ramala (Palestinian city) and big pieces of shrapnel hit in the area of Hebron, also nearby. The booms were loud…but then they stopped and we went back to reading.
The most grievous situation seems to me to be the division within the country (I KNOW that many of your countries are also experiencing this.) Before 7th of October, there was, as there is now, a non-relenting move to overthrow the government with constant disruptive demonstrations. Days before 7th October, a letter was written by retired airforce figures, calling for IDF pilots to not show up for service. This is being done again. There was (in my opinion) an excellent letter written in one of our media outlets today and I would like to share it with you, for, although we are battling huge and dangerous enemies on 7 fronts, I believe that the enemy within is the most serious. I’m reprinting this letter from Arutz 7:
Written by Haggai Luber is very well known in Israel as an actor, playwright, theater director, acting teacher, and the founder and artistic director of the Aspaklaria Theater and Acting School. He is the father of Yehonatan Hy"d, who fell in battle in Gaza in the Swords of Iron War, leaving a pregnant wife and infant son.
“To all those who blithely signed letters (former air force, intelligence and medical personnel, etc recently signed letters saying that the hostages must be freed even if the price is stopping the war, ed.) against the ongoing war, don’t wave your military-security past in our faces and don’t wave your professions in our faces, you are no more worthy than anyone else in Israel. Your past is irrelevant, and your profession is of no significance.
We have seen enough “emeriti” has-beens who in the name of their military record, pushed us into the blood-soaked, egregious Oslo disaster, we have seen the “intelligentsia” and the “wise experts” who led us to leave the Katif Bloc in the Gaza Strip while swearing that not one rocket would be launched from there and that tranquility would reign at our southern border. It did not quite work out that way. The time has come for a bit of humility.
To my mind, my sweet son Yonatan was killed because of the Oslo Accord adventure and the Disengagement, plans that most of you supported. The spirit of those disasters permeates every line of your letters.
Despite that, I am not accusing you of not valuing my son’s life and the lives of so many others who were victims of Oslo and the Disengagement from Gaza, nor am I accusing you for your naive eagerness to sign agreements with murderers. I am not accusing you of “personal and political interests” that made you advance the vision of the lauded “New Middle East” that collapsed on us.
Don’t you dare accuse me either.
You have opinions, and the right to express your opinions, but you do not have the right to taint me and millions of other people who think differently. You do not have the right to say that we want the war to continue because of a “desire for revenge” – that is a disgusting lie.
And on the same subject:
You do not have the right to say that we are willing to abandon the hostages because of “political and personal interests.” That, too, is an abominable lie. It is a mendacious portrayal of me, and of the government with whose policies millions agree, policies that say that in the name of the sanctity of the lives of the hostages, the citizens and the soldiers, it is incumbent upon us to continue to fight with all our might until the last terrorist is eliminated.
And don’t you dare preach to me about the “sanctity of life.” Believe me, I know what it is to lose someone. I cry for my fallen holy son every day, I want the hostages home no less than you do, but I still think differently than you. Say whatever you wish. Erase the idea of refusal to serve. And stop saying that all the truth and morality is in your hands. It is insulting to those who go out to battle as you do, it insults others in your profession who do not agree with you. It insults me. Become accustomed to hearing disagreements with respect, even on critical issues, and learn to listen to other opinions.
Leave your echo chamber.
Translation from Hebrew: Rochel Sylvetsky”
Dear brothers and sisters, may we keep our eyes steadfastly fixed, lest we forget…least we lose sight of the goal; the purpose; the Cross. May you each be blessed and encouraged. May you each fulfill His purpose for you, for He does have a purpose – a vision – for each of us. May we pray together ‘THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN’ and mean it…not my will, but Yours.
Thank you so much for praying for Israel…for praying His Heart…remembering that the promise is ‘to him who overcomes.’ Thank you so much for praying for my family, both here and S.... and her family in England.
May He be seen…risen in our hearts.
Loving blessings,
Your sister here.
March 30, 2025
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil…If You are … But He answered and said, “It is written... “If You are… For it is written:… Jesus said to him, “It is written again…Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” MATTHEW 4:1-11
Blessed greetings in Yeshua, in Jesus, sisters and brothers. May you be blessed and encouraged and may The Lord Alone be glorified.
It is redundant for me to repeat what I am feeling; that it has become increasingly difficult for me to write.
I found a box of old papers and amongst the scraps and photos, there were some notes that I had scribbled, dated 11.11.2004, intending to write a letter. As I read through the notes, I was struck by two things: 1) how little has changed in the past 21 years, albeit the intensity has greatly increased, and 2) how, back then, my pen was still full of lively observation; not yet bogged down by layers and layers of experiences becoming too difficult to dissect accurately. Sometimes I think of what it would be like to be a neurosurgeon and have to divide itty bitty cells…so complex.
The notes which I was reading through, were telling you all about the death of Yassar Arafat. At the time, I was stunned by the international media response…the adulations and praise heaped upon this master terrorist. All of Israel stood in shock, watching this demonstration of blind veneration…almost worship of him, and such deep AFFECTION! I had noted Revelation 17:7 when the angel said to John ‘Why did you marvel?’ when he saw the harlot Babylon.
We are heading toward Passover (Pesach). It seems more real this year. It is not just a holiday or a time to remember what happened in the ancient past, but somehow it feels alive and real for today…as if it is happening again. And surely, again, we need God’s divine intervention…His Own Hand to judge in righteous judgment, the enemy and their gods…to release His captive children and to part the sea that we might find our way through to the promised land…again.
Stores are cleaning their shelves and separating the ‘hametz’ (food with leaven) from the foods that are ‘kosher for Pesach’. In about two weeks, Pesach begins. This year it starts at sundown on Saturday the 12th of April. It is celebrated by sharing a huge meal around the reading of a small book called the ‘haggada’, which contains a retelling of the story of the Exodus, replete with rabbinical interpretations, songs, traditions; we are talking about a 3-6 hour meal gathering! In the stores, the aisles containing shelves with the hametz will be sealed off in shrink wrap (yes, full aisles!) and closed by a rabbinical seal until the 7 days of the feast have ended. Passover is one of the 3 ‘high holy Sabbaths’, set apart by God when all men of Israel are commanded to come up to Jerusalem and present themselves (“not emptyhanded”) before God. The other two are Shavuot (Pentecost, 50 days after Passover), and then Sukkot, the 8 day ‘feast of tabernacles’, celebrated in the fall of the year.
When we lived in Alaska (a remote area – Naknek), we read Exodus 4-14 (yep!) instead of the Haggadah every year. (We fulfilled our hours!)
So…what do I see in today’s reality? That is what He told me; “What you see…write.”
How can I put it into words? The country is weary and exhausted…but I also see a large part of the people setting their faces like flint and turning toward God! Yes, I do. When you are in the reality and grief of war for THIS LONG…many many people seem to be coming to the question: ‘Is The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob real? Did He mean what He said? Do I…ME…do I BELIEVE??’ I mean…these are serious times … times that we are dying for and in… and if it is not about HIM…then what?’ This is my observation. Not everyone would agree with me. There is a violent uprising going on in the country and it is loud, noisy and very disruptive. I’ve noticed over my years that uprisings need ‘buzz words’. We hear ‘The government is destroying our democracy! Prime Minister Netanyahu is a dictator who is dismantling the country! The government doesn’t CARE about the hostages (!!) Overthrow the government!’ This is an awful thing to be happening in the midst of a war for our very existence. BUT GOD!
I began to notice something…and so I began to search His Word. Aside from possibly King Solomon, I could not find a leader against whom the people did not rise up and rebel! And the thing that I found MOST interesting is that it happened to Moses (whom God Himself called by name, anointed, led face to Face and called the most humble man whoever lived!), it happened to David, who God called by name and anointed as He did Moses, and whom He called a man AFTER HIS OWN HEART! It happened to Samuel, to Gideon, to every leader. AND LOOK! IT HAPPENED TO YESHUA!!!
I went back to the shocking account of Koreh in Numbers 16. I began to ask God: ‘What is it in man that must rebel against leaders?’ And I began to look around at all of the rebellion against GOD HIMSELF…my own awful rebellion! I listen in the body of believers who have KNOWN Him and been touched by Him saying things like ‘Well, if He WERE God, why would THIS happen?’ or ‘Where ARE His mercies? How can He allow such an awful thing…’ which leads to ‘IF I WERE GOD, I WOULDN’T ALLOW THIS…’ Didn’t satan say that? In the very garden of Eden? Absolom wooed this kingdom from his father King David with these words…and Judas JUDGED YESHUA HIMSELF over how he would use financial resources (he must have judged Yeshua in other things as well). WE ARE THE POT SHERDS SPEAKING TO THE POTTER!
I am praying that this war brings our people to the place where THE FEAR OF GOD overtakes our rebellious hearts! What Biblical examples we have in Daniel, Joseph, Abraham of men not perfect but UNDERSTANDING that no matter what we see with our eyes…HE IS GOD! HALLELUYAH! May we NEVER be found judging God! My heart weeps.
The planes are flying overhead and the dry dry winter is giving way to strange weather. The clouds are dramatic! “The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.” 2 Chronicles 6:1 Second Chronicles is a beautiful chapter as Solomon begins to dedicate the temple! We all know oft quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14, but the humility and beauty of this prayer is something I long to re-capture in my own praying…the awe of Who He IS is so very humbling!
This morning there was another ballistic missile launch from the Yemenite terror group, the Houthis, that set off air raid sirens across all of central Israel. What a miracle that they have not killed a single person with their nearly daily attacks. Ballistic missiles of this size are capable of inflicting massive damage, but thus far, our defense systems have successfully intercepted them. The air raid sirens ARE ‘scary’ in themselves, and then the huge ‘booms’ from the interceptions are pretty jarring. Large pieces of shrapnel fall across the country as we all shelter. It’s a trip! My 11 year old Granddaughter, has begun to have some fear. She has been caught walking home from school or to a friend’s house, feeling alone…and scared. Where as these attacks used to take place in the middle of the night, we now don’t know WHEN they will come, and several friends with small children have been caught on the bus and had to exit the bus and lay on top of their children in a corner. It is awfully difficult to describe these feelings, but the whole population is experiencing it…old and young…crippled and strong…here we are and this is our portion at this time.
As I was reading Matthew 4 this morning, The Lord’s temptation in the wilderness struck me afresh. Ofcourse we all know this portion of scripture well, but sometimes the enemy’s attacks are ‘in your face persistent’ and The Lord’s answers were like arrows set on the string, ready to be fired off; ‘IT IS WRITTEN’! In times like this we can often hear the enemy saying to us ‘IF YOU ARE…!’ IF YOU ARE in The Lord’s will…IF YOU ARE really His disciple…IF YOU ARE really following The Truth. What a BLESSING that we can go quickly back to The Word planted in our hearts and minds and shoot back ‘IT IS WRITTEN!’ and faith arises.
What else should I share? I was blessed to go out to Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion (Judea and Samaria) where my daughter and family live. I spent a wonderful night reading Narnia to them and even though there was a particularly scary air raid at 8pm, I was blessed.
Wednesday was already 3 years since my husband fell, and in just over 3 weeks it will be 3 years since he left…how strange…this new world…daily my hand in His not knowing where I walk.
Today is Eid ul Fitr…marking the end of the Muslim Ramadan. Ramadan this year passed relatively quietly, for which we thank God. In past years, some people have tried to demonstrate their zeal by carrying out horrific attacks against Jews.
May we praise His Name together as one! May we be found gazing at Him! May the fruit of His Spirit grow ripe as we are pruned, fertilized, and face the cold wet and the dry wind. May we be found in His Peace. MAY WE BRING HIM GLORY! I am so thankful for His Body! Many of you know Janet, who is living with me as she volunteers with Bridges for Peace and I wonder at His Love Who has watched over me so lovingly…I am so very blessed. He is ‘enough’!
God bless and encourage each of you. May we ultimately be presented to Him as a sweet smelling savor.
Lovingly, a sister.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil…If You are … But He answered and said, “It is written... “If You are… For it is written:… Jesus said to him, “It is written again…Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” MATTHEW 4:1-11
Blessed greetings in Yeshua, in Jesus, sisters and brothers. May you be blessed and encouraged and may The Lord Alone be glorified.
It is redundant for me to repeat what I am feeling; that it has become increasingly difficult for me to write.
I found a box of old papers and amongst the scraps and photos, there were some notes that I had scribbled, dated 11.11.2004, intending to write a letter. As I read through the notes, I was struck by two things: 1) how little has changed in the past 21 years, albeit the intensity has greatly increased, and 2) how, back then, my pen was still full of lively observation; not yet bogged down by layers and layers of experiences becoming too difficult to dissect accurately. Sometimes I think of what it would be like to be a neurosurgeon and have to divide itty bitty cells…so complex.
The notes which I was reading through, were telling you all about the death of Yassar Arafat. At the time, I was stunned by the international media response…the adulations and praise heaped upon this master terrorist. All of Israel stood in shock, watching this demonstration of blind veneration…almost worship of him, and such deep AFFECTION! I had noted Revelation 17:7 when the angel said to John ‘Why did you marvel?’ when he saw the harlot Babylon.
We are heading toward Passover (Pesach). It seems more real this year. It is not just a holiday or a time to remember what happened in the ancient past, but somehow it feels alive and real for today…as if it is happening again. And surely, again, we need God’s divine intervention…His Own Hand to judge in righteous judgment, the enemy and their gods…to release His captive children and to part the sea that we might find our way through to the promised land…again.
Stores are cleaning their shelves and separating the ‘hametz’ (food with leaven) from the foods that are ‘kosher for Pesach’. In about two weeks, Pesach begins. This year it starts at sundown on Saturday the 12th of April. It is celebrated by sharing a huge meal around the reading of a small book called the ‘haggada’, which contains a retelling of the story of the Exodus, replete with rabbinical interpretations, songs, traditions; we are talking about a 3-6 hour meal gathering! In the stores, the aisles containing shelves with the hametz will be sealed off in shrink wrap (yes, full aisles!) and closed by a rabbinical seal until the 7 days of the feast have ended. Passover is one of the 3 ‘high holy Sabbaths’, set apart by God when all men of Israel are commanded to come up to Jerusalem and present themselves (“not emptyhanded”) before God. The other two are Shavuot (Pentecost, 50 days after Passover), and then Sukkot, the 8 day ‘feast of tabernacles’, celebrated in the fall of the year.
When we lived in Alaska (a remote area – Naknek), we read Exodus 4-14 (yep!) instead of the Haggadah every year. (We fulfilled our hours!)
So…what do I see in today’s reality? That is what He told me; “What you see…write.”
How can I put it into words? The country is weary and exhausted…but I also see a large part of the people setting their faces like flint and turning toward God! Yes, I do. When you are in the reality and grief of war for THIS LONG…many many people seem to be coming to the question: ‘Is The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob real? Did He mean what He said? Do I…ME…do I BELIEVE??’ I mean…these are serious times … times that we are dying for and in… and if it is not about HIM…then what?’ This is my observation. Not everyone would agree with me. There is a violent uprising going on in the country and it is loud, noisy and very disruptive. I’ve noticed over my years that uprisings need ‘buzz words’. We hear ‘The government is destroying our democracy! Prime Minister Netanyahu is a dictator who is dismantling the country! The government doesn’t CARE about the hostages (!!) Overthrow the government!’ This is an awful thing to be happening in the midst of a war for our very existence. BUT GOD!
I began to notice something…and so I began to search His Word. Aside from possibly King Solomon, I could not find a leader against whom the people did not rise up and rebel! And the thing that I found MOST interesting is that it happened to Moses (whom God Himself called by name, anointed, led face to Face and called the most humble man whoever lived!), it happened to David, who God called by name and anointed as He did Moses, and whom He called a man AFTER HIS OWN HEART! It happened to Samuel, to Gideon, to every leader. AND LOOK! IT HAPPENED TO YESHUA!!!
I went back to the shocking account of Koreh in Numbers 16. I began to ask God: ‘What is it in man that must rebel against leaders?’ And I began to look around at all of the rebellion against GOD HIMSELF…my own awful rebellion! I listen in the body of believers who have KNOWN Him and been touched by Him saying things like ‘Well, if He WERE God, why would THIS happen?’ or ‘Where ARE His mercies? How can He allow such an awful thing…’ which leads to ‘IF I WERE GOD, I WOULDN’T ALLOW THIS…’ Didn’t satan say that? In the very garden of Eden? Absolom wooed this kingdom from his father King David with these words…and Judas JUDGED YESHUA HIMSELF over how he would use financial resources (he must have judged Yeshua in other things as well). WE ARE THE POT SHERDS SPEAKING TO THE POTTER!
I am praying that this war brings our people to the place where THE FEAR OF GOD overtakes our rebellious hearts! What Biblical examples we have in Daniel, Joseph, Abraham of men not perfect but UNDERSTANDING that no matter what we see with our eyes…HE IS GOD! HALLELUYAH! May we NEVER be found judging God! My heart weeps.
The planes are flying overhead and the dry dry winter is giving way to strange weather. The clouds are dramatic! “The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.” 2 Chronicles 6:1 Second Chronicles is a beautiful chapter as Solomon begins to dedicate the temple! We all know oft quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14, but the humility and beauty of this prayer is something I long to re-capture in my own praying…the awe of Who He IS is so very humbling!
This morning there was another ballistic missile launch from the Yemenite terror group, the Houthis, that set off air raid sirens across all of central Israel. What a miracle that they have not killed a single person with their nearly daily attacks. Ballistic missiles of this size are capable of inflicting massive damage, but thus far, our defense systems have successfully intercepted them. The air raid sirens ARE ‘scary’ in themselves, and then the huge ‘booms’ from the interceptions are pretty jarring. Large pieces of shrapnel fall across the country as we all shelter. It’s a trip! My 11 year old Granddaughter, has begun to have some fear. She has been caught walking home from school or to a friend’s house, feeling alone…and scared. Where as these attacks used to take place in the middle of the night, we now don’t know WHEN they will come, and several friends with small children have been caught on the bus and had to exit the bus and lay on top of their children in a corner. It is awfully difficult to describe these feelings, but the whole population is experiencing it…old and young…crippled and strong…here we are and this is our portion at this time.
As I was reading Matthew 4 this morning, The Lord’s temptation in the wilderness struck me afresh. Ofcourse we all know this portion of scripture well, but sometimes the enemy’s attacks are ‘in your face persistent’ and The Lord’s answers were like arrows set on the string, ready to be fired off; ‘IT IS WRITTEN’! In times like this we can often hear the enemy saying to us ‘IF YOU ARE…!’ IF YOU ARE in The Lord’s will…IF YOU ARE really His disciple…IF YOU ARE really following The Truth. What a BLESSING that we can go quickly back to The Word planted in our hearts and minds and shoot back ‘IT IS WRITTEN!’ and faith arises.
What else should I share? I was blessed to go out to Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion (Judea and Samaria) where my daughter and family live. I spent a wonderful night reading Narnia to them and even though there was a particularly scary air raid at 8pm, I was blessed.
Wednesday was already 3 years since my husband fell, and in just over 3 weeks it will be 3 years since he left…how strange…this new world…daily my hand in His not knowing where I walk.
Today is Eid ul Fitr…marking the end of the Muslim Ramadan. Ramadan this year passed relatively quietly, for which we thank God. In past years, some people have tried to demonstrate their zeal by carrying out horrific attacks against Jews.
May we praise His Name together as one! May we be found gazing at Him! May the fruit of His Spirit grow ripe as we are pruned, fertilized, and face the cold wet and the dry wind. May we be found in His Peace. MAY WE BRING HIM GLORY! I am so thankful for His Body! Many of you know Janet, who is living with me as she volunteers with Bridges for Peace and I wonder at His Love Who has watched over me so lovingly…I am so very blessed. He is ‘enough’!
God bless and encourage each of you. May we ultimately be presented to Him as a sweet smelling savor.
Lovingly, a sister.
March 11, 2025
“When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians… Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”
1 Chronicles 19:10 and 13
“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.”
Revelation 8:3-5
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Yeshua, Jesus, SHALOM.
PEACE be unto…from GOD THE FATHER…and THE LORD YESHUA H’MESIACH – JESUS CHRIST. May HE ALONE be glorified and may you be edified and encouraged.
PEACE! What a…a ‘what’? What IS Peace? Is it a ‘thing?’, an ‘entity?’ an ‘emotion?’, a ‘place?’…a state of being? Is it so precious to us until it is taken away? How many things are not fully precious to us until they have been taken away; think of it! I took my knees for granted until I fell off of the back of a pickup truck and saw how precious they were. Is it our family, our health, our homes? How He has gifted us in this generation. We have had Bibles in abundance…His Word freely given. We have had how many years on this earth? Oh what GIFTS He’s given us!
More than 50 years ago now was my (oh praise His Name!) night of my salvation. Up until then I had never experienced peace. I was driven, in constant anguish, never at rest: I seemed to have been born with a soul in agony. But, OH THAT NIGHT, I met PEACE! I sat down in a seat after I had been born again (having never even heard that term) and a friend turned to me and said ‘What happened?’ I said ‘I don’t know…but I am SILENT inside (no roaring, no silent scream) and I feel as if I have been born all over again…I am a brand new baby.’ They laughed and said ‘She’s been born again!’ and I had no idea what they meant…but that SILENCE! I kept touching my chest, trying to know what this PEACE was. That PEACE in my heart was the most precious thing that I had ever felt! All of the distracting chatter and the presence of the enemy was GONE and HIS PEACE flooded me.
How rare PEACE is in this world…and how PRECIOUS it is. Once it is taken away, we can search for it all that like, but, like a butterfly or a bird…it is illusive, fragile and will not come…unless it DOES on its own terms.
A cease fire is not peace. And, ofcourse, the peace of this world is not “HIS PEACE. “ John 14:28 brings my heart back to The Rock “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Through these 522 days of war and cease fires I have only experienced some ‘fear’ once; the first time Iran rained its bombs on us. I felt very alone, with my small dog and non-stop sirens. I called my daughter and she prayed for me and His Peace returned.
We have now had this very odd ‘cease fire’ arrangement for some 7 weeks. For the first 6 of those weeks, we received captives home each shabbat. The country stood still…held its breath…wept its tears and wrestled with emotions that we couldn’t identify and didn’t know existed.
Now we have been in, what can only be described as a ‘holding pattern’ for the past two weeks. Living some 15 years in remote Alaska, there was no way to leave our area except by plane. In the summer, barges could get through the waters, but there were no passenger ships, no roads and the valley of 10,000 smokes (a mountain range between us and center of Alaska,) was uncrossable, even by dog sled. In the winter, when the lakes and tundra were frozen, we could travel by dogsled (now mostly pulled by snow machines) between villages, but all except local travel was by plane. The weather was very extreme and many of the runways were ‘exciting’ to say the least. I keenly remember flying into Dillingham one stormy night. The ‘fog’ was so thick that the pilot couldn’t land. He announced that we would circle for as long as fuel would allow and hope for a break in the weather. We circled in that ‘holding pattern’ for nearly an hour. We could see nothing outside of the windows and it was eerie. Just after the pilot announced that we would have to get to another open air strip in a different village, SUDDENLY the plane dropped dramatically and everyone screamed; the pilot had seen lights below through a quick break in the clouds and took it! Dillingham is a village surrounded on 3 sides by treacherous mountains and water on the 4th side. The runway is very short. It was…EXCITING…(you could say). As I think about it, my heart still races. That describes to me a holding pattern; you can see nothing and are completely at the mercy of someone else’s skill. (Now I KNOW that there ARE less dramatic ‘holding pattern’s’ when a plane is simply waiting for its turn…but that is not how this feels.)
We know very little. Really, we ALL know very little about anything much. Even being extremely knowledgeable often dresses us up in ‘the clothes of knowing’ but it does not always add up to ‘knowing’. During these past weeks, most of the main leadership of the IDF has stepped down and been replaced with fresh leadership who seem honorable and worthy of their positions. The leadership in Syria has shown more of his true colors. Having been first a leader of Al Kaieda and then ISIS, putting on a suit and kind words didn’t necessarily mean a heart change. Europe and the UN rushed to embrace him, but after the slaughter of 1,000 this past weekend, I hope that they take note. Egypt has taken these weeks to mass tanks at our border placing our long standing peace with them in question. Turkey is stirring. We have seen MANY videos and photos (and I have first hand reports from soldiers) of Hamas in Gaza sauntering up to the cease fire line and burying bombs in plain site of the troops who are forbidden to fire. It’s INSANE!
Meanwhile, a number of the captives who were released have openly declared that The Presence of The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sustained them tangibly. One in particular has gripped many. Eli Sharabi came out of captivity looking like a skeleton, having been chained, starved, beaten and left alone in a tunnel for much of the more than 500 days, not knowing that his wife, two daughters and brother had all been killed. He spoke of the strong Presence of God sustaining him. He was NOT a religious man, so people listen.
The streets are still lined with protestors of all agendas, brother against brother.
Purim (Ester fast is Wed-Thurs) begins Thursday night – Friday night (Shushan Purim, only in Jerusalem – the walled city – is from Friday night through Saturday night)…where the country WILL rejoice…and too many will party…no matter what. My youngest Granddaughter, all of 3, was dressed up as a beautiful ‘Princess Ester’ this morning for her ‘gan’s’ (kindergarten) Purim party. This morning my daughter sent her sister and I pictures of all of the little Esters and Mordechais, my heart stirred to pray that they might have the HEART of those who prevailed before God, for we face the very same enemy today.
And we have a serious drought problem looming before us as we are experiencing our first heat wave already this week following the driest winter in more than 100 years.
This letter must sound pretty dreary. It is only describing the things that I see and hear around me…but oh, within! HIS PEACE REIGNS FOR HE IS SOVREIGN LORD, CREATOR, THE LIVING WORD, and my heart is settled in Him. I took heart from the word above in 1 Chronicles “…Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” There is such PEACE in the prayer ‘And may The Lord do what is good in His sight”…Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. I realize that I KNOW HIM as TRUSTWORTHY and SOVREIGN, no matter how deep and muddy the waters, nor how thick the storm clouds, HE knows the way THROUGH.
We are already beginning to prepare for Passover, which is such a signpost to HIM HIMSELF! Just think, we have been remembering Passover for how many millennia? Remembering that, against ALL ODDS, HE judged, chose a people to bring through the waters and through the desert…to feed and lead, to teach and love…we are all part of this amazing story so we dare not grow weary along the way, but lift up our eyes unto Him Who is able to keep us from falling and present us faultless in that day! May we consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. (Heb. 12:3)
It is amazing that we have been chosen unto HIS kingdom…out of this broken one. I have tried to describe the one (kingdom) that needs saving, that we might pray. I trust that you, in your great stresses, also are walking in the PEACE of His kingdom. It is where He has called us to.
I received the link below today from a dear sister and find it most comforting. Perhaps it will also bless you. May The Lord be most precious in your sight … may we trust and obey, all the way.
Loving blessings, your sister here.
PSALM 91 AND 23
“When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians… Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”
1 Chronicles 19:10 and 13
“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.”
Revelation 8:3-5
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Yeshua, Jesus, SHALOM.
PEACE be unto…from GOD THE FATHER…and THE LORD YESHUA H’MESIACH – JESUS CHRIST. May HE ALONE be glorified and may you be edified and encouraged.
PEACE! What a…a ‘what’? What IS Peace? Is it a ‘thing?’, an ‘entity?’ an ‘emotion?’, a ‘place?’…a state of being? Is it so precious to us until it is taken away? How many things are not fully precious to us until they have been taken away; think of it! I took my knees for granted until I fell off of the back of a pickup truck and saw how precious they were. Is it our family, our health, our homes? How He has gifted us in this generation. We have had Bibles in abundance…His Word freely given. We have had how many years on this earth? Oh what GIFTS He’s given us!
More than 50 years ago now was my (oh praise His Name!) night of my salvation. Up until then I had never experienced peace. I was driven, in constant anguish, never at rest: I seemed to have been born with a soul in agony. But, OH THAT NIGHT, I met PEACE! I sat down in a seat after I had been born again (having never even heard that term) and a friend turned to me and said ‘What happened?’ I said ‘I don’t know…but I am SILENT inside (no roaring, no silent scream) and I feel as if I have been born all over again…I am a brand new baby.’ They laughed and said ‘She’s been born again!’ and I had no idea what they meant…but that SILENCE! I kept touching my chest, trying to know what this PEACE was. That PEACE in my heart was the most precious thing that I had ever felt! All of the distracting chatter and the presence of the enemy was GONE and HIS PEACE flooded me.
How rare PEACE is in this world…and how PRECIOUS it is. Once it is taken away, we can search for it all that like, but, like a butterfly or a bird…it is illusive, fragile and will not come…unless it DOES on its own terms.
A cease fire is not peace. And, ofcourse, the peace of this world is not “HIS PEACE. “ John 14:28 brings my heart back to The Rock “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Through these 522 days of war and cease fires I have only experienced some ‘fear’ once; the first time Iran rained its bombs on us. I felt very alone, with my small dog and non-stop sirens. I called my daughter and she prayed for me and His Peace returned.
We have now had this very odd ‘cease fire’ arrangement for some 7 weeks. For the first 6 of those weeks, we received captives home each shabbat. The country stood still…held its breath…wept its tears and wrestled with emotions that we couldn’t identify and didn’t know existed.
Now we have been in, what can only be described as a ‘holding pattern’ for the past two weeks. Living some 15 years in remote Alaska, there was no way to leave our area except by plane. In the summer, barges could get through the waters, but there were no passenger ships, no roads and the valley of 10,000 smokes (a mountain range between us and center of Alaska,) was uncrossable, even by dog sled. In the winter, when the lakes and tundra were frozen, we could travel by dogsled (now mostly pulled by snow machines) between villages, but all except local travel was by plane. The weather was very extreme and many of the runways were ‘exciting’ to say the least. I keenly remember flying into Dillingham one stormy night. The ‘fog’ was so thick that the pilot couldn’t land. He announced that we would circle for as long as fuel would allow and hope for a break in the weather. We circled in that ‘holding pattern’ for nearly an hour. We could see nothing outside of the windows and it was eerie. Just after the pilot announced that we would have to get to another open air strip in a different village, SUDDENLY the plane dropped dramatically and everyone screamed; the pilot had seen lights below through a quick break in the clouds and took it! Dillingham is a village surrounded on 3 sides by treacherous mountains and water on the 4th side. The runway is very short. It was…EXCITING…(you could say). As I think about it, my heart still races. That describes to me a holding pattern; you can see nothing and are completely at the mercy of someone else’s skill. (Now I KNOW that there ARE less dramatic ‘holding pattern’s’ when a plane is simply waiting for its turn…but that is not how this feels.)
We know very little. Really, we ALL know very little about anything much. Even being extremely knowledgeable often dresses us up in ‘the clothes of knowing’ but it does not always add up to ‘knowing’. During these past weeks, most of the main leadership of the IDF has stepped down and been replaced with fresh leadership who seem honorable and worthy of their positions. The leadership in Syria has shown more of his true colors. Having been first a leader of Al Kaieda and then ISIS, putting on a suit and kind words didn’t necessarily mean a heart change. Europe and the UN rushed to embrace him, but after the slaughter of 1,000 this past weekend, I hope that they take note. Egypt has taken these weeks to mass tanks at our border placing our long standing peace with them in question. Turkey is stirring. We have seen MANY videos and photos (and I have first hand reports from soldiers) of Hamas in Gaza sauntering up to the cease fire line and burying bombs in plain site of the troops who are forbidden to fire. It’s INSANE!
Meanwhile, a number of the captives who were released have openly declared that The Presence of The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sustained them tangibly. One in particular has gripped many. Eli Sharabi came out of captivity looking like a skeleton, having been chained, starved, beaten and left alone in a tunnel for much of the more than 500 days, not knowing that his wife, two daughters and brother had all been killed. He spoke of the strong Presence of God sustaining him. He was NOT a religious man, so people listen.
The streets are still lined with protestors of all agendas, brother against brother.
Purim (Ester fast is Wed-Thurs) begins Thursday night – Friday night (Shushan Purim, only in Jerusalem – the walled city – is from Friday night through Saturday night)…where the country WILL rejoice…and too many will party…no matter what. My youngest Granddaughter, all of 3, was dressed up as a beautiful ‘Princess Ester’ this morning for her ‘gan’s’ (kindergarten) Purim party. This morning my daughter sent her sister and I pictures of all of the little Esters and Mordechais, my heart stirred to pray that they might have the HEART of those who prevailed before God, for we face the very same enemy today.
And we have a serious drought problem looming before us as we are experiencing our first heat wave already this week following the driest winter in more than 100 years.
This letter must sound pretty dreary. It is only describing the things that I see and hear around me…but oh, within! HIS PEACE REIGNS FOR HE IS SOVREIGN LORD, CREATOR, THE LIVING WORD, and my heart is settled in Him. I took heart from the word above in 1 Chronicles “…Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” There is such PEACE in the prayer ‘And may The Lord do what is good in His sight”…Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. I realize that I KNOW HIM as TRUSTWORTHY and SOVREIGN, no matter how deep and muddy the waters, nor how thick the storm clouds, HE knows the way THROUGH.
We are already beginning to prepare for Passover, which is such a signpost to HIM HIMSELF! Just think, we have been remembering Passover for how many millennia? Remembering that, against ALL ODDS, HE judged, chose a people to bring through the waters and through the desert…to feed and lead, to teach and love…we are all part of this amazing story so we dare not grow weary along the way, but lift up our eyes unto Him Who is able to keep us from falling and present us faultless in that day! May we consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. (Heb. 12:3)
It is amazing that we have been chosen unto HIS kingdom…out of this broken one. I have tried to describe the one (kingdom) that needs saving, that we might pray. I trust that you, in your great stresses, also are walking in the PEACE of His kingdom. It is where He has called us to.
I received the link below today from a dear sister and find it most comforting. Perhaps it will also bless you. May The Lord be most precious in your sight … may we trust and obey, all the way.
Loving blessings, your sister here.
PSALM 91 AND 23
February 13, 2025
“Ask the Lord for rain In the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone.” ZECHARIAH 10:1
Dearest brothers and sisters, shalom…peace to you all in The Precious Name of Yeshua, The Savior, Messiah, Living Son of God and The ONLY Hope. May you be blessed and encouraged and may HE Alone be glorified.
I find myself without words.
I have waited for His nudge, and even as the nudge has come, I am here not knowing what to say, but trusting that He will lead me…that I will open my ‘mouth’ and He WILL fill it.
Over the past 50 years, I have often been aware of the fact that we have the privilege to be living in ‘Biblical times’, but not really grasping the enormity of what that means. Currently, part of my daily reading has me in First Chronicles, reading lists of names, I find myself wondering if they KNEW that they were part of such a great story. There are times when the seasons and the ages have gone dark; we see such times clearly in the gap after Malachai. We wonder about those who simply ‘lived’ during [the] some 430 years between Joseph (saving the people by entering Egypt) and Moses (saving the people by leaving, through the Exodus). We know about the dark ages and ‘enlightened’ ages. I ponder the fact that throughout scripture, from Genesis through Revelation, the story of the Jews continues. Only recently it suddenly occurred to me that the Jews are, perhaps, the main ‘sub story’ line, as GOD IS THE STORY. I just didn’t notice that before.
The Jews re-emerged center stage, in a way that couldn’t be ignored, when the concentration camps were opened after WW2 and the state of Israel was reborn into the modern world after 2,000 years. I was a child then. My parents kept close watch on the tiny country. We had small boxes and went door to door collecting ‘Pennies for Israel’. My Mother, who always seemed to be worried that Israel would be destroyed, taught my sister and I carefully ‘Do NOT ‘rock the boat’! Live and let live. Lay low. Get along with everyone and don’t draw attention to yourself.’ We had been born into a brand new world and I didn’t understand the fear that lay behind much of her guidance. There were still ‘restricted areas’ when I was growing up in NYC, but that didn’t mean much to me. There were ‘restricted’ (no Jews allowed) clubs and things like that. I thought that it was normal and I had enough to do and see without going where I wasn’t wanted. The restrictions seemed to disappear with time.
But Jews ARE front and center again. We continue walking through THE BOOK. How we NEED to be IN THAT BOOK, applying it, eating it, breathing it…for it is The map that will lead us, and the Promise that will hold us in Hope when all around us in chaos. There simply IS no other TRUTH.
I’m sure that most of you (but not all) have seen the painful progression of humiliating captive releases. God is being openly mocked…I cling to The Words that promise that He will not tolerate this forever. I admit that I have only briefly checked world media coverage, and it was so painful, and so distorted, (bold faced lies!) that I simply can not read it. The country (although, YES, remarkably resilient) is broken and bleeding. We have seen quite a creative variety of theater mockery displaying our broken captives on stages throughout Gaza. The first group were literally fattened for release and given ‘goodie bags’ and fake IDF uniforms, ironed and neat, as if they were at a fifth grade birthday party, reciting their scripts perfectly to the crowds who were trying to get selfies with the captives on display. Later they began releasing those who had been chained, beaten and starved…each set of captives in a different area of Gaza, on a different stage, with a different professional display behind them – expensive, slick pictures of defiant terrorists proclaiming what they were planning next. I can’t continue describing the horrific scenes. The whole country wept to see Yarden Bibas (the father of the two little red headed boys) released without his family. We wept again this weekend as a lone father greeted his three year old son, finding out that his wife had been murdered. Eli Sharabi was forced to speak during his release and said “I am so happy to return to my wife and daughters.” Only when he was released did he find out that they had all been murdered. The stories are just beginning to be told – too painful to hear and so hard to be told (by the captives forced to smile and wave for the cameras as they were released). Meanwhile, the largest world media is comparing the Palestinian prisoners that we are being forced to release in exchange, many in jail ‘for life’ for brutal murders, to our kidnapped captives, and we sit open-mouthed. Yes…we are collectively weeping.
And it is winter…dark and cold. How the seasons have always fascinated me! We learn about them in kindergarten but we have a lifetime to understand how many lessons are written in them! Oh, the beauty and the depth of the gifts that God has given us! Even though the weather appears to be going through changes all around the world, the seasons are as regular as a heartbeat. Spring WILL follow winter, even if it is not an average one, and summer WILL follow after. How FAITHFUL is our God, Who set this all in motion, to give us such examples of His ways! Look over the record of wars, famines, earthquakes, plagues…and there are times of soft, fragrant Spring again and again as Spring follows winter.
You know, even though we have the lessons in the seasons, we often do not KNOW what season we are in. Are we in a time of His blessing or are we in a time of God’s judgment? Over the years I have noticed that God puts these three together when He speaks of His judgment: Plague, the sword and famine/drought. I understand that famine and drought are awful! Many of us find it hard to fast for even a short while. I have watched our farms burn and our farmers die. This winter has been the driest in 100 years. The farmers went to the rabbis to ask for them to pray for rain. It is the time of the latter rains right now and it has been raining this week but as yet the country has 20%-50% (depending upon what part of the country) of our annual rainfall.
NONETHELESS…we are planting trees today, because it is tu b’shvat!
Tu b’shvat is a date; the 15th day of the month of Shvat on the Hebrew calendar, and it is known as the ‘birthday of the trees’. It is celebrated by planting trees, even new forests, and eating fruits and nuts. It is a joyous day of growing…THE SAP IS FLOWING! Israel is STILL known as the one country on earth reclaiming deserts with trees…a country getting greener (albeit…the war…). There are all SORTS of traditions and stories concerning tu b’shvat. Its origins appear to be agricultural, from the text in Leviticus 19:23 that states: “When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten.” Tu b’shvat is considered the day to plant so that you may eat the fruit of the tree in 3 years. School children plant trees throughout the country today and if you wish to delve into some of the rich texture of the holiday, I will include links to a few sites below. From childhood, anytime there was a death in the family, we would send money to Israel ‘Keren Kayemet’, the forestry here in Israel, to have a tree planted in the memory of that loved one. I still have a tree certificate for my Grandmother’s tree, from before the state of Israel was recognized. As in the past, I take a step back and look and wonder; who is ‘this people’ who, in the midst of grief and trial by fire, step back and plant trees and give thanks for the land that God gave us!
Life continues and the sap in the trees rise and produce their fruit. Stumps that are left from trees that burned feel that sap and begin to sprout…life from what appeared dead. Everywhere we look we see God…His lessons and pictures of Him…and we put aside the pain and learn.
It is time for me to get ready to leave for a small Bible study that I go to in the neighborhood.
I may feel as if I am a burnt stump, but Spring will come and winter will pass. May The Lord draw us all closer and closer to Himself for His glory. May we KNOW HIM and finish the work that He gave us to do.
Loving blessings, from your sister
(I see that I lose my 'formatting' when I move my letter from 'WORD' to email. I'm sorry if this is distracting.)
Tu b'shvat 1
tu b'shvat 2
tu b'shvat 3
tu b'shvat 4
“Ask the Lord for rain In the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone.” ZECHARIAH 10:1
Dearest brothers and sisters, shalom…peace to you all in The Precious Name of Yeshua, The Savior, Messiah, Living Son of God and The ONLY Hope. May you be blessed and encouraged and may HE Alone be glorified.
I find myself without words.
I have waited for His nudge, and even as the nudge has come, I am here not knowing what to say, but trusting that He will lead me…that I will open my ‘mouth’ and He WILL fill it.
Over the past 50 years, I have often been aware of the fact that we have the privilege to be living in ‘Biblical times’, but not really grasping the enormity of what that means. Currently, part of my daily reading has me in First Chronicles, reading lists of names, I find myself wondering if they KNEW that they were part of such a great story. There are times when the seasons and the ages have gone dark; we see such times clearly in the gap after Malachai. We wonder about those who simply ‘lived’ during [the] some 430 years between Joseph (saving the people by entering Egypt) and Moses (saving the people by leaving, through the Exodus). We know about the dark ages and ‘enlightened’ ages. I ponder the fact that throughout scripture, from Genesis through Revelation, the story of the Jews continues. Only recently it suddenly occurred to me that the Jews are, perhaps, the main ‘sub story’ line, as GOD IS THE STORY. I just didn’t notice that before.
The Jews re-emerged center stage, in a way that couldn’t be ignored, when the concentration camps were opened after WW2 and the state of Israel was reborn into the modern world after 2,000 years. I was a child then. My parents kept close watch on the tiny country. We had small boxes and went door to door collecting ‘Pennies for Israel’. My Mother, who always seemed to be worried that Israel would be destroyed, taught my sister and I carefully ‘Do NOT ‘rock the boat’! Live and let live. Lay low. Get along with everyone and don’t draw attention to yourself.’ We had been born into a brand new world and I didn’t understand the fear that lay behind much of her guidance. There were still ‘restricted areas’ when I was growing up in NYC, but that didn’t mean much to me. There were ‘restricted’ (no Jews allowed) clubs and things like that. I thought that it was normal and I had enough to do and see without going where I wasn’t wanted. The restrictions seemed to disappear with time.
But Jews ARE front and center again. We continue walking through THE BOOK. How we NEED to be IN THAT BOOK, applying it, eating it, breathing it…for it is The map that will lead us, and the Promise that will hold us in Hope when all around us in chaos. There simply IS no other TRUTH.
I’m sure that most of you (but not all) have seen the painful progression of humiliating captive releases. God is being openly mocked…I cling to The Words that promise that He will not tolerate this forever. I admit that I have only briefly checked world media coverage, and it was so painful, and so distorted, (bold faced lies!) that I simply can not read it. The country (although, YES, remarkably resilient) is broken and bleeding. We have seen quite a creative variety of theater mockery displaying our broken captives on stages throughout Gaza. The first group were literally fattened for release and given ‘goodie bags’ and fake IDF uniforms, ironed and neat, as if they were at a fifth grade birthday party, reciting their scripts perfectly to the crowds who were trying to get selfies with the captives on display. Later they began releasing those who had been chained, beaten and starved…each set of captives in a different area of Gaza, on a different stage, with a different professional display behind them – expensive, slick pictures of defiant terrorists proclaiming what they were planning next. I can’t continue describing the horrific scenes. The whole country wept to see Yarden Bibas (the father of the two little red headed boys) released without his family. We wept again this weekend as a lone father greeted his three year old son, finding out that his wife had been murdered. Eli Sharabi was forced to speak during his release and said “I am so happy to return to my wife and daughters.” Only when he was released did he find out that they had all been murdered. The stories are just beginning to be told – too painful to hear and so hard to be told (by the captives forced to smile and wave for the cameras as they were released). Meanwhile, the largest world media is comparing the Palestinian prisoners that we are being forced to release in exchange, many in jail ‘for life’ for brutal murders, to our kidnapped captives, and we sit open-mouthed. Yes…we are collectively weeping.
And it is winter…dark and cold. How the seasons have always fascinated me! We learn about them in kindergarten but we have a lifetime to understand how many lessons are written in them! Oh, the beauty and the depth of the gifts that God has given us! Even though the weather appears to be going through changes all around the world, the seasons are as regular as a heartbeat. Spring WILL follow winter, even if it is not an average one, and summer WILL follow after. How FAITHFUL is our God, Who set this all in motion, to give us such examples of His ways! Look over the record of wars, famines, earthquakes, plagues…and there are times of soft, fragrant Spring again and again as Spring follows winter.
You know, even though we have the lessons in the seasons, we often do not KNOW what season we are in. Are we in a time of His blessing or are we in a time of God’s judgment? Over the years I have noticed that God puts these three together when He speaks of His judgment: Plague, the sword and famine/drought. I understand that famine and drought are awful! Many of us find it hard to fast for even a short while. I have watched our farms burn and our farmers die. This winter has been the driest in 100 years. The farmers went to the rabbis to ask for them to pray for rain. It is the time of the latter rains right now and it has been raining this week but as yet the country has 20%-50% (depending upon what part of the country) of our annual rainfall.
NONETHELESS…we are planting trees today, because it is tu b’shvat!
Tu b’shvat is a date; the 15th day of the month of Shvat on the Hebrew calendar, and it is known as the ‘birthday of the trees’. It is celebrated by planting trees, even new forests, and eating fruits and nuts. It is a joyous day of growing…THE SAP IS FLOWING! Israel is STILL known as the one country on earth reclaiming deserts with trees…a country getting greener (albeit…the war…). There are all SORTS of traditions and stories concerning tu b’shvat. Its origins appear to be agricultural, from the text in Leviticus 19:23 that states: “When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten.” Tu b’shvat is considered the day to plant so that you may eat the fruit of the tree in 3 years. School children plant trees throughout the country today and if you wish to delve into some of the rich texture of the holiday, I will include links to a few sites below. From childhood, anytime there was a death in the family, we would send money to Israel ‘Keren Kayemet’, the forestry here in Israel, to have a tree planted in the memory of that loved one. I still have a tree certificate for my Grandmother’s tree, from before the state of Israel was recognized. As in the past, I take a step back and look and wonder; who is ‘this people’ who, in the midst of grief and trial by fire, step back and plant trees and give thanks for the land that God gave us!
Life continues and the sap in the trees rise and produce their fruit. Stumps that are left from trees that burned feel that sap and begin to sprout…life from what appeared dead. Everywhere we look we see God…His lessons and pictures of Him…and we put aside the pain and learn.
It is time for me to get ready to leave for a small Bible study that I go to in the neighborhood.
I may feel as if I am a burnt stump, but Spring will come and winter will pass. May The Lord draw us all closer and closer to Himself for His glory. May we KNOW HIM and finish the work that He gave us to do.
Loving blessings, from your sister
(I see that I lose my 'formatting' when I move my letter from 'WORD' to email. I'm sorry if this is distracting.)
Tu b'shvat 1
tu b'shvat 2
tu b'shvat 3
tu b'shvat 4
January 26, 2025
“Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love the way you love, and do what you would do. Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until my will is one with yours, to do and to endure…“ Hymn – words 1878 Edwin Hatch
Greetings brothers and sisters in Yeshua,
May He be known and seen and loved and obeyed and proclaimed, for He is worthy…and may you be edified and blessed.
“Breathe on me breath of God…”, the old hymn, has been going around and around in my head for weeks now, as we appear to be a people with no breath.
Ezekiel 37 is a chapter familiar to us all: (7-10) “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ”So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Oh, that this would come to pass NOW, Lord! “How long, Lord!” cried so many before us, and we cry now. How long until we see YOU prevailing over all of the hearts of Your people and Your people walking in the promises that you have given through the lineage from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…even to now?
I know that I haven’t written, because, what could I say? We entered into two ‘cease fire’ agreements; one with Hizbollah in Lebanon and then with Hamas. Both deals were brokered or hammered out, by other countries and leaders, and we were under indescribable pressure to sign them. In our own country, the release of the captives and the defeat of Hamas and Hizbollah (etc.) have been our goals. Without the return of the captives, our soul would bleed to death; without the defeat of those sworn to destroy us…our bodies will bleed to death.
The battle within our own nation, and our ancient error of turning to other countries for help, has brought us to a position of weakness that we have seen over and over again throughout the scriptures.
As I write, the cease fire with Hizbollah may be falling apart. Today is the 60th day…the day when the terms of the cease fire were to come into effect; Hizbollah would be monitored and disarmed by the UN and the Lebanese army and positioned behind the Litani River. What happened instead is just what happened last time. The IDF has continually uncovered weapons stashes on our border in sight of the UN and Lebanese ‘peacekeepers’ and Hizbollah is constantly moving south. Today the IDF refused to leave our positions in Southern Lebanon, until we see real action being taken and that will guarantee that our citizens can again rebuild their destroyed homes in the north and live there safely without being bombed regularly. It is NOT a normal way to live…to have to run to bomb shelters constantly and have ‘just a few’ wounded or killed on a regular basis.
With Hamas it is quite a show! As of today, we have entered into a tight place. The cease fire with Hamas was scheduled to last 44-45 days during which we were to see the release of 33 captives, once a week, in drips and drabs; first civilian women, then women soldiers, the sick and injured and elderly…in exchange for large numbers of convicted terrorists, many serving life sentences for multiple murders. This is how Sinwar was released from his life sentence in exchange for Gilad Shalit. Last Sunday we rejoiced with the first three young women released … given ‘gift bags’(!!!) and ‘discharge for time served’ papers. In their gift bags were photos of them smiling during their ‘stay’. They were ‘fattened’ for the release, cleaned up and shown smiling and waving as they were instructed by their captors. The second group was released yesterday (Shabbat), but the deal was broken because one young civilian, Arbel Yehud, was NOT handed over nor was Shiri Bibas and her two small boys. They SHOULD have been released yesterday. Also, as part of the deal, we were supposed to receive a full list of how many of the 90 are still alive and what condition they are in. The list was not received.
“Breathe on me breath of God…”
Can you, for one minute, imagine the emotional whiplash that is being experienced here?
On one hand, we are weeping with joy for each one released. We are praying that this WON’T collapse before they are ALL released. We wait for each list of who IS to be released and then see that it is not happening. (can you imagine what is happening in the hearts of the families whose loved ones were promised and then not given?) On the other hand, we can not allow them to be breaking the agreement.
H... F... is a very vocal civilian spokesman for Israel with a lot of wisdom and heart.
When we first made Aliyah, we became good friends with the F... family. They (a religious family from America) made Aliyah at the same time as we did. They bought a piece of our furniture and E... helped them set up their home. All of their boys were young and we all had such excitement and hope; here we had come HOME to the land of the ancient promise! Then, in 2018, A.. F... – a son then in his 40s - was stabbed and killed by a terrorist in their supermarket, near where my younger daughter lives now. His murderer was caught and sentenced to life in prison. His murderer was released yesterday. A..’s brother H...., who is quite an eloquent, wise and outspoken defender of Israel, was asked by the media what he thought about ‘the deal’.
“’The fact that he [Jabarin] is getting out, and my brother A.. is gone — that’s a real punch in the stomach’”…He said he did not think opposing the hostage deal and the release of Palestinian prisoners ‘is the best use of our time right now. We’re focused, as a family, in getting our hostages home. The deal is a terrible deal, but it’s also a beautiful deal.’” [quoted from: Jewish News]
The situations, along with the emotions involved, are incredibly complicated. Life in the streets and the stores continue, but with a heavy cloak. We rejoice at every opportunity that we can take to rejoice, and the release of the captives ................. is exactly that. We try to support one another and to remind one another that God IS INDEED in control, no matter what we see and hear.
Many people are returning to traditional Judaism and are seeking God through rabbinical guidance. I pray more and more for the many seeds that have been planted in the lives of my people over the past 70 or so years, revealing Yeshua as our One True Messiah. There are testimonies from back to the 1940s (and earlier) of Bibles given out and Light shared and I am trusting that these will yet bear fruit in ways that ONLY GOD will get the glory!
I’m sharing this photo below of Liri and her mother for a purpose. (photo not included) I have been struck more and more by the fact that ‘I’m not at the end yet…I’m still somewhere along the path and I don’t yet see the end.’ We surely see through a glass darkly. As you and I look at our lives 15 years ago, would we have thought that today would look like this? Well, 3 days ago, I saw (and posted on Instagram) a clip of L...s Mom at a demonstration for the release of the captives. Her face struck me so deeply as the personification of grief. Her face had literally collapsed in pain. When her husband put his arm around her, she sank into tears, and I wept. Two days later, the picture of her and her daughter was taken! She is still along the path…but both days were ‘along the way’.
So it is for ALL of us. “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” is repeated in Mat. 10:22, Mat. 24:13 and Mark 13:13. We have not yet endured to the end, but by God’s grace, one day we will know that we are there, and may we each hear our Lord say to us “‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, … Enter into the joy of your lord.’” (Mat. 25:21)
Thank you each for all of your prayers for HIS WILL – for HIS NAME TO BE GLORIFIED and for HIS KINGDOM TO COME. Loving blessings, from a sister here.
Greetings brothers and sisters in Yeshua,
May He be known and seen and loved and obeyed and proclaimed, for He is worthy…and may you be edified and blessed.
“Breathe on me breath of God…”, the old hymn, has been going around and around in my head for weeks now, as we appear to be a people with no breath.
Ezekiel 37 is a chapter familiar to us all: (7-10) “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ”So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Oh, that this would come to pass NOW, Lord! “How long, Lord!” cried so many before us, and we cry now. How long until we see YOU prevailing over all of the hearts of Your people and Your people walking in the promises that you have given through the lineage from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…even to now?
I know that I haven’t written, because, what could I say? We entered into two ‘cease fire’ agreements; one with Hizbollah in Lebanon and then with Hamas. Both deals were brokered or hammered out, by other countries and leaders, and we were under indescribable pressure to sign them. In our own country, the release of the captives and the defeat of Hamas and Hizbollah (etc.) have been our goals. Without the return of the captives, our soul would bleed to death; without the defeat of those sworn to destroy us…our bodies will bleed to death.
The battle within our own nation, and our ancient error of turning to other countries for help, has brought us to a position of weakness that we have seen over and over again throughout the scriptures.
As I write, the cease fire with Hizbollah may be falling apart. Today is the 60th day…the day when the terms of the cease fire were to come into effect; Hizbollah would be monitored and disarmed by the UN and the Lebanese army and positioned behind the Litani River. What happened instead is just what happened last time. The IDF has continually uncovered weapons stashes on our border in sight of the UN and Lebanese ‘peacekeepers’ and Hizbollah is constantly moving south. Today the IDF refused to leave our positions in Southern Lebanon, until we see real action being taken and that will guarantee that our citizens can again rebuild their destroyed homes in the north and live there safely without being bombed regularly. It is NOT a normal way to live…to have to run to bomb shelters constantly and have ‘just a few’ wounded or killed on a regular basis.
With Hamas it is quite a show! As of today, we have entered into a tight place. The cease fire with Hamas was scheduled to last 44-45 days during which we were to see the release of 33 captives, once a week, in drips and drabs; first civilian women, then women soldiers, the sick and injured and elderly…in exchange for large numbers of convicted terrorists, many serving life sentences for multiple murders. This is how Sinwar was released from his life sentence in exchange for Gilad Shalit. Last Sunday we rejoiced with the first three young women released … given ‘gift bags’(!!!) and ‘discharge for time served’ papers. In their gift bags were photos of them smiling during their ‘stay’. They were ‘fattened’ for the release, cleaned up and shown smiling and waving as they were instructed by their captors. The second group was released yesterday (Shabbat), but the deal was broken because one young civilian, Arbel Yehud, was NOT handed over nor was Shiri Bibas and her two small boys. They SHOULD have been released yesterday. Also, as part of the deal, we were supposed to receive a full list of how many of the 90 are still alive and what condition they are in. The list was not received.
“Breathe on me breath of God…”
Can you, for one minute, imagine the emotional whiplash that is being experienced here?
On one hand, we are weeping with joy for each one released. We are praying that this WON’T collapse before they are ALL released. We wait for each list of who IS to be released and then see that it is not happening. (can you imagine what is happening in the hearts of the families whose loved ones were promised and then not given?) On the other hand, we can not allow them to be breaking the agreement.
H... F... is a very vocal civilian spokesman for Israel with a lot of wisdom and heart.
When we first made Aliyah, we became good friends with the F... family. They (a religious family from America) made Aliyah at the same time as we did. They bought a piece of our furniture and E... helped them set up their home. All of their boys were young and we all had such excitement and hope; here we had come HOME to the land of the ancient promise! Then, in 2018, A.. F... – a son then in his 40s - was stabbed and killed by a terrorist in their supermarket, near where my younger daughter lives now. His murderer was caught and sentenced to life in prison. His murderer was released yesterday. A..’s brother H...., who is quite an eloquent, wise and outspoken defender of Israel, was asked by the media what he thought about ‘the deal’.
“’The fact that he [Jabarin] is getting out, and my brother A.. is gone — that’s a real punch in the stomach’”…He said he did not think opposing the hostage deal and the release of Palestinian prisoners ‘is the best use of our time right now. We’re focused, as a family, in getting our hostages home. The deal is a terrible deal, but it’s also a beautiful deal.’” [quoted from: Jewish News]
The situations, along with the emotions involved, are incredibly complicated. Life in the streets and the stores continue, but with a heavy cloak. We rejoice at every opportunity that we can take to rejoice, and the release of the captives ................. is exactly that. We try to support one another and to remind one another that God IS INDEED in control, no matter what we see and hear.
Many people are returning to traditional Judaism and are seeking God through rabbinical guidance. I pray more and more for the many seeds that have been planted in the lives of my people over the past 70 or so years, revealing Yeshua as our One True Messiah. There are testimonies from back to the 1940s (and earlier) of Bibles given out and Light shared and I am trusting that these will yet bear fruit in ways that ONLY GOD will get the glory!
I’m sharing this photo below of Liri and her mother for a purpose. (photo not included) I have been struck more and more by the fact that ‘I’m not at the end yet…I’m still somewhere along the path and I don’t yet see the end.’ We surely see through a glass darkly. As you and I look at our lives 15 years ago, would we have thought that today would look like this? Well, 3 days ago, I saw (and posted on Instagram) a clip of L...s Mom at a demonstration for the release of the captives. Her face struck me so deeply as the personification of grief. Her face had literally collapsed in pain. When her husband put his arm around her, she sank into tears, and I wept. Two days later, the picture of her and her daughter was taken! She is still along the path…but both days were ‘along the way’.
So it is for ALL of us. “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” is repeated in Mat. 10:22, Mat. 24:13 and Mark 13:13. We have not yet endured to the end, but by God’s grace, one day we will know that we are there, and may we each hear our Lord say to us “‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, … Enter into the joy of your lord.’” (Mat. 25:21)
Thank you each for all of your prayers for HIS WILL – for HIS NAME TO BE GLORIFIED and for HIS KINGDOM TO COME. Loving blessings, from a sister here.
January 9, 2025
“For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” PSALM 36:9
“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””
1 KINGS 19:11-13
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Shalom dear brothers and sisters, in The Name of Yeshua h’Meshiach, Jesus Christ, LORD, MESSIAH, in Whose Light we see Light. May HE be known, magnified, lifted up and glorified. May you be encouraged and blessed.
The season of Lights…Christmas and Chanuka, have passed without the return of the captives. The calendar page turned and the year changed, still filled with hopes as we walk on, growing older, hopefully growing closer and closer to Him…to being conformed to His Image…the purpose for which He called us…to reflect Him into this world heaving in agony.
I have to remind myself as I sit down to write: What is my purpose in writing this letter? What is it, exactly, that The Lord intended for me to do? And I call to remembrance His charge to me 30 years ago; ‘What you see, write. What you hear, share’.
I mentioned in my last letter that Sarah and I were reading a book One Day In October – Forty Heroes, Forty Stories. I am continuing to read it as I can not read more than one testimony a day. ‘What I see, that write.’ That book is what I see. The book records just some of the EXTRAORDINARY deeds that took place on the 7th of October, 2023…and that is what I am seeing all around me still. It is like trying to explain a science fiction story…you almost have to invent another language. I don’t know all of you who have been reading this letter for the past 30 years, but I do know that your involvement with Israel and the Jewish people is quite varied. Some of you have a great prayer burden and enter your closets and pray the Heart of God before His throne, but may not even know a single Jewish person or read the news about Israel from a dependable source. Others of you read the same news that I read as it is happening and know our history and even our traditions better than I do. Some of you hear the ‘red alert’ (air raid sirens) and pray at the moment that we are seeking shelter. I don’t know what it ‘looks like’ from where you are.
Here, we deeply feel the separation from the rest of the world. The condemnation and isolation are palpable. We DO know that many people around the world stand with us…especially many Christians…but it still FEELS ‘alone and isolated’. The amount of hatred spewed towards us as we defend our very lives is shocking. This week, Israel needed to rescue an Israeli reserve soldier who was vacationing in Brazil because anti-Israeli groups have scoured social media and identified soldiers coming into their countries with plans to prosecute them for WAR CRIMES (!).
We are dealing (or trying to) with mass grief as the reality that so many families are facing. As the shock wears off and a new ‘daily life’ appears through the fog, rent and bleeding, many simply ‘can’t’. I was looking at a photo of a very brave new widow left with 9 small children, hugging her husband’s uniform. We all hold our breath as the new orphans walk in our midst and they are too young for us to know how they are doing having seen their families butchered before their young eyes. How are the old Holocaust survivors coping with the loss of children and grandchildren…and the parents who receive ‘the knock on the door’. Then we have the brave reservists who have put their families, studies, jobs on hold as they have been fighting for a year and 3 months. So many families are breaking under the financial and emotional stress…and still the world tells us that it’s us and that we should ‘just stop’. Just stop…REALLY? We have 98 captives still not home…Hamas and Hizbolla both are poised to rebuild and continue…another war…another attack.
Suddenly, we haven’t had sirens in 3 days. For several weeks before that we were having a whole new pattern of attacks. The Houthis were sending supersonic missiles every other day, sending large chunks of the country into shelters (including Jerusalem area, Tel Aviv area, as well as Ben Gurion Airport. In between, there were rockets again, being shot from Gaza at the southern communities, 6-10 a day. How can that be after we have fought and fought and fought, that they still have the power to shoot rockets at us? But now we have 3 days of silence from those 2 fronts. The attacks in Judea and Samaria have picked up…but it is all so intricate.
Syria fell dramatically, nearly overnight changing the appearance of the battlefield. Two ‘new’ ‘old’ enemies raise their heads suddenly; Turkey and Egypt! Did you know that Turkey is currently slaughtering the Kurds in Northern Syria? No one seems to care.
So that’s my ‘news update from my vantage point’. I suspect that it’s ‘the earthquake’, ‘the fire’ and ‘the great strong wind’ that passed by Elijah BEFORE The Lord spoke to the point of the matter in His ‘still small voice’.
It is that ‘still small voice’ that will lead us into effective prayer, and it is EFFECTIVE prayer that I long to pray and that I PRAY to pray!
So, what I ‘see’ is the heaviness of grief, ‘dancing’ among simple people turned into great heroes. Chanuka came and there was an anticipation that there would be another great miracle during this time. So many prayers were offered up for The Light to Light the way to the captives. It wasn’t to be that way. During Chanuka, one night some 80,000 gathered for a concert and in the middle of it there was a red alert. Air raid! There was no place for 80,000 people to take cover…so…a song was raised by all (that is currently the most popular song) To loosely translate: God, blessed be He, He always loves me so. And I’ll always be just fine. God, blessed be he. He always loves me so. I will always be nothing but great. And I’ll be better than great, And better than great, And better than great, And better than great, And better than great, And better than great, I will always be nothing but great. Now, just reading the words or hearing them you might think ‘HUH! Pretty proud people! Positive confession! It will just always be better and greater because God loves me so much. NOPE…this misses it! It’s really an encouraging song in the midst of the war to look to GOD ALONE and that WITH HIM, it really is all ok…BECAUSE of Him. The children sing this song a lot and, on that night, (I KNOW that many of you have seen the video), instead of stampeding to the shelters, they stood and raised this song to God…and it was touching. It reminded me of Psalm 140:7 when David prayed “O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.”
Although we did adapt our lives to the culture that we live in, (no Christmas or New Year celebrations) (NOT altering our heart attitudes, God forbid!) we always looked forward to the couple of cards that we would receive. I forgot to tell you that, due to the war and our standing in the world, I have not received any mail in over a year other than local bank statements. If any of you sent a card, it was not received. During the intifada I remember speaking to the head of a ministry who told me that their mail was not arriving and they hired a private investigator to check it through (most of their mail was to and from Canada). They found that (in that particular case) mail to and from Israel was being thrown out. I have no proof that that is what is happening currently, but I just want you to know that it is pointless to send any mail. Thank you if you did, but please understand that we are not receiving any.
I am also having more and more trouble sending out these emails (which is why I only write ‘another update’ on top, but, none the less, it is getting rejected more and more.
There goes my alarm telling me that I must get ready for the bus to the eye doctor. I apologize for the heaviness of this letter, but…yes…the life that is around me is heavy…however HIS burden IS LIGHT…and that is how I will walk. May you, as well, be walking this year closely yoked with Him Who DOES love us and lead us through it all.
LOVING LOVING BLESSINGS! Your sister here.
“For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” PSALM 36:9
“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””
1 KINGS 19:11-13
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shalom dear brothers and sisters, in The Name of Yeshua h’Meshiach, Jesus Christ, LORD, MESSIAH, in Whose Light we see Light. May HE be known, magnified, lifted up and glorified. May you be encouraged and blessed.
The season of Lights…Christmas and Chanuka, have passed without the return of the captives. The calendar page turned and the year changed, still filled with hopes as we walk on, growing older, hopefully growing closer and closer to Him…to being conformed to His Image…the purpose for which He called us…to reflect Him into this world heaving in agony.
I have to remind myself as I sit down to write: What is my purpose in writing this letter? What is it, exactly, that The Lord intended for me to do? And I call to remembrance His charge to me 30 years ago; ‘What you see, write. What you hear, share’.
I mentioned in my last letter that Sarah and I were reading a book One Day In October – Forty Heroes, Forty Stories. I am continuing to read it as I can not read more than one testimony a day. ‘What I see, that write.’ That book is what I see. The book records just some of the EXTRAORDINARY deeds that took place on the 7th of October, 2023…and that is what I am seeing all around me still. It is like trying to explain a science fiction story…you almost have to invent another language. I don’t know all of you who have been reading this letter for the past 30 years, but I do know that your involvement with Israel and the Jewish people is quite varied. Some of you have a great prayer burden and enter your closets and pray the Heart of God before His throne, but may not even know a single Jewish person or read the news about Israel from a dependable source. Others of you read the same news that I read as it is happening and know our history and even our traditions better than I do. Some of you hear the ‘red alert’ (air raid sirens) and pray at the moment that we are seeking shelter. I don’t know what it ‘looks like’ from where you are.
Here, we deeply feel the separation from the rest of the world. The condemnation and isolation are palpable. We DO know that many people around the world stand with us…especially many Christians…but it still FEELS ‘alone and isolated’. The amount of hatred spewed towards us as we defend our very lives is shocking. This week, Israel needed to rescue an Israeli reserve soldier who was vacationing in Brazil because anti-Israeli groups have scoured social media and identified soldiers coming into their countries with plans to prosecute them for WAR CRIMES (!).
We are dealing (or trying to) with mass grief as the reality that so many families are facing. As the shock wears off and a new ‘daily life’ appears through the fog, rent and bleeding, many simply ‘can’t’. I was looking at a photo of a very brave new widow left with 9 small children, hugging her husband’s uniform. We all hold our breath as the new orphans walk in our midst and they are too young for us to know how they are doing having seen their families butchered before their young eyes. How are the old Holocaust survivors coping with the loss of children and grandchildren…and the parents who receive ‘the knock on the door’. Then we have the brave reservists who have put their families, studies, jobs on hold as they have been fighting for a year and 3 months. So many families are breaking under the financial and emotional stress…and still the world tells us that it’s us and that we should ‘just stop’. Just stop…REALLY? We have 98 captives still not home…Hamas and Hizbolla both are poised to rebuild and continue…another war…another attack.
Suddenly, we haven’t had sirens in 3 days. For several weeks before that we were having a whole new pattern of attacks. The Houthis were sending supersonic missiles every other day, sending large chunks of the country into shelters (including Jerusalem area, Tel Aviv area, as well as Ben Gurion Airport. In between, there were rockets again, being shot from Gaza at the southern communities, 6-10 a day. How can that be after we have fought and fought and fought, that they still have the power to shoot rockets at us? But now we have 3 days of silence from those 2 fronts. The attacks in Judea and Samaria have picked up…but it is all so intricate.
Syria fell dramatically, nearly overnight changing the appearance of the battlefield. Two ‘new’ ‘old’ enemies raise their heads suddenly; Turkey and Egypt! Did you know that Turkey is currently slaughtering the Kurds in Northern Syria? No one seems to care.
So that’s my ‘news update from my vantage point’. I suspect that it’s ‘the earthquake’, ‘the fire’ and ‘the great strong wind’ that passed by Elijah BEFORE The Lord spoke to the point of the matter in His ‘still small voice’.
It is that ‘still small voice’ that will lead us into effective prayer, and it is EFFECTIVE prayer that I long to pray and that I PRAY to pray!
So, what I ‘see’ is the heaviness of grief, ‘dancing’ among simple people turned into great heroes. Chanuka came and there was an anticipation that there would be another great miracle during this time. So many prayers were offered up for The Light to Light the way to the captives. It wasn’t to be that way. During Chanuka, one night some 80,000 gathered for a concert and in the middle of it there was a red alert. Air raid! There was no place for 80,000 people to take cover…so…a song was raised by all (that is currently the most popular song) To loosely translate: God, blessed be He, He always loves me so. And I’ll always be just fine. God, blessed be he. He always loves me so. I will always be nothing but great. And I’ll be better than great, And better than great, And better than great, And better than great, And better than great, And better than great, I will always be nothing but great. Now, just reading the words or hearing them you might think ‘HUH! Pretty proud people! Positive confession! It will just always be better and greater because God loves me so much. NOPE…this misses it! It’s really an encouraging song in the midst of the war to look to GOD ALONE and that WITH HIM, it really is all ok…BECAUSE of Him. The children sing this song a lot and, on that night, (I KNOW that many of you have seen the video), instead of stampeding to the shelters, they stood and raised this song to God…and it was touching. It reminded me of Psalm 140:7 when David prayed “O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.”
Although we did adapt our lives to the culture that we live in, (no Christmas or New Year celebrations) (NOT altering our heart attitudes, God forbid!) we always looked forward to the couple of cards that we would receive. I forgot to tell you that, due to the war and our standing in the world, I have not received any mail in over a year other than local bank statements. If any of you sent a card, it was not received. During the intifada I remember speaking to the head of a ministry who told me that their mail was not arriving and they hired a private investigator to check it through (most of their mail was to and from Canada). They found that (in that particular case) mail to and from Israel was being thrown out. I have no proof that that is what is happening currently, but I just want you to know that it is pointless to send any mail. Thank you if you did, but please understand that we are not receiving any.
I am also having more and more trouble sending out these emails (which is why I only write ‘another update’ on top, but, none the less, it is getting rejected more and more.
There goes my alarm telling me that I must get ready for the bus to the eye doctor. I apologize for the heaviness of this letter, but…yes…the life that is around me is heavy…however HIS burden IS LIGHT…and that is how I will walk. May you, as well, be walking this year closely yoked with Him Who DOES love us and lead us through it all.
LOVING LOVING BLESSINGS! Your sister here.