We were in Israel during several hostage exchanges, including the homecoming of the bodies of the Bibas family. Words cannot describe the agony and heartbreak of an entire nation grieving for their loved ones. In Israel, every hostage is a loved one.

We traversed many roadways on which the hostages were transported, and went through several cities lined with yellow ribbons signaling the anticipated return of hostages. As we spoke to Israelis, their grief was evident and their heartbreak was clear. Emotions were raw.

Even those hostages who made it home alive were emaciated and frail. The fate of the 59 remaining hostages (of which fewer than 25 are believed to be alive) hangs in the balance. Hear the story of Eli Sharabi who was released while we were in Israel:

Be in prayer for the hostages and their families. You can see the damage done to Eli, yet by his own testimony, he had it better than most. Pray for his recovery as well as the recovery of other severely mistreated hostages. Also, please pray for the families of those still in captivity and those released, yet struggling to recover.