Ministry Information
Organize chess activities – We are working with the Mayor’s office to raise funds for a pavilion for the chess players. This continues to be source of many contacts and points of book distribution.
Distribution of Bibles, books, food and clothing – The Bibles/books ministry has greatly increased with a weekly trip to the Dead Sea in conjunction with the Russian congregation to distribute books to the Israeli tourists who come on the weekend. Learn more Hebrew – Both Eddie and I are trying to enhance our language skills. He is spending hours each week with the computer program and will shortly be enrolled in an ulpan class to study Basic Hebrew.
Painting - Lura has an opportunity to paint a large wall mural in the center shopping area of a small town near Beersheva, so we will probably be starting that in November or December. This is a great time to witness and talk to others.
Holocaust Survivors – we have greatly increased our contact with the Holocaust Survivors in Arad by bringing in Christian Friends of Israel and introducing them. We jointly delivered food and gifts to them. We also guided a tour group from the USA to the Survivors so they could visit and give gifts to them. This project has kept us quite busy, but it is a blessing and a rewarding experience to all who visit them and see how happy they are to receive any kind of attention. Lura’s sister, Susan, is planning to come to help us out for about six months. There is plenty to do here. We are looking forward to her arrival. Please pray that she can get funding for this short-term mission trip.
Bedouins – All six members of our adopted Bedouin family have come to the Lord! Eddie took Ali to a small meeting in Tiberias where he prayed to receive Y’shua as his Lord and Savior. Ali is still facing surgery to remove his right leg below the knee, but the surgery has been postponed several times and we are hoping the Lord has a special healing in store for Ali. Aslam is sharing her faith with everyone she meets and even brought a Jewish man to congregation! Opportunities to minister to Palestinians – Eddie and Ali went to Jericho and the soldiers let them into the city. They were able to give literature in Arabic to a Christian woman who is living and ministering there. In that one visit, 25 Bibles, 1,352 tracts, 100 flyers, 4 Jesus videos, and 462 books were distributed. As Israelis, Eddie and Ali were not supposed to go into the city, but the Lord made a way for them.
We were also able to renew our friendship with another Palestinian from Bethlehem – we had lost contact with him and now we met two of his brothers – answered prayer!
Congregation Yeruel – our small group has made a major impact in this area with the Lord using all of us to minister to others. From helping hungry people, spiritually and physically, to praying with people or giving transportation or encouragement where needed; it is always fun and uplifting to see the Lord in action. Lura is still doing much of the teaching, but we are encouraging others to share, too. Lura is also discipling several women during the week.The young woman who was such a problem earlier in the year has totally turned around and is a wonderful testimony to the Lord - we are really proud of her and praise the Lord for what He has done in her life! Love accomplishes much.
Of course, we have some harassment. Someone calls our house collect several times a day – it is automated, so there is no opportunity to respond and it is always from a public phone so it is impossible to tell who is doing it, but we never receive calls on Shabbat or Holy Days. It is a small price to pay for the great blessings that the Lord is doing!
High Holy Days – It is always a joy to celebrate the Lord’s Holy Days and it gives us so many more opportunities to share the gospel since people are more open to spiritual things during this time! Everyone talks about fasting on Yom Kippur and we are able to share about Y’shua being our final atonement and therefore if we choose to fast it is on behalf of Israel. Most Israelis are fascinated by the idea that we do not have to fast – we have a choice, so it gives us many openings. Our young people are especially on fire for the Lord. Two of them are in the army now and both are witnessing with their lives and their testimonies and have been received well by their fellow soldiers.
Opportunity! We are convinced that we need to have a coffee shop here in Arad where we can distribute food and books and have Godly music and atmosphere. It will also give believers a chance to have a job. So many people are out of work.
We are expecting another tour group from the USA to stop here in Arad this October. Hopefully, they will have a chance to do some good, too.
Please pray about all of these things – it is just the tip of the Iceberg – so much is happening and it is all the Lord doing it! We are very thankful to be a part of it and YES! - I admit to being overwhelmed by it all!.
Personal: Eddie and I are doing very well in the marriage department. Our biggest problem is finding the time to sit down with one another and just relax for an hour or two. We do manage to do that, but it takes a real effort and we both find it difficult to say No to others. We are still on our honeymoon and the time is precious to us. We just celebrated our 2 year anniversary –it is amazing how time has flown by!
Eddie will be able to vote in the Israeli elections on Oct. 28, so he is excited about that. Our 16-yr old doggie is doing well and recently a cat adopted us. We are taking care of it, but not allowing it inside the house (I am very allergic). For some reason, this kitty cat loves us(???).
Eddie has been doing some gardening and our little yard looks like something beautiful from a magazine. He is so remarkable – truly a gift from the Lord! We even have a few vegetables growing!
Both of us listen to teaching tapes sent to us from churches and we regularly discuss Biblical principles and read our Bibles. The Lord is fulfilling His Prophecies right before our eyes, so that is a major subject. Eddie is still playing his beautiful arrangements of hymns on the keyboard here in the house. He no longer plays regularly in the congregation because the teenagers have taken over the worship ministry and are playing guitars and rhythm instruments and leading the music; they are doing a wonderful job. Eddie spent time encouraging them and now we are seeing the results.
We are happy with one another and with the Lord and are looking expectantly to the future! Change is in the air - we all feel it here. Joy is contagious!
Thank you for being part of this ministry! God bless you! In the King’s Service and proud of it!, With Love, Lura and Eddie Beckford