| You could hear the anguish in her voice. Moriyah is a spiritual daughter of our ministry who has faithfully been serving the Lord in Israel for over two decades. She and her family live in the desert near the border of Egypt, a 30-minute drive from the Southern Gaza border where some of last weekend’s attacks took place. As many Israeli soldiers are passing through or based in their community, her family and others are feeding them and meeting other needs.
“Sometimes they come without soap and towels, or they need socks and underwear, so we have been going out to buy things they need,” she said. They have distributed not only to soldiers in their community, but to nearby bases as well.
They have also been offering help to survivors of the attack who are neighbors or who came to the area after the attack. “My son and some others spent time with some of the children, to keep them occupied,” she said. Many of them arrived without food or clothing. The local high school principal has also asked for help.
“At the same time we are serving others, we are also preparing for a war,” she explained, noting that they bought a generator and have tried to keep stocked up on supplies. Store shelves, however, are currently bare. They are also mourning the loss of neighbors’ children who died in the attack and a neighbor who lost his life when he went to help. He was a husband and a father of four, including a young baby. “We are doing our best to stay strong.”
All week long, I have been part of conversations, prayer calls, Zoom meetings, and other gatherings to intercede on behalf of Israel and all of those affected by this conflict. Just last night, we had a powerful time of prayer at Living Hope Church with long-time friends Joe and Becky Keenan, joined by other churches, Jewish and Christian organizations, and local civic leaders.
I was also in touch by text last night with former staff members who work in Jerusalem and just finished a Facetime call with them. They were grieving and confused over a sense that the Lord is leading them to get their family back to the U.S. They were grateful for a familiar face and someone they could trust to process with. I could sense the pain in their hearts, and I was able to encourage them that they could be a more effective voice by sharing their personal experience from the U.S. I was also able to refer them to some relationships we have that could possibly help them find transportation and hopefully leave on a charter flight in the next day or two. Pray for these arrangements to flow smoothly, for safe travels, and for God’s grace upon them.
Please continue to join us in prayer:
- Pray for our partners and their families who are serving there;
- Pray for families who have lost their loved ones;
- Pray for those who were taken hostage to be released safely and unharmed;
- Pray for healing for those who have suffered physical and emotional wounds;
- Pray for God to expose any other plans before more lives are lost;
- Pray for the Gospel to touch and impact lives throughout the region.
“Also pray for the Palestinians,” Moriyah adds. “People say Israelis hate Gazans, but it isn’t true. We want peace with them. We want them to prosper and not be political pawns. They need to be free from Hamas.”
If you would like to join us in assisting these long-term, trusted relationships in the area as they serve under these dire conditions, click HERE then select “ISRAEL” in the drop-down menu.
We will ensure your giving goes directly to meet the many needs.
Thank you for caring!
Doug Stringer |
