Ami Oritz bombing

Lebesgue · #1 24th March 2008, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by Lulav

Get out your tissues and prepare to fall on your knees.

Please pray for this man and his family and congregation

The Israeli police are now investigating who sent a package which exploded in the home of Messianic pastor David Ortiz in the town of Ariel, Israel.
According to David, the police now believe that an "Anti-missionary" - radical Orthodox Jew, was the perpetrator behind the bombing attack.
Please pray for Ami's healing, and for this father and mother who have served the Lord and now have to deal with the emotional burden of their suffering son.

The Judean and Samaria Police stated that they cannot comment on the investigation because of a court-imposed media blackout.
David said that his son, Ami will survive; however Ami is still suffering from serious injuries all over his body.
Ami's neck had an eight-inch gash - like someone slit his throat. His lung was also ruptured
The doctors had to operate on his tongue and he received second-degree burns on his chest and arms.
There is no flesh on his thighs and the doctors had to amputate two toes!

Minister ********, we ask you to please pray that the Lord will do a miracle for His glory and for the sake of Ami.
David said that after the explosion his wife Leah was going downstairs to throw out the garbage and she saw flames coming out of the windows. Leah ran and saw her son spread out lying on the floor - she held his neck to keep the wound closed and created a hole in his throat so that he could begin to breathe. Thank goodness Leah had paramedic training. When the ambulance driver arrived he moved fast and was able to keep Ami alive until they got to hospital.
David and his wife Leah lead a Messianic congregation of about 50 families in the town of Ariel.
For many years David has had to deal with abuse from anti-missionary radical Orthodox Jews.
In the past they posted flyers and set up a petition asking people in the community to sign it, which called for the family to leave their apartment and the town of Ariel. Some neighbors refused to sign the petition. There were also demonstrations by radical Orthodox Jews in front of the family's building with people shouting that his family should leave the town.
According to David, his neighbors told him that some of these radical religious Jews said that if David and his family were the only people living in the building that they would have blown it up.
When David first moved to Ariel and set up the congregation, the local rabbi visited him and told him that he could not talk about Yeshua outside of his home, however David responded that Israel is a democratic country and that it is not illegal to share the Gospel with people over the age of 18.
David and Leah have four children who have all grown up in Israel and served in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Messianic Parents throughout the country have had to deal with the thoughts of how to protect their families, and we ask that you would Stand With Israel, with our Brothers and Sisters in the Holy Land and show your unity by praying.
The Israeli police are now investigating who sent a package which exploded in the home of Messianic pastor David Ortiz in the town of Ariel, Israel.
According to the David, the police now believe that an "Anti-missionary" - radical Orthodox Jew, was the perpetrator behind the bombing attack.
Please pray for Ami's healing, and for this father and mother who have served the Lord and now have to deal with the emotional burden of their suffering son.

The Judean and Samaria Police stated that they cannot comment on the investigation because of a court-imposed media blackout.
David said that his son, Ami will survive; however Ami is still suffering from serious injuries all over his body.
Ami's neck had an eight-inch gash - like someone slit his throat. His lung was also ruptured
The doctors had to operate on his tongue and he received second-degree burns on his chest and arms.
There is no flesh on his thighs and the doctors had to amputate two toes!

Minister ********, we ask you to please pray that the Lord will do a miracle for His glory and for the sake of Ami.
David said that after the explosion his wife Leah was going downstairs to throw out the garbage and she saw flames coming out of the windows. Leah ran and saw her son spread out lying on the floor - she held his neck to keep the wound closed and created a hole in his throat so that he could begin to breathe. Thank goodness Leah had paramedic training. When the ambulance driver arrived he moved fast and was able to keep Ami alive until they got to hospital.
David and his wife Leah lead a Messianic congregation of about 50 families in the town of Ariel.
For many years David has had to deal with abuse from anti-missionary radical Orthodox Jews.
In the past they posted flyers and set up a petition asking people in the community to sign it, which called for the family to leave their apartment and the town of Ariel. Some neighbors refused to sign the petition. There were also demonstrations by radical Orthodox Jews in front of the family's building with people shouting that his family should leave the town.
According to David, his neighbors told him that some of these radical religious Jews said that if David and his family were the only people living in the building that they would have blown it up.
When David first moved to Ariel and set up the congregation, the local rabbi visited him and told him that he could not talk about Yeshua outside of his home, however David responded that Israel is a democratic country and that it is not illegal to share the Gospel with people over the age of 18.
David and Leah have four children who have all grown up in Israel and served in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Messianic Parents throughout the country have had to deal with the thoughts of how to protect their families, and we ask that you would Stand With Israel, with our Brothers and Sisters in the Holy Land and show your unity by praying.

The things that fanaticism will lead to, and there are fantatics in all faiths.

WHERE is the eretz Y'israel in the person who did this?

Shalom,

Lebesgue

Lulav · #2 25th March 2008, 04:36 PM

Get out your tissues and prepare to fall on your knees.

Please pray for this man and his family and congregation

The Israeli police are now investigating who sent a package which exploded in the home of Messianic pastor David Ortiz in the town of Ariel, Israel.
According to David, the police now believe that an "Anti-missionary" - radical Orthodox Jew, was the perpetrator behind the bombing attack.
Please pray for Ami's healing, and for this father and mother who have served the Lord and now have to deal with the emotional burden of their suffering son.

Ami, opened a package that was designed to look like a Purim gift, and when he opened it up, it exploded. He sustained serious injuries in the blast!

The Judean and Samaria Police stated that they cannot comment on the investigation because of a court-imposed media blackout.
David said that his son, Ami will survive; however Ami is still suffering from serious injuries all over his body.
Ami's neck had an eight-inch gash - like someone slit his throat. His lung was also ruptured
The doctors had to operate on his tongue and he received second-degree burns on his chest and arms.
There is no flesh on his thighs and the doctors had to amputate two toes!

Right now the doctors are hoping that he won't lose his arms and legs as his whole body is full of fragments of shrapnel.

Minister ********, we ask you to please pray that the Lord will do a miracle for His glory and for the sake of Ami.
David said that after the explosion his wife Leah was going downstairs to throw out the garbage and she saw flames coming out of the windows. Leah ran and saw her son spread out lying on the floor - she held his neck to keep the wound closed and created a hole in his throat so that he could begin to breathe. Thank goodness Leah had paramedic training. When the ambulance driver arrived he moved fast and was able to keep Ami alive until they got to hospital.
David and his wife Leah lead a Messianic congregation of about 50 families in the town of Ariel.
For many years David has had to deal with abuse from anti-missionary radical Orthodox Jews.
In the past they posted flyers and set up a petition asking people in the community to sign it, which called for the family to leave their apartment and the town of Ariel. Some neighbors refused to sign the petition. There were also demonstrations by radical Orthodox Jews in front of the family's building with people shouting that his family should leave the town.
According to David, his neighbors told him that some of these radical religious Jews said that if David and his family were the only people living in the building that they would have blown it up.
When David first moved to Ariel and set up the congregation, the local rabbi visited him and told him that he could not talk about Yeshua outside of his home, however David responded that Israel is a democratic country and that it is not illegal to share the Gospel with people over the age of 18.
David and Leah have four children who have all grown up in Israel and served in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Messianic Parents throughout the country have had to deal with the thoughts of how to protect their families, and we ask that you would Stand With Israel, with our Brothers and Sisters in the Holy Land and show your unity by praying.
The Israeli police are now investigating who sent a package which exploded in the home of Messianic pastor David Ortiz in the town of Ariel, Israel.
According to the David, the police now believe that an "Anti-missionary" - radical Orthodox Jew, was the perpetrator behind the bombing attack.
Please pray for Ami's healing, and for this father and mother who have served the Lord and now have to deal with the emotional burden of their suffering son.

Ami, opened a package that was designed to look like a Purim gift, and when he opened it up, it exploded. He sustained serious injuries in the blast!

The Judean and Samaria Police stated that they cannot comment on the investigation because of a court-imposed media blackout.
David said that his son, Ami will survive; however Ami is still suffering from serious injuries all over his body.
Ami's neck had an eight-inch gash - like someone slit his throat. His lung was also ruptured
The doctors had to operate on his tongue and he received second-degree burns on his chest and arms.
There is no flesh on his thighs and the doctors had to amputate two toes!

Right now the doctors are hoping that he won't lose his arms and legs as his whole body is full of fragments of shrapnel.

Minister ********, we ask you to please pray that the Lord will do a miracle for His glory and for the sake of Ami.
David said that after the explosion his wife Leah was going downstairs to throw out the garbage and she saw flames coming out of the windows. Leah ran and saw her son spread out lying on the floor - she held his neck to keep the wound closed and created a hole in his throat so that he could begin to breathe. Thank goodness Leah had paramedic training. When the ambulance driver arrived he moved fast and was able to keep Ami alive until they got to hospital.
David and his wife Leah lead a Messianic congregation of about 50 families in the town of Ariel.
For many years David has had to deal with abuse from anti-missionary radical Orthodox Jews.
In the past they posted flyers and set up a petition asking people in the community to sign it, which called for the family to leave their apartment and the town of Ariel. Some neighbors refused to sign the petition. There were also demonstrations by radical Orthodox Jews in front of the family's building with people shouting that his family should leave the town.
According to David, his neighbors told him that some of these radical religious Jews said that if David and his family were the only people living in the building that they would have blown it up.
When David first moved to Ariel and set up the congregation, the local rabbi visited him and told him that he could not talk about Yeshua outside of his home, however David responded that Israel is a democratic country and that it is not illegal to share the Gospel with people over the age of 18.
David and Leah have four children who have all grown up in Israel and served in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Messianic Parents throughout the country have had to deal with the thoughts of how to protect their families, and we ask that you would Stand With Israel, with our Brothers and Sisters in the Holy Land and show your unity by praying.

HadassahSukkot · #3 28th March 2008, 01:34 AM

Unfortunately.. I know some folks who know these folks, and that article is incorrect on a lot of facts.

Here's what I know, and two links to back it up.

They suspect it is Arabs, not Haredim involved in the attack, especially because it was a Purim package and who all the family has been involved in ministry with, not to mention that there's been a lot of activity and "buzz" in the radar/lines about more palis trying to get Israeli Arabs involved in infiltrating certain settlements and areas to mitigate attacks. With the Oritz family, they have more problems with their Muslim neighbors than the Jewish community at large.

From what everyone has said (the two that know the family) in Ariel there are maybe 10 Messianic families, and Messianics are coming and going to help them out certain days of the month.

Ari has a LONG road of recovery. He's got shrapnel in his lungs, and he had some in one of his eyes. Once they are able to take him out of a medicine induced coma and the swelling goes down, they will know if they can save his eye or not. He lost two toes, and has burns on his arms and hands.

What is astonishing is that the maid who brought the package into the foyer of the house was unharmed. When Ami opened the package (which you could see chocolate in the top of and had smiley faces drawn all over it), it is a miracle that it didn't do more damage than it did, and only harmed him.

His parents were in Jerusalem at the time and had to fight traffic to get to the hospital where he was taken.

Apparently with what all is going on, the news surrounding what happened isn't getting out much (or is sensationalized), but that's ok I think. So long as people who know them see how they handle the situation and how G-d carries them through it all, I think it will really impact the school Ami attends and their community to make people wonder "what is it they have that we don't? How did they come thru this?"

Jerusalem Post Article

Urgent Prayer Request and Medical Update for Ami the son
of David and Leah Ortiz of Ariel, Israel

...
Okay, some details about Ami:
There are some false rumors going around, mostly because of sloppy media reports. Unfortunately, even the usually reliable Jerusalem Post got things mixed up. Although it made a great story, Ami was not saved by his mom (his parents were in Jerusalem and had to fight their way through traffic to the hospital). There are not "50 families" of Messianic Jews in Ariel (don't we wish!! - the number is closer to 9 or 10 families, plus several volunteers who come and go on tourist visas). Ami did not need to have his intestines and kidneys reconstructed as far as I can determine, although shrapnel and glass was removed from lots of places I don't want to think about. Nor were any limbs amputated (he lost 2 toes only)...

...
Details about the damage:
The apartment did not lose all its furniture, as reported by some - by a fluke, the sofa and TV are fine. The phone and electric work, and the computer works, but the spiral stairs to the upper floor are rickety. It may take a while before all the damage is known. The windows are in process of being fixed. One group of believers has already undertaken to replace the refrigerator. The Ortizes did have house insurance. Those of you who were asking about this aspect of their needs, stand by until we know more...

...With that said, there are some new developments...

...Some others also visited David - members of the local orthodox community. Having concluded that the media reports (all favoring the "Jewish extremist" theory) must have some factual basis, they apologized to David and disowned whoever did it. Likewise the leader of Yad L'Achim, who publicly denounced the deed in the media.
I'm not saying any more, since these are the only real facts I have...

If you like, when I get another emailed update on the situation, I can post it here..

visionary · #4 31st March 2008, 10:19 PM

Keep us posted... as you learn more about this... thanks

visionary · #5 1st April 2008, 12:35 PM

UPDATE on Amiel Ortiz â€“ Miraculously Amiel (the 15 year old boy, a Messianic believer from the town of Ariel in Israel, who was blown up by a package bomb last Thursday) opened his eyes for the first time this morning and started talking. Please pray for his complete healing, and for psychological healing as well, as he is suffering from trauma.

Henaynei · #6 6th April 2008, 05:31 PM

Medical Update and Prayer
Request for Ami the Son of

of David and Leah Ortiz of Ariel

March 30, 1008

Email address for the Ortiz family.
Kehilat Ariel
David and Lea Ortiz
ldortiz@netvision.net
---
Sent by Orna from Modin, Israel:
Shalom everyone,
Here is the recent update from Hannah Weiss from "Restorers of Zion", concerning Ami and his family.
_____________________________
I salute the Body of Messiah worldwide. Your prayers and love are coming through loud and clear!

BTW I am happy to stand corrected in my note about "believers from every continent except Asia" -- our brothers and sisters in the Far East are also circulating the reports and praying for Ami.
Your prayers are being heard, and the L-rd is moving things faster than even the doctors were prepared for. In fact, I have had several delays in sending this out, because the news keeps changing!

Ami was to be taken out of the medically controlled coma slowly, over several days. Instead, he woke up by himself last night - another miracle, and one that must have startled the ICU team. Moreover, he was aware of his surroundings. He couldn't focus his eyes to really look at people, but he was able to respond to questions by blinking.

There were reports from his family that he is having periodic panic attacks. Small wonder. Imagine that you are 15 years old, you wake up feeling weird, not sure where you are, can't move freely, something is wrong with your eyes, struggling to breathe (he is off the respirator, but still has a collapsed lung).... and the last thing you can remember is a basket of goodies exploding in your face. Pray for the L-rd's peace to totally surround Ami, that he will feel SAFE in His arms.

So now your prayers need to cover his battle to rebuild his life, which is only beginning and will be a long one.

Pray also for his family, who is now staying with him in shifts. Although none of them would want to go back to the time when he was unconscious, there was an illusion of peace and serenity during that time. His fight to recover is now out in the open and must be shared by them. This can bring on a new sense of loss. It has got to be tough to see him struggling (the "baby" of the family, no less) and feel helpless to rescue him. Pray that the L-rd will give each of them wisdom to do the things that are good for Ami.
***********************
Okay.... that's what I wrote this morning. By afternoon today (exactly a week after the bombing), this news, incredible as it was, was already out of date -- the L-rd has moved so fast, He's left us all huffing to catch up!

This afternoon, Ami began moving around and talking. His first request was to see his brothers and sister, give them hugs and tell them he loved them. Then he began complaining that he wanted to go home. THEN he tried to get out of bed! (not possible because his legs are still in bad shape)

By this evening they were moving him out of the ICU into a regular room. The nurse who settled him in his bed came back a short while later and could SEE the improvements in his face! He is literally changing hour by hour.

Tell me that's a normal recovery, under ANY circumstances. Let alone a kid who was at death's door exactly a week ago.
And that's not all. We have been joined in prayer by the children in Ami's class, who informed a family friend that they are not "stahm" praying (going through the motions of liturgical prayer) but praying every word from the heart.

Imagine the impression G-d's amazing response is going to leave on each teen who poured out his/her heart to Him on behalf of Ami.... Since these are secular Israelis, it's probably the first time most of them have ever attempted to reach out to Him.

"Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for such is the Kingdom of Heaven."

There are still challenges ahead - recovering the use of his legs, for example. Also he can hear out of one ear only. One immediate need is healing from the emotional trauma (he is having flashbacks of the explosion). Please pray that the L-rd will relieve Ami of this torment. According to another brother (thanks Tommy!) Ami is also expressing intense anger over the whole event, a very normal response and a necessary one. There are no easy answers to give him, and the L-rd knows what he needs in order to work through that.

Local believers: I don't know yet about visiting hours in the ward where he is, or who will be allowed to see him. You should call the hospital for more details, or stand by until I get that information.

Now I want to comment about our support system as a Body. It has been wonderfully effective and dedicated, and has crossed all sorts of barriers that tend to separate us. It is a selfless giving and a unity that I have never had the privilege to see before in my 46 years of walking with the L-rd. It is conduct that is surely pleasing to Him and brings glory to His Name.

Yet this is only a beginning. If we are going to grow from this experience and continue following where He is going, there are some matters that need our attention and prayer.

There are groundless rumors being passed around. I have tried to correct some of them, but I did not mean it as criticism. This kind of thing is inevitable, and we need to watch our responses to the mistakes being made.

All of us reporting to you from Israel are relying on those closest to the situation for our information, but these same people are under the most stress, obviously. Over the past week, they have had very little time to recharge. Under those conditions, it's easy to get details garbled or add personal feelings to the factual stuff. They do not need to be graded on accuracy right now. And we should be quick to forgive anyone who innocently repeats something that turns out not to be true, or who was not exact in passing on what they heard, or who maybe could have chosen their words better.

I personally apologize if I made anyone feel bad by correcting such mistakes - you are all doing a labor of Love by sending your own updates abroad. Please, please continue. I don't think the L-rd intends for me to do this alone. If you make a mistake, just correct it in your next letter. (I've done that twice already.)
With that said, the disinformation has had two sides to it. There is the harmless kind of rumor, like the one going around that the police have arrested a suspect. We all want that to happen very much, but if the police have detained anyone, Ami's own brothers are not aware of it (as of this morning). At any rate, there is no harm done, other than widespread disappointment.

But there is another kind of rumor, which can hinder what the L-rd may be about to do in Israel. I'm talking about the consensus being expressed among nearly all believers that this was the work of hostile anti-missionaries or a Jewish vigilante group.
Even now, there are many good reasons to suspect Arab terror, which I won't list here because I don't want to add fuel to this fire. The police have imposed a complete media blackout on their investigation, which hints that the case is not so simple. Suffice to say that there is no reason for any of us to conclude from the known evidence that it "must be a Jewish group"... no reason other than personal bias.

Are we, the Body in Israel, being too quick to assume that "the" orthodox or haredi (ultra-orthodox) Jews are capable of cold-blooded stalking, baiting and murder of Messianic Jews? (One or two have claimed to know of similar incidents, but none have provided documentation.) Have we forgotten what it feels like when the haredi Jews assume (also without documentation) that we are capable of stealing children from Jewish families, forcibly baptising them, and brainwashing them?

We base our assumptions on the hurt and harassment by some of the haredim against believers in recent years. Well, the haredim are quick to believe the rumor about Messianics stealing their children for the same reason - because Jews have been hurt by that kind of church-sponsored action for centuries. (Anyone who doubts that statement needs to read up on church history.)
As we deal with our pain before the L-rd, are we giving Him permission to send us to minister to the very ones who have abused us? (For the record, I am no armchair analyst, but speak from firsthand experience.) Or do we pray only that He will settle the score, and pay them back for the damage they have done to believers? This is a sign that we have closed our hearts to responding as the apostles did in the book of Acts. How can we expect to receive the power they had, without paying the price they paid?

I have also heard the rumor that the perpetrators of Ami's tragedy "are planning more attacks against the believers". Not only does this "warning" come to me repeatedly without evidence to validate it, but no one gains ground by circulating it except Satan. Israeli believers feeding on such speculation will hardly be ready to change gears, if suddenly a modern Saul of Tarsus from Yad L'Achim or the Gur Hasidim should show up at our door, wanting to know Yeshua. Won't we throw him out as a spy who is merely planning the next attack on believers?

Let me start a different rumor, which is based on more reliable information than the above, but so far has not made it into the Messianic/Christian grapevine:

G-d is doing something strong and unlooked-for in the religious Israeli community. We need to look and listen carefully, or we are going to miss it.

I began writing about this phenomenon two months ago, in a Restorers Update that never seemed to get finished. I am now realizing why - what is happening here belongs in the picture. L-rd willing, I will share more of the picture in that framework (this is not the time or place).

For now, I appeal to believers who are speaking to the media about Ami's experience: Promote our faith and proclaim our rights to practice it and share it, but avoid speculation about who committed this crime. For love of Him, avoid putting extra stumbling blocks in the way of the orthodox believers-to-be, who the L-rd is calling out for Himself.

Believers worldwide, please include us Israeli believers in your prayers, that we will stay in the L-rd as we navigate through this complex situation.

blessings,
a very tired Hannah signing off at 4 am, Israel time.
hannah@restorersofzion.org

Henaynei · #7 6th April 2008, 05:45 PM

Medical Update and Prayer

Request for Ami the Son of

David and Leah Ortiz of Ariel

March 31, 1008

Morning update, written by Hannah Weiss:
Shalom to the worldwide network of the L-rd's people - the true Restorers of Zion. And on behalf of the Ortiz family, thank you for all your emails, prayers, visits and other expressions of love.

Each one of you is a reflection of Him, and your unselfish, unified love is a praise to His name.

"...that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that You did send Me, and did love them, even as You did love Me." (John 17:23)

A lot of non-believing Israelis are watching the Body coming together for Ami and his family... neighbors, security people, hospital personnel, anti-missionaries. Some of it is due to the media coverage (which has been hit-and-miss), but a good deal more is just by word of mouth. And it's catching! Tommy, a brother in Ariel, reports that the Ariel police took up a collection for the family and presented it to them.

In short, there are a lot of communication channels opening that weren't there 2 weeks ago. Pray that the L-rd uses every one of them.

Ami's progress (a combination relay report, with thanks to Roz and Tommy!) continues to move quickly. An operation on his right eye took place on Shabbat, a delicate procedure to remove a large metal shard near his cornea, and it was successful. His lungs are still full of metal bolts, and yet his brothers say somehow he is breathing okay. (no one is sure about the collapsed lung, whether it has been re-inflated or not.) He was suffering from a fever and chills yesterday, but that seems to have passed.

The plastic surgeon saw him today and will soon start the skin grafts. The word from this doctor is - if all goes well, Ami might become an out-patient in two weeks or so. Some of the brethren have written about natural substances that can speed up and ease the painful burn-healing process - I am passing on this information to the family as soon as I see them again.

The post-traumatic stress is slowly subsiding. Leah says that for the first time today, Ami's personality is coming back in his responses. (He is really annoyed at not being allowed to get up and use the bathroom...) And he is calmer. Please continue to pray the L-rd's healing peace into Ami's soul and mind, as he works through the intense flashbacks that still come now and then.

Leah is concerned for Marina, the housekeeper who found the package and who was one of the first to see Ami after the explosion. Marina is also suffering from post-traumatic stress symptoms, and needs to be supported in prayer.

Local believers, bless those of you who have expressed love to the family by bringing hot meals to the hospital. This has proven to be one of the most valuable practical actions - they love it and feel quite spoiled! And Ami actually nibbled on some real food today (congratulations to the loving sister who made the irresistible blintzes!) We will continue to coordinate this service until they let us know that meals are no longer needed.

Israelis who would like to visit - Ami is located at Schneider Children's Hospital, in the Burn Unit (5th floor). Schneider is behind Beilinson Hospital (Petach Tikvah).

The apartment repairs are in high gear this week, a combination of professional workers and believers volunteering their renovation skills.

Those who took to heart the plight of the Ortiz family dog and were praying for him, you also can rejoice in His mercy! Dusty appears able to hear again, and is starting to eat normally. He is still very nervous and hides a lot, but he comes out and sleeps in a corner when some of the Ortiz boys are around the house. As a dog-owner, I am relieved that the little rascal is returning to normal. We should not underestimate the healing effect this will have on the family, and eventually Ami when he comes home.

Please pray for the Ortiz's neighbor, who lives on the first floor of their building. She was one of the first to arrive on the scene of the bombing (she is a trained nurse), and at the time she acted professionally and helped stabilize Ami. But she was so traumatized by the sight of Ami's wounds ("he was open and bleeding everywhere") that now she cannot sleep at night. She really needs to visit him and see G-d's miracles, but her memory of what he looked like is probably preventing her from considering it.

The investigation is still under a media black-out. I have checked on the persistent rumors that the police are dropping hints about the direction they are taking - I have confirmed that they are saying NOTHING, not even to Ami's parents. So please discount any rumors you might hear about "leads" they are following in pursuit of one group or another.

Consider such speculation a distraction from praying on target - that the L-rd will uncover the guilty party, and that by the time He does, the party will be repentant and full of the fear of the L-rd. Never forget that our enemy is not flesh and blood -- if we want to hit him where it hurts the most, we should pray that he loses his grip on many, many souls as a result of this incident!

There is also the report that "Rumors are spreading around Ariel that the Ortizes are leaving Ariel." I am not aware of any such talk myself, either among believers or Ariel residents, and neither is my husband. I have no idea who from Ariel carried this rumor to other believers outside of the town. It is baseless gossip as far as I know.

David and Leah are praying for the L-rd to forgive whoever did this thing. We should unite with them in this prayer, and release His full power to turn this evil into good. Please keep holding the family up before Him as well - they must be exhausted with the nonstop stress of the past 10 days. Leah has asked me to pass their intense gratitude to each one of you - your prayers are holding them steady through all the ups and downs.

Increasing numbers of believers have been asking about where to send donations for the Ortizes. Now that the dust is settling, I have asked the family if there is a more direct way to do that, other than sending it through us. You can contact their legal representative, Calev Myers, who has opened up a special account to receive donations for them. Send an email to: myers@yraveh.co.il.

blessings to you all,
Hannah
hannah@restorersofzion.org
-----
Email address for the Ortiz family.
Kehilat Ariel David and Lea Ortiz
ldortiz@netvision.net

ChavaK · #8 6th April 2008, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by HadassahSukkot

They suspect it is Arabs, not Haredim involved in the attack, especially because it was a Purim package and who all the family has been involved in ministry with, not to mention that there's been a lot of activity and "buzz" in the radar/lines about more palis trying to get Israeli Arabs involved in infiltrating certain settlements and areas to mitigate attacks.

This makes much more sense to me than the Haredim being involved
in it.
Having been to Ariel several times, and meeting people there, and
knowing the problems they have with their Arab "peace partners"-
I find it hard to believe Jews could do this....

Lebesgue · #9 7th April 2008, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by ChavaK

This makes much more sense to me than the Haredim being involved
in it.
Having been to Ariel several times, and meeting people there, and
knowing the problems they have with their Arab "peace partners"-
I find it hard to believe Jews could do this....

I agree Chava. After looking at stuff about this I just don't think it was the Haredim. I just don't think Jews would do something like this.

Welcome back. How was your trip?

Shalom,

Lebesgue

HadassahSukkot · #10 12th April 2008, 02:18 PM

Video clip of David Ortiz sharing about Ami (Miracles and Forgiveness)

Take 15 minutes and hear from David himself about what happened to his son Ami and how Ami is doing. This link is from the Epicenter Conference 2008, organized by Joel Rosenberg in Jerusalem. Skip Heitzig is also in the video praying over David. Listen to this inspiring video. It's packed with miracles:

Video link: http://blip.tv/file/815590

Thanks to a friend who emailed this link to me. You keeping me posted, helps me keep everyone else posted.