GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — One Middle Tennessee woman is asking for prayers as her sister and brother-in-law try to make plans to return to the U.S. from Israel.

Brad Schreiner’s sister, Meg, and her brother-in-law, Dan, have lived in the Middle East for more than a decade, currently working to bless the people of Israel.

Schreiner told News 2 she learned of the surprise attacks in Israel on the news before hearing from her sister via text message that she was safe.

“They have their safe room in their home if they can’t make it to their bomb shelter. They share a bomb shelter with three other families across from their garage and are ready, and that’s just part of life over there,” Schreiner said.

The couple lives North of the Gaza Strip which came under attack Saturday, and South of the country of Lebanon whose own militants began firing shots into Israel, essentially sandwiching them between conflict.

Schreiner said Meg and Dan planned to leave the country after the attacks, but their flight was canceled.

“There are eight girls in our family, and there’s a sister thread, and one of my sisters said, ‘Meg, come home now, get to the airport,'” Schreiner said. “Their flight to come home was canceled, and they’re looking at being safe, so yes, if you think about it on a personal level, well, we want to get her out of there, but we’re praying right now for their safety.”

During Sunday service, Northfield Church pastor Tom Haddon asked the congregation to pray for Meg, Dan, and the people of Israel.

“I think sometimes when you look at a situation happening around the world, it’s them, but when you know someone there it becomes us, and it brings a personal flare to it,” Haddon said. “To see the people they work with every day and the people they bring hope to, it brought it home.”

Schreiner added it’s hard not to feel helpless all the way in the U.S., but she encouraged others to lean on their faith.

“Our hope is that God will protect, and I think the power of prayer is so important right now because people wonder what can they do? Can they send supplies; what can they do? Well, they can always pray, and that’s what we’re praying for, Meg and Dan and the people of Israel,” Schreiner said.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville will hold a solidarity rally Monday at 7 p.m. at the Gordon Jewish Community Center to show support for the people of Israel.