Dear Friends, Partners and Prayer Warriors:

Every child deserves the most basic right to LIFE. His right to live cannot be based upon the circumstances of his conception, the circumstances of his mother’s life, or her convenience.

Yet, a British court recently made the audacious ruling that a pregnant woman with limited mental capacity, was to be given an abortion against her will. The judge decided a pregnancy termination would be in the unnamed woman's best interests, despite objections from her mother. The woman's mother, a former midwife, was against abortion and said she could care for the child, with the help of her daughter. In this newsletter, you will read the stories of several women whose health and circumstances are very challenging, yet who chose life for their babies.

Viki, like the woman in the court case in England, is mentally challenged, but thankfully, her baby lives!

Bless you for helping us save the lives in this newsletter and many others. With your help, we are seeing the birth of nearly a baby a day!

Sandy

Viki and baby girl Yasmin:

Viki gave birth to her baby daughter Yasmin in May 2019.

Yasmin is Viki's second child. Viki is a mentally challenged adult. She was born a healthy baby but had contracted meningitis when she was two years old, leaving her with permanent brain damage.  Her parents have cared for her all her life and were in shock when she became pregnant the first time, some nine years ago. At that time, the Welfare Department pressured her to abort, but her mother adamantly protected the life of her unborn grandchild. Since then, her mother has cared for both Viki and her child. Viki managed to shock her parents when she became pregnant again, but this time it was by a man with whom she has been in a healthy relationship. Vicki and her boyfriend have found an apartment and are now raising the two children on their own. The Child Welfare office and Social Services are keeping close tabs on them but so far, they have passed with flying colors. Although Viki is mentally challenged, she had the wisdom of God to choose life for her child.

“But God chose the simple things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong.” 

(1 Corinthians 1:27)

Joy for Mourning

Lev, Shoshana's 4th child, was born in March 2019, following the tragic death of his older sister just a year prior. Shoshana suffered almost no labor pains and the labor went so fast that she actually delivered at home. It took the ambulance 25 minutes to reach her and by that time, the baby was already out! Thankfully, Shoshana's neighbor is a midwife and was literally a lifesaver, assisting at the last moment. Shoshana has gone back to taking psychiatric meds (she had to stop when she was pregnant), for depression so she is unable to nurse baby Lev.

Shoshana, her husband and their oldest child have needed therapy following the death of their second child. In addition to the financial stress they have been under, her husband has been struggling to keep a job. He had his own cleaning business but had to file for bankruptcy last year. Now he is working for someone else with a similar business but his heart just isn't in it.

Shoshana is doing her best to be optimistic about the future. Everyone loves Lev, especially his older brother. Shoshana feels that Lev's life is kind of a "compensation" for the child they lost. While they are trying to get through the bankruptcy and paying their debts, the help they are receiving this year though our Operation Moses Project, providing them with all basic baby needs, helps them greatly. Please pray Psalm 30 for this precious family:

“For his anger endures but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. You have turned for me my mourning into dancing: you have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that I may sing praise to you, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.”

May God indeed turn their mourning into joy.

Mom who needs your prayers

Beautiful Maor celebrated her 1st birthday in May. She is a sweet little girl, healthy and developing well. Her mother Rachel had been in an unstable relationship with her partner for ten years, and they have a five year old daughter. Rachel had had two prior abortions and had planned to abort the pregnancy with Maor as well. She rejoices that she chose life for beautiful Maor although she has since separated from her partner. Rachel was blessed with her two daughters and was able to get into a new routine with her baby, but then she discovered that her cancer had reappeared. 

Ten years ago, she’d been diagnosed with cancer of the mouth and was treated.  Everything was going well and she believed she was fully 

healed, until sadly, the cancer returned. Once again she will be receiving treatments and within the next weeks will undergo surgery. Doctors will have to remove part of her tongue, and she probably won’t be able to talk for about two months following the operation. She will also have significant difficulty eating.

Rachel is unable to work as she will have to undergo many different tests and follow-up appointments on a daily basis. Her parents are helping her to care for her little girls while she is gone. Please pray that the Lord will protect them while their mommy is in such a vulnerable situation. Despite all of her difficulties, Rachel is hopeful and strong.

Please pray for Rachel’s full healing, for the Lord to reveal His love to her and give her peace.

Rachel expressed her deep gratitude to Be’ad Chaim and her Operation Moses donor: “I am so deeply grateful for all the help we have received. Thank you so much! It truly helped and was very significant for us. I so appreciate it.”

Meeting with the Central Bureau of Statistics

Several of the Be’ad Chaim staff met with personnel at the Central Bureau of Statistics in Jerusalem to discuss cooperation on a national survey on the subject of abortion.  Here are some of the highlights of that important meeting:

They were challenged to verify the true number of abortions in Israel because the number (circa 19,000) has barely changed in the past 30 years. They agreed that this is not reasonable because our population has since grown from 3 million to 8.5 million during that time period. Government statistics have only shown how many abortions the government has funded and has not related to any abortions done on the private market.

-They will pursue getting more detailed reports of abortions from health clinics and the Ministry of Health, although in the past, the level of cooperation has been minimal. They will raise this issue during periodic forums with the Ministry of Health when there are discussions of statistics regarding health issues in Israeli society.

• They were quite shocked to learn of the pain that women suffer and were very touched to hear about the Gardens of Life, a place of healing and restoration for those who suffer after the loss of a baby.
• Our discussion emphasized that abortion in Israel is not about numbers, but rather about the people who have been hurt by it, and their stories.
• They may try to add sensitively framed questions about illegal abortions in other public surveys that they are doing, although the topic is very controversial.
• They suggested that we approach the drug manufacturers of Postinor (the Morning After Pill) and Mifegyne (RU486, chemical abortion) to learn more about the number of sales.

The objective of this survey is to expose the truth abortion in Israel, to influence public opinion, and to be able to offer more solutions to women in crisis pregnancy. The point of the statistics is to quantify this shocking truth so that people will talk about abortion, care about the women and men who suffer, and value the lives of the tens of thousands of babies aborted annually.

Interestingly, in a small sample survey done by our office, we discovered that out of 20 women, eight had had abortions and almost all of these women regretted what they had done. Only one would have chosen abortion again if given the opportunity to turn back the clock.

Statistics are not just about numbers. They are about BABIES.  Abortion is not only about an issue. It’s about LIVES.

“Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God!”

(Psalm 139)

The Gardens of Life:

The Gardens of Life is a beautiful four acre forested area in Latrun, in the center of Israel, half way between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Since 2010, the land has been freely leased to us by the monks of the monastery as a place of memorial and honor to babies who were never held or who died shortly after birth. It is a place of restoration and healing for those who suffer grief from abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth.  Beautiful, ceramic plaques with Bible verses are scattered throughout the forest, placed next to stone benches for times of meditation and reflection.  Recently, a grandmother planted a tree in honor of her first grandchild who was miscarried. This symbolic act is a way to acknowledge the child as part of her family, the first fruit of her daughter’s womb, a child who was never held or seen, but given and taken by God in His Love and Mercy.   Another tree was planted for a French woman who had lost her only child due to physical violence suffered at the hand  of her partner. This precious French woman tearfully shared that at 42 years old, she became pregnant by a married man. She chose life for her baby because she realized that she would never have another child. Yet, he demanded that she abort. When she refused, he punched her in the stomach.  We prayed for this precious woman that God would fill her void with His Love.  A cypress tree was planted in honor of this child, unseen by its mother but seen and known by God.

All are welcome to find healing and closure through the symbolic planting of a tree in the Gardens of Life. Please contact our office for more information.

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