Letter From Emily 7/11/24
Shalom Good Hope Family Fellowship,
I'm terribly sorry for the delay on this June letter. It was only in my excitement to prepare for July's letter (which I'll be able to share in person) that I realized June's had never come to exist.
Before I continue, I want to say there are multiple people in Israel lifting Amy and the Becker family up in prayer, and we will continue to do so.
June was a wonderful month filled with sweet opportunities.
One in particular was handing out stuffed lions and lambs to displaced families from the north. Many are living in various hotels in Jerusalem, and we visited one of them the week of Shavuot.
Shavuot (Pentecost) is the celebration of the Torah given by God to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. It is tradition to stay up all night reading Exodus 19 and 20 along with the Book of Ruth. It is also tradition to eat dairy without meat as a reminder not to mix the two. Most bakeries have cheesecakes made in honor of the holiday.
In honor of Shavuot, the group of elderly evacuees were having an event which included a wonderful, comedic skit discussing the celebration of Shavuot. Those of us from Bridges for Peace then got to hand out the lions and lambs which they were eager to have. Many of them were collecting for their grandchildren, and it was heartwarming and, I must admit, very amusing to see the elderly so eager to receive the stuffed animals. One lady from Bridges stood at the front and tossed them into the crowd as they waved for more.
The Bridges Family got to enjoy a retreat all together. We stayed in a kibbutz outside of Jerusalem and enjoyed a weekend of worshipping, eating, swimming, and stargazing together. Before we headed home at the end of the trip, we visited a farm and got to pick fresh tomatoes and carrots and herbs. The man who ran the farm shared the heavy story of what him and his wife's son and his family went through on October 7th.
They hid in the bomb shelter with a chair adjusted in such a way that it made a makeshift lock. All throughout the day and night, Hamas members would try to get through the door. They even claimed to be IDF soldiers, but fortunately didn't know the code the true IDF recites to let people know they're safe. His wife's sister had not answered her phone all day. Eventually, they called her neighbor to find out what was happening. The neighbor answered and explained that he could hear her sister's twin babies crying, but couldn't go out to them or else he'd be shot.
In the end, the babies were saved, and the farmer's son and his wife have taken them in as they're own children.
The farmer showed us these beautiful, miniature statues shaped as roses, Eagles, and a series of chimes that play "Ha Tikva" ("the hope"), Israel's national anthem. They also had necklaces in the shape of Israel. These were all made out of the Iron Dome and Rockets sent to destroy Israel. The farmer explained, "You say Lemons into lemonade, we say rockets into roses."
It is such a beautiful and powerful message, and I now where this necklace proudly.
Thank you all for your support, that has made these opportunities and discoveries possible. I look forward to sharing how July was in person.
Blessings,
Emily