Shalom from Israel - December 2024
From the Desk of Pastor Zechariah
Dear Beloved,
Isaiah 40:31, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint."
I hope this message finds you well. On behalf of the Retzon Ha'el organization and community, I want to express our heartfelt thanks for your unwavering support. Your generous partnership has been essential in allowing us to assist many families in need during these difficult times.
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has severely disrupted lives, now mainly in north Israel, with many families losing access to steady income and basic resources. Amid this disruption, your contributions have been a lifeline. However, the situation has not been without its challenges.
During the worst of the conflict, we were forced to pause our distribution of goods and clothing several times- sometimes on three or four occasions—due to missile attacks and air raid warnings. These interruptions created an environment of fear, making it harder to deliver essential support.
We also had to Adapt to the Crisis, and our community programs faced significant disruptions. For more than a month, we were unable to hold in-person prayer services or WhatsApp programs, ensuring that our community remained spiritually connected despite the physical distance and ongoing threats.
With the recent ceasefire, we've resumed some normal activities. We celebrated this milestone with a special Thanksgiving event—an opportunity to come together in prayer, thanksgiving, and celebration for the protection and support we've experienced despite the challenges. It was a powerful reminder of our community's strength and resilience.
The Impact of Your Support
Thanks to your support, Retzon Ha'el has provided food, clothing, and medical equipment to over 45 families. Many of those we've helped have expressed deep gratitude, not just for the physical aid but also for the hope it has restored. Your generosity is making a tangible difference in their lives.
We are deeply grateful for your partnership and look forward to continuing our work together to bring lasting change.
We wish 2025 will be a year of victory and achievement according to His will.
Warm regards,
Retzon Ha'el Congregation
October 1, 2024 Update
From the Desk of Pastor Zechariah
Shalom and Shana Tova,
Tomorrow, we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, a holiday that symbolizes the beginning of a new year and an opportunity. This year, however, the holiday comes amid heightened security tensions following recent events. After the elimination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the ground incursion of IDF into Lebanon, tensions in the region have escalated, and the entire country finds itself in a state of uncertainty and constant preparation for the possibility of further military escalation. This situation poses challenges for us as a people and as a community in dealing with fears and concerns about the near future.
Nevertheless, it is precisely during these difficult times that we see great importance in demonstrating the love of the Messiah, Yeshua, and strengthening mutual responsibility among us. We believe that the difficulties and challenges remind us of the value of faith and trust in the Lord and that this is the most suitable time to turn to Him with a full heart and bring His love into people's lives. We encourage people to use this occasion not just as a holiday for personal reflection but as a call to strengthen their connection with Yeshua and to see Him as the source of hope and salvation.
As the holiday approaches, as part of our desire to translate the values of faith into actions and not just words, we have initiated a food basket distribution campaign for needy families. We see it as a great privilege to be messengers of kindness and love and to lend a hand to those in need during this time. The baskets we distributed include fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken, rice, oil, and additional products to help these families celebrate the holiday in a dignified and joyful manner. Our goal is not only to provide material support but also to bring some joy and encouragement into the homes of these families, reminding them that they are not alone and that they are part of a caring community that supports and loves them.
Through these small acts, we embody the love of the Messiah. We believe that love is revealed in the most tangible way when it manifests in practical acts of giving and concern for others. We pray that these actions will bring comfort, joy, and hope to those in distress and that we can all enter the new year with a sense of mutual responsibility, faith, and deep love. We thank you for your prayers and support.
Love and blessings, Zechariah Arni
From The Desk of Pastor Zechariah - July 2024
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17
I hope this message finds you well. We are pleased to provide you with an update on our organization's efforts to support families through our monthly clothing and food supply program.
Throughout the past couple of months during this challenging time, we continued to deliver essential clothing and food supplies to families in our community facing economic hardship.
The Needs Are Great
Over the past few months, our organization has achieved significant success in our mission to support families in need.
We have successfully distributed essential clothing and food packages to over 50 families, including a household directly benefiting from our assistance.
These efforts have profoundly impacted their lives, providing them with much-needed resources to ease financial strain and improve their overall well-being.
Through our consistent monthly support, we aim to continue making a positive difference in the lives of these families, empowering them to face challenges with greater resilience and hope for the future.
A Single Mother
One of the single mothers in our program shared a touching testimony, mentioning that the new clothes provided have allowed her four children to experience the joy of wearing fresh outfits, lifting their spirits during challenging times.
Despite facing challenges in meeting the increasing demand for assistance, our committed and generous donors enabled us to support every registered family.
The positive stories of impact, such as the one of the single mothers, inspire us to persist in our mission.
Helping the Eldely
In the near future, we aim to expand our outreach efforts to reach more families facing challenges accessing our services.
This initiative will involve providing additional essential goods such as clothing and food and organizing transportation with the help of additional volunteers.
This effort is significant for reaching members of the community who are less mobile due to health or age-related issues.
By extending our support in this way, we strive to ensure that all families in need receive the assistance they require, regardless of their ability to travel to our location.
Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 25:40
Do not neglect to extend hospitality to strangers [especially among the family of believers—being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for by this; some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:12
Through our giving, we show God's love.
From the Desk of Pastor Zechariah
Update - October 2023
Dear Family, Shalom,
We find ourselves during a challenging time with tensions still running high in Israel and the northern region.
Thank you again for standing with us. Your Zechariah Arnisituation, we are humbled by the opportunity to stand together to encourage our soldiers and families in need. As believers, we pray fervently for our country, seeking peace and stability. However, we also recognize the importance of taking action to support those on the frontlines and the families enduring various hardships during this time. Your generosity and love have made it possible for us to make a difference in the lives of those affected by this conflict. Together, we are making a tangible impact. Your contributions, both big and small, provide vital assistance to the soldiers and families who need it most. We offer prayer, practical help, and resources in this challenging situation. Your continued support is invaluable. We cannot express enough gratitude for your unwavering commitment. Together, we are demonstrating the power of unity, compassion, and love. We invite you to stay connected with us and follow our updates to see the positive changes we are making together. Again, Thank you for your steadfast support, generosity, and love. Let us stand strong together as one body, impacting the lives of those who need it the most. Thank you again for standing with us.
Your, Pastor Zechariah Arni
From the Desk of Pastor Zechariah Arni
Back to School Project
Back to School Project
Back to School Project
Successful delivery of our school supplies donation for the families enrolled in our supporting program. The program aimed to provide essential educational resources to underprivileged students and alleviate some of the financial burdens faced by their families.
Our Objective
Back to School Project
Back to School Project
To ensure that all children in our supporting program have access to necessary school supplies for the upcoming academic year. Also, create a sustainable initiative that can be replicated in future years to support the education of these youth. while showing the love we receive and give the hope of light in life.
The Distribution
Back to School Project
Show of Gratitude
Our distribution event was organized at the location of our newly rented store for the families in our aid program. We collect these events every year and basic needs distributions every month.
Show of Gratitude
Over 25 Students Supported
Show of Gratitude
We also collected feedback from the families to assess the impact of the initiative. Families expressed their gratitude for the assistance, emphasizing the project's positive impact on their children's education.
Over 25 Students Supported
Over 25 Students Supported
Over 25 Students Supported
Over 25 Students Supported: We provided school supplies to the registered families of children who are students, ensuring they have the tools they need for a successful academic year. We encouraged our partners and donors to actively participate in future programs actively, fostering a sense of community of Christ engagement.
To God Be All The Glory
Over 25 Students Supported
Over 25 Students Supported
To God be all the Glory!
For the coming new year of Israel our registered families The school supplies donation project was executed successfully, achieving its objectives of supporting and revealing love from the church. We are grateful for the support of our organization's volunteers, staff, donors, and partners in making this initiative a success. By continuing to invest in the life of disadvantaged families and youth, we contribute to building a brighter future for our community.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our mission.
Yours in Yeshua
Zechariah Arni
Help Our Cause
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and fund our mission.
100% of your donation will go toward this and other urgent needs as a result of the war. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt at the year of the year.
We wish to express our deepest gratitude for any amount you can give.
Shalom
From the Desk of Pastor Zechariah
Shalom Friends and Prayer Partners!
NEW YEAR 2023
As we are grateful for all the blessings from Lord in the year 2022, we celebrated together in thankfulness. We also had a broad worship session, a theatrical message from the youth group, prayer time for children and all members, and sharing the word of God for the New Year 2022. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." So we believe God has given us a message for the year to come, and we had a wonderful time being thankful.
Choreographic Drama with a Strong Message from our Youth Group.
In this team, we see a lot of hope for the next generation. They came together by their willingness and gave a message to the church that no matter what, Jesus will never let us down, and our own will always decide the path we go through. But above all hand of mercy is open; the grace of God will help us come back to him.
Growing and Renovation.
Previously we used the kitchen and second prayer space for our family support program. This created clash between programs, and not having enough space both for serving and storing goods also caused defects of access for our elderly families and created limitations in more dimensions.
With the help of God this year, we have found a new place that is in our current building, and we are very excited to continue this journey with the new place and new motivation to reach out to many more people and, of course, decrease stress on other programs which were at odds.
From the Desk of Pastor Zechariah
Shalom Friends and Prayer Partners!
Thank you all for partnering with the 'Retzon Ha-El' Congregation in 2021. God has amazingly taken care of His little flock in Haifa city Center. We wish you all Happy Holidays!
God is faithful and will complete the good work he has started. He has graciously led an increasing number of young adults to our Shabbat services and our coffee house. We are disciplining them and equipping them to make healthy life decisions. We help those, that lack the necessary life skills. Some need to find freedom and healing from addictions, some from broken family relations. The humanitarian assistance to the needy has continued throughout the pandemic. Thanks to God, no one in our community passed away from the virus, even though quite many were infected.
30th Anniversary Celebration of Operation Solomon
December 24th marks the 30th Anniversary of Operation Solomon, a covert Israeli military operation on May 24th - 25th, 1991, to airlift 14,325 Ethiopian Jews in 35 non-stop flights to Israel in 36 hours. One of the air crafts carried at least 1,088 people. Two babies were born on the flight. 'Retzon HaEl' is celebrating this unique event with praise and thanksgiving. Many of our congregants arrived in the country during Operation Solomon.
The Lighting of Hanukkah Candles
May your holiday season be full of God's presence, and may the Father take care of all of your needs according to his promises.
Yours in Yeshua the Messiah,
Pastor Zechariah
Greeting from Pastor Zechariah
Passover 2018 - Haifa, Israel
Happy Passover!
We greet you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah and wish you a blessed Passover! May God manifest his presence in your life during this holiday!
We thank you for your prayers and for being a co-worker in the Kingdom of God.
One project, that many friends like you have helped us to accomplish, is our new music studio. We also want to thank our long term, highly professional young volunteer, who helped us to set up the studio. It's nicely coming along, as you can see from the photo above. Now those with a call to worship, are able to record their God given music. The young people in particular are very excited.
MUSIC STUDIO
Zephaniah 3:10
“From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, Will bring My offerings.”
Yours in Yeshua the Messiah,
Zechariah Arni
Retzon HaEl Congregation
