Innovative Agri-Business - looking for investors.
Israeli Artists - want contact with importers abroad.
Ministry to Single Mothers - needs financing to expand services.
Financial Counseling Team  - needs prayer, expertise and funding.
Drug Rehab Center (UPDATED) - needs funding, equipment and job training.

Expansion Capital for Innovative Agri-Business
Another plan that was brought to the attention of Restorers is the initiative of "A", a native-born Israeli who has identified an untapped Israeli market for a specialty food product. We can't reveal the nature of the product because of its strategic market value, but it is used in a popular ethnic dish throughout the Middle East.  The "untapped" aspect is that this ingredient is very time-consuming to prepare from scratch, and yet a processed version has never been offered in the food industry.  His family owns farmland, part of which "A" is already using to grow this specialty product (which he sells in its natural state for a good profit, due to consistently high market demand).  He wants to go on to build a production facility for processing, freezing and marketing their crops.   With guidance from an experienced consultant, "A" has formulated a sophisticated business plan for accomplishing these goals.  The market research shows high potential receptivity in the local market and the absence of any competitor for the moment.

The family has already invested and/or borrowed NIS 150,000 (around $34,000) in capital for part of the start-up costs:  to plant regular crops in season; buy a tractor, sales vehicle and other equipment; and begin construction of the storeroom and refrigeration units.  In addition, "A" and his wife have invested physical effort in the business, personally performing the manual labor (from planting to welding) wherever possible.  Additional capital of around $45,000 is needed for completion of the refrigeration and storage, purchase of a refrigerated truck, and operating capital for the first 3 months.  The couple is willing to discuss either a loan or an investment deal for any portion of the needed amount, and they will provide legal documentation for all transactions.  Interested parties can contact Restorers with queries or questions. (Copies of the business plan can be obtained by writing to Restorers.)

Importers for Israeli Products... and Israeli Products for Importers
The Israeli Messianic community abounds with creative talent, especially in the arts.  Restorers is aware of numerous individuals who are trying to earn a living through their work: a silver jewelry-maker, a sculptor, a jazz songwriter-pianist, a calligrapher and several musicians (to name a few).  Their quality is high, and their goal is to glorify G-d in their art and music.  But the Messianic/Christian market in Israel is too small to enable them to be self-supporting.  So Restorers is seeking export contacts for these talented believers, in the conviction that building up these businesses will not only provide stable incomes for their families but will also enrich the Lord's Body worldwide.

We want to hear from sellers of art, decorative items or music who are interested in helping the Israeli believers while enhancing their own inventory of quality Israeli products. Contact us with your ideas, and we'll put you in touch with selected artists.

Ministry to Single Mothers in Israel
When a father abandons his parental responsibilities after divorce, or because he never married the mother, the effect on the woman is what might be called "virtual widowhood".  Yet though many believers are aware of the Scriptural command to "care for the widows and fatherless," they seem to be unaware of single mothers and their children needing the same care.

The incidence of single-parent families in Israel is rising at an alarming rate.  Recent press articles noted that the number of such families in the Land has tripled in the last decade, now numbering close to 50,000!

The plight of a single mother is especially hard in Israel.  Not only must she somehow balance working with caring for her children alone, but a single income is never enough to meet basic needs in Israel.  What happens when, due to a recent birth or illness or lack of skills, the single mother cannot even work to support her family??  Add to this the challenge of raising children and teens alone without the support and the father-image that G-d provided in the healthy family -- plus the unhealed hurt and bitterness toward an ex-husband who behaved badly.  And then there's the isolation of being without a man in a society that is strongly family-oriented.

At this point, nearly all Israeli Messianic congregations count at least one single mother among their families.  Many leaders are unaware of a single mother's unique burdens, or are at a loss in how they can minister to a lone woman, or are so overworked they only see her as one more "problem" in their needy flock.

One single Israeli mother, Orna Greenman, was led by the Lord to establish a ministry that is unique in Israel:  a support system for single mothers in the Body of Messiah, dedicated to nurture them and help them turn a curse into a blessing for both their families and their congregations.  The goals of Ot-U'Mofet (A Sign and a Wonder) are three-fold:  to channel financial help to single mothers whose income falls short of meeting basic needs (emergency aid and/or better employment), to disciple single mothers with attention to their special spiritual needs, and to educate the Body in Israel on how G-d sees these families and what He commands us to do for them.

Restorers is looking for financial backing to expand this cutting-edge ministry, which may well serve as a model for the Body worldwide.

Financial Counseling Team
One of the most common frustrations mentioned by Israeli congregational leaders is that the financial troubles of many in their flock are made worse by lack of self-discipline and wisdom in money management.  More often than not, they do not even see mounting debt as a serious problem.  Yet leaders often feel unable to counsel their congregants in this sensitive area.  And because the nation suffers from unique financial pressures that are not understood by those living outside Israel, the solutions used abroad do not always prove helpful for Israelis struggling with financial problems.

In response to this complex need, Restorers is seeking to raise up Israeli financial counselors to serve the Body here.

Our first step was to organize a one-day seminar in Oct. 2003 to "teach the teachers", conducted by a U.S. believer with 30 years experience in finance and also 17 years of living in Israel.  The seminar was open to all Israeli believers who have a potential to serve as counselors and who were recommended by their spiritual leaders.  Most of the day was devoted to examining priorities and attitudes about money in light of Scriptural principles, which our instructor declared is the first key to financial management.  The discussion was energetic, as 23 future counselors sought to reconcile the realities of Israeli economic life with G-d's promises and statements about money.  We did talk about basic budgeting, debt management and other tools.  But most of the discussion focused on the dilemma that surrounds us:  What must believers do to keep their integrity and still achieve financial stability in "a land that devours its inhabitants"?  Modern Israel seems to defy the financial logic that works so well in the West.  Its laws and standards are geared toward debt and bankruptcy (or cheating for success). This mentality affects the entire nation, from the Israeli government on down.

It became clear that we had only begun to lay the foundation for a strong team of counselors.  But we had begun in the right place.  We need to follow up this beginning, equipping the right people with G-d's unique solutions for Israel's unique problems. Once a team emerges that Restorers can recommend with confidence, we want to provide financial counseling without charge to believers who will submit to such discipline. Restorers is looking for focused prayer support to that end.

We also want to safeguard the financial wellbeing of these counselors.  We don't want the counselors to suffer loss of income because of devoting great portions of time to counseling (and less time to gainful employment).  Therefore, Restorers wants to establish a special Support Fund to compensate counselors who end up serving the Body in a sacrificial way.

TEAM UPDATE:  ONE COUNSELOR IS NOW AVAILABLE.

We are in touch with a mature believer who has demonstrated a gift for financial counseling and has expressed her willingness to serve the Body in this way.  She recently left a full-time job and is considering taking only part-time work in order to devote significant amounts of time to intensive one-on-one counseling.  (She has already made a difference in someone's life, giving many hours of her time on a volunteer basis after working all day.)  Restorers would like to send her around the country, but we will need to compensate her so that she doesn't suffer financially herself while helping others.  Your gift can make this urgently needed service possible -- the more support available, the more believers will be able to benefit from her gift.

Drug Rehab Network
A Russian congregation has begun ministering to a growing problem among Russian immigrants to this country that the government is failing to cope with - drug and alcohol addiction. Vladimir, the coordinator of this new ministry, met the Lord in 1995 as a heroin addict himself and newly arrived in Israel. His miraculous release from his addiction sent him back to his native Kazakhstan, where he set up a professional rehab center with the believers there.  Vladimir returned to Israel in 2000 and the center continued, helping hundreds of addicts to date find the Lord and deliverance from drugs.

Last year, when a young Russian friend died from drug use in Tel Aviv, G-d spoke to Vladimir about establishing a similar rehab center here, dedicated to rescuing Russian-speaking Israeli addicts (and their families) through Yeshua's saving power and personal counseling.  Immediately Vladimir was sent out by his leadership to counsel drug addicts and train volunteers to help him, with his own congregation ("Israel Hai" of Haifa) helping the costs. Within the first 3 months, four people came to faith (two addicts, who were also delivered from alcohol; and two mothers of addicts, who had come for counseling).

Beginning in January 04, weekly training seminars were set up in Haifa in the north and Dimona in the south - and cooperative networking has also been established with existing rehab centers run by other believers (which minister to English and Hebrew speakers).

UPDATE: The Center is growing fast.

In March, the Center rented a house in a quiet town in northern Israel, so that they could bring homeless addicts there for recovery. Within 5 months, the house was filled with 15 people - a combination of struggling believers, nonbelievers (many of whom eventually came to faith in Yeshua - including a former Muslim) and newly recovered addicts who stayed to help newer arrivals.  Some of them have experienced remarkable healing and release.

With the rehab house packed to capacity, the Center has just rented a second house (August). There are also requests for cooperative work with addicts from organizations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Restorers has decided to back this effort financially with monthly support, and we invite other organizations and individuals to join us, to ensure that the Rehab Center has the funding to serve all those who come to them.

Several other ministries are already contributing to the rental expenses of the two homes.  The remaining needs of the Center include:
- a supporting income for Vladimir
- a vehicle for traveling around the country
- funds for feeding the residents of the Center
- household items to furnish the second house
- professionals in a trade to volunteer their time to train those who want to work
- funding to rent a third house for women

Contact us for more details on any of the above.
 

These are all tremendous needs and goals -- too big and too many for a few lone individuals.  It will take the Lord's Body working together.

The board members of NCC and Restorers are all working on a volunteer basis, with a bare minimum of operating expenses, in order to make every donated dollar yield the maximum benefit for the Restoration of Israel.

Join us now in whatever way you can to multiply those dollars, making these projects become a reality.

In the U.S., make your check out to Nehemiah Covenant Corp" (or "NCC") for a tax-deductible receipt. If you live elsewhere, write us for mailing instructions.

And watch our journal to see your contributions go to work!

[last update: 18/aug/04]
 

Take me back to Restorers Gateway