So much has happened since we did our last update. With the war now being over after 50 long days, attention has been averted to other areas in the Middle East that are of grave consequence. The news - including in the United States - was full of the conflict here, but what we'd like to share in this post is some of the "real" stories that the mainstream media doesn't usually share.
First we'd like to honor the fallen soldiers with a BIG salute from the depth of our hearts. This picture was created before the last of the soldiers died giving their lives for their Land and their People, but most are represented. They are not just a number - but real boys, with real lives, and real families & friends who will miss them desperately. As a Nation, Israel mourns their loss collectively as a family.
Before the war ended, there was a plane of Jewish immigrants that arrived to Israel from the United States and Canada. Included in these, were several young people ready to join the IDF and serve their new country and defend their homeland, even in the midst of war.
One thing we noticed from the beginning of the operation in early June all the way to the present, has been a very unusual cloud cover in Israel. For those of you who aren't familiar with the weather patterns here, once we hit summer, we don't tend to see clouds again until Autumn when the rains come back again. While the clouds haven't always stayed all day, they have been pretty constant nearly every day, especially in the mornings. There are many scriptures in the Bible about clouds, and God's presence. Here is just one....
"Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, And His strength is in the clouds."
Psalm 68:34
The Times of Israel (online newspaper) highlighted an account a couple of weeks ago that gave God credit for these clouds. Colonel Ofer Winter of the Givati Brigade shared this story:
"Winter had come under criticism recently, after composing a letter to his subordinate officers in which he called upon the divine to assist Israel in fighting a “blasphemous” foe in the Gaza Strip.
“History has chosen us to spearhead the fighting (against) the terrorist ‘Gazan’ enemy, which abuses, blasphemes and curses the God of Israel’s (defense) forces,” he wrote.
“We have planned and prepared for this moment and we take the mission upon ourselves out of commitment, complete humility, and because we are prepared to endanger ourselves and lay down our lives in order to protect our families, our people and our homeland,” he added.
Several days later, Winter said that divine miracles protected his soldiers during the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
He said that a predawn raid that was intended to make use of the dark as concealment was delayed, forcing the soldiers to move toward their objective as the sun was about to rise. The soldiers were in danger of being revealed in the light but, Winter recalled, a heavy fog descended to cover their movements until the objective was achieved.
“Suddenly a cloud protected us,” he said, making a reference to the clouds that the Bible says protected the Israelites as they wandered in the desert. “Clouds of glory.”
Only when the soldiers were in a secure position did the fog dissipate, he said.
“It really was a fulfillment of the verse ‘For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to give you victory,’” he said, quoting a passage from Deuteronomy." (Times of Israel)
“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’" Deuteronomy 20: 1-4
"Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds." Psalm 36:5
The commanders of the IDF are quite exemplary. This first hand account by Dov Lipman shows just a bit of their leadership qualities:
"There was another moment which demonstrated a second dimension to why our soldiers are so special. As I approached some tanks and offered the commander ice cream, he said “first give to my soldiers.” In the Israeli army, commanders usually go first with the call “aharai” – “follow me.” But here, he did not want to go first. The man in charge who could sit back and enjoy some ice cream while his soldiers are preparing their tanks instructed me to first give his soldiers. That is the way it works in the Israel Defense Forces. The commander’s job is to take care of his soldiers – by leading them into battle, and by making sure there is enough ice cream for them before he takes. And in turn, the soldiers see this model of leadership and learn what it means to bear responsibility and to lead."
During the war with Gaza, our soldiers' moral was very high. This was not only due to the amazing support they received from the people of their Nation cheering them on. Many of them knew they were fighting with God on their side and with His protection against their enemy. Some of you may have already seen these, but the two videos below represent the strength and courage of these young men going into battle. The first is at the Kotel (Western Wall) and the second on the battlefield before entering Gaza.
The words to the song they are singing in both videos are as follows:
We are believers, children of believers
and we have none (else) to rely on
but on our father
our father in heaven
Israel Israel
believed in The Lord
for He is your aid and your protection
The words to the song they are singing in both videos are as follows:
We are believers, children of believers
and we have none (else) to rely on
but on our father
our father in heaven
Israel Israel
believed in The Lord
for He is your aid and your protection
There is one conversation that Linda had with a soldier on the bus one morning on the way to work that she will never forget. She was sitting across from a soldier (facing each other) and she felt she needed to encourage him. However, ultimately, he encouraged her. She asked if he knew English, and he said a little. As they leaned in towards each other to talk, she began to tell him how very, very proud we are of them, and thanked him for serving and protecting us - that without them (the military) we could not live here safely. She let him know that there are many people around the world praying for them, and that we are doing our best to speak the truth about Israel, and the operation, to those whom we have contact. This young man, so full of gratitude and sincerity, said thank you. But it was what he said next with his whole heart and with deep conviction that Linda will never forget...WE ARE STRONG. It was like he was trying to convince her that everything was going to be okay.
If there is one way to show the Jewish people that you say what you mean and mean what you say, it's to stick it out in the hard times with them, and not be afraid - whether that means not leaving them behind, or coming to their aid when they need it. Recently Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman made this statement, “a true friend is measured in the time of need and by his actions.”
Linda had an interesting conversation at the bank recently. While transacting her normal CFI banking, the manager who she has known for almost 4 years came up to her to talk. She asked, Have the Christians stopped sending money to help Israel? Linda was stunned, and said No, why? The manager's answer was that she thought because of the war, they would not support Israel anymore, since most of the world was condemning them. Linda was able to tell her that not only have the Christians not stopped, but they have been sending more to help support Israel during the operation. This was definitely a good opportunity to show our sincere and undeterred support of the Jewish homeland.
During the operation, Jim has been able to visit several bases of the Israel Defense Forces. It is always an honor and privilege to meet those defending this Land, but especially during a time of war.
A couple of weeks ago he was invited to a ceremony of a commander change-over. After the ceremony, he was taken to a base near Gaza where tanks were having reliability maintenance performed on them. It was an interesting time to learn more about both the tanks and to see the soldiers performing their duty in a time of war.
The picture below is quite outstanding. Here in their mobile base, the soldiers have a mobile synagogue (knesset) set up. Inside the cabinet is a Torah scroll (Bible).
The lunch was not the "normal" army base lunch. It consisted of rolls (a small amount of lunch meat was to be had until it was gone) cans of fruit & corn, and packs containing a Pepsi & an Israeli candy bar. And you know what - no complaining, just grateful to have a meal sitting down at a table.
Jim and another CFI volunteer spent the lunchtime learning about the soldiers and their ambitions for the future. The young lady Jim spoke with shared that she re-enlisted in the army because she could think of nothing more noble to do with her life than to serve her country.
Not long before the operation ended, we were invited to visit our first Israeli Air Force base. Jim's project at CFI - David's Shield - usually focuses on the Israeli Army, so this was a special treat. We were given a tour of several areas and ate lunch with some commanders. Due to the sensitivity of the base, we couldn't take pictures of their operational mission, but here's the medical facility. All ready for Chanukah it seems...
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| Israeli Air Force logo |
Even though the current operation appears to be over with Gaza, the soldiers are still on high alert with tensions on the Syrian border. They have told us they are always in one of two modes - at war or preparing for war.
May we, as Christian Friends of Israel, continue to be a true friend of the people of Israel.
A friend loves at all times.
Proverbs 17:17
