Dear Prayer Partners,

Shalom and greetings from Jerusalem! The land of Israel is blooming and full of life as we enter the second full month of the spring season. Hills that lay barren in the heat of the summer are now vibrant and full of green grass upon which sheep graze as shepherd families stand nearby sharing the latest updates on life and their families while watching their sheep. The citrus trees are heavy with fruit. Vines, olive trees and date palms are beginning to produce their fruit as well. Children can be seen climbing in Almond trees to eat its sour fruit and flowers abound on the hillsides. Meanwhile, the political scene continues to develop and national days of celebration and solemn remembrance draw near.

The Next Coalition
Although the elections took place this past month in April, the elected parties are still in the process of forming the next coalition. At this point in time, Israel’s President Rivlin has given the Likud 50 days from the date of the elections to form a coalition. Should a coalition not form, the Blue-White party would be given the opportunity to try and form a coalition. Once the new coalition forms, Knesset will resume. Please pray for Israel’s legislators as this new coalition is formed and pray that they will enact God-honoring legislation that will not bring judgement on our nation.

Holocaust Survivors and their Families
Many holocaust survivors living in Israel face difficult financial challenges, especially if they did not have enough personal retirement savings. For those who immigrated with their children and grandchildren, the situation may be a little better, but for their children and grandchildren, a heavy burden rests on their shoulders in their effort to take care of them. As we observe Holocaust Memorial Day this month, we not only mourn for those who lost their lives in the holocaust, but we also pray for the well-being of those who still suffer because of the holocaust—those who have medical issues even to this day and those who cannot afford to pay their basic bills.

Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism
This month, we honor those who gave their lives for this nation or who have lost their lives in acts of terror. As a country, we mourn that innocent people have died because of hate, and that young Israeli soldiers have had to risk their lives every day since even before the re-establishment of the nation of Israel to protect innocent civilians. Other militaries in the world only require their soldiers to risk their lives in times of war. Israel is in a constant state of war—the war on terrorism. As we observe this most somber of days in Israel this month, pray with us that those who’ve been affected by terrorism or war in Israel will receive the peace of Yeshua and be filled with the love of God that will overcome all pain.

Israeli Independence
This month, we celebrate 71 years of independence in Israel! Every year of independence is another year that God has shown Himself truly faithful to the people of Israel. Yet, we are all very aware that our independence comes with a heavy price of the lives of many of our loved ones. Pray that all of Israel will come to know our Messiah and receive a revelation of the God who has been with Israel since ancient times. Pray also that God will continue to bless this nation economically and technologically as He has until now. Lastly, please pray for fair treatment of all Israel’s citizens, Jew, Arab, & Christian alike, and that Israel will truly be a welcoming place for the foreigner among us to live and thrive in peace.

Moran & Family
Moran had an incredibly blessed time in Uganda last month, especially as he was able to travel with his son there. They were both changed for life as a result of this special experience! In May, Moran will have more time to invest in the staff in the office. He will also have a weeklong trip to the USA, and then a long weekend in Poland. He will be speaking at a few congregations in Texas, as well as at a conference of Polish Christians who are strong supporters of Israel. Poland still struggles with strong anti-Semitism sentiment, so these believers there who truly love Israel and the Jewish people are indeed precious! Please pray for safe travels for Moran, both in the air and on the ground. Please pray for health for him (some of his family members have been sick this past week, so we are hopeful that he won’t catch it!), and also for wisdom as he prepares his messages for both trips. Please pray for his family at home, for their protection, peace, and health in his absence.

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.

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 pray for us as we seek a replacement for our female youth leader as our current one is leaving to study full-time in September. Please also continue to pray for more male volunteers to work with the youth.

Soldiers’ Group
We are seeking someone to replace our current Soldiers’ Outreach leader, as she will be leaving in September. Please join us in praying for a new leader for this outreach, as it is a crucial part of our disciple ministry. We have seen much fruit from this program! 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 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 Soldiers’ 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. Lastly, please pray that they will finish the remaining two months of the semester strong.

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. We 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!

Newsletter
We will begin work on the next newsletter this month. Please pray for wisdom and clarity for us as we write the newsletter, for Mike as he designs the newsletter, and for Debbie who will be in charge of printing & distributing the newsletter. Please pray for the LORD’S protection over us during the entire process and for His kingdom to be glorified as a result!

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 (click here to learn more). 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. 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.

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

In His Service,
The Hope for Israel Prayer Team