Whatever Your Hand Finds To Do
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your
might...”
Ecclesiastes 9:10
After her first hand experience of terror, in her life and
that of her family, Ahuva* found her hands helping others in Jerusalem who had
survived the same. Children, mothers,
families that had all had first hand encounters with terrorists, loosing limbs,
loved ones, and peace of mind. For over
ten years, Ahuva worked with hundreds of victims through the organisation of
Springs of Hope, little knowing that it would be a launching pad to a much
wider sphere of influence.
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| On the front lines of ISIS |
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| ISIS labelling a home |
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| The remains of Sinjar |
Back in August 2014 for a short period of time, our TV
screens and media pages were full of stories of Mt Sinjar in Iraq, home to the Yezidi
people that had been overrun by ISIS. During
their rampage of terror, 5000 men were massacred as thousands fled their homes
and ran to the mountains for safety. Of
the women and children who did not escape, over 3000 are still held in
captivity today under the reign of the Islamic State. The woman are sold and used as slaves,
suffering much physical and sexual abuse.
Young girls by the age of 8 or 9 are given in marriage and the young
boys are ‘adopted’ by the regime for indoctrination into the militant lifestyle
that values hatred and murder of any that do not conform to the State’s extremist
beliefs.
The ruins of Sinjar are the last place you would expect to
find a small Jewish lady. A meeting of Government,
civil, academic, and spiritual leaders in Kurdistan is the last place you would
expect to find an Israeli from Jerusalem.
But there she is, larger than life, full of passion and vision, having
earned the respect of all as she has put action to her ideas of how to help and
become involved. Ahuva’s hand has found
much to do and she is doing it with ‘all her might’!
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| A family reunited |
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| Another rescue and donation of clothing |
Your People My People learned of the rescue attempts of the Yazidi
women and children through Ahuva’s personal contacts in Kurdistan, government
sanctioned undercover operations that are often successful in reuniting the
captured woman and children with their families. The operations are secret, finding ways to
get individuals out without alerting ISIS to what is going on, ‘stealing’ them from
under the noses of the extremist militants.
Not every operation is successful.
Sometimes the brave men who go in undercover, do not come back out. But on a good day, a life is saved, a family
is reunited, a child comes home, and there is much rejoicing in the temporary
camps that have become permanent tent dwellings for the last year and half!
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| What they return 'home' to |
‘Mama Ahuva’, as she has come to be known, makes no bones
about her Jewish background or why she is there. “For me, this is personal. It
is the name, the character and the fame of my God, his honour and glory which
is at stake here. It is about setting up the Kingdom of God within the confines
of the Islamic State. It is about him baring his right arm to redeem and rescue.
The God of Old is rising up....as Abraham saw him and he was able to know that
something was different about this God and He was worth following and leaving
name and fame behind. So it is with my boys and my team. They are seeing the
Lord God of Israel move forward like a warrior, arousing his zeal like a man of
war. He is uttering a shout. He is raising a war cry and He is prevailing
against his enemies. And He is grabbing my boys attention. They are seeing him.
Yes they are seeing him. And they are intrigued.”
Besides helping raise funding for Yezidi rescues, Springs of
Hope Foundation is also working on setting up a reception house for those who
are being released. The amount of trauma
that the women and children experience is often beyond description and Ahuva
understands well the need for a safe place where they can receive healing and
rehabilitation on an individual level and within the family circle. Springs is also working to supply clothing
and basic necessities for the rescued ones, and coordinating sponsorship for
those who are student age to be able to attend the University of Dohuk. “Unparalleled doors have been opened for us,”
shared Ahuva. “We have received the
authorisation and blessing from every strata of the community to work alongside
the Yezidi people.
Your People My People actively supports the work of Springs of Hope. If you would like to invest in what God is doing through Ahuva among the Yezidi people, please click here and note your donation is for 'Springs of Hope' - thank you!
*name changed