Foster Parents Once Again

August 24, 2023

Dear Friend,

Heidi, the grandgirls and I returned from a vacation in Jerusalem to good news – an email announcing that we had been licensed to serve as foster parents for Roni, Leeya and Shir! Woohoo!! This week we met the social worker who will accompany us as we care for the girls. She will prepare a written report for the committee meeting which is scheduled September 3rd to finalize the recommended care program for the girls.

The State social worker in charge of our case spoke with Heidi about next steps. She indicated that they are trying to remove the case from being court case. While we don’t fully understand what role the court would continue to play now that we’ve been given the role of foster parents, our experience with Sasha leads us to believe that this would be a very positive development.

The essentials of the bathroom were finished several weeks ago and the grandgirls love taking baths in their bathtub! Slowly the details are getting in place. The bases of the cabinets arrived not so long ago, allowing us to install the sink. The shower curtain and the towel racks are finally up. The doors and drawers of the cabinets were installed today! Now, just the counter-top for the storage cabinet needs to be installed to complete the project. Longest bathroom renovation ever: three months and counting. But the tub makes it all worth it!

It’s been distracting to have three little girls at home all the time this month. Thankfully, they play well together and by themselves, allowing us some time to get work done. It seems like there is so much to organize. I still find it hard to get time to sit and concentrate on the various responsibilities both in the congregation and at home.

As the new year approaches, I’ve begun trying to put together a team to plan and lead our prayer meetings for Yom HaKippurim. Over the years Shmuel and I have worked together to plan these events, but as the congregation has grown, there was less time to focus on this important prayer time. Last year I planned it by myself at the last minute and led it alone. Several young people expressed an interest in helping plan and lead it in the future. Thankfully, as I spoke with them lately, they seemed eager to do it. During the next few weeks, I’ll meet with them to help organize this day of prayer and fasting.

Our congregation is both growing and people are moving around in the area. As we look to this next year, reorganizing home groups and establishing new ones is a high priority. I’m definitely feeling overwhelmed as I lack information in order to organize groups so that our small group ministry can grow and meet current needs.

The events of March interrupted the Friday morning in-depth study of Romans which I was leading as part of our leadership development at Beit Eliyahu. The group finished through chapter three. As the new year begins, I’m wondering how to resume this study and do so in a way that can include others.

Heidi is also thinking and praying about her involvement in starting a women’s prayer movement and developing a discipleship program. God has put these on her heart and, though she does not see herself as the leader, she does see that she could help organize and be that older woman in the background to give encouragement and direction.

Josiah received a copy of the Old and New Testaments after we presented the prison’s rabbi with documentation indicating that Heidi isn’t Jewish. I was also allowed to give him a book (which we had given him years ago, but he never read) about our emotions and their connection to our relationship with God. He calls me when he can. Recently, Anis, an Arab Christian believer who established a prison ministry among nominal Christians, was allowed to visit him. It was a great comfort to him. From our conversations, it is clear that he is lonely and doesn’t fit in with his fellow prisoners. He is still in the lock up and may be waiting quite a while before trial and sentencing.

Sasha will be attending a boarding school this coming year. She will be home with her father every other weekend. She has connected with Neta, one of our youth leaders, and we are praying that this relationship will blossom and grow. She still needs to come to a clear faith in the Lord.

As you continue to pray for us, please be asking the Lord to:

• Continue his work of comforting our hearts, giving us grace and strength to keep giving when we feel the emptiness of not having our daughter or our Imma (mommy).

• Keep on giving us grace in the eyes of those who oversee the care of our grandgirls, especially ending the court’s involvement in decision making for them.

• Draw Josiah into a relationship with Himself that meets his relational needs and provides the emotional strength to find purpose and meaning to life in spite of the situation which his sin has brought upon him.

• Give wisdom and the ability to successfully focus on organizing ministry for the upcoming holidays and small groups in the new year.

• Give Heidi total relief from the pain in her trigeminal nerve which continues to limit her, especially in these time of personal and family stress.

Thank you once again for your faithfulness to pray for us and stand behind us in our ministry. It is what has sustained us as we seek to be available for the grandgirls as well as deal with our personal grief and pain. There is much that is on our hearts and our desire is to pursue God with our lives.

When we say your prayers have sustained us, it is true in the fullest sense. We are overwhelmed, yet as we reach our limits, we breath and continue in faith that He will provide the next ounce of strength, patience and peace. We are so grateful to know that you’re standing with us before the throne of grace. We truly appreciate you.

Yours in the Messiah,

Phil and Heidi