Over the millennia, some of the other catastrophes that have struck the Jewish people on that date are:

• 587 BCE (Hebrew calendar year 3338) – The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians under the ruler of Nebuchadnezzar
• 70 CE (3830) – The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans under the leadership of Titus
• 135 CE (3895) – The Romans conquered Bar Kochba's last fortress, Betar, and destroyed his army. The Roman Emperor Hadrian turned Jerusalem into a Roman city
• 1290 (5050) – King Edward 1st of England signed an edict expelling all Jews from England
• 1492 (5252) – Jews were expelled from Spain
• 1670 (5430) – The last Jews left Vienna, following expulsion orders
• 1914 (5674) – World War I began (Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914)
• 1940 (5700) – Himmler presented his plan for the "Final Solution" to the Jewish problem to the Nazi Party
• 1942 (5702) - Nazis began deporting Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto
   

Every year, the 9th of Av falls in July or August on the Gregorian calendar. In 2017, Tisha B’Av begins at sundown on Monday July 31st. For three weeks preceding the 9th of Av, Jewish people mourn. Weddings and parties are not permitted, and people do not have their hair cut during this period.

On Tisha B’Av itself, Jewish people abstain from eating meat or drinking wine. They also refrain from wearing new clothing. Synagogue attendees hear the book of Lamentations read and recite prayers of mourning. The cabinet housing the Torah scroll is draped in black.

Romans 12:15 tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. As Tisha B’Av approaches, we join in the sadness of this date, and pray for God to use Israel’s history to continually call them to Himself. We lift up the Jewish people in prayer on this date of historical tragedy.

More tension at the Temple Mount . . .

NBC News reported online early this week that an attack on an Israeli security guard at Israel’s embassy in Amman, Jordan, could be an indication that more violence is coming.

The guard was attacked at Israel’s embassy in Jordan by a delivery worker who was then fatally shot by the guard. A second Jordanian man was apparently hit in the cross fire and later died of his injuries. Although the guard carries diplomatic immunity, Jordan officials declared they would not allow him to leave the country. It appears the attack on the guard was spurred by Israel’s installation of metal detectors at the Temple Mount.

Israel installed the devices after three West Bank terrorists, with the help of a fourth accomplice, smuggled guns into the sacred site in Jerusalem’s Old City and murdered two Israeli police officers. The heightened security measures touched off protests and violence that have resulted in the deaths of at least three Israelis and three Palestinians, with injuries to dozens more.

Reportedly spurred by the protests, a 19-year-old West Bank man climbed a barrier fence and entered the first house he came to in the Israeli community of Halamash. Once inside, he stabbed to death three adult members of a family gathered to celebrate the birth of a new baby. A fourth victim remains hospitalized.

Jordan manages religious activities at the Temple Mount, while Israel oversees security. There is widespread belief in the Islamic world that the increased security is part of an Israeli plan to slowly take over the site, which is considered sacred by Jews, Muslims and Christians

The Jerusalem Post reported clashes and protests at a dozen locations in the West Bank region during the week, as well as several in Jerusalem and Nazareth. The paper also said that hundreds of Muslims took part in a “sit-in” in the Old City of Jerusalem to protest the increased security at the Mount.

Israel faced increasing pressure from neighboring Muslim nations and the United States to remove the metal detectors, according to The Times of Israel. Muslim worshipers protested the metal detectors at the holy site by refusing to go inside for prayer. Instead, they have crowded the entranceways, bowing for prayer outside the Temple Mount.

Israel removed the security devices on Tuesday, but Israeli media report that high-resolution cameras will instead be installed at the site over the next six months.

Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu successfully negotiated with Jordan’s King Hussein to allow the detained embassy guard, who had been involved in the shooting, to return to Israel.

Tensions remain high. A poll reported that 77 percent of Israelis say their leaders capitulated >to foreign and Palestinian pressure. Fatah, the Palestinian Authority’s ruling party, called on Arabs to intensify pressure on Israel at the Temple Mount.

Palestinian Authority President Abbas froze all security coordination with Israel unless all security measures returned to those in place before July 14. He referred in part to remnants of metal railings and scaffolding used for the detectors at the site.

Protests continued despite removal of the metal detectors, and violence broke out again after Tuesday evening’s prayers. The Palestinian terror group Hamas declared victory over the removal, but also called for a “day of rage” to occur on Friday.

This morning, Israel removed the final vestiges of the added security measures. The Grand Mufti then called off the boycott of the Temple Mount and called for prayer services to be held at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, urging worshipers to pray there rather than at their local mosques. It remains to be seen if Hamas will rescind its call for rage on Friday.

When will the violence end? Will the violence end?

Is a week without violent confrontation in the Middle East too much to ask? Sometimes, I think many of us believe it is.

The fallout from the initial terrorist event a week ago in Jerusalem’s Old City is mounting, spreading and could lead to a result none of us wants to contemplate.

I think Israel reacted reasonably by installing metal detectors at the Temple Mount to protect its security force and Muslim worshippers. Palestinians and Muslims reacted to that with indignation, suspicion, riots, and – finally, more murders.

Eventually, when Yeshua (Jesus) returns in power and glory, He’ll usher in the final, lasting peace and the New Jerusalem promised to us in Revelation 21:2-5.

Until then, we must act with urgency to be sure that as many Jewish people as possible hear the Good News that the Prince of Peace is their Messiah.

I do hope you’ll stand with us in this God-given calling. Your gift now will make it possible to reach Jewish people with love and compassion, earning us the opportunity to share the Good News that undergirds our care and gives it meaning.

For your gift of $25 or more today, we’ll send you encouragement directly from the pages of the Bible. The Promise Box contains 120 Bible verses revealing God’s promises for you. Even as headlines from Israel are distressing, these Scriptures will bolster your faith and strengthen you to continue praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

When you pray for us as we go around the world to share the Good News, God answers. We see people saved, healed and delivered! But that is not where our ministry, or your prayers, end. We then begin the process of connecting these new Believers to strong congregations for discipleship.

For this to happen, we need healthy leaders in each congregation. That is why we are excited to take our JVMI Messianic Leadership Training to Africa again this summer. Rabbi Jonathan Bernis and the heads of our Global Outreach and Congregation and Leadership Development departments will minister in three nations: Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

Here is an important briefing of their schedule including dates, locations and prayer points. We are so excited about the potential we see in these leaders and regions.

Our hope is that this training and ministry helps propel forward these national movements of growing congregations, advancing their ability to spread the gospel and develop healthy, thriving communities of faith. Please invest your prayers in this time of training. Your intercession makes a critical difference.

Travel: Please pray for safe travels and good health before, during and after these ministry times.

Ethiopia, August 1-4

Pray that “Ethiopia will quickly stretch out their hands unto God” (Psalm 68:31b KJV).

Pray for open hearts, great relationships and the transformative power of God at work in these meetings to bring lasting, positive impact after we are gone.

•  Tuesday: Training with 20 to 30 senior leaders
•  Wednesday: Training with 80 leaders from all the congregations that are associated with Jewish Voice in Ethiopia
• Thursday: A day of smaller meetings with each of the teams from all the Ethiopian congregations

Nigeria, August 5-7

Pray for the Igbo tribe in Nigeria. They are among those “from every nation, tribe, people and language” who will stand “before the throne and the Lamb…” (Revelation 7:9 NIV).

Pray for us as we spend time with the Igbo community leaders, get to know them better and listen to the Lord regarding His heart for them.

Zimbabwe, August 8-13

Pray for the Lemba to fulfill their identity as Jewish Believers and their priestly calling as “a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua” (1 Peter 2:5).

Pray for the amazing movement among the Lemba in which the Lord is raising up healthy congregations and leaders. May it continue to flourish and gain momentum throughout the nation of Zimbabwe and beyond.

• Tuesday and Wednesday: Messianic Leadership Training with more than 100 leaders from the 72 Messianic congregations currently planted in Zimbabwe. This training will also bless some leaders traveling in from South Africa.
   
• Friday through Sunday: Opportunities in other areas of Zimbabwe for Rabbi Bernis and our JVMI leaders accompanying him. They will be teaching, ministering and enjoying fellowship with other key leaders and congregations in Zimbabwe.
   

We pray: Father, thank you that you have promised the nations to Yeshua and called us to help fulfill that promise. Anoint Rabbi Jonathan, and those ministering at his side, with wisdom in situations and decision-making. May the congregational leaders and those who follow them be equipped, strengthened and grow closer to You, enabling them to make disciples of these nations. All glory to You! In Yeshua’s name, AMEN.

Outreach Partner Eunice prayed for a person named Daina whose hand was healed. The next person in line for prayer was a young lady in a wheelchair. At Eunice’s station (a little cluster of chairs among several others in the Prayer Tent), the young woman explained that she was paralyzed on the right side of her body. Eunice prayed for her, and “after prayer,” our correspondent said, “the Lord gave her use of her right arm!” Eunice continued to pray, and the more she did, the better the woman felt.

Such exciting things are happening in Mudanda this week!

Internet connections are spotty, but we hope to get more updates each day to pass along to you.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Our staff and Outreach Partners are strengthened by the Lord through them. Please continue to lift them up as well as the thousands of people seeking medical and spiritual help.

Pray for the people of Mudanda – for them to come to faith in Yeshua, for God to continue showing Himself mighty and compassionate through the medical treatments and healing miracles, and for all the new Believers to grow strong in the Lord and rooted in His Word.

For day-by-day prayer points, click here.

Before boarding the first leg of their international journey, they circled around for prayer.

“We are now on our way,” our partner-photographer, Bob, said, “and the Lord has blessed us to be here on this trip. All is well, and we need all prayer for the Lord to be magnified in His work.”

They arrived safely in Addis Ababa for their connection to Zimbabwe and everyone was eager to get to the clinic to help with the set-up.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

The team traveled to Mudanda today, and the blue skies caused Bob to reflect back to his first Zimbabwe outreach, which was to a different location in the Buhera region. The weather wasn’t quite as nice on that trip.

In Saturday’s email, Bob wrote about it:

Shalom, and good morning to all on this beautiful day the Lord has made. We are now on our way to Mudanda, Buhera. As we follow the large bus, my thoughts go back to my first time in Zimbabwe camping at another location in Buhera. We had many challenges to overcome, and at that time I was in security [Line Management].

We had arrived at the campsite, and went to the clinic to work on setup. Late in the day we had storms come through that were so strong that tents blew away. Also, the weight of the rain collecting on the top of the tents collapsed almost all tents at the clinic site.

When I saw this, I couldn't help but think, “This is it! We won't have a clinic, and we will probably have to go home.” Praise the Lord, that’s not the way it ended. We had a break in the weather about an hour before sundown, and everyone scrambled to get all camping gear in order, and we tried to get everything dry.

Here are a few photos from that first JVMI Medical Outreach to the Buhera District of Zimbabwe (Storm damage): 

Bob continues telling about the 2013 storm:

Habte Mulugeta spent the night at the clinic site setting up all the tents that were knocked down, and with the Lord’s help, the clinic opened on time. Also many locals came to know Yeshua as their Lord.

I now know that times like these help us to strengthen our faith in the Lord, and we need to put all our trust in Him. The Scripture that comes to mind for this is Philippians 4:11-13:

I am not saying this because I am in need—for whatever circumstance I am in, I have learned to be content. I know what it is to live with humble means, and I know what it is to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment—both to be filled and to go hungry, to have abundance and to suffer need. I can do all things through Messiah who strengthens me.

Also, no matter how bad we think things are, we need always to give thanks for it. 1Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Blessings from Zimbabwe, Bob Aiken

Sunday, July 16, 2017

The clinic opened Sunday afternoon with many patients waiting outside for treatment. We expect to see over 1,000 patients each day. Join us in praying for strength, wisdom, health, efficiency and unity throughout the Clinic week. (For detailed, day-by-day prayer points, click here.)

Right from the start, many patients have thanked us for coming. They are grateful for the no-cost medical, dental and eye care they’ll receive at the Jewish Voice Medical Clinic. Local healthcare in this rural region is very limited, and our Clinic will help people from miles around. Patients in line have already asked when we are coming back.

As part of the outreach, Jewish Voice Ministries helped replace the restroom facilities at the existing clinic site around which we have set up our Clinic. The work began about six weeks ago so that it would be ready for the people who would be coming to the Clinic. We are pleased to know that the new construction will be a blessing to the local clinic and its patients for years to come.

We are blessed to be Yeshua’s (Jesus’) hands and feet in this ministry to Jewish people and their neighbors in Mudanda, Zimbabwe. Thank you for being a part of making it possible through your financial support and prayers.

For day-by-day prayer points, click here.

Sign up to cover the Mudanda Medical Outreach in round-the-clock prayer.