“…You also joining in helping us through your prayers, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers of many” 2 Corinthians 1:11

There are times when we wonder if our prayers are being answered. I want to encourage us all in the fact that God has chosen to work through our prayers. Paul certainly realized that even in his dire circumstances, even despairing of life itself, he knew that favor was given to him because of the prayer of the saints.It may be you have never really grasped hold of the fact that God hears and will respond to your requests. Maybe you feel that God will not hear you because you are nothing special. God does not answer our prayers because we are anything but because he is a merciful and faithful God who enjoys, yes enjoys, communing with His people and answering their prayers.

Living in Israel I have seen the outworking of those prayers. We know the difference between walking in mud spiritually, not really accomplishing much, and being carried in such a way as to be able to do the works of God without straining. What makes the difference is the prayers of the saints.

There is tremendous pressure in the world today to become more and more busy with many activities. Many of us are under a great deal of strain with the cares of this life. We need to grasp the fact that these cares will choke the effectiveness of the word of God in our lives. As Jesus answered Martha in all her complaining and business, One thing is required, that you sit at my feet and learn from me”. We know also that His burden is light!

The work here is going well. I am finding that to be able to offer a listening ear in this busy world is absolutely vital. Often as we make time to listen to those who come for help just the fact that we are listening to them will often release them from the burdens they carry. Individuals come in downcast and go out with a skip in their step!

Israel is as always going through challenging times. I guess it will be this way till Jesus returns! I think we can say, like the apostle Paul, Israel has pressures from outside, anxieties within. From the latest foiled flotilla attempt to defending Israels borders. From the complete upheaval of the surrounding Arab world to the need to create more housing for those living here and those coming from the four corners of the world.

I am very thankful that God is still on the thrown and that He has the time and the desire to listen to and act, where appropriate, to our prayers.

I remember a few years back taking a meeting where I suggested that those who can get on our knees to pray. After the evening a missionary in her seventies came up to me and said’ I have been a missionary for many many years but as I got on my knees it was like I was giving my heart to God for the first time!”

Might I encourage us all to worry less, getting on our knees and praying to the one who answers our prayers often in the most miraculous ways!

With much love from the Shepherd’s Heart Israel team.

Jeremy Smith

Jeremy Smith

September 2011

The world is changing rapidly, but we as believers are called to make a difference. The Lord is still faithful to His word and is a strong tower in times of trouble.

Contents

Birth Pangs
Pressure Over A Palestinian State
An Amazing Wedding!
Family News

Birth Pangs

In Matthew 24, we are warned that false prophets and false Messiahs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, and lawlessness will arise, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt 24:13). We pray that He will strengthen us all to endure in these days of His judgement and shaking. We see the signs of the times and it quickens us to watch and pray, to dig our roots down deep in Him so we will not be shaken.

“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” 1 Thess. 5:8-11 The beginning of this chapter echoes the birth pangs in Matt. 24, but in both passages we see the hope of salvation and His coming.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days….they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:29,30).

Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD.

Pressure Over A Palestinian State

On September 20th the United Nations are being asked by the Palestinians to declare a Palestinian state along what is said to be the pre 1967 borders. To many nations outside of Israel this would appear to be a reasonable way forward. From within Israel this is not a safe way forward. Firstly the borders that Israel are being asked to move to were never borders at all but armistace lines. Secondly what Israel needs to survive are what are called ‘ defensible borders.’ The international community recognize that for a country to be able to defend itself it needs enough time to respond to an air attack. The borders that Obama pushes for give Israel no time to defend itself. The plan is to cut Israel in half so that the widest Israel will be at one point is 9 miles wide. Now, Israel is only the size of Wales and could fit into Florida 8 times.

As you can imagine the peoples of Israel are very concerned about what the UN will do, and, if they declare a Palestinian state, what effect that will have on Israel. Already the Palestinians are beginning to flex their muscles. They have refused now to have the ceasefire – 100 missiles have been fired into Israel since August 18^th, killing one man with a 9 months pregnant wife and wounding 20. Terror attacks have started again with 8 people killed and 30 wounded in the south and a Muslim man stabbing 8 civilians in Tel Aviv while shouting “Allah akbar.”

There is the fear that if the Palestinians get their wish for statehood, they will feel the backing of the UN and therefore attack more of Israel. Both Fatah and Hamas have as part of their constitution the complete destruction of Israel.

Israel’s position is clear from a practical point of view, but from a Scriptural perspective, it is clearer still. Genesis 15 and 17 and Acts 7 and 13 declare God’s eternal, unconditional covenant promise to Abraham to give the land of Israel (much more than we currently have) to the descendants of Abraham forever. It is clear from Romans 11 that the Jewish people have not been cut off from God’s promises or future plans for them. Living here, it is evident daily that only His sovereign hand brought the rebirth of this nation and has protected it throughout the years of neighboring countries calling for its destruction and warring against it.

Please would you pray that the peoples of Israel would know how to react to every situation, that the Israeli Government would know how to respond to the terror attacks and to the Palestinian’s request to the UN for statehood.

As always it is a critical time for Israel.

Shepherd’s Heart Israel

Recently I had the privilege of taking part in the wedding ceremony of Andreas and Ria Hefti in Altensteig, Germany. Their wedding service was held under the chupa (Jewish wedding canopy). Andreas asked me to lead them through their vows and share some of the imagery involved in the wedding ceremony. Amazingly, the Jewish wedding is a picture of the marriage of the Bridegroom, Y’shua, and His Bride, the believers, as shown in scripture. Perhaps the most poignant reminder of this is when Y’shua prepared His disciples for His departure, using words reminiscent of a Jewish bridegroom reassuring his bride after their engagement covenant and before he left to prepare a room for her in his father’s house, “Let not your
heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Fathers house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have
told you; for I go to prepare a place for you And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3).More than ever, we need to remember His words today.  The wedding was wonderful in another way. Our hearts were joined together -  Jew and Gentile – German and Israeli – as we focused on this joyful celebration and anticipated the marvelous celebration to come when we join in the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Family News

Our six children are thriving in
Israel. Rachel and Jordan speak naturally about their faith on the bus, at the swimming pool, and with friends. God has blessed Jordan, Rachel, and Daniel with excellent Hebrew – speaking, reading and writing. We are grateful for the solid foundation they received at Makor Ha Tikva, a school in Jerusalem for Messianic believers.

This year, Daniel, 7, will be joined at the school by Ya’akov, 6, who will face a Hebrew-speaking environment for the first time. Please pray for him as he adjusts to this new challenge. Jordan, 13, will attend Boyer, a secular high school in Jerusalem. The Lord has blessed Jordan with exceptional academic ability, and he was selected for this school based on his grades, a special entrance exam, and an interview, during which he explained his position as a believer in Y’shua, Jesus. We are encouraged by his stance in a country where those proclaiming Y’shua as Messiah can be subjected to prejudice. Rachel has entered a high school in Jerusalem called EnKori, where she can attend part-time to prepare for Hebrew exams and continue home-schooling as well, which she enjoys. She has been warmly received by the staff, who found her to be a confident and outgoing. Rachel has been a light to many in our community, where parents often comment that she is different – so warm and happy and caring.

We praise God that our children reflect His love and grace and pray that they will continue on His path even in the midst of pressure from peers and society. Please pray for their roots to grow deep and strong in Him and for their lives to bear fruit for His kingdom.

Warmest Greetings

Jeremy & Lissa Smith
(Shepherd’s Heart Israel)

We need your gifts to help us continue the work here in Israel.   Click HERE to make a contribution.

Jeremy Smith

Dear Friends,

Encouragement comes in many forms. In Israel, encouragement is met first with suspicion and then with tears.

Recently I have had the privilege of helping three people in need. The first had been looking for help for many years and needed someone to talk to. It is amazing how offering help can mean so much. It is like throwing out a lifeline to a man overboard. I believe that when we reach out to help, God can do amazingly abundantly more that we can think or imagine. This man shared areas of his life that he had never shared with anyone. He knew that these areas had profoundly affected him. Now he feels free of these burdens.

The second one had been attracted to an ungodly lifestyle. As we have spent a number of times together, God has healed him from several issues in his life, showing him why he was as he was. Again he is different from when he first came to see me and is walking rightly.

As the third person talked, she was released from the pain she had experienced through a trauma and much misunderstanding. She felt the freedom to talk about a delicate situation which she had not felt safe to share with anyone, knowing that she would not be judged or misunderstood. We reached out, and God did the rest. We have a God who sees and hears! The person went away rejoicing. She wrote the following account to share with us:

“I would like to give testimony by saying that I had been suffering for a year and a half as a result of traumatic events: death in the family, an abandonment situation, betrayal of friendship and major surgery. I internalized it all, not sharing with anyone. I am so blessed to have received affirmation through a ministry session with you and your co-counselor. Somehow, just releasing all my feelings to compassionate people brought incredible inner healing. Your help liberated me from the bondage of living in the middle of the pain and gave me confidence to move forward with my life. My confidence and expectation is only in the Lord and through Him I shall do valiantly. Thank you again. Thank God there are people like you in the land where broken vessels can go to seek restoration. ”

Lissa writes…

A friend and I ministered to a lady who had been desperately seeking answers to her problem for over 20 years. The Lord gently and specifically revealed the root of the issue, exposing deep traumas which had affected her for the rest of her life. As He walked her through these painful times, He brought deep healing and restoration to this area of her life. After intensive times of counseling and prayer, which were often heart-rending and always filled with an overwhelming sense of His presence, we all laughed and cried together at the Lord’s faithfulness in helping her.

I am also meeting with a lovely believer who is solid in her walk with the Lord but needing help in some difficult relationships in her life. Rosie Ross and I had the blessing of accompanying her to a memorial garden in Israel, established by a believer with a heart to see restoration for women who have had abortions or miscarriages. It was very healing for her to plant a tree there and grieve and pray with friends. What a precious place to receive God’s comfort for deep loss.

Thank you so much for your prayers, encouragement and support. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Israel Update

The world is shaking, and we are all praying for those amidst the turmoil of widespread flooding in Australia, devastating earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, and political upheaval and violence in many lands. Please also keep the people of Israel in your prayers, as we have suffered terrorist attacks in the past weeks: the brutal stabbing of a young Jewish family, a bus bombing, a missile fired on a school bus, and many rockets and mortars fired into southern Israel.

Ruth and Uri, with their children – Hadass, 3 months, Elad, 3 and Yoav, 11 – were slain in their home in Itamar. Three of their children, ages 2, 8 and 12, survived the attack.

Recently, my friend received a call that a bomb had exploded at a bus stop in Jerusalem. Her children use that bus, so I waited with her until she received news that her son was safe. Three of our son Jordan’s school friends were on the bus and two were on the bus behind, all returning home from school. These students were unharmed; however, a British Christian, Mary Jane Gardner, who had spent many years translating the Bible in Togo, was killed by the blast.

Yesterday, an anti tank missile from Gaza struck a school bus, critically wounding a 16 year old and wounding the driver. This has been a painful time for Israelis, as the memories of countless terror attacks are still fresh in their minds.

Please pray for the Lord to comfort and defend those traumatized by these events, give them His peace and draw them near to Himself. Also, please pray for wisdom for our leaders to know how to defend this small country from those who are committed to its destruction, while protecting the innocent on both sides of the conflict.

Jeremy and Lissa

Jeremy Smith

September Newsletter

Shepherd’s Heart Israel

Lissa writes…

October 4th our son, Jordan, is having his bar mitzvah celebration at the Western Wall (that some know as the ‘wailing wall.’ He will sing the Torah portion (from the account of Noah and the flood) in Genesis, and other friends will also read, sing and bless him as he celebrates the traditional ‘coming of age’ at 13. The man who has taught Jordan how to sing the Scripture in the traditional style is a Messianic believer, and he has many people at the Wall asking him about the beautiful music, which gives him the opportunity to share the hope within him. After the readings, we will walk through the Old City to Christ Church, where we will have a time of worship, speech-giving, refreshments and fellowship. Many friends and neighbors are joining us. It is a special blessing that some of Jeremy’s closest friends from Wales will also be here, as it is like having family to celebrate join with us. Please pray that it will be a time of blessing for Jordan, of peace and protection (particularly in the mixed atmosphere at the Wall), and a meaningful encounter with the Lord for those who don’t yet know Him. It will begin early in the morning here, so for our US and UK friends, please pray the day before.

Jeremy has been invited to speak at our congregation’s services in rotation with 3 other men, as our pastor was on sabbatical and will now be taking on a different role, outside of the congregation. The Israeli, Arab, and Western congregation have been very responsive to Jeremy’s teaching. Our children have been especially blessed to see people respond to their Dad’s teaching by coming forward for prayer, weeping quietly in their seats in repentance or expressing their desire to know God more and to ask His help in their lives. Many people tell the children what a wonderful dad they have, and they agree! We were very moved when Rachel and Jordan asked him to pray for them after one of his teaching times, as their hearts were also moved to know God more deeply and to be equipped to serve Him.

Our new baby is now a thriving and smiling two-month old. After months of waiting on the Lord for a name, I was walking with her in my arms when she was 6 days old, when the Lord spoke into my heart, “Her name is Chesed. GRACE.” I had never heard the word “Chesed” and only knew that “Hannah” meant “grace.” But I looked it up and found that it is the word grace, used many, many times in the Scripture to refer to God’s covenant grace with His people, His mercy and lovingkindness. It is fun to see the reaction of neighbors and friends when we say her name, as it is always a reminder of God’s heart for His people.

Jeremy writes…
A number of months ago God moved the work of Shepherd’s Heart Israel from the outskirts of Jerusalem into the center of Jerusalem. Although I felt very peaceful about the change it meant us having to be flexible about where we sought to work from. The very week we left our premises a pastor in town asked, without knowing any of this, if I would like to use his office to see people. For the last 6 months we have seen people there.

From Israeli pastors to volunteers here in the land, there are many who need help. We have been counseling people who are seeking the Lord’s help with gender issues, relationship issues, childhood abuse, and marriages. Many people have been profoundly affected by the intensity of living in Israel. We are seeing individuals built up to serve the Lord in this land. Recently God has unblocked deep issues in various individuals lives, and we have had the privilege of coming alongside. Only God can surface deep emotional issues. What I have found is that people need a safe place with people they can trust to be there for them to be able to allow God to bring a deep level of healing. This is what we provide, and God does the rest.

This November I will be traveling to the UK on a speaking tour, addressing the topic “Standing in a Shaking World.” We can all see that the world is changing and we need to know what is happening and how we can stand / overcome in these dark days. “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7). For those from the UK who would like to come, I have put my itinerary below. For more information you can contact Robin Christopher – see email below.

We have been serving with Shepherd’s Heart Israel for over three years. It would be a tremendous blessing if any of you are able to help us with the considerable cost of running this ministry. Click here to make an online donation through Paypal and to find out how you can claim the tax in the UK or USA.

The summer in Israel has been very tense, starting with the flotilla from Turkey seeking to enter Gaza without going through the official channels and carrying terrorists, Achmadinajad’s threats from Iran re destroying Israel, and Lebanese soldiers shooting at soldiers cutting down a tree on Israel’s side of the border, resulted in the killing of four soldiers, three Lebanese, one Israeli and a reporter.

There are still rockets being fired from Gaza and, interestingly, from Egypt, which the Egyptians have been angry about. There are more flotillas planned from Iran etc. Their purpose is not specifically to bring aid but to force Israel into not defending her borders from illegal transport of missiles and weapons to terrorists. If it was just about aid, Israel has said that aid coming can come into Ashkelon, Israel, where it will be checked for weapons, and then all aid will be given free passage to Gaza! This has been the process in the past, with aid being readily delivered, but illegal weapons being confiscated by Israel.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Netanyahu, is in the middle of peace talks with Obama and Palestinian authorities Mahmud Abbas. Here we pray that Netanyahu does not give away more of the land of Israel with the false hope of peace. History has shown that giving land away does not bring peace; it only sends the message to those in charge and the terrorist groups that their rockets etc are moving Israel back, which encourages them to continue. Giving away Gaza has resulted in over 8,000 missiles being fired at Israel from Gaza and has brought much bloodshed and terror amongst the people of Gaza. It has been especially dangerous for Christians living in Gaza. The murder of the owner of a Christian bookshop in Gaza was just one example.

Click here to donate

UK Speaking Tour 12^th – 22^nd November 2011

14/11 am River of Life church Lymington
16/11 pm Canford Magna Home Groups
18/11 day Ellel Pierrepont NETS
19/11 pm Chorleywood
20/11 pm Haverhill Methodist Church, 17 miles South of Cambridge
21/11 am Haverhill Methodist Church

Jeremy Smith

Dear Friends

For such a time as this…

We have much to share with you. Might I suggest that you sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and read / pray through this newsmail? I will share what is happening in the ministry, and then Lissa will share about her near miss with the second bulldozer attack.

The more we live and minister in Israel, the more we feel that our lives have been leading up to this point. God has a purpose for us being here and we are committed to fulfilling that purpose.

Strengthening Believers in the Galilee
Towards the end of last year we (Shepherd’s Heart) were asked to train up a small group of people from Morning Star fellowship, a mixed nationality congregation in Tiberias on the shores of Lake Galilee. We have now finished a six session course on healing and how to handle relationship issues. It has been my heart over the last two years to be able to share what we have learnt with the Russian people. Firstly God joined my heart with our translator, Valodia. Secondly we had much dialogue with three Russian men who always appreciated our sharing together. The session before the last I had the privilidge of ministering to the three men, watching as God brought healing into the area of God’s Father heart. Many of the Russians have had very difficult upbringings and fathers were often very distant. We watched as God affirmed these men as His.

The pastor was so grateful for the teaching that he asked us to come back to teach on the Father’s heart, boundaries and issues within healing. Many believers in Israel have a basic understanding but need help knowing how to bring wholeness to their congregations. Please pray that we will effectively build up the believers in the land of Israel.

Rockets in Sderot
You will have heard of the rockets that are being fired from Gaza into Sderot. Recently I travelled with Mike Fryer, (www.christiansforzion.com), an ex police officer who is now a pastor in Wales, and some others to Sderot to encourage the residents and to interview some of those who have been affected by the rockets and mortars. My initial feeling as I drove to Sderot was of the beauty of this part of the land. This area is predominantly farmland with beautiful Mediteranian flowers growing everywhere on the kibbutz. I did not see many people as we walked about, because most of the people stay in their houses in case another rocket lands. I asked one of the residents what sounds they heard when rockets came. If they hear a whistle, she said, then the rocket had already gone past. The first they would know about a rocket landing near them would be an explosion. The kibbutz closest to Gaza has no warning system as it is too close. They have no time to react. The rockets explode on or near them. Some have been killed; others have been injured. There is constant fear. Those who could afford to leave have left. The others wait for the next rocket.

In the last five years, 3,500 rockets have been fired on Israel from Gaza . After all of the world’s pressure on Israel to hand over the land of Gaza to the Palestinians to achieve peace, we see the true results of this action..

We went to the mayor’s office and the police station and spoke with some of the leadership of Sderot. There is at the moment a ceasefire but the residents are waiting for it to break. They live in fear of the rockets.

On leaving the area, we thought about what we could do to help the people in Sderot. We spent a few hours with one of the residents. Before she had walked heavily, but afterward there was a spring in her step. All we had done was to care and listen. I wonder if God would have us go into Sderot on a more regular basis to allow them a chance to talk about the trauma they have experienced and the struggles of living in such an area. It would take a special team as safety cannot be gauranteed. We will see what God will do…

People in Need
Please pray for an ex soldier who is suffering from post traumatic syndrome and also from enormous persecution for his faith in his village. The persecution is so intense that the villagers are trying to have him committed to a mental hospital to remove his influence from his wife, five children, and the community. Others from his village have become believers in Jesus through him, thus the intense opposition. Please pray, too, for one woman who is on high doses of medication for physical conditions as a result of the abuse she has experienced. Aviyah and I have been ministering to her every other week in the Galilee. She says that she is starting to bloom like a flower with the love she has been given. Please pray that God would supernaturally rescue these two.

Help Arrives!
God answers prayer. For the last six months to a year I have been asking God to bring alongside us believers who are gifted in ministering to marriages and in understanding the spiritual battle we are in. God has sent us Peter and Sharon Hungerford, who have 20 years’ experience in ministering to marriages, and many more years’ experience in intercession and spiritual warfare. They and their homeschooled teenage sons, Chris and Michael, have sold their beautiful home in America, which they built together as a family, at a tremendous loss in order to come alongside us to help with the ministry. Please pray for God’s provision for their family. We sense an urgency to learn how to restore couples/ families and also to stand against the powers of darkness. As Ephesians 6:12 says, “..our wrestle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Jerusalem is a hotbed of spiritual forces, and we need to know how to pray effectively to see the captives released.

God put it on our hearts to invite the Hungerfords to share our home for this period. We are meeting almost every day to learn and to seek God’s heart as to how He wants us to continue. Please pray with us that we hear clearly and serve Him effectively.

Lissa Writes

Under Attack
Thank you so much for your prayers for us. We are more grateful than ever, since we have had three close calls and know it was only the Lord who protected us. We had just started a rich spiritual journey with Peter and Sharon Hungerford teaching some very significant biblical truths. The next day, Daniel pulled over a heavy, wooden 6 drawer dresser, which only missed him by an inch when it crashed to the floor. Five minutes later, Ya’akov started screaming from a shock, and I looked up from folding laundry to see that he had just pulled his finger away from the electric socket. I have never known them to get into such real danger, certainly not within minutes of each other’s accidents. We all felt that these incidents were not just the result of their misbehaviour but a spiritual attack on our family.

The next day, Rachel and I narrowly escaped a terrorist attack. We were enjoying a happy Mom & daughter time in the back of a taxi in Jerusalem, when we saw vehicles stopped on the road just ahead of us in what appeared to be the aftermath of an accident. It was 2:00, the time we were due to meet Jeremy just 10 minutes’ drive away. We phoned to tell him that we had been delayed in town, due to a missing price tag and then a mistake on the part of the cashier causing a lengthy wait. If this hadn’t happened, we would have been right in the middle of the incident. However, we were just moments away from it, so our taxi driver quickly turned down a small alley and sped away from the site. As Rachel and I watched 4 police cars and vans screaming past us, we realized that we had just seen something more than an accident. Rachel heard the Hebrew news report in the taxi. Just before 2:00, in an incident similar to the recent bulldozer attack which killed 3 Israelis and injured dozens, another Muslim man attacked civilians with a huge bulldozer, ramming into five cars and attempting to overturn a bus, then breaking in all of its windows on one side and trying to kill the driver with the huge shovel. The perpetrator was shot by a civilian and a policeman, killing him, but saving many innocent lives. How tragic that this man had been taught that he would attain a glorious afterlife if he would murder Jewish civilians in the name of Allah. How might his life have been changed if he had been taught to love instead of hate? At the scene of the attacks, the crowd was terrified – 24 people were injured, among them, a mother and her 9 month old baby who was wounded with shrapnel and a man whose leg had been severed.

We were completely at peace but were so grateful for the Lord’s protection and so grieved for the injured. The incident affected me deeply, and I wept from the depths of my being for His chosen people whom He loves, the apple of His eye, whom He longs to protect. Yet most do not know Him or the amazing love and protection, hope and salvation that He longs to give them. May our lives be used to bring them hope, to point them back to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who loves them and calls them by name.

Please continue to pray for us to be in the right place at the right time: to be there for those special God-encounters that only He could arrange and to avoid those traps which the enemy plans for us.

One God-orchestrated incident was our unexpected meeting with Mike Fryer and his friends from Wales, whom Jeremy mentioned above, on the streets of Jerusalem. Mike is a precious man of God, traveling around the UK teaching against the rising anti-semitism in the churches and bringing a biblical perspective on Israel and the Jews (see Gen. 15 and 17, Rom 10- 12, for example). As we shared rich fellowship and reminisced about our visit to his family and his church, he thanked us for the vital ministry keys the Lord enabled us to pass onto them, and we thanked him for his tireless prayers, teaching and practical support for Israel, including his church sponsoring a vacation in the lovely Welsh countryside for the severely traumatized children of Sderot. He recalled that the children were so nervous during their first days in Wales – jumping at the sound of a door closing – but by the second week, they were playing and laughing like normal children. May the Lord greatly bless this precious man and his family and congregation. He has come to Israel many times, filming interviews with eye-witnesses of events to combat the blatant twisting of the BBC reporting. Jeremy had the privilege of driving him and his friends to Sderot, the working-class town daily attacked by rockets from Gaza. In the last five years, 3,500 rockets have been fired on the Israel from Gaza. After all of the world’s pressure on Israel to hand over the land of Gaza to the Palestinians to achieve peace, we see the true result of handing over the land God has given to Israel. This pastor understands, and he was greeted with warmth and love by the people there. What a testimony of God’s love to a weary people.

Jeremy Smith
(Director: Shepherd’s Heart Israel)
www.shepherdsheart.org

Jeremy Smith