As Rockets Fell
The Fellowship | November 12, 2019
Hundreds of rockets and mortars were fired into Israel earlier this week. More than one million innocent elderly, families, and children are within range of the rockets and missiles, some of which have struck as far away as central Israel.
This photo shows children in southern Israel sitting in a bomb shelter reading psalms as rockets fell. When we see these innocent children sheltering themselves from attack we know that the battle Israel is fighting is biblical. It’s good versus evil. It’s life versus death.
Children are crippled with fear. One sweet little 8-year-old collapsed at the sound of the emergency sirens — she’s in serious condition.
Isolated elderly are trapped in harm’s way, with no one to help them reach a bomb shelter in time…if they even have one nearby.
Homes have been destroyed and precious families have been displaced. Everything they had gone…in an instant.
Through Fellowship friends like you, we have been able to show empathy for and support vulnerable Israelis, including the elderly, children, and new olim (immigrants), by mobilizing first responder volunteers and distributing protective vests, and help, shelter and also basic needs of those suffering from acute fear and anxiety due to the escalation of tensions in some areas.
Life Under Constant Attack
November 12, 2019. 7 pm.
As in many homes across Israel, four little children — Simcha, 8, Hanni, 7, the twins Itzhak and Reuven, 4 — are getting ready for bed, their regular evening routine. But tonight isn’t regular…this evening the children are all sleeping in the safe room in their home in the city of Ashdod.
It’s been a while since they last all slept like this, but unfortunately they know the drill — as the sirens go off, they run to the safe room. They don’t need to be told — horrible as it is, they grow up knowing this is a part of their life. They all stayed home today; Israel’s schools and kindergartens were closed, and their parents stayed home with them. But it was no holiday. These young children know this is war.
As night falls, they start bringing their mattresses into the safe room. They put on their pajamas, and have a snack before they brush their teeth and try to get some sleep before the sirens go off again.
We all pray they won’t have to spend more nights in this room. But the truth is… they will.
We thank God that they have a safe place to sleep when evil raises up its ugly head. But thousands of vulnerable families, children, and elderly are going without protection.