Blessing and Being Blessed

Yael Eckstein  |  August 17, 2023

IFCJ providing humanitarian aid to refugees fleeing war in Ukraine

On World Humanitarian Day, the international community sets aside a day to honor those who provide aid to the neediest among us. Writing at The Christian Post, Yael says this work is bigger than any of us—it is truly God’s work:

This day was set aside by the United Nations to honor all those who so willingly brave dangerous situations caused by disaster or war day in and day out in order to bring care, basic needs, protection, and hope to those living through crisis.

I started thinking, what motivates all our dedicated Fellowship staff in the field every day? What gives them the strength to do this job that sometimes requires them to leave their families and friends to travel to places that can be dangerous and chaotic, like Ukraine, Ethiopia, or areas of Israel frequently
targeted by rocket fire and terrorist attacks?

I recently talked about this to some of our staff members, and realized there’s something powerful about helping others in crisis – so powerful, in fact, that it actually gives you strength in return.

One of those staff members, Moran Ben-David, lives in Netivot, a community in southern Israel that sometimes faces nonstop code red sirens warning of incoming terrorist rockets. When this happens, Moran first makes sure her children are cared for and safe in bomb shelters, then rushes off to deliver food to the elderly on behalf of The Fellowship…

(Photo: Arik Shraga)

Read the rest of Yael’s message at The Christian Post.