Like seventeen year old high school students everywhere, Svetlana comes home from school hungry and looking for a snack. But, today the cupboards are bare. Her mom calls a neighbor to see if she has any food that was sent home by her son's pre-school teacher. Yes, she has a two-quart plastic container of pasta and vegetables left over from the school lunch that the teacher sends home twice a week to help supplement the supplies of this single mother family. This mother has three young children nine years old and under. She welcomes the charitable offering from her son's teacher, and she shares it with three other families in her building who are in the same circumstances. Three of these families are single mother homes and one is an elderly couple. All of them live on government support which leaves them hungry at times. It is, as Isaiah put it, a bed too short. Together they survive. Growing children get hungry, and these single mothers hope and pray for provisions to fill their cupboards that are often bare.
One day, a knock at the door brings bags of food. Help has arrived. These families receive the food with joy and thanksgiving! It is a feast! It is an answer to prayer!
And where did these bags of food come from? They and many more like them came directly from you when I was able to deliver them to these needy believers. Because of your faithfulness to keep the commandment concerning the widow's portion and, even more so, because of your open heart to be a blessing to Israel, we are able to minister to the needy, and they receive it as if it comes directly from the hand of Yahshua Himself.
". . . I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread." WHY? Because Yahweh has mandated provision for the widows, the orphan and the poor. What is that provision? THAT PROVISION IS YOU. . . when you are faithful to His Heavenly commandment to take care of the widows, the orphans and the poor.
Join us in our efforts as the Lydia World Outreach Project brings food and help to the widows, the orphans, the poor and the victims of terror in the land of Israel. Join the widow's portion of your tithe with ours as we rise up to obey this commandment which is so close to the heart of our Creator.
Thank you for helping us bring answers to the prayers of those who are crying out to Heaven.
Shalom Alechem,
Judith Rood
www.lydiaworldoutreachproject.org
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Lif In Israel
Dear Friend,
Your family has felt the lighting swift sword of persecution as long as one can remember. Since childhood you were told the horror stories of murder, rape and the destruction of homes and entire villages just because your forefathers believed in the ONE true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You are a Jew and are reminded of it every day. Your people have been driven from place to place; is there a land that you really could call home? Every year you and every Jewish person in the world end their Passover Seder by saying with great longing..."NEXT YEAR IN YERUSHALAIM!"
Then the word spreads through your village to your street and reaches your ears, "have been released to go to the LAND, to Come Up, to make Aliyah", the spiritual and physical accent up to Jerusalem.
The longing to return to the ancient land of your forefathers wells up inside of you. It would be a difficult journey to undergo with no assurance of success. You reflect on the complexity of relocating your family, learning a new language, making the cultural adjustments and living in a land that is in a constant state of tension and war. Still the hope remains and won't leave you! In your mind you remember the scenes on television of the joy of those stepping off the planes from Russia and kissing the ground of Eretz Israel, the one place in this world that a Jew could call HOME!
In the back of your mind there also remains the issue of your faith. Some have questioned whether you are still a Jew because you have accepted Y'shua as your Messiah. You know that this could be an issue that would prevent your acceptance to make Aliyah. How is it right that they could challenge your lineage when many of your family died in the ovens in Eastern Europe and at the hands of evil men like Hitler and Stalin just because they were Jews!
Still over and over in your heart you hear the words..."NEXT YEAR IN YERUSHALAIM!"
Since the Wall came down in Eastern Europe paving the way for the Word of Yahweh to be proclaimed in Russia, many Jews have become Believers. Many of these Messianic Russian Jews have made Aliyah to Israel only to find persecution from their own people when they arrived. These people are the next group Lisa and I want to introduce to you. A people that have persevered through enormous difficulties, they need our love, prayers and support.
Here is Lisa's report on a ministry in Israel that assists Russian Jews making Aliyah, lifts up and supports Russian Jewish Believers and shares the love of the Lord to those that have not yet met their Messiah.
In Jerusalem, Judith and I met with the leader of a ministry that assists Jews from the former USSR to make Aliyah (returning as Jewish citizen to the Land of Israel) and supports them through the transition time of settling and integrating as new immigrants.
We were greatly touched as we were reminded of the words the Lord spoke through the Prophets; words of great promises in the last days of the return of the exiles of Israel from the lands of the North, South, East and West.
I would like to share with you the work of Operation Tarshish:
Overview and Brief History of the Russian Aliyah to Israel
Since the late nineteenth century, the Jewish people have been knowingly and unknowingly fulfilling the Biblical prophecies regarding the return of the exiles to the ancient Land of Israel. They have literally returned from the four corners of the world and the Lord continues to call them out through many different circumstances and situations.
In the early 1990's, the Jews from the former USSR found themselves caught in a depressed economy. Many were also living in war-torn ethnic regions that were rebelling and trying to pull their provinces away from Russia's control. After much world pressure the Jews were finally given permission from the Russian government to return to the land of their forefathers.
Through the assistance and efforts of the Jewish World Agency and many organizations (most supported by Believers), these Jewish people arrived in Eretz Israel to begin a new life, although with minimal funds and few possessions.
Language and cultural adjustments were made more difficult by on-going war on the Lebanon border and Arab uprisings in the land. When the Israeli government's subsidies ran out, these new immigrants, some of them doctors and engineers, found themselves sweeping floors and working as security guards to provide for their families. Some returned to the known realities in Russia; others moved on to other countries.
There are over one million immigrants from the former USSR now living in Israel. This equals approximately one fifth of the population of Israel.
There are still known Jewish communities throughout the former USSR. Many of these communities and individuals are living in remote regions of Russia where they were scattered during periods of persecution. These Jews, many elderly and ill, will require more assistance then the others to return to the Land.
THEY WILL NEED HELP ONCE THEY HAVE MADE ALIYAH!
Ministries Currently Operating Under Operation Tarshish
Wings of Doves:
Assisting Russian Jews in making Aliyah to Israel
Three volunteer teams operating in Ukraine, one volunteer team operating in Eastern Russia
Teams provide legal assistance in the application process. This process can be made difficult by poor government record keeping that is needed to proved that at least one grandparent is Jewish.
Practical assistance is also given to preparations and packing.
Financial assistance is often needed for travel and legal costs needed to finalize the application approval, which can be a long and laborious process.
For Those that Mourn in Zion:
Partnering with other ministries to assist new immigrants and others in need
Providing for the needs of the poor and hungry
Food distribution program
Terror and war victims
Widows, orphans & single parent families
- Provide support for families
- Financial assistance when needed
- Financial counseling
- Emotional and physical support New immigrants
- Assist in locating housing
- Assist in job locating or training if needed
- Provide Food and other basic needs until they are able to be independent Elderly and Holocaust survivors
- Visiting those that are lonely
- Assist with any physical or financial needs
- Housekeeping
- Homeless
- Shelter and food
- Ministering to them in love
- Providing counseling services when needed
- Work with local social services to find long-term housing situations
Assessment of immediate and on-going financial needs
Funds are greatly needed for on-going work
The financial needs are huge in each of the above areas of ministry, if more funds are provided, then more people can be directly helped.
Funds for monthly assistance for food, clothing and housing.
Operation Tarshish oversees a wide variety of ministries. The organization is in a position to identify immediate and long-term needs in the Russian Believing and non-believing communities in Jerusalem. Funding and volunteer assistance is often channeled through Operation Tarshish to meet needs directly on the ground.
The prophecies of the return of the Jewish people back to Israel are numerous; many times it is specified in the Scriptures that the Gentiles will assist with this enormous task. Today, we still have the opportunity to be apart of this effort, and although it may not undo centuries of Jewish persecution on the part of those who called themselves "Christians", it does provide Believers with an opportunity to be a witness by demonstrating Y'shua's great love.
Jerusalem is a city with many poor and needy from extremely diverse backgrounds; it is a difficult place in which to navigate spiritually. We need to constantly be lifting these fellow servants in prayer and assisting them to meet the needs of the poor, broken and hurting."
"Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins." Isaiah 40:1-2
From Eretz Israel,
Lisa
Your gifts to the "Lydia" project can provide food, clothing and help to these people on their way to building a new life in the land - a life of freedom and hope.
Your prayers and support for Ami have been overwhelming. His story has touched America and, it seems, Israel itself.
I, Judith, have placed calls to my sources in Israel about the Sudanese mother and two daughters that were separated from their father to determine what more is needed by the Lydia project..
Shalom Alechem,
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
Your family has felt the lighting swift sword of persecution as long as one can remember. Since childhood you were told the horror stories of murder, rape and the destruction of homes and entire villages just because your forefathers believed in the ONE true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You are a Jew and are reminded of it every day. Your people have been driven from place to place; is there a land that you really could call home? Every year you and every Jewish person in the world end their Passover Seder by saying with great longing..."NEXT YEAR IN YERUSHALAIM!"
Then the word spreads through your village to your street and reaches your ears, "have been released to go to the LAND, to Come Up, to make Aliyah", the spiritual and physical accent up to Jerusalem.
The longing to return to the ancient land of your forefathers wells up inside of you. It would be a difficult journey to undergo with no assurance of success. You reflect on the complexity of relocating your family, learning a new language, making the cultural adjustments and living in a land that is in a constant state of tension and war. Still the hope remains and won't leave you! In your mind you remember the scenes on television of the joy of those stepping off the planes from Russia and kissing the ground of Eretz Israel, the one place in this world that a Jew could call HOME!
In the back of your mind there also remains the issue of your faith. Some have questioned whether you are still a Jew because you have accepted Y'shua as your Messiah. You know that this could be an issue that would prevent your acceptance to make Aliyah. How is it right that they could challenge your lineage when many of your family died in the ovens in Eastern Europe and at the hands of evil men like Hitler and Stalin just because they were Jews!
Still over and over in your heart you hear the words..."NEXT YEAR IN YERUSHALAIM!"
Since the Wall came down in Eastern Europe paving the way for the Word of Yahweh to be proclaimed in Russia, many Jews have become Believers. Many of these Messianic Russian Jews have made Aliyah to Israel only to find persecution from their own people when they arrived. These people are the next group Lisa and I want to introduce to you. A people that have persevered through enormous difficulties, they need our love, prayers and support.
Here is Lisa's report on a ministry in Israel that assists Russian Jews making Aliyah, lifts up and supports Russian Jewish Believers and shares the love of the Lord to those that have not yet met their Messiah.
In Jerusalem, Judith and I met with the leader of a ministry that assists Jews from the former USSR to make Aliyah (returning as Jewish citizen to the Land of Israel) and supports them through the transition time of settling and integrating as new immigrants.
We were greatly touched as we were reminded of the words the Lord spoke through the Prophets; words of great promises in the last days of the return of the exiles of Israel from the lands of the North, South, East and West.
I would like to share with you the work of Operation Tarshish:
Overview and Brief History of the Russian Aliyah to Israel
Since the late nineteenth century, the Jewish people have been knowingly and unknowingly fulfilling the Biblical prophecies regarding the return of the exiles to the ancient Land of Israel. They have literally returned from the four corners of the world and the Lord continues to call them out through many different circumstances and situations.
In the early 1990's, the Jews from the former USSR found themselves caught in a depressed economy. Many were also living in war-torn ethnic regions that were rebelling and trying to pull their provinces away from Russia's control. After much world pressure the Jews were finally given permission from the Russian government to return to the land of their forefathers.
Through the assistance and efforts of the Jewish World Agency and many organizations (most supported by Believers), these Jewish people arrived in Eretz Israel to begin a new life, although with minimal funds and few possessions.
Language and cultural adjustments were made more difficult by on-going war on the Lebanon border and Arab uprisings in the land. When the Israeli government's subsidies ran out, these new immigrants, some of them doctors and engineers, found themselves sweeping floors and working as security guards to provide for their families. Some returned to the known realities in Russia; others moved on to other countries.
There are over one million immigrants from the former USSR now living in Israel. This equals approximately one fifth of the population of Israel.
There are still known Jewish communities throughout the former USSR. Many of these communities and individuals are living in remote regions of Russia where they were scattered during periods of persecution. These Jews, many elderly and ill, will require more assistance then the others to return to the Land.
THEY WILL NEED HELP ONCE THEY HAVE MADE ALIYAH!
Ministries Currently Operating Under Operation Tarshish
Wings of Doves:
Assisting Russian Jews in making Aliyah to Israel
Three volunteer teams operating in Ukraine, one volunteer team operating in Eastern Russia
Teams provide legal assistance in the application process. This process can be made difficult by poor government record keeping that is needed to proved that at least one grandparent is Jewish.
Practical assistance is also given to preparations and packing.
Financial assistance is often needed for travel and legal costs needed to finalize the application approval, which can be a long and laborious process.
For Those that Mourn in Zion:
Partnering with other ministries to assist new immigrants and others in need
Providing for the needs of the poor and hungry
Food distribution program
Terror and war victims
Widows, orphans & single parent families
- Provide support for families
- Financial assistance when needed
- Financial counseling
- Emotional and physical support New immigrants
- Assist in locating housing
- Assist in job locating or training if needed
- Provide Food and other basic needs until they are able to be independent Elderly and Holocaust survivors
- Visiting those that are lonely
- Assist with any physical or financial needs
- Housekeeping
- Homeless
- Shelter and food
- Ministering to them in love
- Providing counseling services when needed
- Work with local social services to find long-term housing situations
Assessment of immediate and on-going financial needs
Funds are greatly needed for on-going work
The financial needs are huge in each of the above areas of ministry, if more funds are provided, then more people can be directly helped.
Funds for monthly assistance for food, clothing and housing.
Operation Tarshish oversees a wide variety of ministries. The organization is in a position to identify immediate and long-term needs in the Russian Believing and non-believing communities in Jerusalem. Funding and volunteer assistance is often channeled through Operation Tarshish to meet needs directly on the ground.
The prophecies of the return of the Jewish people back to Israel are numerous; many times it is specified in the Scriptures that the Gentiles will assist with this enormous task. Today, we still have the opportunity to be apart of this effort, and although it may not undo centuries of Jewish persecution on the part of those who called themselves "Christians", it does provide Believers with an opportunity to be a witness by demonstrating Y'shua's great love.
Jerusalem is a city with many poor and needy from extremely diverse backgrounds; it is a difficult place in which to navigate spiritually. We need to constantly be lifting these fellow servants in prayer and assisting them to meet the needs of the poor, broken and hurting."
"Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins." Isaiah 40:1-2
From Eretz Israel,
Lisa
Your gifts to the "Lydia" project can provide food, clothing and help to these people on their way to building a new life in the land - a life of freedom and hope.
Your prayers and support for Ami have been overwhelming. His story has touched America and, it seems, Israel itself.
I, Judith, have placed calls to my sources in Israel about the Sudanese mother and two daughters that were separated from their father to determine what more is needed by the Lydia project..
Shalom Alechem,
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
Monday, June 9, 2008
Jewish communities in Russia
It is so cold your breath freezes as it leaves you. It is so inhospitable a land that no one wanted it - but 41,000 Russian Jews were sent there.
Today the descendants of those Jewish people exiled to this frozen land have a chance to make Aliyah to the Promised Land.
This is their story:
Jewish communities remaining in Russia
Thousands of miles east of European Russia, the Jewish Autonomous Region was founded in 1934 as a "homeland" for Soviet Jews. Given the objectives of the Soviet government at the time, this distant outpost seemed a perfect location.
Early attempts by the government to relocate the Jews to Crimea and the Ukraine had ended with severe local backlash. To avoid local opposition, the government chose an area where there weren't any locals. Unfortunately for the Jewish migrants, there was a good reason why virtually no one lived in this region. The winters are extremely harsh, the roads were practically nonexistent, and the land was swampy.
Influenced by an effective propaganda campaign and starvation in the east, 41,000 Soviet Jews relocated to the area between the late 1920s and early 1930s. But 28,000 of them had fled the region's harsh conditions by 1938. There were Jewish schools and synagogues there until the 1940's, when a resurgence of religious repression took place after World War II. The Jewish population was essentially inactive until the late 1980s and early 1990s, when there was something of a revival within their communities. Today, students can take Hebrew and Yiddish lessons, as well as Jewish culture classes at schools in some of these communities.
Most of the Jewish population has left for Israel, Europe or the US but it is estimated that there are still thousands of Jews in this far-eastern region. In one of these communities there are over 3,000 Jewish residents. A trained team of volunteers is working to assist them in their return (Aliyah) to the Land of Israel. It is a laborious and time consuming job to complete the paperwork and move through the application process needed to obtain permission and visas. Once approval is granted, the team assists with the packing and the needed travel arrangements. Most of those making Aliyah from these regions are poor and a large percentage is elderly, unable on their own to afford the costs of emigrating.
Please be praying about how you could help to bring these Jewish people home to the Land of Israel from the far northern regions of Russia.
We have an opportunity to be part of helping these Russian Jews make Aliyah. We will be working on the details with the group responsible for organizing this exodus from captivity. To come to Israel, these people need a sponsoring organization, finances to make the trip, and financial help during their transition once they arrive in Israel.
Most will leave Russia with what they can carry and the clothes on their back. The door is presently open to allow them to leave but for how long? Yahweh's children must step forward and be a channel of love and hope for these Russian Jews.
We have an opportunity to be a witness to them, to be Yashua's hands and arms reaching out with our love for these people.
We can pass it off by saying we will just pray for them but, like so many stories we have brought you in the past months, these people need action and prayer.
You can be a vital part of helping these Russian Jews make Aliyah to Israel. I ask you, please, to pray about your part in this.
I also seek your prayers as I leave for Israel on May 27th on a mission of mercy and hope. Many of you have responded to the plight of those who need our support.
My husband chose to use his May newsletter to tell you, his supporters, why he asked me to undertake this project and why he knows it is not optional to give to the widows, the orphans, the poor and the stranger in the Land. It is a command of Yahweh. Michael and I have personally experienced the blessing that comes from blessing others.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Denver June 13-15.
May His blessing be upon all of you.
Shalom Aleichem
Today the descendants of those Jewish people exiled to this frozen land have a chance to make Aliyah to the Promised Land.
This is their story:
Jewish communities remaining in Russia
Thousands of miles east of European Russia, the Jewish Autonomous Region was founded in 1934 as a "homeland" for Soviet Jews. Given the objectives of the Soviet government at the time, this distant outpost seemed a perfect location.
Early attempts by the government to relocate the Jews to Crimea and the Ukraine had ended with severe local backlash. To avoid local opposition, the government chose an area where there weren't any locals. Unfortunately for the Jewish migrants, there was a good reason why virtually no one lived in this region. The winters are extremely harsh, the roads were practically nonexistent, and the land was swampy.
Influenced by an effective propaganda campaign and starvation in the east, 41,000 Soviet Jews relocated to the area between the late 1920s and early 1930s. But 28,000 of them had fled the region's harsh conditions by 1938. There were Jewish schools and synagogues there until the 1940's, when a resurgence of religious repression took place after World War II. The Jewish population was essentially inactive until the late 1980s and early 1990s, when there was something of a revival within their communities. Today, students can take Hebrew and Yiddish lessons, as well as Jewish culture classes at schools in some of these communities.
Most of the Jewish population has left for Israel, Europe or the US but it is estimated that there are still thousands of Jews in this far-eastern region. In one of these communities there are over 3,000 Jewish residents. A trained team of volunteers is working to assist them in their return (Aliyah) to the Land of Israel. It is a laborious and time consuming job to complete the paperwork and move through the application process needed to obtain permission and visas. Once approval is granted, the team assists with the packing and the needed travel arrangements. Most of those making Aliyah from these regions are poor and a large percentage is elderly, unable on their own to afford the costs of emigrating.
Please be praying about how you could help to bring these Jewish people home to the Land of Israel from the far northern regions of Russia.
We have an opportunity to be part of helping these Russian Jews make Aliyah. We will be working on the details with the group responsible for organizing this exodus from captivity. To come to Israel, these people need a sponsoring organization, finances to make the trip, and financial help during their transition once they arrive in Israel.
Most will leave Russia with what they can carry and the clothes on their back. The door is presently open to allow them to leave but for how long? Yahweh's children must step forward and be a channel of love and hope for these Russian Jews.
We have an opportunity to be a witness to them, to be Yashua's hands and arms reaching out with our love for these people.
We can pass it off by saying we will just pray for them but, like so many stories we have brought you in the past months, these people need action and prayer.
You can be a vital part of helping these Russian Jews make Aliyah to Israel. I ask you, please, to pray about your part in this.
I also seek your prayers as I leave for Israel on May 27th on a mission of mercy and hope. Many of you have responded to the plight of those who need our support.
My husband chose to use his May newsletter to tell you, his supporters, why he asked me to undertake this project and why he knows it is not optional to give to the widows, the orphans, the poor and the stranger in the Land. It is a command of Yahweh. Michael and I have personally experienced the blessing that comes from blessing others.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Denver June 13-15.
May His blessing be upon all of you.
Shalom Aleichem
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Israel Bombing Tragedy
Dear Friends,
We had a very good day with in Israel working with the Lydia Project. We went shopping in at the market and the grocery store and bought food for about four very needy families. I met with an elderly couple, Gregory and Helen Robin and they told me their incredible story which we documented on film.
I have met with a congregation called Morning Star fellowship. They help many poor people in their congregation who are from Russia and the Ukraine.
We are leaving early in the morning tomorrow at about 5:30am to go to Tel
Aviv and visit the children's ward where all of the terror victims are. This is the same hospital that is treating Ami, the fifteen year old bombing victim.
Ami's Israel Bombing Tragedy has brought the ugliness of prejudice and persecution of the Messianic believers here in Israel to the front of the world news papers. Thousands have responded to Ami's condition but now I have see many more children that the world doesn't know about. These children and their families need our help.
This is such a pressing story and need I am planning on staying over the night in Beer Sheva.
I have lived in Israel now for many years and sad to say I had know idea how many people need the love and help form those who believe in the Messiah. I like others thought, "well someone is taking care of the needs.' I was so wrong, I know that Yahweh Himself birthed this project for this time.
We have a chance to demonstrate His Son's live to a people who have experienced so much persecution them selves in the name of Christianity. We cannot let the action of a few orthodox stop us from doing this work. We must do all we can to be His hands and His arms to these hurting people.
Those of you supporting the Lydia Project with your prayers and finances are surly be part of this historical time.
Friday morning we went to meet with someone at 10:30am to visit the
Sudanese people in Arahd. After that we traveled to Engetty which is very close and stay Friday night and Shabbot.
When we planned this trip, I just didn't know how timely it was. Yahweh has open so many doors for the Lydia Project. I am attaching an update about Ami from his mother.
"Update from Ami's mother Leah- May 31, 2008
Thank you all for praying for Ami - I have received so many encouraging emails. We're also thankful for every postcard, letter, calendar, drawing, and love gift that we've received. Our way is so much easier because of the love and concern expressed through every form of communication.
I wanted to update you on something -- Ami was scheduled to have the operation to repair nerves in his left arm this Monday, June 2nd. However, on Tuesday he all of a sudden became ill with a throat infection for which he's on antibiotics. Therefore, the operation is postponed for two weeks!! I believe this is of the Lord, as there is time for the Lord to intervene as we press in and pray for healing of the nerves in his arms and hands. He experiences much pain in his left hand especially, but he's being given a new medication for the neuropathy, which is beginning in small doses, and then will be increased.
Again, I believe that this delay is from the Lord, when the doctor told me, I felt a joy that I can't describe in my heart, and I "knew because I knew" this delay was from Him.
Thank you that you are there for us - and that you are faithful to pray. We love you all, and are grateful to the Lord for you every day. We pray for blessing on your families and great increase especially in the Spirit in these last days.
A video report has been done on Ami and the bombing which will air on Channel one in Israel at 8PM our time this Friday May 30th.. The police tried to stop this report from being aired and brought Channel one into court twice!! However they were defeated twice. They say that they don't want details of the case revealed for their investigation but 9 weeks have passed with no arrests and no suspects. This is something that needs much prayer, but please pray for the perpetrators of this attempted murder and hate crime to be apprehended and for justice to be done.
-Leah Ortiz
It seems we are on the verge of seeing scripture unfold before our very eyes. Thank you for all you are doing to make this possible.
Please tell everyone on your e-mail list about the new lydiaworldoutreachproject.org web site. We already have had people from 11 countries come to it.
Shalom A---
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
We had a very good day with in Israel working with the Lydia Project. We went shopping in at the market and the grocery store and bought food for about four very needy families. I met with an elderly couple, Gregory and Helen Robin and they told me their incredible story which we documented on film.
I have met with a congregation called Morning Star fellowship. They help many poor people in their congregation who are from Russia and the Ukraine.
We are leaving early in the morning tomorrow at about 5:30am to go to Tel
Aviv and visit the children's ward where all of the terror victims are. This is the same hospital that is treating Ami, the fifteen year old bombing victim.
Ami's Israel Bombing Tragedy has brought the ugliness of prejudice and persecution of the Messianic believers here in Israel to the front of the world news papers. Thousands have responded to Ami's condition but now I have see many more children that the world doesn't know about. These children and their families need our help.
This is such a pressing story and need I am planning on staying over the night in Beer Sheva.
I have lived in Israel now for many years and sad to say I had know idea how many people need the love and help form those who believe in the Messiah. I like others thought, "well someone is taking care of the needs.' I was so wrong, I know that Yahweh Himself birthed this project for this time.
We have a chance to demonstrate His Son's live to a people who have experienced so much persecution them selves in the name of Christianity. We cannot let the action of a few orthodox stop us from doing this work. We must do all we can to be His hands and His arms to these hurting people.
Those of you supporting the Lydia Project with your prayers and finances are surly be part of this historical time.
Friday morning we went to meet with someone at 10:30am to visit the
Sudanese people in Arahd. After that we traveled to Engetty which is very close and stay Friday night and Shabbot.
When we planned this trip, I just didn't know how timely it was. Yahweh has open so many doors for the Lydia Project. I am attaching an update about Ami from his mother.
"Update from Ami's mother Leah- May 31, 2008
Thank you all for praying for Ami - I have received so many encouraging emails. We're also thankful for every postcard, letter, calendar, drawing, and love gift that we've received. Our way is so much easier because of the love and concern expressed through every form of communication.
I wanted to update you on something -- Ami was scheduled to have the operation to repair nerves in his left arm this Monday, June 2nd. However, on Tuesday he all of a sudden became ill with a throat infection for which he's on antibiotics. Therefore, the operation is postponed for two weeks!! I believe this is of the Lord, as there is time for the Lord to intervene as we press in and pray for healing of the nerves in his arms and hands. He experiences much pain in his left hand especially, but he's being given a new medication for the neuropathy, which is beginning in small doses, and then will be increased.
Again, I believe that this delay is from the Lord, when the doctor told me, I felt a joy that I can't describe in my heart, and I "knew because I knew" this delay was from Him.
Thank you that you are there for us - and that you are faithful to pray. We love you all, and are grateful to the Lord for you every day. We pray for blessing on your families and great increase especially in the Spirit in these last days.
A video report has been done on Ami and the bombing which will air on Channel one in Israel at 8PM our time this Friday May 30th.. The police tried to stop this report from being aired and brought Channel one into court twice!! However they were defeated twice. They say that they don't want details of the case revealed for their investigation but 9 weeks have passed with no arrests and no suspects. This is something that needs much prayer, but please pray for the perpetrators of this attempted murder and hate crime to be apprehended and for justice to be done.
-Leah Ortiz
It seems we are on the verge of seeing scripture unfold before our very eyes. Thank you for all you are doing to make this possible.
Please tell everyone on your e-mail list about the new lydiaworldoutreachproject.org web site. We already have had people from 11 countries come to it.
Shalom A---
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
Monday, June 2, 2008
Jewish Communities in Russia
Thousands of miles east of European Russia, the Jewish Autonomous Region was founded in 1934 as a "homeland" for Soviet Jews. Given the objectives of the Soviet government at the time, this distant outpost seemed a perfect location.
Early attempts by the government to relocate the Jews to Crimea and the Ukraine had ended with severe local backlash. To avoid local opposition, the government chose an area where there weren't any locals. Unfortunately for the Jewish migrants, there was a good reason why virtually no one lived in this region. The winters are extremely harsh, the roads were practically nonexistent, and the land was swampy.
Influenced by an effective propaganda campaign and starvation in the east, 41,000 Soviet Jews relocated to the area between the late 1920s and early 1930s. But 28,000 of them had fled the region's harsh conditions by 1938. There were Jewish schools and synagogues there until the 1940's, when a resurgence of religious repression took place after World War II. The Jewish population was essentially inactive until the late 1980s and early 1990s, when there was something of a revival within their communities. Today, students can take Hebrew and Yiddish lessons, as well as Jewish culture classes at schools in some of these communities.
Most of the Jewish population has left for Israel, Europe or the US but it is estimated that there are still thousands of Jews in this far-eastern region. In one of these communities there are over 3,000 Jewish residents. A trained team of volunteers is working to assist them in their return (Aliyah) to the Land of Israel. It is a laborious and time consuming job to complete the paperwork and move through the application process needed to obtain permission and visas. Once approval is granted, the team assists with the packing and the needed travel arrangements. Most of those making Aliyah from these regions are poor and a large percentage is elderly, unable on their own to afford the costs of emigrating.
Please be praying about how you could help to bring these Jewish people home to the Land of Israel from the far northern regions of Russia.
We have an opportunity to be part of helping these Russian Jews make Aliyah. We will be working on the details with the group responsible for organizing this exodus from captivity. To come to Israel, these people need a sponsoring organization, finances to make the trip, and financial help during their transition once they arrive in Israel.
Most will leave Russia with what they can carry and the clothes on their back. The door is presently open to allow them to leave but for how long? Yahweh's children must step forward and be a channel of love and hope for these Russian Jews.
We have an opportunity to be a witness to them, to be Yashua's hands and arms reaching out with our love for these people.
We can pass it off by saying we will just pray for them but, like so many stories we have brought you in the past months, these people need action and prayer.
You can be a vital part of helping these Russian Jews make Aliyah to Israel. I ask you, please, to pray about your part in this.
I also seek your prayers as I leave for Israel on May 27th on a mission of mercy and hope. Many of you have responded to the plight of those who need our support.
My husband chose to use his May newsletter to tell you, his supporters, why he asked me to undertake this project and why he knows it is not optional to give to the widows, the orphans, the poor and the stranger in the Land. It is a command of Yahweh. Michael and I have personally experienced the blessing that comes from blessing others.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Denver June 13-15.
May His blessing be upon all of you.
Shalom Aleichem
Judith Rood
Early attempts by the government to relocate the Jews to Crimea and the Ukraine had ended with severe local backlash. To avoid local opposition, the government chose an area where there weren't any locals. Unfortunately for the Jewish migrants, there was a good reason why virtually no one lived in this region. The winters are extremely harsh, the roads were practically nonexistent, and the land was swampy.
Influenced by an effective propaganda campaign and starvation in the east, 41,000 Soviet Jews relocated to the area between the late 1920s and early 1930s. But 28,000 of them had fled the region's harsh conditions by 1938. There were Jewish schools and synagogues there until the 1940's, when a resurgence of religious repression took place after World War II. The Jewish population was essentially inactive until the late 1980s and early 1990s, when there was something of a revival within their communities. Today, students can take Hebrew and Yiddish lessons, as well as Jewish culture classes at schools in some of these communities.
Most of the Jewish population has left for Israel, Europe or the US but it is estimated that there are still thousands of Jews in this far-eastern region. In one of these communities there are over 3,000 Jewish residents. A trained team of volunteers is working to assist them in their return (Aliyah) to the Land of Israel. It is a laborious and time consuming job to complete the paperwork and move through the application process needed to obtain permission and visas. Once approval is granted, the team assists with the packing and the needed travel arrangements. Most of those making Aliyah from these regions are poor and a large percentage is elderly, unable on their own to afford the costs of emigrating.
Please be praying about how you could help to bring these Jewish people home to the Land of Israel from the far northern regions of Russia.
We have an opportunity to be part of helping these Russian Jews make Aliyah. We will be working on the details with the group responsible for organizing this exodus from captivity. To come to Israel, these people need a sponsoring organization, finances to make the trip, and financial help during their transition once they arrive in Israel.
Most will leave Russia with what they can carry and the clothes on their back. The door is presently open to allow them to leave but for how long? Yahweh's children must step forward and be a channel of love and hope for these Russian Jews.
We have an opportunity to be a witness to them, to be Yashua's hands and arms reaching out with our love for these people.
We can pass it off by saying we will just pray for them but, like so many stories we have brought you in the past months, these people need action and prayer.
You can be a vital part of helping these Russian Jews make Aliyah to Israel. I ask you, please, to pray about your part in this.
I also seek your prayers as I leave for Israel on May 27th on a mission of mercy and hope. Many of you have responded to the plight of those who need our support.
My husband chose to use his May newsletter to tell you, his supporters, why he asked me to undertake this project and why he knows it is not optional to give to the widows, the orphans, the poor and the stranger in the Land. It is a command of Yahweh. Michael and I have personally experienced the blessing that comes from blessing others.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Denver June 13-15.
May His blessing be upon all of you.
Shalom Aleichem
Judith Rood
From Leah Ortiz
We thank so many of you who have written and asked to be updated on Ami's condition as you want to continue to lift him up before the throne of God. We can't tell you how grateful we are that the momentum is continuing, as we are facing new challenges every day. However, we are greatly encouraged by the outpouring of love from all over the world, and Ami is daily encouraged as well. We thank Yeshua for moving your hearts to convey His encouragement to our family.
We moved into the Tel HaShomer Children's hospital two weeks ago. It is a rehabilitation facility and one of the best in the country. Ami has a strenuous schedule which includes Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, School studies, Computer lessons, and training in an exercise center. All of this has really strengthened him. Along with renewed appetite, he's looking more and more like "Ami".
However, there are many struggles as well. Interspersed between all of his activities have been visits to specialists. The first specialists to see him were the ENT doctors (Ear, Nose and Throat). We found out that Ami's right ear drum is almost completely blown out and the left ear drum has significant damage. The first doctor told us that he will need skin grafts in both ears which includes a recovery period of 3 to 6 weeks on each ear. However, yesterday we visited a second specialist who specializes in ear injuries from terror attacks. She had better news - she said there was a 90% chance that the ear drums would close up themselves - heal by themselves. She said that Ami is young, and she's seen it happen many times. Even after the first doctor's assessment, I had faith that the Lord would close up those ear drums!! His next appointment will be in 3 months. The doctor said it might take a year for them to heal naturally, but if there is no improvement in 3 months, they will schedule the operations.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE EAR DRUMS TO BE HEALED. Ami's hearing has been significantly affected as a result of this injury.
Ami was sent to an eye specialist as well. He said that there are still many pieces of metal in Ami's eyes, but it is better if they stay in as it could cause problems if they come out. He also said that the eyes were not seeing 20/20 and he might need glasses. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE LORD TO DISSOLVE THE METAL IN HIS EYES, AND FOR THE HEALING OF HIS EYES TO CONTINUE UNTIL 20/20 VISION.
Ami has also had significant burn wounds and subsequent scarring all over his body - also scars where large pieces of shrapnel were removed. His body also has the tendency to scar quickly and for the scars to build up rapidly. Therefore, pressure bandages have been made for him. They are like thick support stockings. The upper body "suit" covers his whole upper body including his neck. It is very difficult to get used to and he's been told that he has to wear them 23 hours a day for one to two years!! The lower body suit is being prepared now. All of this is emotionally and mentally hard for Ami to adjust to as well as being physically rigorous. PLEASE PRAY THAT THE SCARS WOULD HEAL QUICKLY, AND THAT AMI WOULD BE ABLE TO ADJUST TO THESE BANDAGES.
Ami was also seen by a plastic surgeon, who has ordered x-rays to be done on his hands and feet, as he has extreme sensitivity especially in his left palm, and in the toes that were amputated. He thinks there is shrapnel embedded that might be painful to him, in which case they will surgically remove it. Ami has over 100 pieces of shrapnel in his body. Many of them will be expelled by his body naturally. One day, two groups of believers came to visit us and I asked them to pray for the shrapnel to be expelled quickly. That night Ami said, "I feel all the pieces of metal moving!" He was in pain and we had to give him Tylenol!! We need to be careful what we ask for from the Lord!!
I am praying for Ami's healing to happen quicker than anyone can imagine. I believe that with prayer and Yeshua's healing power, everything is possible.
Tomorrow, Friday March 23rd, will be a special prayer meeting in our congregation in Ariel. Messianic leaders from all over Israel will be gathering for a time of fasting and prayer for Ami and the situations surrounding the attack, from 10am to 2PM Israel time.
Even this week, in a town called Or Yehuda, the deputy mayor along with local rabbis stirred up the religious youth to go door to door and gather New Testaments that had been distributed by believers a few weeks before. They then burned the New Testaments.
This is a very serious development because in Nazi Germany, Jewish prayer books were burned in the early years before the Holocaust began. We would urge you to denounce this act to the Israeli Embassy in your area, and also to ask why the perpetrators of the Purim Package bombing have not yet been apprehended.
The article about the burning of the New Testaments can be found at:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1211288128832
Thank you again for your prayer, love and support.
In the Messiah,
Leah Ortiz
Judith Rood again,
I, Judith Rood, want to express to you that Michael and I love Israel and her people but there always seem to be those in every country that thrive on hate and violence. This was the plight of the African American here in America until the voice of the people cause the Government to finally do what was right.
Michael Rood, my husband, is airing a 30 minute Lydia World Outreach Special starting next Saturday May 30 through Sunday June 8. This special documentary will show how we are extending the Love the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to our Christian brothers and sisters - to those who are victims of violence, prejudice and hatred in the Land of Israel.
We are commanded by Him who died for us to show His love through our compassionate actions. Michael has never been timid about challenging the status quo. While we both dearly love the Land of Israel and it's people, we do not condone those who would do acts of violence. No one can say they are following Torah while condoning or encouraging any act of violence against the innocent.
A Land that has for centuries seen it's children murdered, maimed and left homeless, should understand that it cannot allow prejudice and hatred to go unpunished no matter who is responsible or what their reason is for such actions.
I am Jewish. My mother, my father, my grandparents were Jewish. Our family blood was spilled in Russia and in Germany. As many of my ancestors as anyone's were murdered for their Jewish faith. The Jewish blood in their veins poured out to water the soil of many countries. How can any person tell me I am not Jewish because I believe the Messiah has come or because I am married to a Godly man.that is not afraid to challenge man's traditions or ignorance.
The mandate of Yahweh is to aid the helpless, to support and comfort the widows, the orphans and the poor. James 1:27 makes it clear that the commandment of the Torah is still in effect in these cases.
We will show our love by our prayers, by our actions, through the generous giving of our tithes and offerings to help the victims of these acts, and by being there for as many widows, orphans and poor as we have means to help.
While in Israel this next week, I will be your and Elohim's Ambassador of hope to these victims. We hope to visit several orphanages that have received Jewish children from countries where their parents and grandparents were also victims of similar acts of prejudice and violence.
Thank you for your loving prayers and financial support. If you can't see this special, just call us and we will do all we can to send you a copy to view in your home, your congregation, your church or with your friends and family.
I know you will join me in saying, "We are not ashamed of the Gospel of the Messiah and of showing His love to a hurting world."
Call my staff at 800-550-9028 and request a copy. We will send them out free until there aren't any more to send.
Shalom Aleichem
Judith Rood
National Chairperson, The Lydia World Outreach Project
We moved into the Tel HaShomer Children's hospital two weeks ago. It is a rehabilitation facility and one of the best in the country. Ami has a strenuous schedule which includes Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, School studies, Computer lessons, and training in an exercise center. All of this has really strengthened him. Along with renewed appetite, he's looking more and more like "Ami".
However, there are many struggles as well. Interspersed between all of his activities have been visits to specialists. The first specialists to see him were the ENT doctors (Ear, Nose and Throat). We found out that Ami's right ear drum is almost completely blown out and the left ear drum has significant damage. The first doctor told us that he will need skin grafts in both ears which includes a recovery period of 3 to 6 weeks on each ear. However, yesterday we visited a second specialist who specializes in ear injuries from terror attacks. She had better news - she said there was a 90% chance that the ear drums would close up themselves - heal by themselves. She said that Ami is young, and she's seen it happen many times. Even after the first doctor's assessment, I had faith that the Lord would close up those ear drums!! His next appointment will be in 3 months. The doctor said it might take a year for them to heal naturally, but if there is no improvement in 3 months, they will schedule the operations.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE EAR DRUMS TO BE HEALED. Ami's hearing has been significantly affected as a result of this injury.
Ami was sent to an eye specialist as well. He said that there are still many pieces of metal in Ami's eyes, but it is better if they stay in as it could cause problems if they come out. He also said that the eyes were not seeing 20/20 and he might need glasses. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE LORD TO DISSOLVE THE METAL IN HIS EYES, AND FOR THE HEALING OF HIS EYES TO CONTINUE UNTIL 20/20 VISION.
Ami has also had significant burn wounds and subsequent scarring all over his body - also scars where large pieces of shrapnel were removed. His body also has the tendency to scar quickly and for the scars to build up rapidly. Therefore, pressure bandages have been made for him. They are like thick support stockings. The upper body "suit" covers his whole upper body including his neck. It is very difficult to get used to and he's been told that he has to wear them 23 hours a day for one to two years!! The lower body suit is being prepared now. All of this is emotionally and mentally hard for Ami to adjust to as well as being physically rigorous. PLEASE PRAY THAT THE SCARS WOULD HEAL QUICKLY, AND THAT AMI WOULD BE ABLE TO ADJUST TO THESE BANDAGES.
Ami was also seen by a plastic surgeon, who has ordered x-rays to be done on his hands and feet, as he has extreme sensitivity especially in his left palm, and in the toes that were amputated. He thinks there is shrapnel embedded that might be painful to him, in which case they will surgically remove it. Ami has over 100 pieces of shrapnel in his body. Many of them will be expelled by his body naturally. One day, two groups of believers came to visit us and I asked them to pray for the shrapnel to be expelled quickly. That night Ami said, "I feel all the pieces of metal moving!" He was in pain and we had to give him Tylenol!! We need to be careful what we ask for from the Lord!!
I am praying for Ami's healing to happen quicker than anyone can imagine. I believe that with prayer and Yeshua's healing power, everything is possible.
Tomorrow, Friday March 23rd, will be a special prayer meeting in our congregation in Ariel. Messianic leaders from all over Israel will be gathering for a time of fasting and prayer for Ami and the situations surrounding the attack, from 10am to 2PM Israel time.
Even this week, in a town called Or Yehuda, the deputy mayor along with local rabbis stirred up the religious youth to go door to door and gather New Testaments that had been distributed by believers a few weeks before. They then burned the New Testaments.
This is a very serious development because in Nazi Germany, Jewish prayer books were burned in the early years before the Holocaust began. We would urge you to denounce this act to the Israeli Embassy in your area, and also to ask why the perpetrators of the Purim Package bombing have not yet been apprehended.
The article about the burning of the New Testaments can be found at:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1211288128832
Thank you again for your prayer, love and support.
In the Messiah,
Leah Ortiz
Judith Rood again,
I, Judith Rood, want to express to you that Michael and I love Israel and her people but there always seem to be those in every country that thrive on hate and violence. This was the plight of the African American here in America until the voice of the people cause the Government to finally do what was right.
Michael Rood, my husband, is airing a 30 minute Lydia World Outreach Special starting next Saturday May 30 through Sunday June 8. This special documentary will show how we are extending the Love the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to our Christian brothers and sisters - to those who are victims of violence, prejudice and hatred in the Land of Israel.
We are commanded by Him who died for us to show His love through our compassionate actions. Michael has never been timid about challenging the status quo. While we both dearly love the Land of Israel and it's people, we do not condone those who would do acts of violence. No one can say they are following Torah while condoning or encouraging any act of violence against the innocent.
A Land that has for centuries seen it's children murdered, maimed and left homeless, should understand that it cannot allow prejudice and hatred to go unpunished no matter who is responsible or what their reason is for such actions.
I am Jewish. My mother, my father, my grandparents were Jewish. Our family blood was spilled in Russia and in Germany. As many of my ancestors as anyone's were murdered for their Jewish faith. The Jewish blood in their veins poured out to water the soil of many countries. How can any person tell me I am not Jewish because I believe the Messiah has come or because I am married to a Godly man.that is not afraid to challenge man's traditions or ignorance.
The mandate of Yahweh is to aid the helpless, to support and comfort the widows, the orphans and the poor. James 1:27 makes it clear that the commandment of the Torah is still in effect in these cases.
We will show our love by our prayers, by our actions, through the generous giving of our tithes and offerings to help the victims of these acts, and by being there for as many widows, orphans and poor as we have means to help.
While in Israel this next week, I will be your and Elohim's Ambassador of hope to these victims. We hope to visit several orphanages that have received Jewish children from countries where their parents and grandparents were also victims of similar acts of prejudice and violence.
Thank you for your loving prayers and financial support. If you can't see this special, just call us and we will do all we can to send you a copy to view in your home, your congregation, your church or with your friends and family.
I know you will join me in saying, "We are not ashamed of the Gospel of the Messiah and of showing His love to a hurting world."
Call my staff at 800-550-9028 and request a copy. We will send them out free until there aren't any more to send.
Shalom Aleichem
Judith Rood
National Chairperson, The Lydia World Outreach Project
Ami Ortiz Update
Dear Friends Of Israel,
I just received this update from Ami Ortiz's mother. Some of you have only recently become involved with the Lydia Project Israel, and may not know about the tragic circumstance of this fifteen-year-old Israeli boy and his family. The explosion of a package bomb that was delivered to his family's home during Purim seriously injured Ami.
This is a story that has revealed one of the hidden problems in Israel: the religious persecution of Messianic Believers in the Land by a radical group of Orthodox Jews. Over the past years the government has turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to this growing problem.
I have just arrived in Israel and during this trip I hope to meet Ami's mother. I will also be visiting the organizations your donations are helping to support as well as several orphanages and the Russian community. Many of them have come to know Yashua (Jesus) as their Messiah.
Many in this community need our help as they adjust to living in the Land of Israel. It can be a very hard place. At present, it just doesn't seem like the land of milk and honey. Never the less, so many have given up all they had to make Aliyah.
I recently wrote to you of a village in Russia where we have an opportunity to help Jews leave the Siberian wasteland and move to Israel. I am told that conditions in this village make Israel seem like a paradise, and in Yahweh's eye, it is just that.
Another continued story is that of the Sudanese father and his child who escaped to Israel but the rest of the family was captured. I will be following up on how we can help reunite this family. My goal is to bring this mother and her daughter back to her husband and child.
Now for Ami's update;
Ami Update from his mother Leah- May 27, 2008
Ami had another appointment this week with a hand specialist. He has severe pain in his hands, especially the left, which is a result of nerve damage. The doctor told us that he needs operations in both of his arms as the nerve damage begins quite high up, above the elbow, at least on the left side. We were told that one of the major nerves is torn and another is damaged. If the torn one can't be reconnected, they'll have to do a graft from another nerve somewhere else in his body. In which case, it will have to grow and could take a year to see results. She said that nerves grow at the rate of 1 cm. a day!! He has very long arms, so he has about 1/2 a meter of nerves to grow in!! However, it could be that the existing nerves can be repaired and reconnected. So let's pray for that and for continued miracles for Ami. The surgery on the left hand is scheduled for this Monday, June 2.
I have to say that Ami took the news better than I did - because he's anxious for the pain to be relieved.
We also have to see the foot specialist, as he has tendons that need to be reattached in his right foot. I am in touch with a very well known plastic surgeon who also wants to see Ami to see what can be done for the left foot and the skin graft scars.
Please pray that we will be able to stay faithful and full of faith through this ordeal. I often feel overwhelmed by what Ami is going through. Every so often, Ami is weakened by the pain to the point of tears. David and I are grateful though, the bottom line is he's with us and we can be going through what we're going through. We are also grateful, because even in the natural, there are solutions for all of his problems. We are grateful that we have all of you so faithfully praying and believing for us. We are also grateful that we have a great God who loves us and has never left us or forsaken us for a moment.
I ask for prayer for our criminal lawyer, Yossi Graiver, who is representing us. He is not a believer, but an extraordinary person with a heart for what has happened to Ami and a desire to see justice served. We also have a Messianic lawyer who has helped us from the beginning, Calev Myers, who represents the Messianic community here in Israel in matters concerning the faith and the law of the land. We are extremely blessed. Please pray for the legal case, that the criminals will be caught, and that a full sentence will be served with no plea bargains.
Thank you. I will try to keep you updated as to the results of the operation as soon as I can get to my computer.
Yours in the Messiah,
Leah Ortiz
I, Judith, know you will join me and the thousands of others in praying for Ami and his family and for all the persecuted believers in the land. Maybe you could become a prayer leader in your congregation and pledge to have a weekly prayer time for Ami, for Israel and the Believers in Yashua (Jesus) in this land.
Please e-mail me or call 616-583-0200 and let me know about your prayer group.
As you read in the update from Leah Ortiz, they have many needs. One need, it seems, is a laptop computer. I will be visiting with them to see how we can help with the other needs.
I have attached the 30-minute TV special that will air on the ARA TV network May 31- June 8. Once you click on the TV special, it will take a little time for it to open.
Many of your prayers have been answered. My husband Michael's TV series will now be airing on Direct Satellite TV and Sky Angel 136 at 8:30 pm Eastern time Monday - Friday, please adjust this for you time zone.
We are launching the new LydiaWorldOutreachProject.org web site. This will make it easier to keep you informed of the work Lydia is doing.
I will also be posting the cities I will be visiting after Shavuot 2008. If you would like me to come to your city, please contact Evelyn.
I have asked my staff to set up a conference call from Israel at 12 pm June 4th. This is a United States call for you. You are not charged for long distance to Israel.
Thank you for your prayers and financial support.
Shalom Aleichem,
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
I just received this update from Ami Ortiz's mother. Some of you have only recently become involved with the Lydia Project Israel, and may not know about the tragic circumstance of this fifteen-year-old Israeli boy and his family. The explosion of a package bomb that was delivered to his family's home during Purim seriously injured Ami.
This is a story that has revealed one of the hidden problems in Israel: the religious persecution of Messianic Believers in the Land by a radical group of Orthodox Jews. Over the past years the government has turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to this growing problem.
I have just arrived in Israel and during this trip I hope to meet Ami's mother. I will also be visiting the organizations your donations are helping to support as well as several orphanages and the Russian community. Many of them have come to know Yashua (Jesus) as their Messiah.
Many in this community need our help as they adjust to living in the Land of Israel. It can be a very hard place. At present, it just doesn't seem like the land of milk and honey. Never the less, so many have given up all they had to make Aliyah.
I recently wrote to you of a village in Russia where we have an opportunity to help Jews leave the Siberian wasteland and move to Israel. I am told that conditions in this village make Israel seem like a paradise, and in Yahweh's eye, it is just that.
Another continued story is that of the Sudanese father and his child who escaped to Israel but the rest of the family was captured. I will be following up on how we can help reunite this family. My goal is to bring this mother and her daughter back to her husband and child.
Now for Ami's update;
Ami Update from his mother Leah- May 27, 2008
Ami had another appointment this week with a hand specialist. He has severe pain in his hands, especially the left, which is a result of nerve damage. The doctor told us that he needs operations in both of his arms as the nerve damage begins quite high up, above the elbow, at least on the left side. We were told that one of the major nerves is torn and another is damaged. If the torn one can't be reconnected, they'll have to do a graft from another nerve somewhere else in his body. In which case, it will have to grow and could take a year to see results. She said that nerves grow at the rate of 1 cm. a day!! He has very long arms, so he has about 1/2 a meter of nerves to grow in!! However, it could be that the existing nerves can be repaired and reconnected. So let's pray for that and for continued miracles for Ami. The surgery on the left hand is scheduled for this Monday, June 2.
I have to say that Ami took the news better than I did - because he's anxious for the pain to be relieved.
We also have to see the foot specialist, as he has tendons that need to be reattached in his right foot. I am in touch with a very well known plastic surgeon who also wants to see Ami to see what can be done for the left foot and the skin graft scars.
Please pray that we will be able to stay faithful and full of faith through this ordeal. I often feel overwhelmed by what Ami is going through. Every so often, Ami is weakened by the pain to the point of tears. David and I are grateful though, the bottom line is he's with us and we can be going through what we're going through. We are also grateful, because even in the natural, there are solutions for all of his problems. We are grateful that we have all of you so faithfully praying and believing for us. We are also grateful that we have a great God who loves us and has never left us or forsaken us for a moment.
I ask for prayer for our criminal lawyer, Yossi Graiver, who is representing us. He is not a believer, but an extraordinary person with a heart for what has happened to Ami and a desire to see justice served. We also have a Messianic lawyer who has helped us from the beginning, Calev Myers, who represents the Messianic community here in Israel in matters concerning the faith and the law of the land. We are extremely blessed. Please pray for the legal case, that the criminals will be caught, and that a full sentence will be served with no plea bargains.
Thank you. I will try to keep you updated as to the results of the operation as soon as I can get to my computer.
Yours in the Messiah,
Leah Ortiz
I, Judith, know you will join me and the thousands of others in praying for Ami and his family and for all the persecuted believers in the land. Maybe you could become a prayer leader in your congregation and pledge to have a weekly prayer time for Ami, for Israel and the Believers in Yashua (Jesus) in this land.
Please e-mail me or call 616-583-0200 and let me know about your prayer group.
As you read in the update from Leah Ortiz, they have many needs. One need, it seems, is a laptop computer. I will be visiting with them to see how we can help with the other needs.
I have attached the 30-minute TV special that will air on the ARA TV network May 31- June 8. Once you click on the TV special, it will take a little time for it to open.
Many of your prayers have been answered. My husband Michael's TV series will now be airing on Direct Satellite TV and Sky Angel 136 at 8:30 pm Eastern time Monday - Friday, please adjust this for you time zone.
We are launching the new LydiaWorldOutreachProject.org web site. This will make it easier to keep you informed of the work Lydia is doing.
I will also be posting the cities I will be visiting after Shavuot 2008. If you would like me to come to your city, please contact Evelyn.
I have asked my staff to set up a conference call from Israel at 12 pm June 4th. This is a United States call for you. You are not charged for long distance to Israel.
Thank you for your prayers and financial support.
Shalom Aleichem,
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
Monday, May 19, 2008
Ami Ortiz & Russian Woman
We have had some people write us wondering if we started the Lydia World Outreach Project too soon. The Lydia World Outreach Project was started because of my husband Michael's teaching on tithes and offerings. You will be receiving a newsletter very soon from Michael about the Lydia World.
This project is not an extra financial burden on A Rood Awakening Ministry International. On the contrary, it has been a blessing to this ministry. The only funds sent out are those which come in specifically for the Lydia World Outreach Project. Michael and I tithe through this Project. We know Yahweh will bless us as we bless Israel. How can we teach the Word and not do what the Torah says?
I want to talk to you about the plight of a Russian Jewish woman who has returned to Israel.
We were recently told about this woman in Russia who would not be able to live much longer without a kidney transplant. She had begun the long process of applying to make Aliyah (the term for Jews returning as citizens to Israel) but due to bad government record keeping in Russia, she was having trouble proving her Jewish ancestry.
An organization run by Believers came to her assistance. They helped to push the legal system and obtained an emergency visa for her to fly to Israel for surgery. Her health was rapidly declining as she prepared for and made the flight. To her surprise, an ambulance was awaiting her on the tarmac at the Tel Aviv airport to rush her to the hospital. Her surgery was successful. She now lives in the Land of her forefathers with the help of the Lord and His faithful servants who labor to fulfill what the prophets spoke long ago.
Jer 31:8-14 "Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here."
"With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn."
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare in the coastlands afar off, And say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him And keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock."
For the LORD has ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
"They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD-- Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again."
"Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy, And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow."
"I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness," declares the LORD.
Michael and I know that The Almighty has ordained this effort and The Almighty knows why there is an urgency about it.
Since starting the Lydia Project, news of our work and effort have spread all over Israel and now to other countries. I have received e-mails and information from India, Kenya, and South America.
I am making my first local trip to speak to supporters about what is happening in Israel. On May 26, I fly to Israel to meet with different organizations and people.
I will be visiting Ami, the Israeli teenager who was seriously injured by a terrorist's bomb delivered to his parents' home. We have had many more people send in gifts for Ami and his family; I will be delivering them personally.
If you would like to send a card, letter or written prayer of encouragement, please e-mail Lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com .
If you can, send them in the mail to: The Lydia World Outreach Project, P.O. Box 309, Byron Center, MI 49315.
Shalom Aleichem,
Judith Rood
This project is not an extra financial burden on A Rood Awakening Ministry International. On the contrary, it has been a blessing to this ministry. The only funds sent out are those which come in specifically for the Lydia World Outreach Project. Michael and I tithe through this Project. We know Yahweh will bless us as we bless Israel. How can we teach the Word and not do what the Torah says?
I want to talk to you about the plight of a Russian Jewish woman who has returned to Israel.
We were recently told about this woman in Russia who would not be able to live much longer without a kidney transplant. She had begun the long process of applying to make Aliyah (the term for Jews returning as citizens to Israel) but due to bad government record keeping in Russia, she was having trouble proving her Jewish ancestry.
An organization run by Believers came to her assistance. They helped to push the legal system and obtained an emergency visa for her to fly to Israel for surgery. Her health was rapidly declining as she prepared for and made the flight. To her surprise, an ambulance was awaiting her on the tarmac at the Tel Aviv airport to rush her to the hospital. Her surgery was successful. She now lives in the Land of her forefathers with the help of the Lord and His faithful servants who labor to fulfill what the prophets spoke long ago.
Jer 31:8-14 "Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here."
"With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn."
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare in the coastlands afar off, And say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him And keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock."
For the LORD has ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
"They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD-- Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again."
"Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy, And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow."
"I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness," declares the LORD.
Michael and I know that The Almighty has ordained this effort and The Almighty knows why there is an urgency about it.
Since starting the Lydia Project, news of our work and effort have spread all over Israel and now to other countries. I have received e-mails and information from India, Kenya, and South America.
I am making my first local trip to speak to supporters about what is happening in Israel. On May 26, I fly to Israel to meet with different organizations and people.
I will be visiting Ami, the Israeli teenager who was seriously injured by a terrorist's bomb delivered to his parents' home. We have had many more people send in gifts for Ami and his family; I will be delivering them personally.
If you would like to send a card, letter or written prayer of encouragement, please e-mail Lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com .
If you can, send them in the mail to: The Lydia World Outreach Project, P.O. Box 309, Byron Center, MI 49315.
Shalom Aleichem,
Judith Rood
A Note From Judith Rood
I, Judith, will be in Israel May 27 and hope to be able to visit with Ami and his parents. We will be documenting many of the stories and needs of Israel on film to produce a report for you about what the Lydia Project has been able to accomplish because of your gifts and prayers.
Yahweh has touched so many of you to partner with us and to be a blessing to Israel. I pray that HE will cause this effort not only to bless those who need blessing but also to bring an end to prejudice and persecution so that ALL Israel will see Believers as the friends and supporters of Israel that they truly are.
I will be returning from Israel to Denver to be with you at Shavuot 2008. This is going to be an exciting event. I know Michael is expecting a mighty move of the Spirit of Yahweh. Michael knows that those things which happened to Believers in the Book of Acts can and will, sooner or later, happen among the Messianic.
This may be the very time that the Almighty has chosen to demonstrate His power and love to His children. Michael has done all he can to prepare the way for this to happen. He has invited two of the most anointed Psalmists in the Messianic community.
I look forward to seeing you there. Please pass this and other e-mails on to your friends and encourage them to do the same. You can be a conduit to spread the word about this assembly.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Shalom Aleichem
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
Yahweh has touched so many of you to partner with us and to be a blessing to Israel. I pray that HE will cause this effort not only to bless those who need blessing but also to bring an end to prejudice and persecution so that ALL Israel will see Believers as the friends and supporters of Israel that they truly are.
I will be returning from Israel to Denver to be with you at Shavuot 2008. This is going to be an exciting event. I know Michael is expecting a mighty move of the Spirit of Yahweh. Michael knows that those things which happened to Believers in the Book of Acts can and will, sooner or later, happen among the Messianic.
This may be the very time that the Almighty has chosen to demonstrate His power and love to His children. Michael has done all he can to prepare the way for this to happen. He has invited two of the most anointed Psalmists in the Messianic community.
I look forward to seeing you there. Please pass this and other e-mails on to your friends and encourage them to do the same. You can be a conduit to spread the word about this assembly.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Shalom Aleichem
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
Update on Ami Ortiz
Seven weeks have now passed since the Purim gift package blew up in the arms of fifteen year-old Ami Ortiz. Those of you that have been following the story and praying for Ami know that his initial condition was so severe that they didn't know if he would live. If he did live, they didn't know if they would be able to save some of his limbs, an eye and one of his lungs. He had a huge gash in his throat; his body was burned and full of shrapnel and bolts.Due to the Lord's healing hand, this week Ami was actually able to walk up the stairs to his family's third floor apartment and spend a couple of days there before returning to the hospital to begin extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation.
The journey home could not have been easy as Ami anticipated returning to the location of that traumatic event. However, he assured his father that he was not afraid.
Postcards from all over the world have been arriving at the Ortiz home since the attack. Ami finds great comfort in knowing that so many people are praying for him and care enough to send a note of encouragement. We are told that Ami's mother Leah reads at least 20 postcards every night to Ami before he falls asleep.
We encourage you to send Ami a postcard. Tell a little about yourself, your family and your community, or include a short inspiring story. Feel free to send a picture of yourself or your family in an envelope . Please encourage others from your community, your congregation, children and youth groups, etc . . . to send Ami a note.
Mail postcards/envelopes to:
Ami Ortiz
P.O. Box 1903
Ariel 40700
Israel
-The doctors have told Ami's parents that a full recovery could take at least a year. Please remember to lift up his family in your prayers and pray for the finances they need to make it through this long recovery period.
-Ami is having difficulty moving his hands and may need more surgery to re-attach ligaments and muscles.
-There is still shrapnel embedded in his lungs.
-He is easily fatigued and needs prayer for increased stamina and physical endurance.
-The security forces are still working hard on this case. Please pray that the criminals are quickly caught and brought to justice before anyone else is injured.
Friday, May 23rd at 10 AM Israeli time (3 AM Eastern Time USA) believers from all over Israel will be gathering to pray and fast for Ami and his family. They will also lift up all those who are being subjected to the growing persecution across Israel.
The enemy is angry! What he meant for harm, the Lord is using for good, as He promised. The body of Messiah is uniting and standing firm through these days of adversity.
Lisa Rhoades
Pray For Those Who Persecute Others
THE COURAGE OF A YOUNG LION - THE HEART OF A LAMBOne of the purposes of the Lydia Project is to help those Believers in Israel who are facing persecution because they have accepted Yahshua of Nazareth as their Messiah or, as Christians say, have made Jesus Christ their Savior.
Ami Ortiz, who was tragically injured by a package bomb intended for his family, is the victim of such prejudice and persecution but it seems what Ha-Satan meant for evil, Yahweh is using to bring about good. The tragedy that struck this fifteen year-old Israeli boy has brought attention to the persecution that Believers face in Israel and the authorities are compelled to find the perpetrators of this evil act.
I ask you to join me in prayer that the government of Israel will address the religious persecution operating in the Land.
Our goal is to follow the commandment of Yahshua and the Torah in giving to the widows, the orphans, the poor and the Strangers in the Land and to be a blessing to ALL Israel.
We pray for those who persecute others while we help the victims of this persecution, whether they are citizens of the Land of Israel or Strangers in the Land like the Sudanese families the Lydia Project is helping.
Monday, May 5, 2008
A Mother's Thanks: Ami Ortiz Bombing Recovery
I received this letter from Ami Ortiz's mother. In case you haven't received any of the updates or stories about Ami Ortiz, he is the fifteen year old Israeli boy who was seriously injured by a terrorist bomb that someone sent to his parents in Israel . (click on the story at bottom of this letter)I am in the process of planning a trip to Israel from May 26 through June 11 to distribute funds and supplies to the ministries The Lydia World Outreach Project is working with.
We are planning on filming some of the outreach work so that we can show the needs of those who live in the Land when I share at the Shavuot 2008 Conference in Denver , June 13-15.
Michael and I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, prayers and finances from everyone to help the widows, orphans and poor in Israel.
"LETTER FROM AMI's MOTHER, LEAH ORTIZ:
Ami and all of our family thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers. We have felt them and seen the results before our eyes.
Everyday our Ami improves dramatically. He can walk and sit in a chair.
He sees perfectly with both eyes, and he improves daily, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
His wounds are healing so fast that it astounds the nurses and doctors.
I can truly say that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and that he will eventually return to normal life. Even though a horrific act was perpetrated, the Lord has been Good, and we are grateful.
Ami has received hundreds of post cards, emails and letters from all over the world that have been a real encouragement to him and to us. It has helped him to know that families and people know what happened to him are holding him up before the throne, helping him go through the pain and hardship of recovery.
Ami will God willing move to a rehabilitation facility soon where he will begin intensive physical therapy. Please continue to pray for continued total healing.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Leah Ortiz"
This family will need more prayer and help over the next months. Please ask Yahweh to reveal His will for you regarding The Lydia Project and the Land of Israel .
Shalom Aleichem,
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
Donate to the Lydia World Outreach
Thursday, May 1, 2008
A New Life in Israel
Dear Friends,
Your family has felt the lighting swift sword of persecution as long as one can remember. Since childhood you were told the horror stories of murder, rape and the destruction of homes and entire villages just because your forefathers believed in the ONE true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You are a Jew and are reminded of it every day. Your people have been driven from place to place; is there a land that you really could call home? Every year you and every Jewish person in the world end their Passover Seder by saying with great longing..."NEXT YEAR IN YERUSHALAIM!"
Then the word spreads through your village to your street and reaches your ears, "have been released to go to the LAND, to Come Up, to make Aliyah", the spiritual and physical accent up to Jerusalem.
The longing to return to the ancient land of your forefathers wells up inside of you. It would be a difficult journey to undergo with no assurance of success. You reflect on the complexity of relocating your family, learning a new language, making the cultural adjustments and living in a land that is in a constant state of tension and war. Still the hope remains and won't leave you! In your mind you remember the scenes on television of the joy of those stepping off the planes from Russia and kissing the ground of Eretz Israel, the one place in this world that a Jew could call HOME!
In the back of your mind there also remains the issue of your faith. Some have questioned whether you are still a Jew because you have accepted Y'shua as your Messiah. You know that this could be an issue that would prevent your acceptance to make Aliyah. How is it right that they could challenge your lineage when many of your family died in the ovens in Eastern Europe and at the hands of evil men like Hitler and Stalin just because they were Jews!
Still over and over in your heart you hear the words..."NEXT YEAR IN YERUSHALAIM!"
Since the Wall came down in Eastern Europe paving the way for the Word of Yahweh to be proclaimed in Russia, many Jews have become Believers. Many of these Messianic Russian Jews have made Aliyah to Israel only to find persecution from their own people when they arrived. These people are the next group Lisa and I want to introduce to you. A people that have persevered through enormous difficulties, they need our love, prayers and support.
Here is Lisa's report on a ministry in Israel that assists Russian Jews making Aliyah, lifts up and supports Russian Jewish Believers and shares the love of the Lord to those that have not yet met their Messiah.
In Jerusalem, Judith and I met with the leader of a ministry that assists Jews from the former USSR to make Aliyah (returning as Jewish citizen to the Land of Israel) and supports them through the transition time of settling and integrating as new immigrants.
We were greatly touched as we were reminded of the words the Lord spoke through the Prophets; words of great promises in the last days of the return of the exiles of Israel from the lands of the North, South, East and West.
I would like to share with you the work of Operation Tarshish:
Overview and Brief History of the Russian Aliyah to Israel
Since the late nineteenth century, the Jewish people have been knowingly and unknowingly fulfilling the Biblical prophecies regarding the return of the exiles to the ancient Land of Israel. They have literally returned from the four corners of the world and the Lord continues to call them out through many different circumstances and situations.
In the early 1990's, the Jews from the former USSR found themselves caught in a depressed economy. Many were also living in war-torn ethnic regions that were rebelling and trying to pull their provinces away from Russia's control. After much world pressure the Jews were finally given permission from the Russian government to return to the land of their forefathers.
Through the assistance and efforts of the Jewish World Agency and many organizations (most supported by Believers), these Jewish people arrived in Eretz Israel to begin a new life, although with minimal funds and few possessions.
Language and cultural adjustments were made more difficult by on-going war on the Lebanon border and Arab uprisings in the land. When the Israeli government's subsidies ran out, these new immigrants, some of them doctors and engineers, found themselves sweeping floors and working as security guards to provide for their families. Some returned to the known realities in Russia; others moved on to other countries.
There are over one million immigrants from the former USSR now living in Israel. This equals approximately one fifth of the population of Israel.
There are still known Jewish communities throughout the former USSR. Many of these communities and individuals are living in remote regions of Russia where they were scattered during periods of persecution. These Jews, many elderly and ill, will require more assistance then the others to return to the Land.
Ministries Currently Operating Under Operation Tarshish
Wings of Doves:
Assisting Russian Jews in making Aliyah to Israel. Three volunteer teams operating in Ukraine, one volunteer team operating in Eastern Russia Teams provide legal assistance in the application process. This process can be made difficult by poor government record keeping that is needed to proved that at least one grandparent is Jewish.Practical assistance is also given to preparations and packing. Financial assistance is often needed for travel and legal costs needed to finalize the application approval, which can be a long and laborious process.
For Those that Mourn in Zion:
- Partnering with other ministries to assist new immigrants and others in need
-Providing for the needs of the poor and hungry
- Food distribution program
- Terror and war victims
Widows, orphans & single parent families:
- Provide support for families
- Financial assistance when needed
- Financial counseling
- Emotional and physical support
New immigrants:
- Assist in locating housing
- Assist in job locating or training if needed
- Provide Food and other basic needs until they are able to be independent
Elderly and Holocaust survivors:
- Visiting those that are lonely
- Assist with any physical or financial needs
- Housekeeping
Homeless:
- Shelter and food
- Ministering to them in love
- Providing counseling services when needed
- Work with local social services to find long-term housing situations
Assessment of immediate and on-going financial needs
Funds are greatly needed for on-going work
The financial needs are huge in each of the above areas of ministry, if more funds are provided, then more people can be directly helped.
Funds for monthly assistance for food, clothing and housing.
Operation Tarshish oversees a wide variety of ministries. The organization is in a position to identify immediate and long-term needs in the Russian Believing and non-believing communities in Jerusalem. Funding and volunteer assistance is often channeled through Operation Tarshish to meet needs directly on the ground.
The prophecies of the return of the Jewish people back to Israel are numerous; many times it is specified in the Scriptures that the Gentiles will assist with this enormous task. Today, we still have the opportunity to be apart of this effort, and although it may not undo centuries of Jewish persecution on the part of those who called themselves "Christians", it does provide Believers with an opportunity to be a witness by demonstrating Y'shua's great love.
Jerusalem is a city with many poor and needy from extremely diverse backgrounds; it is a difficult place in which to navigate spiritually. We need to constantly be lifting these fellow servants in prayer and assisting them to meet the needs of the poor, broken and hurting."
"Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins." Isaiah 40:1-2
From Eretz Israel,
Lisa
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your gifts to the "Lydia" project can provide food, clothing and help to these people on their way to building a new life in the land - a life of freedom and hope.
Your prayers and support for Ami have been overwhelming. His story has touched America and, it seems, Israel itself.
I, Judith, have placed calls to my sources in Israel about the Sudanese mother and two daughters that were separated from their father to determine what more is needed by the Lydia project..
Shalom Alechem,
Judith Rood
National Chairperson
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Messianic Jews Get Their Day in Court
THE BATTLE ISN'T OVER, IT HAS JUST BEGUN
From: Judith Rood National Chairperson
Yes the Lydia project is not political, but we do support religious freedom for everyone in Israel. While our goal is to help those who are victims of terror, poverty, loss of husband or homeless we understand that much of these problems stem from prejudice and persecution.
Many have asked about the lasted ruling by the High Court in Israel, here is our release from the Lydia representative on the ground in Israel.
Israeli High Court of Justice Rules in Favor of Messianic Jews - April 2008
While a few press releases have emerged this week on Israeli news site, other national news sources have remained conspicuously silent in reporting the most recent court decision regarding the citizenship rights of Messianic Jews.
Fifteen years ago, the same court rejected a petition by Messianic Jews who were demanding to be recognized as Jews and receive full Israeli citizenship according to the Law of Return for children and grandchildren of Jews. In that case, the court ruled that Messianic Jews had converted to Christianity and therefore were no longer Jewish. Since that court case, the state has refused all requests for citizenship according to the Law of Return by known Messianic Jews.
Following a petition that began two years ago, this week the Israeli High Court of Justice ruled that Messianic Jews are entitled to Israeli citizenship according to the Law of Return if their father is Jewish.
The twelve petitioners, represented by attorneys Yehuda Raveh and Calev Myers, argued that they were eligible for immigrant status and citizenship due to the fact that they were children of fathers who were Jewish, not because they themselves were Jewish according to the definition of "Who is a Jew" in the Law of Return.
In 1970, Amendment 4A (a) to the Law of Return was passed stating: "The rights of a Jew under this law. . .are also vested in a child and a grandchild of a Jew, the spouse of a Jew, the spouse of a child of a Jew and the spouse of a grandchild of a Jew, except for a person who has been a Jew and has voluntarily changed his religion."
The current laws define a Jew as "a person who was born of a Jewish mother or has become converted to Judaism and who is not a member of another religion." This ruling is in accordance to Halacha - Orthodox Jewish law as opposed to the Biblical understanding that Jewishness is passed from father to son.
According to Attorney Calev Myers, the twelve Messianic Jews petitioned the High Court after the Interior Ministry refused to register them as new Immigrants in accordance with the Law of Return. Myers said that they had received letters stating that they would not receive citizenship because they allegedly engaged in missionary activity. This accusation is extremely derogatory and common to use against Messianic Jews when desiring to cause harm to their character.
It still remains unclear how the courts will handle cases petitioned by Messianic Jews whose mother's are considered "Jews" according to the law. However, Calev Myers, who is also the founder and chief counsel of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice has stated, "This is yet another battle won in our war to establish equality in Israel for the Messianic Jewish community just like every other stream of faith within the Jewish world."
Donate to "Lydia" World Outreach Project
Contact lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Update on Israel Outreach
There is so much need in Israel and around the world during these trying times. Believers are being persecuted in many countries. Anti-Semitism is growing in Europe.We are working to develop an information network to bring you reliable information so that you can pray about where Yahweh would have you help in meeting these needs.
Update on Sudanese Family
I, Judith, have talked personally with my contact close to this family. It is our understanding the Egyptian government is sending the mother and two daughters back to the Sudan. We are sending funds to help the father and one child and are working to determine how the "Lydia" Project can be a part of reuniting this family in the Promised Land.
Unfortunately, to help in most cases, it takes money and someone willing to be there for the victims. This is just one of many situations, but I must focus on the one Yahweh has brought before me and try not be overwhelmed by the vastness of the devastation and human suffering in this Land.
Update on Ami Ortiz -April 17, 2008
I had my staff send out the video of Pastor David Ortiz sharing with the ICC conference what had happened to his son and family and telling in his own words how his son was doing.
As you can tell from his report and those Lisa has sent us the prayers of the Believers are making a difference. We believe, as many others, that Yahweh will use what has happened to the Ortiz family to shed light on the persecution of those who believe in Yahshua Ha-Mashiach as their savior and that many will come to know Him through this tragic incident.
Now Lisa Rhodes' report on Ami;
"As we approach the Passover, we are reminded that Y'shua our Messiah was and is our Passover Lamb. The Ortiz family is living with the realization that the Angel of Death passed over their home because they have been made alive by the blood of Y'shua and his divinely appointed time for Ami was not at hand. As the doctors and surgeons observe Ami's daily improvements they continue to be amazed at the speed of his recovery. Their next decision is for the right timing to operate on his damaged eardrum and to repair the arteries in his arms. We ask for your continued prayers for Ami's physical and emotional healing; that he is able to sleep through the pain and without night terrors; that he and his family continue to walk in forgiveness for those that meant them great harm. If you would like to contribute to the needs of this family click on "Donation". We hope to continue to support this family through prayers and finances during this difficult season. We also ask you to pray and intercede for the entire believing community in Israel as we are obviously in the midst of a time of harassment and persecution. The media is not helping the situation and many lies and deceptions are being spread. As a community we will need to stand firm and united in the love and forgiveness of Y'shua and move in His Spirit if we are to be His witnesses. Thank you for your love and care! Shalom from Israel, Lisa
The persecution of the Believers in Messiah is increasing in Israel, which tells Michael and me that time is growing short. I am having my contacts research the needs of the Russian Jewish Believers in Israel to determine where and how the "Lydia" project can best serve these people.
Recently I did an interview for television in Colorado Springs that will air in May on the Michael Rood TV network. Yes, you read that correctly. Yahweh has given Michael favor and made a way for his program to be in 144 cities, on five networks, and stream live on four Internet sites. People can now see Michael's programs from anywhere in the world, if they have an internet connection.
Michael feels it is Yahweh's biblical mandate to share this blessing with those serving Yahweh on the front lines to show His and His Son's love and compassion for the lost and hurting. Those on the front lines usually do not have a way to tell about their work to a million people but the "Lydia" Project, through the Michael Rood TV network, is giving these dear laborers in the Vineyard a way to reach you and million like you. Now they can share their vision, their work, and their needs with those who will pray for them and also share their assets which Yahweh has entrusted to them for those in need. I will let you know when this special will air on television.
My thanks and gratitude to Kristi for her help during the formative months of this project. Kristi has been hired by a new company, Coca Cola. She was so dear to come to the office each day after putting in a full day at her other job. In fact, Kristi sometimes would get up at 2 am so she could get her other work done and could then come and serve here at the Michael Rood headquarters.
If you would like to be involved or want to put your city on the tour, please contact lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com
In the "Lydia" World Outreach Project-Israel's first month of operation you have made it possible for us to be able to sent over $10,000 to help with different needs. Thank you for your response to His commandments and for trusting us with your gift.
P.S I am looking forward to seeing you at the Shavuot 2008 event in Denver, Colorado June 13-15. The response to Michael hosting this event has been marvelous. Michael has set aside Sunday morning for me and my staff to have breakfast with you. Jimmy Black, who is a wonderful praise and worship leader, will lead us into praise and worship before I share with you what is happening in Israel.
Shalom Alechem,
Judith Rood
Donate to "Lydia" World Outreach Project
If you would like to be the Lydia point person in your community please contact lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Prayers of the Saint's are Working: Ami Update
We want to thank you for your prayers for Ami, the Jewish Israeli teen who last Thursday, March 20, was critically injured by a bomb that was disguised as a Purim gift package. Many of you have written and asked for more details regarding how Ami and his family are faring, as well as wanting to understand the circumstances that might lead someone to devise and carry out such a horrendous act.Ami's family is extremely grateful for the love and care that the world-wide body of Messiah has extended to them throughout this past week. Ami's physical progress is generally improving, however, there are still some major concerns, such as one of his lungs being collapsed and full of metal bolts. Doctors have operated on his right eye and saved it, thanks to their skill and the power of prayer.
Initially, Ami had been placed in an induced coma, but he is now fully cognizant and having to fight through the physical battle. He, as well as his family, are also fighting through the emotional and spiritual battles that accompany an event such as this. For Ami, processing the trauma has only begun. He's had only a couple of days to begin dealing with what must be a flood of emotions coursing through him, with the physical evidence to survey, as well as the pain that must seem to come from every square inch of his body.
Ami is having trouble sleeping because he is having flashbacks of the explosion. His blood-pressure is high; he has a fever and the pain is increasing as they slowly reduce his medication. Besides the much needed prayer for Ami's ongoing healing, we need to pray that no anger and bitterness will take root in his precious young life or in the hearts of his family.
A Brief History:
Ami's father is a pastor of a small congregation in the Jewish city of Ariel, located just inside what many refer to as the West Bank. Ami's mother is a Jewish believer and most of the congregation is Jewish. However, as we shared in the original update, much of his father's ministry has been to Muslims and he has been blessed to have led many to a life set free through Y'shua (pronounced Y'sua by Arabs). Because of his work among the Muslim Arabs, Ami's father and the others that serve alongside him have over the years been subject to beatings and retaliation by members of the Muslim community.
Ami's father and the congregation have also impacted the Jewish people within their own community and have been blessed to see Jewish men and women come to know Y'shua as their Messiah.
"Missionary" is a derogatory term in both the Jewish and Muslim world, so much so that most Believers here in Israel completely avoid using this word. The Rabbis have convinced the general population that anyone living in Israel who believes in Y'shua is a "missionary", even if you are an ordinary citizen working a normal job and not involved in any evangelical activity.
It's fairly safe to say that most, if not all, secular Jews do not condone any type of violence toward Jewish Believers in Y'shua; even most religious Jews would probably agree as the Torah does not allow for such deeds. However, most religious Jews are convinced that if a Jew believes in Y'shua, he is no longer a Jew and his soul is condemned to hell.
For centuries, certain Jews have been able to reflect upon many acts of persecution leveled against them by those who called themselves "Christians". This has tended to inflame their feelings of betrayal when one of their own becomes a follower of the "Christian" Messiah.
Over the last couple of decades, the believing community in Israel has been subject to periods of harassment and violence at the hands of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish/anti-missionary groups. The most common types of aggression has been tire slashing; fire-bombings; intrusions into places of worship; protesting outside of the homes of Believers; posting pictures of Believers on walls, in pamphlets, through the mail and the Internet; slander; cursing; spitting; and video taping of Believers in public places. All are meant to intimidate and humiliate.
In recent years, these Ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups have been outraged by Ami's father's openness in sharing his love of Y'shua and they have used some of these tactics against the members of this congregation. Eventually, Ami's family was able to convince the local police to set up a surveillance camera to help determine who was involved in this harassment. Because of an image captured on this camera, the police now know who left the Purim gift package at the front door of Ami's home. The investigation of this atrocity has been referred to the Shabach, Israel's internal general security service. They have determined that the perpetrator is connected to a radical Jewish religious group. Thankfully, the authorities are working to apprehend the perpetrators.
Judith has asked me to be the point person in Israel to be sure your donation goes where it is needed. Our goal is to prayerfully and discerningly help those in need.
We will continue to do our best to keep you updated on Ami's recovery and on the welfare of his family.
Again, many thanks for your prayers,
Lisa
Donate to "Lydia" World Outreach Project: Contact lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com
Sudanese Refugees UPDATE
Eilat: 2ND REPORT - African Refugees Find "Shelter" in the Holy Land
Brief history of the current refugee issue in Israel
Over 7,000 Sudanese and North African refugees are currently living in Israel. Almost daily, men, women and children make their way across the Egyptian/Israeli border, usually with only the clothes on their backs. Many of these refugees are Sudanese, from both Christian and Muslim religious backgrounds, who have fled the Dafar region of Sudan after their villages were attacked by Sudanese government-backed militias intent on subduing the non-Arab population.
The African refugees fled their war-torn countries only to find that the other North African nations were also mired in poverty and beset by racial and ethnic issues. Eventually, the refugees made their way to Egypt, but the situation was deplorable there as well and many were forced into slave-labor situations.
Rumors of work and the hope of better treatment by the Israelis entice the refugees to pay Bedouins (nomadic Arabs) to smuggle them across the Sinai Desert to the Israeli border, where they then make a run for the border fence, sometimes while under fire from Egyptian soldiers. All too often we hear reports of refugees being captured or even shot by these Egyptian soldiers, sometimes right before the eyes of shocked Israeli soldiers just across the border.
After having made their way into Israel, the refugees sit and wait for Israeli soldiers to pick them up and take them to local desert cities. Some, especially the men, are often taken to a camp outside of an Israeli prison until their fate is decided.
If the refugees can make their way north into Tel Aviv, they can apply at the United Nations office for official "Refugee" status. With this status, the Israeli officials cannot deport them to Egypt or to other African countries where they would face certain imprisonment or death for fleeing to an enemy nation, as Israel doesn't have diplomatic relations with some of these countries.
The Shelter, a true refuge to those in need:
Many of these refugees find themselves in the southern-most Israeli city of Eilat and are guided to The Shelter, a youth hostel that also serves as a ministry center providing care to those in need.
Over 200 refugees are currently being assisted by the staff and volunteers of The Shelter, who are doing their best to meet the physical, medical, emotional and spiritual needs of these people who have suffered so much while making their way to Israel.
What an opportunity for us as Believers to walk out the Torah showing our love and caring heart by helping The Shelter meet the pressing needs of these refugees.
The objectives of The Shelter's outreach to the refugees:
· Short-term goal - To take care of the immediate needs of arriving refugees.
· Long-term goal - To build relationships and give assistance that will help the refugees to make their way in Israel without long-term reliance upon such assistance. The staff of The Shelter has found that the Sudanese refugees tend to have a desire to be independent, which is making this long-term goal easier to achieve.
Projects at The Shelter currently helping to achieve the objectives of the outreach to the refugees:
· Providing food, clothing, housing, and medical assistance; many refugees arrive sick or injured from their harsh journey.
· Assistance in finding jobs, initially within the local hotel industry.
· Pre-schools for the younger children and after-school programs for the older children.
· Tutoring for the school-aged children and English lessons for adults, which greatly increases their job opportunities and pay scale.
· Practical support for cultural adjustments such as Hebrew language lessons, cross-cultural education, and financial planning. Having lived a day to day existence in refugee camps, the refugees must now adjust to living in a modern economic environment and learn to budget their minimal paychecks to purchase food and pay bills.
· Counseling, spiritual care and discipleship through The Shelter and the local congregation. Some of the refugees have arrived here in Israel as Believers, and at least nine more have come to believe in Y'shua.
Obeying a Biblical mandate:
It is difficult to put into words the tragic world of a refugee, especially those from Darfur and other areas of war-torn Africa who have suffered murder, genocide, rape, and loss of home and identity. The personal stories we've been told and the accounts that we have read are overwhelming; many of the refugees have no idea where their close or extended families are, or if they are even still alive.
The staff and volunteers at The Shelter in Eilat work tirelessly to meet each immediate need, while still keeping the long-term objective of helping these wounded people stand on their own as strangers in a foreign land. It takes approximately 2,000 shekels ($575) a month, usually over a period of about four months, to support each family until they are able to begin to make their way on their own.
Biblically, Israel was instructed to care for and treat justly the foreigner and sojourner in their land; remembering that they, too, were once strangers in a foreign land. It is still unknown how the Israeli government will deal with the refugee situation; however, it is a blessing to assist the Jewish believers in the Land as they fulfill the command of the Lord.
For more information please email lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com
Brief history of the current refugee issue in Israel
Over 7,000 Sudanese and North African refugees are currently living in Israel. Almost daily, men, women and children make their way across the Egyptian/Israeli border, usually with only the clothes on their backs. Many of these refugees are Sudanese, from both Christian and Muslim religious backgrounds, who have fled the Dafar region of Sudan after their villages were attacked by Sudanese government-backed militias intent on subduing the non-Arab population.
The African refugees fled their war-torn countries only to find that the other North African nations were also mired in poverty and beset by racial and ethnic issues. Eventually, the refugees made their way to Egypt, but the situation was deplorable there as well and many were forced into slave-labor situations.
Rumors of work and the hope of better treatment by the Israelis entice the refugees to pay Bedouins (nomadic Arabs) to smuggle them across the Sinai Desert to the Israeli border, where they then make a run for the border fence, sometimes while under fire from Egyptian soldiers. All too often we hear reports of refugees being captured or even shot by these Egyptian soldiers, sometimes right before the eyes of shocked Israeli soldiers just across the border.
After having made their way into Israel, the refugees sit and wait for Israeli soldiers to pick them up and take them to local desert cities. Some, especially the men, are often taken to a camp outside of an Israeli prison until their fate is decided.
If the refugees can make their way north into Tel Aviv, they can apply at the United Nations office for official "Refugee" status. With this status, the Israeli officials cannot deport them to Egypt or to other African countries where they would face certain imprisonment or death for fleeing to an enemy nation, as Israel doesn't have diplomatic relations with some of these countries.
The Shelter, a true refuge to those in need:
Many of these refugees find themselves in the southern-most Israeli city of Eilat and are guided to The Shelter, a youth hostel that also serves as a ministry center providing care to those in need.
Over 200 refugees are currently being assisted by the staff and volunteers of The Shelter, who are doing their best to meet the physical, medical, emotional and spiritual needs of these people who have suffered so much while making their way to Israel.
What an opportunity for us as Believers to walk out the Torah showing our love and caring heart by helping The Shelter meet the pressing needs of these refugees.
The objectives of The Shelter's outreach to the refugees:
· Short-term goal - To take care of the immediate needs of arriving refugees.
· Long-term goal - To build relationships and give assistance that will help the refugees to make their way in Israel without long-term reliance upon such assistance. The staff of The Shelter has found that the Sudanese refugees tend to have a desire to be independent, which is making this long-term goal easier to achieve.
Projects at The Shelter currently helping to achieve the objectives of the outreach to the refugees:
· Providing food, clothing, housing, and medical assistance; many refugees arrive sick or injured from their harsh journey.
· Assistance in finding jobs, initially within the local hotel industry.
· Pre-schools for the younger children and after-school programs for the older children.
· Tutoring for the school-aged children and English lessons for adults, which greatly increases their job opportunities and pay scale.
· Practical support for cultural adjustments such as Hebrew language lessons, cross-cultural education, and financial planning. Having lived a day to day existence in refugee camps, the refugees must now adjust to living in a modern economic environment and learn to budget their minimal paychecks to purchase food and pay bills.
· Counseling, spiritual care and discipleship through The Shelter and the local congregation. Some of the refugees have arrived here in Israel as Believers, and at least nine more have come to believe in Y'shua.
Obeying a Biblical mandate:
It is difficult to put into words the tragic world of a refugee, especially those from Darfur and other areas of war-torn Africa who have suffered murder, genocide, rape, and loss of home and identity. The personal stories we've been told and the accounts that we have read are overwhelming; many of the refugees have no idea where their close or extended families are, or if they are even still alive.
The staff and volunteers at The Shelter in Eilat work tirelessly to meet each immediate need, while still keeping the long-term objective of helping these wounded people stand on their own as strangers in a foreign land. It takes approximately 2,000 shekels ($575) a month, usually over a period of about four months, to support each family until they are able to begin to make their way on their own.
Biblically, Israel was instructed to care for and treat justly the foreigner and sojourner in their land; remembering that they, too, were once strangers in a foreign land. It is still unknown how the Israeli government will deal with the refugee situation; however, it is a blessing to assist the Jewish believers in the Land as they fulfill the command of the Lord.
For more information please email lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com
Tragedy Strikes a Fifteen Year old Believer In Israel
It is so surreal, we were just talking about the needs in this area and the religious persecution Believer are facing. Then it it's close to home, a young boy of fifteen opens his father mail
I spoke to Judith tonight about the Pastor's fifteen year old son that was injured when a package meant for his father exploded in his arms. Judith and I, wanted you to send out a prayer and support request for his family. Right now their focus is just on the fifteen year olds immediate medical situation which is grave, but the initial shook is wearing off of the rest of us in the believing community and we are seeing that they will need practical financial assistance.
The hospital is a distance from their home so there will be expenses of living away from home during these critical days. Also, they really don't have a home to live in right now. The apartment was severely damaged by the blast. So powerful was the blast that three stories down car windows were blow out. The Lord's arms were around Ami, it is amazing that his vital organs were not destroyed by the shock waves of that size of a blast.
It is a miracle this fifteen year old is alive, but he is in very serious condition. Today was a series of more surgeries to try and save his eyes and limbs. So far he has only lost a few toes and one lung was damaged.
All of our children here are on alert to not open or even touch unknown packages or bags. Whoever sent this package to this home meant for it to kill someone. This Believing community like other believing communities has received much harassment in recent days from Ultra Orthodox Jewish groups. Cameras were even installed at the home by the police because of this harassment. There is also the possibility (although slim because Arabs have no access inside of the West Bank settlement) that it was the work of fanatical Muslims because of David's work to bring Muslims to faith. Either way, it was clearly a message to all of us in ministry here and we are taking precautions. My daughter said that he is a sweet fun-loving kid--very active, especially in his youth group and community. This family will need prayer and financial help.
Blessings,
Lisa Rhodes
lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com
I spoke to Judith tonight about the Pastor's fifteen year old son that was injured when a package meant for his father exploded in his arms. Judith and I, wanted you to send out a prayer and support request for his family. Right now their focus is just on the fifteen year olds immediate medical situation which is grave, but the initial shook is wearing off of the rest of us in the believing community and we are seeing that they will need practical financial assistance.
The hospital is a distance from their home so there will be expenses of living away from home during these critical days. Also, they really don't have a home to live in right now. The apartment was severely damaged by the blast. So powerful was the blast that three stories down car windows were blow out. The Lord's arms were around Ami, it is amazing that his vital organs were not destroyed by the shock waves of that size of a blast.
It is a miracle this fifteen year old is alive, but he is in very serious condition. Today was a series of more surgeries to try and save his eyes and limbs. So far he has only lost a few toes and one lung was damaged.
All of our children here are on alert to not open or even touch unknown packages or bags. Whoever sent this package to this home meant for it to kill someone. This Believing community like other believing communities has received much harassment in recent days from Ultra Orthodox Jewish groups. Cameras were even installed at the home by the police because of this harassment. There is also the possibility (although slim because Arabs have no access inside of the West Bank settlement) that it was the work of fanatical Muslims because of David's work to bring Muslims to faith. Either way, it was clearly a message to all of us in ministry here and we are taking precautions. My daughter said that he is a sweet fun-loving kid--very active, especially in his youth group and community. This family will need prayer and financial help.
Blessings,
Lisa Rhodes
lydiaproject@michaelroodministries.com
Monday, April 14, 2008
Ami's Recovery From Purim Package Explosion
Three weeks have now passed since Ami opened the Purim package that exploded in his arms. His recovery continues to be marked with amazing miracles that have the doctors stunned and speechless. With a little help Ami has even taken a few steps. That in itself is a miracle!In reality Ami's battle to fully recover is still huge. Making it through each day is proving to be a painful and exhausting experience. He has now had extensive skin grafts that are taking well, but the healing and scabbing process causes severe itching. The doctors continue to reduce his medication so that his body will strengthen and to prevent dependency and addiction.
We are told that Ami is still getting only limited sleep because of the waves of pain he is experiencing. His moaning and screams at night are taking a toll on his parents also.
Please pray and intercede for the peace of Y'shua to give rest to Ami's body and comfort to his family as the Great Physician continues to bring healing.
Many of you have asked how we can help Ami and his family in practical ways. There are still expenses for travel and the parents are living away from home while Ami is in the hospital.
The apartment is being cleaned up and repaired, windows replaced,
etc. . . Ami's family are finding themselves in an interesting situation. Because the police believe the perpetrators are a radical Orthodox Jewish sect they are treating the bombing as a criminal act and not as a terrorist act. If they considered it national terrorism, the government would assist with the cost of repairing their home. As things stand, they may not get any assistance.
Thank you for lifting Ami and his family before the Lord.
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