"But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:3-4)
We had the great privilege of seeing these verses fulfilled before our very eyes as we spent the day helping Brian Slater (Chosen People Ministries) with his outreach to the Jewish Russian immigrants of Netanya, Israel. For a couple of hours we unpacked boxes of good, used clothing and set the garments on tables. In the kitchen two lovely Russian women of the Beit Asaph congregation were cooking soup and making salads and bread for those we would soon be serving. Then Brian arrived with his SUV loaded to the gills with fresh carrots, the most gigantic beets I have ever seen, boxes and boxes of cookies, sacks of fresh bread and big red cabbages. We carefully laid these foods, as well as tubs of hummus and some chocolate pudding cups, on tables from which the guests could pick and choose what they wanted to take.
When the doors opened, many local Russian Jews came bursting in and it was such a blessing to serve each one dinner, pour water for them, and sit down to visit with them. Yes, they had left their lives of poverty behind in Russia, but the cost of living in Israel is so tremendously high that it is extremely difficult for them to survive here as well. Yet, as the Scripture prophesies, there are a few shepherds who have a heart for these dear people whom the LORD has regathered from all the nations where He scattered them. Brian is such a shepherd, and he works tirelessly all week to reach provide for the needy and reach the lost to bring them to Messiah. The pictures show one of the volunteers with a giant beet (God grows things supernaturally large in Israel!), Brian to the left of a table of guests, and myself at the keyboard. I sang worship songs in Russian while they dined, and we could tell they were greatly blessed by hearing the love of Yeshua sung in their own tongue.
We were generously blessed by the hospitality of a mother and daughter from the Beit Asaph congregtion while in Netanya. Neris is from Cuba and she and her daughter have just made aliyah to Israel. We worshiped in this congregation last Shabbat, and heard Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, English and French spoken in one service, with headsets to translate into all these languages! Surely God HAS re-gathered His people and truly is bringing them back into their folds!
Waiting in the Jaffa Gate for transportation we were struck by the many teenagers of the Israel Defense Force. Military service is mandatory for both girls and boys at the age of 18. Can you imagine going to your child's high school graduation service, only to kiss them goodbye and send them off to defend the most hated nation on earth? We encountered them everywhere, usually with AK47s or M16 machine guns strapped to their backs. We always stopped to thank them and tell them we are praying for them; here we got a picture of some of the girls, looking like any of our high school girls back home. For a mother like me, it was heart-wrenching to know what they face.
Today we had the great joy of returning from Netanya to Jerusalem and meeting up with Marty and Michael Gale and their Celebration Dance team at Jaffa Gate. One hundred thousand young people are converging upon Jerusalem today, gearing up for Jerusalem Day tomorrow (commemorating the re-capturing of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War). As Marty's dancers whirled and twirled joyfully to the Hebrew music, Israeli kids of many backgrounds were drawn to them, and began to join in the dancing. It was obvious they had never seen these dances before, and they were so very excited to be part of it! I smiled as I observed their eagerness to learn the steps and become part of the jubilation; truly this Gentile dance team was provoking the Jews to jealousy!
A young generation is rising up in Israel with a new courage and a new heart. Pray that they will be the generation to come to faith in Messiah Yeshua and usher in His return! Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem!
We will be winging our way home to Colorado June 4. Thank you for all your many prayers over us as we have traversed Europe and Israel. It has been a very fruitful trip.
