Blessing and Honor

August 9, 2012

We have been called to a path of blessing Israel and the Jewish people. Every day we bless through word and deed. For over 1,700 years, many of the actions and words from the Christian world to the Jewish people were not words of blessing. Verbal curses were followed by heinous actions, causing deep pain, rejection, persecution, and even death. How long does it take to heal severe wounds? I don’t know. In the United States, it has been over 150 years since slavery was abolished. A horrible wrong was addressed at that time, but still the US feels the pain caused by the sin of slavery.

Since 1976, Bridges for Peace has been acting in the opposite spirit. Each month, 28,000 people receive food from Bridges for Peace. We make sure they know that Christians paid for the food, that Christian volunteers working in Israel packaged the food, and that they have Christian friends around the world. After 1,700 years of negative interaction, today they are being blessed by positive action.

We are so blessed when we see the Jewish people respond favorably! During our staff retreat, we organized a hands-on educational activity (see story on page18), and at the end of the session, our Orthodox Jewish instructor asked us to grab hold of the corners of his garment, the tzitzit (knotted fringes), so that we could fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah 8:23: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”

In our small group, people from 13 nationalities ran forward to grasp the fringes of his garment. He was blessed to be a part of this prophetic action and so were we. Encounters like these are increasing. God is at work to heal the brokenhearted, and He is using ordinary people who are willing to share their lives with others.

Our Volunteers—A Great Asset

Bridges for Peace is so blessed by our amazing volunteer team. They are Christians who have accepted the call to bless the Jewish people. Their servant hearts propel them to come, give, and touch the hearts of the people we assist. The impact of Christian love in Israel would not be possible without our dedicated Christian staff. I thank God for them every day. It is an honor to serve alongside such amazing people. They give of their time, resources, skills, and heart to fulfill the call God has placed on Bridges for Peace.

They raise their own support before they come to be able to pay their expenses in Israel. Some of them are living with extremely tight budgets. Sometimes they depend on their private savings or social security benefits. None of them are living extravagantly. They live in simple apartments, sharing with other volunteers. They do without many things that many of you may take for granted, like air-conditioning, clothes dryers, and cars. Yet, their hearts are so turned toward fulfilling God’s call that they continue to shine with His love to all around.

We are always in need of more volunteers. Is God pulling on your heart strings? I can tell you that the best place to be is where God has purposed for you. If you are interested, please check out our volunteer section on our Web site: www.bridgesforpeace.com

If you can’t come, consider sending someone else! Please ask the Lord if He would like you to support a volunteer in Israel. If you don’t know one of our volunteers personally, please call your national BFP office and ask them who needs support. Then indicate on the coupon page the name of the volunteer you want to support. You will share in their blessing! Together we can make an impact for the Lord and His kingdom.
Blessings from Israel,

Rebecca J. Brimmer
International President and CEO