Week of July 16, 2025

After being critically wounded in Gaza and losing his K9 partner Kimba during an operation in 2014, Israel Defense Force (IDF) veteran and former commander from the Oketz K9 unit, Ben Fuxbruner, has started a company which uses scent-based technology to improve sleep and ease symptoms of PTSD for both soldiers and civilians.

Fuxbruner describes the incident this way: “Suddenly, I heard six shots from the right. Everything turned white, there was a loud ringing in my ears, and I was thrown to the ground. When I opened my eyes, I saw Kimba covered in blood. I touched my face and saw my hand was full of blood . . .”

With serious injuries, Fuxbruner was airlifted to a hospital, and Kimba the dog was taken to the IDF’s veterinary hospital in Beit Dagan, where she died months later from her injuries. Fuxbruner underwent multiple surgeries, yet even now parts of his face are too sensitive to touch.

After physical recovery, he returned to service but struggled with post-traumatic stress and an unrelenting sleep disorder. “Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my blood-covered hand,” he said. “Every little noise startled me into a combat-ready state. It was impossible to fall asleep, and if I did, I’d wake up sweating from nightmares. At the time, I wasn’t open to talking about it. I wanted to appear strong. I believed that if I ignored it, it would go away.” It didn’t.

Upon completing his military service, Fuxbruner went to Tel Aviv University to study mechanical engineering. There, he reconnected with a friend from his military days named Gabi. After brainstorming and working together, they launched Kimba, a company harnessing the power of scent technology to improve sleep quality based on real-time biometric data.

“Our sense of smell is directly connected to the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for memory and emotion,” said Fuxbruner. “Just as scent can trigger traumatic memories, we can use that same mechanism in a positive way. During sleep, this connection is even stronger—it bypasses other regions and communicates directly.”

Kimba’s system collects data from the user through his or her wearable sensors. The precise biometric information from the sensors controls a smart diffuser near their bed. “It analyzes a person’s psychological and physiological state, along with their sleep stages, and emits the right scent at the right time,” Fuxbruner explained. “The goal is to prevent awakenings, calm the sleeper, and deepen rest. It’s not just for people with PTSD—everyone needs better sleep.”

Kimba has already attracted significant investment and is currently conducting clinical studies with hospitals and universities.

Pray for the millions of Israelis dealing with interrupted sleep, PTSD, depression, and anxiety since October 7, 2023 and the wars against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Pray for the soldiers who serve and have survived despite the trauma and terrors they have faced on a continual basis. Pray for the wounded who are dealing with injuries and even life-altering handicaps. Pray for the Holy Spirit to awaken spiritual hunger more than ever before; for people to search the Scriptures; and for them to encounter believers in Yeshua in their neighborhoods, military units, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers.

In a rare public sighting, Mosab Hassan Yousef—also known as the “Green Prince” or “Son of Hamas”—traveled to Israel for a special event in Jerusalem’s International Convention Center. On Saturday, Ynet News released the contents of his in-depth interview with them during his recent visit in the land.

Born to a top Hamas leader and groomed for power, Yousef dedicated his life to Hamas but became disillusioned with the violence and injustice. He secretly became a Shin Bet agent, then a born-again Christian, and later publicly abdicated the role Hamas cut out for him—catapulting himself into global news headlines, television interviews, public appearances in the United States, and onto the top of Hamas’ most-hated, must-kill list.

The past several years, Yousef has been forced to keep a low profile and maintain a very private life—cut off from society—for personal safety. Since October 7, 2023, he has occasionally spoken out against Hamas on social media, at carefully planned, secure events, or remote news interviews. However, it is unusual for him to speak in public, let alone return to Israel and speak publicly as he did last month. “I like to be invisible. But I had no choice,” he said. “I love coming to Israel and being with the people. This has been a great privilege.”

Yousef’s interview about the war is raw, hard-hitting, and worth reading to the end—and briefly highlights his journey of faith. Here are a few excerpts:

“This is no longer a friendly dialogue or a cultural debate where people disagree and move on. This is a confrontation with evil—an ideology that justifies killing, raping, kidnapping and the ongoing attempt to ethnically cleanse a nation. So yes, you must choose. Are you on their side? Or are you on the side of truth? I’ve had to take a side—not because I want to carry all of Israel’s faults, and there are many—but because you can’t stand for nothing. Representing Israel means accepting both its strengths and its flaws. But in the end, I must take a side. . . .”

“[Hamas is] waiting for the moment when Israel might bend and agree to end the war, allowing Hamas to survive. That’s what Hamas wants. If they reach that point, they will declare victory—absolutely. That’s what they aimed for when they took the hostages. The hostages were their most sensitive card. This was their original plan: to force Israel to the negotiating table.”

“What the rest of the world doesn’t know is that some of the most dangerous Hamas terrorists—the mass murderers, the bomb-makers, the masterminds are in Israeli prisons. In my opinion, they are even more dangerous than those outside. . . .”

“Hamas has succeeded in creating chaos because chaos is where their ideology thrives. They’re not fighting for land. They’ve recruited millions of people around the world to their sick cause, and they’ve gained legitimacy by claiming to resist Israel. So if you ask me who’s winning or losing, everyone is losing. But again, this is temporary. Over time, things will become clearer, because the truth must prevail . . .”

“When you think about how many ethnic minorities have survived the brutality of human history, the list is short. Israel is remarkable. It’s a miracle that such a small people have endured and made such an impact worldwide. So for me, the truth of the Jewish people goes far beyond this temporary political debate.”

“Trying to wipe out that truth—trying to deny an entire people their right to exist—is like saying the Creator made a mistake by creating them. It’s disgusting. It’s racist. It’s violent. And this kind of conditioning has to end. You see, the moment you oppose these ideologies, they turn against you. They claim the right to self-determination, but they won’t recognize anyone else’s right to exist. That’s the reality. And I’m supposed to play along with that? I’m supposed to pick up a rifle and commit suicide on their behalf—for this madness?”

“This is not about Palestine,” he says. “This has been an Islamic global assault on the Jewish minority . . .”

“What you need to understand is: the Jewish people suffered the worst religious attack. The Hamas attackers were shouting ‘Allahu Akbar.’ They didn’t say ‘Free Palestine’ when they attacked. It was in the name of Allah, not in the name of Palestine . . . So this is basically what we’re dealing with. Denial won’t help us. At the very least, we need to be aware. Even though I’m not calling on Israel to act on my perspective, or to start a war with the Muslim world—that’s not what I’m saying. I am not declaring war on the Muslim people, okay? But I am aware, every day of my life, that many among the Muslim people want me dead. And I have to take that into account. I cannot let down my guard. I know the threat exists. What I’m saying is that we need to recognize that the threat exists. And then, I hope—we’ll be able to work with hundreds of millions of people to create a new generation that can lead them out of the darkness.”

Pray for Mosab Hassan Yousef. Pray for active secret agents in the Shin Bet, Mossad, and other agencies. Pray for their safety and for divine aid in uncovering evil and upholding righteousness. Pray for other terrorist leaders to meet Jesus, be saved, and turn from the darkness of hatred to the light of God.

Israel’s most advanced communications satellite—the four-and-a-half-ton, 58-foot-long “Dror-1”—was successfully launched into space on Sunday. “Dror” is the Hebrew word for “freedom,” “liberty,” or “sparrow.”

Dror-1 was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and launched into orbit on a Falcon 9 two-stage rocket manufactured by Elon Musk’s SpaceX from Cape Canaveral in the United States. The satellite will take about two weeks to reach its fixed position relative to Earth at an altitude of approximately 22,000 miles, after several orbits around our planet.

“The satellite completed the launch process, and initial readings received from it indicate it is functioning properly,” IAI said in a statement.

At the launch, IAI’s CEO Boaz Levy said the Dror-1 is “the most advanced communications satellite ever built in Israel” and its goal is “preserving this national-strategic capability in the country and providing Israel with vital satellite communications capabilities for years to come.” The satellite is expected to serve Israel’s communication needs for 15 years.

Pray for all to go well with the Dror-1 and for it to serve unhindered as an agent of freedom and liberty for Israel for the next 15 years. Pray for scientists and innovators in Israel to have divinely-guided discoveries, inventions, and progress for the good of the Jewish people and the world. Pray for them to recognize how creativity—both theirs and that of the world around them—is all gifted to us from the Creator Who also wants us to know Him.

With the war dragging on, several more soldiers dying or being injured this week in Gaza, and attacks on aid distribution sites, we want to share some happy ministry reports.

To Every Age

According to recent surveys, the majority of Israeli children are dealing with serious mental health issues following October 7, but unfortunately, only a small percentage are receiving the psychological aid they need. Currently, 62% of children are experiencing severe fear and anxiety since the war began. 36% of parents say they have sought professional psychological help, but often, there are no resources available. The Ministry of Health’s program designed to address the crisis in the mental health system has not improved primarily due to budget constraints resulting from the war.

Recently a mom told us how her 9-year-old son runs to his parents’ bed alone whenever he hears sirens or the sounds of bombing at night. Even after the all-clear, he refuses to sleep alone for the rest of the night. We know the Lord Jesus is the best comforter and healer, and we want to help children and their parents find real hope in Him.

For these reasons, we launched children’s Bible clubs in the southern and northern parts of Israel. Both clubs hold weekly meetings at a local congregation, where children take part in various activities such as Bible study, crafts, and games aimed at rehabilitation. Our goal is to distract them, earn their trust, and provide a safe space for them to discuss their fears. Each meeting, more than 30 children from both believing and non-believing families attend these sessions, finding healing and learning about the Lord Jesus.

Ann, a mother of two children (ages 11 and 13), told us how her younger daughter has struggled with fear since the rocket attacks began. She says, “A few months ago, a friend told us about the children’s Bible club, and we decided to try it. Over these months, the children have changed—they are communicating with others, showing less fear, and even teaching us how to pray. Thank you for this wonderful work.”

Pray for us as we do everything possible to help children and families find their Messiah Jesus and receive the gift of eternal life. Pray for divine help in this spiritual battle, as the enemy does not want kids or parents to be filled with hope and peace in times of difficulty. Pray for more kids to come to the Bible clubs, and for more people to become workers so we reach even more families.

At Any Time

One of our ministry staff in greater Tel Aviv shared a beautiful story how God’s timing is better than ours, and can even be the tool He uses to sow the gospel seed:

“I love how God’s providential timing factors into furthering the gospel’s reach. Recently, I failed to leave my apartment on time, missing the bus which would have taken me to my dentist appointment several cities over. Not owning a car, I was forced to take a taxi or forfeit my appointment. I was initially frustrated with how my two-minute tardiness now resulted in a far more costly ride. Yet, God . . . !”

“Within minutes of boarding my taxi, and for the next thirty minutes, the driver and I discussed faith; the gospel; and how Yeshua (Jesus) of the New Testament relates to and fulfills the Hebrew Scriptures, our need for atonement, and Messianic expectation.”

“As we neared my destination, he remarked, ‘I see both the world and even Israel going from bad to worse, with wars, disunity, injustice, and evil. What can your faith offer?’ I tried to curb my excitement as I responded to his question as concisely and clearly as I could in the few remaining minutes. As he dropped me off, his parting words were, ‘I wish I could sit and study the Scriptures with you right now. Have a good day!’ ”

“I also wished we had more time, despite the cost. I am thankful for the time spent presenting the gospel, and pray God grows the seeds sown. Praise God who provides both the monetary means and the opportunities to bear witness!”

Please pray for the taxi driver to keep thinking about what he heard, to search the Scriptures, and to encounter more believers in Yeshua for further conversation. Pray for his salvation. Pray for our ministry workers to always be ready to witness, even in frustrating delays or unexpected timing that God gives us for His glory.

In Any Place

Most of the time we think of doing evangelism in a physical location like on a street, around a table, in a building, or even in a car. But another place where evangelism flourishes is online. Every month, we get hundreds of requests for materials, books, or personal follow up from Israelis online.

For years, one of our ministry staff has been doing outreach with influencers, on social media, through gaming sites, and by video streaming. Yoel (name changed) dialogued with our staffer for a long time on his gaming and video streams about Yeshua (Jesus)—and he came to recognize Jesus is indeed the Messiah and Savior. His newfound faith has been wonderful to see these past couple of months.

For example, he asked to study the Scriptures, so two of our men met with him to read some verses from the Bible about discipleship. “That’s me! I need to be discipled!” Yoel exclaimed. “Wait, that is what we are doing now! This is amazing!”

Please pray for us as we continue to meet regularly with Yoel for discipleship and Bible study, and pray for him to continue to be excited about his faith. Please pray he grows in the knowledge of God and the Scriptures. Pray for other spiritually-hungry people—who spend a lot of time online—to find our websites and videos and connect with us so they too can know Jesus.

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