Dear Prayer Partners,

We begin this month with thankfulness, especially for how much rain and snow God has blessed us with in Israel so far this rainy season. The water level in Israel’s Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) has been dangerously low for the past 2 years. This winter, thanks to outstanding levels of rain and snow, the water level in Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) has risen a surprising 5 feet, thus replenishing the lake’s supplies above the “lower red line”. Below the lower red line, the lake is in danger of permanent contamination of the water, so exceeding this line is a welcome change after 2 years of the lake’s water level being below it. The lake is no longer dangerously low and we can all breathe a little easier for a while. However, we are still praying for innovative solutions to restore still low water supplies in Israel, and for an abundant remaining rainy season!

Purim Celebrations
This month in Israel we celebrate Purim from the evening of Wednesday, March 20th to the evening of Thursday, March 21st. During this celebration, Jews in Israel and throughout the world remember a time when anti-Semitism led to a near genocide of the Jews around 2,500 years ago (as recorded in the book of Esther). As with Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), Purim is a time when the people of Israel commit to rejoicing regardless of present circumstances. Pray that during this feast, the Jewish people and all who celebrate Purim in solidarity with the Jewish people will be able to forget, for a time, those things that may normally weigh heavy on their heart and instead rejoice in God’s faithfulness throughout the generations. Please also pray for the same courage that Esther had, for all of us to stand for God's truth and not compromise on His promises for Israel (especially for all of Israel's salvation!).

Workplace Safety
In the final couple weeks of February there were multiple construction accidents in various places in Israel, some leading to loss of life. In one incident, a worker fell from a height that required emergency medical attention. In another incident, a worker was killed when scaffolding collapsed on top of him. Multiple other injuries and deaths resulted from workplace accidents this month. Since the beginning of this year, 5 workers have already died in workplace accidents, not to mention numerous others who were injured in workplace incidents. This is due in part to contractors who cut corners to meet demands of their clients and in part to a lack of thorough oversight on the part of the government in workplace safety inspections. Please join us in praying for improved workplace safety in Israel moving forward.

Continuing to Pray for the Elections
Israel’s elections begin this next month on April 9th. Despite the corruption allegations against Netanyahu, the Likud is still leading the polls with Netanyahu continuing as prime minister should they win in the elections. If the Likud wins in the upcoming election, Netanyahu’s term of service will very likely become the longest of any prime minister in Israel. In a demonstration of cooperation between two opponents to Netanyahu, Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid have agreed to take turns as Prime Minister of Israel should their party win. Recent polls suggest that these two candidates serving in one political party could potentially beat Netanyahu's party. As we draw near to the elections, please pray for all who are running in the elections to be motivated by a pursuit of righteousness and justice for Israel and not by personal gain. Pray especially for politicians who will pursue realistic and effective solutions to serious challenges facing Israel today.

Moran & Family
March continues to be a full month of ministry & tours for Moran! He continues to oversee the ministry while leading & teaching on the tours, so his time is always very full. Please pray for strength, health, wisdom, discernment, and patience for him this month! Please also pray for his family in his absence, especially as Melissa returns to her MA studies this month, while also working for the ministry 20 hours a week. Please pray for peace, patience, health, and security for her and the children this month while Moran is away for much of it.

HFI Board
Please pray for protection over all of HFI’s board members and their families. Pray that the Lord would shield them from illness and spiritual warfare.

HFI Staff
PRAISE REPORT! This past month, we hired Elad to work with us in our media department. Please pray for Elad as he dives into working with the HFI team to be filled with creative solutions to the challenges he faces in his work with the media. We also hired Judy & BJ to oversee our "Tours of Hope" operations from Israel & the USA! Please pray for them both as they jump right into this busy season of tours, for a quick understanding of all the intricate aspects of the tourism industry, and for favor for them with all the various clients & vendors they will interact with. We have been praying for over a year for the Lord's provision to fill these positions, and we are so grateful that He has been faithful to answer in His timing! Please continue to pray for our current staff and the Lord's covering over their families. It's been a tough winter with a lot of illness among the staff and their children. We ask for health from the Lord for us all!

NerYah Youth Group
Please keep each and every one of the youth in your prayers that they will find NerYah to be a place of encouraging fellowship and guidance through the challenges they face as youth in Israeli society. Please also continue to pray for more male volunteers to work with the youth.

Soldiers’ Group
We are still praying for more volunteers to work with our soldiers’ group. Please continue to pray for the soldiers both that they will excel and that they will be strengthened by God to continue strong in the faith in spite of the many challenges they face. Pray that God will use them powerfully also to encourage those around them as they experience a level of discipline that they have never before encountered. Please also pray for God’s protection over them as they serve in a place where war is always a possibility.

University Students
Hope for Israel is working with a number of college students who were once with us in NerYah and a part of our Soldier’s Group. Please pray that all of the students with whom we’re working will continue to develop successful learning strategies and that we will be successful in helping as the need arises throughout the school year. Please also pray for them to be strong in their walk as they are immersed in a system that can be hostile to their faith. Please also pray for them as they begin the spring semester this month after a six-week hiatus.

Foundations of the Faith Book
PRAISE REPORT! We have completed the printing of the Spanish translation of the discipleship book! This was a long process and truly a labor of love on the part of so many people. We are grateful for them all! Please continue to pray that every copy of this discipleship resource will have a personal impact on those who read it and draw many into an increasingly deeper relationship with God! Please pray for a wider distribution of the book, that it will reach many people and that they will be strengthened and challenged. We now have the book printed in Hebrew, English, Russian, & Spanish.

“Israel Beyond the Headlines” Video Project
We began this special project last year to celebrate the miracle of Israel’s 70th year of independence (click here to check it out). This is a video project where we produce short videos highlighting a different aspect of Israeli innovation that is making a difference in the world. This project is a means of Israel advocacy, which is an important part of our call as the Body of Messiah throughout the world. But of course, this is also a threat to the enemy and we have experienced some warfare in this area. Please pray for us as we continue to produce powerful & effective videos, and for all involved in this project: Lior, Moran, Nate, Elad & Melissa. Please pray for His protection over us all and for the truth about Israel to reach to the ends of the earth!

Tours
As we begin this month, we’ll be starting our Experience Israel Tour. This is our main ministry tour and is very important for the ministry and the tour company. Pray with us that this tour will begin well, without any traveling glitches, that it will be a blessed experience for all, and that it will finish up strong. Please also pray that our Israel-Greece tour will fill up soon with people who are ready to grow in their understanding of Scripture and the lands in which it all began. Please pray for those joining us on these tours to be blessed and to grow in their walk with the Lord. Pray also for Moran and those leading the tours with him for peace and wisdom, and for unity among the leadership team of the tours. Please continue to join us in praying for all our tours to be a blessing both to those who join and a blessing to the work of Hope for Israel. We host multiple tours each year (www.hope4israel.org/tours/). These tours generate income for the ministry, which goes to cover our overhead, thus allowing a higher percentage of donations to go to our projects.

Thank you for joining us in prayer for these things! May the Lord bless you.

In His Service,
The Hope for Israel Prayer Team