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“The voice of weeping shall be no more heard.”

For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. (Isa 65:18-19)

Shalom from Jerusalem!

This week, we were able to start scheduling home-visits again. We made the decision to make the trip to Bet Shemesh, which is just outside Jerusalem, and taking a step of faith with the van which does not do well in the summer heat!

We were so glad and blessed we did! We were able to visit two families and bless and encourage them in practical and hopefully spiritual ways as well.

The first family we visited was a Tabelski Vera and her husband Gridnov Yosef, who are both bed ridden. They have immigrated from Russia 10 years ago and have lately fallen on difficult circumstances. Yosef, recently out of the hospital from open heart surgery and also suffering from diabetes, and Vera, who has broken her ankle and is waiting for surgery herself, but is very apprehensive to go as that will leave her husband unattended while he recovers. She was in tears as she was telling us of her fear that he will not take his medication at the right times or not at all! They have a 15 year old granddaughter visiting for a few weeks, but they are nervous as to what will happen when she leaves.

Our ‘normal’ procedure is to give food coupons they can use at the store for their needs, however as they are both invalid and unable to leave, we delivered a load of groceries to them. They were extremely blessed as the kitchen was quite bare. We were then able to share the Lord with them and pray with them.

The amazing part, is they have been here for 10 years, and were given a business card from For Zion’s Sake 9 years ago, and had held on to the card in case “someday” they needed our help. We were reminded of the verse that the Lord’s Word never returns void and we never know the lives we touch with our examples, or the effect that may happen in God’s perfect timing.

Please join with us in prayer for this family: for speedy recovery of Yosef, for the schedule to operate on Vera’s ankle, and for local support as they go through this difficult time.

The second stop in Bet Shemesh, was another difficult story and set of circumstances. This woman, also a Russian immigrant, is 52 years old, although she looks much older and is 100% disabled. She is renting a small apartment underneath another house and it only has one small window. The apartment is clean, but cramped and without natural light. She has been on a waiting list for government housing for some time, which would be a big improvement for her.

Her situation is: she is the sole caregiver of HER mother, Raisa, who is 87 and in very poor health. Her mother is a holocaust survivor and lost her grandmother and sister to a group of Nazi soldiers who invaded Ukraine and put them, along with others, in a cave and sealed the entrance, leaving them to starve inside. She showed us documentation of testimony of the actions of the soldiers.

Olena lives and cares for her in her home and as we visited, she was asleep and looked like she does not have long to live. It is a difficult struggle on what she felt was “abandoning” her to a care facility where she knows she will not last long, or to continue doing the best she can in honoring her mother. Not an easy decision for any child with aging parents.

The biggest challenge for her, it seemed, beside the intense amount of energy required to care for her (changing clothing, etc.) is the drain financially on her for the required medication. That is where we felt compelled to help. We made a small donation toward her medication costs, and we want to commit to helping her until her mother passes away. Please pray and see if God is leading you to help in this woman’s life. The commitment we are asking for is: $150 a month, for a 6 month minimum.

We were able to pray with her for specifically: God’s will concerning her mother, Olena, on the waiting list for another apartment, and financial help during this time.

Saying good-bye Again 🙁

We also had to say good-bye to a faithful friend of our ministry and member of our congregation, Carolina. Carolina has been living in Jerusalem, volunteering with a Christian guest house and attending our Friday night service for 2 years.  She is originally from Columbia and translates the service into Spanish. Her time in Israel has come to an end and she is looking forward to her next adventure, serving the Lord in London, England.

First, she is taking a short break and travelling back to Columbia to visit with family before starting in London. She has been very blessed by her time in Israel and has made many life-long friends. Her bright smile, friendly attitude and obvious love for the Lord is evident to all around her and she will be greatly missed, but we’re excited to hear how she is being used as she goes.

Prayers for Carolina: Safe travels to Columbia, good visits with saved and un-saved family, visa details in England, thankfulness for the opportunity to serve in England, and for the Peace of Israel!

With Love and blessings from all of us! Bradley Antolovich and staff