Road to Zion Ministries

Pressing on toward October 2004
I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of G-d in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

We are still thanking G-d for allowing us to watch Him work in the lives of four Israeli families during our last trip in May 2004. We worked in physical dwellings as G-d worked in personal lives to bring healing and restoration.

We continue to hear from these families through email and phone calls. We are happy to report encouraging news from two of the families. D., who was stabbed and left for dead by terrorist, has found a new job and will be better able to support his family. Because of injuries from the attack he had lost his former employment.

D. has called us to invite us back to his home when we return in October. As friends and neighbors visit him they notice the newly painted walls. He told us he is still sharing the story of the Christians that came and painted his home and how much they love Israel and are concerned about what is happening there today.

In our last newsletter we also mentioned E., a Russian immigrant, who's father died and sister was killed two months later in a terrorist attack. E. taught in a university in Russia for years but has been unable to find employment in Israel . She finished her exams the end of June and is now qualified to teach in Israel ! She will begin the search for a teaching position this summer. Congratulations.

Even simple things like having professional looking clothes to wear to a job interview can be difficult for someone struggling financially. Thoughtful Christians from Florida contributed money for her to buy new clothes. She was thrilled to receive the help.

Lisa, our contact in Israel , organized a camp in July for children who have been touched by terrorism. They began the camp experience as 25 disjointed children, who had no connection to each other, who all carried their own burden from home, but ended camp exchanging addresses and phone numbers and promising to stay in touch with their newly made friends. E.'s daughter was one of the campers. Since the terrorist attack, she had been having nightmares, not able to function in school and staying in her room after school-afraid to go outside and play with friends. She was just one of the twenty-five lives touched by the camp experience.

We have received word from Lisa that she continues to get calls each week from other terror victims that have talked to the families we helped in May. They are asking when we will be back and if we can come help them also. We are thankful that Lisa is a woman of prayer and compassion. She will visit these families and prayerfully decide who will be next on the list for October. We ask that you pray for her as she has the difficult task of making these decisions.

We press on with the calling G-d has given us to help restore His Chosen People and pray for the day that they will know Him as L-rd.

Thus says the L-rd G-d:
“Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations,
And set up My standard for the peoples:
They shall bring your sons in their arms,
And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders;
Kings shall be your foster fathers,
And their queens your nursing mothers;
They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth,
And lick up the dust of your feet,
Then you will know that I am the L-rd,
For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.”
Isaiah 49:22-23

Road to Zion Ministries' goal is to be a part of the restoration of the Jewish People. We feel one aspect of this restoration is the physical assistance we are giving to Israelis in need. Our goal is to provide comfort to those in grief and pain and to help with physical needs. History is full of broken relationships between Jews and Christians. We seek to live out the words of Paul as expressed in Romans 11 when he says to not be proud or boast for we do not support the root but the root supports us. Join us in helping heal broken relationships.

Pray for E. as she searches for employment and for her daughter's complete emotional recovery.
Pray for Lisa as she decides what families will be helped when we return in October.
Pray that G-d will begin even now to prepare the hearts of the families we will meet in October.
Pray for the right people to go with us to work in October.
Pray for the finances needed for supplies to work with and for scholarships for two workers ready to go who do not have the means to pay the full cost of the trip.

NOTE: While in Israel , we were interviewed by a writer from Israel Today Magazine . They also interviewed some of the people we assisted and plan on doing an article about Road to Zion Ministries in their August issue. If you are interested in getting their magazine you can find them on the internet at: www.israeltoday.co.il.