From:
Subject: Fw: Ami Update - March 30
To:

Shalom to the worldwide network of the Lord's people - the true Restorers of Zion. And on behalf of the Ortiz family, thank you for all your emails, prayers, visits and other expressions of love.

I am still trying to catch up with a flood of emails, and I apologize for missing a whole bunch that were sent last week, which I just now noticed are sitting unopened in my Inbox... I'll try to answer as soon as I can.

Each one of you is a reflection of Him, and your unselfish, unified love is a praise to His name.

"...that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that You did send Me, and did love them, even as You did love Me." (John 17:23)

A lot of non-believing Israelis are watching the Body coming together for Ami and his family... neighbors, security people, hospital personnel, anti-missionaries. Some of it is due to the media coverage (which has been hit-and-miss), but a good deal more is just by word of mouth. And it's catching! Tommy, a brother in Ariel, reports that the Ariel police took up a collection for the family and presented it to them.

In short, there are a lot of communication channels opening that weren't there 2 weeks ago. Pray that the Lord uses every one of them.

Ami's progress (a combination relay report, with thanks to Roz and Tommy!) continues to move quickly. An operation on his right eye took place on Shabbat, a delicate procedure to remove a large metal shard near his cornea, and it was successful. His lungs are still full of metal bolts, and yet his brothers say somehow he is breathing okay. (no one is sure about the collapsed lung, whether it has been re-inflated or not.) He was suffering from a fever and chills yesterday, but that seems to have passed.

The plastic surgeon saw him today and will soon start the skin grafts. The word from this doctor is - if all goes well, Ami might become an out-patient in two weeks or so. Some of the brethren have written about natural substances that can speed up and ease the painful burn-healing process - I am passing on this information to the family as soon as I see them again.

The post-traumatic stress is slowly subsiding. Leah says that for the first time today, Ami's personality is coming back in his responses. (He is really annoyed at not being allowed to get up and use the bathroom...) And he is calmer. Please continue to pray the Lord's healing peace into Ami's soul and mind, as he works through the intense flashbacks that still come now and then.

Leah is concerned for Marina, the housekeeper who found the package and who was one of the first to see Ami after the explosion. Marina is also suffering from post-traumatic stress symptoms, and needs to be supported in prayer.

Local believers, bless those of you who have expressed love to the family by bringing hot meals to the hospital. This has proven to be one of the most valuable practical actions - they love it and feel quite spoiled! And Ami actually nibbled on some real food today (congratulations to the loving sister who made the irresistible blintzes!) We will continue to coordinate this service until they let us know that meals are no longer needed.

Israelis who would like to visit - Ami is located at Schneider Children's Hospital, in the Burn Unit (5th floor). Schneider is behind Beilinson Hospital (Petach Tikvah).

The apartment repairs are in high gear this week, a combination of professional workers and believers volunteering their renovation skills.

Those who took to heart the plight of the Ortiz family dog and were praying for him, you also can rejoice in His mercy! Dusty appears able to hear again, and is starting to eat normally. He is still very nervous and hides a lot, but he comes out and sleeps in a corner when some of the Ortiz boys are around the house. As a dog-owner, I am relieved that the little rascal is returning to normal. We should not underestimate the healing effect this will have on the family, and eventually Ami when he comes home.

Please pray for the Ortiz's neighbor, who lives on the first floor of their building. She was one of the first to arrive on the scene of the bombing (she is a trained nurse), and at the time she acted professionally and helped stabilize Ami. But she was so traumatized by the sight of Ami's wounds ("he was open and bleeding everywhere") that now she cannot sleep at night. She really needs to visit him and see God's miracles, but her memory of what he looked like is probably preventing her from considering it.

The investigation is still under a media black-out. I have checked on the persistent rumors that the police are dropping hints about the direction they are taking - I have confirmed that they are saying NOTHING, not even to Ami's parents. So please discount any rumors you might hear about "leads" they are following in pursuit of one group or another.

Consider such speculation a distraction from praying on target - that the Lord will uncover the guilty party, and that by the time He does, the party will be repentant and full of the fear of the Lord. Never forget that our enemy is not flesh and blood -- if we want to hit him where it hurts the most, we should pray that he loses his grip on many, many souls as a result of this incident!

There is also the report that "Rumors are spreading around Ariel that the Ortizes are leaving Ariel." I am not aware of any such talk myself, either among believers or Ariel residents, and neither is my husband. I have no idea who from Ariel carried this rumor to other believers outside of the town. It is baseless gossip as far as I know.

David and Leah are praying for the Lord to forgive whoever did this thing. We should unite with them in this prayer, and release His full power to turn this evil into good. Please keep holding the family up before Him as well - they must be exhausted with the nonstop stress of the past 10 days. Leah has asked me to pass their intense gratitude to each one of you - your prayers are holding them steady through all the ups and downs.

Increasing numbers of believers have been asking about where to send donations for the Ortizes. Now that the dust is settling, I have asked the family if there is a more direct way to do that, other than sending it through us. You can contact their legal representative, Calev Myers, who has opened up a special account to receive donations for them. Send an email to: myers@yraveh.co.il.

blessings to you all,

Hannah

PS - I have had major trouble from the "gmail" server - because of it being a mass mailing, "gmail" stopped EVERYONE's mail. If anyone has advice for me, I would appreciate it...