Light in Darkness—Hope in Israel

Greetings from Israel!

We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful fair. We are with you heart and soul, serving our brothers and sisters and friends in this part of the world.

As the war passes its one-year mark, life in the country is returning to semi-normal. Everyone has become accustomed, to some degree, to the sound of sirens in different places, giving people a minute to a minute and a half to reach a bomb shelter, followed by the sounds of explosions from interceptors and planes flying overhead.

However, the life of the community has not slowed down—quite the contrary. “In evening time there will be light,” said Zechariah, and the need for that light, for encouragement and hope, is growing all around us. This is a time like no other in Israel, and many see little hope for the future. When the foundations people have always trusted seem to crumble and hope feels frail, they begin to search for answers in places they never looked before.

In an effort to help the many evacuees and others affected by the war, this year we have been able to take our mobile craft fairs all over the country—26 fairs so far. The responses from evacuees (as you can see below) have been the greatest reward.

We have been fortunate to offer these fairs completely free of charge, thanks to the generous contributions from our U.S. communities and through the tireless efforts of our local community. This has been further supported by volunteers from our sister communities around the world who have come to help.

The fairs, which are an expression of our life, are only possible because God continues to meet us in our gatherings and personal lives, transforming us. We see young and old responding to His call to run the race with perseverance, allowing Him to transform us through His Word and the power of His Spirit into something we have never been before.

One visitor remarked last week how grateful he was to find a place where God is tangibly alive among a people.

Many have sown into this work over the past months and years, and their labor has not been in vain. Driving along the countryside at this time, we can see fields being prepared for seeds to be sown, and we are reminded of the words of the Lord: “The ground makes the seed grow.” We are deeply grateful for the preparation of the soil by the Farmer, and for the Vine-Dresser pruning His vineyard so that the much-needed fruit will come forth.

Requests and invitations continue to pour in, asking us to bring our mobile fairs to new locations. We have also been invited to join some farmers’ markets on a regular basis with our crafts, activities, and music. With three events scheduled over the next couple of weeks, we are excited to take these next steps forward.

A Response after One of the Fairs:

“On my behalf and on behalf of all the evacuees currently living in the Ein Gev holiday village, I want to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for the amazing fair you organized for us today.
  The creative ideas behind the stations, the variety, the high quality of the materials, and especially you—the lovely families from the community—made the day an extraordinary experience.
  Meeting you, especially in these difficult times, expanded our hearts and gave us, for a few hours, a sense of sanity. Your genuine giving reached the hearts of each one of us.
  A huge thank you to the children’s choir and the band, who thrilled us with favorite songs. The joint singing of ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ managed to move many hearts.
 Thank you for the idea of coming to us and for bringing all this goodness. God willing, we will soon be able to host you in our home.”

It’s these kind of responses that inspire us to keep going, giving, and sowing the seeds of hope across the land of Israel that we know will sprout and bear fruit in God‘s time.

As we reflect on this season of Thanksgiving, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the steadfast support, prayers, and encouragement we continue to receive from you all around the world. Your partnership in God’s grace enables us to bring light and hope to those in the midst of hardship. May this Thanksgiving be a time of peace, joy, and renewal for you and your loved ones, as together we look forward to the fruits God will bring forth through the multiplication of our labor of love in Him. Thank you for standing with us.

With much love,
Brother Tsafrir and Sister Noa