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Carmei Ha’ir is a full-service restaurant designed to serve the needy with dignity and respect. They come to eat but are never charged for their meal. Not only do they receive a wonderful hot meal, but also, when they get ready to leave, they are handed sandwiches for their evening meal. Carmei Ha’ir is one of many organizations to which Bridges for Peace supplies food. The food we give helps supply meals for 450 people eating in the “restaurant,” as well as sandwiches for schoolchildren who would otherwise go hungry and “takeaway” for evening meals. Carmei Ha’ir Chairman Yehuda Azrad says, “Our goal is to put pride and dignity into the step of our patrons and a smile upon their faces, so they can go out into the world and find employment once again to sustain their families. Everyone at Bridges for Peace has now become a part of our family at Carmei Ha’ir. Thank you for your wonderful Bridges for Peace family that accomplishes such wonderful kindness for mankind.”
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Our Volunteers Have a Servant’s Heart
Bridges for Peace is staffed by 73 Christian workers, most of them volunteers from around the world. Currently, the Food Bank staff consists of 13 people from 8 different countries. Each of them came to Israel to serve the Lord and show His love, through their actions, to the Jewish people.
Emily van Wyk, 23, who worked on the Food Bank floor for a year, tells of a typical day: “We make up big pallets, with large quantities of food, and store them on the high storage racks until they are collected or delivered. We also bag hundreds of food parcels for families in the Adoption Program. The packets contain 10 to 13 items of nonperishable foods, as well as fruits and vegetables. As people come to pick up their food, we have the awesome opportunity to build relationships. They even bless us! I’ll never forget the day when everyone was busy filling a big bagging order. The driver from one of our food suppliers came in to wait for his payment. We could tell that he was a religious Jew. We offered him some coffee, but, instead, he joined in our assembly line and started working. By doing this, he showed us that he appreciated what we are doing.”
Bridges for Peace Food Bank Serves Thousands
The Bridges for Peace Food Bank, which started in the small kitchen of the Bridges for Peace office over 15 years ago, is now an incredibly efficient, well-organized ministry that is supplying more than 77 tons (70 metric tons) of food each month to more than 25,000 needy Israelis. This food is distributed through many organizations and directly to nearly 400 families and 12 communities in our Adopt an Israeli Town Program. From the very beginning, God’s hand has been evident. Our volunteers have learned the secret of true greatness in the kingdom of God, as they selflessly give their lives in service. Yeshua (Jesus) said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26b, 20:28).
Through Serving-Touching Hearts
Last week, I sat in my office with the deputy mayor of Sderot, a small Israeli town bordering Gaza, at which more than 6,000 missiles have been fired. One hundred families in Sderot receive food monthly from Bridges for Peace through the Adopt an Israeli Town Program. As we talked of the fears of the people and their needs, I was struck again by the impact we are making from one end of Israel to the other. Our loving actions are making it possible for Christians and Jews to sit together in respect-something seldom experienced by either side for nearly 2,000 years. Here I was, a Christian woman, sitting and talking with an Orthodox Jewish man and our Jewish ombudsman, Danny Bar-On, about God’s love for the Jewish people and our desire as Christians to cooperate with His plan for Israel and the Jewish people. What a miracle! God is touching hearts throughout Israel, and He is using the loving service of Christian volunteers.
You Are on the Bridges for Peace Team
Even if you never come to volunteer in Israel, you are on the Bridges for Peace team. Your faithful prayers and giving empower the work in Israel. We are so thankful that you are in partnership with us. Together, we are touching the lives of more than 25,000 Israelis. But we shouldn’t be satisfied with our accomplishments when so many more people are waiting for our help. We want to assist them and show them how much Christians care about them.
Please pray that God will supply the funds for us to reach into more Israeli towns and lives through the work of the Food Bank. If you can make a donation today, it would be gratefully appreciated and will be spent to purchase food for the people of Israel. No amount is too small. If you would like to adopt an Israeli town, please indicate your desire on the return page (US $100 a month for one year). Together, we are making a difference as we serve the people of Israel with God’s faithful love.
Blessings from Jerusalem,
Rebecca J. Brimmer
International Executive Director (CEO)
Jerusalem, Israel
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