Summer Update
- Avi Tekle
- Sep 29, 2022
- 3 min read
Tents of Mercy Congregation
Kiryat Yam, Israel
AID FOR REFUGEES & IMMIGRANTS
Last month we shared about our week-long summer camp that blessed 75 children. That same week, we also held a special distribution event for new immigrant families and refugee families from Ukraine.
In one day over 40 families were welcomed into our fellowship hall with an atmosphere of pleasant music, friendly faces and cold drinks as they came in from the summer heat. Each family was gifted a full set of essential household goods! Many of them arrived in Israel with almost nothing and because of your prayers and generosity they left our ministry center with everything they needed to start to feel at home. Among the items they received were dishes, kitchen knives, pots, a microwave, an electric teapot and more.
One of the women who came that day was so moved that she stayed in the reception area even after she had gathered all of the goods for her family; telling us her story and crying in grief over all she had been through, but also crying out of gratitude for the experience of the day. She later sent us this note:
“We are Ukrainian refugees from the city of Zaporizhzhia. We arrived in Israel in March 2022. Because of the war, we arrived with only our documents. The suitcases and bags we had brought with us were thrown from the train and everything else was left at home in the rush. The way here was very difficult, but we made it on our own. We survived two days stuck in the train without water. Our grandson was in the hospital with an acute asthma attack, connected to intravenous drip and when we had to leave suddenly, we discharged him prematurely without even having an inhalation machine to take with us. Thank God, we made it and he is ok.
I want to express my deep gratitude and the gratitude of my family to Ohalei Rachamim for all the good you are doing for people like us. We were received so kindly and we were listened to. We are so grateful for the generosity and kindness. I myself worked in humanitarian work in my past job, and never did I imagine myself being on the opposite side but am so grateful to the staff at Ohalei who have responded to us in such kindness.”
CONGREGATIONAL OUTING
Then in August, we had our annual summer congregational picnic. There’s nothing better than going out to spend a day together as an extended congregational family! We traveled to the picturesque national park, Gan Hashlosha, where we ate, swam, played games and had deep conversations together under the palm trees. Some of the families that came were also newly arrived immigrant and refugee families.
PRAYER POINTS:
• For the continued success of our household goods drive. We have over 100 more families on our list. Pray that as needs are met, hearts will be opened.
• For provision and wisdom in our ongoing renovation project in the multi-purpose fellowship hall and classrooms.
• For a successful Fall Feast distribution that will bring blessing our city.
• In the past few weeks, we have felt a shift in the spirit, and we sense that God is preparing us for something new and big. Thank you for joining with us to pray for revival in the Haifa Bay Area.
