After months of planning and preparation, Bridges for Peace was set to begin distributing food from the new Karmiel food bank on March 3. The Bridges facility in the northern Israeli town was officially dedicated in an event with the International Board of Directors on February 28.
According to Manager Mike Egleton, the center will be supplying 16 northern organizations as well as provide a food storehouse for both the Karmiel and the Jerusalem food banks. Egleton said they will be feeding about 5,000 people in the north. The stored food can also be used during war.
“It places Bridges in a hugely strategic position to be able to react quickly in case of a war,” said Egleton. “In the previous war, 18 months ago, Bridges responded, but it could only respond with a limited response. Now we have a truck and food on hand, so that we can meet people’s needs overnight.” More than 310 tons [279 metric tons] of non-perishable food items and paper goods were in the food bank as of last week, with room for possibly as much as 410 tons [369 metric tons].
Bridges Board of Directors International Chairman Jess Gibson, Pastor of Cornerstone Church in the United States, said discussing “lengthening our camp” was brought up in an international board meeting a year ago, with the logistics of getting food from Jerusalem to the north the main challenge to doing so. He believes the opening of the Karmiel center and putting in this amount of supplies could have only been achieved so quickly by God.
“Any idea that is impossible is a God idea. If it’s possible for us to do it on our own, then it’s probably our idea. So for this to come to pass so quickly, and in such a significant way, it had to be the heart of God,” said Gibson. “I believe it’s a real confirmation that not only was this vision a God-inspired vision, but I believe it’s a confirmation that Bridges for Peace is heading in the right direction.” Praise God for this exciting next step for Bridges, and may we continue to pray for the Karmiel distribution center as it begins this new chapter.
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 3, 2008)