WAR
We apologize for our slowness in getting an update out. As the world knows, Israel is engaged in a war with the terrorist organization Hamas after the Oct 7 attacks which left 1400 Israelis dead and over 200 abducted. Since the breakout of this war, we have been providing aide and the love of Yeshua to those who have been affected by this tragedy. Thousands of civilians have had to flee their homes, and many have been left without essential items. Thousands of army reservists were called up very quickly, and the systems were not in place to provide some of their basic needs like food and clothing. So our congregation jumped in right from the start.
We have prepared and delivered food for IDF units who were called up to secure the southern border. We’ve bought generators, flashlights, walkie-talkies, clothes, fridges, washers, dryers, and groceries for evacuee camps and communities affected. We’ve bought medical backpacks for those who were delivering first aid. Thanks to your financial support, we were able to give every extra dollar that came in in October and November towards the relief effort!
As for our family, we have been safe in central Israel. There are sirens and rockets that have fired over Herzliya every week, but the iron dome has intercepted those in our area. However, several internationals in our congregation have evacuated the country during the war. Please pray for us, for our congregation, and this nation that God would turn hearts, Jew and Arab, to himself and this evil would be brought down.
Southern Israel
Updates from the Summer
Because of the intensity of this war, it’s hard to remember what happened before. But we want to update you on some things from the summer. We got a chance to minister to a couple large tour groups that visited Israel to pray for and bless the land. One was the Jerusalem Encounter hosted by FIRM, and the other was the ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles where I (Matthew) helped recording artist Joshua Aaron lead worship on keys.
In August, we hosted our annual Kings Adventures Cruise Kids Camp with children all over central Israel to deposit God’s word in their little hearts.
Personal
Many have asked how we are doing or if we are planning to return back to the US because of this war. We are planning a trip for Christmas to see family, but we do plan to continue living in Israel long term for the moment. Our children’s safety is a priority, and we are willing to leave if or when the situation becomes more fragile.
This April, after the birth of our daughter, my (Matthew’s) father became ill after a complication with a surgery. After I visited with him in Texas and prayed with him, it looked as if he came from death to life and would recover. However, the complications returned in August and he ultimately went to be with the Lord on Aug 27. For those who knew of the situation, thank you for your prayers for him and for me during this difficult time.
Worship Album Releasing!
We are excited to finally announce Daniela’s worship album, Symphony, will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you listen to music on January 5th! If you want to hear a little bit of it earlier, we are releasing two singles on 11/15 and 12/6 on those platforms. We are very excited to release these heart-songs to the world!
Prayer Requests
- Pray for a quick end to this war, rooting out this terrorist organization and preserving the innocent.
- Pray for opportunities to share good news to those who are hurting and confused during this time. We have had many open doors and have shared with many people, so pray that God makes these seeds grow.
- Many members of our congregation have left during this time. Many times, a wife and children will leave while the husband stays (especially for diplomats and expats). Please pray for these families.
- Pray for safety for some soldiers/believers that we know who are defending the country right now.
- Pray for Holy Spirit to help in pastoring during this difficult time.
