Dear Partners, Prayer Warriors and Friends,  

On October 2nd, approximately 70 people joined together for a powerful and anointed prayer time in the Ben Hinnom Valley where, 2500 years ago, babies had been sacrificed to the gods of prosperity Baal and Molech. It was of this valley that the prophet spoke: "And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin." (Jeremiah 32:35)

We came together to pray, intercede, and confess the sin of the shedding of innocent blood and to beseech God to turn the hearts of our nation and give us mercy for the unborn.  The timing of the meeting was significant as it fell during the Days of Awe between the Feast of the Trumpets (commonly called Rosh Hashanah) and Yom Kippur, a time of reflection and repentance for our sins.

Kehila News magazine interviewed me for an article, inviting people to join us for the prayer day: “There are many issues and problems in Israel, but when we were cast out of our land (in Biblical times), God said we were cast out because of the innocent blood we spilled…. It’s not just abortion we are praying about, it is also for the hearts of the people of Israel to be softened. ...Abortion isn’t one issue, it’s the issue. It’s a symptom of turning away from God. When you turn away from God you lose the value of life of a human being. Abortion, for me, is no less than idolatry... There’s so much wrong with Israel, but if you love Israel then you had better stop the shedding of innocent blood – that grieves God’s heart more than anything else.”

The meeting was led by a team of pastors from Israel, and people from many nations joined us. It is hoped that this prayer time will be a first step toward national repentance. We concluded the prayer event with a special time of communion in unity and one mind.

Be’ad Chaim is based in prayer. We send out weekly prayer requests to over 600 partners around the world.  You are most welcome to receive

these requests by contacting our office: info@beadchaim.org.il

We covet your prayers and partnership.

May the Lord show you His grace,

Sandy

Romi & baby Jacob:

Romi is a beautiful, married mother with a two year old son and now her newborn son Jacob. When Romi and her husband discovered that she was pregnant again, they seriously considered having an abortion.  Through her brother, she heard about Be’ad Chaim and made contact with one of our wonderful counselors, who encouraged her and showed her love during this confusing time. As a result, Romi decided to keep her baby.   During her 8th month, the doctors told her that there was a high risk that her child would have Down Syndrome.  Romi was understandably devastated, and thoughts of having an abortion once again flooded her mind.  When she talked it through with her exceptional husband, he told her he was happy to raise a child with Down Syndrome, but that he would support her in whatever she decided.  By this time, she felt that it was too late to have an abortion but didn’t know what to do. During the birth, Romi was still contemplating giving up her son for adoption, believing that it would be too much for her to raise a child with Down Syndrome. She even considered asking the midwife not to show her the baby, so that she would not become attached to him. Romi felt her heart was torn apart inside her.  Her husband was quietly able to explain the situation to the medical team, and they were all prepared for the moment of the birth, understanding the difficult and complicated situation. When precious Jacob was born in July, they saw immediately that he had no problems at all. He didn’t have Down Syndrome and was completely healthy.  Little Jacob was placed in his mommy’s arms. Romi couldn’t believe the little miracle she was holding.

Jacob has brought so much joy and happiness to their family.  Romi and her husband are immensely grateful to God and for the loving support of their counselor and her Operation Moses sponsor at Be’ad Chaim.  Romi said: “Thank you so much for everything. My son brings peace and joy to my troubled soul. I am so deeply grateful to you all. We really appreciate everything.” Today, Romi and her husband can’t imagine their life without their sweet and precious son Jacob, and they can’t even think of the fact that they ever wanted to abort or give him away.

Elisheva & Baby Adam:

Adam was born in July and is the last in a line of four older children, all in their teens or pre-teens.  Elisheva contacted Be'ad Chaim when she was at the beginning of her pregnancy, unsure if she was going to go through with the abortion she was considering. She had just recovered from thyroid cancer, and with her other children being so much older, she could not see herself going back to bottles, diapers and daycare. Her older sister told her that if she aborted, she would forget about it in six months, but it turned out that her younger sister was pregnant, too. She and Elisheva could go through their pregnancies together. Her counselor at Be'ad Chaim helped her to see the positive side of her situation. Although Elisheva had already given birth several times, she was shocked to see, in a model, how developed her unborn child was at 11 weeks. After Adam’s birth, her husband, who had been apathetic about her pregnancy and didn’t relate to it until Elisheva was actually in the

delivery room, cried for joy when he saw his new son. The older children adore Adam and are a real help around the house and with their new brother. Elisheva says that if it weren't for the help and encouragement she received from her counselor, Adam would not be part of the family.

Recently, Adam developed a benign cyst near his eye. If it not dealt with surgically, the cyst could obscure his vision. Please pray for his upcoming surgery.

Hannah & baby Anna:

Precious Anna celebrated her first birthday in July. She is a sweet little girl who is growing and developing very well.  Hannah loves her little daughter who has brought her so much joy after the tragedy of losing her previous daughter, who died when she was just ten months old.  Grieving, Hannah wanted another child, but it took more than ten years to conceive again.  Since Anna’s birth, Hannah wakes every morning feeling grateful for the privilege of being able to take care of her beautiful daughter. 

Hannah had been a drug addict. One day she decided she did not want to live her life like this and she knew she needed to change.  From that point, she turned her life around and has been clean of drugs for over ten years. She is unable to work, however, because of a stroke she suffered shortly after the death of her first daughter. She is still struggling to gain feeling in one of her hands and part of her face. She is indeed a very special woman.

Anna’s father loves her very much and comes to visit her as often as he can. Hannah’s relationship with him is very complicated. It’s not clear yet whether it will be possible for them to have a future together. Please pray for wisdom for her to know whether he is the right man for her. Hannah expressed her deep gratitude for all of the help from Be’ad Chaim and our donors. It has made a huge impact on her situation and has enabled her to buy all the most important things for her sweet little girl.

Moms’ Meeting in Beer Sheva

It was a special treat for some of our Jerusalem staff to participate in a mothers’ meeting in Beer Sheva. The center is in a large, air conditioned bomb shelter which belongs to the City under the jurisdiction of the Department of Social Services.  Because of the wonderful working relationship between our counselors and the social workers, the lives of many babies have been saved. The theme of the meeting was “Hope”. Women were asked to consider their talents, strengths, desires and dreams. It was wonderful to hear them share their challenges and successes. One woman touched our hearts when she sang a beautiful song about God’s love. Another woman blessed us by coming with her tiny, four day old newborn. After the meeting, the moms received their monthly vouchers for the purchase of baby essentials. They also had an opportunity to choose clothing in the well organized baby boutique*. It was an encouraging, special time of fellowship, refreshment and a new “infusion” of hope. 

We hope you enjoy these photos of some of the Beer Sheva babies and our precious and dedicated counselors Ala and Oxana.

The Gardens of Life:

The Gardens of Life, located in Latrun, are a special place where trees are planted to bring healing to those who grieve the loss of a child. No matter how many years have passed since the child died, there needs to be an opportunity for closure and memorial. Since 2010, over 2000 trees have been planted in honor of the children who were not held.

One woman, now in her 80’s, was not able to walk to the planting location and had to be driven. During the short car ride, she cried as she shared that her first born son had died at birth. Although she had lost her son nearly 60 years ago, she still felt its sting. She was deeply comforted through the symbolic act of honoring him by planting a cypress tree in his memory and receiving prayer.

We have seen many people find relief from their sorrow through this beautiful forested garden. All are welcome to plant a tree by making an appointment through our office.

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.

Click here to download the Newsletter as pdf