Dear friends,
As we approach the end of another week, our most urgent prayer request continues to be for Yano, our dearly beloved 5-year-old Kurdish girl who is still on the ECMO machine and fighting for her life. Tuesday marked one week since she came out of surgery on the ECMO, and the doctor in the ICU explained to me that at this point, they would hope to see serious improvement in the condition of her heart. However, Yano has not significantly improved since the operation. The doctor asked us to make sure Yano’s mother knows that all the doctors and nurses are doing all they can for Yano, but that they are very worried about her condition.


A moment later, this was echoed in a message from my own mother, who has been praying faithfully for Yano: “God is still God.” Indeed, God is still sovereign and good, and Yano is still in his hands. He has the power to heal her heart, and even if he chooses not to here on earth, he alone has the power to give her a perfect heart which will beat for all eternity.
What’s more, we serve a God who knows exactly what it is to watch his child suffering. Yano’s mother is not alone in her suffering, nor are any of the mothers here. God suffered that pain willingly in order to give us the hope that we pray these mothers will have open eyes to see: the promise that one day, all our suffering will be redeemed. In this hope, we continue to pray for Yano’s life, and also that in whatever happens, God will work through this to bring salvation to this family.
This is our prayer also for the family of little Mohammed M., who stayed with us just a couple of months ago along with his father:

Meanwhile, here in Israel, 33-year-old Mohammed L. underwent his long-awaited catheterization on Wednesday with mixed results. The doctors were not able to place the artificial valve as planned. Instead, they performed a balloon dilation on a blood vessel, which has allowed for increased blood flow. He is now recovering in an intermediate ward at Sheba hospital while the doctors consider taking him into a surgery to place a stent.

Three-year-old Ahmed from Kurdistan also had a long-awaited procedure on Wednesday. After two catheterizations in previous years, he finally underwent the big surgery to correct his LTGA heart defect. This is quite a complicated surgery, and we are thanking God that it went well. The days following such a big surgery are crucial, and Ahmed seems to be recovering well. Please join us in prayer for a full recovery for Ahmed:


We are also deeply grateful for our partners at Schneider hospital, who gave 13-year-old Farooq an elaborate send-off as they discharged him to our home in Jaffa. In a ceremony complete with a medal and certificate for Farooq, they celebrated this precious boy’s remarkable recovery:




Two-year-old Midya is leaving after a wonderful recovery since her surgery just over a month ago. We have seen her grow from a shy, quiet little girl into a chubby-cheeked, mischievous bundle of energy:
Little Mohammed AR. is going home without his surgery, but with the assurance from the doctors that it is truly best to wait a year or two for him to grow before the operation. Mohammed has the brightest smile, and he and his mother have both brought so much joy to our home during their time here:

Finally, last night, we celebrated the American Thanksgiving holiday as a community. We gathered together, staff and families, crowding in together around a large table for a big dinner and a time of giving thanks to God for his many blessings to us:

We see day in and day out the great faith these mothers and fathers have in the God of Abraham, and it is our prayer that whether or not we are able to send their children home with healed hearts, these children of Abraham will know the love of the lamb of God sacrificed for them. It is not in appointments or surgeries or the doctors’ best efforts that we find hope, but in Messiah alone, who holds each and every moment in his hands and gives us hope for the future, both here on earth and in eternity.
And Father Abraham could not have dreamed of this
Could never understand the end of all those promises
How all the pieces fit, every star and grain of sand
Is safely hid in Jesus’ hand.
–Andrew Peterson
God bless you now and always,
Bria for Shevet Achim