August 31, 2004

Dear Ones, below is a copy of an email we received from Howard and Randi Bass of Beer Sheva today regarding the 2 terrorist attacks that just took place there. Please pray for the victims and their families - and for the ones that have been "traumatized" from this horrible tragedy. Bless you all.

Shalom from Beer Sheva,

Some of you have already called or written. We, our family, are all fine. All of the mobile phone "lines" have been down, therefore we have been unable to contact anyone or to be contacted that way.

As far as I know at this time, one 14 year-old girl, Elena, the daughter of Alla, has been a bit traumatized by the event. This morning a number of us were at the "Old House" doing some clean-up and maintenance. Around 1450 (2:50pm), I was taking everyone home, going from downtown Beer Sheva (the Old City) towards the site of the terrorist attacks. We saw that police and ambulances were already on the scene, with traffic blocked up, and we thought at first that it must be a bad car accident at the large and busy intersection next to the City Hall. Because we had to take Elena to the health clinic, we could turn at one intersection before. . . and we were thankful not to get tied up in the stalled traffic. We dropped off Elena, and then continued on toward the municipality from a different direction, and again saw that a major scene was taking place, perhaps a very bad accident. We again turned at an intersection just before that and went around the scene. Then we began to see numbers of ambulances racing to and from the hospital, with security cars driving in a rather wild manner, and people looking down the main road which comes into Beer Sheva. Then we knew that this was a "pigua", a terrorist bomb attack. The local news station, Radio Drom, had little information. When we turned to the national network, we received fuller reports, and then on the TV there was full national coverage. Afterwards, we heard from Alla that Elena had walked home from the doctor and went past the scene of the tragedy, seeing blood and other things which had their affect upon her.

I've had phone messages (not verbal conversations) from Arab and Palestinian brothers and in fact, as I am writing this, the first mobile call came through from an Arab brother who had already left two messages! Another Jewish Israeli brother got through over the regular phone lines.

We have always said that Beer Sheva is not exempt from such attacks, and we are a pretty accessible city. We trust and thank God for the Light to the gentiles and the Glory of His people Israel, apart from whom there will not be lasting and secure peace, nor justice in equity.

Love in Yeshua,
Howard and Randi