Tears of Joy

We shared this story of Facebook last month and many of you seemed to enjoy it so we are sharing it again here: 

Sometimes we get people who come in the store who are not in need, but appreciate what we do and want to help support us. Today, such a women came in, picked out a coat and put 100 NIS in the Tzadak box (donations). Later, a woman came in and wanted to know if we ever got any wigs. Her hair was thinning terribly and she was obviously embarrassed by it. We could tell she was desperate. We sent her next door to a wig shop and made a deal with the owner for a wig which she styled. It was more than the 100 NIS in the Tzadakah box (we made up the difference), but when the woman who was losing her hair left, she was crying tears of joy. When you donate, you never know how God is going to use what you give. Someone out there thought they were donating a coat, but they really bought a balding woman a wig. #tearsofjoy

The Compassion Team is responsible for all of Jacob's Hope's projects in Israel, but they are funded independently of Jacob's Hope.  Without their guidance and hard work, many of the opportunities we have to work with local congregations and municipalities would not be available.  It is important to us to have their oversight on the ground.  They are currently raising support for a second term in Israel, but we can't afford to have the work we began together in Israel be interrupted in order for them to return to the States for an extended period of time (to raise the support they need to live there).  Please prayerfully consider supporting this family directly at https://giving.ag.org so they can continue with this important work we have started together. 

Galina, Mother of Eight

Woman with child at a center

Shalom Rav (Much Peace),

We would like to thank everyone who works at Jacob's Hope, those at the distribution center and those who donate.  I have a large family, eight children.  Only my husband works while I take care of the children.  We have received clothing, food, furniture and more from the Jacob's Hope distribution center.  The money we save on these items allows us to use the money my husband earns to pay our rent, utilities and other necessities.

Thank you for all that you do!

Galina

The Compassion Team is responsible for all of Jacob's Hope's projects in Israel, but they are funded independently of Jacob's Hope.  Without their guidance and hard work, many of the opportunities we have to work with local congregations and municipalities would not be available.  It is important to us to have their oversight on the ground.  They are currently raising support for a second term in Israel, but we can't afford to have the work we began together in Israel be interrupted in order for them to return to the States for an extended period of time (to raise the support they need to live there).  Please prayerfully consider supporting this family directly at https://giving.ag.org so they can continue with this important work we have started together.

School Supply Initiative

Our compassion center in K’far Saba recently reached out to the absorption center in Ashkelon where a number of Ethiopians have arrived in recent months. Absorption centers help new immigrants get on their feet in Israel, often providing temporary housing and Hebrew classes as well as other forms of assistance.

Our partners, “Love to the Needy,” was able to provide backpacks and school materials to the children of these new immigrant families in Ashkelon.  In the coming months, we are looking to contribute to this initiative, helping needy families in Ashdod, K’far Saba and Maalot, by providing school bags, notebooks and writing tools to ensure their financial needs do not hinder their children’s education. The compassion we are able to share with these needy people is not only making an impression on them, but also on those who work in agencies, like the absorption centers and municipalities, who work with those in need.

The following was compiled from two letters sent to our partners Love to the Needy, from the Ashkelon absorption center.

To those who give through Jacob’s Hope, love to the needy:

Immigrant families living in Ashkelon came to Israel from Ethiopia in recent months. Most of these families are large families living on assistance from the Ministry of Absorption. These families are facing many economic difficulties: buying medicines, compulsory education, rent and payments, electricity, water and gas, food and clothing while supporting their families that remain in Ethiopia...

...We thank you heartily and welcome this initiative and the substantial donation - school bags, notebooks and writing tools. Everything was distributed to children for the opening of academic year and you made these families very glad. It is very difficult dealing with immigration and adjusting to life in Israel.

Thank you for caring and for your involvement in the community.

Ashkelon Absorption Center

How Can You Help?

We still need to raise another $1,000 in monthly commitments in order to reach the modest budget that was set for our living expenses in Israel. Please pray about making a monthly financial commitment so we can continue to do this work in Israel.  

Click here to make a financial commitment to our work in Israel.

New Opportunities in 2011

2011 is here, and with the New Year there are new opportunities to serve God in Israel. On December 25, 2010, Jacob's Hope held their monthly food distribution with Rivers of Living Water Congregation in Karmiel, Israel. This month we had 250 families sign up. Although, each month more and more families come for food, our funding for this project remains the same. Each bag we gave away this month (approximately $8 of food per bag) is only half the size of the bags we started giving away just over a year ago (approximately $15 per bag). Each bag comes with a card saying the food is being supplied by Christians in America who want to bless the people in Israel. Please consider donating to this project by designating your contribution to the Karmiel Food Project, so that we can truly bless these needy people.

In addition to each bag of food we gave away, Bibles and DVDs were made available for the taking. Approximately 40 of the 500 people who attended the optional service, stayed afterward to ask questions. A truly amazing work is being done in this city, despite the limited funds.

Another opportunity to give is in Ashdod, where we just moved our center to a larger, more prominent location in the country's fifth largest city. This new space will not only increase the traffic to our store, but will allow the space to have job training on computers, and language classes for new immigrants. But with this new larger space comes the need for more funds to make the necessary renovations. We need approximately $3,500 to fix the electricity and lighting, fix and paint the walls, clean up and fix the bathroom, move and install the shelves and heating/air conditioning unit from the old store. Additional funds are also need to repair the floor and purchase equipment for job training. Please consider donating to get this center up and running by designating your donation to the Ashdod Project.

Also, please don't forget to support our family in Israel, without whom none of these projects would be possible. This family moved to Israel with their own funds and is doing much of this work on a volunteer basis because we don't have the funds to pay them a full time salary. Please consider donating to keep our Israel compassion team, and therefore keep Jacob's Hope's operations in Israel.