Dear Friends,

Summer is over and a new season of work, school and some degree of normalcy have returned, at least that's what we call our daily embattled lives in Israel.

We take this time to bless our young students, and students around the world now returning to their study desks. We remember as well all the moms and dads trying to do the best for their children, helping them become all that God wants for them. And we say a prayer for the many teachers given the task and privilege of helping shape a generation.

Together Renewed

At Beit Immanuel we devoted an evening to welcoming in the renewed cycle of activities. Our thoughts were guided with a passage from I Peter chap. 2 verse 5: "You also, together, like living stones, are being built together into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through the Messiah Yeshua."

So up and out of our comfortable chairs we tried to put God's word into practice! Organized into random groups teams set off to meet seven different challenges. At one station we turned ourselves into a worship team, at another we had to work together to answer questions from the Bible. Outside we were met with a number of physical challenges that could only be managed by joining together in harmony as a team.

Together Comforted

As we joined our hands and worked together in a team we were reminded that although the world may be changing way too fast for most of us, the important things remain. With all of the incredible technological, medical and scientific advances mankind has achieved, we still need each other. In our humanity we have not really changed. We still need each other, for support and comfort, for a shoulder to weep on or a friend to laugh with.

Together

As the Prophet Isaiah taught so long ago, and then the New Testament book of Hebrews reminds us, we must together "Strengthen the feeble hands and steady the knees that give way." How much more is this true as we face the tremendous challenges of today's world. Let us indeed hold each other, give ourselves to support one another in our friendships, our families, our congregations and communities.

Together has always been and will always be the only way.

God bless you with love and friendship in the Messiah Yeshua,

The Team at Beit Immanuel