Staring Death in the Face

In my previous post I shared about Rebecca, one of the Holocaust Survivors I am ministering to. None in the Israeli society embodies the widowhood of Israel more than these precious souls, so many of them still living in the torture of their memories.

We have been working with Rebecca for nearly a year now, and have been able to assist her with significant needs. Through the generosity of some of you, we purchased specialized telescopic glasses that enable her to do that which she could not do for a long time – paint, use her computer, read. We installed a small air conditioner unit in her home to ward off the unbearable heat of the Israeli summer.

For years, whenever she needed to get her laundry done, Rebecca would stick this hose into the toilet to allow drainage. The washing machine was placed in a tiny little balcony on the other side of the wall. There was no hookup for water, and no money for a plumber either, so she herself dug a hole in the wall for the hose to go through, and when she needed to do her laundry, inserted the hose into the toilet.

Most of the electric plugs in her home were dysfunctional, and not being able to afford an electrician, throughout the house she taped extension cords to the wall, so she could use all her electric appliances. These cords ran everywhere in the apartment – including her bathroom – so extremely dangerous!

Thanks to donations given to our Holocaust Fund, we were able to renovate her bathroom, making it safer for her to maneuver. The tub was replaced with a walk-in shower, the washing machine is now hooked to a proper drainage system and we brought in an electrician to fix all the wiring in the house.

However, more than anything else, her greatest need has always been for companionship. For someone to come and talk, listen, and spend time with her. I took a photographer with me to document a short clip of her life story, this time we bring it to you with English subtitles.

In a few short weeks Rebecca will be celebrating her 87th birthday. Her greatest regret is that she has no legacy to leave behind. Nothing to show for all her years. So we are going to change that! Rebecca is a talented artist and poet. Over the years she penned dozens of songs and painted endless paintings. We are currently hard at work compiling a book of her creations – some of her poems, accompanied by her paintings. Our goal is to have the book finished and in print for us to present to her as a birthday gift. Work on the English version will follow beginning next month.

Join us in prayer for all the pieces to fall into place in time, so that we will indeed be able to bless her with this gift by mid June.

(If you’d like to read more about Rebecca please check out update #101 in our Updates Archive).

One of my heart’s desires where holocaust survivors are concerned is to get our local youth group involved in this work – for the youth to visit the survivors, and learn from their rich history and heritage. Rebecca lives outside our region, so this is not feasible for us to do with her. But please pray with me that God will bring some survivors that live nearby. We can get names and contacts from the local authorities, but then our hands will be tied where it comes to sharing the Gospel with them.

Please pray that God will bring to us those He wants to use us in order to fill this gaping hole in their hearts. Thank you for joining us as we contribute our part in the restoration of the widow Israel through these precious ones.

For donations to our Holocaust Fund, you can send checks to:

House of Stephanas
1005 Elaine Trail
Chattanooga, TN 37421

Please add a note specifying the donation is for
Ot OoMofet’s Holocaust Fund