Chills ran down my spine. Young hands ran across the keys, and the notes reverberated powerfully through the hall, compelling every guest to rise to their feet and wrinkled hands to wipe tears from wizened eyes. The song was HaTkivah “The Hope,” Israel’s national anthem. And a banquet hall of Holocaust survivors joined their voices with the notes of the piano in impassioned song.

We thanked them for their bravery. Because of their courageous determination to survive and to become pioneers in the land of Israel, the next generations – my generation – can return to a settled land. And they asked us to make them a promise. They asked us to be their voices. To tell their stories. To stand for Israel. To stand in the gap and say, “Never again.” To do what it takes. And we promised. We will be their voices.

We won’t have them in our midst much longer. Are there Jewish elderly homes near you? Is a survivor speaking at your school or community center? Go. Hold their hands and hear their stories. Be their voices. Stand in the gap with us. Stand for Israel, and stand for humanity. If we won’t push back into the dark, who will? We have the light, and it is imperative that we let it shine.

Over our month in Israel this summer, we served both believers and unbelievers in numerous ways, including the aforementioned banquet for Holocaust survivors in Sderot, a pizza and game night in a foster children’s home outside of Jerusalem, packing supplies at food distribution centers in Sderot and Jerusalem, sharing the Gospel with students at Jerusalem University and on the beach in Tel Aviv, and reconnecting with friends we made in Argentina. We learned so much and our years of studies came to life more fully as we immersed ourselves in the beautiful complexities of Israeli culture.

Because of our early return to the States, we only made it through one week of Hebrew studies, so we have prayerfully applied to restart the Hebrew course at Tel Aviv University in 2017. Please pray with us as we seek God’s will in this and every area of our lives, and to use our time for His best during BJ’s last full semester at Moody. We look forward to the next steps of this journey, as God guides us and you walk prayerfully beside us. Thank you for your faithful support through the valleys and mountain tops.

With love,

BJ and Carissa