In Touch Quarter 4 - 2014

IN TOUCH 

4th Quarter 2014 

No.181 

Christian Friends of Israel UK 

You, O Lord, are a shield about me 

Psalm 3:3 

Report on this 

year’s CFI-UK 

Conference with 

Simon Ponsonby 

and Martin 

Charlesworth P.4-5 

Keren Pryor writes 

how pomegranates 

remind her of the 

three main themes 

of Rosh HaShanah. 

P.6-7 

Alison Marchant 

reports on the 

work of Be’ad 

Chaim, the 

Israel Pro-life 

Association P.10

About Christian Friends 

of Israel UK 

CFI-UK seeks to bless Israel by 

means of practical and moral 

support, and to serve the Church in 

teaching about God’s purposes for 

Israel and the Hebraic roots 

of our faith. 

CFI also produces a monthly News 

Report, a monthly Prayer Letter and 

a Middle East Update CD/MP3. 

Please send for full details of the 

practical projects and also of the 

many teaching resources available. 

As an educational charity, 

we carry a variety of 

resources relevant to our 

purpose. We do not 

necessarily endorse every 

view expressed by our 

guest writers or authors 

of these resources. 

Published by: 

CFI Charitable Trust 

PO Box 2687 

Eastbourne 

BN22 7LZ 

Tel: 01323 410810 

Fax: 01323 410211 

Email: info@cfi.org.uk 

Websites: www.cfi.org.uk 

www.keshercourse.org.uk 

facebook.com/cfiuk 

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Registered Charity 

No. 1101899 

Registered Office c/o 

Caladine, Chantry House 

22 Upperton Road 

Eastbourne, BN21 1BF 

Company No: 0498515 

VAT Registration No: GB678780275 

Front Cover Image: 

Pomegranates © Natalia Lisovskaya 

Dreamstime.com 

‘Gather us and deliver 

us from the nations’ 

By Jacob Vince 

Following on from my previous but one editorial 

where I noted the Bible’s recollections and 

repetitions, I was recently reminded of what 

may be considered one of the most significant of these. 

The passage is found in 1 Chronicles 16 and incorporates 

three consecutive Psalms, 105, 106 and 107. According 

to the Hebrew’ and Jesus’ order, Chronicles is 

significantly the last book of the Psalms’ section of the Bible, the third 

section (Luke 24:44), before we come to the Apostles’ section, which is 

the fourth (Acts 2:42). 

The passage is recorded when, after the defeat of the Philistines, the 

ark of God is brought from its temporary resting place with Obed- 

Edom to the city of David, with all Israel assembled in Jerusalem, That 

day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this Psalm of thanks to 

the LORD. (1 Chronicles 16:7). 

So what exactly is set out by David for Asaph to record? Well, the 

text commences with giving thanks to the LORD, then making known 

what He has done among the nations, singing praise to Him and 

seeking His face always (1 Chronicles 16:8-11 and Psalm 105:1-4). 

It refers to the LORD our God remembering his covenant forever, the 

word He commanded for a thousand generations. (1 Chronicles 16:15 

and Psalm 105:8). 

So who were the parties with whom the covenant is made and what 

is the subject of this covenant God is remembering forever? 

The covenant He made with Abraham, the oath He swore to Isaac. He 

confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: ‘To you 

I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.’ (1 Chronicles 

16:16-18 and Psalm 105:8-11). 

How emphatic is it that this covenant is about a gift of land and a 

specific land at that? As referenced in an earlier editorial, the giving of 

this specific land is also reiterated in the Apostles’ section three times 

(Acts 7:4 and Acts 13:19, and Hebrews 11:9, 30-33) all in the time and 

context of the new covenant having been instituted - in addition to, not 

instead of, this earlier land covenant. 

The Chronicles’ text then takes us through the working out of God’s 

purposes amongst His people, always with the nations in view, then, 

once again, the people are exhorted to, Give thanks to the Lord, for he is 

good his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34 and Psalm 107:1). 

Toward the end, the passage in Chronicles concludes Cry out, ‘Save 

us, God our Saviour; gather us and deliver us from the nations’ (1 Chronicles 

16:35 and Psalm 106:47). This might at first appear somewhat unusual, 

considering that at the time it is recorded, Israel is in the land already - 

that is unless it is viewed prophetically. Is the petition to gather us from 

the nations, not anticipating periods of exile in Israel’s future history? 

In fact reading through the whole of Psalm 106 clearly shows that 

exile and re-gathering is indeed anticipated, But he took note of their 

distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant 

and out of his great love he relented. He caused them to be pitied by all who 

2 // IN TOUCH

held them captive. (Psalm 106:44-46). The designated 

response to this great love, that we in the English 

language know today by the word ‘grace’, is to, 

Give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise 

(1 Chronicles 16:35 and Psalm 106:47). 

The text in Chronicles and Psalm 106 (which 

also draws to a close Book 4 of the 150 Psalms), 

concludes with the wonderful words, Praise be to the 

Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 

Then all the people said ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise the Lord’ (1 

Chronicles 16:36 and Psalm 106:48). 

So where are we today? Well it would appear 

that God has chosen to respond to Israel with great 

love, they are indeed gathered from the nations and 

He is the one who will in truth deliver them from 

the nations. Why? Because, even if we don’t, as 

the Psalmist writes and the Chronicles repeat, ‘the 

LORD our God remembers His covenant forever (See 

1 Chronicles 16:15 and Psalm 105:8). How long? 

Forever. How long? For…ever. 

Area Reps’ Conference Report 

David Soakell reports on our recent Area Reps’ Conference in Eastbourne. 

CFI-UK Area Reps 

from around the 

country gathered 

together in September 

2014 for their biennial 

conference. We were 

really encouraged to 

have a good response 

to this conference, and 

had 15 areas of the 22 

UK areas covered at the 

Conference. 

Along with our Chief 

Executive Jacob Vince 

and the Chairman of 

the Board of Trustees – David Greer and his wife 

Sandra - we also had Area Reps from as far afield 

as Inverness-shire, Edinburgh, the Scottish Borders, 

North Yorkshire, Tees Valley, East Yorkshire, West 

Midlands, Birmingham, North Wales, Monmouth, 

Swindon, Norwich, Essex, Devon & the South West 

and West Sussex. There was plenty of opportunity 

to share ideas and concerns but it has to be said that 

all the feedback and ideas were very encouraging 

and it felt that the time together was very productive. 

The venue was The Pier Hotel located on the sea 

front in Eastbourne. As the name suggests, The Pier 

Hotel is located directly overlooking the beach, pier 

and the promenade. Sadly, as you will be aware, 

the Pier caught fire not so long ago, but the location 

was good, and only a 10 minutes’ walk from the CFI 

UK Head Office. 

Following a short time of worship, David Soakell 

spoke on the role of a rep before all the reps had the 

opportunity to discuss their areas of influence. The 

goals and vision of the role of the reps was examined 

before David Greer brought a message from the 

Chairman of the Trustees. Following this, Julia 

Soakell spoke on ‘Legacy in our ministry’ which 

led into a time of prayer and finally Jacob Vince 

addressed the Reps, before closing the conference 

in prayer. 


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Annual Conference Report 

Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne played 

host to CFI’s Annual Conference this year, 

with guest speakers Simon Ponsonby (St. 

Aldates Church, Oxford) and Martin Charlesworth 

(Barnabus Community Church, Shrewsbury). 

We were also joined by several of our countrywide 

Area Representatives, some who had travelled over 

600 miles to join us on September 20th. 

The opening celebration commenced at 

9.30am with sung worship lead by Aidan Jones, 

accompanied by Joshua Hailes, Matthew Soakell 

and Verity Steele. As people began blessing the Lord 

in song the auditorium began to fill. The overflow 

balcony seating area subsequently had to be opened 

to accommodate the conference delegates. 

Simon opened the time of ministry of the word 

with an in depth look at the tragedy of church 

history and the relationship between church and 

the Jewish people. The foundations were laid in the 

morning session for his second talk, looking at the 

significance of our Jewish Messiah whilst exposing 

some of the quietly airbrushed anti-Semitism which 

can be found in church traditions today. 

Martin presented two talks; the first providing a 

biblical overview of Israel and the Church and his 

six implications of Romans 9-11. This session was 

followed with helpful insight on the best way to 

communicate a positive understanding of Israel 

today, from a pastor’s perspective. 

Simon’s and Martin’s teaching seminars are 

available as audio recordings on CD. These can 

be ordered as a complete set of four CD’s in a 

presentation case or as individual MP3 audio 

downloads from the CFI-UK webshop. 

To place your order please use the enclosed 

response form or order direct from the CFI-UK 

website or call the Eastbourne office. It is also 

possible to purchase each message as an MP3 file 

download from the main CFI-UK website. 

As usual, the CFI resource stall was available with 

an extensive range of books and other teaching 

materials, some of which are highlighted later in 

this edition of In Touch. 

It was also a pleasure to welcome associated local 

ministries. 

One final blessing was to be able to publicly 

acknowledge and thank Robin Benson for his hard 

work and dedication to the Lord in his work. Robin 

will be leaving the CFI-UK family at the end of the 

year. 

From top left to bottom right: Aidan Jones leads worship, Simon 

Ponsonby, CFI Trustees pray for Robin Benson, Martin Charlesworth 

4 // IN TOUCH

Oh the Depths of the Riches 

This 4-CD set contains all of 

the teaching from the CFI-UK 

Annual Conference including 

Simon Ponsonby’s talks ‘The Tragedy 

Of Church History and the Jewish 

People’ and ‘The Significance of the 

Jewishness of Jesus’ plus Martin 

Charlesworth’s talks: ‘A Biblical 

Overview of Israel and the Church’ 

and ‘Communicating a Positive 

Understanding of Israel Today’. 

CDS127 // 214 minutes // CD // £17.50 (incl. UK p&p) 

And The Lamb Wins 

God Is For Us: 52 Readings from Romans 

B377 // 317 pages // Paperback// £11.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

T 

here is a growing collective interest in the end 

times, but with that interest comes a barrage 

of confusing and sometimes misleading ideas 

and messages. Simon Ponsonby takes an eyeopening 

look at what the future holds. Cutting 

through today's cultural commotion, he examines 

provocative topics including biblical indicators of 

the end times, Jesus Christ's return, the tribulation 

and rapture, the future of Israel, and the role of 

the Antichrist. As each event is examined through 

the lens of solid scripture, readers will gain a firm 

foothold on how they can realistically and positively 

react to these revelations in their lives. Ultimately, 

they’ll find that whatever the future has in store, 

hope lies beyond this world; because no matter the 

end, the Lamb wins. 

B455 // 480 pages // Hardback // £18.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

Fifty two weekly chapters focused around the 

book of Romans, bringing Paul's greatest letter 

to life. Blending careful theological and historical 

detail with illuminating application, this work is 

somewhat more substantial than most devotionals. 

“If I could only choose one person to hear preach the 

whole way through Romans, I honestly think Simon 

Ponsonby would be at the top of my list.” Rev Pete 

Hughes 


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The Fruitful 

Pomegranate 

Keren Hannah 

Pryor writes how 

pomegranates 

remind her of the 

three main themes 

of Rosh HaShanah. 

Pomegranates in Arraba - a village in Galilee, Israel - © Chany Crystal 

During the late summer and early autumn 

one particularly notices the pomegranate 

trees scattered in all Jerusalem’s 

neighbourhoods as well as through most 

of Israel. The bright orange flowers that blossomed 

between Passover and Shavuot have given way to 

the shining gold and red shades of the beautiful 

pomegranates, which are associated with this 

special season of the Fall Feasts. They are eaten 

at Rosh HaShanah and they decorate the sukkah 

at the Feast of Tabernacles. In general, however, 

they beautify the streets and fields and remind us 

of the three main themes of the season: Malkhuyot 

(Kingdoms), Zikhronot 

(Remembrances) and 

Shofarot (Trumpet 

Sounds). 

1 . M a l k h u y o t 

(Kingdoms) proclaims God’s Kingship and 

sovereignty as Creator over all the earth and 

mankind. He is omniscient and omnipotent and is 

actively and constantly involved in the world. As 

the redeemed who acknowledge His Kingship, and 

in the authority given in Messiah (Ephesians 2:6), 

we are encouraged to yield our lives more fully to 

His control and to live for His glory as sons and 

daughters of the King. 

Biblically, pomegranates are associated with 

holiness and majesty. They decorated the hem 

of the High Priest’s garment, and King Solomon 

adorned the two great pillars at the entrance of 

the Holy Temple with a crown of two hundred 

pomegranates. The pomegranate fruit has a sixpointed 

crown-shaped calyx that protects the 

stamens, the providers of pollen and new life, and 

resembles the Star of David. In the light of the fact 

that the Fall Feasts await prophetic fulfilment at 

Yeshua’s return as Mashiach ben David, Messiah of 

King David’s line, the crown indeed can reflect the 

promise that he will reign at the end of days as King 

of kings in our Father’s Kingdom. Interestingly, in 

the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Botticelli’s Madonna 

of the Pomegranate 

depicts the baby Jesus 

with a pomegranate 

in His hand. 

2 . Z i k h r o n o t 

(Remembrances) reminds us that God cares for us, 

and all His Creation. We remember all His mighty 

acts of salvation and redemption. We also remember 

our deeds of the past year and offer Him the good 

in gratitude and repent of the bad and for those that 

missed the mark. We recall in gratitude that there 

is no condemnation for those who stand repentant 

and robed in the righteousness of Messiah (Romans 

8:1). 

The seeds of the pomegranate are many; some say 

there are 613 that correspond with the number of 

“Biblically, pomegranates are associated 

with holiness and majesty.” 

6 // IN TOUCH

positive and negative commandments contained 

in the Torah. The small pit at the heart is shining 

white and is covered with a sac of bright pink juice. 

It is a striking picture of our life in Messiah. We are 

made righteous, “Your sins will be washed white as 

snow” (Isaiah 1:18) in the shedding of His blood on 

our behalf. As the seed, we are filled with potential 

for new life and can draw nourishment from the 

living water of Messiah’s resurrection life. Resting 

in Him, we trust for a year of fruitfulness. 

3. Shofarot (hearing the blasts of the shofar) 

reminds us of the revelation of God at Sinai, when 

the Divine Shofar was sounded to announce His 

Presence, and of the redemptive sacrifices He 

provided of the ram to be slain by Abraham in place 

of Isaac, and of the Lamb slain for the redemption of 

all at Mount Moriah. In hope and faith we anticipate 

the ultimate trumpet call that will signal the final, 

great Redemption to come, when Messiah will 

return as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and establish 

the eternal Kingdom of God in all the earth. 

The strong skin of the pomegranate shelters the 

seeds in a protective covering. Modern scientists 

are discovering more and more health benefits in all 

parts of the pomegranate tree, including the bark, 

leaves and the leathery rind. The strength of the rind, 

at this season, reminds us that we are not alone and 

are held together securely in the One Who loves us. 

The Psalmist describes: “Thou, O Lord, art a shield 

about me” (Psalm 3:3). And, “Behold, the eye of the 

Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope 

in his steadfast love… Our soul waits for the Lord; 

he is our help and shield” (Psalm 33:18,20). 

Related resources... 

Akedah - The Testing of Abraham and the 

Binding of Isaac 

Redemption, Revelation and Celebration - New 

Light on the Festivals of Passover, Pentecost 

and Tabernacles 


By reading from a fresh translation of the text, 

Dwight Pryor explores the details of the 

Hebrew background, the Jewish commentary and 

the Christian significance of the pivotal scripture in 

Jesus’ Bible of the offering up of Isaac. 

He illuminates the startling account of the Binding 

of Isaac and the Testing of Abraham in a way that 

will enthrall and enthuse you. 

• The Testing of Abraham (60 minutes) 

• The Binding of Isaac (69 minutes) 


New light on the festivals - this series of 

messages reveals the deeper meaning for 

Christians of the three feasts of the LORD, the God 

of Israel: Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot) 

and Tabernacles (Sukkot). 

• The Journey of Redemption (Pesach/Passover) 

(59 minutes) 

• Walking in the Light of Torah (Shavuot/ 

Pentecost) (61 minutes) 

• Sojourning with a "Sukkah" Consciousness 

(Sukkot/Tabernacles) (54 minutes) 


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www.cfi.org.uk/shop 

Resources 

Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage 

It Is No Dream - The Life of Theaodor Herzl (DVD) 

B465 // 332 pages // Paperback // £18.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

Illuminating theological, spiritual and ethical 

themes of the Hebrew scriptures that directly 

affect Christian understanding, Wilson calls for the 

church to restore, renew, and protect its foundations 

by studying and appreciating its origins in Judaism. 

It draws from both Christian and Jewish 

commentaries in discussing such topics as thinking 

theologically about Abraham, understanding the 

God of Israel and his reputation in the world, and 

what it means for humans to be created in God’s 

image. 

This very readable sequel to his popular book 

‘Our Father Abraham’ (also available from CFI-UK) 

is designed to serve as an academic classroom text 

or for use in personal or group study and includes 

hundreds of questions for review and discussion. 

“Masterful... Wilson builds on his previous tour de 

force, to deepen our understanding of the Hebraic roots of 

Christian theology. There is no doubt that this work will 

impact the thinking of yet another generation of Christian 

readers, fostering Jewish-Christian understanding and 

spiritual renewal in the church” Steven Notley 

D124 // 97 minutes // DVD // £14.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

Narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley, this DVD 

documentary examines the life of the wellknown 

journalist and playwright, who against all 

the odds, took upon himself the task of attempting 

to create a Jewish homeland in what was then 

Ottoman-ruled Palestine - becoming the father of 

the modern state of Israel. 

The film follows Herzl as he meets with Kings, 

Prime Ministers, Ambassadors, a Sultan, a Pope and 

government ministers from Constantinople to St. 

Petersburg, Paris to Berlin, Vienna to Vilna, London 

to Basel, in his quest to build a Jewish nation. 

NEW RELEASE from Hatikvah Films 

Sister Religions? 

Are Judaism, Christianity and Islam ‘Sister 

Religions’? This brand new film from Hatikvah 

Films features interviews with Rev Dr Mark Durie, 

Elizabeth Kendal and Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali. 

D145 // 120 minutes // DVD // £11.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

8 // IN TOUCH

240 million trees and counting... 

If you’ve visited Israel, you’ll know that despite 

being situated in the desert, the nation also 

has an abundance of greenery. Isaiah’s vision 

of the wilderness and desert being glad, rejoicing 

and blossoming (Isaiah 35:1) has come to fruition, 

especially in recent years. 

Israel’s environmental development is unusual. 

It’s the only country in the world that has more 

trees now than it did 100 years ago. A 2010 survey 

showed as much as 71% of Israel’s population have 

planted a tree. 

But these facts are no accidents of history. Rather 

than mere coincidence, Israel’s environmental 

flourishing is the result of concerted efforts to 

steward, protect and develop the land. Every one of 

Israel’s many forests is hand planted. 

There is a long history of tree planting within 

Judaism itself. The Talmudic Rabbi Yohanan ben 

Zakai used to say that if a person planting a tree 

heard that the Messiah had arrived, he should finish 

planting before going to greet him! 

In Judaism, trees are a symbol of the life support 

system for humankind. They provide oxygen for us 

to breathe and fruit for us to eat. God’s first action on 

the earth according to Genesis 1 was to plant a tree. 

The benefits of trees are almost too numerous to 

list. Not only do they clean the air and provide food, 

they also prevent soil erosion, 

provide a habitat for wildlife, 

conserve energy and combat the 

greenhouse effect. 

Since it was established in 

1901, the Jewish National Fund 

(JNF) has planted more than 240 

million trees across the State of 

Israel, providing luscious belts 

of green covering more than 

250,000 acres. 

The process continues today. 

JNF plants trees over an average 

of 15-20,000 dunam (3,500- 

5,000 acres) every single year. 

JNF’s vision can be traced 

back to its founding in 1901. 

When the pioneers arrived, they 

were greeted by vast areas of 

barren and dry land and malarial 

marshes. The process of planting trees began then, 

and it continues today, as Israelis continue to forge a 

sustainable homeland. 

JNF UK is on the front line of this work and offers 

individuals and groups the opportunity to plant a 

tree for just £10. Trees can be planted on behalf of 

others as a birthday or anniversary present. They can 

also be planted in memory of a loved one. 

Planting a tree in Israel is a great way to show you 

care about the land and the people. It also has great 

biblical significance. In a speech to the UN last year, 

Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu quoted 

Amos 9 which says, “I will restore the fortunes of 

my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined 

cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards 

and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens 

and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and 

they shall never again be uprooted out of the land 

that I have given them.” 

Amos uses the language of planting to describe 

God’s plan for Israel. Not only does planting a tree 

make a precious and unique gift for a loved one, it 

will help you play a part in bringing this prophecy 

to life. Visit www.jnf.co.uk now to give a special 

someone their very own piece of Israel. Happy 

planting! 


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‘Choose life, that you and 

your children may live’ 

When I was in Israel in July, just as the 

rockets were starting, I met again 2 

delightful teenagers I had known over 

the years. One a vibrant young man about to start 

his army service, the other in a wheelchair, but full 

of life and fun and part of a loving family, and I 

marvelled afresh that neither of them would have 

been alive if it hadn’t been for the work of Be’ad 

Chaim, the Israel Pro-life Association, which CFI- 

UK has supported from the start. Both their mothers 

had crisis pregnancies and had been considering 

abortion. However they had found understanding 

and support for themselves and been helped to 

choose life for their children. It had not been easy, 

but neither regretted their decision. Precious fruit 

from a very remarkable work of God. 

I have been involved with Be’ad Chaim since 

around 1983 when the first seed thoughts were 

planted by Gary Burgel, an American who asked 

me to research abortion in Israel in order to rewrite 

and publish in Hebrew, a booklet he had written 

on the subject for the US. Although I had not been 

interested in the topic, once I saw the statistics 

(possibly slightly inflated), which appeared to show 

that just under 1 in 3 pregnancies were being aborted, 

which is the same proportion of world Jewry that 

Hitler killed, I knew I 

needed to sound the 

alarm. 

The battle was fierce 

but after several years 

of prayer, networking 

with other believers 

with similar concerns from all over Israel, and 

fundraising, the Be’ad Chaim amutah (charity) was 

registered in 1989. 

Even then it was a rocky start, when we feared 

“our baby” would die at birth, but the Lord 

resurrected it and Be’ad Chaim has gone from 

strength to strength, building on the prayers and 

planning of the early days. For some 10 years Ted 

Walker was director and many babies were saved 

through leafleting and outreaches on the streets and 

teaching congregations, leaders and teens, the value 

of life. Counsellors were trained and established in 

several towns. A safe house was set up particularly 

to help pregnant Arab girls at risk from honour 

killings. 

“Only God knows how many babies this 

wonderful work has actually saved over 

the last 30 years.” 

Deuteronomy 30:19 

Sandy Shoshani is the current Director of Be’ad 

Chaim and the work has continued to grow 

enormously in the last 10 years. There are now 13 

counsellors covering effectively the whole country. 

Many of the referrals now come through a Google 

search which highlights their Hebrew website and 

gives information that has caused some women to 

reconsider their abortion plans. Links have been 

developed with Social Workers and the IDF who 

also refer girls, and leafleting still continues on the 

streets and youth venues. 

The Be’ad Chaim hotline number enables girls to 

talk to an advisor, consider their options, find out 

what help is available 

and take time to think 

through their difficult 

choice. They, and perhaps 

their partners and family 

members, can then talk 

more with a counsellor near their home, who will 

give real support as they think things through, and 

offer continued help if they decide to keep their 

baby. 

If a young mum cannot live at home during her 

pregnancy, Be’ad Chaim has recently opened their 

first “The House of Life” where three girls can stay 

with support. If a woman feels financial needs 

prevent her keeping her baby, Be’ad Chaim has an 

Operation Moses Project which can provide a bed, 

stroller, baby clothes - whatever the new baby needs 

- plus nappies and formula for its first year. The 

women keep in touch with their local office each 

month and can get emotional as well as practical 

support. Parent craft and other practical courses are 

offered, as well as care for women who have had 

10 // IN TOUCH

abortions and are suffering the often devastating 

effects of Post Abortion Syndrome. These mothers 

can also plant a tree in Be’ad Chaim’s “Gardens of 

Life” near Latrun, in memory of an aborted child 

whom they may not previously have been able to 

acknowledge or mourn properly, and often find 

forgiveness and healing through this. 

At the time of writing, 945 babies who might 

otherwise have been aborted, have been given the 

first year support package since Operation Moses 

started 8 years ago, and there are currently 115 

pregnant mums on the list for this help when their 

babies are born. So very soon Be’ad Chaim will have 

reached the amazing total of 1,000 babies saved and 

mums supported through this project alone. 

Only God knows how many babies this wonderful 

work has actually saved over the last 30 years. Some 

of those babies are parents themselves by now. 

Some of the Mums have chosen life through reading 

a leaflet on the street, or been caused to reconsider 

by just looking on the website, and never contacting 

the office. 

All the staff are Messianic believers who believe 

that every child is created in the image of God. 

Their goal is to save babies from abortion and give 

women new hope as they learn that God cares 

about them and has a good plan for their own and 

their child’s life. The emotional and financial costs 

are huge, as they work on the front line in the battle 

for life, and not every baby is saved. So they need 

our prayer. A weekly prayer email and a quarterly 

newsletter can be requested from the Be’ad Chaim 

office (info@beadchaim.org.il), detailing the work 

and prayer needs around Israel. 

Operation Moses costs around £950 a child for its 

first year. If you or perhaps your prayer group wish 

to sponsor a baby you will receive a certificate with 

the baby’s name and birth date, plus information 

about the child at birth, at 6 months and at one year, 

as the baby leaves the programme. However, all 

gifts of any size are welcome. Cheques should be 

made out to CFI Charitable Trust and sent to CFI- 

UK for transfer, as this saves large bank charges on 

individual cheques. Gifts may be gift-aided which 

will assist CFI with their administration costs. 

Whether you can give financially or not at this 

time, please pray for the staff, the mothers and the 

babies: those whose lives are right now in jeopardy 

and those who have been given the gift of life over 

the years. Also for those who are seeking peace and 

healing because of a past abortion they now regret. 

Pray that all may have life. Life in all its fullness. 

By Alison Marchant 

Friends for Generations... 

“One generation will commend your works to another.” (Psalm 145:4) 

‘Friends for Generations’ is a renewed initiative for CFI-UK supporters who: 

• Desire to see Israel and the Jewish people restored to their rightful place. 

• Want to play their part in this generation, and in future generations. 

• Realise that this may take more than one generation to achieve. 

If Christian Friends of Israel (UK) is to continue its work, both now and into the next 

generation, we need your help in two specific ways: 

• Continue to pray regularly for the raising up of young adults with a passion like 

yours, to continue the work into the next generation and beyond. 

• Consider making a bequest in your Will, to ensure the work of Christian Friends of Israel (UK) continues 

in this and the next generation. 

For more information please contact us for the ‘Friends for Generations’ leaflet or visit cfi.org.uk/generations 


twitter.com/cfi_uk

CFI 30 th ANNIVERSARY TOUR AND CONFERENCE 

For full details please see the brochure contained within this copy of In Touch 

CFI-UK’s special 30 th Anniversary 

Tour will include the CFI 

Jerusalem Conference. The tenday 

trip (travelling to Israel with El Al 

on May 31 st and returning June 9 th 2015) 

includes 7 nights at Dan Panorama 

Hotel on Mount Scopus, Jerusalem plus 

2 nights at Ohalo Manor, Sea of Galilee. 

The Dan Hotel is on the route of 

Jerusalem’s new light railway/tram and 

there are two free afternoons during the 

CFI Conference between the morning and 

evening sessions. The cost is £1,790 based 

on sharing a twin or double room, plus 

£450 single room occupancy. The price 

is inclusive of flights, accommodation, 

tour and half-board. 

For full details please see the brochure 

included with this copy of In Touch, or 

contact CFI-UK: tours@cfi.org.uk 

Vacancy announcement 

With Robin Benson our Head of Communication leaving at the end of this year 

after 10 years of service, CFI Charitable Trust are seeking to recruit a 

new senior staff member to join the team at its Eastbourne office. We are 

currently in the process of discerning and developing the profile of this new 

role which will remain broadly within communication, but also explore other 

areas where the ministry could benefit. We would welcome early expressions 

of interest. Please send marked Private and Confidential to: Jacob Vince, 

CFI Charitable Trust, PO Box 2687 Eastbourne BN22 7LZ or Email: vacancy@cfi. 

org.uk

In Touch Quarter 4 - 2014

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