Israel is a special country in God’s eyes. The history of salvation is closely related to the whole divine plan for humanity through this nation. Even today, many international decisions are related to this relatively small country, namely Israel. I am glad that God sent the Mitrea family there to serve among the Romanian-speaking community. He founded and organized the Sar Shalom church which he pastors. Brother Eugen and I were fellow masters students for two years in Cleveland, TN. We lived in the same city and developed a fraternal friendship that is still relevant to this day. We graduated together in 1991. The last time I visited his family was in 2018 at the baptism of their daughter, Ella. During this time, I had the privilege of meeting sister Aurica Codreanu from Timișoara, who had come to be at her granddaughter’s baptism. The ministry of those in Israel is very complicated and often even dangerous. I invite you to pray and support the mission in Israel for our nation.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” John 14:27
What a magnificent promise Yeshua made to us! His shalom is to be within us if He – the Prince of peace – reigns in our hearts. May we all be filled with it as the “turbulence” is going to grow bigger in the days to come. Truth is, with Covid, the world entered a new course, and apocalyptic events are here. We got to the point where more and more people call evil good and good evil (Is.5:20) and cannot but think of Noah’s days and God’s judgement of the world. As the world is plunging deeper into instability, they will look for a “savior” who will bring a false peace…
Talking about instability, the Middle East is becoming VERY unstable and we are sitting here on a powder keg. The bone of contention is none other than Israel, faced with existential threats and just defending herself! Five months into the full war with Hamas in the south, partial war (for the time being…) with Hezbollah in the north, fighting the terrorists in Judea and Samaria, and occasionally facing the rockets of the Houthis from Yemen is stretchy for the IDF. There is hardly a day when we do not have funerals of soldiers and it is so heartbreaking!
As the war with Hamas started, Eitan could not come home for two months as he serves there, close to Gaza. We were able to visit him at his base during that time. Thank the Lord for His protection for him all these months! He is entering Gaza on special missions of intelligence gathering and then coming out. The Lord decided from the beginning that he was not to be on the confrontation line…However, one day as he was walking in Gaza with his unit, a very sharp and very hot piece of metal fell just three-four feet behind him. In addition, he did not have the helmet on his head at the time… However, he had the helmet of salvation on and our daily prayers surrounding him! Eitan saw God’s protection first hand and realized anew He is his Shield! Usually he is coming home every two weeks for the weekend and then he is very active in our church services together with Ella.
Some time ago, I went with a couple friends to a kibbutz near Gaza to volunteer in making sandwiches for soldiers. We took the sandwiches to different locations and had the opportunity to enter kibbutz Nir Oz. It was QUITE an experience! We felt the “smell” of death in this ghost community (only some soldiers were inside), with most of the houses burned by Hamas terrorists and a fourth of its inhabitants either killed or taken hostage to Gaza…
Igal is the son of Russian immigrants and a Messianic believer from Nazareth. He was wounded in Gaza and taken by helicopter to a Jerusalem hospital. It was a privilege to visit with him and pray together. Later they transferred him to a Tel Aviv hospital for physiotherapy. His smiling face reflected the faith within…
Our daughter, Ella is finishing her first year in the summer at the Hebrew University and has one more to go, pursuing a Master in Communications. I can say that the Lord is so good; He has blessed us in so many ways and, of course, you are a part of His blessings. We know and we feel that you are backing us up all the time in your prayers in these difficult times and this is what a family in the Lord is like! We are so grateful!
Shortly after the war started, the ladies from Romania and Ukraine (Romanian speakers) who came here to work kind of panicked and went home; some regretted afterwards…True, no one knew how things were going to develop. We continue to enjoy every week sweet fellowship and the Lord’s presence, as He is not looking at the numbers but at our faithfulness and dedication to Him!
Jerusalem is usually quiet but now, with the Ramadan there is tension and at times, Palestinian acts of violence. Much police and soldiers on the streets…
Did you know?
- On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian terror group Hamas committed the largest mass murder of Jews in one day (over 1,200) since the Holocaust…
- Over half of young Americans aged 18-24 think it’s legitimate to call for genocide of Jews.
- The present government is the most religious government in the history of the State of Israel.
- The motto of the IDF elite Egoz guerilla warfare unit (established specifically to deal with Hezbollah) is “I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. (Ps.18:37)”
- Rome wants to return Temple vessels to Israel.
An interesting development is the fact that in September 2022, a team of rabbis searched and found five red heifers in a ranch in Texas, which were subsequently imported, to Israel. As of now, four of the heifers remain blemish-free. According to Temple Institute rabbis, they hope to carry the ceremony from Numbers ch.19 before the coming Passover, next month. Only nine heifers have been sacrificed since the time of Moses until the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD. Maimonides, the great Jewish rabbi stated that the 10th Red heifer ceremony would usher in the Messianic age. Everything is secured and ready to go including a secured spot on the Mount of Olives.
The interpretations regarding this important subject differ; according to some theologians, the Third Temple will be built when the Antichrist forges a peace treaty between the nation of Israel and its neighbors following a global war. He will use the temple as a venue for proclaiming himself as God and the long-awaited Messiah, demanding worship. The deception will be so great because of the false signs and wonders for those who perish, because they rejected the truth and the salvation. What a privilege for us to know Him, the Living God!
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”
1Thess. 5:23
As always, we are grateful to you all for your prayers for our family, for your financial support and for standing with Israel in these days!
Serving the King of kings,
The Mitrea family – Jerusalem
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