Finding the Hay in the Needles-Stack

shalom
H EBREW C HRISTIAN F ELLOWSHIP
U P D A T E
Winter 2014
Finding the Hay in the Needles-Stack
Rev. Roger L. Wambold, General Director
Do you remember Christmas? Remember
how beautiful your tree was with its fresh-cut
fragrance and its artfully arranged lights and
decorations? Remember all the compliments
on what a wonderful addition it was to your
home’s charming holiday décor?
But that was then . . . and this is now!
After three weeks of stately splendor—in
spite of regular watering with commercial
additives—your tree began to drop its needles
by the score, and then by the hundreds, leaving
only a pile of dry debris in its wake as it was
unceremoniously dragged outside in January.
And now, what’s left after the “glam and
glitz” is gone?
Now, with fading memories of Christmas
past while stray pine-needles are still turning
up and piling up where “tannenbaum” once
stood, now is the perfect time to look for the
hay in the needles-stack.
“The hay” which is so easily swept away
with the needles is the very real setting of the
event commemorated by December’s trees,
tinsel, and toys, and we must not lose sight of
that setting. While hay in a stable is sometimes
sweet in fragrance, it is still hay, the stuff of
which cattle-feed and cattle-bedding is made
and which does not always smell so sweet.
After the tree is ground for mulch and the
floor is swept of its needles, what remains is
the very real, but not so charming fact that
the Son of God willingly left the Glories of
Heaven to be placed in a borrowed bed of
hay. It is this fact to which the Apostle Paul
appeals in 2 Corinthians 8:9:
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your
sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty
might be rich.
The context of these words is Paul’s
encouragement of the Corinthian believers
to follow the example of the churches in
Macedonia and “take upon us the fellowship
of the ministering to the saints.” When we
consider the willingness of the Lord Jesus to
leave His home in Heaven for a bed of hay, is
there any good excuse for not giving to those
in need?
In this issue of Shalom Update we feature
the ministry of Johnny and Shoshana Khoury
www.hcfellowship.org
at Ebenezer Seniors Home in Haifa, Israel
where loving care is provided for needy elderly
Jewish and Arab believers in Jesus. In the
previous issue of Shalom Update we featured
the ministry of Marvin and Orit Kramer who
faithfully serve in Israel, he as legal advocate for
Jewish believers and they as practical advocates
for the unborn whose lives are threatened by
abortion, along with their needy mothers in
crisis pregnancies.
Here at HCF we have some very, very
specific ways for churches and individual
believers to stand with these choice servants of
the Lord in their labors in the Land through
“The First Year of Life” program administered
through the Haifa crisis pregnancy center and
“E-SHARe” (Ebenezer Seniors Home Adopt
a Resident program). They really could use
some help.
I’d love to hear from many of those
reading this issue of our newsletter, requesting
information about how to be involved with
these ministries and as a result, you really will
have found the hay in the needles-stack!
shalom
U P D A T E
“Here I Raise Mine Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy Help I’m Come”
So wrote young Robert Robinson in 1758
when, at the age of 23, he penned the beginning
words of the second verse of what has become
one of the church’s favorite hymns, “Come,
Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Robinson was
recalling events recorded in 1 Samuel 7:8–14
when God delivered Israel from the army of
the Philistines. On that occasion Samuel
the Prophet placed a stone to mark the site
of this supernatural intervention, naming it
“Ebenezer,” which is Hebrew for “Stone of
Help.”
Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between
Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it,
Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD
helped us. (1 Samuel 7:12)
At 41 Meir Street in Haifa, Israel, there
is a rock with a brass plaque referring to this
biblical text. It stands at the sidewalk entrance
to Ebenezer Home where for the last 38 years
men and women have received loving care in
their senior years at the only residential facility
in Israel providing for the needs of elderly
Jewish and Arab believers in a distinctively
Christian (Messianic) setting.
Ebenezer Seniors Home (ESH) was
established in 1976 in response to the troubling
situation of elderly Jewish Christians,
including Holocaust survivors, who in many
cases had been ostracized by family due to
their faith in Jesus, leaving them with no one
to help or care for them. To these Ebenezer
has indeed been a “Stone of Help.”
Johnny Khoury has been the director/
manager of ESH since 2003, and assistant
manager for five years before that. His
preparation for ministry includes a Master’s
Degree in gerontology from Haifa University.
Serving with him is Shoshana, his wife of 25
years. Johnny’s father is an Arab (Catholic/
Maronite) and his mother is English (Anglican),
while Shoshana is Jewish, the daughter of
long-time HCF Ministry Affiliates in Israel,
John and Ruth Salinger (“Haim of Haifa”).
They grew up together in a congregation in
Haifa where two faithful Christian women
had a special burden for the Arab children
of the neighborhood around the church and
brought Johnny, his brother, and sister to the
meetings. Shoshana (“Shosh” or “Sue”) says
that they fell in love when she was 14 and he
was 17, and they married when she was 20
and he was 23. Their marriage and service
together for the Lord as an Arab husband and
Jewish wife is a picture of oneness in Yeshua
(Jesus), a oneness which is also very evident
in the sweet Christian fellowship between
Arab and Jewish residents of Ebenezer.
Khoury Family: Leyah, Tim, Shoshana,
Abigail, Johnny (with “Patch”), and Tehila
The Khourys have four wonderful children:
Timothy is 22 and currently traveling with a
believing friend in New Zealand (home for
Shosh until her parents immigrated to Israel
when she was five). He plans to begin his
studies in radiology in the fall. Abigail (20)
and Leyah (18 ½) are presently serving in the
www.hcfellowship.org
Outside View of
Ebenezer Seniors
Home
Ebenezer Lobby
Israeli army, and Tehila (16) is a junior in high
school.
Johnny and Shoshana have been blessed to
serve and minister to the residents of ESH, but
they’ve also had the privilege of ministering to
the workers and volunteer staff of the home.
They rejoice in the knowledge that the Home
is a genuine testimony of the Lord’s grace and
love.
God has indeed poured out his blessing
upon Ebenezer during its 38 years of operation,
but there have been many challenges along the
way, as well. Right now the greatest challenge
is the daunting task of adding another floor to
the home to provide expanded care through a
skilled nursing ward which will be approved by
the Israel Ministry of Health.
Regarding the ministry of ESH, Johnny
and Shoshana request prayer for daily grace
and wisdom in all decisions they need to
make, large and small, but especially grace
when personal relationships are challenged.
Regarding their family, they would
appreciate prayer for Tim’s acceptance into
the University and help with his future studies
and plans, for safety—both physical and
spiritual—of daughters in the army, and for
Tehila who will undergo corrective surgery on
her feet this summer.
When asked about just one thing that
they could communicate to their brothers
and sisters in the Lord in the U.S. regarding
Ebenezer Seniors Home, the Khourys replied:
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee!
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS E-SHARE?
Most residents of Ebenezer Seniors Home
have very limited material resources and
are able to cover only a small portion of the
actual expense of their care at ESH, creating a
H EBREW C HRISTIAN F ELLOWSHIP
six months. Opportunities are available
in a variety of areas. You can learn more by
contacting the HCF office.
Dining Room
Ebenezer Meeting
Room
heavy financial burden for the operation of the
facility. To date, most donations to Ebenezer
have come from Christians in Europe and
Scandinavia, but there has been a significant
reduction in those funds in recent years.
In consultation with the leadership of
ESH, Hebrew Christian Fellowship has
developed the Ebenezer Seniors Home Adopta-Resident program (E-SHARe) in which
churches, youth groups, or individuals send a
regular gift, in any amount, to help with the
expense of caring for an Ebenezer resident
whom they’ve “adopted.” Anyone interested
in this program is sent a portfolio of names,
photos, and biographies of residents “in need
of adoption” from which to choose. Once the
“adoption” is in place, regular communication
(primarily through conventional mail service)
is facilitated between the resident and the
“adoptive party.”
SO WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?
t Contact the HCF office to request a
brochure outlining the E-SHARe program.
There is also a version available which is
designed specifically for church youth
groups who are considering adopting a
resident as a group project.
t Commit to regular prayer for Johnny and
Shoshana and their family, and the ministry
of Ebenezer Seniors Home.
t Send a gift to Hebrew Christian Fellowship
designated for “Ebenezer Seniors Home.”
As with all designated gifts, 100 percent
will be forwarded by HCF to ESH to assist
in the overall operation of the home.
t Consider serving as a volunteer worker
at Ebenezer Seniors Home for three to
t Read carefully and joyfully the following
testimony of one U.S. pastor whose youth
group participates in the E-SHARe
program.
t Re-read the last issue of Shalom Update
(Autumn, 2013) to learn about how you
can be directly involved in the pro-life
movement in Israel through Marvin and
Orit Kramer’s “First Year of Life” program.
Can’t find that issue? Contact us and we’ll
send you one, or check it out at our website,
www.hcfellowship.org.
THE IMPACT OF E-SHARE PARTICIPATION
ON ONE YOUTH GROUP
Rev. Tim Franklin is pastor of the New
Hope Community Church in Ft. Wayne,
Indiana. The church youth ministry, “Voice
of Christian Youth,” is one of the groups
“adopting” a resident of Ebenezer Seniors
Home. Pastor Franklin shares this word of
testimony:
Roger Wambold contacted our youth
group about two years ago asking us to
“adopt” a resident of the Ebenezer Seniors
Home in Haifa, Israel. Johnny and Shoshana
Khoury, the directors of the home, sent us
the name and information of a wonderful
man whom we “adopted.” His name was
John Rocha. We committed to pray for Mr.
Rocha, which we did every week. The youth
gave their offering from which we sent a
monthly gift to be used for John’s needs. We
sent greeting cards to him and he wrote us,
too. Shoshana kept us updated with letters
and e-mails.
When our youth group kids were
informed of John’s serious illness and shortly
afterwards, his going home to Heaven to be
with his Lord, our kids felt like they had lost
a good friend. John had written to us once
that we should visit him in Haifa (the kids
liked that idea!), but if we couldn’t, he would
see us in Heaven someday. We look forward
to that day! This “adoption” ministry is a
very significant part of our overall youth
ministry.
www.hcfellowship.org
“Voice of Christian Youth,” the youth group
of New Hope Community Church, Ft. Wayne,
IN, holding a picture of their “adopted”
Ebenezer resident: Nissim Mizrahi
We now have adopted another resident,
Nissim Mizrahi. We look forward to building
a relationship with Nissim, too.
An added note of interest: After being
involved with the Ebenezer Home, our youth
group was spurred on to “adopt” two senior
citizens in our own community.
r Is
The Doo Close...
o
About T
. . .on your opportunity to be included in
HCF’s 2014 Israel Tour, hosted by Roger
and Phyllis Wambold.
Dates are May 13-23, with direct flights
between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv.
The cost is $3,239.00 per person which
includes air fare, hotels, breakfast and
dinner daily, licensed Israeli guide,
ground transportation in a modern
touring coach, and all admission fees.
BUT, only six seats remain, so call Rev.
Wambold TODAY (717-556-0132) to be
included.
The travel brochure and registration form
are available online: www.pilgrimtours.
com/groups/hcfellowship.htm.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
Winter 2014
PAID
H E B R E W
CHRISTIAN
FELLOWSHIP
SOUTHEASTERN, PA
PERMIT NO. 229
P.O. Box 245
Harleysville, PA
19438
215.256.4500
email: [email protected]
www.hcfellowship.org
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Stones have always served an important function for God’s people—
stepping stones to cross from one place to another, stones to build an altar
on which to worship, stones of remembrance for future generations.
In What Are These Stones? Ruth Salinger recounts the amazing story of
how she as a Gentile sheep farmer’s daughter met and married her Orthodox
Jewish husband followed by her conversion to Judaism, how they both came
to faith in Jesus as Messiah, how they were led to move with two small
children from their home in New Zealand to Israel, and how the Lord directed
them to serve Him in Gospel ministry there for many years.
You’ll be inspired, challenged, and blessed as Ruth traces God’s hand over
“the stepping stones” of their family’s life, builds an altar of worship from
“stones” gathered through a lifetime, and passes on to future generations a
cherished collection of “stones” as reminders of God’s faithfulness in the past
and His unwavering promises for the future.
Contact the Hebrew Christian Fellowship office to request your copy of
the life story of John (“Haim of Haifa”) and Ruth Salinger, long-time HCF
Ministry Affiliates in Israel.
As with all materials provided by HCF, there is no charge for this 190-page,
hardbound book, with full-color
photographs, and including
both volumes of Ruth’s poetry.
Roger and Phyllis Wambold (right)
presenting first press-copy of
What Are These Stones? to John
and Ruth Salinger in their home
on Mt. Carmel, Israel
www.hcfellowship.org