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

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

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

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

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