Dear friends of Hussein,

The long struggle for Hussein's life ended last night at 7:15 Israel time, when he died at the age of three months. Doctors and nurses in the pediatric ICU in Haifa had worked for 38 days in the effort to pull him back from death.

On other occasions that a child has died in Israel, the mother has faced an agonizing wait of up to 24 hours alone in the hospital waiting for a special ambulance to come from Gaza. But last night my daughters Renanah and Rebekah were at a church in Haifa with a friend, and we secured permission for them to take Hussein and his mother back with them in their rented car.

They found the mother Manal, just 23, numb from her ordeal, but thanking the doctors with the words, "You don't know how much you've done for us." She held Hussein's body, now wrapped in a white sheet, on her lap for the long ride back to Gaza. I spoke with Hussein's father many times through the night as he waited for them at the border. Finally at 1:30 this morning they made it through.

Tomorrow we will visit the family in their home to share in their mourning, and with God's help to encourage them with the hope of resurrection. Hussein's father has asked us to bring his son's photos as a remembrance. Please let us also continue to remember this family in our prayers, that throughout these events they may experience the love of God.

Jonathan