Changes

It has only been a month plus a few days since Eddie left to be wth the Lord and it has been a turbulent one here in the Body. Several days after he died, we received notice that another leader in the Body from Jerusalem who we knew well had died suddenly in Scotland where he had gone for a ministry trip. 

Eliyahu Ben Chaim, from “Intercessors for Israel” was infected with a bacteria that caused many severe complications and he died just a few days after going to the hospital. This was a great shock to the community throughout Israel and many people who were at Eddie’s funeral had to sadly attend their second funeral in a week.

And then amazingly enough, just days after Eliyahu’s funeral, we received word that another brother who was actually at Eddie’s funeral had died suddenly from a heart attack after traveling to the USA immediately after the funeral. Yishai Reinhardt established “Hands of Mercy” ministry and was a friend and very dear brother whom we loved. In twelve days, we lost three strong brothers in the Lord. We will miss them all!!

And then as if all that was not enough, just less than a week ago, we heard the tragic news of a fatal car crash in which a young believing couple with two children were hit by a truck after they pulled over to the side of the road. The mother, 28 and one child, two months old were killed and the father is in very critical condition with head injuries and a broken back. The other child miraculously survived without serious physical injury. This couple came from the same congregation as Eliyahu and it is overwhelming for everyone in the congregation as they try to absorb all these tragic and sudden losses. 

Please pray for the Body in Israel as it tries to understand and grapple with all that has happened in such a short time. Pray for each family as it goes through this season of grief. May God’s comfort and love fill each one of us as we move forward day by day. Rodrigo is in an induced coma and the funeral for his wife and child is on Friday July 19th. Pray that Rodrigo will be healed and will come through well and be able to care for his daughter. He needs a miracle!

 Just a few days after my 7 day period of sitting “shiva” ended, I flew to New York with my son, Evan and granddaughter Lia, 15 to attend a Memorial Service celebrating Eddie’s life by the Messianic congregation which we founded in 1989 in Kingston NY and where we spent the first 18 years of our married life. It was a very beautiful service filled with so much love. Many people came from the surrounding area and beyond to honor Eddie. I was in awe at how many people remembered him with such appreciation for who he was and we were so encouraged by all the testimonies that were given. We had a memorable time visiting old friends and family and we finished the trip with a day in NYC which was a special treat we had promised our granddaughter. It was her first time in the city and she was thrilled!

I came home tired but so filled with God’s grace and favor, ready to embark on the next chapter of my life. This Shabbat, Rodney and Robyn will leave my house. They have accepted a position to be house parents for a “lone soldiers” home in nearby Mevesserat Zion. They were an incredible help to me in my most “needy” moment and because of them, we were able to keep Eddie home and provide the best care he could possibly have gotten. And they helped with sincerity and humility of heart filled with love and joy in Him. I will be eternally grateful for all they have done for me. The good news is that after a brief season out of the country while waiting for their visa, they will return for at least a year. We all look forward to having them around and being a part of our congregation.

Please pray for Robyn and Rodney – for health and strength and wisdom for this next very important assignment. They will be helping soldiers coming from outside of Israel with hearts to serve in the military but without family or support system. It is not easy! This is a relatively new ministry and so they will be instrumental in helping to develop it in the best possible way.

It’s amazing to think that over a month has gone by since Eddie went to be with the Lord. This is the longest I have ever been separated from him in over 40 years and I am grateful to God that his mercies are new every morning! Each day he fills me anew and afresh with his loving kindness and I am able to continue on with hope in my heart.

After all that has happened since that day, we are all so much more aware of how fleeting and fragile this life can be. How important it is to commit ourselves to loving one another. Love leaves no regrets! We are not guaranteed one minute more than this one we are in and we must live as if each day were our last. I remember a revelation Eddie had a while ago. He thought about the fact that he would be with the Lord for eternity and in comparison, our time on this earth was so finite and short. What is 70-80 years in comparison to eternity? And so he realized how each day was so precious – we have so few of them really and he committed himself again to letting each person know how much he loved them and how much the Lord loved them. Eddie never missed an opportunity to show love. May this legacy live in me as I go forth. “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

Again my gratitude to you for your ongoing support and overwhelming encouragement. It is a great blessing in my life and helps me to go forward. I know God has many things for me to do and I pray for a willing and open heart. I do believe that my years with Eddie have equipped me for this next season and God will use it all for his purposes.

To Him be the glory, now and forever.

With love from Zion,