Stories of the kingdom from the kingdom Archive

From Prayer For Jerusalem comes this story of Jews who were allowed to leave Russia and go to live in Israel.

One of the Rabbis came from the Soviet Union said that many years ago one million Americans united in a petition called "Let My People Go" to the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, to appeal to Gorbachev to let one million Russian Jews go home to Israel. A television special and book by the same name were also written.

An appeal was made to President Reagan to ask Mikhail Gorbachev to release the Russian dissidents - specifically Natan Sharansky - and open the doors for Russian Jews to go back to Israel. Ronald Reagan did just that.

Since those days, one million Russian Jews have returned to the Land of Israel as the prayer of their lips "Next year in Jerusalem," came true.

Sharansky left his cold prison cell with a small book of Psalms and a Yarmulke. The skull cap, Yarmulke, was made from the rags around the feet of a Pentecostal pastor who shared his cell with him one evening when he slept.

The pastor gave it to him so that he could celebrate the Passover. To this very day Natan Sharansky wears that Yarmulke on Yom Kippur and during the Passover.

Another story from OM

Asked to complete the sentence: The best thing about living in this country is ..., a young man with OM in relief and development in a mountainous region of Central Asia wrote:
It's so special to be living a life of purpose. Our team focuses on making a spiritual and physical impact on our community here in the remote mountains where there has never been a Church. It's amazing to think that we might be the midwives in this process and an incredible freeing to know that we can't do it in our own strength and to really depend on Jesus to make himself real to people.

On my arrival, if I'd been given a blank sheet of paper and told to 'write up my dream job description', I wouldn't have come up with anything nearly as rewarding as what I am doing. My project didn't just happen overnight, but the combination of creativity, business management and empowerment of the poor was such a great fit for me and a real privilege to be part of.

Encouragement from believers' generosity

Before the new Operation Mobilization ship, the Logos Hope, can begin active service, OM needs to obtain a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate. This certificate is issued by the Classification Society after a successful survey of the vessel, operating procedures and documentation. A survey prerequisite is the completion of a number of essential outfit works and the continuous maintenance of engine room machinery.

In December, we were encouraged with many gifts-in-kind that will be a significant help in completing the outfit of the vessel and receiving the certificate.

Some examples are: Friends and the supporting Swiss church of a Logos Hope crewmember donated carpentry tools valued at over EUR 2,000. A USA company donated a plasma cutter that will make the preparation of steel much more efficient. A church in north Germany has taken on the responsibility (manpower, finance and material) to build the deck-3, auditorium stage.