Tag: Praise

July 2022 Update

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Dear Praying Friends and Supporters,

We have been quite busy since our last major update – one of the reasons why we do not post more often. We are deeply thankful to the Lord for His great grace and mercy poured out repeatedly into the preborn children and their mothers that come our way. We never cease to be amazed and humbled at how He works and brings light into the darkest places and hope into the most desperate hearts.

Most of the women who have come to use in recent months are relatively young. Tragically, despite their youth, they are also suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Katya*

Katya is in her mid-20s, now the mother of two, and suffers from eating disorders and PTSD. Her oldest has a life-threatening allergy to dairy products. But even worse, both have suffered from severe physical and emotional trauma. After giving birth to her son, the baby’s father wanted to kill them both. Thankfully, the father failed in his attempt to murder her. After all she had gone through and struggling with her son’s physical condition, Katya was very abortion-minded when she first came to us. However, after counseling, she made the courageous decision not to abort and gave birth to another son. K’s financial situation is quite difficult, and we are helping her as much as we can through our First Year of Life Program.

Rikki*

Rikki is 21 years old. Born into an ultra-Orthodox religious family, she was severely exploited and sexually abused. Her situation became progressively worse, and Rikki finally decided to leave home. However, with no reasonable means of support, she ended up living on the street and became involved with prostitution and drugs. When she was 17, Rikki became pregnant and decided to give the child up for adoption. After giving up her child, Rikki’s life continued along the same path of prostitution and drugs until she discovered she was pregnant again. Referred to us by a friend, Rikki has been undergoing extended counseling with us. She has been able to get off of drugs and left her life of prostitution. Two months ago, Rikki gave birth to a daughter and is now in the process of getting an apartment from the government.

Elana*

Elana is 28 and has been diagnosed with manic depression and PTSD. She was repeatedly raped by her father for several years, became pregnant, and had an abortion. Elana came to us during her second pregnancy, hesitant about carrying the child to term. After two counseling sessions, she decided not to abort. Please pray for her, as she continues to have awful nightmares because of the abuse she suffered.

Tammi*

Tammi is in her 20s. She and her husband both have backgrounds of drug addiction going back several years – in both of their families. Tammi’s mother and adoptive father both died from an overdose. After becoming pregnant, she was considering an abortion. However, she changed her mind after receiving assistance from A Future and A Hope, and the local community. Tammi is now looking forward to giving birth in another two months.

Batya*

Batya is 23 years old. When she first came to A Future and a Hope, we learned that she had left home when she was 17 after suffering from severe sexual abuse. As often happens in cases like hers, Batya’s life went into a downward spiral toward prostitution and hard drugs. Pregnant when she came to us, Batya was afraid she would not be able to care for her child properly. Thankfully, as the months passed, she changed her mind and made great strides to rehabilitate herself. She became excited about her pregnancy and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in June. As of this post, Batya remains off drugs and is doing well.

Shula*

Shula, 32, is among the older women who have come to us. As a child, she suffered rape and sexual abuse over an extended period. Shula too, fell into prostitution and drugs and eventually had three abortions. Shula came to us during her fourth pregnancy, having decided she wanted to keep her child. She is now clean from drugs and gave birth in May. Shula hopes to give her child a happier life than the one she experienced. Please pray that she can do that and more by God’s grace!

How A Future and A Hope Makes a Difference

All the women mentioned above have undergone or are undergoing childbirth preparation and a breastfeeding and baby care course given by a trained Doula who works with A Future and A Hope. They also receive parenting guidance and counseling from our staff. All of the women receive help through our First Year of Life Program, and quite often, the women stay in contact with us long after the financial support ends.

However, preserving life and encouraging mothers in crisis pregnancy situations is only one aspect of our ministry. In addition, we provide seminars and workshops on sex education, harassment, pornography, pedophilia, good touch versus bad touch, and other related subjects geared toward parents and teens as well as the Messianic community. These workshops are not just important but necessary in this increasingly sexualized world – even in Israel. While the need for these workshops is a tragic fact, we are deeply grateful for the grace of God in opening doors for effective service and His power that is still touching and changing the hardest of hearts.

Prayer Points

As you pray for the women who come through our doors, please remember that what we have shared is but a tiny drop in the bucket of sorrows they have suffered. Pray for them that the Man of Sorrows would heal their broken and bruised hearts; that they would come to know and trust the Father of Light – the Father of the Fatherless as the Father who truly cares for them and loves them as their own fathers never could. Pray that the Lord would protect them from evil and the evil one and that their children would indeed grow up in homes filled with love, light, and hope.

Please pray for the staff of A Future and A Hope. May He give us the wisdom to guide each one He brings our way. When we speak at seminars and workshops, may the Lord give us HIS words to help the Body of Messiah and unbelievers learn to discern the truth regarding these timely topics. May the attendees have teachable and soft hearts that will turn to the Lord and seek purity.

Our Prayer for You

We give thanks for each of you. You are standing with us in this fierce battle, and your prayers are making a difference. Your giving is making a difference. May the Lord bless you and keep you from all evil; may He meet your needs, and hear the cries of your hearts.

Bless, be blessed, and be a blessing.

Marvin S. Kramer (for us all)

*All names have been changed for the safety of those involved.

Praise and Prayer Update: January–February 2019

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Ana-El, meaning “God Answered”, born in December, 2018 (see “19 Years Old and Already Five Abortions,” below)

God has given us a wonderful start this year: Several women made decisions for life and there were several births by abortion-minded women who also chose life following counselling. In addition, we have two events coming up shortly – both of which need your prayer and spiritual covering. Read on to find out how to pray for us and rejoice in some amazing examples of how God is changing hearts and lives.

NOTE: All the mother’s names have been completely changed to protect their identities. As you pray for these women, don’t forget, the Lord knows their real names!

Click here to open and download a printable PDF to share with others.

19 Years Old and Already Five Abortions

A 19-year-old girl (we’ll call her Tehilla – for that means praise) came to us for counselling. Between 15 and 19 years of age, she had already undergone five (!) abortions. She contacted Orit following the advice of a friend of her whom we had helped to keep her baby. Tehilla was considering another abortion—number 6. After visiting our office and receiving counsel, she made the decision not to abort. As a result, Tehilla was rejected by her own family, and the father of the child wanted nothing to do with the baby. She gave birth alone in the hospital. Orit spoke with her afterward and asked what Tehilla wanted to name her newborn daughter. She answered that she hadn’t chosen a name yet—would Orit name her? Orit suggested naming the baby “Ana-El” (God answered). Praise the Lord—That is now her name!

February Workshop for Messianic Youth

Earlier in February we held a workshop for believing youth on the subject of shaming and bullying, through the internet and in general. We spoke about real-life incidents and asked the children to share if they had been involved in similar incidents; what they would do now in the circumstances described. Obviously, we spoke on the subject from a Scriptural perspective. We also asked if any of the attendees had witnessed incidents of shaming and bullying. The responses were far beyond what we had anticipated. Many shared that they, themselves, suffered from social boycotts, shaming, and bullying because of their country of origin and skin color, as well as for their faith in Messiah Yeshua. They left the meeting encouraged and understanding the importance of being more alert and aware of their surrounding and to the words coming out of their own mouths.

Prayer: Upcoming Seminars

On March 11 and 25, we will be conducting two seminars in Jerusalem for parents. The seminars are being organized by the pastor of one congregation, who is inviting other “local” congregations to attend. One seminar will focus on shaming and bullying in social media. The goal is to give parents the tools they need to understand, discover, and relate to their children regarding these matters, and to stimulate awareness of the importance and need for open dialogue. Parents will also be helped to understand their critical role as the defenders of their children. The other seminar/workshop will deal with awareness and recognition of sexual predators and the growing impact of pornography and pedophilia among today’s children and youth. Parents will be taught how to speak with their children about sex, sexuality, and sexual identity. These topics are of great importance for modern families, and the spiritual warfare in these areas is great. Your prayers for these upcoming events would be greatly appreciated.

From Sex Slavery to a Future and a Hope

In mid-February, a 29-year-old woman came to us. Her story was extremely difficult and painful—however, we share it with you because we cannot hide from the horrors being perpetrated in the name of sexual liberty and freedom. (We shall name her “Aliyah” for she is coming up out of the depths to find hope.)

From an early age, until the age of 14, Aliyah was repeatedly raped by her father, who would drug her and use her as his personal sex slave. If that wasn’t enough, until only a few years ago, he would also pimp her and exposed her to hard drugs, which she also sold. Aliyah became pregnant twice from her father and had early abortions. She tried many times to commit suicide, but failed, and finally ended up living on the streets. And perhaps most tragically, she suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID, commonly known as multiple personality). This is a disorder that is far more common than people realize, and is often the result of severe mental, physical, sexual, and spiritual abuse. Aliyah has suffered from all of these.

At this point, Aliyah’s story came to the attention of someone who provided her with a place to live, saving her from having to live on the street. In mid-February, a woman whom we had helped in the past came in contact with Aliyah and gave her our phone number. Aliyah called us right away. Pregnant, she didn’t know how to deal with her new situation. Following the first counselling session at a Future and a Hope, Aliyah has decided that she will not abort this child and has asked us to accompany her in the process. She is dealing with heavy spiritual matters and desperately needs the Lord. We have been sharing the Gospel with her and she is open to it. Please pray for Aliyah and for us—for wisdom and protection from the attacks of the enemy of our souls. In particular, pray that she receives wise DID counselling and therapy. Pray for us to have the wisdom and sensitivity to know how to respond to her in love, and that she will truly hunger and thirst for righteousness to gain the emotional, mental, and spiritual healing she so desperately needs.

Late Term Abortion is NOT “Still Birth”

We will call her “Alicia.” Thirty-two years old, Alicia came to us following an abortion. A street girl for many years, she had been in her seventh month of pregnancy when the doctors told her that the child’s brain was not developing normally. Alicia decided to have a late-term (third-trimester) abortion. In Israel, the politically correct term for this kind of abortion is “still birth,” since the child is born dead as a result of the abortion procedure. Alicia told us afterward that following her experience of the “still birth,” and the fact that she went through it alone, with no one by her side to explain what she was going through or to encourage her, she would have preferred to continue the pregnancy to term.

Our genuine regret is that we were not in the picture at the time, as we could have prayed and trusted God that He would bring her through with a healthy child, as has happened so many times in the past. Alicia is still traumatized by her experience. After she became pregnant again, God directed her steps to us. Today, after giving birth to a healthy child, she is set up in a rented apartment and continues to receive counsel and support from us; she is no longer alone. Alicia is open to the Gospel and we continue to pray that she will come to a saving knowledge of the Lord and the healing her heart so desperately needs.

An Immigrant Story: Vitali and Natasha

Also in mid-February, 23-year-old Natasha contacted us. She and her husband, Vitali, are new immigrants from the former Soviet Union and have been in Israel about a year. Their story is both sad and fascinating. Vitali is now 29. At the age of 22, he had an accident in a swimming pool, injured his back, and became paralyzed. In some ways his story is similar to the story of Joni Erickson Tada). The couple married a few years ago and decided to immigrate to Israel. Shortly after arriving in Israel, Natasha became pregnant. They were both rejoicing and fearful at the same time. While Israel is a leader in providing support and assistance to disabled people, a plus, such assistance can only help so far. The young couple is alone here, and have realistic concerns for how to face the future. They want to continue the pregnancy and have asked us to pray for them, particularly for Vitali who is also suffering from a severe urinary tract infection (a condition that can be quite serious in paralyzed people). Please pray with us for their salvation, and for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs to be met.

Bedouin Update

In October of last year we asked for prayer for Na, from a Bedouin background, who made a decision not to abort following counseling with us. We are regularly in touch with her. She is married and has three children. Na became pregnant with her first child at a very early age when she ran away from the village where she grew up. Na decided against all odds and pressures to keep the pregnancy, to hide from her family, and to continue her life in the big city. We are asking prayer for that child, who today is six years old. He is being “boycotted” and suffering shaming by other children in his kindergarten because of his skin color and background. Residents in the community where they live laugh at him and he is isolated from others his age. This boy is adorable, sweet, very likeable, and doesn’t understand why he is going through this shaming. Please pray for the salvation of the family, and for a breakthrough in their lives and for Na, who still carries the scars of her childhood in the village.

Praise Photos

We don’t always get photos of the babies who are born. That is a choice that the mother usually makes. But, when we do receive a picture, we are happy to share it with you. Attached are photos of two “January” babies: Shai-Li (My Gift –what a wonderful name!); and Emma.

Featured in the Messianic Times

We were very grateful to learn that A Future and A Hope was mentioned in detail in a recent article in the January/February issue of the Messianic Times.

For those of you who don’t know, this is the leading international Messianic Jewish newspaper. The newspaper seeks to provide accurate, authoritative, and current information to unite the international Messianic Jewish community, teach Christians the Jewish roots of their faith, and proclaim that Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah. They publish a variety of topics about what is really happening in Israel , both the good and the bad.

We would like to thank them for giving us permission to post the article here on our website. Simply click the graphic below to download a PDF of the article and read it.

As usual, we would appreciate your prayers, particularly that we will find new prayer and financial supporters as more people learn of our important work. The need is huge… but thankfully, our God is greater!

Picture of article published in the January/February 2019 issue of teh Messianic Times.

October 2018 Prayer and Praise

Dear praying friends and supporters,

We would like to update you on some of the women we are helping, and share with you some urgent prayer requests.

Many of the women we help come from terrible backgrounds. They have maintained a poor moral lifestyle and practiced sexual promiscuity. Oh how our Lord’s heart must break for them. Rather than judging, we seek to encourage each one, and her husband or boyfriend. We aim to give them life-giving counsel for their child and for themselves, hoping that each one will feel the love of their Messiah and make Him their own. Whatever their choice, we are there for them, when everyone else has left.

Please pray for these precious families below. God has already brought them this far. He is the only one who can continue to meet their needs.

    1. Ok gave birth to a lovely baby girl, C. However, C has been found to be lactose and egg intolerant – a life threatening condition for an infant, so great care must be taken in checking the ingredients for all of her food. The entire family needs prayer as they are undergoing a difficult financial situation; O’s husband was in a car accident a month ago.
    2. R, 36, gave birth to a baby girl a few weeks ago. An immigrant from the Ukraine she married two years ago. Irena is sharing with her about the Lord and R is open and listening (her husband, however, is not open). We prayed for her to receive an ID and status before the birth of her baby, and she received both the week before she was born – Praise the Lord! Now, the family has been told they must vacate their rented apartment within two months. We promised to pray for them to find another appropriate place. Through this situation, may the Lord open her husband’s heart and the entire family come to faith.
    3. V and R are a young couple with a lovely boy. R is a newly discharged soldier with no family or relatives in Israel (referred to as a “lone soldier”). Like most women and families receiving support from A Future and A Hope, they have no other circle of support. After being abortion-minded, they counselled with us and made the decision not to abort their unborn child and V gave birth to an adorable boy. They are grateful for all the help they’ve received from us.
    4. O is a young girl who is pregnant, in great distress, and is considering an abortion. She scheduled a meeting with Irena but didn’t arrive and her phone is disconnected. We get many calls like these. We talk and counsel through the phone without knowing what the woman decides. We need prayer for those women who hesitate. Please pray for O that God will enable her to choose life for her child.
    5. Na is in her 30’s and has recently left drugs and prostitution, both of which she has done since she was 14. Na came to us during her first pregnancy 7 years ago, when she wanted to have an abortion. Against all odds, she kept her child and gave birth to a healthy boy. However, she continued in prostitution, although she stopped taking drugs. Throughout that time she kept in touch with us and slowly turned away from prostitution.Na met an older man, became pregnant, and had a second child. She did not consider abortion for a second, as she fully realized that the life growing within her was a child. Na then married the father of her second child. Their financial situation is very bad. Despite that, Na has decided to help women in situations similar to hers, even though she is now in her third pregnancy.
      Na shared with us, “I choose life despite the enormous difficulty.” A month ago her husband had a massive heart attack. He is now having panic attacks and is afraid to leave the house. Now in week 36, Na is faithfully taking care of their baby, her first child, and her husband. She has totally left her previous way of life and has become a devout, faithful, and protective wife and mother. We thank the Lord for her parenting, maturity, and the love she has for her children and husband, despite everything. From a Muslim (Beduin) background, Na is not yet open to Yeshua. Please pray that through this situation she will discover her Savior Yeshua, and have God-given courage to go the next step and believe in Him.

    6. A is a young woman in her 30’s. She has a 6-year-old daughter, a 4-year-old son and a 2‑year-old toddler. A came to us with a sad story. After her husband left for another woman, A discovered she is pregnant by him husband and wanted to abort. After many conversations and encouragement from us, by the Lord’s grace, she decided to keep the pregnancy and has given birth to a boy. Please pray for her. The situation is not simple, taking care of four children under the age of 6. The father is out of the picture, ignoring her needs, and unsupportive. Only the Lord can touch their lives, meet their needs, and heal A’s wounded heart.
    7. Ni is a young woman in her 20’s who came to us 5 years ago. She kept her pregnancy at that time and gave birth to a lovely boy. She returned to us this year, explaining that she is again pregnant and wants to have an abortion. After speaking with her and explaining it to her, she kept her pregnancy and had a girl. Tragically, we have learned that Ni has no emotional awareness and this is evident in her attitude toward her children. They are emotionally abandoned. She simply does not love them. We are in constant communication with her. Hers is another situation where only God’s love can break through. Doing the right thing, without love, is like clanging symbols (I Corinthians 13).
    8. J, 32, is the mother two children, an 8-year-old boy and a 10-year-old-girl. They immigrated from Ukraine two years ago. She was fired from her job the day she found out she was pregnant. While considering an abortion, J providentially found us. She shares, “without your help, I would have aborted.” She is due in November. Please pray that we will have the resources to add her to the First Year of Life program.
    9. Oa, in her 20’s, became pregnant and was considering an abortion. She decided to keep the baby and married the father. She has given birth to a boy and is very happy with her decision and thankful for the support she is receiving from us.
    10. Om, in her 30’s, became pregnant after a one-night-stand. Although she comes from a very religious and unsupportive family, she has decided to maintain the pregnancy. She needs much prayer as we are the only ones standing with her in this decision.
    11. G, 20, came to us with an unwanted pregnancy and a very hard family story. She already has two children and no support or help. We met with her, and provided counselling, encouraging her to keep this precious life despite the difficulties. She is thankful for the help she will receive and has decided to maintain her pregnancy. She is due in October.
    12. U is 18-years-old and single. Thankfully, her parents are very supportive and want her to keep the baby. Hence, they referred U to us. Spiritual battles take on interesting shapes: U’s purse was stolen on her way to her first visit with us and so, she did not come. The second time she planned to visit she fell on her stomach on the way here. Right now she is interested in keeping the pregnancy. Please pray for her and this battle to keep her child.

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