An Urgent Update from Israel

Dear Friend,

I am here in Jerusalem as your voice to a nation at war. 

Just today dozens of Jewish families had their homes destroyed along with everything they owned. I just got back from a funeral for six members of one family who were killed in an Iranian missile attack.

The Western liberal media is downplaying the suffering here in Israel, but I can tell you firsthand that it is very real. Iran is firing barrages of 30 or more missiles at a time trying to overwhelm Israel’s defenses.  

I’ve been begged by dozens of people to go into a bomb shelter when the sirens sound, but God didn’t call me to go to a bomb shelter…He called me to go into the fire. 

He called me to pastor the nation of Israel, and with all my heart, I believe He is the one who touched your heart to stand with me in this great work on behalf of His Chosen People.

We are being besieged with requests for help, and the needs are growing by the day. 

When I looked at those needs, I realized we need a miracle. Well, the miracle came. A dear friend and partner has stepped forward with a $350,000 matching gift challenge. That means your gift today will be doubled to touch the lives of twice as many suffering Jewish people.

And though the war has created urgent needs, there are also things going on behind the scenes that are a silent crisis. Let me share one of those with you today.

Today Israel is staring in the face of demon-possessed mullahs in Persia who want to wipe them off the map. And the strain of the last two and a half years is taking an ugly toll on the people here.

Gilon spent months fighting in the tunnels underneath Gaza. Every day his life was in danger as he searched for the hostages being held by Hamas and cleared dark rooms of bombs and booby traps. When he returned home, he couldn’t sleep. His family saw a young man who didn’t laugh any more.

Rachel spent months running to bomb shelters. Her home near the Gaza border was just 15 seconds away from a rocket strike at any moment. Her teachers noticed that she stopped doing her assignments. Her mother heard her sobbing in the darkness of her bedroom. Her father saw a young woman who no longer talked about the future.

Anna spent months trapped in her tiny apartment. She was afraid to go outside because she couldn’t be sure to make it to a bomb shelter if the warning sirens sounded again. Night after night, she trembled at the sound of explosions. It brought back all the painful memories of her childhood spent hiding from the Nazis.

All across Israel, men and women, boys and girls, the elderly, and the soldiers are struggling right now. They are dealing with what is commonly called post-traumatic stress…but the truth is there’s nothing “post” about it.

The stress is a daily reality. And it is literally killing people.

Suicides among IDF soldiers are at an all-time high. Elderly people are dying sooner than they should because of the pressures and stress. Families are being torn apart by the impact of this trauma.

It’s a tragedy. And God is calling you and me to respond today. And remember that whatever you are able to give will be doubled through the $350,000 matching gift challenge.

Friends of Zion is already meeting so many needs for the suffering people of Israel. 

We are delivering food to more than 3,000 poor Holocaust survivors every week. 

We operate a community center for Holocaust survivors in the largest bomb shelter in Jerusalem. We offer a kitchen, meeting rooms, toilets, WiFi, and more. Survivors meet there throughout the week. 

We also bring elderly Holocaust survivors to the Holy City to celebrate the bar and bat mitzvahs they missed as teenagers because of the war. We provide housing and hold a party to celebrate them and let them know they are not forgotten.

The list goes on and on, and I am so grateful for the help that we have received from you and our other friends and partners that has made this wonderful outreach a bright and shining light of Christian love to the whole House of Israel.

But we MUST do more.

We must reach out to those who are dealing with post-traumatic stress, as well as to their families and loved ones who are also impacted.

With your help, we can provide the tools and resources to help haunted soldiers sleep at night. We can also offer ways to help young children recover the joy and hope of life, as well as bring love and care to elderly Holocaust survivors.

But we can’t do any of that without the help of friends like you. 

We have teams in place on the ground in Israel who are ready to reach out to those in need. I’m asking you today to help provide the resources so that Friends of Zion can become an even brighter light of Christian love to suffering Jewish people.

The whole nation of Israel is in crisis right now. 

War is nothing new to the Jewish state. They have been fighting to survive ever since the miracle rebirth of the nation in 1948.

But the threats today are greater than ever. The enemies of the Jewish people grow bolder. The threats against God’s Chosen People grow more serious, and attacks on innocent Jewish men, women, and children are spreading around the world.

We must not sit by silently while this evil advances. We must raise our voices and speak out in defense of the Jewish people. And we must take action to help those in need.

If the suffering people of Israel are ever going to see that they are not alone…that Christian friends are standing with them…they must see it now. 

Please let me hear from you right away so that we can act before time runs out. 

Thank you in advance for your generous response. God bless you for blessing His Chosen People in this vital way.

P.S. The Spirit of God is saying “Comfort ye My people,” and I can’t think of a better or more important way we can obey that command than by reaching out to those who are dealing with the devastation of post-traumatic stress. Please do your very best as you send your gift today, and remember that your gift will do twice as much to help thanks to the $350,000 matching gift challenge.  Time is short, and the need is urgent.