Dear Friend,

As we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, which represents the start of a new Jewish year, we want to give thanks to God for the many lives saved this year. A remarkable 1,300 women contacted our offices for some kind of assistance in the past year. Approximately 50% of our calls came from women who were considering abortion, and 70% of these, with our help, chose life. Nearly 650 babies were born, and there are currently 200 babies in the womb of pregnant moms under our care. Almost half of the women are married; half did not study past high school; about 30% find us through friends and family and another 25% through a Google search; approximately 50% consider abortion because of their financial situation, 20% because of lack of support and 30% because they are not married to the father of the baby.

Miracle after miracle occurred in response to our prayers. May this year 5783 be a year of new beginnings, new lives and restoration of broken families. We believe God for His miracles. We bless you, our friend, with the fullness of God’s blessings on your life. May you know the height, the width, the depth of God’s unfathomable love for you.

Sandy

Home for Pregnant and New Moms

It’s been a busy season of new beginnings for women in the five-bedroom apartment we opened for our pregnant and new moms on the southern coast of Israel. Last September, we rented the lovely apartment to meet the urgent need of Hava, who was pregnant and had nowhere to live. In December, Hava gave birth to her son, Yigal. This September, Hava was able to move into her own apartment, place Yigal in daycare and begin to work. We are so blessed that we could offer her a protective environment in her time of need. Another pregnant mom, Alicia, joined Hava in the home for several months this past winter, gave birth and recently moved out to live with her father. We were encouraged to see God’s perfect timing when, shortly after these two moms moved out, two new pregnant women moved in. Efrat is 19 and Miki is in her early 40s; the two women get along very well. Miki, although pregnant for the first time, behaves in a very tender and gentle way with Efrat. Efrat is a young Jewish woman who was in a complicated relationship with an Arab man. When she discovered her pregnancy, he told her to abort her baby and broke off ties Frightened and ashamed, she hid the pregnancy from her parents for as long as possible, and is now living in our apartment. She felt very fragile and alone, so finding a friend in Miki, who is like a mother to her, has been a relief and comfort. We praise God for this unity and pray for continued blessings on the women in this House for Life.

Our Ashkelon counselor Yael with Hava's baby Yigal:

Order your 2022–2023 Calendar now!

Our beautiful 18-month calendar features photographs of precious children born to our Be’ad Chaim family this year, set on a background of Israeli landscapes.

Divine Appointment

Missy was in Morocco, married to a man whom she loved very much, but her parents forced her to divorce him. Brokenhearted, she chose to move to Israel to get a new start in life. At 36, and a new immigrant, Missy decided to study to become a pharmacist. Just as she concluded her studies, she met a young man and became pregnant. He accused her of purposefully falling pregnant and pressed her hard to abort. Deeply troubled and conflicted, Missy didn’t know what to do. She certainly didn’t want to abort but had no idea where to turn to for help and support. One day, the clerk in the post office, where Be’ad Chaim staff does all of our postal services, saw Missy, pregnant and distraught. The clerk spoke with her gently and urged her to turn to Be’ad Chaim for help. Our counselor, Sarah, was amazed at God's providing for and protecting Missy and her child.

We rejoice as we recall “that God will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

Precious Aviel, Missy’s firstborn son, was born in early August and is the joy of her heart.

Romi and Baby Liel

Liel celebrated her first birthday on July 27. It was a lovely party with cake and lots of relatives in attendance.

The past year has been hard for Romi, both financially and emotionally. She has not worked in the past year in order that she could take care of her precious daughter, but her husband’s part-time job pays minimum wage, so their income is very low, and they struggle. Romi and her husband’s relationship has deteriorated over the past year, and sadly, they have now separated; he visits regularly to see his daughter, and Liel enjoys the time she spends with her father. Although Romi would like their relationship to be restored, she does not see that happening in the near future. Romi is looking for a job and is hoping to place Liel in daycare. She is more than grateful for the help she received from Be’ad Chaim over the past year: The furniture, monthly diapers and vouchers, through our Operation Moses project, were a true blessing to her and ensured she always had enough for Liel. It was a beacon of light for her in emotionally and financially dark times. We pray for God’s blessings on this precious family and for the restoration of their marriage.

Sima and Baby Girl Hodaya

Sima, 28 years old, is married and has two children, a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old. At the end of 2021, she gave birth to a son, but he passed away two weeks after birth due to a heart problem. Sima deeply grieved the loss of her son, and when she became pregnant soon after his death, she was filled the fear that the same thing would happen to this child. Sima’s social worker called us to ask us to help her with her current pregnancy. She shared with our counselor that in her youth she had been sexually abused in the home of her Orthodox parents. She subsequently received psychiatric treatment, and decided to specialize in treating at-risk youth. During her pregnancy, she worked as a supermarket cashier to provide a living for her family, but her dream is to work with at-risk youth. In July, Sima gave birth to her daughter, Hodaya, which means “thanksgiving.” Sima chose this name to thank God for helping her through the pregnancy and giving her a healthy child.

Kimi and Baby Girl Miel

Kimi, 21, is single but had been living with her boyfriend for a long time. A year ago, she finished her military service and is trying to figure out what she would like to study. Her parents did not like her relationship with her boyfriend and, when she found out she was pregnant, she was afraid to tell them. She told her boyfriend that she would like to keep the baby, however, he did not like the idea and told her to have an abortion. Thankfully, Kimi chose to tell her mother, who then begged her to keep the baby and said she would help her raise it. Kimi’s boyfriend broke off their relationship, and she contacted our hotline to see if someone could help her. A year ago, Kimi gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl and named her Miel (“honey” in French); Kimi’s mother was with her during the birth. Kimi cries when she speaks of Miel’s father; after her birth, he visited once but didn’t want any responsibility, and they are not in touch anymore. Miel celebrated her first birthday in August and brings so much joy to her mother. Kimi lives in Haifa with both her parents, who help her take care of Miel; however, they are both disabled and are not able to help her financially. Miel started daycare on September 1, which is now allowing Kimi to work during the day. She has a soft voice, and she is a sensitive young lady.

Yarin and Baby Girl Gefen

Yarin is 18 years old. She was in her final year of high school when she found out she was pregnant. Sadly, her own father died when she was just four years old, and her mother raised her and her siblings alone. Yarin said that even though she was so young when her father died, she has very fond memories of him. Yarin knew she did not want to have an abortion, but also could not see how she could manage. When looking for help, she found out about Be’ad Chaim and made contact with us. She is very mature for her age, and showed that she really wanted to take full responsibility for her child, but just needed a little help. With the encouragement of her counselor and the practical help of baby items through our Operation Moses Project, Yarin felt much more confident when she became a young mother in July. Her baby girl, Gefen, is lovely. Yarin lives with her mother, and they are both very relieved and grateful to have received the baby bed, stroller, bath tub and monthly gift card to purchase whatever they need for Gefen.

Household Items for Alexi

At 24 years old, Alexi found herself pregnant, alone, and needing to find an apartment, which she then had to furnish and stock. Our gracious counselor in Be’er Sheva presented us with her dilemma, and we decided to send her a love gift to purchase household items. Alexi wrote this note of thanks “Hi, Sandy, Oxana just told me that you’re sending me the money to buy household items. First of all — a huge THANKS. I really appreciate your help and it really has saved me. I tried a lot of different places seeking help and no one helped me except for you (Be’ad Chaim). So many, many thanks. I will buy the items and send receipts."

Counselor Day

Our bi-annual counselor get-together in September was a special blessing, as nearly all of our counselors nationwide joined together for fellowship, retraining and prayer. These times of unity are essential to us being able to be recharged with energy, motivation and excitement to continue the very difficult task of helping women in crisis. Our newest counselor in Tel Aviv, Keren, phoned to tell me how inspired she was to meet the team, to pray together and to get a fuller picture of the work. She was excited to hear about victories and encouraged that the challenges she faces are common to others. We are grateful for your prayers for our counselors and staff to be filled with the love of God so that it will overflow to our moms and babies.

Special Event in our Beer Sheva Office

Our Be’er Sheva office works closely with that city’s welfare department, which refers women in crisis pregnancies to us rather than to abortions. Our distribution center is in a large, central bomb shelter, owned by the city, which is easily accessible for our mothers. We are deeply grateful for this partnership. As a result of this close relationship, our center is very busy; there are currently 72 babies in the womb waiting to be born and 158 babies who were born this year. Recently, we were thrilled to be able to give the new moms gift packages of organic food, sponsored by the Joseph Project, which was paired with a workshop on how to cook using these foods. During the event, an artist gave a special, inspirational message of hope, while painting on canvas as a visual aid. It was a very moving and encouraging day for the many mothers who participated.

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