Dear Prayer Partners,
        This past month was, in part, a month of solemn remembrance of the greatest pains of the past at the memory of the Holocaust and those who’ve lost their lives in Israel as a result of terrorism and war. This past month has also been a month of great joy as we observed both past and present blessings over Israel such as independence for the modern state of Israel as well as independence from Egypt so long ago. God has not forgotten Israel and we are grateful that He continues to walk with us through even the fiercest of storms.

Water Resources
In Zechariah 10:1, it’s written: “Ask rain from the Lord at the time of the latter rain….” We’ve been praying and this past month, we saw surprisingly abundant rain even though we are in the time of the latter rains (usually a time of especially minimal rain before the dry season begins in Israel). We even had some rainstorms toward the end of the month. No natural amount of water can help us at this point in the drought that Israel has faced these past many years, but our God is a God who is able to multiply what seems like nothing in the eyes of man and to turn it into abundance. The water crisis has disappeared from the news as we’ve enjoyed more rainfall as of late, but the problems remain. The last time our water resources in Israel were this depleted, the government was forced to restrict water allotments drastically to farmers, thus crippling the agricultural industry for a time. Pray with us that God will continue to bless us with abundant rain in this time of latter rains and even multiply the water resources in a way that only He can!

Borders and the US Embassy 
The issues along the border have continued into this past month and are expected to continue until and possibly after the moving of the US embassy to Jerusalem this May 14^th. Towards the end of this past month, Hamas was even sending burning kites into Israel that burned farmland. In times past, increased recognition from the West of Israel’s sovereignty has been met with increased opposition from Muslim nations and radical Muslim terrorist groups. The former chief of Israel Defense Forces intelligence expressed towards the end of this past month that this May could be the most dangerous Israel has faced since the 1967 Six Day War. Please pray for peace in Israel, especially along the borders, and all the more as we prepare for the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem in the middle of the month.

Jerusalem Day
May 13^th is “Jerusalem Day”, where Israel celebrates the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. After Israel was attacked in 1967, within six days (hence, the name “Six Day War”), Israel retook the Old City of Jerusalem, which was under Jordanian rule at the time. This is a strongly disputed celebration, obviously, as the majority of Arab nations still do not recognize Israel as a valid country. Considering the current tension between Israel and the Palestinians, we ask for prayer over Israel on this day, and that there will be no attacks or violence.

Iran
Tensions between Israel and Iran are VERY high at the moment, especially due to the fact that Iran is gaining more power in Syria. Israel has stated very clearly that it will not allow Iran to take root in Syria, especially since Israel shares an 83-kilometer border with Syria in the north. Iran has threatened severe attacks on Israel if Israel dares to attack its military positions in Syria. Iran has also threatened to retaliate against Israel if the USA cancels the nuclear deal it made with Iran under President Obama, since the two nations are strong allies. It’s a very difficult, complex situation and requires a great deal of wisdom for our government and military leaders to navigate. Please pray for the Lord’s wisdom for Israel’s leaders—governmental and military—that they would know the best way to deal with this volatile situation. Please also pray for His continued protection over Israeli citizens (at home and abroad) during this tense season.

Asylum Seekers
The parliament has abandoned all efforts to deport the 40,000 African asylum seekers living in Israel until a better solution to the illegal border crossings will present itself. The deportations were expected to take place in April but the High Court found a number of issues with the proposed deportations resulting in many wondering whether or not they would end up getting deported. For now, the issue has been put to rest and asylum seekers will be permitted to remain in Israel and to live freely so long as they apply for and renew temporary resident visas every 60 days. Even though this issue has been put to rest in the parliament for now, please pray with us that the next time the illegal border crossings issue will be brought up there will be more effective solutions proposed and that if deportations are still on the agenda that those deportations would be a matter of offering a fair alternative to the home country of the asylum seekers. Please also pray for improved legislation regarding how asylum seekers are received in Israel and that as long as they are in Israel they will be blessed by Israel and will be a blessing to Israel.

Shavuot
The evening of May 19^th through the evening of May 20^th, Jews all over the world will be celebrating Shavuot (The Feast of Weeks also known as “The Day of Pentecost”). This is an exciting time for Jews as it is on this day that Jews traditionally celebrate the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai so long ago. This is also a special time for us as believers as we remember that on this day, the New Testament records the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God is eager for each and every one of us to come to the saving knowledge of Him and Shavuot is an especially valuable time to press in for a deeper relationship with Him. Please pray that many will come to the saving knowledge of Messiah this Shavuot.

Moran
Moran will be traveling at the end of the month to Ohio & Florida for a short ministry trip. The rest of the month he will have time at the office and continue to visit with the various visitors and groups that come to Israel. Please pray for strength, health, wisdom, and clarity for Moran as he continues to lead the ministry and is constantly faced with important decisions. Please pray for wisdom as he prepares his teachings for this month’s trip, and the longer trip in the summer. Please also pray for protection over his family during this season.

HFI Board
Please continue to pray for wisdom for our board members as they make important decisions in every area of the ministry. Please pray for protection over them and their families, that the Lord would shield them from illness and spiritual warfare.

HFI Staff
Pray with us for the work of each and every one of our staff members as well as those volunteering with the work of our 3-Fold vision (discipleship work with youth, soldiers, and young adults). At the moment we are especially in need of someone to work with our tours. Please pray that God will bring along the right person to take care of the work that goes into making the tours truly enriching.

NerYah Youth Group
All the days off from school and celebrations of the past month are behind us but the youth of NerYah are still having fun connecting daily in our youth center and weekly in our NerYah youth gatherings! NerYah continues to be attended by more than 60 youth on a weekly basis and while many of the youth are filled with all the joy and love of the Lord, they are still youth facing all the ups and downs of adolescence and school. Some are also in challenging home circumstances and some are in need of physical or emotional healing. Pray for God’s intervention for those in need of it and for His continued work in the hearts of those attending NerYah!

Believing Soldiers’ Outreach 
It goes without saying that Israel has had quite a bit of activity along its borders as of late, not to mention the heightened threat of terrorism in response to the upcoming US embassy move. This affects the believing soldiers with whom we work also. Pray for peace and discernment and that believers serving in Israel’s military will be a light in a dark place and will be encouraged as they are surrounded by other believers who are standing with them and praying for them.

“Israel Beyond the Headlines” Video Project 
We began this special project in January in honor of Israel’s 70^th year of independence. This is a video project where we produce one short video per month 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 to 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, Yoel, Moran, & Melissa. Please pray for His protection over us all and for the truth about Israel to reach to the ends of the earth!

Foundations of the Faith Book 
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. Please also continue to pray that the current project to translate the book to Spanish will be blessed and bring forth a fruitful harvest among our Spanish-speaking brethren.

Newsletter
We just published our special edition newsletter “70 Years of Independence”! This was a very special newsletter for us to write because of the incredible significance of Israel’s miraculous 70 years. Please pray for the newsletter distribution, that it would reach many people and bless them in their search for understanding the miracle of Israel. Please also pray for us as we are already beginning work on the next newsletter, which will be published this summer. These are a big undertaking and require much time and prayer! Please specifically pray for health and physical protection over all involved in the process (Moran, Melissa, Nate, Mike, Patty, Debbie), and for the Holy Spirit to guide us as we write, design, publish, and mail the newsletter.

Tours
Please join us in praying for each and every one of our tours to be a blessing both to those who join and a blessing to the work of Hope for Israel! 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