Mission News from Israel
Published on:
—Dr. Munir Kakish is President of the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land and Pastor of the local church in Ramallah and Ramla.
Note: Learn more about RCO Ministries (Ramla | Ramallah Christian Outreach) at www.rcoministries.org. You may also donate on the website for needs mentioned above as well as additional needs that are sure to come.
Munir Kakish and his wife, Sharon, FCA missionaries serving in Ramallah, Israel (ten miles north of Jerusalem), report on the situation they are currently facing there. “Missiles do not reach our area,” says Kakish, but many challenges still remain. They are unable to leave their town for now, and when the army enters Gaza, they will be unable to leave their home.
“There will be violent demonstrations,” Kakish explains. “We will remain at home and not even be able to go to stores or school.” While they have extra food and supplies set aside in anticipation of the worsening situation, they are also packing food boxes for others and hope to distribute 50 boxes of food (about $100 each) for those who cannot get what they need. Kakish invites any who may feel led to contribute to project.
Kakish urges believers to pray for all those who have been impacted by the war.
A prayer Guide
Spiritual needs:
For the peace of Jerusalem.
For the salvation of all Abraham’s children (both peoples).
Physical and emotional needs:
For those who lost family members.
For the healing and recovery of the injured.
For children raised in Kakish’s boys’ home—and their families.
For children deeply affected psychologically by the violence.
For Muslim kids Kakish supports.
Safety needs:
For Kakish’s congregations in Ramla and Ramallah.
For their church people and elders who live in Gaza.
For a Baptist church (and other historical churches) in Gaza.
For the Council of Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land.
For several parachurch organizations in the area.
For open roads and safe travel for those moving to safer places.
For miraculous resolution:
For hostages to be freed.
For the destruction to stop.
That local and international leaders might find some solution.
That Palestinians and Israelis may live in peace.
Some hope to fan the flames of hatred, says Kakish, who is praying that God would intervene and thwart those plans to escalate violence. He recalls the well-known devotional by John Donne: “…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.”
“There is only one name under heaven whereby we might be saved,” Kakish notes. “We need to accept Jesus in this lifetime. If either side controls the land from the Mediterranean to the Pacific but does not have Jesus, it is all for naught.”
About Gaza
Gaza is a narrow strip of land 25 miles long and from 3.7 to 7.5 miles wide. Gaza city has a density of 9,683 people per square kilometer, making it one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It has an unemployment rate of 46.4 percent.
