It is with great excitement that we announce the completion of the swimming pool for the Israeli Border Guard located on a base situated between Jerusalem and Jericho. Over the next several months, final enhancements will be made to the swimming pool complex, including the display of a plaque.
There are no words that adequately express our joy in being able to write this closing chapter to the inspirational story of our parents: Glory to Glory – Handfuls on Purpose and A Legacy’s Journal located on Words for Living. To say that we were thrilled about the swimming pool is an understatement. We were smiling, crying, and hugging (virtual) each other when we received the news from Israel. It was only seconds that had passed from hearing the news that we knew that the Lord had answered our prayers. We think of Psalms 150 that says, “…Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.”
You might ask, “how did this happen?” In order to answer that question we must first travel back in time to 1961 when our parents’ journey began. It is the story of a young man, a salesman and small business entrepreneur, and the daughter of Presbyterian minister who received the gift of salvation and willingly devoted their lives to serving their Lord and Savior. It was during the early years of their ministry that the Lord gave our parents a vision to carry a message of love and support to the Jewish people and Land of Israel.
Second, we go back to 1991 when Bethel Biblical was founded in Lakewood, Colorado. It was during this time that our parents, along with the leaders and congregation, set a specific goal to someday make a significant financial donation to Israel. Who would have imagined that a goal set back in 1991, often forgotten about, would be fulfilled in September 2023.
Although our parents passed away before they could see the completion of the swimming pool, we would like to believe that the Lord pulled back the curtain and gave them a glimpse of the beautiful swimming pool with water as clear as transparent glass and as blue as the sky, surrounded by embankments of desert dirt and sand along the sides of the swimming pool.
Hallelujah Thank You Jesus
God Did It!
Our Personal Thoughts
As a reader you might conclude that the legacy of our parents is now complete. We might have agreed with you at one time, but since meeting with Yaacov Shabtay, Commissioner of Israel Police and the Border Guard in 2019 in Israel, we take to heart his words to us on our final evening with him and his staff. These words have remained imprinted on our hearts and in our minds.
Every time a soldier swims in the swimming pool or reads the commemorative plaque, the legacy lives on.
Every time a soldier uses the outdoor exercise-obstacle course and covered picnic area located on Tel Nof Airbase, the legacy lives on. [Dedicated in honor of our mother in 2010. Many of the dignitaries attending the dedication said, “Carol will be remembered as a true friend to Israel, the Jewish People, and the Israeli Defense Force”].
Dedication of the Swimming Pool
Please join us as we dedicate the completion of the swimming pool for the Israeli Border Guard. Throughout our father’s years in the ministry, we heard him quote Genesis 12:3 that God will bless them that bless Israel and curse them which curse Israel. We have been blessed.
We use our father’s words that he wrote sometime in 2018-2019 in anticipation of the completion of the swimming pool and the plaque. We speak these words on behalf of our parents, Robert and Carol Hooley and the Bethel Biblical congregation.
This Swimming Pool is dedicated to the Soldiers of the
Border Patrol Police, commonly known as Magav, The Border Guard
From
Pastor Robert and Carol Hooley
and the
Bethel Biblical Congregation, Lakewood, Colorado, USA
In thanks to El Elyon, the Most High God, we respect His divine purpose
in choosing Israel to be a light to the nations. Just as the Lord spoke to Abraham
in Isaiah 42:6, we proclaim this scripture:
I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations.
May you continue to be mighty watchmen over the Land of Israel.
I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night:
ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence.
Isaiah 62:6
In Appreciation
Yaacov Shabtay, Commissioner of Israeli Police and Boarder Guard (Retired, Major General)
We recognize Commissioner Shabtay, “Kobi”, for his kind and gracious acknowledgement of the donation and commitment to build the swimming pool for the soldiers of the Border Guard. We know Kobi to be a man of honor, an accomplished military leader, and a friend to our father and family. We thank him for this gift, this blessing. He will forever be our friend.
Elisha Noy
We recognize Elisha for his dedication and willingness to help us finish the swimming pool project. There are no words to adequately thank him for his hard work and countless hours on this project. Elisha paved the way to this successful culmination!
The Lord guided our parents early on in their ministry to pioneer the delivery of a message of love and support to the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. On one of the earliest Israel tours conducted by our parents, our father told the Lord that they needed someone in Israel to help them. When he shared this information with our mother, she simply responded, “I already know who it is.” It was Elisha. From that very moment, he has been beside our parents and our family. He is family. Elisha is a man of great honor and a loyal friend.
Congregation of Bethel Biblical (1999-2019)
We are thankful for the members’ timeless and never-ending commitment to bless the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. We know that they will be blessed because the Bible says, “He will bless those that bless Israel.”
Other Friends and Family
We are thankful for the many friends and family who personally expressed their support and encouragement to us while we strived to bring the swimming pool project to a close and what a wondrous finale it is. We give thanks and praise to the Lord of Lords. In our father’s words, GOD DID IT!
