Yesterday I spent the day at our first Open Garden of the year, The Old Rectory in Warbleton. Set out in the heart of rural East Sussex it was peaceful and calm; the tulips and whole garden simply beautiful. It reminded me that in the turmoil of current life we are lucky to be able to share in such beauty.It gave me time to think about all that is positive in my life and the life of FSW. The amazing staff team, all of whom go above and beyond what is asked of them, our trustees who freely give of time and expertise. Of you our supporters who work so hard to ensure that we have the resources we need to support the families – we really do have a lot to be thankful for.In the calm I was thinking of our families too - the challenges they face and the confusion and worry they must be feeling right now with so many unknowns heading towards us. For those who are supported by the state will that support be reduced further? Will the struggle become harder? For those juggling work and family life, will the threat of industrial action turn to reality and cause disruption in their lives and the lives of the children? We don’t know the answers, all we can do is walk the journey with our families and with your help and generosity make sure we help them develop the skills they need to weather the storms of daily life.As we prepare to close the office for the Easter break, on behalf of everyone at FSW thank you for all you do for us and I wish you all a very Happy Easter.With many thanks for your continued support.Martin and the FSW team
Kev and Jen. CMS Newsletter Feb 2025Dear Friends,Sorry it has been a while since our last newsletter – we have been rather busy!As we write, Israel carries huge sadness at the recent burial of the Bibas family, and the ongoing grief that covers the country as phase one of the ceasefire deal comes to an end with the release of 33 hostages and continued discussions about next steps. In the midst of all the horror and outrage of the war, this family has really touched the people of Israel, and we continue to pray for peace, for the ceasefire to continue, and the release of all remaining hostages. We also pray for those in Gaza looking desperately to the future with longing hearts for a lasting peace. Here in Jaffa , the recent bus explosions were quite near us, and it was indeed a miracle that the buses were empty. It doesn't bear thinking about what would have happened if the five explosive devices on the buses had exploded during the morning rush hour as was planned. For us, we continue to live with the ongoing tensions like all our neighbours, and with Ramadan having started we are particularly vigilant as historically this has seen an uptick in terrorist attacks in the country by extremists. We continue to thank the Lord for his protection that has enabled us to share his love with others and we pray for those working towards better days.Much has happened since our last newsletter. We returned to Israel after our time visiting family in the UK and our visit to Texas, and have enjoyed many visitors at church, some from abroad but generally Israelis who are travelling within Israel more often now. We also have some new members joining us which has brought diversity and different perspectives to the group. Our Bible study sessions concluded a detailed study of Acts and has now started the book of Malachi. We give thanks for our congregation and the joy that comes from seeing their faith growing as we dig deep into Scripture and are challenged to live it daily. As we meet on Zoom, we have also been joined by past members of our group who have moved abroad. It has been a great encouragement for us to hear how they are settled in new churches and how their faith is growing.Christmas services were well attended and Midnight Mass saw a full church, with 90 percent of those who came being Jewish Israelis. We enjoyed Christmas lunch as a congregation in a local restaurant owned by one of the leaders of the Arab Christian community in Jaffa, who has become a good friend. Most of our congregation are single or young students away from home, so it was good to meet and eat together and enjoy fellowship together. Please pray for them as they live and study away from home and families, especially during this time of War.We continue to support Aviv Ministries in their ministry to the homeless in Tel Aviv, and have met with them several times to talk about moving forward and how Christchurch Jaffa will continue to work with them financially and practically. Some of our group are keen to help more at the soup kitchen and to chat with the women there who need role models and examples of Christian living. We continue to support them with clothes and toiletries and we have been blessed that many people in our apartment block donate clothes for us to pass on having heard of our work with them.Little Lambs may be continued by the Lutheran Church, they are looking into being able to staff this with their limited volunteers. We have continued to enjoy a good relationship with them, and are supporting a local couple who have also started a service of Evening Prayer in Hebrew on Fridays just before Shabbat begins. Please pray for this new service, that it will reach local people enquiring about Jesus and wanting to grow in their faith.Having written to tell you about our new posting in Wisconsin, we have been busy organising visa applications and another international move since our return to Jaffa. The process for applying for our US visas has been long and complicated and we are thankful that the Diocese of Quincy provided us with a great attorney to help us navigate through pages and pages of forms to complete. Finally, after two months we received our US visas which meant we could then move ahead with booking flights, arranging packers, shipping, selling the car and arranging for Trixie to fly. Most of these things have been waiting for communication between us and different companies so that has slowed us down a bit.You will remember that we have to apply for our Israeli visas each year around March, and because they are due to expire on 18th, we have to leave before then or apply for an extension or renewal. This is not always straightforward so it seems sensible to leave before then as St Mary’s are also waiting for us to arrive. We fly on 11th March, just 2 days away, so you can imagine the organised chaos as we juggle a few things to get everything done on time as well as deal with the emotions of leaving this precious place.As we prepare to move, we are enjoying every bit of sunshine in temperatures of 20-21C. No doubt Kevin will hit the ground running as we arrive during Lent, and he will be installed as Rector on Palm Sunday by the Bishop of Quincy. So far, the congregation have been very kind and thoughtful, sending us information to help us prepare and make the transition a little easier. I'm not sure that anything will prepare us for the temperatures which are currently about minus 10C so we will definitely miss the Jaffa heat! Trixie is preparing for the move and someone has kindly agreed to receive her and take care of her until we arrive a few days after her.It seemed only fitting to enter Lent with our congregation in Jaffa before we leave, and we enjoyed an Ash Wednesday service and a time of reflection for us all. For us and for them, Easter will be a time of new beginnings. Please pray for them as another Anglican Priest from CMJ will look after them once we leave.As our time comes to an end here, we are really grateful for the support you have given us. We have valued your prayers and friendship over the last few years. We give thanks for the wonderful privilege of serving here in the Holy Land for 4 years, for the people we have met and shared life with, and the numerous times we can testify to the Lord’s provision and protection. There are always many mixed emotions when faced with change so please pray with us as we leave Israel and prepare to start a new chapter in the US. We both feel called to continue our Hebrew studies and in time, perhaps we will bring a pilgrimage back here. In Hebrew, we say, בעזרת השם (ba-ezrat hashem)meaning ‘with the help of God’. If you would like to follow what is happening in our ministry in the future as we move on to Wisconsin, then we would love to hear from you, and will create a new email list for those who want to keep in touch and hear of the next stage of our ministry.In the meantime, peace to you all as we begin the Lenten journey, and may theשלום (shalom) of the Lord be upon you. Kevin and Jen
