As we begin 2025, we look back at the sadness of the past year of war mixed with the joy of a baby boom in Israel and Be’ad Chaim. In 2024, over five hundred babies were born to our Be’ad Chaim family! We are currently encouraging over one hundred pregnant women.
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.
Sitting in my office, I often hear the sweet sound of a baby cooing. Knowing that we have had a role in bringing this little one into the world is a soothing balm in the midst of the war.
This year, as you know, has been extremely challenging. The war, which began a year ago on October 7th, has caused sadness and grief in our nation. Yet, when we have been hard pressed, we pressed into the Lord.
Where there is much fear and suffering, one must show extraordinary kindness. Be’ad Chaim’s team strives to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. These garments enable us to show God’s love to the hurting, fearful women whom we serve.
When women turn to us for help in crisis pregnancy, the obvious immediate need is to provide them with the courage and practical ability to choose life for their child.
The holocaust took the lives of millions of innocent people and is regarded as among the worst human rights violations that the world has ever seen.
For the past eight months, Israel has been at war. Not only in our region but all over the world we see antisemitism and hatred spewed at our people. I cannot express with words my deep gratitude to you, who love the Lord, and care about us.
When is the right time to have a new baby? Often, we hear, “A baby will ruin my future.” Our counselor, Miriam, was sixteen and homeless when she became pregnant with her firstborn son Osher.
Join us for this update from Israel with long-time friend and ministry partner Sandy Shoshani of Be’ad Chaim (noted as the Operation Life project on our website). Sandy provides an update on the situation in Israel, and the emotional and psychological trauma facing Israelis from all backgrounds, particularly mothers and children living on the front lines of war and aggression.
Sometimes, a hero can be the most unlikely person. For me, many of our Be’ad Chaim moms have shown themselves to be incredibly brave.
When Larisa found out that she was in an unplanned pregnancy from her violent partner, she thought that abortion was her only choice.
As we celebrate Passover this month, we remember that God brought the people of Israel freedom in the place of slavery. In Hebrew, the word “ashes” and the word “beauty” are spelled with the same three letters but in a different order.
We don’t know the source of the Psalmist’s pain here, but we know that his soul is suffering from defeat, discouragement, and hopelessness. Sometimes in the pit, we might be tempted to ‘rescue’ ourselves through trying to find a human (prideful) solution.
Ever since the war began, everywhere we look, we see faces. Faces of hostages. Faces of fallen soldiers. Faces of grieving families. Yet, even in the midst of sorrow, there is new life. With joy, we share in this newsletter the faces of new lives. Lives of babies whose mothers, at first, had not wanted to see their faces.
Recently, I made a visit to our counselor Yael, who serves women in Ashkelon and Ashdod, where we are helping over 70 new mothers and pregnant women. Yael also supervises our apartment for pregnant women.
The illogical becomes logical when we look beyond circumstances and look to God. Sarah gave birth to Isaac when she was ninety years old. Mary was a virgin who birthed the Messiah.
When Jesus was born, all of Jewish Palestine, as well as neighboring Gentile areas, were ruled by Herod the Great, a king appointed by the Romans. In Luke 2, we read that Herod commanded his soldiers to slaughter the innocent children of Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus, whom Herod feared would eventually seize his kingdom.
On October 7, 2023, the lives of the people of Israel changed. The Hamas terrorist attack stunned us with its brutality. In my newsletters, I have often mentioned our struggle to protect the lives of the unborn.
We rejoiced to see many people from the nations and the Body of Messiah in the Land of Israel, joined in prayer during the ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, using our Daily Devotional for Life.