Children and teens are more vulnerable to being traumatized by terrorist events but with the right support, they’re also able to recover faster. Being involved in a terrorist attack, or a war can be overwhelmingly stressful for children as such an event can cause traumatic stress, undermine the child’s sense of security, and leave them feeling helpless and vulnerable—especially if the event stemmed from an act of violence, like in the case of Sderot.
Even kids or teens not directly affected by these events can become traumatized when repeatedly exposed to horrific images of the event on the news or social media so whether a child lived through the disturbing event itself, witnessed it, or experienced traumatic stress in the aftermath, they’re likely to be affected by an array of intense, confusing, and frightening emotions, and while unpleasant symptoms may fade over time, there’s plenty we can do to support and reassure a traumatized child.
Traumatic stress is a normal reaction in Sderot and the towns on the border with Gaza, where the conflict in taking place, and It can leave children of any age feeling overwhelmed by stress and trigger a wide range of intense emotions and physical or behavioral reactions, affecting the child’s mood, appetite, sleep, and overall well-being.
Helping Children To Cop With The Situation In Sderot
Following the joy and expectation of the Hanukkah festivity, our City Of Life ministry carried out the already traditional party for children where with gifts, surprises, and the great performance of our guest magician “PiPo” we managed to allow these traumatized children from Sderot to enjoy a time of joy and fun, leaving aside even momentarily the situation of insecurity that exists in this part of Israel, on the border with Gaza, where the warning sirens of missile attacks are so frequent and where children have only 15 seconds to take refuge in a bomb shelter.
The expression of happiness on the faces of the children upon receiving the boxes of toys was unmatched, in the same way the sets of sweets were distributed among the little ones and, how could it be otherwise, there was no shortage of the traditional “sufganiot”, a kind of jelly-filled donuts so characteristic of Hanukkah.
Pipo had an impeccable performance making children and adults laugh, making even the timidest children open up and actively participate in the didactic magic tricks show that filled the hearts of the audience with joy and surprise.
Undoubtedly, an unforgettable day that will mark the lives of the most suffered children in our city for a long time and the grateful parents could feel the love that emanates from our ministry, special love that the Lord put in our hearts so that we can serve. to his people in a special way.
Our role as the body of the Messiah is to bring hope to this lost world and illuminate in times of darkness creating an impact on society, so our ministry is committed to reaching as many people as possible who suffer, and many of them depend on our commitment and dedication for the work of the Lord.
You can be part of and impact the lives of more people who need help in our city and together show them the way, the truth, and the life.
We invite you to be part of our ministry so that together we can bring hope to our border town of Sderot.
Our work would not be possible without the help of partners like you, so we ask you to consider in prayer the possibility of a monthly commitment that will allow us to continue with the Lord’s work here in Israel.
Sincerely yours
Pastors
Michael & Dina Beener
and CLM Israel Team
“City of Life”
Messianic congregation and Outreach Center
Sderot, Israel.
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