Dear Folks back home,

WOW !
We have learned an expressive Hebrew term for what the Lord is doing here. "WOW!" Exclaimed with an Israeli accent, that's our American slang, actually used by Hebrew speakers. It's the best word to describe our amazement at all we are seeing and being privileged to take part in. It's as if we are walking into the fulfillment of prayers and promises that have been stored up for centuries.
This past week we helped distribute special boxes of Rosh HaShana food and gifts to needy families in the nearby city of Akko. Sasha, the Tents of Mercy maintenance man, and I drove to an Akko warehouse to pick up the flour, sugar, honey and rice that would go in the packages. We followed a couple of city welfare officials to the warehouse. The boss was going around with a camera, smiling and laughing. He thought this was great. He was taking pictures of loading the food items. I sensed an expectancy and excitement in him.
Back at our warehouse in Kiryat Yam, Sasha and I got the food ready to be bagged up, in preparation for the city government people to come and help. Now we were getting excited too, to be giving away all this great stuff and doing it together with city workers!
The actual day they came was a lot of fun. Initially it was kind of like, "Okay, what do we do? How's this supposed to work?" As it got organized and began to flow they got happy and started having fun. Watching them together with our team from Ohalei Rachamim I thought about the normal business atmosphere in Israel. The standard mood is not exactly cheerful and satisfied. Normally the Israeli people are somber as they go about their business. This was the first time I had seen them truly happy and enjoying themselves.
Sasha and I were on one side of a row of tables putting the products out for the workers as they bagged them. Guy's cousin was across from me (Guy Cohen is an Akko native and our Administrator/Humanitarian Aid Director). I commented that this was an international event, with two volunteers from Colorado, and a volunteer from Germany also helping along with all the Israelis. His cousin responded, "Tov (good)." To which I responded, "Tov Meod! (very good)." She smiled and laughed, agreeing, "Tov meod!"
The images that stay with me are those of childrens' faces as they received these gift bags of food with the holiday message. It was sheer delight. Most of the people were so glad to receive the surprise package. I wish I could have understood what they were saying as they tried to express their gratitude.
One recipient was a Spanish-speaking new immigrant, who was discovered after two members of our youth group and myself had gone up in an apartment building to deliver his sack of groceries. (The teens helped in the massive job of distributing 350 gift boxes.) Since he was not at the address given, we returned to the van, where Guy called him. Guy thought he was speaking Russian and so gave the phone to one of the youths that speaks Russian. Neither could he understand what was being said. He thought the man said "... Arabic", so he handed the phone back to Guy, who finally understood that the man was Sephardic. Guy was then able to speak basic Hebrew, slowly to this man to get him to understand that we

 
 

 

had a gift for him. We went back upstairs, this time to the correct apartment. After the man joyfully received his free gift, he was searching his vocabulary to find words to thank us. In another place, the man who answered the door stood there with an unlit cigarette hanging between his fingers. His children took the bag as he stood in amazement at the free gift being delivered.
One girl was very hesitant at first to go knock on the door of someone she did not know and talk to them. But as she did it, she got more and more bold and seemed to enjoy bringing the gifts to the people. There was such an attitude of joy amongst the youth. They did get tired as the hours wore on, but they were steadfast in accomplishing the job set before them each of the three days.
The extraordinary thing in all of this is the cooperative relationship that the Lord is building between Tents of Mercy and the city Department of Welfare. What an experience to watch the joy and excitement that spread through that department.
Our time here has just flown by so fast. We have been steadily moving forward in the vision of an appliance repair center to train immigrants for employment in this useful skill. Basic home appliances are one of the critical needs for every new family that arrives. So, we will be able to meet two needs at the same time. Bill has completed the repair on one washer and it was delivered to the home of a young family from Estonia. He has a four out of five success rate on fans. (The kind that sit on the floor and blow the air around the room). These are a very valuable item for anyone who doesn't have air conditioning. A fan makes the humid heat much more tolerable. He has also helped fix one space heater and reconditioned another one. These will be valuable when the wet, cool winter season arrives.
The classes for repair training have been advertised at the congregation. We have four machines in the warehouse - two of which seem to be either "organ donors" for spare parts or even "cadavers" for class practice. Another one is marginal and one more works, but just needs a little refurbishing. Next, we need to get the shop area set up so we are ready for students. Please pray for students who will be motivated, suitable and teachable. Next to learning Hebrew, the priority is to write an illustrated repair manual that will not only be a text book for the class but also a handy future reference.
Thank you for your continued prayers that keep us covered and going. Sometimes we put in some extremely long days, along with a lot of nights --- which involve more prayer than sleep. These night watches come at times with tears ... the Lord's heart aching for this Haifa Bay region and for the Arab Israeli villages we can see from our temporary home. We run with endurance the race that has been set before us. We are energized by Yeshua's example in 2 Corinthians 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
Wow! Thank you for the opportunity and privilege of being part of this great work, spreading the love of God through His provision to the less advantaged in Israel. You are all such tremendous blessings to us.

Todah Rabah (Thanks a lot!), Bill and Patty

 

 

Editor's note: Bill and Patty Bokelman have become an integral part of the Tents of Mercy community. They are full time volunteers, sent out by Resurrection Fellowship in Loveland, Colorado, under the leadership of Pastor John Stocker. The following is their account of what has been happening as they've enthusiastically plunged into many areas of service.