Comfort Ye My People

2011-06-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Whew! Been a busy day. I made my first purchase in shekels...walked to the hardware for light bulbs...the clerk shorted me 5 shekels. lol I called her on it & she made it right. She could speak English and knew I didn't speak Hebrew. :) I carry a "cheat sheet" of phrases, money differences & a calculator with me. She seemed embarrassed that she had done that. :) Had my first bomb shelter drill...then lunch with an IDF soldier & her mom. Shopped at the "shuk" early morning for the meal. They love to talk Christianity, but have not made a commitment to Jesus... yet, but I'm invited to dinner on Fri. Then I was sent to visit my first survivor... alone. :) Her grand daughter was outside the home when I arrived & invited me in. The family offered me a drink...then coffee...we watched a marine bio movie, but mostly talked...they invited me back. The grand daughter translated for me...and I helped her with some English translations. These ppl know I'm a believer, but are very open to me so far. Funny thing, though...the highschool and college age girls were drawn to me...and that has really always been my " age group" when it comes to evangelizing...The IDF soldier was in the flight program until injured...so talked to me about her huge disappointment of not being able to be a pilot now. Both young women seemed very mature compared to back home girls of that age.I told the survivor family my son was coming in July and they suddenly began talking fast and furious in Hebrew...I finally realize they were trying to understand "July" and was able to stop them and explain "next month." lol We all laughed but I could see they were happy I figured out what they were wanting to know. Better go...another bomb shelter drill at 7pm...and I have the shelter key. :) It was funny at lunch...we compared bomb shelters at one point. They have a nice one with all kinds of amenities...hair stylists were even sent to them during the 2006 war..fresh food and celebrities visited...:) It is different here...but I want to see souls saved... appreciate your prayers.

FB Notes for you who are not on FB :) Hopefully, I'll have some photos soon.

2011-06-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some FB status remarks I made yesterday....too tired to write anything new today...been a busy one. :)

Driving around Israel today ...saw two accidents...one car completely flipped onto it's top. Crazy driving...

Just received my first telemarketing call in Hebrew...lol I answer the phone for the ministry house. :)

There is an Egyptian mongoose living under the house next door...with babies. lol Been a busy day...saw two guests off and had to clean their rooms...went shopping for the house....signed and folded cards for survivors in prep for a visit to those in Arad in southern Israel soon...addressed envelopes for them ,etc. Tomorrow packing the gift bags for the survivors...basic training is over. Now for the real world. :)

If you have ever heard of Lars Bastrop Jorgensen...famous soccer player from my era...he will be helping here soon and will be Eric's roommate. I had never heard of him before...but it might mean something to some of you who love soccer to know this man is serving

God...

I was folding cards,etc for the survivors & heard what sounded like gun shots. I just kind of smiled and thought "no..." lol Has to be fire works"....and it was. I didn't even jump...just thought "no way!" lol Guess they love fireworks here..use them bdays, weddings , any chance they get. :) fun ppl You can tell men rule here....

Susan informed me that there will be two city wide bomb shelter drills on Wednesday...guess I'm in charge of unlocking the shelter...I have to make sure I lock up the house ,too. lol Like you'd think of that when bombs start falling....:)

There are bedoins living in tin huts near here...didn't see any camels, though... just horses with them. Oh, a McDonalds is around the corner...a land of extremes in many ways...Had to pick up paper for the office from Office depot...almost felt like home. :)

Passed the Bedoins on the way to Office Depot.

So many lost souls here....so many everywhere...

Well, once the real work gets started...it'll be a lot of sad stuff more than likely and requests for prayer. Many of the ppl I will be seeing do not know the Torah or any scripture really. They were in the holocaust, then lived in Russia which is atheistic...so what we will be doing is encouraging them to read the Torah and Psalms ...they will find Jesus there...One survivor burst into tears after hearing the Aaronic blessing from Numbers..said she'd never heard it before and thought it was beautiful and where could she see it again...one thought God does not speak to ppl...she was writing really angry letters about her husband's death...one volunteer helped her to see she was writing very angry things about God...and she began softening after realizing God "reads " her letters....One survivor opened up after receiving a small stuffed teddy bear...it reminded her of her husband because he gave her one just like it when he proposed...who would've thought that a teddy bear would help win a heart of an elderly woman? It's really a matter for prayer what is given to each person because one little thing can bring back a flood of negative memories,too...it's very sensitive.

Oh, and the Druze ppl have a market here...where you can buy "thirds." lol You've heard of buying "seconds"...well this group of ppl sell "thirds." I'll have to check it out...lol

Kind of funny...they usually look at me and just wave me on...guess I don't look like a terrorist. :) One guard squeezed my purse a little..:)

That and I'm sure I always have this silly grin on my face...:)

Oh...and when I go into the grocery or any store, my purse is checked for a bomb...into a parking lot and the car is checked for bombs...a little different from home...:)

Well it's after 2am...better get some sleep...last night the last time I looked at the clock it was 3:48 am. Have almost everything finished, though. :) God is good.

Flight to Israel/ First day

2011-06-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

Flight-
Both flights were delayed due to uncooperative weather around Atlanta. As I waited at gate E17, It seemed I stuck out like a sore thumb. :) Blonde and fair skinned mixed in with all of these dark haired, olive skinned Israeli's and Arabs headed for Israel. An older lady sat alone and quiet near me and seemed kind of shy, so I didn't speak to her. Another announcement was made confirming a continued delay so I decided to search out a cup of coffee. As I walked through the terminal, I noticed this "shy" lady was walking behind me so I started a conversation. She immediately warmed up to me so we walked and talked for awhile. Once back to the gate, others of varying ages just began talking to me including one very lovely young girl about 14 who shared how excited she was to be moving to Israel. These people seemed so sweet, warm and were very helpful to me. After finally boarding the plane, a young mother came to me and asked if I would give up my window seat. The airline had seated her two very young children with me and her elsewhere, Unbelievable! I couldn't help but think of another time in history when Jewish mother's had their children ripped from their arms. I gave up my seat. :) I ended up in between an elderly Jewish woman and a young Jewish father. We had great conversation and the woman stayed with me once we deplaned to make sure I found my way. It was a wonderful flight. The plane was filled to capacity with what seemed to be one big family. Lots of children...lots of talking...lots of laughter. We were crowded and uncomfortable, but there was no complaining...not even when one baby cried most of the trip. Again, I couldn't help but think back to another time in history and the cattle cars filled with similar faces but not so happy. Faces filled with fear and terror and sadness. The kind of stories I will be hearing from survivors while here in Israel. I was blessed to see these people so happy and free. My heart began to melt with a warmth for those on that plane and I just wanted them all to know my Jesus. Once we landed, applause and cheers went up for the pilot. I guess Israeli's are the only ones who do this...it was great fun to be with such exuberant people. Next was the train ride (nearly 2 hours) to Akko with Susan and an IDF soldier with a really BIG gun. Two soldiers ..the male with the BIG gun and one female soldier helped me with my bags once we reached Akko. Next we took a taxi to the house.
First Day-
Today I was supposed to rest and recover from jet lag....well...I did sleep in and took a short nap but still managed to get in quite a bit including reading two manuals of instructions. :)
First though, I was amazed to be placed in the "manager's quarters." :) I did come to train to manage the house, but I fully expected shared rooms and bath with little to no privacy. Instead, I have my own room and private bath and small office area. :) I may have to share later, but for now, it's all mine.Susan said the work I'll be doing is emotionally draining and I will need some space and privacy at the end of the day. The beach is a 20 minute walk, so I can always go there to pray like I do at home. Eric is slated to room with a famous soccer player who volunteers here...more about that on another day. :)
I began training to manage the house this morning which included a walk to the grocery store for supplies. Everything is in Hebrew, so Susan had a "picture book" of the products to be purchased. Pretty smart. :)
I learned how to calculate shekels to dollars, but found in the end, it's real easy just to use my Visa! No change to count! lol
Before you enter the market place, your purse is searched for bombs...that was new to me. I now know that "boker tov" means good morning and "comazay olay" means how much? All along the way I was being taught the customs, etc. Next I was left alone in the house to wait for two guests coming from Jerusalem. One is a 63 year old lady originally from Lithuanian. Her parents escaped persecution fleeing to the US and now have immigrated to Israel. She has come to faith in Jesus. Her prayer is for outreach to middle aged and elderly women here..she says there is none. Next came more training and then I was treated to my first sunset over the Mediterranean Sea while eating my first Israeli pizza! lol I do like pizza and it was good. On the way back to the house I had a short tour of 5000 year old city walls and 1500 year old homes in the mostly Arab district. Next time I will remember my camera. Lots of National Geographic type shots to be taken. :)
The house is across the street from a "tel." Twenty-one cities were built one on top of the other to form the "tel." When a conquering army came in, the city conquered would be leveled and another built. I plan to hike to the top when I get some free time. Akko is one of the oldest seaports in the world. Napoleon attacked here and was defeated. There is a statue of him at the top of the tel holding an Israeli flag.:) I could see Haifa from the shore of the Med Sea.
On our trek to see the sunset, Susan became aware I like exercise so she gave me a rather unusual assignment. The translator for the work is an 87 year old man who likes to play badminton. He is a Jewish immigrant from China. Anyway, she wants me to play badminton twice a week with him.. lol She says I cannot get upset when he beats me. lol Abraham has not come to faith in Jesus...yet....so appreciate prayer for him....wisdom for me.
More training this evening to the sounds of the orthodox Jewish rabbi and his 7 children next door chanting and singing and laughing for hours...it is shabbat now. Two doors down another family had lots of company for shabbat, balloons and children's songs playing while eating outside. Two holocaust survivors live down the street. Tomorrow I will be visiting a Russian congregation. Should be interesting. So much for the jet lag rest day. lol I feel great, though. Sleepy earlier in the day....but wanted to jump right in. The time here will be over before I know it.
Funny thing in the laundry room ...on the wall it is written-
"Boldagok akik megmossak ruhajakat." A Jeleme'seh Konque 22:14 Translation is " Blessed are those who wash their robes. " Ha!
Good night and God bless. :)

2011-06-03T13:11:00.001-07:00

If you wanted to order Mary Kay products for the Holocaust survivors, Pat is matching all orders. So $13 will give 2 ladies a lipstick each... $10 will get 3 hand creams, etc. Just email Pat @ phutchinson1@marykay.com Thanks!

Original idea list.....

2011-05-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

Lori,

I have attached a list of gift suggestions. You may want to add items that are not on the list and that is fine. Be creative. We get make bags, coin purses, pocketbooks, book marks, etc.

Please make sure the items are new and of good quality.
There are plenty of dollar type stores that the survivors shop at.

Thank you for blessing the Survivors.

Nancy Kurtz

List for Survivor gifts:

1. Lap robes (small blankets to cover the lap and legs

2 Multi Vitamins and Vitamin C (MUST NOT be expired or about to expire)

3. Arthritis cream (external creams, no internal meds)

4. Warm socks (size large and larger; loose around ankle if possible)

5. Band Aids, gauze bandaging, sensitive skin tape

6. Antibacterial for wounds like Neosporin or similar

7. Hot water bottle

8. Winter scarves and gloves (both men and women)

9. Soap (deodorant, something that smells good)

10. Small perfume for women

11. Aftershave for men

12. Lotions

13. Slippers (men and women)

14. Notepads and pens

15. Kitchen items like dishtowels, washcloths, oven mitts and hot pads

16. Small stuffed animals.

17. Sugar-free candies

18. Small fancy cups/glasses/small wooden bowl (I had three, filled them with candies and wrapped in tissue paper. Makes a nice gift.)

19. Tissue paper and narrow ribbon to tie up gifts

20. Paper gift bags (small 6”), med (8”) and large (12”) (sizes approximate)

21. Shawls

22. Small photo albums

23. Small stuffed animals

24. Candy dish (prefer crystal)

25. Vases (prefer crystal)

26. Table cloths/ table runner

27. Doilies

28. Nice decorative hankies for the ladies, traditional ones for the men.

29. Votive holders / battery operated candles

30. Yarns for knitting or crocheting/ needles as well.

Gifts for Holocaust survivors!

2011-05-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

Eric and I will be allowed four , fifty pound suitcases on the airplane and have been asked to fill two of those with gifts for the holocaust survivors. We think we can fill three and still have room for what we need while in Israel. A list of suggested gifts was sent to me, but I was told to use my imagination! I prayed as I browsed stores asking the Lord what would older ladies really like to have? Well, the next morning the Lord answered my prayers with one word, "Lipstick." lol The most unusual answer to prayer I have ever had! lol As I pondered this thought, I remembered Pat Hutchinson, a friend from church, who is a Mary Kay Consultant. All women like to feel beautiful regardless of age, so I contacted Pat to discuss having an on-line Mary Kay party for the survivors. Pat was elated and said she would donate any profits and also contact other consultants for donations. Here is her email with info about participating-

Hi Lori,

It was wonderful speaking with you this morning! What an oppotunity you have to minister and bless these people. I will be praying for you. Thank you for involving me and Mary Kay in this venture, not sure you know this but Mary Kay is a christian based business. Our founder Mary Kay Ash was a devout christian and built the company on principles from the Bible. My National Sales Director is a Christian Jewish woman, who I know will be elated about your mission. Her family is not christian.

Here is a list of some things older women like : lipsticks, lotions, body washes, hand creams, face creams, nail polish, satin hands, pedicure sets.

My Mary Kay website is www.marykay.com/phutchinson1, and my Mary Kay email address isphutchinson1@marykay.com.

God Bless you.

Pat

If you would like to participate in this "party", you can order from Pat's website or to avoid registering can email her directly. We will be visiting men, too who like to smell good and could use lotions, so do not forget about them!

Be sure to let her know your order is for the holocaust survivors. :)

Eighteen days until I leave for Israel. So blessed to know God desires to use me. :) My church (Grace Community Church in Pensacola ) gave me a vote of confidence this week by giving a financial offering towards our trip. We did not ask for this, but they insisted we fill out the app so they could do this. God is good. We did not try to raise funds, so our Lord did it for us. :) How good is He?!

I also want to especially thank Cheryl Garmong, Susan White and Linda Mellon...my biggest encourager's in this adventure. :)

Individuals from church have begun donating items from the "list" sent to me for the survivors. Linda Mellon set up a display with the list in the church foyer and had this announced from the pulpit last weekend. I had no idea she was doing this. I guess God knows I have been busy teaching, so He raised the funds for our trip and touched the hearts of people to help put this mission trip together. I feel so blessed. I love you Jesus. :)

Well, here it is!

2011-05-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Some have asked me to start a blog to share this coming summer's work in Israel... so here it is. :) I still have to figure out how to add photos, etc. Those of you who know me, know I am kind of a dummy when it comes to technology, but I am learning!

Why the title?

Isaiah 40 states "Comfort , comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received double for her sins." Then Isaiah goes on to reveal the coming of John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord.

Three ministries will be sharing us (Me and Eric, my youngest son) and all three endeavor to comfort the people of Israel. We will be giving humanitarian aid to holocaust survivors, renovating bomb shelters to protect those in harm's way and praying for the handicapped and orphans and whatever else we can do.

The holocaust survivors are in their late 60's and beyond. Many of these precious people saw their families murdered and or tortured when they were just children. Some were "specimens" for medical experiments. Others have no idea what happened to their families. Many of these atrocities were committed in the name of Christianity. Pray for open hearts. Pray for wisdom. I cannot fathom the experiences of these people.
Israel is under constant threat of war so renovation of bomb shelters is an urgent need.
We will be helping in many ways so hopefully this blog will record God's work in progress. :)

Why a heart for Israel? Because God has a heart for Israel. If any of you have a rebellious child, you've had a glimpse of God's father heart and how it must ache. Guess my heart wants to help God's heart ache a little less. :) Loving, comforting and giving hope to others doesn't take specialized training...just a yielded heart.

Romans 11

The Remnant of Israel

¹ I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”^[a]? ⁴ And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^[b] ⁵ So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶ And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, ⁸as it is written:

   “God gave them a spirit of stupor,
   eyes that could not see
   and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”^[c]

⁹ And David says:

   “May their table become a snare and a trap,
   a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
¹⁰ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
   and their backs be bent forever.”^[d]

Ingrafted Branches

¹¹ Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. ¹² But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

²² Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. ²³ And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

²⁵ I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, ²⁶ and in this way^[e] all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

   “The deliverer will come from Zion;
   he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
²⁷ And this is^[f] my covenant with them
   when I take away their sins.”^[g]

²⁸ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, ²⁹ for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. ³⁰ Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now^[h] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. ³² For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.