Update From Sderot 1/9/11

Well I guess I’m behind on updating you all so I better get this “Update” finished. The month of December was a whirlwind of activities, visiting friends, and of course the holidays. Hopefully things are normalizing for all of you as well.

It was such a blessing to have a bounty of wonderful fellowship last month, as so many friends came to visit and serve with us. It is always a blessing to have English speaking friends come, but when those friends can also communicate with those whom we serve because they speak Hebrew and Russian also, it is nothing short of an answer to prayer. Very special thanks to all of you who came to visit and to serve the families of Sderot. You were a great source of encouragement and refreshing from Ha’Shem. Todah rabah!

Speaking of answers to prayer, the work of building our shelter has finally begun. I woke up a few days ago to the sound of a back hoe clearing trees and moving dirt. Although the construction often takes months, with frequent water and power outages, we are nevertheless very thankful that we will soon have a safe room. Baruch Hashem!

We are once again seeing an increase in rockets and mortars here. It is only one week into the New Year and we have already seen a total of 17 rockets. List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2011 - Wikipedia ... The number of rockets fired into Israel since the last cease fire has now reached 501, so much for the “peace process”.

Yesterday mortar fire injured three agricultural workers, one of them seriously, when four mortar shells fired by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza landed in a nearby kibbutz. The seriously injured man has been hospitalized for shrapnel wounds to his chest. I know you will join me and the people of Sderot as we remember these men and their families in prayer.

Well as 2010 is now behind us, we look forward to all that the Lord will do in the coming year; both in us and through us. As 2010 becomes a memory I can’t help but think about the many times Ha’Shem commanded the children of Israel to “remember” the works of His hand in their lives; to remember all that He had done on their behalf. King David said, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all you have done; I ponder the work of your hands” Ps. 143:5. As we enter 2011 may we draw strength and encouragement as we “remember” His faithfulness in our lives. Blessings!