For the Children

Now, You Are Family

How a trip I almost didn’t take — to teach a class I thought might be my last — led me to 220 children and a father who walks with God.

How We Cope

A couple of years ago, a friend told me what was happening with two of her sisters. Both had walked through something hard. One chose to face the pain and work through it humbly, leaning on the Lord. The other was crushed by the disappointment and reached for destructive ways to cope — and her children suffered for it. My friend spoke about how lost one of her nieces had become at such a tender age, having been taught her whole life to avoid certain things, only to watch her own mother be undone by those very things.

Children learn to handle heartache by watching how the grown-ups they love handle it.

We all cope differently, and I try hard not to judge anyone. I know what heartache can do to a good person. Every one of us reaches for something to ease the ache, or numb it, or simply make it more bearable. The important thing is to be an example of facing hard things honestly — and then working through them — rather than reaching for something that only numbs the hurt and buries it deeper.

I am grateful for good friends, divine help, prayer and scripture, and yes — essential oils. Because of my own experiences, and because I’ve watched them bring comfort to others, I thank God for every chance I get to teach people gentler, more natural ways to find comfort and calm — especially anything that can bless children.

Israel — The Miracle

Despite my health struggles, and with God’s help, I was invited to Israel to teach. At the time, I quietly thought it might be the last class I would ever teach.

It began while I was teaching in Florida. Two of the women who had organized my trip started talking about their own upcoming service trip to Israel — and then, out of nowhere, they said, “You should come with us.” Butterflies. The thought lit up my whole heart. Their ministry had been traveling to Israel nearly every year for more than a decade, supporting a Children’s Home there with monthly donations and yearly visits. They were going again, and they were serious about my joining them. I could hardly believe it.

Could I make it? Nobody knew about the internal battle I was fighting. But in my heart, I knew I needed to go despite the struggle — and maybe, just maybe, God would give me answers in Israel to the health questions I was facing.

When I learned who we’d be serving, I reached out to my essential-oil-lovin’ community to ask if anyone wanted to donate. Four thousand dollars in donations later, I was crying happy tears. I couldn’t believe the outpouring of love.

Wrapping up the donations, to be carried through customs by the one member of our group who is an Israeli citizen.

The Flight I Almost Didn’t Take

As I boarded the plane bound for Tel Aviv, a flight attendant announced, before we pushed back, that if anyone wished to de-plane, now was the last chance. Run away while you still can.

My stomach tightened. My chest went tight. What on earth was I doing? I felt very real fear.

When we touched down in Tel Aviv, my legs were trembling. So many times before leaving, I had thought about canceling — and the one thing that kept me moving forward was the thought of those children. They had come to the home from three different countries, for all kinds of reasons. I thought of them, and they gave me strength. I also felt that strong, unmistakable pull that comes from God. He wanted me there, for reasons that were His.

Our group, though warm-hearted, was still young in their knowledge of essential oils. I knew I needed to be there in person to help teach the caregivers how to use them simply and safely.

I arrived an hour ahead of the others. What surprised me most was the deep sense of peace I felt the moment I stepped into that part of the airport — a peace I had only ever felt before in special places of worship.

An hour later, my group arrived, and every one of the oils had made it through customs. Hooray!

These are the generous souls who donated. My heart was so full of love and gratitude for each of them when I met the children and taught the class. Thank you, thank you:

Andy and Natalie Goddard

Jerry and Laura Jacobs

Steve and Rachel Loth

Josh and Jennifer Vaughan

Dr. Michael and MJ Mutchler

Mr. and Mrs. Shull

Steve and Dawnette Nardini-Nelson

Dr. West and Glenda Garrison

Leslea Bower-Miller

Healing Hands Foundation (who matched up to $500)

The oils we focused on were simple: Lavender, Peppermint, and a protective blend.

Never Judge by the Outside

When we pulled up to the Children’s Home — I was gently corrected every time I called it an “orphanage” — my heart sank a little. The streets were narrow, the buildings close together, everything dry and dusty. I wondered where 220 children could possibly play. Where was the grass? Where were the trees?

I was reminded, again, never to judge by what I see on the outside.

Because the moment we stepped inside, everything changed. The home was beautiful, modern, spotless, and deeply peaceful — full of organized, welcoming spaces, safe places both inside and outside its walls where the children could run and play freely. The children walked with such confidence they looked as though they worked there rather than lived there. They were happy, friendly, self-assured — a few even a little full of themselves, which honestly delighted me.

When we sat with the father of the home, he explained why it’s not an orphanage. This is not a place where children are adopted out. These children have been adopted in — welcomed into one enormous family of more than two hundred, for life. People come from all over the world to learn from this home’s philosophy.

I Fell in Love With the Children

Several of the girls drifted over to sit near me. One settled in close, and then, little by little, a young girl inched her way onto my lap. I wasn’t sure whether it was allowed, so I held back from wrapping my arms around her the way my heart wanted to — I just let her stay. She kept looking up at my face and smiling. My heart nearly burst. Later, she slipped her hand into mine. I felt such a strong desire to become one of her sponsors. (Here, individuals don’t adopt the children, but they give monthly so the children can reach their dreams.)

We painted picture frames together, and then we all ate. The ministry had bought pizza and ice cream for every child — imagine feeding 220 children! It was over $3,000, given so the kids could have this one joyful memory. Watching their happiness, hearing that room full of laughter, I couldn’t stop smiling.

 If you’d like to sponsor a child or learn more, visit elazraki.org.il.

These children thrive. They have personal tutors, youth and children’s leaders, their own little “houses” where they live, and real responsibilities. They’re the ones raising their hands to answer in class, the ones bringing home the best grades.

The Medical Room

There was a need I couldn’t stop thinking about: the home needed a medical room, so that a child who woke up sick wouldn’t have to go to school anyway for lack of a doctor’s note. Once we were home, the For Zion’s Sake Ministry shared the need with their members, and together they raised another $5,000 — enough to build the room, so an in-house medical professional could write the note that lets a sick child stay home and rest.

I can’t wait to go back and see it finished — and, I’ll admit, to see a few of the oils I taught about resting on the shelves among the other supplies.

“Now, You Are Family”

Father Yehuda Kohn is like no one I have ever met. He seems to walk and talk with God — how else could one person care for so many children so miraculously? He gives God all the credit, and says he prays daily and receives answers for each situation as it comes.

When we arrived, I was told not to expect a handshake. For some observant Jewish men, that greeting is reserved only for women who are family. I’d learned this days earlier, when a man had shaken his head, a little embarrassed, at my offered hand. I was confused — two others had shaken my hand — and someone gently explained, “He is religious.”

So at the end of the day — after the class was taught, the donations made, and we were saying our goodbyes — I was undone when Father Yehuda took both of my hands in his and said:

“Now, you are family.”

I fought back the tears as he told me how grateful he was for our service.

A Home That Runs on Love

Before we left, they gave us a tour, and I was in complete awe. The house was full of books, fish aquariums in the lobby, a music room, quiet places to study, spaces to dream and laugh. I watched young girls giggling together on a swing after one of our group gifted them homemade dolls. Every child makes their own bed each morning, puts away their clothes and their toys. There were chore charts and celebrated achievements, scheduled times for homework and for play. Boys sleep on one end of the building, girls on the other. The kitchen, recently modernized by generous donors, is where the meals are made — and where the ice cream was served (non-dairy, in keeping with kosher law).

The house was filled with so many books...

When I saw the fish aquariums, it reminded me of the built-in wall aquarium that was at my friends' home from back home - they had 12 children.  I had a lot of respect for that family of 12 + 2 foster children + the 2 parents. Now with seeing how well run a home can be with 220 children, I was in complete awe...

I had a lot to work on once I returned home. Here is their lobby area with the fish aquariums...

A place to dream and laugh...

I loved seeing the young girls laughing together on the swing when they were gifted home-made dolls from one of the members of our group. 

Absolutely amazing how all the kids are required to make their beds each morning, put their clothes away and their toys away after they play. 

Donations made this possible...

and this...

 and this...

and this.

Boys sleep on one end of the building, and the girls the other end...

There was a music room... 

 A place to study... 

This is where the essential oils class was held in Be'er Sheva, Israel.  I sat next to my friend who helped and translated parts of the class in Hebrew as I taught it.  

This is where the food is prepared.  Thanks to generous donations from others the kitchen is now more modern...

This is where we had the pizza party... 

  

Ice cream was also served... (non-dairy due to Jewish religion)

This is where the tutors come to work with the children...

The bathrooms were incredibly clean... 

Father Yehudi Kohn showed me how his HUMILITY and FAITH, TRUST in GOD and the GOODNESS of OTHERS, and his willingness to opened his arms has allowed God to bless these children abundantly through the donations of others - a lesson we can all learn from. 

Beauty and accomplishments in so many places...

Individual chore charts and achievements acknowledged...

Scheduled times for homework and play...

Each child's needs were being met.  (One girl was going to be going to FL to compete in a marathon).  The Father adopted all of the children and many people all over the world have adopted these children into their hearts and due to their generous donations, these children are able to have an extraordinary life. 

The father of the home said, 

“We cannot change the past,” he told me, “but we can change the future.”

His humility, his faith, his trust in God and in the goodness of others, his willingness to open his arms — all of it has let God pour blessings onto these children through the generosity of strangers. There’s a lesson in that for all of us.

The Torah’s fundamental principle is the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Yehuda raised five children of his own; now he has raised more than two hundred more — and they remain his children long after they leave, because, as he says, each of them needs someone to come to their wedding and to be there when hardship arrives unexpectedly later in life. In Israel, young people serve their country when they turn eighteen, and there’s a waiting list of more than two thousand young adults hoping to serve at this very home as part of that calling.

Yehuda is changing lives, one child at a time.

Children feel loved.

Children feel safe.

Children are given the chance to grow their talents.

Children know they belong to a family that cares for them.

Children are taught to love God — and are free to worship as they choose.

Children know that their parents will always be there. No matter what.

Beautiful.

Thank you, Mike, Bracha, Beth, Cindy, and For Zion’s Sake Ministries. My life will never be the same. There were so many other ways this remarkable ministry served Israel and her people while we were there. I was blessed to join them — and I pray I get to brush shoulders with them again, in Israel.

With much love, 

Steffanie

The disclaimer: I’m a doTERRA Wellness Advocate. Essential oils are shared here for aroma, comfort, and everyday wellbeing. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.