tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83974857442938522792024-02-20T23:09:58.702-08:00Update From SderotHands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-85955538016153735132013-04-30T12:58:00.001-07:002013-04-30T13:05:59.479-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">As the last hour of this wonderful Shabbat is passing by I sit and look out the picture window to the scene outside. It has been a very blustery day with an occasional rain, but it is quiet now.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Immediately as I look out the window I see the large Mimosa tree just beginning to leaf out. As the wind begins to cease, the mourning doves that feed at my window have returned for their evening meal.
Beyond the tree that is now filled with many different birds singing their evening songs, I can see a palette of color from the flower garden below. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Behind the pansies and snapdragons is the vegetable garden.
The beds have just been tilled and rich dark soil added. They lay there quietly awaiting the new planting that will happen soon. The trellises above the garden paths are covered with Night Blooming Jasmine just beginning to bloom. As the evenings warm, the night will explode with their intoxicating fragrance. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">As I look beyond the trellises I can see the large herb garden filled with rosemary, sage, lavender, and mint. The lambs are there playing and nibbling freely. Beyond is the back fence that borders the grassy city park. I can hear the sounds of children at play as I watch families returning from the synagogue.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">These are the sights and sounds I am blessed with from the roof top accommodations at Hands of Mercy. Although the work week is always filled with much to do, the quiet rest that Shabbat brings is welcomed. I am so blessed with such a beautiful and peaceful place to live. Baruch Hashem! And yet just under the surface of this tranquility is the reality that we live in a place where rockets ravage the people and landscape much too often. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">The week ahead will be a busy one as we prepare for a diaper give away to needy moms. Hands of Mercy were recently blessed with a donation of 5000 diapers and so we are planning a social event for our needy moms and their small children and babies.
We will be busy at the start of the week with making gallons of lemonade and homemade ice cream and sorbet. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">The lambs will also need to be bathed and groomed tomorrow so they can be ready for the children to enjoy.
As the moms come for their diapers they will also be able to ‘shop’ for clothing for the babies and children from our clothing donations, and then enjoy some ice cream and lemonade as they watch their children interact with the playful lambs. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I am so very thankful for the faithful prayers and financial support you so graciously provide that helps to allow me to serve here. The service you provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you for allowing His goodness to flow through you. Todah Rabah!
</span>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-60054239212876942372012-11-21T21:27:00.002-08:002012-11-21T21:28:52.170-08:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: large;">Cease Fire? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Here we go again… yet another cease
fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cycle of one-sided adherence
continues. The agreed upon cease fire went into affect nearly 10 hours ago. In
the first four hours of the so called “cease fire”, more than 20 rockets were
fired into Israel by Palestinian terrorists. So what happens now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we return to the prewar normalcy of the one
or two rockets a week? One must ask, “What now?” as the outcry of “disproportionate
response” ceases and Hamas once again rebuilds their smuggling tunnels for the
fresh supply of Grads and Fajr-5 rocket that will be fired once more at Israel.
Is this the “state of normalcy everyone insisted on? Do the pleas for, ”maximum
restraint” carry on <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as the rocket<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>continue to be fired into Israel? <span class="apple-style-span">The Home Front Command has
issued instructions to keep schools in southern Israel shut on Thursday and
stressed that it instructions to residents had not changed. The courageous
men and women of the IDF staged and ready on the Gaza border remain and wait.
We hope… we pray… we remain ready.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-12968144277976574542012-11-21T17:42:00.001-08:002012-11-21T17:42:43.056-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/i2Zwp1RqHGg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-34114399957044933392012-11-16T11:17:00.005-08:002012-11-16T11:17:57.433-08:00Hope For Sderot Is On Facebook<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">Due to the large volume of reports and information coming out of Israel my friends at Hope for Sderot have opened a facebook page for update purposes. Please Visit them at; <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2Fhope-for-sderot%2F372856179799&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FHope-For-Sderot%2F372856179799&ei=kI-mULzTNOeRiAKeqYC4Dg&usg=AFQjCNHUtVOwMUFWnmM5c3QrodlQw1BqRw">Hope For Sderot | Facebook</a> and show your support.</span>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-1793330220541184892012-11-16T10:57:00.003-08:002012-11-16T11:01:42.940-08:00Voices From Sderot<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following was written less than a week ago just prior to the current operation. It has been posted with permission by MC. Again, a unique and first hand view of the reality on the ground.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">News from Front Line Sderot<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It’s Sunday morning and I am just a bit on edge, I was woken up
this morning to a chorus of “Sever Adom” echoing across the town. Our culture
was about to be enhanced once more.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Last night there was a condition red but nothing happened, this
morning the explosions were too close for comfort, the house shook, the windows
rattled, the town went silent, just the natural noises of the wind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The “life enhancing” qualities of Islam will be at work today
while the emergency teams at magen Dovid adom get to work on the inevitable
victims, trying to save life and limb, but nobody can save mind and demeanour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As usual it is school time, the children are on their way; and
vulnerable. The shelters are about a hundred yards apart, 12 seconds for a six
year old 50 yards from the shelter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Me, I am crippled, I cannot move fast, I stay put, if Yehovah
wants to bring me home then so be it, but I would rather not be maimed any
more; Abba, all I ask is make it fast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">This is a mind battle, we work for a small humanitarian aid
organisation called “Hope for Sderot”, we mainly give out food to the now poor
families in the area, our local cultural enhancement experts in Gaza have
driven out many of the employers, and with them go the jobs and the wealth. The
battle is to keep Sderot alive, the enemy wants to make life so uncomfortable
that the town is abandoned and they have won. We work in the front line, doing
what we can to make life in Sderot workable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As we say goodbye to the Jobs, so we say hello to debt crisis
management, no job means that the mortgage does not get paid, the loans cannot
be serviced, the gas, electricity and water have to be juggled; get it wrong
and the children get their food cold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">To qualify for aid, our clients have to do a means test, this is a
heart rendering process, made worse by bank and government inflexibility. Many
clients see what little money they get eaten up by compulsory repayments;,
clothing and equipping the children for school becomes a matter of scrounging
what you can. We keep supplies of nappies (diapers) and unused children’s
underwear so that if we see a need, we can fill it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">But it all costs money, I flew in from Vienna a few months ago,
girl’s knickers had been at half price in the local supermarket so I got a
hundred euro’s worth, my bag was opened at the airport security and there, on
top were all these packets of pants, the official gave me a very strange look!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Added to all the local cultural enhancement, The Joshua Fund
(Christian) has just removed our $10,000 monthly grant after four years, we are
too “Jewish” for them, they want our (Jewish) boss to go to church in Beersheva
(40 Kms away) on Saturday instead of keeping (Jewish) Sabbath. We thanks the
Joshua Fund for their past support, and we are slowly breaching the huge gap
that their decision has left, but it IS difficult not to be angry at the
pettiness of it all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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If I might put in a ‘beg’ here, you can contribute at our
website www.hopeforsderot.com all money goes to counter the Jihad being waged
directly against us.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We have enough supplies to keep distributing food into January,
but our ability to ease the financial burdens are now severely restricted, we
have to rely on contributions from our supporters mainly in the USA with some
local assistance. This Income has dropped off by about 30% this year (excluding
the above).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">But above all we must trust in Yehovah to provide, He has His ways
of overcoming the stupidity of mankind and to support that which He deems to be
GOOD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">In this we are very little different from our cousins over in Gaza
about 5 Kms away, but we do not need to defend Yehovah with our swords, and we
do not expect everybody to love our Abba as we do. We love Him by looking after
His Creation, not by destroying it. Islam is a religion of the desert, and desert
is land that has been destroyed. Mark Twain described this land as :-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">"..... A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is
given over wholly to weeds... a silent mournful expanse.... a desolation.... we
never saw a human being on the whole route.... hardly a tree or shrub anywhere.
Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had
almost deserted the country." (The Innocents Abroad, p. 361-362)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Another ‘sever Adom’ with accompanying wiz-bangs as I sit here
writing this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is now productive, and even given the limitations and bias of
Mr Twain, It has come alive only in the last hundred or so years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Israel IS the front line, and although it is not perfect, it is
here as a bastion against Islamic encroachment. There is mounting resentment
against Israel, from the those same sources of cultural enrichment as we are
all used to, I would only ask that the world remembers this as one by one, the
nations of the world fall victim to Islamification and start to vilify Jews and
Israel. Holocaust denial has become rife, and yes, the holocaust has been
overplayed in some quarters, but my relatives, left behind in Lithuania and
Russia all those years ago, have yet to turn up and make contact, I can only
assume that they all died before anyone could let us know what was happening,
it is certainly unusual for a whole family of about 20 people to die in the
course of a few years, and our family is by no means unique.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is still eerily quiet outside, the schoolchildren are not
singing and playing, they are behind the concrete and steel reinforced
structures that pass for school buildings here. Four civilians are casualties
so far reported, I am sure there are more to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Here we go again, condition red, we had about 4 seconds warning of
that one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I think it is time to put the kettle on and resort to Mr Folger
(very hard to get here, we have to ask visitors to bring us supplies).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Please remember us when the chips are down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-89161819510968734912012-11-16T10:33:00.001-08:002012-11-16T11:49:11.842-08:00"Operation Pillar of Defense" Update<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVvAHJ3uRMOI4IVXsJU233o2rXJHNhhT-Va2qVWOT_lb9rg4xUZeLHulh4imp67u6ElZ7XrzlbkUjXwltlUAwt62ynAm_bFRMCZZdHG2Jg84kRLJv_KHsDU8l_UOcVIM__210pV3JTDU/s1600/9820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVvAHJ3uRMOI4IVXsJU233o2rXJHNhhT-Va2qVWOT_lb9rg4xUZeLHulh4imp67u6ElZ7XrzlbkUjXwltlUAwt62ynAm_bFRMCZZdHG2Jg84kRLJv_KHsDU8l_UOcVIM__210pV3JTDU/s320/9820.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over 335 rockets
have been fired at Israeli communities in the past few days. One rocket hit the
central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, home to over 200,000 people. The Iron
Dome Active Missile Defense System has successfully intercepted over 184
rockets launched from Gaza.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">IAF
aircraft continue to target central terror activity sites in the southern Gaza
Strip in order to harm the command and control posts of the Hamas terror
organization. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Over
16,000 reservists have been mobilized, out of the 30,000 approved by the
Israeli government.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The
Paratrooper and Givati Infantry brigades have completed the final preparations
for a potential ground operation. The forces are on standby, ready to enter
should it be decided that a ground operation is necessary.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In preparation for a ground offensive the GOC has now issued road closures.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Road no.232<br />Road no. 10 <br />Road no. 4, in the direction of Yad Mordechai. (If coming from a northern direction, turning left is possible in the direction of Be'er Sheba only, there is no entry to the part of the road that runs along the Gaza Strip.)</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Israeli
Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz</span></span> <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">spoke to his soldiers a few
hours ago and said, "We are here tonight on the eve of a possible ground
operation. This is not our first time in Gaza. We have been through a few days
with very significant attacks on the scale of hundreds of daily targets, and
have struck with great force and precision.”</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few hours
ago, as Shabbat fell over Israel a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed just
outside Jerusalem, Israel's capital city.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-5541468031509204582012-11-15T18:34:00.002-08:002012-11-15T18:40:06.464-08:00Voices From Sderot<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;">We are now into the wee morning hours in Israel and day two
of Operation Pillar of Defense, and I can’t help but think about the
significance of the name by which the current military actions are known. It
brings images to mind of the children of Israel as they were fleeing Egypt and how
Yahweh stood between them and the pursuing Egyptian armies as a pillar of fire.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yahweh protected them, He shielded them,
but He also used the pillar of fire to lead them. It guided them when they were
to move forward and instructed them when to halt. May Yahweh continue to fill
the armies of Israel with courage, strength, and wisdom beyond their years. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;">The IDF continues to target launching sites as they attempt
to impair the rocket launching capabilities of terror organizations in the Gaza
Strip and hamper their weapon build up capability. The past 24 hours has seen
over 300 rockets fall throughout Israel. Three Israeli were killed by a direct
hit on their home in Kiryat Malakhi.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;">For the first time since the Gulf War in the
1990’s, sirens were heard in Tel Aviv today. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad took
responsibility for the three rockets fired on Tel Aviv. Three Fajr-5 rockets
landed just 15 km south of Tel Aviv. The IDF confirms that all Palestinian
terror groups are participating in the rocket fire with Hamas trying to take
the lead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;">The following is posted here with permission from the
author. I thought my readers might find the first hand experiences of those
living in the midst of all this interesting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Real people sharing their unique take on what
is happening there. These are the “Voices of Sderot “.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;">The following was written prior to the start of Operation
Pillar of Defense and it is MC’s observations of the effects of tens of
thousands of rockets falling on the community of Sderot for the past decade.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ead1dc;">*********************************************************************************</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">This article arose from an email to Her Ladyship concerning
the BBC reporting of an event in Gaza and the implication that the Israeli arms
blockade was causing starvation in the strip :-</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19463367">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19463367</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">Her ladyship pointed out that my asides were a story in themselves and invited me to indulge in some beeb bashing:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">I live in Sderot a small city in Israel about 3 miles from
Gaza, there, my wife and I are volunteers at a charity that supplies
supplemental food to poor and unemployed families in the city and surrounding
area.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">We hand out the food in supermarket bags which have to be
packed the day before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow it is
usually when doing these sessions that one hears “Sever Adom” on the
loudspeaker system that covers the whole city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The internal alarm also triggers, and the blood pressure peaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point we officially have 15 seconds
to get under cover, often however, it is more like 4 seconds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">S rushes to the lavatory at this point and locks herself in,
I her husband, goes outside to see if there is anything to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of us stay out and wait for the
bang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is not enough time to get
to a shelter (all the bus stops are bomb shelters) and being caught out in the
open is not healthy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">Y knows this, he is permanently crippled from the one that
exploded about a yard away from him, there was a brick wall in between and he
still carries some of it around with him, too deeply embedded to be removed
safely.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">Sderot was built in the 50’s when Jews had to flee from
North Africa in the aftermath of the 1948 war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It started as a tent city on the periphery of the Negev desert, later,
rows of prefab housing were erected, they can still be seen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">S. the lady of the loo, was from North Africa, as a 3 year
old she was doused in petrol and set alight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She survived, but grew up carrying the scars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">Bible scholars will remember that the Amalekites attacked
the tail end of the Israelite column as they were leaving Egypt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>rear part were the families, the old and the infirm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the soft targets, and there is
little risk but great terror potential in attacking babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several hundred years later King Saul was
commanded to wipe out the Amalekites, lock, stock etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the barrels proved too tempting and he
failed so the problem of Amalekite hatred of the children of Israel continues
to this day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">As the first missiles fell on Sderot some dozen or so years
ago, those who could afford it moved out, along with the factories that
provided the jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notable exceptions
being Nestle’s, Amdocs and the Israeli food company Osem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the resulting unemployment came poverty
and exploitation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">E one of the volunteers is a Sabra, a native born Israeli,
she speaks Hebrew, English and French and works for a cleaning company at
minimum wage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They require her to work
20 hours a week, but only pay her for 12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If she works more than 12 hours she loses her welfare payment, but jobs
are so scarce that that E has to do the 20 hours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">G is in debt to the bank, his unemployment cheque is also
paid into the bank (he has no say in this), he sees very little of this money,
we feed him and his children.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">K was badly crippled by a qassam <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>missile, he cannot now do any physical work,
his wife left him soon after the injury happened taking his two daughters with
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The state pays most of his benefit
as child support, K is left to live on a pittance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He needed an operation a few weeks ago, to
remove shrapnel , the hospital would not operate until someone put up a bond in
case the insurance would not pay (it was a war injury).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were able to find the money for that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">The rain of missiles is from our peace loving ‘cousins’ in
Gaza, each warhead is lovingly filled with nails and rat poison (promotes
bleeding) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and are cynically aimed at our
children when they are going to school or coming back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">Gaza has some of the finest beaches in the Mediterranean an
area famous for its beaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could
be a major tourist destination, but no, the spirit of the Amalekite is with us,
killing and maiming Jews is more important.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">The BBC article in question uses<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a seventies lefty trick that I recognise from
my student union days,</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #548dd4; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themetint: 153;">“Some 80% of families in the Palestinian territory are said to receive
some sort of food aid from UN agencies and other international organizations. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #548dd4; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themetint: 153;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #548dd4;">Although there have been some previous incidents of Gazans setting fire to
themselves because of hardship, this is thought to be the first fatality.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #548dd4;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #548dd4;">The UN has been highly critical of the blockade on Gaza which Israel and
Egypt tightened when Islamist group Hamas seized power in 2007, the BBC's Jon
Donnison reports.”</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #548dd4;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">You will note the non sequitur insertion of the UN
sentence, this is designed to link in our minds the otherwise unconnected ideas
of hunger, unemployment and blockade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The BBC is telling us a lie whilst telling us the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">I would disagree with the beeb, Hamas and Islamic
Fundamentalism are the prime cause of the dire problems in Gaza, and also it’s
painful consequences for the innocent people of Sderot who just want to get on
with life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the BBC obviously do
not care for truth, they are, after all, a propaganda organisation, paid for by
the people of the UK, but representing whom<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8397485744293852279" name="_GoBack"></a>, we don’t
know, maybe those that would want to rule for a thousand years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-74556390368326689492012-11-15T00:31:00.000-08:002012-11-15T00:56:24.641-08:00"Operation Pillar of Defense" Update<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nearly 18 hours have passed since the initial actions
of the IDF in response to the recent days of unrelenting rocket attacks that
have reigned down terror on Israeli civilians living in the southern
communities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A pinpoint
air strike killed <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Ahmed Jabri, the head of Hamas'
military wing, in the Gaza Strip. Jabri was a senior Hamas operative who served
in the upper echelon of the Hamas' command and was directly responsible for
executing terror attacks against the State of Israel in the past number of
years.</span></span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The IDF has targeted a significant number of long
range rockets sites and storehouses including the underground sites that housed
the Iranian Fajr-5 rocket. The Fajr-5 has a range of about 75 km and is most
likely what was fired at the Dimona nuclear reactor on Wednesday. These rockets
have the capability of hitting Tel Aviv and threatening nearly 3.5 million
people. The aim of targeting these sites is to impair the rocket launching
capability of the terror organizations in the Gaza strip and damage their
further build up.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IDF infantry brigades have been deployed to the Gaza
border ahead of a possible ground offensive. Schools and universities with 40
km are closed and Gaza border communities within 7 km are in lock down with
residents ordered to remain in their homes. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The IDF has dispersed
leaflets over several locations in the Gaza Strip. These leaflets warn the
residents of the Gaza Strip to stay away from Hamas and other terror
organizations' operatives and facilities that pose a risk to their safety.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier today as I scanned the western media sites I was
not surprised by the fact that little coverage was found or that what was
available focused mainly on the effects of the aerial strikes on the residents
of Gaza. There had been very little written in regards to the days of
relentless rocket fire into Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">As I press into Yahweh my heavenly Father and draw strength
and encouragement from His Word I find peace and comfort in the knowledge that
HE REIGNS! I was reminded this week of a 2500 year old letter written by Jeremiah
the prophet to the children of Israel. The Jewish exiles were taken captive by</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Nebuchadnezzar and forced
to live in Babylon. A false prophet named Hananiah came to them and told them that
their time of exile would only last two years.</span></span> And so Jeremiah
wrote a letter to the exiles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sure that you have heard a part of that letter
recited many times. I wear a bracelet with the words from Jeremiah 29:11 on it.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<strong><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares Yahweh, "plans<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.</span></i></strong><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">"</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me it is a constant reminder that
whatever happens, good or bad, it is all filtered through a loving Father. It is one of the most commonly quoted passages in the entire Bible. Unfortunately, this passage is mostly taken out of context and delivered as a "feel good" word that everything is going to be O.K. We often miss the point that the plan that Jeremiah's letter was referring to was exile. The Father's plan for His children was exile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="ecxtext"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">“This is what
the Lord says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I
will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you
back to this place.</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></b></span><span class="ecxtext"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span id="ecxen-NIV-19647">For I know the
plans I have for you "</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="ecxtext"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span id="ecxen-NIV-19647"><br /></span></span></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="ecxtext"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exile was the
plan… <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="ecxtext"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span class="ecxtext"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">"Then you
will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to
you.</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <span id="ecxen-NIV-19649"></span></span></i></b></span><strong><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your
heart" </span></i></strong></span><strong style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"></span>…</strong><strong style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></strong><strong style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">was the goal.</span></strong><strong style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I think
of the events of the past eighteen hours in Israel and that the land and people
I love are now at war, I realize that all that Yahweh does in our lives; all
that He allows is to one single purpose; to restore us to Himself.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></div>
Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-65783318557989166392012-11-14T17:01:00.001-08:002012-11-14T17:02:55.967-08:0011/14/12 "Operation Pillar of Defense" Day One <br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Israel has launched
"Operation Pillar of Defense". I awoke this morning to the first reports from
Israel indicating that it was at war. Because I am currently in the States, I
called my contacts back home in Sderot, Israel to confirm what I was beginning
to see from the ME news sites. Apparently, after weeks of increase rockets
attacks aimed at innocent civilians who live in the southern districts, and a
failed cease-fire, Israel has launched an air offensive. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Over and over again Israel has seen an escalation
in rocket fire until the militants in Gaza need to restock or they believed that
Israel's response was about to be ratched up. They would then attempt to negotiate a cease fire. Time and time again the rockets would continue during and after the
cease fire was agreed upon. This past week while the lastest rounds of
negotiations were being discussed, the terrorists in Gaza were smuggling more
Grad rockets through the tunnels on the Sinai border. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Approximately 24 hours
ago, and after the cease fire was agreed to, the terrorist fired five of those
Grads at Be'er Sheva. That action led to Operation Pillar of Defense.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prior to the
round of air strikes that killed Jabari a senior Hamas operative who served in
the upper echelon of the Hamas' command, citizens were given prior warning. IDF
warnings and instructions were issued telling citizens that they should stock up
on food, water, candles ect. and to remain in or near their safe rooms. Shortly
after that the Israeli miltary reserves were called to active duty. The first of the air strikes began shortly after that. The PA has
stated that Israel's actions are considered a "declaration of war". </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I will continue to be in contact with those who are
there on the ground and will be posting updates daily to the blog. Please join
me and all those who stand with Israel in prayer. May Yahweh's shalom cover His people Israel.</span></span>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-25368204031870327912012-09-17T04:22:00.003-07:002012-09-17T04:23:55.589-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">With
trumpets and the sound of the Shofar make </span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">a
joyful noise before the King, </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="rtl" lang="HE" style="color: #948a54; font-family: 'Cardo','serif'; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Papyrus; mso-hansi-font-family: Papyrus; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">יְהוָֽה</span></span><span dir="ltr"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span dir="ltr"></span>!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"> <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">Psalm
98:6</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Papyrus;"><span style="background: black; color: #948a54; font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 28pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: David; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-highlight: black; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">Hallu<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yah</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Papyrus;"><span class="script-hebrew"><span dir="rtl" lang="HE" style="color: #948a54; font-family: 'David','sans-serif'; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">י</span></span><span dir="rtl" lang="HE" style="color: #948a54; font-family: 'David','sans-serif'; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"> ה</span><span dir="ltr"></span><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: David; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span dir="ltr"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span dir="rtl" lang="HE" style="color: #948a54; font-family: 'David','sans-serif'; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">ה</span><span dir="rtl" lang="HE" style="color: #948a54; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"> ל ל</span><span class="script-hebrew"><span dir="rtl" lang="HE" style="color: #948a54; font-family: 'David','sans-serif'; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"> ו</span></span><span dir="ltr"></span><span class="script-hebrew"><span style="color: #948a54; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: David; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span dir="ltr"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Cardo; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
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Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-7287924969849067452012-09-01T13:08:00.005-07:002012-09-01T13:12:55.030-07:00Update From Sderot 9/1/12<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 18px;">I can't believe
that it has been this many weeks since my last update. The summer here has
simply flown by, with a whirlwind of activities and many visitors who came to
bless us with their gift of serving along side of us. Our heartfelt thanks to
each of you. For me it has been a time of growth and time spent in the Word.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-size: 19px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-size: 19px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="ecxApple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-size: 19px; line-height: 18px;">
As you can read
below, the rockets from Gaza continue to break the fragile quiet. Nearly fifty
rockets were sporadically fired at the cities of the southern Negev this summer.
Rocket fire has increased this week as school here once again
reopens.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 18px;">For those of
you who have asked about my next trip to the States, I will be back in October
sometime after the Feast of Tabernacles. I look forward to seeing everyone
again. In the meantime here is more about what has be going on here in
Sderot.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpW50HLre_ODu6CbLVK8wF7yEDoeNKrszn_96ZSBK-_5EOXKfMIhgue4Fp1go1m6EesmBOU8_a71FwgRLr_ez4MX9Rs1ZLvbCAqomOPnLCA8xLfiuEarvTXPh4GPihPV8C_PuWzhZL_Ug/s1600/sderotmedia.org.il.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;"><i><span class="ecxApple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><b><i><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: #808040;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;">Rocket Fire Once Again
Increases As The Children Of Sderot Return Back To
School</span></span></span></i></b></i></b></span></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">The first week of school was
marked by three straight days of sporadic rocket fire in the South. Three
rockets were fired toward Sderot on Sunday, the first day of school and three
more on Monday. Two rockets damaged buildings in the industrial area and two
people received medical treatment for injuries. As the week progressed a total
of five rockets hit Sderot, including a home on Friday
morning.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: #808040;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: #808040;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></i></b></span></span></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: #808040;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: #808040;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;">The Growing Threat Of
War</span></span></span></i></b></span></span></span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcwfblP22zyLSGKXtLw3z4D1RATHRqDGy-Y0SNYp5BvANmVPvTJVr350equgfy89PoP0aW4fuav4M_0_wk8sfpoiYz1MQr2_02RqRagXrjqFFCGhErRIhVuOmMviR7Ys1iKOGzlpenPA/s1600/7882146508_82dba0175f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcwfblP22zyLSGKXtLw3z4D1RATHRqDGy-Y0SNYp5BvANmVPvTJVr350equgfy89PoP0aW4fuav4M_0_wk8sfpoiYz1MQr2_02RqRagXrjqFFCGhErRIhVuOmMviR7Ys1iKOGzlpenPA/s200/7882146508_82dba0175f.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="ecxApple-style-span"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4uaMdcaQsuGBjg8CTzi74PUwTTxd9s0tZvilVOMv527j5iv0LY7qePTQRb3Zm-jc0_030_3F_6hN-OIMbs3tejDQxPQeAeTcYlOq-IoZndSaD1wOlGxWl_pdgKgZTQL8eK_L9hD6LQI/s1600/israel_children_gasmasks_syria_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4uaMdcaQsuGBjg8CTzi74PUwTTxd9s0tZvilVOMv527j5iv0LY7qePTQRb3Zm-jc0_030_3F_6hN-OIMbs3tejDQxPQeAeTcYlOq-IoZndSaD1wOlGxWl_pdgKgZTQL8eK_L9hD6LQI/s200/israel_children_gasmasks_syria_400.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96vL1HeFz2505a1ANqXGtrqxVuqCRTtEg_9v5ex_hO0WcqP8yy9s2NAZrRGQ1TF42dkraEKgIEY2wzytuyQ-YS03kM8jPcU1w1YFLPaHFp9_0pIeDPEpl6wl3Erpo6nK3h6A49OQweOI/s1600/photo_verybig_141687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96vL1HeFz2505a1ANqXGtrqxVuqCRTtEg_9v5ex_hO0WcqP8yy9s2NAZrRGQ1TF42dkraEKgIEY2wzytuyQ-YS03kM8jPcU1w1YFLPaHFp9_0pIeDPEpl6wl3Erpo6nK3h6A49OQweOI/s200/photo_verybig_141687.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4uaMdcaQsuGBjg8CTzi74PUwTTxd9s0tZvilVOMv527j5iv0LY7qePTQRb3Zm-jc0_030_3F_6hN-OIMbs3tejDQxPQeAeTcYlOq-IoZndSaD1wOlGxWl_pdgKgZTQL8eK_L9hD6LQI/s1600/israel_children_gasmasks_syria_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a></span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">The degree of concern
being expressed in the media in regards to the “coming storm” this fall is
greater than anything that has been aired to date. There are almost daily
threats from the nations surrounding Israel. This week Hezbollah’s MP Walid
Sakariya states that Iran’s nuclear program is designed to “finish off” Israel.
The growing concerns about chemical attacks from Syria are only reinforced by
published statements from the Syrian rebels that they have taken over a military
base and have found missiles with “non-conventional warheads. The leadership of
Iran continues to spew threats of genocide with increasing frequency.</span><br />
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<span class="ecxApple-style-span"><span style="color: #808040;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><b><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="color: #808040;">New Pamphlet Issued This Week To Prepare The Israeli
People<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="ecxApple-style-span"><span style="color: #808040;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="color: #808040;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyEXRu_hh8b25EIaGpkC4KXr_Wg70FYDZ0g3S-jELAQ5H-6n5vXhQqOZa2Jv5u12tQRPWcv60Os0v5Qr7kTe7a5bgCjz3IjrO8DKfHjItyZSnAmqyhnzRoMH7K5c5O17bhS7lMj1podY/s1600/muppet29n-1-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyEXRu_hh8b25EIaGpkC4KXr_Wg70FYDZ0g3S-jELAQ5H-6n5vXhQqOZa2Jv5u12tQRPWcv60Os0v5Qr7kTe7a5bgCjz3IjrO8DKfHjItyZSnAmqyhnzRoMH7K5c5O17bhS7lMj1podY/s200/muppet29n-1-web.jpg" width="140" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #808040;">The new pamphlet was sent out this week by Home Front Command to
homes across Israel. The favorite children’s TV character featured on the front
cover is a sad reminder that Israel is a society that needs to teach its
children to prepare for war. Additionally, the Home front command prepares
medical personnel and the public with state-wide emergency drills. The increased
threat of chemical attacks has caused Israelis this week to stand in lines
across Israel in order to receive gas masks. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="ecxApple-style-span"><span style="color: #808040;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="color: #808040;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsRKOeHLb4Z6dWBn8QyHQBqiU-0rkF5f8ez9xtWrXwlRRbi7ARxpwgh6rftGRnZpFNArwD1CX8bJY3GOBJNQz4Ho-aGUx_zVRgxAPamC0KOZFj7-j4kqEHUnYhYAH6aJZOwuSui04D-o/s1600/GAL_0653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsRKOeHLb4Z6dWBn8QyHQBqiU-0rkF5f8ez9xtWrXwlRRbi7ARxpwgh6rftGRnZpFNArwD1CX8bJY3GOBJNQz4Ho-aGUx_zVRgxAPamC0KOZFj7-j4kqEHUnYhYAH6aJZOwuSui04D-o/s200/GAL_0653.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #808040;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #808040;">We have started to gather the necessary emergency items; drinking
water, food, medical supplies. This week I gathered together supplies for a
"first responders" box and have begun to discuss and develope a crisis plan
within our family fellowship. I have to admit it feels somewhat surreal, much
like being in the middle of movie as it races toward it's
climax.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="ecxApple-style-span"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx5z__7sUnFIlynL0HZAMSRGe60A3XNqMg-Yp-nCcrOFJOPyHULAa3gSmj5oLRuKqM2Ngks_cMlsG_iQMLtajcqYYIG-gYx7bb_YR4fRzsSIvUMpFIiTq3W5r8UuoxMylPIhiH9VM0Bo/s1600/pakar-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #4f6228; float: left; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx5z__7sUnFIlynL0HZAMSRGe60A3XNqMg-Yp-nCcrOFJOPyHULAa3gSmj5oLRuKqM2Ngks_cMlsG_iQMLtajcqYYIG-gYx7bb_YR4fRzsSIvUMpFIiTq3W5r8UuoxMylPIhiH9VM0Bo/s200/pakar-photo.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">Thank you for allowing me to share. I am thankful that we are able
to continue to bless and minister to the people here in Israel at this time. We
give thanks to our Heavenly Father who continues to move in the hearts of His
people to “stand in the gap” and support this ministry. Your faithful prayers
and vital support are greatly appreciated. Todah
rabah!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4f6228; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #808040; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px;">May
Yah bless and keep you…</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #808040; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="ecxApple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4f6228; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></span>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-90455533946790196472012-06-23T14:46:00.000-07:002012-06-23T14:47:30.775-07:00Escalation Of Rocket Fire In The South<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Rocket fire has greatly increased since Monday. Between Monday
and Wednesday afternoon a total of 57 rockets fell into Israeli territory. On
Monday, a rocket landed close to a Border Police vehicle wounding 11 border
police. Hamas terrorist carried out the overwhelming majority of attacks. The
change from their regular denial of responsibility to openly claiming
responsibility is a significant change.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">A week ago on the 16<sup>th</sup>, two 122 mm Grad rockets
were fired at Israel’s southern border with Egypt from the Sinai Peninsula. On
Monday, a three-man terrorist squad infiltrated into Israel territory at the
Israel/Egyptian border. They detonated an IED while attacking vehicles that
belonged to some construction workers. They also launched a RPG and opened fire
with light arms. An Israeli construction worker was killed in the attack.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">Israeli Air Force carried out a number of counter-terrorism
attacks which was followed by a massive barrage of rockets targeting the
western Negev.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">This morning at 0630, Sderot was awakened to the sound of
alarms going off. The “Tseva Adom” was being heard all over town as the rocket
barrage began. I awoke as the first alarm sounded and as my feet hit the floor,
the first rocket hit with a thundering loud impact causing the windows to
rattle. “That was close!” I thought to myself as I opened the bedroom door. As
I stepped through the doorway, I heard the sound of two more rush by overhead
and two more found their target. Two… three… four… five… rockets hit as the
houseful of visiting friends and children gathered together. Adults trying to
comfort the children while shielding them with their own bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Ok, so this sounds like some scene from a movie… but it wasn’t.
Over the next 45 minutes the scene was played out five more times. Each time
the sound of impact sounded like it was just outside the outer walls. Each
time, parents could be heard asking, “Where is Ezra?” or “Where is Gabriel?” as
they searched the huddled children to assure all were there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">The morning’s rocket salvo left one man with shrapnel injuries
to the neck and stomach, and many more were treated for shock. A factory and a
school took direct hits, causing extensive damage. Approximately twenty rockets
in less than an hour brought the total since Monday to 150 rockets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 16pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">“Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not
fear; though <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 16pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">war arise against me, yet I will be confident… For he
will hide me in<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 16pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me
under the cover of <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 16pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:3,
5 </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-39579448248286925212012-06-02T05:49:00.000-07:002012-06-02T05:49:48.682-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">“… from your bounty, Yah, you provided for the poor.” Psalm 68:10 </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> The Father’s steadfast love and faithfulness in our lives and the lives of those He allows us to serve is without end. There are so many times He brings someone to us with a need, and then provides that need through another source. Or we are given things that at first may seem like an odd donation only to have someone come to us requesting that very thing. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Last month at the storefront, a lady came in seeking help. Her husband is working, but with three small children it just doesn't stretch far enough. She had asked if we could help with some diapers and formula. Now diapers and formula aren't part of our regular items we distribute but we sure have been getting a lot of requests lately. It dawned on me the other day that all those children who were 11, 12, and 13 when the rockets first started in 2000, are now grown, married and having babies. The children of 2000 are now bringing the next generation of children into this war zone reality. Anyway back to the young mother asking for help. We now have about 5 or 6 young families we help out with diapers and formula when we can. As funds become available we purchase what we can and then make deliveries. Well the day the mother came in we had just gave out what we were able to buy that week so we had nothing to offer her, but told her we would help when we could. Later that afternoon, a truck arrived from a ministry in Jerusalem called Joseph Project. We were expecting some beds and chairs that we would distribute to those in need. Well there weren’t any beds or chairs on the truck, but instead a pallet of boxes. Our Father's love and concern for His children is so amazing. You guessed it... the unexpected boxes were filled with diapers. And of course, being able to share with this young mother (we called her that afternoon to come back in) that God loves her so much that even before she asked Him to help her that morning, the day before the truck was being loaded with what she needed. Praise Him!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">About a week ago, a couple who live in the north contacted us because they wanted to give a donation to provide for some needy families for Shavuot (Pentecost). Now it was a Thursday and there was much to prepare for the double Shabbat that was quickly approaching. Not to mention the shopping and dinner to prepare for the Thursday night fellowship. There are times when we must put our carefully planned agendas aside in order to let the Father bless us. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">So arrangements were made to meet with the couple, who had 1000 sheckles to donate and wanted to buy additional food for eight families. The couple later shared how they had collected the money by saving loose change for the past year. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">So anyway, they go to the local market to buy eight each of the items we told them the people would appreciate. Meanwhile we get another phone call. It was a family who in the past chose life when faced with a pregnancy at a financially difficult time. At that time we promised to help in any way we could to relieve the burden of the expanding family. The father called because he had lost his job and the family had nothing for the holiday. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">How amazing our Father is! He touches the hearts of a young couple over a year ago to save up. And right in His perfect timing He orchestrates it all, bringing together those that have to give and those that need. Then He allows us to share with both His great love and provision as we share the parts of the story unknown to those involved. Hallelujah!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I praise you for all your wonders and mostly for your great love. Help me to be an instrument that effectively broadcasts the story of your glory.
</span>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-51619638309733867292012-03-13T08:57:00.001-07:002012-03-13T08:59:57.041-07:00Update 3/13/12<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">March 9–13<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">Palestinians have fired nearly 200 Grad
missiles, rockets and mortars deep into Israel. Three civilians were wounded
directly by the fire, one of them seriously. Additionally, 21 people suffered
from shock and 11 were injured while fleeing for cover. Many of the Grad
missiles launched at large cities were intercepted </span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Dome" title="Iron Dome"></a><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">missile defense system known as Iron Dome.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">Most of the attacks followed an Israeli
air strike on </span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Zuhair al-Qaissi, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">commander of the armed wing of the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">Popular Resistance Committees</span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">, </span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">a
terrorist group with close ties to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none;">Hamas</span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">, a</span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">nd
Mahmoud Hanini, a top field commander in the group. Al-Qaissi had overseen th</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">e </span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none;">2011 southern Israel cross-border attacks</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">, which killed eight Israelis including six civilians. Israeli
officials said that he was preparing the final stages of a new mega-attack that
could have claimed multiple lives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">To protect students from the rockets,
Israeli officials cancelled classes in most schools in the cities the Southern
region and t</span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;">he </span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none;">Home
Front Command</span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;"> barred all mass gatherings in southern Israeli
communities. The </span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none;">Israel Police</span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;"> raised
the level of alert around the country and foreign embassies, including the US
Embassy, have issued travel warnings and emergency directions to Americans
currently living in Israel. A portion of
that travel advisory is below.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Today, despite the so called ‘ceasefire’, seven
rockets have been fired into the southern region. The news media refers to this
as “relative calm”.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt;">“I will say</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d5a6bd;">to the LORD, "My
refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” </span></span><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d5a6bd;">Psalms 91:2</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">From:</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><<a href="mailto:amctelaviv@state.gov" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit;">amctelaviv@state.gov</a>></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Date: Mon, Mar 12, 2012 at 6:07 PM</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Subject: Embassy Tel Aviv Security Message, March
12, 2012</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">To:</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><a href="mailto:stewartinsderot@gmail.com" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit;">stewartinsderot@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><br />
Security Message for American Citizens regarding Travel in Southern Israel,
March 12,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>2012<br />
<br />
Violence continues to occur along the boundary between Israel and the Gaza
Strip. Terrorist groups fired rockets and mortars into Israel from Gaza
over the weekend, and Israel continues to conduct military operations inside
Gaza, including airstrikes. In the past, some rockets have traveled more
than 40 km (24 miles) from Gaza and landed as far north as Yavne and Gadera and
as far east as Beersheva. As a result of possible military operations by
the Government of Israel in Gaza and the ever-present risk of rocket and mortar
attacks into Israel from Gaza, U.S. government personnel travelling in the
vicinity of the Gaza Strip boundary, including the city of Sderot, or traveling
south of Beersheva, must make prior notification to the Embassy's
Regional Security Office.<br />
<br />
U.S. citizens in southern Israel should be aware of the risks and should take
note of announcements by the Government of Israel’s office of Homefront
Command at:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.oref.org.il/315-en/PAKAR.aspx" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit;" target="_blank">http://www.oref.org.il/315-en/PAKAR.aspx</a>.
U.S. citizens are reminded to exercise caution and take appropriate
measures to ensure their safety and security while traveling in this region,
and should monitor local news sources to find the latest information on the
situation, as it can change unexpectedly.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-15573321887780295382012-03-10T11:17:00.001-08:002012-03-10T11:19:09.006-08:00Update From Sderot 10/3/12<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">As most of you know, I have now returned to Sderot after spending a few months with family and friends in the States. I am thankful for all the opportunities I had to share and visit with family and faithful friends. You all made my visit very memorable. And of course, a special thanks to my host families for providing me with housing and friendship. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">While I was in the States I had a wonderful opportunity to share over several weeks with a ladies group on Leviticus 23 and the Appointed Feasts of the LORD. The Appointed Feasts of the LORD are vital to the gospel message and understanding the Father’s plan of redemption. They were given to us by God so we could understand the coming Messiah and the role Messiah would play in redeeming and restoring both man and the earth. The Feasts were intended to place man into God’s time table; they help us understand His reckoning of time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">Now that I’m back in Sderot, I am busy catching up on the changes in the weekly distribution and the new computerized system of tracking everything. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; ">The past 24 hours has once again seen an escalation in rocket fired into the southern region. At least 100 rockets- Kassams and the longer-range Grads- have pounded the southern region since Friday. As of now those living in the affected areas have been instructed to remain near safe rooms. According to the Ministry of Defense the current escalation is far from over </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; ">and the operations will probably continue for another day or two.</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#4F6228; mso-themecolor:accent3;mso-themeshade:128"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Papyrus; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cc66cc;">“You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.” Psalms 32:7</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#403152;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></p>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-6769432629683827802011-12-14T13:22:00.000-08:002011-12-14T13:24:06.728-08:00Update From Sderot 14/12/11<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">Just a quick note for those who may not know… I am currently visiting friends and family in the States and will return at the end of January. Blessings!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-19863842547043220222011-11-01T06:27:00.000-07:002011-11-01T06:42:35.555-07:00Update From Sderot 1/11/11<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#9999FF">For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof goes forth as the noon day, and the salvation thereof as a blazing torch.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#9999FF"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#9999FF">Isaiah 62:1</span></b></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Comic Sans MS""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">On Saturday 39 projectiles, including Grads and mortar shells were fired at the southern cities in Israel, hitting populated areas in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Be’er Sheva, and regional councils across the region including Sderot. A number of rockets caused extensive damage to buildings including a multi-story apartment building, and a school. There have been many hospitalized with injuries including small children. A 56 year old man who was injured by shrapnel to the lower limbs died on Shabbat. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">An Egyptian brokered “cease-fire” was scheduled to take affect Sunday morning at 6 a.m., but that was soon ignored by the terrorists as a dozen or so Grads and mortars were fired at the southern cities throughout Sunday. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">The current escalation actually began last week when a rocket hit the small residential community of Be’er Tuvia which is located south of Ashkelon. Be’er Tuvia is 18 miles (over 30 kilometers) from Gaza – That’s how far the various militia terror groups’ rockets can now reach inside Israel, at least the ones they have fired so far. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">Take a moment, and wherever you are living in the world imagine an 18 mile (30 km) radius from your home. How many loved ones, co-workers, acquaintances would that radius include? Now imagine an alarm sounds and you have only seconds to find safety… you count off the seconds and then you hear the loud explosion. You then instinct fully grab your phone to call family and friends to make sure they are ok. This is the reality of those living here in the cities of the Negev. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">At any given second, over 1 million Israeli citizens; men, women, and children are living under the constant fear of rockets. At any given moment the ‘Tseva Adom’ may sound the warning that a rocket has been fired. The time you have to respond ranges up to 60 seconds in the remote areas to only 15 seconds for those of us living in Sderot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">This terror, over 1 million Israelis (and the number continues to grow as the weapons reaching Gaza become more and more advanced), hardly ever gets mentioned. Many are just too busy to care about Israel’s need for security. Moreover they simply refuse to address the fact that no peace agreement can be enforced in the Gaza Strip – a cease fire can hardly be enforced!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; font-size: medium; ">Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; font-size: medium; ">"May those who love you be secure! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; font-size: medium; ">May there be peace within your walls </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; font-size: medium; ">and security within your citadels!" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; font-size: medium; ">For the sake of my brothers and friends, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; font-size: medium; ">I will say, "Peace be within you!" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; font-size: medium; ">For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; font-size: medium; ">I will seek your prosperity.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; ">Psalm 122:6-9</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(205, 203, 148); "> </span></span></span></p>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-34587525945376212322011-10-07T09:14:00.000-07:002011-10-07T09:14:03.476-07:00Barbra Streisand - Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father ' Our King)<iframe width="459" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KUXeiIURirI?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-43040023196913530832011-10-07T09:08:00.000-07:002011-10-07T09:25:13.517-07:00Update From Sderot 10/7/11<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-outline-level:1"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi- mso-font-kerning:18.0pt;mso-bidi-language:HEfont-family:Arial;font-size:12.0pt;color:#191919;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">I thought I would share this beautiful prayer that is sung throughout the days of reflection between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. It is called Avinu Malkeinu which means; Our God, our King. </span><span style="line-height:115%;Comic Sans MS"font-family:";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-outline-level:1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">Security forces on high alert as Israelis mark Yom Kippur. </span><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">Currently as Israel approaches her most High Holy Day, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur a full closer of the West Bank has been put in place as well as large numbers of police and rescue forces deployed in and around Jerusalem and the West Bank. All train and bus services throughout the country have been stopped until after Yom Kippur.</span></span><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">Israelis, who are old enough to remember Yom Kippur 1973, recall how people were shocked to see cars driving down the streets in the early afternoon. They were rounding up soldiers as the Yom Kippur War had broken out during the day. Nearly all the soldiers, religious and secular, were at their local synagogues and army cars went from synagogue to synagogue with lists, while sirens wailed shortly afterwards in Jerusalem and worshipers raced to shelters.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">The Day of Atonement provides us with prophetic insight regarding the second coming of Mashiach (Messiah), the restoration of national Israel, and the final judgment. It is also a day that reveals the High Priestly work of Yeshua as our Cohen Gadol (High Priest) after the order of Malki-Tzedek.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">In Torah, the term Yom Kippur is actually written in the plural, Yom Ha Kippurim. Kippurim can be read as Yom Ki- Purim, a “day like Purim,” that is a day of deliverance and salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">Yom Kippur is the most solemn day of the year, yet an undertone of joy suffuses it; a joy that reveals the spirituality of the day and expresses the confidence that Hashem who accepts our repentance and forgives. Todah raba Abba, baruch ata Adonai<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">l’shanah haba’ah birushalayim </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">Next year in Jerusalem</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><i><br /></i></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="line-height:115%;Comic Sans MS"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-89175516180507324532011-10-01T07:15:00.000-07:002011-10-01T07:17:58.576-07:00Update From Sderot 10/1/11<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#9999FF;mso-bidi-language:HE">L’ Shana Tova<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#9999FF;mso-bidi-language:HE">Well as the sun is setting on this the first Shabbat of the New Year, and the week of preparation and celebration of Rosh Hashanah comes to an end, I am thankful to Ha’Shem for His many blessings. It has been a long and very full week. Before I share a bit about that let me just give a brief overview of Rosh Hashanah, the first of the three Fall Feasts all of which occurs this month.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";color:#99AADD;mso-bidi-language:HE"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#9999FF;mso-bidi-language:HE">The fall is arguably the most important time of the year in Judaism. Three of Israel’s holiest days are celebrated then, and all in the space of 15 days. They are Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, followed 10 days later by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and 5 days after that by the week-long Feast of Tabernacles. This season is a time of reflection, contemplation, and putting things in order and getting right our relationship with God.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";color:#99AADD;mso-bidi-language:HE"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:13.5pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#9999FF;mso-bidi-language:HE">Leviticus 23 calls the blowing of trumpets a memorial but does not say what it is a memorial of. Many believe it is a memorial of God’s grace to Abraham when He substituted a ram to be sacrificed instead of Isaac (Gen. 22). It is also regarded by both Jews and Christians as a memorial of the creation of the world. This holiday is the New Year’s Day, on which the people rejoice in grateful remembrance of God’s benefits and implore His blessing for the future year.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#99AADD;mso-bidi-language:HE"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:13.5pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#9999FF;mso-bidi-language:HE">The Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) which follows are the holiest days of the Jewish year. These ten days are called the Days of Awe or High Holy Days. Unlike other holy days, they do not celebrate a season or historical event. This season is a time for looking inward to spiritual growth.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#99AADD;mso-bidi-language:HE"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:13.5pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#9999FF;mso-bidi-language:HE">The giving of gift baskets is practiced throughout Israel at this time of year. Although they can be filled with many different things, they commonly contain sweet things; candy, apples, honey, and pomegranates. This past week we assembled and delivered 300 such baskets for the families we help each week, as well as those who have been injured by the kassam rockets.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:13.5pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#9999FF;mso-bidi-language:HE">On a more personal note, we celebrated Rosh Hashanah surrounded by friends new and old. We shared a wonderful meal with all the traditional foods (toda rabah Stewart) followed by an evening of fellowship. Our Thursday night fellowship has been growing and now has eight to ten regulars. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:13.5pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#9999FF;mso-bidi-language:HE">For those of you who don’t already know I will be back in the States mid November for a visit. I look forward to visiting you all once again. Please remember me in prayer as all the travel and housing arrangements are being made. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:13.5pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#9999FF;mso-bidi-language:HE">I also have another prayer request regarding an invitation I have been given to visit Christian Fellowship Church in Zambia next May. I met Pastor Victor Kunda here in Israel when he was visiting. His small village in Zambia is devastated by AIDS, poverty, and oppression. The orphan population grows larger everyday because of disease. Anyway I am praying and seeking HaShem’s will in regard to visiting and ask that you join with me. Blessings!<o:p></o:p></span></p>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-54002787446494724732011-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:002011-08-20T07:40:19.428-07:00Update From Sderot 8/20/11<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn9eFH2QWIp22bEEgfcm7mIoiSCVDUmafaEYyNBN-bsMmKveIcDVgGgOHUovOxfkz4Pyrkt2UTiWJK8J339iamNbi0qLtt9fWlZ3wrpQhiaQmYEKOZCXrXAGBVs_9voTPqVXD8IcZnGE/s1600/IMG_0703.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn9eFH2QWIp22bEEgfcm7mIoiSCVDUmafaEYyNBN-bsMmKveIcDVgGgOHUovOxfkz4Pyrkt2UTiWJK8J339iamNbi0qLtt9fWlZ3wrpQhiaQmYEKOZCXrXAGBVs_9voTPqVXD8IcZnGE/s320/IMG_0703.JPG" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#993399;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';">
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<br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#993399;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#993399;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';">My eye is not on the circumstances surrounding me, but on the living God who controls the circumstances of my life. Baruch Ha'Shem!</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">I wrote those words yesterday as I answered several emails from many who sent words of encouragement following the recent terror attack on Thursday in which eight Israelis were killed. This morning the truth held within those words became even more evident.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">The rocket and mortars continue to pound the southern Negev. It is very challenging just trying to keep up with the media coverage here. There have been more than 40 rockets and mortars since Thursday, and the numbers of Israelis injured is growing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">The morning headlines read, <u>HAMAS: There is no longer any truce with the enemy. </u>Hamas has basically removed all restraint from the various terror factions in Gaza. The de facto truce that was agreed upon in 2009 following Operation Cast Lead was frequently ignored by Hamas over the past two years. In fact there have been nearly 850 rockets since the cease-fire.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">Ha’Shem holds me in the palm of His hand and protectively watches over me and continually guides and directs my steps. He whispers…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#993399;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';">“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.</span></span><span class="apple-style-span">” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';">Isaiah 41:10</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">I awoke this morning at 7 am and slowly made my way out to the coffee pot. On Saturday mornings I usually have time for a quick cup of coffee and a few minutes to check emails and headlines. I normally head for the shower by 7:20 in order to be ready on time to leave for Be’er Sheva for fellowship.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">As I got online I notice a few messages from my daughter, but before I could open them to read them I received a SKYPE call from her. The news wasn’t good, her uncle had died, and so we talked for quite awhile. After saying good bye, I checked the time, it was nearly 8 am. I grabbed a quick shower and tried to make up the time as I finished getting ready. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">By the time I was ready to go out the door I was only about 10 minutes behind schedule. As I was about to leave, I decided to run back to my room and grab my camera. I also decided to grab my first aid supplies to throw in my backpack. With all the increase in activity it just seems prudent to keep it all in my backpack. So by the time we were leaving for Be’er Sheva we were now nearly fifteen minutes behind. We picked up two more and then got on the road. But we never made it to Be’er Sheva.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">About 15 minutes outside of Be’er Sheva the traffic had begun to stop up ahead. As we reached the half a dozen stopped cars we thought maybe there was an accident. We quickly became aware that it wasn’t an accident but a roadblock.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Three police cars were blocking the two-lane road, and up ahead about a tenth of a mile in the oncoming lanes were more cars and flashing lights.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">A grad rocket had hit the road up ahead only a few minutes before we got there. The investigation and removal of the rocket debris would take hours, and so realizing that we were not going to make it to Be’er Sheva we turned around and headed back home. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;">As we returned home I realize how very likely we might have been a lot closer to the Grad’s impact point if we had left the house fifteen minutes earlier. Baruch Ha’Shem! Toda raba Abba.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#993399;">“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#993399;"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Psalm 18:32<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(99, 36, 35); font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 12.0pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:black;"> </span><span style=" color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family:'Segoe UI', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(79, 98, 40); font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><div style="clear:both; text-align:LEFT"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></span></a></div>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-12145144617697234142011-08-19T06:18:00.000-07:002011-08-20T07:38:47.934-07:00Update From Sderot 8/19/11<h1 style="margin-top:0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-weight: normal; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;">Shabbat Shalom and thank you to all that have responded with emails and FB comments to the recent terror attacks here in the south of Israel. We appreciate your words of support and prayers. Toda rabah! </span><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-weight: normal; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;">I thought that since much of what goes on here never makes it into the media there in the States that I would gather some of the headlines from the past 24 hours and send some links for clarity on the situation here. <o:p></o:p></span></span></h1> <h1 style="margin-top:0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-weight: normal; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">For those of you who are yet unaware of the recent terror attacks here, I will review the past 24 hours briefly. On Thursday afternoon a coordinated terror attack was carried out on Israel citizens in southern town of Eilat. A group of terrorist who infiltrated from Gaza through the Sinai Peninsula opened fire on a city bus carrying civilians and IDF soldiers. A few minutes later another bus was fired upon followed by a suicide bomber blowing himself and the bus up also killing the bus driver.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">The coordinated attack continued as civilian vehicles were then fired on. The female driver of one car was killed by gun fire, while the second vehicle carrying two sisters and their husbands was hit with an anti-tank missile followed by the attacker firing at the four Israelis at close range. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">As evening came, the IDF responded to the attacks with strikes on targets in Gaza. We could hear the Israeli jets flying overhead at dinner Thursday night along with the sound of Israeli mortars hitting their targets in Gaza. As the evening and early morning hours passed several rockets and mortars from Gaza terrorist were fired back into Israel initiating the “Seva Adom” alarms here in Sderot as well as Be’er Sheva, Ashquelon, and Ashdod. Grad rockets hitting Ashdod causes several injuries including someone being seriously injured. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">At this point an estimated 17 rockets and mortars have been fired into southern Israel from late Thursday to early morning Friday. <span class="apple-style-span">The residents of the Negev and the south have been given new security instructions to stay close to protected buildings and not to make unnecessary journeys outside.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">Please continue to remember us in prayer for Ha’Shem’s protective hand, for comfort to those injured and for the families that have lost loved one. That the hearts of those who lead Israel would be turned toward Ha’Shem and that they would be filled with Ha’Shem’s wisdom in their actions. For us, that we might be filled with strength, courage, and discernment in order that we may continue to serve Him with boldness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">I’ve included links to the current headlines below. Please feel free to forward any of this email to those you know who love Israel and would want to stand in the gap and support Israel with prayer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">In Yeshua’s love,<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">Linda<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';font-size:14pt;">“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10</span></span><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Lucida Calligraphy';font-size:14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Comic Sans MS";color:#7F7F7F;mso-thememso-themetint:128font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <h1 style="margin-top:0in"><span style="line-height:115%; Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">Eight killed in massive terror assault near Eilat</span><o:p></o:p></h1> <h1 style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;"><span style=" color: rgb(204, 51, 153); font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=234482"></a></span><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=234482"><span style="color:#CC3399;">Eight killed in massive terror assault near Eilat - Jerusalem Post</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></h1> <h1 style="margin-top:0in;line-height:normal"><span style=" Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">Timeline of the attacks on the Sinai border</span><o:p></o:p></h1> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-outline-level:2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cc66cc;"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=234326"></a></span><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=234326">Timeline of the attacks on the Sinai border - JPost - Defense</a></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-outline-level:2"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <h1 style="margin-top:0in"><span style="line-height:115%; Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">Gallery: Aftermath of triple terror attack in South</span><o:p></o:p></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?ID=234319&R=R1"><span style="color:#CC3399;">Gallery: Aftermath of triple terror attack in ... JPost - Defense</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-outline-level:2"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">Sisters, Husbands Among Eilat Victims<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146969"><span style="color:#CC3399;">Sisters, Husbands Among Eilat Victims - Inside Israel - News ...</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <h2 style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style=" Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">Netanyahu: We Hit Back Immediately and With Force<o:p></o:p></span></h2> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146954"><span style="color:#CC3399;">'We Hit Back Immediately and With Force' - Defense/Security - News ...</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <h1 style="margin-top:0in"><span style="line-height:115%; Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">IAF strikes seven Hamas targets in Gaza; 1 dead</span><span style=" line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-weight: normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?ID=234462&R=R1"></a></span><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?ID=234462&R=R1"><span style="color:#CC3399;">IAF strikes seven Hamas targets in Gaza; 1 dea... JPost - Defense</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <h1 style="margin-top:0in"><span style="line-height:115%; Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">Ashdod: Rockets fired from Gaza leave 1 seriously injured</span><o:p></o:p></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=234461"></a></span><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=234461"><span style="color:#CC3399;">Ashdod: Rockets fired from Gaza leave 1 seriou... JPost - Defense</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <h2 style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style=" Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">Rocket Hit Synagogue, but Did Not Explode<o:p></o:p></span></h2> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146974"></a></span><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146974"><span style="color:#CC3399;">Rocket Hit Synagogue, but Did Not Explode - Jewish World - News ...</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <h2 style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style=" Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">Synagogue Hit as Grad Missiles Fired at Be’er Sheva and Ashdod<o:p></o:p></span></h2> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146967"></a></span><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146967"><span style="color:#CC3399;">Grad Missiles Fired at Be'er Sheva and Ashdod - Defense/Security ...</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <h2 style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style=" Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">IDF Releases Guide for Civilians as Rockets Wound 6<o:p></o:p></span></h2> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146971"></a></span><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146971"><span style="color:#CC3399;">IDF Releases Guide for Civilians - Defense/Security - News ...</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <h2 style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style=" Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normalfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#9999FF;">Another Attack Near Eilat, Egyptian Soldiers Killed<o:p></o:p></span></h2> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Arial","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:#CC3399;"><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146972"></a></span><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146972"><span style="color:#CC3399;">Another Attack Near Eilat, Egyptians Killed - Defense/Security ...</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255); line-height: 18px; font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:12pt;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <h1 style="margin-top:0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; ">
<br /></span></span></h1>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-83686859370345308622011-08-02T22:52:00.000-07:002011-08-02T22:54:29.060-07:00Update From Sderot 8/3/11<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">Well as my one-year anniversary quickly approaches, I am so amazed at all that Ha’Shem has done in me, and through me, but most of all in spite of me. There have been many areas where I have been challenged and stretched and yes even felt the Refiner’s fire a time or two. And in it all, my Father is always faithful, gentle, and patient in every lesson learned. When I think back over the past year and the lessons learned I would have to say <span class="apple-converted-space">that the one truth most strongly impressed upon me this year has been the necessity for absolute integrity of heart. It is what guides us through the “land mines” in this life and enables us to stand firm in our faith when challenged by the enemy to compromise.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">I think that one of the most important keys to spiritual growth is wholeness of heart before God. We are to walk before God with absolute integrity. We must carefully guard the integrity of our hearts before Ha’Shem because we are called to live our lives before God and the world without reproach. Ethical integrity is one of the indispensible attributes of Christ-like character. As Believers we need to remain upright in heart and consistent in our obedience to Ha’Shem’s law without compromise. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">The word “integrity” is related to the word integer and it means “whole” or “complete” as in a whole number. Integrity is being undivided without duplicity or pretence. It is being consistent; your yes is yes and your no is no. A person of integrity has private and public standards that are the same everywhere. Integrity is rock-like. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It won’t crack when it has to stand alone and it won’t crumble under pressure. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">Compromise on the other hand is the enemy’s most effective tool. </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT">He doesn’t yank us away from Ha’Shem, but slowly lulls us away little by little. </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">The world pressures us to soften the edges of holiness and to round off the corners of righteousness. We deceive ourselves by the smallness of our surrenders.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">In other words, you can deceive yourself into thinking that a small compromise will not matter. But small steps, taken consistently, add up to a great distance. Small compromise has a snowball effect; momentum develops, and before we realize what’s happening, life spins out of control. A little compromise, a few concessions; King Solomon warned that it was “the little foxes that spoil the vine.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">Compromise is turning the black and white issues into shades of grey and the results of compromise in our life can be devastating. We are called to walk in the Word without compromise. Ha’Shem says to us, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or you turn to the left” Isaiah 30:21. It is in listening to and obeying that voice that we find protection from compromise. In Proverbs 11:3, we are told, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the duplicity of the unfaithful destroys them.” Integrity is consistently allowing Ha’Shem’s Word to be our “plumb line” in every situation regardless of who is able to see. Ha’Shem places great value on integrity.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We must also guard the integrity of our heart as something precious and of great value. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">Ha’Shem tells us in Psalm 78:72 that King David shepherded Israel with an upright heart. How could David after the things that he did, and after all the compromises he made be called a man of integrity by Ha’Shem? The answer is found in Ps. 51:6-10 – “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean, wash me and I will be whiter than snow… create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999ff;">David depended on Ha’Shem’s forgiving and cleansing grace to make him a man of integrity. He depended on the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to walk in integrity and to maintain it.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-61234727096609378282011-06-27T10:13:00.000-07:002011-06-28T12:28:21.817-07:00Update From Sderot 6/27/11<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">The quiet of a warm Sunday afternoon is broken by the cry of the local “watermelon man” as he drives his truck throughout the neighborhood. Repeatedly he cries out in quick succession, “A-vah-te-ach, a-vah-te-ach, a-vah-te-ach.” The familiar sound, reminds us once again that summer is here. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">As I look out the window to the parking lot below I can see his familiar truck with its blue shade cover and Israeli flags. Today, as it is on most afternoons, his truck is laden with the wonderful fruits of summer. For a few brief moments my mind drifts back to summers long ago. Summers, that as they approached each passing year brought with them familiar sights and sounds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">I can almost hear the familiar melody of the ice cream truck as it passed by and the excitement of chasing after it with a quarter tightly held in hand. The scent of soap and bleach from the nearby spinning washing machine reminds me of the smell of chlorine as the public pool was made ready each year for its annual opening. Each year, with great anticipation, we looked forward to that first weekend in July.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">As I look back out the window to the parking lot below the large cement truck that is there suddenly seems so out of place to my reminiscing. Slowly my mind drifts back to the present… to a parking lot filled with the sights and sounds of men building bomb shelters. And as that reality comes into full focus my thoughts are turned to this past week’s news headlines; “Week-Long nationwide civil defense exercise begins” (</span></span></span><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=225549"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">Click here: JPost - Defense</span></a><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">)</span></u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">The “Turning-Point” exercises have been conducted annually since the 2006 Second Lebanon War. This year’s exercise will be the most extensive to date with scenarios depicting massive rocket fire throughout Israel, attacks on the electrical grid, and a simulation of a large-scale evacuation of a major population center. For the first time the members of the Knesset participated in an evacuation and “command control” scenarios played out from the brand new complex located deep underground somewhere in the mountains surrounding Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">Israel is at the center of the current “shaking” of the nations throughout the Middle East. With the Middle East in turmoil, Israel is preparing for the possibility of a regional war. Military leaders estimate that up to 800 rockets a day could be fired into Israel in the event of a war fought on multiple fronts.</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">As I reflect back over the past two weeks and how we have been very busy with assembling the “War Boxes” and how the men now at work downstairs are busy completing their work and I think about the practice drills and sirens that have been part of this past week’s activity, I am struck by the realization that these are the “sights and sounds” of Israel preparing.</span></span></span><span style="Comic Sans MS"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397485744293852279.post-92090897331280566312011-05-30T06:04:00.000-07:002011-05-30T12:39:39.313-07:00Update From Sderot 5/29/11<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">Just wanted to start out by thanking Ha’shem for His faithfulness and for the richness of His blessings and provision that He showers on His children each and every day. Baruch Ha’Shem!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6666CC;">“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">This month has been a very busy one here in Sderot. The month started out with two weeks of preparation by </span></span><a href="http://www.hopeforsderot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6666CC;">Hope for Sderot</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;"> for an outreach to the Ethiopian community here. The event that was held on May 19</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;"> was sponsored by </span></span><a href="http://www.joshuafund.net/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6666CC;">The Joshua Fund</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">. At the beginning of the month we spent several days cleaning and painting the Ethiopian Community Center here in town as well as ordering the many items that would later be given out to these families, as well as single moms and holocaust survivors. A hundred and fifty families were invited to this bi-annual event, at which food and a large variety of household items were given out, along with a brand new cart to carry everything home in.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">Fifty American volunteers, who came to Israel to tour with the Joshua Fund and attend the Epicenter Conference, came down for the day to help man the tables and distribute the items. It was such a blessing to be able to share one on one with them about life here in Sderot and what the Lord allows us to do here. The volunteers were able to meet and interact with many of our families and hear about the personal experiences of those living here. At the end of the day, as the volunteers said their goodbyes we were told over and over again that this was the best part of their whole tour. Baruch Ha’Shem! A special thanks to each of you who took time away from touring in order to touch the hearts of the people of Sderot. Kol Ha’kovod! And thank you to The Joshua Fund for making the event possible and for being a faithful friend to the people of Sderot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">The day after the outreach I headed south to Eilat for a couple of days and a side trip to Jordan to visit Petra. Petra, which in Greek means “rock” is a historical and archaeological city that is famous for its rock cut architecture and ancient water conduit system. Petra was established by the Nabataeans as their capital city around the 6</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;"> century BC.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">Petra is located in the mountains of Seir in the land of the ancient Edomites. In Abraham’s time Petra was known as Selah, and later known as Kadesh.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">Just east of Petra is an area known as Wadi Musa, (Valley of Moses). It was through this valley that Moses led the children of Israel on their way to the Promised Land. Tradition says that the spring of Wadi Musa is where Moses struck the rock and brought forth water (Numbers 20:10-11). A fresh water spring still emerges from the rocks at the entrance of the modern town. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">And as you travel past the area known as the Wadi Musa off in the distance you can see Mount Hor. Mount Hor is where the Israelites traveled to after being refused passage by Edom (Numbers 20:14) and is the site where Aaron was buried (Numbers 20:22-27).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">After returning back home, we had the opportunity to visit with our friend Cheryl for a few hours. For those of you who don’t know Cheryl, she is an American journalist from the Central Coast. Cheryl and I first met in 2008 when I came on a trip to Israel with two suitcases filled with first aid kits. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">Cheryl brought three friends with her to Sderot. What a surprise it was to learn they were from Atascadero Bible Church. And even more amazing, one of the ladies in the group recognized me from Atascadero State Hospital where I used to work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:'Comic Sans MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#9999FF;">Although our time together was short we were able to share about what we do at Hope for Sderot and the reality of life here. We were able to visit a few places in town such as Sderot’s Indoor Recreation Center, and the Wind Chime Memorial up on a hill overlooking Gaza. Although sad to see new friends leave I know that as they return back to California’s Central Coast they do so now as ambassadors for the people of Sderot. Shalom!</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Hands Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06649753414702772255noreply@blogger.com0