At a low point in his life . . . you lifted him up!
Two years of pandemic fears, lockdowns, chaos, financial turmoil . . . Stephen* had been struggling for months and felt like he was at the low point in his life. His Jewish upbringing had been mostly secular and cultural. . . . He did not have a real spiritual tradition that brought hope or comfort—but as a Jewish man, he did not feel like he could “come to Jesus.”
But he knew he needed help, and then he saw a different kind of Jewish experience that he thought might work: a Messianic congregation meeting in a park! It would be easy to go, observe, and then, if he did not like the vibe, he could easily slip away—
Except he did like what he heard and experienced! Your Chosen People Ministries missionaries reached out to him after the service . . . shared the message of Messiah in a fuller and easier way to understand . . . and Stephen chose to follow Jesus
Today, he is growing in his faith in Jesus, studying the Bible for the very first time—and he no longer feels afraid and alone. Thank you for sharing the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, with Stephen. Your gift of the good news transformed his life!
*Name Changed
A Ukrainian refugee makes an important discovery
Natasha* and her grandmother were serious about their Jewish faith . . . but they had discovered a Messianic congregation in their hometown in Ukraine and began attending there because they felt so welcomed and enjoyed the services so much.
It made the other Jewish people in their neighborhood angry with them. Their Jewish community did not understand why they were going to the temple with Christians!
Then their town became a war zone! Natasha, her mother, and grandmother were forced to flee. They managed to get to Germany and were struggling to survive as refugees. But the horrors of war and the stress of being displaced were too much for Natasha’s mother. She attempted suicide.
Thank God, she survived . . . but Natasha was then plunged into depression and emotional turmoil. She was able to receive counseling, and she told her counselor that she was Jewish.
“Really?” asked the counselor warmly. “Did you know that I’m Jewish, too? My husband and I lead a Jewish congregation here. We believe that Yeshua, Jesus, is the Messiah.”
Natasha was stunned! After fleeing for her life from the war and struggling to hold the family together when her mother became suicidal, she had found her way to Germany, to another Messianic congregation.
Today, Natasha and her grandmother are once again able to fellowship with a Messianic congregation, and we’re sharing the love of Jesus with them regularly.
*Name Changed
A ministry of teddy bears
Kids who need chemotherapy — that is a heartbreaking scenario in any country, at any time. But at Israel’s Hadassah Hospital, there are a couple of ladies from Chosen People Ministries who make it a little bit easier for the patients and their parents.
Our workers have a ministry of distributing teddy bears and encouragement to children in the cancer wards, both in-patient and those who come for chemo and other outpatient treatments. One of these “teddy bear ladies” is also a cancer survivor.
“I had cancer when I was four—I’ve been wonderfully healthy since surgery and chemo—but I know how scary appointments, check-ups, and treatments can be for a child. And a teddy bear can be a big help, a friend to squeeze and hold onto.”
Parents, too, are touched and thankful for the gift and the encouragement.
“We’re able to share with them that God loves them and offer up silent prayers,” says our worker. Thanks for reaching out in love to children and families in need.
They’re finding Messiah—in the Jewish Scriptures
Joel* comes from an Orthodox Jewish family, but when he grew up, he let the Orthodox practices fall by the wayside and became agnostic. Carmela’s grandma was born in Israel but moved to the Dominican Republic, where Carmela grew up Jewish . . . and Catholic! Now, you are introducing both Joel and Carmela to their Messiah.
How are you reaching them with the good news? Through Chosen People Ministries’ free books and follow-up calls.
Carmela had been feeling like she wanted to know more about Jesus and whether He fit in with her family’s Jewish traditions—so when she saw an ad for a free book on social media, she requested Isaiah 53 Explained. She not only received the book, but also a friendly call from one of our workers who encouraged her to read the book and follow up with him.
Joel, who lives in Arkansas, had been agnostic for many years . . . but recently he began feeling that he should learn more about whether there is a God, and if so, how we can know him. The Chosen People Ministries booklet, Ten Ways to Find Messiah in Passover, seemed like a great starting point for someone with an Orthodox background.
He also received a call from our representative and is eager to talk again once he has read the book—he wants to know more about Jesus!
Thanks for sending the good news about Yeshua, the Messiah, to Carmela and Joel! Your gift of love can be life-changing for them.
*Names changed
