In the compound: March 24, 2008

While we slept in one building, a thief came over the wall/barbed wire and climbed onto the roof of another building and stole a security camera.

A few nights later, the thief came back and stole another camera, and attempted to enter the building. He broke a window and had the grate halfway off, before he gave up and left.

The police came both times and were able to get a fingerprint from the camera case.

They are investigating and they took this last incident more seriously because of the bombing in Ariel.

Several news reporters called us and so we have been doing interviews for the newspapers, magazines and TV. All of this is good and is happening as a result of the parcel bomb which Ami opened and is now lying in a hospital fighting for his life. God has a Plan and He is making something good out of evil.

Meanwhile, we are in a compound which is being visited by a thief. We listen intently for sounds that would give him away. It is difficult to hear at night, because of the nightclubs around us that have such loud music you can feel the bass beating through the ground as we lie upon our beds.

Please understand that we are prayed up. The congregation is praying and the angels have been sent to guard the compound. The thief has still stolen the cameras! So what is happening here? We are trusting the Lord to work out His Plan, not ours.

Last night, we slept on the floor of the other building to see if we could hear the thief if he returned. The night passed peacefully, thank the Lord.

What would we do if we catch the thief in the act? Israel has laws about not touching people who try to steal from you or not hitting back when struck. We are supposed to call the police. So we were armed with our cameras and the Holy Spirit and our cell phones.

We are on house arrest for a reason. That Purim package-bomb could have been sent to us, as well as to other believers in the Land. I’m sure the Lord has multiple purposes for us being here in the compound at this time. It certainly has not been restful. But one thing we know …"that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Rom 8:28

The Lord is giving believers here in Israel a chance to unify as One Body. For too long, they have suffered in silence at the hands of Yad L’Achim (the militant arm of the orthodox Jews). No one wants to be guilty of causing anti-semitism. This is understandable, but the devil has used this faulty reasoning to strengthen the Yad L’Achim and make them feel invincible. They brag about how they can do anything they want and don’t get punished for it, because the Rabbis protect them. Very little has been published about the suffering of the believers here in Israel. The average Israeli doesn’t want to believe that their spiritual leaders are capable of doing evil to others.

This silence has led to more abuse and division among certain believers. We ourselves have been accused of bringing suffering upon ourselves because of being open with the Gospel. People have written and asked, "Why Arad?" "Why are you the only ones targeted by the Yad L’Achim and the orthodox Jews (Haredim)?"

The answer is clear – we are not the only ones! It is happening all over the Land of Israel. It is time for believers to stand up and start supporting their brothers and sisters, the Messianic Jewish/Christian believers in the Land.

The Yad L’Achim and the orthodox Jewish Rabbis who support it are criminals, pure and simple. Thank God they are not representative of the entire Jewish nation. We need to pray and break this spirit of hatred and oppression off the People of Israel. We need to stand together and call evil "evil" and good "good" according to God’s standards. The whitewashing of criminal acts needs to stop!

As I write this letter, and the camera people are here installing new cameras, someone just walked into (pastor) Howard’s office and walked off with his laptop computer! Broad daylight! Could this be the thief in the night? May God help us!

Good News! The thief was caught on camera and the police know him. They caught him yesterday afternoon and retrieved the laptop computer! Thank the Lord! We don’t know if he is the same thief who stole the cameras in the night, but the police are investigating.

Personally, we have had lots of visitors here and Eddie has been working on plastering the ceiling in the kitchen, so quiet time is a scarce commodity. Our friends are continuing to minister to us and bring us food, etc. We thank the Lord for His goodness! We do not know what is happening as far as our trip to England and the USA. We are still under house arrest and we are waiting on the Lord.

We have a trial on March 31, which was postponed before. Please pray for a miracle! Not just for us, but also keep praying for Ami. The doctors are amazed that he is alive and they are calling it a miracle. A bomb tears apart human flesh in a horrific way. It traumatizes the body organs. His kidneys have begun to function again and that is God’s doing! Praise His Name! Pray for continued supernatural healing with creative miracles as only our great God can do to replace lost tissue, muscles and skin!

Pray that Israelis see something special in what has happened: Pray that they have a new openness to Y’shua! Pray that believers retain the present spirit of unity and are willing to stand up for Y’shua!

I have felt for the last six months as if we are on the verge on something big- Something that will ultimately be good for the believers in the Land.

The Lord spoke to David Ortiz as he was in despair about his son, and said,

"David, I have a Plan."

The Lord is in the picture. "We will trust and not be afraid."

God bless you! In Y’shua’s Name and for His Glory,

Lura (and Eddie) Beckford,

lura_eddie@hotmail.com

Arad, Israel, temporarily under house arrest in Beersheva.