* Michelle is only three years old, but she shows her little backpack to the security guard every time she enters a store. Security is a fact of life in Israel and all bags must be searched. (Children are treated with special care in Israel. Most adults stop working to talk to the little children for a minute or two, no matter how busy or how many customers they have.)

* A Jewish Messianic believer (a young woman) was having a hard time and needed some encouraging comfort. Her friend, a woman from the same congregation, reaches out and hugs her and speaks comfort to her. What’s so unusual about this? Her friend is an Arab and a believer. A beautiful picture of peace to behold in the war-torn Land of Israel brought to you by the Grace of the Messiah Y’shua.

* A young man walks into the water of the Jordan River and is immersed. He has been a believer less than 24 hours. When he comes out of the water, he talks with his pastor and says he wants to marry his common-law wife properly. Two life-changing decisions in one day! His wife became a believer some before and had been praying for him. She is beaming and hugs him despite his wet clothes.

* A young woman lay dying in a hospital in Haifa, her body full of cancer. She asked the Israeli social workers to find a Messianic believer to take her four children. The social workers search for a Messianic believer willing to take all her children (the youngest is three – the oldest 18). The 18 –year old is entering the army, but the other 3 children are now safely living in a believer’s home in Arad. The Lord works in mysterious ways and used the social workers to honor the request of a dying woman. (She passed on as soon as she knew the children would be taken care of)

* Three young men came into the congregation for Shabbat service and they each sat down and propped their M-16 automatic weapons beside themselves. They were wearing civilian clothes, but they are in the army and off only for the day. They must keep their weapons with them at all times. There is something really special about a soldier who humbly prays to God that he might be spared from ever killing anybody, but that he would be a good soldier and ready to defend the defenseless. May the Lord protect them!

Praise Updates from last letter: Three Holocaust Survivors have prayed to receive Y’shua as their personal Savior and Lord!!!! We are so happy about these three new souls in the Kingdom. After a life of fear and suffering, they can now rely upon the Lord for their comfort – forever! This is so timely, since three other survivors have passed on from this life. Time is short and these people are elderly – We praise the Lord for His Mercy!

We now have three months’ rent for the building in the market area, so we will be signing a year’s lease (step of faith) sometime this week. We should be moving in sometime in mid-February. So many people are excited about all the possibilities for outreach! The Russian chess players are anxious to begin using it and our congregation is looking to move in and hold services, as well as the Youth group. This is a major step for this city. We are becoming more and more visible and our Light is shining brightly! Pray for all the extras (utilities, taxes, etc.) to be met and paid on time. The Lord is moving in Arad!

We met with the Mayor and he admitted that there is no law against passing out books, but he is afraid the orthodox Jews will beat us up and he made it clear that he will not send the police to help us if they do. He did say that if our faith is strong enough to stand up to the orthodox, then go ahead and pass out the books! So we have an understanding; he is not going to stand in our way.

Lura’s sister, Susan, is now here and having a wonderful impact on those she meets. Thank the Lord for bringing her safely here! She is a welcome addition to the team and if you would like to receive her newsletter – let me know!!

A special thanks to those who gave a little extra money this past month to help us out. (We lost several regular supporters due to their loss of employment.) So we are continuing to pray for them that this is only a temporary condition! We are experiencing a lot more bills and a lot less income, so we are not out of the woods yet. Keep praying for us!

Another step of faith! We took a layout for a 4-page (Hebrew) newspaper to the printer’s today - This is a witnessing tool for unbelievers, as well as a teaching tool for believers. The first edition is going to cost $770. (Another bill to pay, but the Lord has made it clear that this is a major step and very necessary - Time is short!) We believe this newspaper will fill a gap in the Body of Messiah here in the Land. This newspaper is about Prophecy and the soon Return of our Messiah Y’shua. We are confronting some of the myths/rumors being spread by the orthodox and breaking down strongholds. We are not here to play games; we are here to be used of the Lord to turn the world upside-down! It happened in the Book of Acts and it’s happening again! By your prayers, you are part of the action here! Isn’t that fun! Thanks for standing with us! (We will try to get an English translation of the newspaper on the website in the next month or so.) We love seeing the Lord work here and there!! God bless you!!!!