The view from my window

2011-11-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

This week a very exciting one for our family. Mari was made a 2nd Lieutentant in a formal air force ceremony. Mikey, her brother, and I left Jerusalem late at night after he came off his shift at the hotel. We drove 3 and a half hours till we reached a tiny, environmentally friendly kibbutz,called Lotam. They are into Eco Tourism, simplicity, and do bed and breakfast at a price we could afford.
Our room was made from hay and mud, the water all recycled, the beds came with hay mattresses, electricity was solar powered, thus not exactly suitable for reading. No TV, clocks, or any reminder of our modern fast paced world.
Added to all that it felt like we were in one of the Disneyland theme parks. It was fun, and helped us to wind down and take a break from our lives in Jerusalem. We were taken on a free tour to see how they combine modern living with
living in harmony with the environment. We made little balls of mud/compost and seeds and were encouraged to scatter them around our building in Jerusalem. My finger nails looked like hell, with all the clay underneath them. But
it left us feeling like we had make some in-roads in improving our awareness of our endangered planet. We turned down the offer of a vegetarian lunch, and began to pine for a McDonalds and their greasy fries. We did do the breakfast
which was also veggies galore with the extra luxury of a boiled egg. Coffee - horrible, Tea - worse, but all in all the experience was refreshingly inspiring.

We set off for the Air Force ceremony feeling ready for the next part of our adventure. The invitation, with instructions did not
arrive in the mail, so we were flying blind. Mari told us it would not be a problem finding the base. She was wrong!
We got lost, along with lots of other families and soon found ourselves leading a long line of cars through a windy road in the desert searching for the secret gate to the air force base. Mari told us it would be clearly marked....right ???
I thought "If the Israeli's are following me, I knew we were in trouble". We did find a gate with a guard, but the girl was a new recruit and after 4 hours of guard duty, she could not even tell us which direction to drive in. So we led our
noble army on and to my amazement found the entrance. For once our names were on the sacred list along with the registration number of our car, and we were whisked through the gates, leaving a long line of very angry drivers who
had not texted in their car numbers.....the feeling of euphoria was great. To my delight we were the 4th car to reach the designated parking area.
The ceremony was very moving, much more than I had expected. I cried 3 times. Once when the commander general of the air force mentioned Mari by name in his speech, once when they listed her as one of the most outstanding soldiers in the course, and once more when she stood in front of the commander general and he pinned on her new rank. She looked stunning in her new officers cap, shiny boots
and smart new uniform. Only our family and those close to us know the struggle we went through to see the miracle of this day.

We had to fight for her security clearance, her citizenship,and her acceptance to the officers training course. The 68 graduates of the course
received a flyover of two F16's as they all stood to attention at the beginning of the ceremony. A shout went out from the visitors who had
come to cheer them on. Mari's new commander came over to introduce himself to me and told me he had to fight very hard to get Mari assigned to his section. He told me other commanders had been vying for her for the entire week leading up to the ceremony. After the ceremony he came over and said the commander general would like to meet our family. This was a huge honor, and I was nervous about what I would say to him. He was warm and friendly and made me feel at ease immediately. He said he had been hearing Mari's name
for a whole year, and knew we had fought very hard to deliver all the needed paperwork.

He insisted we take a photo with him and Mari's face was a bright red the entire time she was talking to him. God has given her favor, honor, and blessing.But more than this, He gave her mother one of the best days of her life.

Independence Day 2011

2011-06-16T02:52:00.000-07:00

This year we had our traditional Israeli Independence day BBQ on the grass outside our building. This is our favorite spot for the past few years ever since we tired of the dramatic fight with thousands of Israeli's for the perfect picnic spot.
Doing a BBQ on Independence Day, is what being an Israeli is all about. Families drag themselves out of bed at the crack of dawn, pack up their kids, and head off to search for the perfect place to do a BBQ. Long lines of cars sit for hours on the
roads leading to all the major forests and national parks and I too used to do the same. It took me years to realize that right next to our building was the best place to have our BBQ. This year much to my amazement more families from our
surrounding buildings opted to stay home and avoid all the traffic. It was wonderful to see all the flags, picnic tables set with a blue and white theme, smell the meat being grilled, and listen to the Israeli music blaring loudly across our neighborhood.

This Independence Day was extra special because it also fell on my son Mikey's 24th birthday. Mari my daughter who is in the air force was allowed home just for 24 hours and had to rush back to her base to begin officers training course. Independence Day for our family gave us many reasons to celebrate. Today, the very existence and validity of Israel continues to be constantly questioned by the nations.
I was proud to be able to celebrate its Independence with two of my children who are proud to be part of a Jewish homeland. While Israel fights to be accepted as an equal to other nations, in 63 years it has achieved more than most of nations who stand in condemnation of it. As President Shimon Peres said "Who would have dreamed that a country with minimal resources, without water and very little territory, would have been able to achieve what Israel has achieved in 63 years of statehood."

As I lit the BBQ and the aroma of the grilling meat rose up, my neighbors began to come down spontaneously and join us. Before too long we had a nice gathering of young and old from diverse backgrounds, eating and applauding our enthusiasm in being part of Israel. As Mari had to leave early to return to her base, one of the neighbors said ' We have the only army in the world that takes in young people from diverse background and languages, unifies them, connects them to their roots, and by the end of their army service they come out loving one another as brothers and sisters".

Israel today at 63 is strong, capable and full of sharp young people, like my own kids who are not ashamed to proudly serve this nation. Israel's population now sits at 7.7 million, and in one year it grew by 155,000. Despite all the negative things being said about Israel, I know one thing is certain, Israel is here to stay. Happy Independence Day Israel !

Ruthi - a true Zionist

2010-03-07T01:05:00.000-08:00

People often ask me what my ministry is. I am happy to say it’s a ministry of helps; It brings me thank-you letters from social workers and grateful people whose lives have been touched by visits, by my taking time and listening, timely gifts and hospital visits and by prayer. My old file of letters has filled up, and I just opened a new one with a note from Ruthi, a social worker in Tzfat, in northern Israel: "Thank you for your financial assistance to Natalia. We took her to buy a baby crib and the rest was used for the needs of her other children. Your gift, without doubt, contributed greatly to lifting the spirit of this broken woman. She was touched that you would drive three hours to deliver money to help someone you have never met. Your act of kindness and compassion touched her more deeply than the money....”

That trip was in February, and rain poured down the whole day. It was not the best weather for driving, but the need was urgent, and Ruthi, the social worker, begged me to find a way to help this new mother. Ruthi was not allowed to receive the money directly so I decided to just jump in the car and drive there with it. Perhaps my years of financial struggles motivated me, or it could have been just my mother's heart. Either way, I was a woman on a mission to help a mother with a newborn who was feeling completely overwhelmed.

Tzfat is home to 28,000 people. In Ruthi's office there are nine social workers who cover the whole city and deal with some of the worse cases in Israel. They have a new mayor whose dream is to turn the city around by bringing in a medical school to help keep the educated from moving out to other cities. His dream is to attract stronger and healthier families to the city by lifting the quality of life and education. He is motivated and focused and just what Tzfat needs to move forward and away from the image of a forsaken city on a hill.

Ruthi glowed as she spoke about the mayor and his long-term goals. I could see that she had been inspired by his vision. It was hard for me to grasp what keeps Ruthi working in her field. Her job is a thankless one. She's the department head, and yet all she has in her office is a 20-year-old desk, two chairs, and an old fax machine. She has spent the last 25 years of her life working with the poorest in her community and admits the demands are great, her salary low, and she works long hours. But Ruthi loves her job and loves helping people. I went to Tzfat to help Natalia feel that she has hope, but left feeling totally inspired by Ruthi and her fellow workers. They are the true Zionists, the silent minority, building a country with vision, compassion and hard work. Ruthi kept telling me how amazing I was to drive all that way, and I kept thinking how amazing it is there are still people in Israel who put their values above personal ambition. I am a small-project person. I have discovered that when you help little people, you meet true giants of faith along the way, like Ruthi.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" 2 Cor 4:18

A son of Israel - Gilad Shalit

2009-03-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

My son, Mikey

My son Mikey completed his 3 years of military service in the Israeli Defense forces on Thursday 12th March. Most families in Israel, throw a party or have a family dinner to celebrate the safe completion of army service. In particular if their sons have served in a combat unit of any kind they go to great lengths to celebrate their son’s safe return. Our family decided to mark Mikey’s safe completion of his military service by visiting the protest tent for Gilad Shalit, sitting outside the Prime Ministers residence in Jerusalem.

On the 25th June, 2006, Gilad Shalit was captured by Palestinian militants. They attacked an Israeli border post, using an underground tunnel. During the attack two of Gilad’s comrades were killed he was injured as well, after his tank was hit by RPG fire. He was 19 years old when he was captured and almost 1,000 days have passed since then.

The protest tent cannot help but move you. On all the streets leading to the tent are large banners with Gilad’s face and the Israeli word hat-zilu, which means rescue me.

A huge notice board stretches for meters with notes written by people from all over Israel. As I stood in line trying to see Gilad’s parents, a little girl of no more than 10 years old stood silently with her mother. Her mother kept asking her if she wanted to go, maybe come back another day, but the little girl said “no I want to give them my poem”. I looked down at the paper she was holding and saw how she must have spent hours drawing the flowers, birds and hearts surrounding her simple but loving words. It was cold, rainy and the crowds were pushing, but this little girl was not to be dissuaded from her mission. Her determination to show her support mirrored the spirit of all the others who were there that day and every day for the past few months.

Israeli’s are loud, but outside the protest tent there was a sad hush, and people talked to one another softly, not wanting to draw attention away from Gilad’s family. We put up our note on the notice board, tied a yellow ribbon on our car, and prayed silently that soon the nightmare this family was suffering would come to an end. Yoel, Gilad’s older brother, expressed it beautifully when he wrote the following to the Prime Minister.

“Please bring about a decision that will bring my brother home, and restore Gilad the soldier to the thousands who are visiting our tent and to others. I promise not to bother you any more; we will all go back to our simple community in the Galilee to live a quiet life”.

Everywhere you go in Israel, you are reminded of this captured soldier. In some banks there are TV screens that show his face and words cross the screen telling us – Gilad is still alive! Nightly, before the midnight news they play a short recording of his voice that his parents received from Hamas in Gaza. Many times the TV broadcasts a black screen to remind us that Gilad is sitting in a bunker somewhere in darkness. Gilad has become the son of every parent and the member of every family in Israel. His family’s pain has become the pain of the nation.

Intensive talks with his captives via Egyptian mediators have taken place over the past weeks but there has been no breakthrough. Now he needs a miracle and all of Israel knows it. Like David of old, we too take courage, looking to the God of Israel for the answer to our hearts cry. ‘Be strong and take heart, all of you who hope in the Lord” Psalm 31:24

keeping mum when it suits.

2009-01-22T01:14:00.000-08:00

Gaza Update from Christine: Already here we are hearing how Hamas is looting and stealing the humanitarian aid being brought into Gaza. Yesterday, Hamas gunmen intercepted 12 truck loads of humanitarian aid send by Jordan, and confiscated them for their needs. Aid that was meant to provide food, medication and clothing to the victims in Gaza will most likely now be seen being sold on the open market in a few days time.Funny how the UN was crying shame on Israel when their facility was hit by Israeli fire, but they are keeping mum and acting helpless,when clearly Hamas is robbing victims of aid. On top of that Israel has set up a medical treatment facility on the border of Gaza at the Erez crossing,that can treat up to 50 at a time. It has been staffed with emergency specialists, trauma experts, surgeons, and other medical expertise. Yet once again only a trickle of injured are coming to be treated due to fear they will face Hamas reprisals. Why doesn't the UN, or the Red Cross, or The World health Organization, who all have staff in Gaza, step in to protect and carry these people safely to the Israeli treatment facility.? Why ? Because its easier to blame Israel than to take responsibility for their own biased ineptitude. This is the true face of the Palestinian - Israeli conflict and the only ones who have to pay the ultimate price are the Innocent victims of the conflict.

Day 19 of the war and my view

2009-01-22T01:07:00.000-08:00

Gaza update from Christine:
Last night on the news, Israeli reporters gave a summary of day 19 of the war, and revealed results of a recent survey. The survey was to see what percentage of Israeli's wanted the IDF to continue the offensive in Gaza. It stated 62% of Israeli's fully support the offensive and wished for it to continue despite the hardships and danger it was causing to so many. Day19 saw 19 missiles fired from Gaza which is a big drop from the early days of the war but not enough to justify a cease fire. While peoples minds have been concerned about missiles and truces, my mind has been occupied with the selected blindness of the reporters in the foreign press.One point that I think has not been raised is the true reasons for the high loss of life in Gaza of civilians. Hamas spent a lot of time and money, mostly EU money, building an intricate web of tunnels under residential building's, schools, mosques, etc,throughout all Gaza over the past 3 years in preparation for their expected clash with Israeli forces. These tunnels were used for moving arms, storing missiles, and to give fighters escape roots from booby trapped buildings. The IDF is as it captures and moves deeper into Gaza has been stunned at the amount of work Hamas and other militants invested in weapons and tunnels.More and more footage of these tunnels, and the munitions stored in them, are being shown to the press. The foreign press see the pictures of the tunnels, yet they refuse to have the courage to ask some hard questions of Hamas. So I will ask one question of the foreign press."If Hamas had the time, money, and engineering skills to prepare these tunnels, why did they not take the opportunity to build bomb shelters or safety rooms for its civilians?" The answer is clear and we are now seeing it with the rising numbers of innocent people in Gaza who have lost their lives. Hamas considers the use of innocent lives a valid weapon for their cause.

Recently AIPAC made a report on recent events in Gaza and said the following.
Israeli troops this week uncovered a school in the Gaza Strip rigged by Hamas terrorists with a large amount of explosives, found massive stocks of Qassam and Katyusha rockets and other weapons hidden in a Gaza mosque, and encountered dozens of booby-trapped homes. Israel faces extreme difficulty in fighting an enemy that both targets innocent Israelis and hides behind its own civilians.

The foreign press love to fill TV screens and newspapers with pictures of broken and shattered faces, but do not have the courage to look at the true reasons for the growing numbers of lives lost in Gaza. Entire apartment buildings collapsed with families inside because of the munitions filled tunnels that criss crossed under their neighborhoods. IDF Flyers sent down to civilians requesting them to leave the area were in vain, because Hamas fighters did not allow them to leave their homes. Militants in Gaza see women and children as the prefect line of defense against the soft hearted Israeli army. While the Hamas leadership sit protected from the fighting in Gaza, in their nice little underground bunkers, they dare to call on their people to become martyrs.The high loss of life in Gaza is not only due to Israeli bombings, but also due to the callous cold hearted cowardliness of the Hamas leadership and their shallow dis-regard for the value of life.

Morning Coffee

2008-12-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

Over coffee, My neighbor Sasha and I solve world issues, discuss becoming successful writers and making millions on a daily basis.This morning Sasha and I discussed her daughter, Karen, and her job as a child clinical psychologist in the communities bordering Gaza.

In November we had over 200 missiles fired from Gaza at civilian communities by various terror fractions. Yesterday, Karen was very close to the site of a falling missile and had to rush to the football field to see if any kids were injured. She hears the missiles frequently and sadly even though she is on the front lines,earns a minimum wage for risking her life on a daily basis.

I told Sasha she needs to write an email to all her rich relatives living the life of comfort in the USA, describing her daughters dedication and bravery to the suffering community in Southern Israel. Her relatives donate huge amounts of money to Jewish causes in the USA and have supported big projects in Israel, but fail to see the need to support their own family who live the reality of Jewish life in Israel. The ones who are really building the Jewish State for future generations.

Karen lives in a one bedroom shack on a Moshav, drives an old second hand car that breaks down constantly, gets no travel allowance, and barely survives on her salary. Yet the only thing she complains about is her helplessness in face of the enormous task of attempting to meet all the needs of these traumatized children. Can you imagine this happening in any other western "enlightened" country?

I am sickened by the millions of dollars that have gone down the drain on the stock markets worldwide. By the greedy investors who held donations earmarked specifically for the Jewish State, investing money that was not theirs in the hopes of turning over a personal profit along the way. Now the money has been eaten up forever without reaching its purposed destination. The little people who really are paying the ultimate price for choosing to live in Israel are the true heroes of the financial fallout worldwide. They never looked to make millions, or to seek a comfortable life, they chose to serve as vessels of compassion and excellence for the future generations of the Jewish State.

I am so glad I know people like Karen, and many more like her. I am the richer for it and to think I have never had money to invest in anything. Investing your time in people, listening to their personal stories and being able to hear what they are saying brings a reward far beyond riches.

"A good name is more desirable than great riches: to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." Proverbs 22:1

Poverty in Jerusalem 2008

2008-02-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

I know what its like to be hungry, and poor. I know how desperation can make a person forget their feelings of shame. I know that a person in distress can superficially hide their pride, in their body language or mannerisms. I also know that only someone who has God-given compassion, been hungry, homeless, emotionally crippled or destitute at some point in his life can truly comprehend the full meaning of poverty.

Recently I read a report by Nadav Shragai, an Israeli correspondent who writes for The Haaretz newspaper. His report echo’s the stark reality of what is happening on the ground in Jerusalem in January 2008.

“A statistical report of Jerusalem published 17th January, 08 shows that over half of the city's children live below the poverty line.

The yearly report, published by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies (JIIS) and the Jerusalem Municipality, indicates that 56 percent of the capital's children and 33 percent of the city's families were living in poverty in 2007”.

There are many words that come to mind when you think about Jerusalem. Holy, golden, eternal, united, divided, glorious, ancient etc these are the words that would pop into the minds of most lovers of Jerusalem. But the word empovrished would be one of the last words that would come to mind. To truly love Jerusalem, at least the one of today, you have to embrace the heart of what this city is all about, and that is it’s people. Jew,Arab,Christian,foreigner- - poverty attacks them all stalking them, demeaning them, causing them to lose heart, first in themselves and then in their fellow man.They begin to believe that no one cares.

I am fortunate, in the past I tasted hard times, and sadly found myself living from hand to mouth, waiting on hand outs from others and wondering how I could feed my children,just as many of Jerusalem’s residents are doing today. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and I am blessed from time to time to be able to visit some of the soup kitchens in Jerusalem and distribute gifts of money sent to me by generous and compassionate people. This past week I went to one of the most most frequented soup kitchens which sits next to the central bus station in Jerusalem. I was there at 10 am just as the kitchen staff was breaking for coffee and getting ready to begin their day. I knocked on the door and let myself in, at first they thought I was looking for a hot meal and they told me to come back at 12. I laughted, feeling awkard and explained I was there to give a donation. Their whole mood changed and soon I found myself being plied with hot coffee with introductions all round. All four men, 2 Arabs and 2 Jews, have been working together in the kitchen for years. I began to ask them questions immediately, knowing that if I didn’t take the initiative, they would soon be bombarding me with theirs.

How many people do you feed every day ? For years it used to be 150 – 180, but over the past few years the numbers keep growing, and now we feed anything from 300 – 500 every day.
What kind of people come in to eat ? Used to be the homeless and the unemployed, now its families, single mothers, fathers who don’t want their families to know they are going through hard times, and even teenagers.
Who decides on the menu every day ? We count the money, wait for people to drop off food, and then we make up the menu. We always do soup ,a meat dish and rice or couscous.
When do you feel the most helpless ? When we see the food running out and there are still people standing in the line outside.
Who helps you the most ? Every end of year we get big donations from business people wanting a tax write off, but we don’t consider them our real donors. The real donors are people like you, the no bodys. The ones who have tasted poverty and now that things have changed, you return the kindness. You are our best marketers and our best fund-raisers. We would not exist without you. You turned your shame, into action, and we are open today because of your donation and many other donations just like yours.

I finished my coffee, received hugs from all four workers and with my receipt in hand, walked out the kitchen door. Funny thing is the donation I gave them was not that big, but they made me feel like I had just given them a million dollars.

Psalm 33: 18 – 22 “Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in his mercy.
To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine .
Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
because we have trusted in His Holy name.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in you.”

Where are our thoughts ?

2007-11-26T03:22:00.000-08:00

My inbox is being flooded daily with articles from all over the world on the pro’s and cons of the up-coming Annapolis conference. I have found myself wondering if this is not just another smoke screen being used by the powers that be, to cover up the real issues of importance in Israel.

This past week we experienced 3 minor earthquakes and the last one struck in an area that usually escapes even the slightest tremors. Of course those who are anti- conference use these signs as a warning to those who are promoting dividing up the land as God’s hand of judgment towards them. On the other side we hear it said that the earthquakes are a sign from God, saying “If you are too stubborn to divide the land, then I will”

Earth quaking events have been taking place in Israel even before the recent natural quakes were felt. For the past 42 days High school teachers throughout Israel have been on strike demanding serious reformation in the education system and an increase in salaries and work conditions. The average class room in Israel has 40 students and the average teacher’s salary is $1,500 a month. The education budget has been slashed by millions of dollars over the past 6 years in order to shore up shortages in the defense budget. Until now, the Prime Minister has refused to meet with the representatives of the teachers Union, despite numerous requests. He ignored a signed request by 64 members of the Israeli parliament, to intervene personally and keeps telling the teachers to return to work and then he will talk to them about reforms and pay increases. His words have fallen on deaf ears, as years of neglect and false promises have turned dedicated teachers into disillusioned and angry people.

Nearly 600,000 high school students are suffering together with their parents and teachers. They are enraged by the snub given education over snuggling up to known enemies of Israel. Olmert has used the flurry of diplomatic activity building up to Annapolis as his crutch and excuse in avoiding dealing with the severity of the education issue at home. One parent asked “Why is the school strike that is affecting hundreds of thousands of Israeli’s not being given its true priority on the political agenda of Israel’s Government?” A teacher from Jerusalem, Amiad Meltzer, said “if the prime minister had taught Israel’s management and business leadership how to solve a crisis, the lesson would have been on how to identify a crisis, and education is in deep crisis today”

After living over 30 years in Israel I have seen Prime Ministers and their Governments fall over and over again, mainly due to their arrogance, egocentric attitudes and their blindness to burning issues at home. They seem to have learned nothing from the past and continue to make the same mistakes, assuming that they know better. Abraham Lincoln’s words ring true “You may deceive all the people part of the time, and part of the people all the time, but not all the people all the time”

Olmert and his advisors may be able to fool themselves in thinking they are making progress in winning over the confidence of the Palestinian leadership, but the man in the street only sees a King with no clothes. The Palestinians have a proven track record of failure in keeping their word or written agreements and yet Olmert recently rewarded them with prisoner releases, armored vehicles, weapons and millions of bullets. The true backbone of Israel, the educators, who instill Zionist and moral values into our young people and who urge them to fulfill their duty by serving their country, are not being given the time of day by Olmert. The burning issue in Israel is education, or rather lack of it. If Olmert does not wake up from his self induced trance he may find he has on one to lead and he will hear them shouting ‘’look the king has no clothes”!

Meanwhile I am joining the protest, I will not remain silent. I encourage every teacher I meet, I honk my car horn as a show of support to the protestors, daily lining Jerusalem’s streets. I give them a thumbs up and a big smile and they eagerly respond by holding up their placards and blowing their whistles.

“I am so glad you taught us to feel others’ pain”

2007-09-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

Nahariya is home to a large number of southern Lebanese refugees. They had no choice but to flee to Israel in May 2000 when the Israeli army withdrew from the security zone on the northern border.

Most of the men were professional soldiers in Lebanon, and were unprepared for life as civilians. They found themselves suddenly needing to support their families in a country where they lacked the knowledge of the language as well as basic work skills.

From the very first day they crossed over the border with their families and nothing but the clothes on their backs, my heart went out to them. For seven years I have been visiting them, listening to their troubles and trying to find creative ways to alleviate some of their pressing needs.

I began this ministry with no money, no supplies, but with a heart of compassion and fire in my bones. I still remember turning on the news and seeing the flood of people pouring across the border.
The thing that struck me the most was that there was no one to meet them, apart from Israeli soldiers. They were at a loss about what to do with all these people and were unprepared for such a large number of refugees.

At that time, I decided to knock on all my neighbors’ doors and tell them they needed to help me to help them. Soon my car was full of diapers, clothes and much more.

Seven years have passed and I am still driving north. Now I knock on the doors of Bridges for Peace and other ministries in Jerusalem, and they are the ones filling my car.

Just this week, I took my 17 year old daughter Mari on a trip delivering school supplies and food packages to needy families in the north. Truth be known, I actually conned my sweet daughter into going with me, as all my other eager volunteers fell by the wayside.

I was able to get a lot of school bags and food from Bridges. My car was packed to the brim with supplies. I thought I had more than enough for everyone, but once I started giving it out, I realized I was just scratching the surface.

Christine and daughter Mari The drive was long and it was so hot, but when these kids saw us unload the newschool bags and other items, their faces lit up like a Christmas tree.
The smiles on their faces was the best thanks I could have been given. Thenew supplies were just a drop in the bucket compared to the needs of these families, and yet they kept telling me I was an angel that God had given them in Israel.

On the way back home, 11 hours later, Mari turned to me and said, “Mum, that was a great day. I am so glad the way you and Abba have raised us. I am so glad you taught us to feel others’ pain.”

Can't tell you how great she made me feel, and how good it felt to be partnering with God in molding her character.

I received my reward from the day’s journey a hundred fold, and I know that as long as I have the passion for this work, God will keep filling up my car.

A wise man said to me years ago, “Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up.”

**********************************

The untold stories of a bombing

2007-02-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

"We may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all -- the APATHY of human beings". Helen Keller

On Monday morning the 29^th January, 2007 a young man wearing a bright red sweatshirt and carrying a backpack walked into a bakery in Eilat, Israel and blew himself up, killing himself and all three Israeli workers in the bakery. Only later in the day would we learn more about the young man and get to hear his mother in Gaza praising his actions and calling for her other sons to follow in his footsteps.

He was 21 and from the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya and was sent to carry out the bombing with the blessing of both his parents. TV cameras showed a crowd of neighbors and friends of the family gathered outside their home shouting, "Muhammad be happy, you will go directly to Heaven".

The morning of the bombing, Muriel, a single mom of three decided to run down to the local bakery to buy some fresh rolls. She realized when she went to pay that she was short just 2.40 shekels (50 cents). Rather than take the rolls, she left them and ran home to get the extra money. As she was walking out the door of her home back to the bakery, she heard a loud explosion. She rushed to see if she could help but was stopped in her tracks by human remains that were splattered all over her car. She ran off down the street terrified, even though she could hear people screaming "someone call an ambulance". She only came to a halt when one of her neighbors grabbed her, held her tight, and repeatedly told her she was safe. She says since the bombing she can't sleep and is still having nightmares. She has told everyone "my life was saved by 2.40 shekels".

Just 5 minutes walk from the very shopping centre where the bombing took place sits a Christian hostel called the "Shelter". Everyone staying and working at the hostel heard the explosion and until now find it hard to believe that a suicide bomber could get so close to their hostel undetected by security forces. It was a major shock to the city. Fortunately Eilat is a holiday town, no one working or staying at the hostel had gone out to do any early morning shopping and were just having a nice lazy start to their day. Their easy going holiday mood saved their lives together with all the prayers and praise that has been given to the Lord in that place...

Three people were not so lucky. All three will be sadly missed by their friends and family. I didn't know them, but I believe that if I just take the time to tell you about them, then apathy will not erase their memory and the devil will not have won the battle to de-sensitize us to the Spiritual war that is raging in the Middle East. I believe it's very important for people to know the names, ages and other details of these young men, in the hope that they will not become just another person somewhere in the Middle East who was killed by a terrorist act.

Emil was 32 years old and was the manager of two bakeries in Eilat. He was married to Keren and they had a two year old daughter. He belonged to one of Eilat's oldest and most well known families. His uncle said "Emil was the pride and joy of our family. Everyone in the city knew him as a man with a very big heart".

Michael was 27 and moved to live in Eilat 4 years ago where he met and married his wife, Shani. They had an eight month old son, and the morning of the bombing he had risen early at 5am to work at the bakery. He returned home at 8.15 to pick up his son to take him to day care. That was the last time his wife and baby would ever see him again. Shani said of Michael " He was clever, an amazing father and a wonderful husband".

Israel (Izzy) was 26 and single. He worked at the bakery owned by Emil and Michael. He was born in Peru and immigrated with his family to Israel. His family could not adjust to life in Israel and went to live in America. He remained in Israel without them deciding to make a life for himself in Eilat. His friend said " Izzy always had a smile and a cheerful personality, I will miss him".

APATHY is simply choosing to be indifferent, or as spoken of in the book of Revelation 3:15 "I know your deeds, that you were neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!" I have lived through years and years of terror and I have not grown indifferent to the pictures of grieving mothers and children. Every death makes me more determined to challenge the growing indifference shown to victims of terror, taking hold in society here and world wide. We cannot and must not allow evil to defeat us, we must stand up and be counted. Please take time to remember the families of Emil, Michael and Israel, remember Muriel and her nightmares together with every believer that was kept safe in the hostel down the street from the bombing. Remember too the parents and siblings of the suicide bomber, who knows, maybe God can meet them just like he did Saul on the road to Damascus. The devil wants to rob Israel of its hope and its promises but I believe with all my heart that one day the words of Isaiah will ring true "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like a flooding stream" Isaiah 66:12

The Little things

2006-10-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

Just this morning I took a gift of money to an old holocaust survivor. She came into my life 6 years ago and now dropping by to see her first thing every morning is part of my daily routine. This time when I arrived she was very down in the dumps. "I only have 60 shekels ($15) left, it's so hard living like this" She lives on a small Israeli pension and she still had a couple of weeks to go before the next payment into her account. She told me that when things get tight for her she finds herself having to choose between buying food or medication. Purchases that the average person takes for granted when they go shopping, she has to agonize over time and time again. It makes her depressed and at times she wonders why she has to struggle at her age for every little thing. When she really gets down in the dumps, she begins to wonder what is the point to her life. I listened, not wanting to interrupt her from pouring out her heart. She had been alone for so long before we met, and it took years before she could fully open up to me.
"I have something for you" and I handed her an envelope with money, given by caring Christians from the USA. She opened it and her whole face lit up with joy. 'I can buy a six pack of diet coke", 'No, I can get some bedroom slippers", 'I can buy all my medication at one time". On and on she went telling me all the ways she could use the money. How I wished that the kind hearted ones who had given this gift could see the joy that they had given to this old lady. 'Christine, its not the amount of money that is so wonderful to me, it's just that now I have the ability to make choices." " In fact I don't feel like I want to die anymore."
As I got up to leave, she said kept repeating over and over "God put you in my life".
As I walked home I thought "No, Jetta, God put you in my life!". Being able to touch her life and give her so much joy, even for those brief moments, made me feel like my life had value and purpose. Thank you Jetta !!
'So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" Matthew 7:12

Yom Kippur

2006-10-02T04:43:00.000-07:00

YOM KIPPUR

How wonderful it is when Yom Kippur begins. The streets are devoid of traffic, no drilling sounds from the building sites, no music blaring out at you, and the kids are the kings of the roads on their bikes. I love Yom Kippur in Jerusalem!

Since the cease fire with Lebanon in late August, it's as if the entire nation of Israel has been walking around in a state of shock. Today memories of the recent war and the painful reminder of the Yom Kippur War 33 years ago are tugging on people's hearts. There is definitely a change in attitude in regards to keeping the Yom Kippur fast. In all the years of living here I have never seen such a willingness to fast even from the most secular of Israeli's. I believe its part of their need to look for ways to find healing from the emotional trauma suffered during and after the war.

The war has left its mark on this country. The only way to describe it would
be to say it's like a festering open wound. People's expectations were high
and their belief in the strength of Israel's military might was staunch.
Sadly the end result revealed a void of decisive leadership both in the
military command and the Government. Don't get me wrong, Israeli's are not
feeling humiliated or defeated, but rather deeply disappointed in the lack of
bold leadership on all fronts. One can only hope that Israel's leaders are
doing some serious reflection and soul searching over Yom Kippur.

The most heart warming memories for me from this Summer of 2006 will be the
supportive and patriotic way Israeli's threw their full support behind the
army and the Governments decision to react militarily to the brazen attack
with the killing and kidnapping of soldiers on the Northern border.
The courage of the population in the North was incredible and the wonderful
way in which this nation pulled together to help those in need was
inspiring. This open wound is going to take time to heal and perhaps the
fast of Yom Kippur is the best way to start the process. "The wisdom of the
prudent is to give thought to their ways" Proverbs 14:8

Another side of things

2006-09-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Another side of things:

The past week has been really wonderful! Well, in a very personal way for me at least. At times, I wrestle with the expectations put upon me to continue to inform people of life in Israel. I don't want to appear too positive or too negative for fear of being called a "dreamer". But now and again I have things happen in my life that simply can not go unsaid.

Last week at my bowling league I was pitted against one of the top men bowlers in Jerusalem. Just seeing his name across from mine on the game sheet sent shivers all over me. How is it that at 52 I still get freaked out over something so simple as a 10 pin bowling game? It was clear when he stood up to roll his first ball that he definitely though to himself "this game is in the bag". I did not appear to be any threat to him at all, in fact he joked with his team mates how this game should be the final clincher on their winning streak over the past weeks. I told myself I should not give up, in fact I should at least put up a fight, if only for my own honor. My team mates gave me empty words of encouragement but I was not to be deterred. If I have learned nothing else from living in this country, I have learned you should never give up, despite the circumstances.
I bowled a brilliant game of 212, beating him by 22 points. My team mates cheered me on like I was a prize fighting boxer and I must admit I did enjoy the glory of the moment. We handed them their first loss in weeks and I left the bowling alley feeling like I had just won the lottery.

Today as my daughter, Mari, was leaving for school she told me she would be home a little later than usual. She and some other friends had decided to visit a class mate that was in hospital. "Who initiated the visit"? I asked, "We did, of course, he is our friend, he needs to know we are thinking about him". Can't describe to you how wonderful it felt to know that my very own teenage daughter was thinking about someone else and their needs. The words of Proverbs 22:6 were ringing in my head "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it". For a girl that had just been through a summer of war, it certainly encouraged me to see that her world still had enough room in it for others and their pain.

Last night however, will be one I shall never forget. It was the first of the parent – teacher meetings of the new school year. Mari is in her final year, and all the parents were addressed by the Principal. I was expecting the usual talk, on dealing with teens, but she completely surprised me with her words.
'The myth of the might and power of the Israeli army has been broken this summer through the war. Our whole nation is carrying a weight of emotions and we all need to come to the place where we can say to ourselves and our children. "People make mistakes, leaders make mistakes, being human is a risky business". The war left everyone with a feeling of helplessness and shattered hopes of ever living in PEACE with our neighbors. Your children have returned to school bringing with them the trauma of war and loss. We, as teachers, and you as parents need to put aside your feelings and focus on the next generation. We must continue to give them a feeling of security, in the school and in the home. We have a commission to prepare them for the future. We must help one another to preserve the next generation. Lets work together to help them realize their hopes and dreams."

When the principal finished speaking, not a word was spoken, you could have heard a pin drop. No questions were asked, no loud discussion broke out as is the norm. Everyone sat, knowing that it was time to put aside their personal hurts and anxieties brought on by the war, silence was the healer, and in the midst of the silence I sensed real hope.

"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you: And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem" Isaiah66:13

2006-09-10T03:08:00.000-07:00

Anyone can be used !

2006-09-09T04:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my Jewish neighbour went North and I asked her to visit a Christian Lebanese family I heard about in Qiryat Shimona that was really poor and suffering greatly. The family had been separated for 5 years , the husband in Israel and the wife and children in Southern Lebanon. The wife decided to make a daring attempt to cross into Israel with her two children and with help from experienced negotiators , she succeeded.

My neighbour went out of her way to go and see them. She is no spring chicken, has bad knees, and a weight problem. But when she sets her mind to do something, she is un-stoppable. Once she arrived in the town, located the family, climbed to the third floor apartment, she called me from their house . Now remember she is not a believer.....but she drove nearly 4 hours to see them, gave them our gift of $600 AUS to help with expenses entailed from the war, and costs entailed in getting their kids into school. She visited with them 30 minutes, encouraged them, took their photo for me, and called to say she had done all I had asked except for one thing...she said " Christine I draw the line at praying for them in the Name of Jesus" !! I told her okay, I would do it on the phone, so that is what we did...she passed the phone to the people in the apartment and I prayed for them...How about that for co-operation ?Isn't God good ? Thought you would like the story. Later she called to say, she had never seen such poverty, and it was a real wake up call for her. She thanked me for allowing her to be the angel of blessing this time. So for all of those chain smoking people out there who think God cannot use them, take an example from my neighbour SASHA.....God can use anyone who has a heart of compassion and a sense of adventure.

Who won the war ?

2006-09-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

September 2006

Two or three times a week I drive past the Prime Ministers offices in Jerusalem. Two protest groups are now camped across the road in strategic positions One group consists of army reservists who recently returned from fighting in Lebanon. They complain of military mismanagement in the recent war, and the Governments failure to achieve their two main objectives in going to war. (1)The return of the two kidnapped soldiers (2)The removal of Hizbullah from Southern Lebanon. One reservist said "Israel should have and could have destroyed Hizbullah, now we know; sooner or later we will have to go back and finish the job" They say their tent will sit there until until their primary objective is met. That is to see Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and IDF chief of staff Lt. Dan Halutz resign and take responsibility for their failure to achieve the two goals given as a reason for going into Lebanon.

The second group of protesters are called The Movement for Quality Government. They are demanding and official commission of enquiry, headed by a Supreme court judge to investigate the handling of the war One of the leaders of the protest said "We want leaders who will take responsibility. We are not calling for the resignation of the nations leaders, but rather for an admission of guilt and complete acceptance of responsibility" Most of the protestors are residents of the North and they say they will stay there until every home and every damaged building is repaired. They simply don't trust the Government to keep their promises.

The most asked question in Israel today is "Did we win the war"? There is no doubt that Israel is a nation in crisis at the moment and their National pride has been badly bruised. They can be condemned for being arrogant and for putting too much trust in their weapons and military might, but I am convinced 'We did not lose the war"! This nation is in urgent need of re-assurance and great emotional healing. Many spent more than a month in bomb shelters, others were forced to re-locate, thousands were exposed to sirens and explosions, many more sent their sons and fathers off to battle, and lived in uncertainty and fear for weeks on end.

When I walked into the coffee shop recently, one of the other regulars called out to me "Christine, tell Yossi why you think we didn't lose the war".
It's like this I say, "If we lost the war then how is it that we had new immigrants arrive during the war. On July 25th we had 650 French immigrants arrive, despite the barrage of rockets being fired daily on Israel. It didn't scare them off. Shortly after the cease-fire, on 16th August we had another 520 immigrants arrive, 140 from Britain, 140 Canadians and 240 Americans. People don't immigrant to a country of losers! In a recent post- war survey it found that 50% of all Israeli households made a contribution in someway to financially assist or accommodate people from the North. That is not the action of a nation in defeat! That is the action of people who are united, strong and resilient! If we were a nation of losers then we should have already thrown up our hands in despair after all the horrible acts of terrorism that have plagued us over the past years".

I recently returned from the North and was saddened by the signs of devastation in the forests and the once rolling green hills and mountains of the North. 750,000 trees were burnt to the ground, 60 years of dedicated tree planting gone. Yet in the midst of the war, every time a fire broke out a crew of 100 volunteer forestry workers rushed out to battle the blazes. They were a group of ordinary Israeli's, Jews, Arabs and Druse. At the end of the war, when the firefighters were asked did they feel defeated. They said " No, way ! We will plant new trees and bring the green back to the Galilee". These are not the words of a bunch of losers.

A number of hospitals in the North of Israel were actually hit by missiles, yet the staff did not flee. They moved the patients to the basements and continued with their job of caring for the sick and injured. All hospitals in the North said their staff reported to duty daily and no one asked to be relieved to join their families in safer locations. A 71 year old USA Billionaire who is regarded as one of the richest Jews in the world heard about the dedication of the hospital staff in the North of Israel. He was so moved he decided to donate 6 million dollars to the hospitals.. He said "We are giving this money out of love and appreciation for the wonderful residents and dedicated workers of the North who withstood such a heavy rain of rockets". This man was moved to give by hearing and seeing the inner strength and love of ordinary Israeli's one for another under tremendous stress. If we were a nation of losers, the hospital workers would have abandoned their posts and cared only for themselves.

This war was not a defeat, it was a warning to prepare for the next big battle. Now the Government can no longer withhold finances for the defense budget in regards to hi-tech programs that were frozen. Israel must maintain its qualitative edge in advanced weaponry development. If Israel was defeated, as some think, why is it that our Prime Minister and other Government officials are seen touring the North and appearing in public while Hasan Nasrallah, the Hizbullah leader, is still hiding out in bunkers fearing for his life? This is not the behavior of a victorious leader!

I was in the North this past week I went to visit the 6 families of Lebanese refugees that had just crossed over the Israeli border seeking refugee a few days earlier. I knocked on the door of one apartment at 6am waking up the household. On the floor of the living room were the children, the parents stood sleepy eyed and invited me in. Rafael told me his story, how he had been separated from his wife and children 6 years earlier when Israeli forces withdrew from Lebanon. He crossed into Israel without them thinking he would be able to return later .Within hours of the Israeli army withdrawal, Hizbullah came into all the villages in the South of Lebanon and set themselves up as the new régime. His wife, Dalita, lived in constant fear. Her husbands name was put on a Hizbullah wanted list for fleeing into Israel. She was watched and taunted whenever she left her home. She had almost given up all hope of ever leading a normal life when suddenly the war broke out and Israeli soldiers came across the border into Lebanon. She called her husband, they both knew this would be their only chance for her to escape. She took her 3 children and began walking in the heat towards the border. Israeli soldiers gave them water and food, some carried her little girl part of the way. Her husband called everyone who had any influence in the army and begged them to help his family. Rafael drove to the border and waited, constantly calling his wife on her mobile phone, encouraging her not to give up. Then the miracle happened, there she was, standing with 3 children he could hardly recognize. "Go and get her, shouted the Israeli commander" Today Rafael says he is the happiest man in the whole world and he is proud to live in a country that honors the brave and offers refuge to the stranger." We did not lose the war, we won it the moment Dalita, turned her eyes towards Israel for her safety and future.

Cease-fire?

2006-09-05T05:22:00.000-07:00

UPDATE FROM Christine – Cease-fire?

A tense calm has hit Israel. Hard to believe that the missiles have stopped falling and even harder to believe the cease fire that has been declared will hold for any length of time. Israel still has thousands of soldiers in Southern Lebanon and no one here will feel a sense of relief until all of them a safely within the borders of Israel. 157 lost their lives in this war, 118 were soldiers and 39 civilians. The miracle is that there could have been so many more killed and injured. Of the 3,970 missiles fired on Northern Israel, only 901 of them hit the Northern communities.12,000 homes were damaged by missiles, yet only 39 civilians were killed. This is a miracle !The unofficial name for this war of 34 days was "the war of no choice". Israeli's felt they were fighting a proxy army, called Hizbullah, but the truth of the matter is it was a war against Syria and Iran.Their leaders now sit victorious because they fought a war against Israel with no cost to themselves. These two regimes armed and trained Hizbullah fighters. Few people living outside of the Middle East can really understand what this war was all about. In a nut shell, it was about testing Israelis boundaries and its military might. This war is far from over, the enemies of Israel still plot its destruction and will continue to test Israel's patience. Another war is inevitable!

In the midst of all the misery this war brought to Israel. There were many positive things going on day after day. I was deeply touched by the unity of the nation, their constant ability to give money, their homes, and their time.

Two young men from Tel-Aviv felt they could no longer sit back in the comfort of their homes and drove North to Qiryat Shmona to see how they could help. They went from bomb shelter to bomb shelter distributing food. One of the last bomb shelters they entered they found an old man, early 80's sitting all alone. He had not eaten for 3 days. He told them that every one left to move South, but he had no family and no money. He thought for sure the Syrian army had taken the Northern part of Israel and he was the only one left alive.They took him into their care and moved him to a safer city and paid for him to be taken care of until he could return to his home.

Two people turned up in Qiryat Shimona one day and walked into the local corner store. They asked the owner if people who had left , had paid their grocery bills. Here in Israel, you can run up a bill at your local store, and pay it off on pay day every month. The store owner said, "no I have been stuck with hundreds of unpaid bills and I don't know how I am going to survive myself". "Add up the bills,"they said, it came to $15,000 . They took out a bag , opened it up and paid him the whole amount in cash. They said it was a gift from people who care in AMERICA.

An Israeli dad received a call from his son on the front lines saying they lacked food. He tossed and turned all night and in the morning told his wife, he had to do something. He got out his Bar-B-Que equipment and drove north to the border. On the way he stopped at all kinds of supermarkets telling people he needed food for the soldiers. He has been there for now for over a week, grilling meat and feeding tired and weary soldiers as they return from battle in Lebanon.

I kept getting calls from Narhayia for help. Food had run out, basic things like toilet paper, and bread had become luxuries. I talked one ministry into taking a van load of supplies, but it was not enough and they had run out within 5 days. I could no longer sit back, so I decided to take action. Last week I was able to fill 3 cars full of supplies, and together with my husband, 2 daughters, my chain smoking neighbour, and a Jewish believer, we set off at 4.30am in the morning and drove North. It took us 3 hours, when we arrived in Narhayia, the streets were devoid of cars and people. We walked into a bomb shelter, and found 15 people, of all ages sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor. They could not believe their eyes when they saw us. My husband Bara, went immediately to put paper in the toilets, he was shocked to see they had taken books and begun to tear out the pages to use as toilet paper. They were overwhelmed by the amount of supplies we delivered to them , including freshly baked bread we had picked up on the way. But the thing they needed most, was a hug, a word of encouragement and our smiles. They were stunned to hear that this motley crew had driven through the wee hours of the morning to bring them supplies. We went on to other bomb shelters and each time the reaction was the same, total surprise and appreciation, more for our coming than for what we brought them. Our two daughters took cakes and drinks into the local police station, and the young men there were stunned to see these two Asian beauties coming to show they appreciated their tireless work. Twenty minutes after we left Narhayia, the air raid sirens began to sound. We ended up having to spend a couple of hours in the shelters ourselves. Later when we returned home, we heard that 43 missiles had been fired on Narhayia that day. Were we scared? Yes! Scared enough to turn back from our mission ?, NO!.

So what does it take to be called a hero in Israel these days ? Only one thing - . LOVE.!