What a merciful and wonderful God we serve!

Purim and the threats of destruction

Just a month ago we celebrated another holiday that also reminds us the faithfulness of God to save and deliver His covenant people. Every year, Jews all over the world remember the miracle of Esther and Purim. We read together the story of Esther, and how God created her for “such a time as this” to come against the annihilation of our own people. This story is so relevant today with the renewed threats of the New Persian –Iranian prime minister calling for the destruction of Israel. Will Gog and Magog come to pass, we still know the outcome: Our God is on the throne and His purposes for salvation will be established both for Israel and the Nations (See Psalm 2).

Sharing the Gospel in faraway lands

It has now become a known tradition that when young Israelis finish their army duty they travel to faraway countries and look for adventures and spiritual experiences. Our congregation encourages our young people to go to the countries where Israelis travel to and share the Gospel with them. One of them came back recently from New Zealand, where he had excellent time and opportunities to share with those travelers about his faith in Yeshua.

This week we blessed 3 of our young men before they are leaving to Nepal & India to share the Gospel with Israelis there.

Gardens of life

On March 4th, (18TH of the month of Adar) "The Gardens of Life "- the memorial for the unborn child - were dedicated in the presence of 12 local pastors and elders. The vision started as the Lord birthed the prayers to see a place where unborn children could be remembered and honored. Through a divine connection, we were put in contact with the monastery of Latrun who granted us a plot of land (4 acres or 17 dunam).

In that first day 135 trees were planted and watered by the tears of the parents and family who lost their children through abortion or miscarriage. We see these gardens as a great potential for restoration and healing in the life of many families and individuals. Please pray for the development of the gardens and the means to carry this vision for the restoration of the value of Life in Israel.

Women's evening

On the evening of March 14th, our congregation meeting room was transformed into the palace at Susa. We were surrounded by walls of beautiful fabrics and royally carpeted floors. Seated on overstuffed cushions and couches, we enjoyed an evening fit for women of the royal court. While eating from our sweet-laden tables, we enjoyed a drama about some women who spent all of their time engrossed in their own fleeting beauty and other women who thoroughly despised all of her daily duties as a housewife. Each of these scenes was interspersed with readings from the book of Esther.

Each of us learned to see the beauty that the Lord brings to our lives as well as the need to look at every circumstance as an opportunity to live for His glory (even folding the laundry). We shared a time of prayer and received a lovely compact mirror as a reminder of our lessons-learned. The evening brought together women from many different walks of life, different ages, and different languages for a time of true fellowship.

Prayer need

For the Israeli government to stand in the midst of international pressures and eminent threats from neighboring countries, For Godly wisdom and courage to act rightly

(Micah 6:6)

• Pray for U. and Z. who are battling with cancer.

• Pray for single mother I. with teenager D. who is going through a time of depression and despair, with death thoughts.

• For E. 14 years old boy with struggling with depression, for his mother (single mom) and brother.

• For the orphans and widows in our midst, for provision and encouragement.

• For the new Hebrew home group starting in K.S this month. Also the ministry to Spanish speakers.

• For the children's ministry and their teachers.

• For the young people's outreach in Nepal and India and the thousands of Israeli travelers seeking for spiritual experiences.

• As we are now facing crowded facilities, please pray with us for the Lord to open a door for more space for a new Worship center, Children and youth ministries, House of refuge and hospitality ministry. We are dreaming (with our eyes open) about a piece of property big enough to be to meet all our growing needs.

• Pray for the children in Israel - A report about the situation of children in Israel showed that 34 percent of the children were affected by poverty in 2009 (In 1980 it was 8 percent).

Another survey shows that the number of violent crimes and abuse against children has risen from 26 in 2005 to 212 in 2008. In the same time the number of minors participating in crimes has doubled. It is clear that the educational system is crumbling with a breakdown of family values and rise of immorality and iniquities. Pray for a real turning back to The Lord God of Israel and true repentance.