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N Cooke2022-02-17 15:17:352022-02-17 15:17:35Divine Moments AboundIN THIS ROUNDUP
Home Again: “Hero of Israel” Lieutenant Hadar Goldin’s Body Is Back in Israel after 11 Years in Hamas Captivity
The body of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin who was killed and abducted by Hamas during the 2014 Gaza War was returned to Israel on Sunday after more than 11 years in captivity. This marked the end of one of Israel’s longest hostage ordeals and an over decade-long campaign by his relatives to bring him home. In a special show of honor, the IDF allowed the Givati Brigade soldiers who had served with Goldin to escort his coffin out of Gaza and into Israel.
The whole ordeal began on August 1, 2014, at 9:05 a.m.—a little over an hour after a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire had been implemented. In violation of the ceasefire, Hamas gunmen emerged from a tunnel in Rafah; attacked troops of the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, killing three soldiers including Goldin; and dragged his body into the tunnel with them.
Goldin’s parents, Leah and Simcha, stood outside their family home in Kfar Saba to offer thanks for the return of their son’s body. Leah said, “It took us 11 years to get him back, with the help of the IDF and the security services. . . . We went around the world to do the impossible, to demonstrate that we have shared values, no matter the religion or race, that all have the responsibility to bring home a soldier’s body from the battlefield for proper burial. These are the values we fought for.”
Hadar Goldin was the son of Leah and Simcha, the twin brother of Tzur, and the younger brother of Ayelet and Chemi. Goldin excelled during his IDF service, received marks of distinction, and served as a platoon commander in the renowned Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit. Those who knew Goldin described him as compassionate, modest, and deeply devoted to his soldiers and his country. He carried forward the values of unity, leadership, and moral integrity.
Thank the Lord for facilitating the safe recovery of Hadar Goldin’s body; ask Him to minister to the whole Goldin family, drawing them to Himself through the Holy Spirit and through believers that cross their paths. Pray for the remaining four hostage bodies to be returned, and for those who wait for them.
Starved, Blindfolded, Beaten: Ex-Hostage Rom Braslavski Recalls Torture in Captivity
Content Warning: The following news article contains disturbing subject matter that may be harmful or traumatizing to some audiences, including graphic descriptions of violence, torture, and sexual assault.
Recently released hostage Rom Braslavski revealed in an interview how the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) tied up, starved, tortured, beat, and assaulted him during his captivity in Gaza. “They only tortured me for one reason, because I am a Jew. This is why I got everything I got. . . . nothing else.”
After that, “when the humanitarian aid entered Gaza, the terrorists holding us became very happy. They started to eat as if they were in a restaurant, with meat and lots of variety . . . ” However, they didn’t give any of it to Braslavski, nor increase his starvation diet.
In March 2025, after the second ceasefire deal ended, his captor said that if he converted to Islam, they would give him a lot of food and nobody would touch him. Braslavski refused. “I knew in my head that it would never happen. I told [the terrorist], I was born a Jew, I will die a Jew.”
Instead of getting more lenient as time went on or easing up during the two ceasefires and hostage release negotiations with Israel, Braslavski’s captors treated him significantly worse. His captors kept him blindfolded, had his ears blocked with stones, severely beat him, whipped him, stripped him, and sexually assaulted him.
Braslavski said, “I told him, ‘Maybe you think it’s just me and you here, and nobody sees us, but God sees me here, how I’m being tortured by you, and he sees you, how you torture me.’ I told him it will not pass quietly. ‘God will rip you apart. Wait for God’s response, and you will see what will happen to you.’”
Braslavski said that since his release from captivity, he is scared to leave the hospital. He said, “I don’t believe that this is real, that I am here. It is important for me to share this story so that people will know what suffering I experienced there. I met with Satan.”
Pray for emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual healing for Rom Braslavski, as well as the other hostages who have been released. Pray a special prayer for the former hostages, male and female, who were tortured and or sexually assaulted by their captors. Pray for the family, friends, and medical staff who are helping them try to recover and reacquaint themselves with life. Pray for them to find Messiah in the Scriptures, through believers, and even in dreams or visions.
Archaeologists Uncover 5,000-Year-Old Wine Press and 3,300-Year-Old Canaanite Artifacts Near Megiddo
The earliest evidence of wine production in the land of Israel—a 5,000-year-old grape press—has been unearthed next to Tel Megiddo, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The press was a surprise for crews conducting a salvage excavation before planned road construction to expand Route 66.
The dig also uncovered several artifacts dating back approximately 3,300 years, such as small pits used to bury cultic objects, a unique ram-shaped pottery vessel, and a small model of a shrine. These artifacts would have been used in Canaanite cultic practices, which the early Israelites encountered upon entering the Land.
Dr. Amir Golani, IAA director of excavations at the site, said, “Megiddo is one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Israel; it’s really a linchpin of archeological research in Israel.”
Praise the Lord for the discovery of archaeological evidence corroborating the Bible. Pray for workers in the IAA to recognize God’s hand in these findings. Pray for our ministry staff to use stories like this as launching pads for conversations about the differences between cultic worship of false gods and true worship of God Almighty—and salvation through Jesus the Jewish Messiah.
Fruit from the Frontlines: When Difficulty Awakens Us
Here are a few testimonies from our missionaries in Israel sharing their faith in various contexts:
Reaching the Religious
“Over two years have passed since the tragic events of October 7, yet their impact is still deeply felt in the life of every Israeli. That day changed our nation forever; it became a wound that united us, shook us, and awakened questions we could no longer ignore.
As a reserve soldier, on the very day of October 7, I was called to defend our land. Since then, I have been called up for reserve duty four times, spending a full year out of the past two in the army. These months will always remain in my memory—not only as a time of tension and exhaustion, but also as a season of deep conversations, spiritual searching, and awakening of hearts.
I serve alongside religious soldiers, each with their own background and understanding of faith. During this time, we’ve had countless talks—about God, about the meaning of suffering, about hope and the future of Israel. I’ve seen how the tragedy of October 7 stirred something deep within many of them, raising questions that neither politics nor military strength can answer. When the familiar foundations are shaken, people begin to look for something solid—and it is in those moments that hearts open to truth.
Together we’ve prayed, studied the Scriptures, and spoken about the prophets and the promises God gave to our people. And I can see how, through pain and trials, something new is being born—a faith not built on tradition, but on a personal encounter with God.
Yes, October 7 left a wound, but from that wound hope is growing. We are living proof that even out of destruction, God is building something eternal.”
Pray with us and trust God to keep strengthening and using our believing soldiers as lights for Messiah in the units where they serve. Pray for warmth and joy in the middle of difficulties. Pray for us to continue to encourage IDF soldiers, whether they know Jesus, are religious, secular, or anything in between.
Receiving the Prodigals
“Three days ago, I got a call out of the blue from a young lady who I haven’t heard from in years. She told me that she had worked up the courage to come to our special event and wanted to know if I would be there. She mentioned she hadn’t been to a congregation in years and was afraid that she might not be welcome. “Things change,” she said.
“But there is One who never changes! Of course you are welcome!” I told her.
She plans to come, and I am looking forward to sitting with her and getting caught up. I do not know all the circumstances by which she stopped attending a fellowship, but I do know she has faced some real hardships. I’m so grateful to the Lord that she reached out.”
Would you please pray for this woman and all those who have wandered from the Lord? Pray for those seeking to come home. Pray we would gladly receive them with the same enthusiasm and heartfelt welcome as the father did from the parable of the prodigal son, and pray their repentance would be deep and life transforming.
Restoring the Weary
“Our safe room wall crumbled when the missile hit,” she said, as her face also crumpled remembering the fear and vulnerability of that moment.
Yael (name changed for privacy) was part of a traumatic story of survival from one of the Iranian attacks on our country. She came to us to collect a gift bag, as we were giving them out to people who had to be evacuated due to missile impact damaging their buildings.
I asked her to share her story about the terrible events that led to her family being displaced. As I listened, she and a friend with her mentioned to me that not many people had asked to hear their stories. They were not just grateful for our help but were also touched by our care. It was so important to sit with them, listen, and let them share.”
Pray for Yael to recover from the trauma, get her life back in order, and find the peace that can only be found in the Prince of Peace. Pray for us as we continue to encourage the weary and plant gospel seeds among all those who need help, a kind word, and a listening ear.
Regenerating the Onlookers
“Recently one of my older friends said he heard the testimony of a young man here in Israel who came to faith by searching for God online. I shared that a young man I am mentoring also came to faith that way, plus several others that another staff member in our ministry is discipling.
He was shocked. “It’s amazing that people are coming to faith online!” he said, “That never used to happen here in Israel.”
People are indeed coming to faith in Yeshua (Jesus) online without direct contact first with believers. It is new and astounding!”
Would you thank God for working in this amazing new way? Please also pray that God would continue to lead these new believers—whom we haven’t met yet—to us for discipleship. Pray that God would give us wisdom as we mentor and teach new believers to walk firmly in their faith.










Group of ultra-orthodox Jewish people. (Photo: Unsplash/Miguel Baixauli)