Reflections on our Talmidim Tour
Israel Trip Report
While in Israel we also had the opportunity to speak to a lot of Israelis about the state of the world. Many had Syria on their minds…
We just finished our 2013 Talmidim Expedition where we refurbished four bomb shelters in Qiryat Shemona. Did you know that 6,000 missiles fell in the last Lebanese War alone, and experts now estimate that there are over 60,000 now aimed at Israel? While in Israel we got wind of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s statement. In another of his speeches was a deterrent message for Israel. Nasrallah warned Israel that Hezbollah had the capability to attack Israel “from Qiryat Shemona to Eilat” and that its airports, ports and power plants were well within the range of Hezbollah’s missiles! One thing we know for certain is that all it takes is a few missiles to strike certain targets and “Israel will be plunged into darkness.”
Sderot/Ashkelon
Here we experienced a sort of “Calm before the Storm,” a very eerie silence! There have been over 12,000 missiles that have fallen in this area over the last ten years! This peaceful village was very quiet while we worked with the Hands of Mercy Coalition. In regards to the bombs, we know that what we are experiencing at this time is not a real peace…Hamas is just reloading! Our Talmidim Expedition Group (TE) was able to put together 64 Bomb Boxes (food boxes for shelters) the day we were working in Sderot. What a blessing!
Helping Hands Coalition
TE’s first stop was in Netanya to work with a ministry that is dedicated to the remaining survivors of the Holocaust. Those in the ministry are crystal clear when stating that their ministry has a 10-year time stamp, because by that time all the survivors will have passed away.
One thing we have learned over the years is to not speak until our actions prompt questions, and so we were blessed to assist in refurbishing a downtrodden children’s center in Or Akiva. Word got out that a bunch of Believers were doing something special for this Jewish community! Later that night we were invited to what is called a “Warm House” for dinner with 17 Holocaust survivors, and when they heard about what we had been doing, the doors flew wide open. At the end of the night Sharon and I had two precious ladies come to us and ask us to pray for them. I know I am speaking for everybody in our group that this moment in time will be seared into our consciences forever.
We here at KI believe God is wanting us to nd more ways to partner with this unbelievable ministry, so stay tuned!
Here are some “after” pictures of our work day in Or Akiva. You should have seen the before pictures! These TE’s were a lot like the folks during Nehemiah’s time—they had a mind to WORK!
Strategic Perspectives
While in Israel we also had the opportunity to speak to a lot of Israelis about the state of the world! Many had Syria on their minds and after dinner one night with an IDF Commander, his brother made it clear that although much of the election centered around the needs of the middle class (interesting to say the least), one thing was certain—it will only take one missile hitting Israel and the nation will once again be galvanized and do whatever is needed for their survival.
One of the workers down in Sderot told me that he had heard that Assad had given his generals orders to launch all they have at Israel if anything should happen to him! If that happens, we may see the fulfillment of Isaiah 17, because the word is that Israel will nuke Damascus if that were to take place!
The burden against Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap.
After visiting Mt. Bental atop the Golan Heights and looking down into Syria, we got word that Assad’s troops had given up Kunetra, the border city that stands between Israel and Damascus! Rebel forces are moving in and now we have the Hezbollah joining the fray, seeking to keep Assad in power so that they can operate terrorist acts against Israel without recrimination from the UN because they are not recognized as a government. Can you imagine what the Hezbollah would do if they got control of the Syrian/Israeli border?
The Hezbollah Threat
We have been told that Hezbollah currently has over 50,000 troops in Syria in order to quench the rebels’ advances. Again, no brain surgeon is required to see the strategy of the Iranian proxy. Their goal is to create the same situation they have in Lebanon; a patsy government that will allow them to be a rogue group that can set up bases from which they can harass Israel from the borders of Syria! And with the WMD’s in Syria, they will have more advanced repower.
Don’t be surprised if the Golan becomes the center of attention in terms of further peace negotiations!
But no worries … Obama to the rescue! As you know, our man of Peace visited Israel last month in order to “fast track” the Peace Process! How amazing it is that he wants to start these negotiations with the pre-1967 borders—this is beyond ludicrous!
For Such a Time as This
I know that I will be putting a time stamp on the article but I happened to be in Israel during the feast of Purim and I can’t help but close this article with remembering the story of Esther.
Remember Mordecai’s words to Esther? “For who knows that for such a time as this …” And why? Because of the evil Haman and, by the way, have you noticed that he is still around today? Hamas … Haman … Hezbollah … Hmm. Shalom from Tel Aviv.
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For more on our Talmidim Expedition you can access Terry White’s Talmidim blog site at talmidim2013.blogspot.com. And for more information on Helping Hands Coalition, check out their website at http://www.hhcoalition.com/.