Shalom friends,

The continuing news from Israel overshadows almost everything else at this time. We are receiving prayer requests from friends in Israel, and I believe the best use of this space on our website is simply to pass on some of them to you.

One close friend in the Haifa area has just sent some prayer points, which I'll revise slightly and share with you:

• Praise for the solidarity of the people in the Land
• Leaders of Lebanon and Israel
• IDF [Israel Defense Force] soldiers for effective operations and divine interventions in finding the sources from which the Katyusha rockets are being fired
• Protection over civilians in Israel and Lebanon
• Protection for soldiers from numerous Messianic congregations who are in the front line of the battle scene (North and South)
• Eighteen-year old members of Messianic congregations who are entering the military during this conflict [there are several]
• Stamina for families in the bomb shelters
• Grace to help families to cope with the situation where they are, or to find good temporary situations further south.

Such prayers are obviously essential, and I hope you all will join in. In addition, we want to do something concrete. The UMJC is cooperating with our friends of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, who have a relief effort, the Joseph Project, already on the ground in Israel. They are working to supply immediate needs for Israelis in the North, many of whom are still in bomb shelters. And there will doubtless be greater needs throughout Israel in the coming months. The Joseph Project supplies food, clothing, basic toiletries, medical supplies, toys, building materials, and other necessities through Messianic centers and other agencies throughout the land of Israel.

The Project needs our financial support to cover transport and delivery of these goods, which are gathered from friends of Israel all over the world. Send your donation, designated to "Joseph Project," to the UMJC, 529 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108. If you prefer to give online, go to www.josephproject.org . You can also contact our office This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or 1.800.692.8652, for information on how to contribute goods that will be delivered to Israel.

You can also contribute directly to Messianic congregations and relief organizations in Israel through the UMJC. Just send in your gift designated "Israel Messianic Relief," and we will distribute it accordingly.

Finally, tradition teaches us to recite psalms in times of trouble, including Psalm 130, which begins, "Out of the depths I call you, O Lord." This opening gives voice to our prayers for today, as do its concluding lines:

I look to the Lord;
I look to Him;
I await His word.
I am more eager for the Lord
than watchmen for the morning,
watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the Lord;
for with the Lord is steadfast love
and great power to redeem.
It is He who will redeem Israel from all their iniquities. (Ps. 130:5-8, NJPS)

In Yeshua,