Blog Layout

Israel, in the face of sorrow and loss

Daryl Fenton • October 17, 2024

CMJ Israel reports on a year of wartime ministry

This is the first of five wartime articles we're posting on behalf of our friends at CMJ Israel.

Israel in the face of sorrow and loss
Wartime Israel through the eyes of Mercy
Israel Tour with Purpose
The Isaiah 19 Highway is on fire
Bystanders yet again?

October 7 marked the anniversary of a terrible evil committed in the name of god. Its consequences still bring deep sorrow, and ongoing hostility threatens to increase that pain. At CMJ in Israel, our mission is to bring hope, love, and the light of God to all those affected by this continuing conflict.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lord challenged us through His word to reconsider CMJ’s purpose and work in Israel. The answer was clear: we were called to build and strengthen communities of disciples across the nation. As a team, we worked hard to define and then begin developing these communities, aiming to equip them to bless those around them. The outbreak of terror and war only reinforced our commitment to this mission, deepening our conviction of bringing hope and light to those in need.

This crisis has accelerated our efforts to realize our vision as quickly as possible. The challenges of the past year have been a refining process, and the months ahead seem even more perilous. But by the Lord’s power and grace, we will face these challenges. We will share updates on the work He has given us and the places He has put us knowing that your continued prayers are essential to the work ahead.

At the core of our prayer is the hope that the Lord will continue to grow strong local communities of faith—communities that worship together, work together, and bear witness together. This is the foundation of the calling the Lord has given all His disciples, and it can only be fulfilled as we grow closer to Him and obey His will.

Amid the shock of terror, the likelihood of regional war grows, along with the renewed hostility toward the Jewish people worldwide.

This intensifies the urgency of our calling as those who uphold the Lord’s name and live out His will. While I may not be able to fully express the weight of this reality, I trust in the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, to guide us and fill in where my words fall short.

Here share some moments that have shaped the path ahead for us:

A young wife among us endured sleepless nights as her husband fought from house to house, securing the way for other soldiers.
An Arab mother, discipled through our Arabic broadcast, fled Gaza with her surviving children after the conflict took the lives of others.
Responding to Jewish friends who ask why they are being hated and blamed for evils they did not start.
Answering Arab friends who ask why their innocent loved ones must suffer.

These questions have no easy answers. It seems likely that many more months of conflict and heartache lie ahead. To be clear, we at CMJ will need your dedicated intercessory prayers—for strength, for "peace not as this world gives," for unrelenting compassion for a steady, loving witness, and for worship and gratitude even in the face of sorrow and loss.

Only the Lord is sufficient for this task, and His power is released through prayer. Please pay close attention to the prayer letters we send, so that together we can cooperate with the Lord in bringing good out of this sorrow. Already, we have felt the strengthening effects of your prayers and continue to draw hope from them.

Rev. Cn. Daryl Fenton is the director of CMJ Israel. He previously was the director of CMJ USA.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Blessed by this post? Ready to sow into the work of CMJ? No gift is too small. we are blessed by your partnership.

Give