Shabbat Letter - Pillar Cloud
Dear Family,
It has been far too long since we have written to you all to let you know how things are going for the Mitchell family. The Lord reminded me to write these letters because of how crucial your prayers are for us, especially for the time we are stepping into now. There have been so many things happening, that I don't believe I could write about all it without keeping you reading for an hour. In the letters that will follow, I will go into a little more detail about what the Lord has been doing with us as a family. The Lord continues to bless the work of my hands at the Anglican School here in Jerusalem, and some real doors have been opened for me that we will have to very prayerful about whether I walk through them. Callie is enjoying her time with Aviel at home, but there are a few project that seem to be coming on the horizon for her as well. Please pray that the Lord would give us the wisdom to know how to rightly divide our time as it seems like He is filling our weeks with many opportunities bring glory to His name in Jerusalem. Aviel continues to grow and mature at an alarming rate. For all of you who are parents yourselves, you know that it seems like only yesterday that the children were born. Now Aviel is talking all the time and really showing us the incredible personality he has. Please pray for us as were continue to seeks His face here as a family.
I must admit, the thing that motivated me to write this letter today was the new operation that has started in Gaza. Many of you may not know, but since the beginning of October, hundreds of rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel. This continued barrage came to a head this past week when there some of the rockets found their targets. Prime Minister Netanyahu gave the go ahead this evening (November 14th) to start a military operation to stop these acts of terror. The Operation is called "Operation Pillar of Cloud". After hearing the name of the operation, all of us in the room felt that this move by the IDF was going to be significant. No one knows how long this will take or what will happen. Please pray that the Lord would give our leaders wisdom to know what needs to be done, when it needs to happen, and how it needs to happen. Please pray for the people in the south who are hearing sirens all the time now warning them of incoming missiles. But most of all, please pray that the Lord would undertake for His Land and His people so that He would get the glory.
As we look at the realities in front of us here, we can't help but fear what is going to come. I would be lying to say that I wasn't a little afraid about what is going to happen. I could very easily be called up as a reservist if things get really bad. What is going to become of me or my family? It is in times like these that I am so relieved that we have our security in the Lord. Yes, we will all feel fear from time to time, but there is an ever present hope that stays with us no matter what happens. As long as we have Yeshua in our lives, we have a hope for the future. We know that if we are running after Him with all our heart, the safest place in the world is where He leads us to be. He has lead me and my family to live here in Israel, so I know that we are in the safest place possible. It may not seem like it, but we are completely safe where we are right now because we are right where He wants us to be. I pray that we can all remember the hope that we have living within us and not despair. No matter what trails we face, that hope can never be taken away.
In Yeshua,
Devin, Callie, and Aviel
It has been far too long since we have written to you all to let you know how things are going for the Mitchell family. The Lord reminded me to write these letters because of how crucial your prayers are for us, especially for the time we are stepping into now. There have been so many things happening, that I don't believe I could write about all it without keeping you reading for an hour. In the letters that will follow, I will go into a little more detail about what the Lord has been doing with us as a family. The Lord continues to bless the work of my hands at the Anglican School here in Jerusalem, and some real doors have been opened for me that we will have to very prayerful about whether I walk through them. Callie is enjoying her time with Aviel at home, but there are a few project that seem to be coming on the horizon for her as well. Please pray that the Lord would give us the wisdom to know how to rightly divide our time as it seems like He is filling our weeks with many opportunities bring glory to His name in Jerusalem. Aviel continues to grow and mature at an alarming rate. For all of you who are parents yourselves, you know that it seems like only yesterday that the children were born. Now Aviel is talking all the time and really showing us the incredible personality he has. Please pray for us as were continue to seeks His face here as a family.
I must admit, the thing that motivated me to write this letter today was the new operation that has started in Gaza. Many of you may not know, but since the beginning of October, hundreds of rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel. This continued barrage came to a head this past week when there some of the rockets found their targets. Prime Minister Netanyahu gave the go ahead this evening (November 14th) to start a military operation to stop these acts of terror. The Operation is called "Operation Pillar of Cloud". After hearing the name of the operation, all of us in the room felt that this move by the IDF was going to be significant. No one knows how long this will take or what will happen. Please pray that the Lord would give our leaders wisdom to know what needs to be done, when it needs to happen, and how it needs to happen. Please pray for the people in the south who are hearing sirens all the time now warning them of incoming missiles. But most of all, please pray that the Lord would undertake for His Land and His people so that He would get the glory.
As we look at the realities in front of us here, we can't help but fear what is going to come. I would be lying to say that I wasn't a little afraid about what is going to happen. I could very easily be called up as a reservist if things get really bad. What is going to become of me or my family? It is in times like these that I am so relieved that we have our security in the Lord. Yes, we will all feel fear from time to time, but there is an ever present hope that stays with us no matter what happens. As long as we have Yeshua in our lives, we have a hope for the future. We know that if we are running after Him with all our heart, the safest place in the world is where He leads us to be. He has lead me and my family to live here in Israel, so I know that we are in the safest place possible. It may not seem like it, but we are completely safe where we are right now because we are right where He wants us to be. I pray that we can all remember the hope that we have living within us and not despair. No matter what trails we face, that hope can never be taken away.
In Yeshua,
Devin, Callie, and Aviel
Thanks for this update. Your sweet family is constantly in our thoughts and prayers.
ReplyDelete"The Lord is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever."
Psalm 29:8-9