“Joy to the world the Lord is come,

Let earth receive her King,

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.”

Isaac Watts

The announcement of the birth of THE BABY - THE KING filled and still fills hearts with great joy. Often, women who come to us in crisis pregnancy feel that they have no room in their hearts for a baby, but our caring counselors help women find space in their hearts for a child. Like today, the King of Kings was born during turbulent times. Then, Israel was under Roman authority and domination. Today, we have war and terrorism. Yet, in every season, God makes a way for hearts to be expanded in love to receive new life. “When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new life into the world.” (John 16:21)

Thank you for your prayers, love and support which have enabled new births and given us all great joy at the announcement of nearly six hundred new babies born to our Be’ad Chaim family this year.

Blessings of joy to you!

MISSILE ATTACKS IN HAIFA REGION

In Haifa, a mixed Jewish and Arab city with a population of over a million people, missile attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon have become a daily challenge. For example, on October 8, 2024, Hezbollah launched over a hundred missiles at Haifa in two barrages. On November 11, 2024, over ninety rockets were fired at Haifa, damaging cars and homes in multiple impacts. On November 12, missiles took the lives of two civilians in the neighboring city of Nahariya. A missile also fell in the playground of a kindergarten, but thankfully the children were unharmed in their bomb shelter. For those who have not experienced war, it is hard to imagine sirens throughout the day and night alerting people to run for shelter and the impact that this has on pregnant women, new mothers and children. Some of our mothers who live in older homes have no safe room or bomb shelter in their building and either wait in staircases or rush to the nearest neighborhood shelter. We praise God that we now have two counselors in this busy and needy city. Our faithful counselor Talia, who speaks Hebrew and Russian, has now been joined by Kareen, a devoted Arabic and Hebrew speaker. We thank God for this growing ministry and pray for God’s anointing on these dedicated women of God.

Dina and Baby Girl Agatha - No Bomb shelters

Dina is one of the many mothers who have been deeply challenged by the missiles in Haifa. She lives in an apartment which has no bomb shelter, so it’s very frightening when sirens sound. Dina came to us for help last year when her social worker gave her our phone number. She had been told that it was impossible for her to get pregnant after having an operation which removed one of her ovaries. She and her partner were surprised when she did get pregnant, but neither of them thought they would be able to support a child, as their financial situation was very bad. They wanted an abortion. The social worker could see that they wouldn’t be able to buy even the essentials for their child, so she referred Dina to us, and she asked us for help. Dina and her partner rejoice that they chose life for their baby girl, Agatha, who is now a year old. She brings them tremendous joy with her smiles and laughter. Dina has returned to work and placed baby Agatha in daycare, but there is no bomb shelter there either. At the start of the war everyone simply stayed home, but now they are trying to work something out and have written to the mayor of Haifa. Dina says that the monthly gift cards were such a HUGE help for her over the past year. She was able to buy diapers, baby wipes, formula and other baby essentials. She doesn’t know how she would have managed without this help. Thank you for praying for an end to the missile attacks and for protection for this precious family.

Triple Double Blessing: Three Sets of Twins

Shai and Twin Girls Miel & Lia

Shai, just twenty years old, lives with her parents and younger siblings. She grew up in an underprivileged family. At seventeen years old she had a miscarriage and later became pregnant again. Her boyfriend didn’t want to take any responsibility; he abandoned her. Through an internet search, Shai contacted our hotline to inquire about abortion, but when she heard that we would help and support her, she kept her baby. When the baby was a year old, Shai discovered she was pregnant again. She felt desperate and depressed, significantly impacting her physical health. She contacted a doctor and set a date for an abortion. In a private conversation, she confided in our counselor, and we prayed that she wouldn’t go through with it. It turned out that she was carrying twins—two girls! She then bravely decided again to choose life for her babies. In September, Shai gave birth by C-section because both the babies were in breech position. Miel was first and weighed 2.265 kilos (4 lbs 15 oz). Lia was second and weighed 1.660 kilos (3lbs 10 oz) and had to remain in an incubator for two weeks. Now they are home and both doing well. The baby’s father is not in contact with them at all. Be’ad Chaim has become a vital help for these girls, providing two baby beds, a twin stroller and monthly gift cards to purchase all their necessities through our Operation Moses Project.

Kati and Twins Ivan & Maxim

In September, Ivan and Maxim celebrated their first birthday. Like many twins, Kati says that they have a few words but seem to have their own language, which is very funny to hear. Their two older sisters adore them. In recent months, when rocket fire became heavy in the Haifa area, Kati took her children and went to their grandmother’s home in Russia, so that they wouldn’t become traumatized. Her husband remained in Israel to continue working and providing for them. Kati is hoping to return as soon as possible, because they all miss him, but the missile attacks have not diminished. Because providing for twins would have been very difficult for their family, Kati says the financial assistance that she received from Be’ad Chaim came just at the right time, so that she was able to choose life for her gorgeous little boys.

Salma and Twins Eden & Daniel

Salma is thirty-four years old. She and her husband are refugees from Ethiopia who don’t have citizenship in Israel and therefore don’t qualify for any social benefits. Salma came to us in the middle of an unplanned pregnancy. She had discovered that she was carrying twins. She already had two children and wasn’t expecting to find herself pregnant again, and not with twins. They also have an older daughter who still lives in Ethiopia, and she sends her support when she can. She was very worried and anxious about how they would manage to raise another two children. Thankfully, she heard about us and turned to us for help. She and her husband work hard as cleaners, but it’s hard to make ends meet in Jerusalem where the rent and cost of living are so high. Salma was very relieved when we agreed to help them with the babies. In July, Salma gave birth to her twins twelve minutes apart. She named them Daniel and Eden. Each of them weighed around 2.500 kilos (5lbs 8 oz), so they didn’t need special care at all. Her son of three is a little jealous of the new babies, but her daughter, who is seven, is more helpful and likes to give the babies a bottle or a pacifier when they cry. She and her husband are deeply grateful for our provision for the babies’ needs.

Our Counselors Share Their JOY

Helen - Post-Abortion Counseling

It is a great privilege to be a counselor for women who regret their abortion. For many women, speaking about their abortion opens a whole lifetime of other issues, like childhood trauma, neglect and abuse, and the abortion is the thing that brings them into counseling.

Recently, a woman was finally able to speak about her abortion after forty years of silence. Her sister had been praying for her. In our course we read Bible passages and talked about the character of God, anger, depression, the need to forgive, and finally acceptance and resolution. Women who have never read a Bible are surprised to see how relevant it is, and how patient and loving God is. The biggest question is, “Can God forgive me for what I did?” In showing them that He can forgive them because the Messiah paid the price for all their sins, some women are hungry to know more. The woman, whose sister had been praying for her, then felt ready to thank God for forgiving all her sins, including her abortion, and receive His unconditional love through the Messiah.

Alison - Ministry Growth in Eilat

I started over a year ago as a new counselor in Eilat. I missed my previous work where I’d been in touch with people daily, but after a heart attack, I was not permitted to return to an outdoor job in the extreme heat. Being offered to be a counselor for Be’ad Chaim, I found it challenging to learn how to relate to women in crisis. I never had children myself but have taken care of many. I didn’t feel up to the job, but it was an answer to prayer, so by faith I said yes. Now more than a year on, I know this was from the Lord, and He has opened BIG doors for expanding our work here in Eilat. Our new distribution center opened this month as a blessing to women in need here. “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!” (Psalm 126:3)

Laurel - Lod, Ramla

I've been with Be'ad Chaim for about eight years and have served three hundred women, so I have many special experiences. One of the greatest blessings was the relationship which developed with a Muslim couple. The husband comes from a family which deals in arms and drugs and has been responsible for dozens of murders. The husband was an alcoholic when we first started helping this family. He would ask me questions about my faith but interrupt and mock my answers. One day he asked, "What would I need to do to be a Christian?" Inwardly, I rolled my eyes, but the Holy Spirit said, "Let's sit down and answer his questions." It was his day of salvation. About a week later, the wife, a young mother of five, told me she was starting to believe because every time she told me one of her children was sick, I told her I would pray, and her child would be healed. We went through a lot of highs and lows, joys and disappointments, but the fact that a man was delivered from alcohol, and he and his wife found God’s love, made my life worthwhile.

Another client who touched my heart is a divorced woman with nine children. All her children are either autistic or have developmental abnormalities. One evening, while her older kids were bathing the younger kids, she and I managed to have a conversation on the phone. With all her challenges, she declared to me, "There's nothing like children!" I saw the all-sufficient grace of God pour love into her heart for her children.

Another aspect of my work is as Prayer Hostess in the Gardens of Life, where I meet with grieving mothers and couples who lost a baby through abortion, miscarriage, or still birth. At the Gardens of Life, trees are planted in the child's honor. Most friends and family brush aside their grief with platitudes, like "Oh, you’ll have more children." But I'm the person who will say, "I'm so sorry for your terrible loss," hug them, and often weep with them. They are grateful that someone appreciates the gravity of their loss. I may tell them that some people in their situation are angry with God, opening the door for them to say, "Yes, I still am." This gives us a chance to talk about the mystery of God's will. When we can't understand it, and we don't like it, we can only look to our history, written in the Bible, and remember that His ways are right and His intentions are kind. Overall, I consider my work an amazing privilege, a holy calling, and God's vehicle for my own healing from the two abortions I committed many years ago.

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