I FOUND A WAY TO BLESS PEOPLE OF ISRAEL

Shmuel Bowman

There was a burden on my heart to do something to help the people of Israel. 

After an online search for ways to bless Israel, I recalled a service I attended at Free Life Chapel in Lakeland, Fl. .... They had raised funds to purchase a bomb shelter in Israel.  I called the office of Free Life Chapel and learned that they gave through an organization called Christians United for Israel.  I contacted CUFI and was directed to the web site for Operation Life Shield. 

February 2 of this year....I received an email reply from the director of Operation Life Shield, Shmuel Bowman.  He provided information which led me to the conclusion:  this is what I am looking for. 

One small bomb shelter may cost around $15,000...and no, I can't provide the entire amount for one shelter.  My contribution is as the widow's mite....but it doesn't stop me from blessing Israel.  Their web site is constructed to receive any amount of donation / any day of the week. 

I will admit, I felt very good in my soul after my first offering.  I knew I had done something pleasing to the Lord.  I must stand before God one day - and I've done so little for the nation of Israel. 

Maybe you have wished you could bless Israel, too, but didn't know where to start - or you didn't know of a reputable ministry.  It doesn't matter if your amount is very small.  At least, I'm finally doing something....just something...to assist the people of Israel.  When we combine our meager resources, it adds up!  God can and will bless my small amount...He is keeping score. 

You can learn more by going to this web site - and you can hit the donate button if you want to help the people of Israel.   http://operationlifeshield.org/

To learn more, please click on the link below and watch a video by Shmuel Bowman, Executive Director, Operation Lifeshield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=-RXTor25TYo&NR=1

Or call:
USA 404-909-8890 | Canada 647-728-7889

I'm sharing the email I received from the director this past February:

Here are 10 points about Operation Lifeshield. Please know that our donor recognition program is second-to-none, as we honour every single donation of any amount with a thank you note and receipt. Each Lifeshield shelter deployed is affixed with a large, elegant dedication plaque with the name of the donor or donors. Gifting an entire shelter (or co-sponsoring) is a tremendous act of giving, and a replica dedication plaque is presented to each major donor. Whenever possible, a dedication ceremony at the donated shelter is arranged with the donor or donors meeting community and security leaders and the recipients of the Lifeshield shelter. Operation Lifeshield is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation in the USA, and provides charitable tax receipts in Canada.
And now...the "top 10"...
 
1) Operation Lifeshield was founded as a grassroots response to the Second Lebanon War of 2006, as a practical way to save lives as Israelis carried-on with day-to-day life. The above-ground, quickly deployable protective shelters were recommended by the Home Front Command of the IDF as a needed solution that was sorely lacking in public spaces and schools;
 
2) Operation Lifeshield is the only NGO (non-governmental organization) fully-dedicated to providing protective shelters to Israeli citizens. Lifeshield receives no financial assistance from the Israeli Government;
 
3) Operation Lifeshield provides a tangible, concrete way to show support and love for the Israeli people. All donations go to a single program only - getting protective shelters to Israeli schools, kindergartens, community centers, parks and bus stop areas;
 
4) Stats: nearly 100 shelters deployed since 2007, 13 shelters deployed in 2011; 50 person shelter capacity, 70 tons, cost $40,000; 15 person bus stop shelter capacity, 30 tons, cost $20,000; 10 person bell-dome capacity, 10 ton shelter, cost $15,000;
 
5) Operation Lifeshield is a humanitarian non-profit organization, that provides life-saving protective shelters to all Israelis - Jews and Arabs;
 
6) Lifeshield shelters provide essential peace-of-mind, comfort and sense of security on a day-to-day basis - especially to children where shelters are placed nearby classrooms and playgrounds;
 
7) Lifeshield shelters can be picked up and moved to meet the changing security situation (ie, as Hamas continues to launch more sophisticated rockets, the location of shelters requires adjusting);
 
8) Lifeshield shelters are multi-purpose spaces, and are often used as small group classrooms, counselling rooms, play areas and art studios. At a seniors day center in Sderot, a Lifeshield shelter doubles as a fully-functioning library and reading room. All Lifeshield shelters are accessible for wheelchair, walker and baby stroller entry;
 
9) Lifeshield shelters are manufactured using steel-reinforced concrete, "trauma cement", and a product called "Flexdeck" - a thin metal fiber weave added to the already thick ceiling, that catches concrete debris that might be loosened by a direct hit. Lifeshield shelters protect against shrapnel spray and percussion blasts;
 
10) The request for Lifeshield shelters from municipal and regional leaders is overwhelming. The need for more shelters is greater than ever. Every single shelter saves many lives. The Talmud (the ancient code of rabbinic laws and wisdom) cites in Sanhedrin 37a: "Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."
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Luke 21: 2,3
And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.   And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
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