Page 14 - Bridges For Peace Continuing Ed Module 1

In recognition of this new relationship and its obvious benefits for Israel, the
Knesset (Parliament) Christian Allies Caucus was formed in January 2004. BFP
was one of the founding Christian partners of this historic organization. Today, its
groundbreaking work continues, bringing together Christians with Israeli leaders
and politicians in an effort to increase awareness of the valuable contributions
Christians are making to the nation of Israel.

BFP Continues to Expand

Although practical assistance was becoming an increasingly large part of the
work of BFP, no one had forgotten Dr. Young’s initial vision― education. With the
burgeoning interest in Israel worldwide, the need for sound educational materials
increased dramatically. The bimonthly Dispatch from Jerusalem changed from a
newspaper-style publication to a full-color magazine. The Israel Teaching Letter
provided monthly teaching on the Hebraic roots of Christianity, and books
published by BFP made reliable information on Israel-related issues available to
the Church. A constantly expanding Web site and up-to-the-minute radio news
rounded out the panoply of educational resources through which BFP worked to
connect Christians and Jews worldwide.

BFP study tours brought hundreds of Christians to Israel to study the Bible in the
Land in which it was written, and a steady stream of volunteers from around the
globe made the work in Israel possible. National offices were established in the
United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand
and Japan. BFP representative networks in these and other countries provided
volunteer opportunities for those who longed to actively support Israel with their
time and energy but couldn’t leave home to do it. Again, it seemed Dr. Young’s
vision had reached its ultimate fulfillment. And again, God began to speak. This
time His message to BFP was one of expansion.

In 2006, the Second Lebanon War drew Israel into a massive conflict with
Hizbullah, creating an enormous humanitarian crisis. As rockets were
continuously fired into northern Israel, those who could afford to do so fled to the
South where hotels were filled to overflowing; families slept in shifts because
apartments were bursting with relatives, and tent cities were created to house the
rest. Only those who could not afford to leave remained in the North, filling bomb
shelters with the needy, sick and elderly. Hundreds of requests for assistance
poured into BFP, and the volunteers, none of whom left the country despite the
possible dangers, traveled north with truck loads of food and emergency
supplies, even in the midst of rocket attacks. In all, BFP helped over 23,000
people in distress. The crisis was compounded by the fact that foreign farm
workers also fled, leaving no one to care for crops once the fighting was over. In
response, the Touching Hearts and Lives program was born, and BFP volunteer
teams picked tons of apples and gathered thousands of eggs, serving with joy
and lavishing Christian love on a bruised and battered Israel.