Reflecting on Mount Carmel Fire- Video
Here is a very well made short film reflecting on the recent Mount Carmel Wildfire.
In it Pastor Peter and Rita his wife speak on the gracious lessons that can be learned through this tragic event. He also points out that this "birth pang" should only serve to remind us how precarious are the times we live in, and as a result to be much in prayer, in particular for Israel.
Prayers Answered: Pastor Peter's Recap
"Warmest greetings from Mt. Carmel.
Thank you for your prayers during the recent fire in the Carmel forest. This was the worst fire in Israel’s history and it started just outside of the village of Isfiya where our ministry center and worship center are located. The flames came to less than 1 kilometer of our center but God caused the wind to keep the fire from reaching us. I have attached a photo taken the first day of the fire. We moved all the women and children from the shelter to Beit Yedidia for a few days and every one of our staff performed their tasks with wonderful dedication. When the power was cut off in our village we lost lighting and running water for almost 24 hours and discovered that our existing emergency generator was not powerful enough to handle the needs of our building. It will have to be replaced with a newer and more powerful unit. In the end, we all feel that God used the fire to prepare us for even more challenging times that are coming in the future. It was God’s gracious warning to be more ready for the unexpected and alert in the Spirit.
I just returned from a conference in Holland three days before the fire began. During the conference one of the sponsors asked me to share a message on the “Testing of God’s Fire” for the final session. After returning to Haifa, I had a dream as I woke up on Tuesday morning. In the dream, I was standing in the parking lot Or HaCarmel and I saw a small private plane fly low and dive over the roof of the worship center. There was an explosion and when I ran to a place where I could see over the top of the worship center there was a huge pillar of fire rising from the forest beyond. As I looked, there was another column of fire and smoke rising about 2 kilometers beyond it. I ran to alert our staff and discovered I was dressed in a bathrobe! Then I woke up. The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon and when Rita and I stood on the roof of the worship center that evening watching the flames approach, I told her, “This is exactly what I saw in my dream!” Later, when other countries sent help to Israel in order to put out the fire, the sky over Or HaCarmel was literally filled with small (and large) private planes dropping water and fire-retardant chemicals on the forest.
All of this leads me to believe that God is warning all of us to be prepared for greater testing to come. Jesus taught that the end times would be characterized by “wars and rumors of wars” but that these were just the beginnings of “birth pangs.” In the last few days, we have been through a crisis that was like a war – a single birth pang. God protected us and no one was hurt. Please share our gratitude and this alert with others who are standing with us in prayer.
Rita joins me in sending our love and blessings from all the Carmel “team” in Yeshua,"
Peter
Prayers Answered: Wildfire contained
The fire in total claimed 41 lives and consumed approx 55,000 dunams (13,750 acres) of the 115,000 dunams (28,750 acres) that comprised the Carmel Forest national reserve.
The testimony we have received is that although the fire came very close to Usifiya where the Kehilat HaCarmel congregation is located, praise God it did not enter.
I'm sure our friends in Israel would offer you their deepest thanks for all your prayers and words of support and comfort through this time. Now we must pray wisdom to those who have to deal with the aftermath of this crisis, comfort to those who grieve, and continue to praise God for His unfailing faithfulness, even in the midst of great difficulties.
Update on Mount Carmel Wildfire
"The Wildfire continued to spread on Friday evening, approaching Haifa University, the Denya neighborhood of Haifa and the Carmel Forest Hotel as well as engulfing the area of the Hai-Bar nature reserve.
The continued growth of the blaze followed an afternoon of cautious optimism in the fight against the largest wildfire in Israeli history.
As darkness fell, the operations of foreign firefighting aircraft from Europe were called off until the morning. During the night, only firefighters on the ground will be battling to stop the spread of the blaze, but there is not much of an expectation that they will be able to control it.
Firefighting authorities are putting their hopes on a Russian aircraft that landed in Israel on Friday evening and will go into action on Saturday. The plane is capable of holding up to 42,000 liters of water. (Haaretz.com)"
We continue to receive updates from friends in Israel on the Wildfire. In the midst of the whirl of information we don't want to lose sight of the very real human cost and the grief being experienced by many in Israel right now. One of the e-mails we received spoke in reference to the 40 prison guards that were killed,
"Emotions are high and passionate. Today our country is mourning. Last night the reporter on Ch 10 was in tears as she reported the day’s events. The report of the names of yesterday’s accident is deeply sad. Most of the cadets were between 27-31; many were married and had budding families. They were from all over the country."
This Wildfire is effecting everyone to one degree or another, with many questions being asked.
Some are asking how did this happen?
"The initial inquiry conducted by fire investigators has pointed to negligence, not arson, as the cause of the wildfire.
According to the investigation, the wildfire started at one location west of Usifiya. It is believed that household trash and tires that had been discarded in the area caught on fire and the fire spread. Investigators are looking into what exactly caused the trash to ignite.
Meanwhile, the police commissioner ordered district commanders to be on alert for acts of arson. (Ynet.com)"
Others asked, 'Were we prepared?'
"The evacuations in the North recalled the mass flight of Israelis southward to escape Katyusha rocket fire by the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, during a 2006 war. Acknowledgments by authorities Thursday night that they had no control of the fire raised questions about Israel's readiness to cope with another such barrage, analysts said.
After the 2006 war, a national inquiry found that Israel's fire services were underfunded and unprepared and recommended an investment in firefighting aircraft. But even as Israel prepares to acquire hundreds of millions of dollars worth of advanced fighter jets, no budget has been allocated for the much cheaper aerial firefighters. (Washingtonpost.com)"
While others, looking at the ongoing lack of rain that played a major part in this crisis, are asking for mercy.
In Israel this week, there was held another day of fasting and prayer for rain, culminating in a large scale prayer gathering at the Western Wall led by Israel's chief rabbis. The rabbis issued the text for the prayer, and encouraged all synagogues to make use of it. Those who can fast are requested to do so, even if it is only for half a day. They had written,
“The summer is gone as is most of the winter, and we are yet to be redeemed by the downfall of rains of blessing, and the water situation in the Land of Israel is under duress and great distress, especially since this is not the first year of drought, and the land is dry due to our many sins, and this is a troubling matter, (JPost.com)”
We ask you to please pray for the speedy extinguishing of this fire, for the safety of those involved in this task, as well as for the outpouring of rain upon Israel's thirsty ground.
But we would also like to ask for you to pray for the outpouring of God's Spirit upon the people of Israel, that God would meet with the grieving, the hopeless and the exhausted in His tender mercy and love, that there would be a great outpouring of the revelation of Yeshua upon Israel in this current situation.
Pray for the body in Israel at this time, that they would be empowered and led by the Spirit of God to minister to those in need around them, both practically and with the gospel of grace.
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." (Isaiah 61:1-3)
PRAY: Wildfires ravage Mount Carmel
Highlighted in this disaster again is the dire need for rain in Israel, this has been the hottest, driest year for maybe 100 years, and has created the tinderbox conditions into which this fire has raged. Pray that God will send much rain on His land.
Below is an excerpt from an Israeli friend's e-mail, and also further details from a Jerusalem Post report on the crisis.
"A fire broke out about 11 am today very close to the Kehilat HaCarmel and Or HaCarmel. We could see the flames from the roof of the building. The deceivingly cool breeze has been the worst enemy as it pushed the fire to rapidly overtake acres of forestland. A prison in the path of the fire was evacuated, but guards, cadets actually, who were coming to help were overtaken by the flames and 40 paid with their lives. Beit Oren, a small moshav with livestock was evacuated. By nightfall, the flames had passed Beit Oren, but I could not tell if it was through it or around the small community. It is now 20:30. The fire is NOT under control. PM Netanyahu has asked for assistance from other countries, to which a few have answered and are sending help. Isfiya and Dalyat el-Carmel is on call for evacuation, parts of Nesher and Haifa are as well If the wind shifts in the night. We do not live on the border of the forest, but we will keep our TV's on and sleep with one eye open."
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, requested help from foreign states today as the IDF allocated all of its resources on Thursday to assist the Fire and Rescue Service in battling the blaze that had engulfed the Carmel Mountain region and claimed the lives of at least 40 people. Speaking earlier in Jerusalem, he said,
"We have never known a tragedy of this scope. In this hour, as the fire rages, we are galvanizing all the nation's forces to stop the flames and to save the wounded. Our primary concern is to save lives of those who are trapped".
PM Netanyahu expressed his support for the search and rescue teams that were working in the area of the fire. He spoke with the heads of state of Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Russia and requested assistance, specifically with helicopters designed to fight fire from the air. Greece agreed to send four such helicopters and Cyprus sent one.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman asked ambassadors in the United States, Europe and Jordan to seek assistance in overcoming the blaze. Lieberman said,
"We are talking about one of the worst disasters in the country's history. This is hard day for the entire nation."
President Shimon Peres expressed concerns over the fire raging near the Druze village of Isfiya which left 40 dead and dozens injured,
“Our heart today is in Haifa, with the fire-fighters who are bravely battling this, some of whom were injured, and with the residents. The fire has still not subsided. If there is something we can say it is that those involved in this difficult event are exhibiting true bravery that symbolizes the holiday of Hanukah. They exemplify personal and superior bravery and we are praying for a miracle. We pray for their safety. We pray for the cessation of the fire”.