Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you heard about the horrific attack against Israel on October 7th, and the subsequent war. Because of all the rockets being fired in the North and South of Israel, Israeli citizens were forced to quickly evacuate from cities along those borders.

On October 11th my director, Joseph Ryan, got a call from a friend in Israel. He asked if we could quickly build an app to match hosts with Israelis from the North and South fleeing to the Center. I started building the new app immediately. 

We brought the idea for this app to the leadership of Chosen People Ministries in Israel and they also thought it was a great idea, but had a lot of questions. On October 13th Joseph and I met with them on a Zoom call to discuss details and requirements for the app. On October 15th I worked on the app all afternoon and evening until 3am, making all the necessary adjustments to meet the requirements of our team in Israel.

Carissa took care of me and the girls to enable me to work late nights and long hours, and on October 16th the initial build of the app was completed! Our team in Israel set to work to recruit and vet hosts, and field calls from Hebrew or Russian only speakers and elderly users who need assistance with the app. 

The priority was to find housing for individuals that our staff has already been ministering to (specifically Holocaust survivors) and find them a home with believers in Jesus. The goal is to not only provide shelter, but also peace with God through faith in the Prince of Peace. For that reason, I named the app Diyur Shalom, which means “Peace Housing”.

We covet your prayers as this app goes out and is being used. I will continue to provide technical support as long as needed, and will make all the necessary adjustments to the app as needs arise. Pray that Israelis will be able to find the safe housing they need during this war, and pray for the peace and the salvation of Israel.

Thank you for your continued support for us and our ministry. We could not do this wonderful work without the partnership of our prayer team and financial donors. Have a Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Love,

BJ, Carissa, Ari and Aviya

*written on October 24th – much may have changed by the time you read this