During the recent fighting between Israel and Hamas, terrorists have launched more than 4,000 rockets aimed at Israelis. Much praise has been given to Israel’s Iron Dome which has intercepted about 90 percent of the rockets. But sometimes the rockets get through.
After enduring a night of sirens, Keyla and Javier Montenegro spent Friday night sleeping in the bomb shelter.
“About 6:00 AM in the morning the siren went off again. I heard it at a distance because when you’re in the shelter, it’s not very loud,” Keyla told CBN News. “I got up very quickly and closed the door and when I turned, I heard a BOOM! It was the explosion.”
“When I left the room, water was falling. There was the smell of gunpowder and a lot of smoke from the cement that had fallen, and water was falling because the missile precisely hit the water tank first and then that also prevented a fire in the house,” Javier said.
The rocket hit the building then exploded before crashing through the ceiling of their top-floor apartment.
“What impacted me the most was that the Lord put peace in my heart. The neighbors, they’re witnesses. They didn’t know why we had so much peace,” Javier told CBN News.
“Later, we realized that we had had several miracles. A few centimeters more, the rocket would have gotten into the house and it would have destroyed everything. Thank God the explosion was above and not inside the house,” Keyla said.
Some four million Israelis, nearly half the population, have been under rocket threat, terrorized in their bomb shelters. Though most rockets have struck in the coastal region, some have made it further inland, like the one that hit the Montenegro’s home.
“We have been living in Israel for 19 years. This is our seventh war,” said Javier, who together with his wife Keyla are pastors of the pastors of the Centro Bíblico Del Neguev.
“With each war we see that the technology is greater on the enemy’s side with longer range and much more power,” Javier said.
The Jewish Agency visited the Montenegros, who are immigrants from Argentina, to show their support.
“This round has been a very rough one, an intensive one. I should say it never makes sense and it never should be natural for anyone, any civilian population to go through what we’re going and so we are a strong people we will come out of it probably hopefully stronger but we pray for quiet and for peace for all,” Director-General of the Jewish Agency, Amira Aharonovich told CBN News.
Christians from around the world also showed support to the Montenegros, who bear no ill will toward the people of Gaza.
“The Palestinian people are not Hamas. Unfortunately, they have a terrorist government and they’re the ones that are bringing on this conflict. We all want peace, Jews want peace, but also the Palestinians want peace,” said Javier. “The only thing we can do is pray.”
And they’re thankful to be alive.
“We have experienced in our lives the sovereignty of God. Everything that happens to us is for a purpose. And to those who love God all things work together for good. I feel that we are safe in His hands,” said Keyla.
“God in his mercy allowed His word to be fulfilled: ‘ten thousand may fall at your right hand but it will not touch you,’” Javier said.
“We thank God we are healthy, we’re blessed by God, we want to take this message of peace and hope to Israel and the rest of the world,” he added.
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