You've heard me crow about how much I love Israel. It is not a perfect place, however, because like all the Earth, it is filled with imperfect people. Even redeemed sinners are grossly imperfect, after all. Today, though, we saw Israel's seedy underbelly. We rubbed elbows with poverty and also with murder.
Our first stop was at the former US Consulate, which is being renovated to become the new US Embassy, here in Jerusalem. You may remember the flap that ensued when President Trump decreed the embassy would be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It is heavily guarded. We were only able to make a picture in front of it, a brief visit.
Next, we went to Jaffa Street, where we visited with Evan Levine, who heads up hatikvafamilies.org. It is a ministry to the poor, providing free dental care, which is not covered by the Israeli universal healthcare. This Messianic ministry also promotes and facilitates adoption and foster care in Israel. It is hard for Messianic families to adopt because there are only about 40,000 Messianic Jews in Israel, and the Ministry of Health wants to place children only in families with religious traditions similar to those from which the child came.
Our next stop was the King of Kings Messianic Jewish Congregation. We entered the large office building that houses, not only this ministry, but also space the congregation rents out to other businesses. The ministry began back in 1982 as a bible study and, in those days, was the first Messianic Jewish church in Israel. For 20 years, they rented the YMCA building in Jerusalem, but they could only get it on Sunday nights. So, the tradition of holding their services on Sunday nights was born. It continues to this day. (Actually, that's their mostly-English service. They also hold a Hebrew service each week as well as doing a Facebook Live broadcast of their Sunday night service.)
So, in around 2002, they bought this horrifically dilapidated building that had sat mostly vacant for several years, but contained a vacant movie theater (now their main sanctuary) and 3 porn shops. The building was also used as a public toilet. No one could understand why they even wanted it. But, after looking at many, many other properties, the potential of this building was realized. They purchased it, and set to work on the remodel. Today, the ministry averages 400 attendees each weekend, offers delicious food out of their soup kitchen on Mondays and Wednesdays, has a counseling center, a music-training center, a prayer tower and a clothes closet.
Several of our team members worked to serve the lunch at the soup kitchen (pic above), while others either worked in the clothes closet or prayed at the prayer tower. What a blessing it was to serve the needy with other volunteers from around the world! Afterwards, we all went to the prayer tower, where we worshipped in music and prayer.
After lunch, we went to visit a pro-life center which has been working to save the unborn in Israel since 1988. It is called Be'ad Chaim Israel, and is headed by Sandi Shoshanni, who has headed the ministry since 2005. The ministry has 12 counseling centers in major cities of Israel. The counselors talk to women who are considering abortions and also minister to women who are hurting after having had an abortion. I learned a lot, and it was sad. If you look at our faces in this candid shot, you will see how stricken we all look. We learned a lot of sad information.
Abortion has been legal in Israel since the country began, in the 1940s. Today, abortions are free for most women, as part of the universal healthcare program. $40 million of Israeli tax dollars each year go to fund abortions. BUT, contraceptives were not free until about a year ago. How's that for an irony? Furthermore, a woman under 18 has to go with a parent to obtain a prescription for contraceptives, but does not have to have parental consent for an abortion. Approximately 1 in 6 pregnancies in Israel are aborted. The numbers used to be worse - - it used to be 1 in 4. Young women serving in the Israeli Defense Force are forced out if they get pregnant and don't have an abortion. If a woman finds herself in that way and wants to continue to serve out her time, she must have an abortion. It is not at all uncommon for Israeli women to have several abortions.
Miscarried babies are not given to families for burial. Be'ad Chaim Israel runs Gardens of Life, a place where a tree can be donated and planted in memory of an aborted baby or a miscarried baby, in order to help deal with the pain of the aftermath.
The ministry also solicits funds to support mothers/families who choose to keep their babies. It is called Operation Moses. This program provides necessary items for families for the first year of life. Sadly, one of the more prevalent reasons mothers choose to abort is that they can't afford to keep their child. The cost to support one child in O.M. for its first year is $6000. If you would like to support this ministry, you can find them at beadchaim.com
I close with this verse from Joel. And, in a couple days I will return to it, when I blog about the Yad Vashem.
5Awake, you drunkards, and weep,
and wail, all you drinkers of wine,
because of the sweet wine,
for it is cut off from your mouth.
and wail, all you drinkers of wine,
because of the sweet wine,
for it is cut off from your mouth.
Joel 1:5 (ESV)
This was beautiful, Gena
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading and commenting, Barri!
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