The Colombia Earthquake Shook MY Family – and My Faith Guest Post from my wife Sarah Eliana

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We're Your Family in Israel  Link to View or Share this Email Online   My hometown of Pereira suffered the most damage WAR UPDATE 115 The Colombia Earthquake Shook My Family – and My Faith Guest Post from my wife Sarah Eliana My brother's apartment collapsed around him. He survived and his family survived. As Colombia rebuilds, here's the question the earthquake forced me to ask myself. On Monday afternoon in Jerusalem, my phone rings. It’s my son Juan calling from Colombia, just as he often does before leaving for work. I answer, expecting an ordinary conversation. Instead, I hear panic. “There’s been a terrible earthquake,” he says. “Everything shook for a long time.” With cellphone lines barely functioning, his voice breaks through in fragments. “Please call the family,” he manages to say before we’re cut off. “Find out if everyone is alive.” Alive? My hands shake as I dial my brother Carlos in Pereira, the city where I grew up. The call doesn’t go through. I try again. Nothing. Then a WhatsApp message appears: Carlos and his family have survived. Their fifth-floor apartment has not. As the roof and walls collapsed around them, Carlos tells me, they crowded into a doorway and hugged one another. Somehow, they made it down five floors and into the street – without a scratch. Their home is a pile of rubble. Yet miraculously, they are alive. Amidst tears, I call my niece Lina. She tells me that her house, too, has been destroyed. By then, videos are flooding the internet: buildings folded into clouds of dust, streets buried beneath concrete, terrified families searching for one another. The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia with devastating force. The death toll climbs into the hundreds. Thousands are injured or missing, many trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Electricity, water and communications fail across large areas. I sit in Jerusalem, staring at images of streets I know. The distance creates a sense of helplessness. I can only keep dialing, sending messages, praying, and waiting for the next fragment of news. Jewish law prescribes a blessing upon experiencing an earthquake: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, whose strength and power fill the world.”1 The blessing does not explain the tragedy. It acknowledges that we are small, life is fragile and the world is charged with a power beyond our control. Political Upheaval - A Country Changes Direction Another thought presses upon me: Why has this happened, and why now? Only three days earlier, Abelardo de la Espriella had been inaugurated as Colombia’s new president. On the first business day of his administration, the earthquake struck. The timing is impossible to ignore. Jewish tradition states that an earthquake can accompany the ending of one government and the beginning of another. Colombia was undergoing this transition. Under former president Gustavo Petro, Colombia had severed diplomatic relations with Israel, expelled Israeli diplomats, and moved toward opening an embassy in Ramallah. The new president, De la Espriella, campaigned on an opposite vision. “Colombia will restore and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel like never before,” he declared. “Israel can count on Colombia as a loyal friend and steadfast ally.” After his election victory, De la Espriella pledged to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move Colombia’s embassy to Jerusalem. On the day of the earthquake, he recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Of course, no one knows the heavenly accounting of any natural disaster. Yet Jewish tradition encourages us to use moments of upheaval to shake something within us. The Talmud offers haunting imagery of an earthquake: When God sees Jewish suffering among the nations, Divine tears fall into the sea, causing the earth to tremble. This is obviously not a scientific explanation. It’s a spiritual image of a country reexamining its direction, while the earth shook. A Jewish Echo Beneath the Ruins As a recent convert to Judaism (a journey I chronicled on Aish.com), the earthquake carries deeply personal resonance. It struck a region populated by many descendants of Bnei Anusim (conversos), Jews forced to convert during the Spanish Inquisition. Large numbers of Sephardic conversos settled in Colombia’s Paisa region. Across the centuries, some families quietly retained fragments of Jewish memory in surnames, customs and stories whose origins they could no longer explain. In recent years, small communities of Bnei Anusim have begun returning to full Jewish life. One such community has emerged in my hometown of Pereira. Many of its members are my friends. One viral video from the earthquake shows a congregation in Pereira reciting “Shema Yisrael” during the morning services, while everything shakes. This was filmed at the home of my friend Devorah, where I’ve spent many Shabbats. The image moved me: descendants of Jews once forced to whisper their faith, now proclaiming God’s unity aloud, while the earth moves beneath them.   The Shofar That Shakes Us Awake The Colombia earthquake coincides with the beginning of the Jewish month of Elul, leading to Rosh Hashanah. In synagogues each morning, we sound the shofar. Maimonides describes its message: Awake from your sleep! Arise from your slumber! Turn inward examine your direction in life. The shofar is like a controlled earthquake. It shakes souls instead of buildings. It interrupts the familiar rhythm of life and forces the question we spend most of the year avoiding: If everything I take for granted were suddenly stripped away, what would remain? For my brother’s family, this question is no metaphor. As they stood in the street, shaken to the core, they understood with immense clarity what matters most. Rosh Hashanah is called the Day of Judgment because all humanity passes before the Creator. Yet judgment is not solely about the past. It is also about possibility. What kind of person will I become in the year ahead? What will I rebuild? Which foundations will anchor the life I want to create? From Jerusalem, I can already hear the shofar’s call, even before it is blown. Wake up! Do not postpone the life you are meant to live. The ground beneath us is never as permanent as it seems. (See this article at aish.com here) IF THIS UPDATE WAS FORWARDED TO YOU. CLICK HERE to ensure you get my next update.     R. Shmuel Veffer and Sarah Eliana Galilee Green Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad Nothing refreshes like a cucumber tomato onion salad on a warm day. Crisp cucumber, juicy tomatoes, and mild onion create the perfect summer side. Long-time Galilee Green subscriber Diana May from Bodega Bay, CA, shared this recipe with us in the summer of 2024. Louise Workman, GG Member from Olympia, Washington loves this salad too! Remember to share your recipes with us so we can include them on our website and newsletter! FULL RECIPE!   Even the Coffee Farm Wasn't Safe   That's Sarah Eliana's brother Carlos at the bottom of the thumbnail above. A few years ago, Carlos, his wife Francia and daughter Laura took us to visit Francia's parents' coffee farm. It was an incredible experience. The views were breathtaking. And the traditional way they grew coffee was fascinating.  Like all coffee growers, the giant international conglomerates pay almost nothing to the farmers for their beans, and most local growers are struggling to survive. Carlos and Francia were trying to help her parents find a way to sell direct to consumers to try to keep the farm alive. All Talents on Deck With Sarah Eliana's music background and my business and marketing background we decided to make a commercial for them. Sarah Eliana composed a tune in a traditional Colombian style and played the guitar and sang along with Fanny, Francia's mother. We had a great time putting this together and I think you will love it too. The day of the earthquake, Francia was supposed to travel to the farm to help out. As you saw from above, Carlos and Francia's apartment and everything in it was destroyed. When Francia was finally able to get through to her parents, they let her know some of the farm buildings were damaged, but their home was still livable. May the Almighty bless all those affected with strength and courage to rebuild what was destroyed.   WATCH VIDEO HERE   Watch to the very end to see Francia, Carlos and Laura with the rest of the family.   Subscriber Photo of the Week   "Bringing Sweet Blessings to Iceland"   This week's photo is ABOUT Ragnar Halldórsson of Reykjavík, Iceland. Okay, I admit I made the picture above with AI. But I was so excited that we had our first order from Iceland to be delivered directly to Reykjavik, that I had to share this with you. As I mentioned, Israel Post recently opened their ecopost service (that we use) to about 100 more countries! That means we have new ways to grow our Galilee Green Family. I still have no idea how Ragnar found us, but I'm glad he did. His package of two jars of Raw Citrus Blossom Honey is on its way. Thank you Ragnar... please take a photo and send it to us when it arrives... and thank you to all of our supporters around the world. You all make a difference. ------------------------------------------------------- Because of the strengthening of the Israeli Shekel against the US Dollar (20 percent since January!) we are trying to make up for our effective loss in revenue by increasing the number of people using our products. Please encourage at least one other friend or relative who loves Israel to give us a try! P.S. You can forward this newsletter to a friend to introduce them to us.  GALILEE GREEN OLIVE OIL One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is the ability to support themselves. Support out small business in Israel and bring the blessings of Israel into your own home! Here's your direct link to order a Two Pack today! RAW NATURAL HONEY Bring the sweetness of the Land of Israel into your own home! HERE'S YOUR DIRECT LINK FOR A TWO PACK Have you read the first five chapters of my upcoming Jerusalem-based Thriller? CONTINUE READING HERE

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Lance Wallnau - “Christians Keep Pushing for Social Media”

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They Tried To Wipe Out Christian Media. Here's What's Coming Next.

In 2016, Western Journal was getting 16 billion hits on Facebook. Then Donald Trump got elected — and Silicon Valley decided that was a problem. Overnight, they wiped it out. No warning. No appeal. Just gone.

And it wasn't conservative politics they were most afraid of. It was pro-life content. And right behind it, anything carrying the name of Jesus.

So what do you do when they erase your platform? You build one they can't touch.

Www.ElijahPeel.com

Steve Martin Book Collection

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In hardcover, paperback, audio and e-book versions.

(His other 29 published books also available on Amazon.)

Colombia recognizes Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights, becoming 2nd country in the world alongside US. ALL ISRAEL NEWS

​Hanan Lischinsky

| Published: August 10, 2026 

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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar meets with Colombia’s new President, Abelardo de la Espriella, one day before his official inauguration, August 10, 2026. (Photo: Lodis Studios)

Colombia became the second country in the world to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights on Monday, announcing that it affirms that "Israel’s control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights constitutes an essential component of its national defense.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who attended the inauguration of the country’s new, vocally pro-Israel president Abelardo de la Espriella just last week, praised the decision.

“I thank Colombia and my good friend, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, for his historic decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, following our meeting in Barranquilla, Colombia, last Thursday.”

Sa’ar noted that this was among the first decisions the new president made, and “demonstrated his leadership, his values, and his commitment to Israel and to Israel’s security.”

The Golan Heights are a basalt plateau overlooking the Sea of Galilee, or the Kinneret, in northern Israel. The area was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and officially annexed in 1981.

“Israel is a small country with no strategic depth,” Sa’ar recalled, explaining that “defensible borders are essential to ensuring the continued existence of the Jewish people in our historic homeland. I will continue working so that more countries join the United States, under President Trump, and Colombia, under President de la Espriella, in recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, where Israeli law was applied 45 years ago.”

In general, the international community considers the plateau to be Syrian territory under Israeli occupation. However, the Trump administration recognized Israel’s sovereignty over it in 2019, and the Biden administration subsequently upheld that decision in 2021.

In a statement, the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its decision came “in light of the persistent regional instability in the Middle East and considering the strategic importance of the Golan Heights for Israel’s security,” also noting Israel’s right to protect itself against external threats.

“For decades, Israel has faced persistent and existential security challenges along its borders. These threats have intensified significantly in recent years, culminating in the horrific terrorist attacks of October 7, which highlighted the gravity and changing nature of the dangers faced by the Israeli people,” the ministry said.

“In this regional security context, Colombia recognizes that the maintenance of Israel’s control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights constitutes an essential component of its national defense and of its capacity to protect and safeguard its citizens.”

De la Espriella has promised a sharp break from the anti-Israel stance of his predecessor Gustavo Petro, vowing instead to resurrect the “historic alliance” between the countries.

“Colombia will also resume a serious and responsible position on the international stage, including within the United Nations system, and withdraw its intervention in the case brought by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice,” de la Espriella said last Thursday.

The countries’ foreign ministers also agreed on the immediate and mutual appointment of ambassadors, the mutual cancellation of visa requirements, and the opening of a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem while halting plans for an embassy in Ramallah.

The question of sovereignty over the Golan Heights has been in the news repeatedly over the past few years. Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was known as al-Jolani during his days as an Islamist terrorist. The name points to his family’s origins in the Golan.

While he has shown readiness to negotiate a security arrangement with Israel under U.S. pressure, al-Sharaa has repeatedly stressed that Syria continues to see the Golan as part of its territory, while emphasizing that he doesn’t seek a military confrontation with Israel.

After al-Sharaa toppled the Assad regime at the end of 2024, Israel captured an additional stripof land comprising the former demilitarized zone, as well as the peak of Mount Hermon, as a precaution against any threats to the Golan border. The IDF has since occupied the area as a security zone.

During a visit to Syria last month, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Israel’s ostensible “violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity” as “unacceptable.”

“I'd like to remind the international community that the Golan Heights are Syrian territory,” he stressed, adding that he wished for “a future defined by peace, dignity, and opportunity by the Syrians themselves.”

Aerial view of the Hermon, Northern Golan Heights. February 25, 2025. Photo by Oren Cohen/FLASH90 

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Read more: ABELARDO DE LA ESPRIELLA | COLOMBIA| DIPLOMACY | GOLAN HEIGHTS

Love For His People Ministry was founded in 2010 by Steve & Laurie Martin. Charlotte, NC USA