Ukraine update: aid for refugees
Your compassion continues to make a life-saving difference for Jews and Gentiles alike in Ukraine amidst the horrors of war.
Sustained by your prayers and generous giving, one of our missionaries in Israel has been able to work twenty-hour days helping people in Ukraine.
“You may not be aware that about 15,000 Israelis lived in Ukraine before the invasion started,” he shares. “When the sky over Ukraine was closed due to the war, it became extremely difficult to evacuate people. In terrible icy cold, they had to stand in line to cross the border for thirty, forty, or even fifty hours—sometimes with small children in their hands.”
This missionary and his wife are actually from Ukraine—with family and many friends still living there—so your support in these efforts has meant a lot to them personally.
As a result, they have been able to:
- Evacuate more than 100 people with the help of Christians in Poland
- Help many in need to find lodging in western Ukraine—with local churches providing housing for seventy people in a matter of days
“I receive daily calls from Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Western Ukraine where people are ready to provide food, finances, transportation, legal help, and more,” he says, astonished. “Never in all my life have I seen such unity among Christians of all denominations helping both Jews and Gentiles to escape the atrocities of war.”
You are an important part of this body of Christians. Thank you for praying and giving to show the love and care of Messiah to refugees in their time of need.
The powerful words of Messiah
“H” is a young, Orthodox Jewish boy in Brooklyn, New York. He goes to yeshiva (religious school) with other Jewish children and had never studied the words of Jesus with believing children before.
But that all changed during a winter weekend camp in New Jersey called “Kesher Ice.” This annual event is a fun time for campers to connect, play games, worship the Lord, and spend time in His Word. During one of the worship sessions, our missionary taught on the rich, young ruler from Matthew 19:16–26.
Throughout the teaching, H kept commenting on how Jewish the words of Jesus are. Hearing Christ’s message resonated with the young camper deeply—the words spoke directly to his soul and challenged him to consider the truth of the gospel.
Though H has not come to faith yet, this camp experience was a huge step in the right direction and led to some wonderful, gospel-centered conversations. One of our missionaries has followed up by providing additional Scriptures for H to read and consider.
Please pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to work in H’s heart and lead him to saving faith in the Messiah. Please also pray for our missionaries as they follow up and continue the conversation about Jesus with H.
Reaching Jewish people in Japan
You may be surprised to hear that there are thousands of Jewish people currently living in Japan—most of them are Israelis, or Jewish people from Russia or the United States who are working or studying abroad.
How will they come to know the love and truth about Messiah?
One of our missionaries in Israel has an idea—and you play an important part!
In recent years, God has placed in his heart a vision to establish a branch of his mission work in Japan to bring the good news of Messiah to the Jewish people there—a vision he has labored to realize over a period of several years.
By God’s grace, this vision is coming to life today through your prayers and generous support for Chosen People Ministries!
Just recently, he met with a team of Japanese and Jewish believers who are preparing to lead the activities of Chosen People Ministries—Japan over a Zoom call . . . making plans to begin setting their outreach to Jewish people in Japan into motion.
“I would like to ask you to keep the new team and the goals we have set for ourselves in your prayers,” our missionary asks. “Please pray that God will use us to share the love and truth about the God of Israel in Japan—to the Jew first and also to the Gentile—while equipping the church with a deeper understanding of the Bible from a Jewish perspective.”
Thank you for your partnership in reaching God’s chosen people all around the world—including Japan! We could not accomplish this without your support.
Hospitality in Messiah’s name!
Your prayers and generosity are creating a new opportunity for Jesus-followers across the United States to participate in God’s divine plan to redeem Israel in a deeply personal way . . . by welcoming Israeli travelers into their homes!
Over the last three years, our missionary partners in New Zealand and in the United States have been working on the development of a new app called “Host Israelis,” which is designed to connect visitors from Israel with Christians who are willing to host them during their travels.
As these world travelers enter a new region, the app will enable them to read the profiles of hosts in the area whose hearts—and homes—are open to them. They can then get in touch with the host, make a connection, and set plans for their visit.
Sounds simple, right? But these encounters are changing the lives of Christian hosts and Jewish guests alike!
As you read this, our partners in the field are preparing to roll out this new program in the United States, where they hope to recruit Christian hosts in strategic areas throughout the country. Your faithful support for Chosen People Ministries has played an enormous part in sharing the hope of Yeshua with Jewish people in this profoundly personal and impactful way.
Please pray for the launch of the Host Israelis app, and for Jewish travelers to meet their Messiah through the warm welcome of Christian hosts.
