Here's a few excerpts from a recent letter from Carol: At the congregation, Calvary Chapel Tel Aviv, we distribute clothing and toiletry items to the poor and homeless, have a Soup Kitchen and medical clinic one day per week, and have Shabbat services on Saturday mornings (that's right, in Israel, the Sabbath is Saturday).
On top of those weekly events, I'm helping to run a 'ministry' apartment. Set up to house homeless women in the congregation. It's such a blessing living with these women! We have Bible Studies 4 nights a week, and are just trying to make a stable home rather than a hostel-environment that many have been used to. We have three Americans and two Israelis, Reghina and Ricki. Ricki doesn't speak English, "just" Hebrew, Arabic, and some German and French! A former police officer here in Israel, she was living on the streets for about 3 years when her retirement fund just didn't provide enough to live on. She's a new believer in Yeshua, and is really growing in the Lord! She's also been tutoring me in Hebrew, and is my main motivation for learning the language.
On top of those weekly events, I'm helping to run a 'ministry' apartment. Set up to house homeless women in the congregation. It's such a blessing living with these women! We have Bible Studies 4 nights a week, and are just trying to make a stable home rather than a hostel-environment that many have been used to. We have three Americans and two Israelis, Reghina and Ricki. Ricki doesn't speak English, "just" Hebrew, Arabic, and some German and French! A former police officer here in Israel, she was living on the streets for about 3 years when her retirement fund just didn't provide enough to live on. She's a new believer in Yeshua, and is really growing in the Lord! She's also been tutoring me in Hebrew, and is my main motivation for learning the language.
The Lord has given Carol a love for the people and ministries there and a desire to serve. Carol says that Tel Aviv is a very spiritually dark city on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, known as the “city of sin that never prays or sleeps.” While Jerusalem attracts the religious, Tel Aviv attracts the secular because of its anything-goes lifestyle. Prostitution is legal, brothels are common, and drugs are rampant.
Israel has a huge unemployment problem, and many of the nation’s homeless congregate in Tel Aviv because of its moderate beach weather. Many of those homeless are elderly men and women who, because they were refugees or depending on the government aid in their retirement, are unable to get jobs and cannot support themselves. Amidst this dark backdrop, the Lord is softening hearts and opening doors that would have been unthinkable a few years ago in a nation that used to consider Christianity one of its greatest enemies. 

Carol asks us to "Please pray for Israel, for Tel Aviv and for the little church in its heart that is striving to make Jesus Christ known to His people. Also, please pray for me as I am making this huge new step in following the Lord."
Here's a few pictures from her adventures in Israel.
Mount of Olives
Carol got to go to the Garden Tomb on Easter Sunday morning for a worship service!!
Dome of the Rock
A cave where they found some of the Dead Sea Scrolls!
Floating in the Dead SeaMy parents have just spent the past two weeks in Israel visiting Carol. They fly in this evening and I can't wait to hear all about it. Carol gets to come home next Friday! She will get to be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Harper is so excited to meet her Aunt Carol. Please pray for Carol and her daily ministry in Israel.












1 comment:
We are so proud of Carol for doing what I can only dream about. The Lord is really using her and it is awesome to watch!
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