ISRAEL-Several months ago I received an e-mail from FRIENDS in Haifa asking for prayer and help for their FRIENDS in Arad who were being heavily persecuted. I contacted EDDIE and LURA (some of the persecuted who invited me to minister with them and stay in their home).  Eddie and Lura minister out of a space in the local Shuk (market). They distribute clothing to the needy, provide meals, distribute Gospel materials and run a daily chess/dominoes club as well as minister in several other ways including of HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS. The chess club attracts from 20 to over 60 PEOPLE (primarily retired Russian Jews) on a daily basis. Eddie and Lura organize chess tournaments and even rate their chess skills with a computer program.  Sometimes they take the chess players on trips to places.

The ORTHODOX constantly harass Eddie and Lura by following them around, camping outside of their house (they actually had to move), intimidating other BELIEVERS who try to help by going to their landlords and employers and applying pressure on them to be evicted and fired. The Orthodox burned down their ministry space and rented one across the way. Eddie and Lura’s car tires have been slashed and they have been verbally and physically assaulted. A group was going on a bus trip to a very evangelistic place and the Orthodox brought in hundreds of other Orthodox to stage a protest and block the bus from moving. Several were discouraged from going on the trip, but the rest went a few hours later after police intervention.

It was a joy to serve in Israel, thank you for sending me! Eddie asked me to bring a dozen Jesus Loves You t-shirts (for believers in Arad) as well as black dolls from the dollar store (to build relationships with Ethiopians and Arabs). The persecution has subsided and apparently God answered our prayers by having believers contact Israelis in high places, the filing of harassment charges against the Orthodox (two actually fled Israel) and a lawsuit against the Orthodox for burning down the ministry space! Besides helping Eddie and Lura with their daily activities at the ministry space, I had many opportunities to meet and hopefully encourage several believers in Arad including POLLY (who has many foster children) and has hundreds of the Orthodox protesting in front of her house. I spent most of my time loving the chess players including A* (new Jewish believer who was suicidal…), N* and P*.