Dear Friends,

As a result of the remarkable Roe v. Wade reversal by the U.S. Supreme Court, the media here issued a loud (and mixed) response. Even our own Facebook page has been filled with controversy.

One woman beautifully expressed the regret she suffered from her abortion:

“I had an abortion when I was 18. It was horrible. I would do anything to turn back time now that I know that your organization exists. I wish that I would have found you then. I was 18. Today, I am 35. Most of the psychologists and psychiatrists don’t recognize abortion as traumatic. What they call traumatic doesn’t cause me these flashbacks and didn’t affect me like my abortion. It was the worst and most traumatic experience of my life. May you be able to reach all of the women who are in the situation that I was in. May they choose a different path. I pray that no woman will experience what I experienced and won’t do what I did.”

I’m deeply grateful to all those who partner with us as we protect women from the pain and trauma of abortion, enable them to provide for their babies with dignity and offer healing to those who have been hurt from abortion.

Bless you for caring!

Sandy

MALI AND BABY GIRL RUTH

Over this past year, Ruth has grown into an adorable little girl. She is the sweetheart of her older siblings. Ruth is in subsidized daycare, so that mother Mali can work. Mali has been concerned because Ruth cannot sit or crawl yet. She has an appointment scheduled for a development examination in a few months. Mali has a job as a daycare assistant and is the family’s main breadwinner. Her husband is still fighting with National Insurance bureaucracy to try acquire a disability ranking, which will provide the family with a living allowance, as he is on PTSD medication following an attack three years ago. He still lacks the functional mobility of two fingers in his dominant hand. Mali’s husband regularly sees a psychiatrist and still seems unable to hold down a job, working only a few hours here and there. It falls on Mali to keep her children fed and clothed and the bills paid. The monthly diapers and gift card for Ruth’s needs have been a life preserver for her, and she has expressed how grateful she is. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Keep Praying:

Our petition to the High Court to stop abortion at 24 weeks was blocked by the Ministry of Health. We have written an appeal.

'YOU ARE SPECIAL'

On July 20, we held a special event for moms and their children, which included a terrific concert by the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra and a delightful theatrical performance of Max Lucado’s book You Are Special. The turn-out was great and the crowd was very enthusiastic. This event was open to our Be’ad Chaim families as a special blessing, and to the public to raise awareness of our work.

OXANA AND BABY GIRL ADEL

Oxana bought a special dress for her daughter, Adel, to wear on her first birthday. The proud mom said that Adel looked like a little doll! Olga and her husband now have seven children, including Adel, and struggle to make ends meet, despite his hard work. Yet, all the children adore their baby sister. This precious family immigrated to Israel a few years ago from Ukraine with the hope of starting a new life here. Adel – a new life – is their Israeli blessing!

BRACHA AND BABY BOY DANIEL

Twenty-year-old Bracha and her husband are ultra-Orthodox. The couple married as soon as they found out that Bracha was pregnant, but her family ostracized her. When a work injury diminished her husband’s ability to work fulltime, they felt alone, and Bracha decided to seek out our help. During the holiday of Shavuot (“First Fruits”), Bracha went into labor, and her landlord drove the couple to the hospital. When her grandmother received word, she convinced Bracha’s mother to join the couple in the delivery room. In June, baby Daniel was born. Be’ad Chaim supplied all of Daniel’s diapers and furnishings, so that Bracha and her husband’s home would be full of wonderful new items to welcome this precious child.

'The feeling to protect my child is stronger than I am'

Tamar is 26 years old and came to us considering an abortion of her fourth pregnancy. Having suffered postnatal depression after the birth of her third baby, she said, “I was afraid that I would be depressed again, but I went to the rabbi. He asked, ‘If you had a baby, would you kill him? Of course not! If God gave you a baby, then He’ll give you the strength to keep it.’”

She continued her story: “Only a mother could understand these feelings. The feeling to protect my child is stronger than I am. In time, I couldn’t even think about abortion.

"The first time that I got pregnant, I was 19 and not married. My mom told me: ‘You don’t have to marry if you don’t want to. I will accept you.’ I knew that people would talk, but I didn’t care. I had total peace. People always talk, but I didn’t care.

“I’m now 26,” she said. “Sometimes, at night, I think that I can’t go on with four little ones; but, every morning, I wake up with new energy. It’s as though someone has recharged my batteries. You do a wonderful work. There is nothing more blessed than to save a life. Everyone has her story and can feel like her whole life is a storm. You offer the remedy and cure for that pain and fear. You calm the storms.”

YEMIMA AND BABY BOY AVI-OR

Yemima is an overcomer. Despite ill health and limited work hours as a caretaker for the elderly, she continues to be positive and to use all the resources available to her. The African community in Jerusalem is quite cohesive and supportive, and Yemima finds that they depend on one another as family. Her son, Avi-Or, who just celebrated his first birthday, has begun walking and is in daycare in order to learn Hebrew and “to become a real Israeli.” It is a blessing to help moms like Yemima, who are so positive and hardworking.

THANK YOU FROM RUTH

I wanted to thank you so much for all your help, which cannot be taken for granted! Your help enabled me to give my children what they needed, whether diapers or formula. They are now a year old and eating like big boys. May they be healthy! So, thank you – so very much!

BECKY AND BABY BOY OMER

Becky, 19 years old, immigrated to Israel last year from India. Through her Hebrew course, she met a young 18-year-old man, who had also moved to Israel from India. She had been living with relatives so when she realized she was pregnant, she was worried that her family would not accept her. Fearfully, she contacted us looking for help and was enrolled in our Operation Moses project, which provided her with a baby bed, stroller, bathtub and monthly gift cards to purchase her baby’s needs. During the pregnancy, Becky and her boyfriend married and moved into their own apartment. At the end of April, Becky gave birth to her firstborn son, Omer. Her aunt and cousins visit them often and are very supportive. Becky and her husband rejoice over the life they chose for their precious Omer.

PUBLIC MEDIA

We continue to find creative ways to let women in crisis know about our help. In addition to displaying ads on the sides of 330 buses around the country, we are posting signs inside restroom doors of 100 pubs, restaurants and coffee shops on the promenade of the tourist city of Eilat.

GARDENS OF LIFE

This month, we welcomed a group of young adults from the United States. They came to Israel to volunteer, pray and meet locals, not just to tour. They planted 23 trees in honor of various losses within their families. Those who wanted to, received personal prayer and a beautiful certificate to remember the tree-planting in honor of the babies who would not be held. … It was a touching and special time. Many took a deep interest in how to communicate against abortions, including several young men. It was a rich visit.

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