BIB Admin

A Special Update from Blessing Israeli Believers Co-Founder Dov Schwarz

Dear Blessing Israeli Believers (BIB) Friends and Partners,

Truly, our Savior Yeshua (Jesus) has done something very special in our midst. He has given Blessing Israeli Believers our very own television program BIB TV! A few months ago I was speaking to a friend about our ministry who suggested that BIB needs it’s very own stand-alone TV program. I already host another TV program that I founded called Watch Therefore. I asked my friend “What ministry has two different programs on Christian TV at the same time?” His answer in faith: “Well, I guess you do.” And, he was right! BIB TV launched in June this year on three different Christian programming networks. The purpose of BIB TV is simply to advance the mission of BIB’s mission statement:

Blessing Israeli Believers exists to uniquely bless and empower Israeli believers in Messiah Yeshua to be the shining light to Israel and the nations of the world!

What can you do? While some Christians are wavering in their support of Israel, in large part due to the aggressive muslim and other anti-Israel propaganda, you can help support BIB TV to raise Biblical awareness and support for our Israeli Believing family.

Northern Israel Heating Up!

On another very serious note—there is a matter that should gravely concern every born-again disciple of Messiah Jesus. The radical and demonic Iranian proxy terrorists Hezbollah have made many Northern Israeli towns unlivable due to missile attacks. Israel, who would certainly prefer to avoid another war front, increasingly has little choice.

As some of you know we have BIB brothers and sisters in Messiah Jesus living in Northern Israel. One being Pastor Ezra along with his family and ministry.

Below, I would like to introduce to you our newest partner Moshe Malespin as a BIB contributor and he was recently interviewed on an episode of BIB TV.

Dear Friends in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus),

Greetings in the name of our Lord Yeshua! My name is Moshe, and I write to you from Katsrin in the Golan Heights, Israel. My wife Charissa and I are blessed with two young boys, Tzuriel and Shilo, who fill our lives with joy and laughter.

Together, we own a media company and share a deep passion for worship. Since October 7th, our lives have been marked by uncertainty amidst the looming threat of conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Now, more than ever, we feel a divine calling to stand alongside local believers and support our community.

The situation in our region has escalated significantly in recent months, intensifying our sense of urgency to act. Despite the challenges, we are determined to make a difference.

One way we are doing this is by renovating bomb shelters, ensuring they are safe and hospitable spaces for those seeking refuge during times of crisis. It is our heartfelt desire to provide tangible support and comfort to those around us, reflecting the love of Yeshua in practical ways.

As followers of Yeshua, we draw strength from our faith and find solace in worshiping together. This journey has deepened our reliance on God and strengthened our resolve to serve others. We are humbled by the opportunity to be vessels of hope and encouragement during such turbulent times. Your prayers and support mean the world to us as we navigate these uncertain waters, trusting in God's providence and guidance.

Furthermore, we find immense joy in our participation with Blessing Israeli Believers (BIB), particularly through BIB TV. This platform allows us to share important video content highlighting prophetic events in Israel, helping believers worldwide understand the spiritual significance of these times. It's a privilege to contribute to spreading awareness and fostering unity among believers across the globe.

In closing, we invite you to join us in prayer for peace and protection over our community. Together, let us stand firm in faith, believing that God's love and grace will prevail. Thank you for standing with us in solidarity and for being a beacon of light in the midst of darkness.

May the peace of Messiah Yeshua be with you all,

Moshe and Chrissa Malespin

Thank you all so much for your support and continued prayer for comfort and safety of our Israeli Partners living in the Land as the Lord’s prophetic plans are taking place right before our eyes! Remember, one of the best ways to bless Israel is to Bless Israeli Believers!

In His service, Dov Schwarz

A special note from BIB co-founder Dov Schwarz

Dear Blessing Israeli Believers Friends and Partners,

We continue to pray for and stand with Israel through this critical time of war. We have learned that one of the best ways to bless Israel at any time—especially now—is to bless Israeli believers in Messiah Jesus.

Whether in Jerusalem, Ashkelon in the South near Gaza, Tel Aviv and Netanya on the coast, or in the Golan Heights where missiles are flying in daily from Hezbollah in Lebanon—our Israeli brothers and sisters in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) are there! And they are praising our Savior Yeshua, helping Israelis in need in Messiah Yeshua’s name, and even fighting in the war defending the Promised Land!

Psalm 121:4 Behold, He who keeps Israel, Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

One thing we can know for sure—our Savior Jesus is watching over Israel right now. Prophetic scenarios are unfolding right in front of us! We have a front row seat, if you will, to things the prophets wrote about some 3,000 yrs ago. Thankfully, we are not just bystanders and observers. No, we are to be active participants who are watching, praying, and supporting Israel as the world increasingly and quickly is uniting against Israel. To make sure we are thinking rightly, let’s review Bible passages to remind us of how our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit think of Israel.

Speaking of the Genesis 12 covenant passed down from Abraham by the God of Israel to Isaac, and then Jacob whose name the LORD changed to Israel:

“I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3

“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” Exodus 4:22,23

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” Romans 10:1

Update from Ariel & Shayla - Tree of Life, Israel

We’ve all been hearing a lot about the war in Israel, but we want to share with you significant things you probably haven’t heard in the news that are going to change the course of history.

‍Increasing Openness to the Gospel
Many people are so focused on the things of this life, that only when they’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death do they start really thinking about why they’re here and where they’re going.

We’re seeing this happen right before our eyes: Since the war broke out on October 7th, we've been seeing an openness to the Gospel among Israelis even in places where intense strongholds existed.

By God’s grace, our recent video about how to find eternal hope in the midst of this crisis has now reached over three million views in Hebrew alone. Israelis from many different backgrounds have contacted us, ordered New Testaments, and several have come to faith in Jesus, Yeshua.

‍An Astonishing, Miraculous Event
A pre-army training school also contacted us and what happened there was nothing short of astonishing. In the past, we shared with a similar group, but they constantly interrupted us and some even aggressively objected to the Gospel.

But this time, these Jewish and Arab soldiers-in-training were soaking in every word, and even taking notes! We could really sense God’s Spirit filling the room. And we were surprised to see how thirsty they were for the truth. They asked genuine questions to understand the Gospel in more depth, including wanting to understand exactly how to receive forgiveness through Yeshua’s work at the cross!

As if that weren’t enough, since we also shared testimonies of healing, the manager of the program announced that even though the time for our talk was up, everyone could still come up to receive prayer!

And Yeshua miraculously healed every single person who came – they even called others from outside to come in and be healed! They even said they’d recommend us to another pre-army program! Praise God!

‍Fulfilling His Promises to Bring His People Home
‍Another thing God is doing during this war is that He’s stirring Jewish people’s hearts to come back home to Israel. The massive increase in anti-Semitic attacks and statements around the world is causing many Jewish people to realize that even with all of Israel’s problems and trials, it’s still the only place they can really be at home.

Compared to this period last year, about five times as many people from France and double as many from the US have submitted applications for immigration to Israel recently.

Look how God is fulfilling His beautiful promise: “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock”. Jeremiah 31:10.

Updates from our partners in the Holy Land:

Pastor Oded Shoshani, Melech Hamlachim, King of Kings Jerusalem

The Reality of War
Just over a week ago, we witnessed again the God of Israel protecting His people, despite our actions. A historic air attack from Iran, which included over 300 missiles, drones, and cruise missiles was stopped by the IDF and the military coalition led by the United States, intercepting 99% of the threats. That was a great miracle, and we give God the glory!

The daily reality of war keeps us busy. We continue to pray together for the situation every morning. We have soldiers in the field, reservists called back to duty, and families in need of help. We thank the Lord that among the members of our congregation no one was killed and there were no serious physical injuries. At the same time, many are dealing with mental and physical trauma and various struggles. The effects of the war are becoming evident. Join us in prayer for protection, restoration, endurance, and hope for all.

We wish you a blessed year with Yeshua, the Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb!

Oded & Sandy Shoshani

Ezra & Shulamite, Golan Heights
Misha was blessed to lead his first Passover Seder since immigrating to Israel. It was a great time showing Messiah in the celebration. There were a few seekers in attendance as well as a few of our young soldiers home for the Holiday. Many of them are being called to Gaza so please keep them in your prayers.

Blessings Israeli Believers enabled us to continue to feed soldiers in the field. They are always amazed to hear that Christians in America are praying for them and blessing them with hot meals. We want to thank all of you on their behalf and pray you will continue to pray for our leadership here in Israel.

Praise & Prayer
Thank you for all your prayers that cover us during this difficult time. The night Iran attacked Israel a missile from their proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon fired a rocket into our town. It landed just a 2 minute walk from our home. Thank God it rained the night before as the rocket sank into the mud, uprooted a tree which blocked all the shrapnel from causing any damage or harm. Prayers make a difference.
1. Pray for the release of the hostages
2. Pray for the young soldiers from our Fellowship

All for His Names Sake, Ezra & Shulamite

Ima’s Goodies – Located everywhere they are needed in the Land!

This small group of solders represents a unit of about 80 young men and women who are serving In Judea/Samaria area. With so much happening on our Northern and Southern border, it's easy to forget that every day in the Judea/Samaria area there are terrorist attacks and killings. These wonderful soldiers work day and night to help keep the Peace, they are always so excited to see me when I come. We were able to share with them some wonderful bags of snacks, goodies, marshmallows and drinks. It takes a lot of "Ima's Goodies" to help keep these soldiers alert.

The Gentleman in this photo is actually the cook at one of the bases where we visit a lot. He and his wife and family, live in an area of the land that is somewhat dangerous after certain hours and the soldiers are on patrol a lot in his area. He and his wife have started a little hub type of place where these soldiers can come in the late hours and have a quick snack, or a fast bite to eat, maybe grab a cup of coffee or a cold coca cola. I have been to visit them several times late at night and I usually bring some of IG Cookies and Brownies for him to share with our soldiers. His name is Eitan, which means Strong. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Thank you for blessing us so we can bless them. Thank you for praying, loving and serving us as we serve the IDF Soldiers and the Nation of Israel. We speak SHALOM over you and your families during this time.

With Love, Ima (Mom)

Passover ~ Resurrection Greetings!
Passover 2024 begins the evening of April 22

Dear BIB Friends and Partners,

This year Passover came weeks after the traditional Christian Resurrection celebration. However, we know that our risen Savior Yeshua is the Lamb of God and that He rose during the Passover Unleavened Bread Holiday on another Biblical Holiday called First-fruits. May we never forget that the Lamb’s blood has provided eternal life for any Jew or Gentile who will apply the blood of the Lamb to the doorpost of their hearts.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:20

Also, may we not forget how important this Passover is for Israel during this critical wartime. Truly, one of the best ways to bless Israel is to bless Israeli believers in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) the Passover Lamb. Chag Pesach Sameach—Happy Passover Holiday!

Dov Schwarz

An interview with Pastor Oded Shoshani, King of Kings Jerusalem

I'm thankful and grateful for your long-term support in prayer and in deeds. As you know, we’re in the middle of war, a war that seems to be of no end, not in the near future.

I was a child when the six-day war started in June 1967. I was a teenager at the Yom Kippur War, which was October 1973 and now I'm a grandfather at this war. So I have some perspective, though this war is definitely very, very clearly a bad war for us.

When the war erupted, the army mobilized hundreds of thousands of Israelis into battle and lo and behold, we didn't have enough equipment for everybody, and a lot of donors from around the world,

a lot of them were Christians who love Israel, donated to clothing, donated all kinds of equipment that allowed many of the units to go into battle better equipped. So that’s on the physical level.

There's another aspect of it, of the spiritual level, and this one is a more profound one. On October 7th, I called the people of our congregation to prayer because, we knew something was going on. We knew something was going on in a big scale, but we didn't know how big and how bad it was.

We called the people for prayer and we spent an hour in prayer, and while we were praying, everybody was using their phones to find out more update information, by the time we finished an hour, we realized, this is serious stuff. I didn’t have to say anything, let's meet tomorrow morning. So we are meeting every morning, including the weekends for prayer. But as we prayed, slowly we could see better spiritually as we were praying. We first were praying for the army, for the forces, for the Messianic soldiers, for a lot of real needs.

But as we were praying, we realized we knew it was true. But this time it was like blinking signs saying, this is a spiritual warfare. What is at stake is not the people of Israel, but it’s the God of Israel. It's the name of the God of Israel, and Islam is challenging the glory and the power and the uniqueness of the God of Israel. Well as I said, the war caught the entire country unprepared. So a lot of our men were called in to the Army October 7th or October 8th, but a lot of them were called, most of them spent at least three months in active duty. Some of them were in combat units, some of them were in supporting units, but still not able to get on a leave, you know, to get some time with their families.

The wives were in dire straits. One wife, especially in particular, lived outside of Jerusalem and she had no car. She had no means for any transportation. We mobilized people voluntarily to deliver food. There were other families that getting food was okay, they could do online shopping.

But the mothers, especially the mothers, they had their hands full caring for their families alone in the midst of this war. So we actually used some of the funds donated by BIB to provide some childcare and house cleaning for these mothers so they can have a bit of breath in the midst of this tense situation.

So, summarizing what I’ve said, it’s not only that you are praying for the people of Israel, which is a good thing, it's a good thing to pray for the people of Israel. It is the final call of God on the world. The people of Israel are back in the land. But you also have to realize this is a challenge on the uniqueness of the God of Israel over the entire globe. So when you pray for Israel, when you support Israel, when you support the believers in the land of Israel, you're not just doing what the scripture tells you to do but you're also supporting God, the name of God and the reputation of the God of Israel, the uniqueness of the God of Israel, and the challenge that has been given all over the world, including the western world of who God really is.

We can talk about the United States and moral issues, we can talk about Europe, etc., but remember this, this is not just a physical support of the people of Israel. This is a spiritual support of the glory of the God of Israel.

A Note from BIB Co-Founder Dov Schwarz

This Season of Purim and this Generation!
March 23 - 24, 2024
The holiday Purim pertains to lots or dice that were used in the book of Esther. Wicked Haman had manipulated the King of Persia to sign off on a law to destroy the Jews across the Persian Kingdom. Haman determined the date to kill the Jews by casting purim.

Thankfully, the LORD raised up two lowly and unknown Jewish people (Mordecai and Esther) who lived in Persia as a result of the Babylonian captivity that took place about a hundred years earlier. Persia conquered Babylon setting the stage for the book of Esther.

The LORD had raised up Esther from obscurity to become the King’s wife—Queen Esther. She had not told the King she was Jewish and was deciding if she should reveal her identity and intercede for her people who were about to be annihilated. Her older cousin Mordecai who had raised her from orphaned childhood said these words that are so very relevant for we who follow the Holy One of Israel Messiah Jesus:

“And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14

Esther responded by calling the Jewish people in Persia to a three day fast with prayers. The LORD, whose hand you see though He is not mentioned, moved powerfully to bring deliverance for the Jewish people and great destruction upon Haman and his whole house!

The take away for all disciples of Israel’s Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) should be obvious. The same Haman spirit that infected Persia then has done so today! The radical and vicious Jew hating Iranian (Persian) leaders are dead set on Israel’s total destruction. Their evil henchmen Hamas and Hezbollah are at war today with Israel. They with much of the world today are set on Israel’s destruction just like in Esther’s time.

Now is our time as Kingdom disciples of Messiah to be like Mordecai and Esther! Now is the time to fast, pray, and more than ever stand with Israel. Many of our Israeli brothers and sisters in Messiah have been personally touched with the sorrow of these times in Israel. Some are even fighting in

Gaza and preparing for war in Lebanon. Truly we have learned that one of the best ways to bless Israel is by Blessing Israeli Believers in Messiah Yeshua!

Update from Ezra in the Golan Heights

Dear Blessing Israeli Believers,

We are blessed to live and minister in the Golan Heights and are thankful for all the troops stationed on Israel’s northern border. Mount Hermon is covered with snow which has closed all the roads except from military vehicles.

Through our contacts we arrange for the soldiers to order food, come down the mountain and meet us in our town to receive special meals to thank and encourage them.

The tank unit we have been feeding asked if we could supply each soldier of their company with a Leatherman multitool. These tools are greatly needed to clean their weapons, work on their tanks and other situations they face daily.

Praise & Prayer

Thank you for supporting the different programs during this difficult time here in Israel.

• Pray for the release of the hostages and for their families
• Pray for the 10 young soldiers from our Fellowship
• Pray for the LORD to continue to add to the church
• Pray for more opportunities to bless and encourage the troops
• Pray for my complete recovery from hip replacement surgery.

All for His Name’s Sake,
Ezra & Shulamite
Numbers 6:24-26

A Note from BIB Co-Founder, Dov Schwarz

Dear Blessing Israeli Believers Partners and Friends,

An old saying may accurately define the upcoming weeks and months for Israel and the entire world: “you ain’t seen nothin yet!” It would appear, like so many have been warning, that this Hamas war is widening far beyond Gaza. The entire Mid-East is erupting in our days—and it is just the beginning.

According to the Prophetic Scriptures either now or in the near future this war will develop into that which is prophesied in Psalm 83, Isaiah 17:1, Zephaniah 2 amongst other places in the Bible. Israel is the epicenter but the entire world will shake when this war does take place. At the time of writing this letter I am getting first-hand information from Jerusalem and Northern Israel.

All Israelis are being instructed to prepare for a national power outage due to the imminent war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Whenever this takes place—sooner or later—it will be very serious and will include many casualties on both sides. There could be no more important time to stand with our Israeli Believing Partners! Always remember:

“Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:4

Thank You so much for your ongoing and faithful support—they tell us in Israel that you cannot imagine how thankful they are for your prayers and financial help!

In His Service, Dov Schwarz

An Update from Dov Bikas, Aviv Ministry Center, Tel Aviv Israel

Ashkelon Ministry – the “Day After”

These days Israeli politicians, among other things, wrestle with the question of the “day after the war” – how it is going to look like and what decisions should be made about it. In a similar way, we too are thinking about the “day after,” which in the case of our war relief efforts in Ashkelon, has already arrived. The war continues, but the rocket attacks on the city have become very rare, and Ashkelon is returning to a more or less normal life. What should we do next then?

Thanks to God and to your donations, during these three months we have been able to help a lot of people (about 800 families) and to build close relationships with them. On the one hand, we could finish the project now and say good-bye to everyone, but on the other hand, we value these connections and do not want to lose them. Besides, most of these people are immigrants, single mothers, the elderly and the disabled who live below the poverty line and, sadly, in the near future their financial situation is about to get worse, since because of the war we are expecting the prices and taxes to keep rising.

Therefore, we have decided that in 2024 we will be turning our short-term war relief initiative into an ongoing humanitarian project. This work is not cheap and requires a lot of effort, but it also has many advantages. For example, when you give someone a tract on the street, there is very little chance that you will ever meet this person again. And here we have a large group of people we can visit on a regular basis, bring them food and keep sharing the Gospel with them. And we do believe this work has a beautiful potential. In Ofakim – another nearby city where we have been doing food distributions – a weekly Bible study group has already been created. Please pray for all the people we are in touch with both in Ashkelon and Ofakim.

"Should I preach if no one is listening?”

One of our volunteers, Leonid, shared what happened once during his shift in Aviv Center.

His group was feeding the visitors, as usual. Then Leonid sat down with them and tried to preach (sadly, due to the effects of drugs, it is difficult for many visitors to focus on the Word). He took the topic of prayer.

“I look around,” says Leonid, “and see that nobody is listening to me. Well, not even one! Should I stop? But something in me prompts: ‘Speak!’ And I kept talking on how important prayer is for us, for our relationship with the Lord... And again, I see the same: no one is listening. And I am still urged – ‘Continue’! So I did...And suddenly a guy’s head rises from the table (I thought he was fast asleep beside his plate) and I hear:

‘Leonid, I am actually listening to you...’

‘Thank God!’ I said. ‘One person has heard me!’

And from that day on, the visitors themselves have been asking: ‘Will we have a Bible lesson today?’”

Let us pray that the Lord would give us boldness in the most hopeless (in our opinion) circumstances to share His Word!

Thank you very much for all your prayers and care!

Every blessing to you all, Dov & Olga Bikas

“Happy New Year 2024!”

A Note from BIB Co-Founder Dov Schwarz

Dear Blessing Israeli Believers Brothers and Sisters in Messiah,

Truly, a different kind of year is upon us. The Fig Tree Israel is the center of all the signs that are converging upon this generation like never before! Biblical war scenarios involving Israel are developing right in front of our eyes. A series of Biblical wars, like links of a chain are leading up to the Second Coming of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) when we who are born again will return with Him from heaven (Revelation 19).

The first of those links can be found in Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, Obadiah 1, and other places in Scripture. In these passages we find ancient regional enemies of Israel, like a once dormant volcano, that has fired back up, and is now today’s news. Gaza and Lebanon where Hezbollah is today, Damascus, Syria, and others including but not limited to—Jordan and Egypt and later Iran are on the near prophetic horizon.

Now more than ever is the best time to Bless Israeli Believers in Messiah Yeshua. Our dear Israeli partners have their closest relatives, along with their Messianic family, in harms way at this moment. I am more thankful than ever to be working with those who are getting out His gospel, making disciples, and helping so many with urgent humanitarian needs and services during this critical time!

I want to join them in saying THANK YOU to all who are partnering with us at Blessing Israeli Believers!

Dear Blessing Israeli Believers,

Shalom! We want to say thank you for your generous donations in 2023. We are so grateful for your continued partnership with us, especially at this difficult time in Israel. May Yeshua bless you for being a blessing to His people and nation.

Again, please know our sincere appreciation for your sacrificial giving to Tree of Life and the prayers you are lifting up on behalf of the work we are doing in Israel.

With blessings,
Ariel & Shayla and the Tree of Life Team

Dear Blessing Israeli Believers Friends!

We appreciate your continual prayers and support. It means a lot to know that you stand with us during this time of war and trauma that our nation goes through. We have a great God who is faithful to His promises.

In the midst of it all, life goes on. With your support, we assisted financially two women with children, both recently went through ugly divorces, through no fault of their own. As a result, they found themselves in a difficult financial situation. Join us in prayer for these women as they walk this painful journey, that the Lord will provide every need, bring comfort, and redeem what was lost.

Thank you for partnering and praying with us in this trying time. We do what we can to help. We also continue by God's grace to stand in faith and intercede for our nation, congregations, families, soldiers, and the many other needs that arise. May we all walk in the good works which God prepared for us beforehand (Ephesians 2:10) and may the Lord be glorified in all.

Warm greetings,
Oded & Sandy Shoshani
Melech Hamlachim, King of Kings, Messianic Congregation, Jerusalem

Dear Friends,
It’s hard to believe that the year has gone by and we are now on the precipice of a New Year of 2024. This last year of 2023 has brought about many changes here in the land of Israel, many of which we never thought we would experience or live through.

As I look back on this year with all that has happened and continues to happen I stand in faith that GOD is STILL on HIS THRONE. He is still faithful, my heart hurts every morning with the news of more of our Israeli soldiers dying from enemy attacks and more grieving families. I say like so many others... How long O Lord? (Psalms 94:3).. how long shall the wicked triumph, how long shall they speak hard things and boast?... how long will they inflict YOUR heritage?.... and as we read this chapter we come to verse 14... ohh what a promise from Adonai (the Lord)... "FOR the LORD will not cast off HIS people neither will He forsake HIS PEOPLE"... as we continue the days of struggle, war, fighting and despair... we are revived by this promise.. HE will NOT FORSAKE HIS PEOPLE... So as I travel to the soldiers to bring them love, encouragement, Ima's Goodies and hope, I also bring them these words of comfort.

Thank You for your support this last year, we could not have made the impact on our soldiers with the goodness of God without your help. I pray that you will continue to stand with us throughout this coming year.

Ima's Goodies

Update from Ariel & Shayla, Tree of Life, Israel

Yael contacted us, and as our team member Kim answered her questions, Yael began to open up and share how broken she is. Yael is 29 and grew up in a completely dysfunctional family. She suffered abuse over and over, and ultimately both her parents left her and her two younger siblings.

Yael was stirred with deep emotions about the war: “How could God allow such evil things to happen to us?”. The conversation went into deep topics like free will, sin, and the Gospel, and God opened up Yael’s eyes to see His love and compassion even in the midst of suffering.

Yael poured out her heart, “Ever since I met you and have been speaking with you, I’ve felt that there’s something right and true here. I never felt that as I was growing up as a traditional Jew. And I want what you have.”

But still, she felt that because she’s had such a sinful lifestyle – she’s not worthy of God. Kim comforted her with the words of Jesus himself:

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance”
(Luke 5:31b-32)

Yael responded, “So what do I need to do?” They answered that all she has to do is repent of her sins, commit her life to Yeshua, and receive him as Lord.

Yael was just about to start to pray, but then suddenly there was a huge rush of wind and noise, since a helicopter was hovering over them. So Yael started shouting out her prayer, confessing her sins and crying out, “Yeshua, please forgive me and come into my life.” She even forgave her parents, and started to weep. She said, “I feel totally different now.” For the first time, she was set free from all the bitterness and guilt and shame. Praise God!

Yael and Kim are continuing their connection as she begins her discipleship journey, and Kim was so glad to hear Yael say, “I want Yeshua more than anything or anyone else in my life. I just want to come and be filled with God.”

Update from Ima’s Goodies

Swords of Iron
These past six weeks we have experienced every emotion available to mankind. The amount of threats against Israel and the 242 hostages are constantly on our minds. The state of Israel was drawn into a war on our Gaza border and now fighting has been going on with our northern border with Lebanon. Those of us that live in the middle of the country are feeling it from both sides.

The amount of sirens and booms felt in the land has been horrendous...and yet we read all throughout Scripture... "Hodu L'Adonai Ki Tov- Give thanks to the Lord for He is good". It is so hard to see this now at the present, with my eyes on what is going on around and YET in my spirit, deep down in my Kishkes (inner being) I KNOW this to be true. We are bombarded every day with the knowledge of the loss of lives and what seems to be like the hopelessness of those around us…yet this is where we come in and bring the Love of Yeshua to so many. We are not just talking soldiers, but we are also sharing with so many around us. Everyone knows someone that is fighting, or families, besides the hostages that have lost loved ones. We are learning to mourn with those who mourn and listening to those who have a story to share.

Wonder what we are doing? or where we are going? Someday’s I am so crazy busy that I myself wonder how I will get this all done. So many people from our congregation and friends have stepped up and come together to help so we can take care of our soldiers. I have never in my life bought so many t-shirts, underwear, cup of noodles, or granola bars, not to mention Coco-Cola and other drinks.

In living in this land for 40 years I have never felt such a clearer understanding of my call to Israel, I am honoured that God would allow me to live during this time in this land and serve Him here.

A Word of Praise & Prayer from Ezra, Golan Heights

Through Blessing Israeli Believers generous donation we continue to distribute our monthly food program for Holocaust Survivors/Veterans. We were also able to financially come alongside a couple in Ashkelon whose home was damaged by a missile from Gaza.

Please continue to pray for Israel and for our team that prepares and delivers meals to soldiers. Wisdom for our political & military leaders as they move forward to free the remaining hostages & eliminate the threat of Hamas.

We are entering week 9 of Swords of Iron war with Hamas in the Gaza strip. By the grace of God many hostages are returning to Israel. As difficult as this time has been it has softened the hearts of the people towards the God of Israel.

It has been a blessing to encourage our troops on the northern border feeding, and fellowshipping with them. Including those suffering with PTSD from the battle, and male and female troops rotating from the battle including young adults from our Fellowship. A member of our Kehilah, a professional masseur, even went on a local base and offered free massages.