This morning we are again under heavy rocket fire, with two building hit and alarms going off non-stop.
During these difficult days we really can’t express enough how grateful we are for all your prayers, care and support you have shown us.
It’s really not an easy reality, to live under constant rocket fire, sometimes having to run to shelter again seconds after coming out. No matter how much we have somewhat adapted to our harsh reality of things, sirens always catch you off guard and it’s always very stressful, especially when there are children involved.
God is our almighty protector and we have seen his supernatural protection in action when a rocket fell about 40 meters away from our congregation building precisely during a prayer meeting, rattling the whole building while we were praying, and causing damage in children’s classroom (part of the ceiling came off). What a miracle there were no children in the classroom at that moment!
Basically all of us here in Ashdod have been in the line of fire; Right outside my apartment building two rockets exploded. Our evangelist has caught on video a rocket that exploded also right outside his house.
It’s a harsh reality, but we know that the greater the darkness, the brighter God’s light shines. And we believe this is the time to allow God’s light in as never before.It’s a harsh reality, but we know that the greater the darkness, the brighter God’s light shines. And we believe this is the time to allow God’s light in as never before.
This has not stopped or deterred us from the task at hand. We actually started working more than ever, planning and carrying out special projects during these days of war. We ask that you consider not only praying, but also engaging with us in becoming part of these projects.
We are organizing a special trip for our children, to take them up north (where it’s relatively more quiet), so they can get away from the frontline and try to have a relaxed few days, just enjoying camp. Some families in our congregation, such as Haim & Miriam have a lot of small children, in their case 5! You can only imagine the stress of having to deal with constant attacks, alarms and sounds of rockets exploding over your head, having to run to shelter with 5 small children.
Taking our kids away from it all for a few days is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for them.
It will also give us more availability and opportunity to focus on ministry work and reaching out to people who need us during these days. We can do more evangelism, more house visits, encouraging people – The “comfort, comfort My people” ministry.
These are the days when our nation needs it most. We are expanding our humanitarian aid as well, trying to offer people some additional help with food packets.
There’s so much work and ministry opportunity right now for our people, and they are eager to help, but having to depend on their jobs prevents them from dedicating even a few days to the immediate work we need them to help us with. However, they are more than willing to take those few days off work to plug into ministry and help in any way they can, while we want to bless them and cover financially for them those days they take off work without pay.
We also now need to invest in restoring and renovating some of the damage to our building and children’s classrooms caused by rocket hits. As you can imagine, all these needs are immediate and they all require additional resources. That’s why we are counting on your support these days as never before to help us carry God’s message of hope farther, reaching more people, encouraging, comforting, helping.As you can imagine, all these needs are immediate and they all require additional resources. That’s why we are counting on your support these days as never before to help us carry God’s message of hope farther, reaching more people, encouraging, comforting, helping.
For us, as believers, it’s so important to know the spiritual truth behind the things that are happening in the physical world.
If we draw all our information from the media, then we will be misled and misguided from what the word of God says.
Naturally, knowing how strong spiritual resistance against Israel is, we can then understand why there’s so much bias against Israel in the media.
We don’t deal with politics. As a ministry, we deal with spiritual things, our goal is to build the kingdom, to reconcile the people of Israel to God and their messiah Yeshua. One of the things we are always passionate about is also reconciliation between Jews and Arabs.
Coming back from a special Arab-Jewish pastors and leaders retreat that took place last month by the Sea of Galilee, we were touched again to see how beautiful is the unity between Arab and Jewish pastors and believers in the Land.
We prayed together, worshiped together, spent time sharing and encouraging one another… Things you will not see in the media.
This is the reality we strive for. The reality of God’s love bringing down the walls of animosity, uniting us in Yeshua and by His love.
Some have been writing and asking about the situation, trying to get a clearer understanding of what’s happening here in Israel right now with Hamas. We can honestly say that even without trying to defend Israel’s right to protect itself and it’s people, there’s a clear difference between Israel and Hamas. Our only goal is to address some questions I’ve been approached with. People genuinely want to be informed, and we have amazing ministries in Israel such has MAOZ who do just that; provide very accurate and abundant information in real time about the situation in Israel and the whole Middle East.
This is the time for you to show support in a real way, your prayers make a world of difference now when we need them most. While your practical help can assist us in reaching more and more Israelis these days, so they know it is none other than Christians who love Israel that have come to stand by their side during such a time as this.
That expression of love never fails to touch and change people’s lives.
Beit Hallel is a Messianic Jewish congregation in Ashdod, led by pastor Israel Pochtar, serving holocaust survivors and the poor and needy locally and throughout the nation of Israel, while building up the body of Messiah in the promised land of Israel.