A Soldier's Blessing, A Family's Light
- helpisraelnowproje
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
Looking through binoculars, we examined the borders between countries, what might be a Tel from an old Jewish settlement, an outpost recently reacquired, and a village in the distance as ex-Golani soldiers told us about their new role on the Syrian border. Although Israel has been fighting against Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north since October 7th, their focus on defending against terrorism hasn’t stopped there. ISIS and Al-Queda have been sweeping through Syria eliminating Druze villages throughout the country. With little help from the U.N. or other countries, Israel has stepped in to defend the defenseless.
“We have no intention of taking any land here,” Yoni, a soldier we came to support, said. His battalion is made up of Golani combat soldiers in which it is their task to support, supply, and provide evacuation to Druze villages in Syria. Israel has her own population of Druze, many of which join the IDF in support of protecting where they live. Since this new development of terrorism in Syria, Israel has answered the call to support a fellow minority group and has strengthened her borders in the Golan beside Syria. Yoni invited us onto the base for a brief tour and to meet some of his team so that we could share with others, once again, to not put blind faith in media. Israel is at war with evil and terrorism, not civilians for genocide.
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Yoni, who comes from a gentile background, shares our faith in the Jewish Messiah, standing out in his unit as a beacon of light in these war-torn areas, and we deeply appreciate his compassionate nature toward his team and those who have supported him. We were able to provide him with a scope and flashlight, and in return, Yoni gave us a ride in a T55 Russian tank from the 1967 war, which is still operational today! After serving in Gaza, it was moved north to assist in various support roles. Please pray for Yoni and his battalion as they advance into Syria. Most of his team members are practicing Jews, many of whom are Orthodox. Yoni is currently raising funds to purchase special fire-resistant uniforms for his team. Each uniform set costs approximtely $350 and he needs to raise $8000 worth to fully equip and protect his team. If you are led to donate specifically to Yoni's unit please send the donation and then a short email to HelpIsraelNowProject@gmail.com with the name Yoni and the amount you gave. We will make sure it goes towards this essential purchase.
We also brought gift bags for the unit. I really felt led to do something special for individual soldiers that we meet along the way. These bags include chapstick, bug spray, a protein bar, chocolate, mints, and an encouraging letter. The day before, we packed them together with friends and brought enough bags to give to the whole team. It is something tangible that we can share with soldiers when we meet them and provides something special. We really want these soldiers to know that they are cared for and seen and I look forward to giving out more next time.
On our way back from the Golan, we stopped to visit a soldier who recently had a baby. *Asher has been on consistent active duty since the war began. As we sat together over coffee and tea, he told us that he hasn’t been able to return to work because the times between calls for duty were too short. It has been a true blessing that he has been able to be with his family since the birth of his newborn. Neomi and I were able to bring a gift to celebrate this new season and even meet this special little one. Even as we met with him, he was still on active duty. Despite the hardship of war, Asher and his family were happy to be together for this time.
Psalm 127:3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
We could not support these soldiers without you! Providing them with encouragement before they move on to each new duty has been a blessing to the soldiers and equally to us! Please know that you are directly impacting lives in a big way. These soldiers are so grateful and full of appreciation for those standing with them and with Israel.
Article written by...
Brooke Kempton