19 minute read
The Friends of Israel in Action
Miracle at the Border
God is not hampered by borders! Here in The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry’s International Department, the Lord constantly reminds us He is King over all peoples and nations, and He will accomplish His will.
One of our field workers in Poland recently had a remarkable experience. Timothy has spent six years building relationships with both the Christian and Jewish communities in neighboring Belarus. Each year he partners with a local church there to deliver more than 400 groceries and gifts to underfed, persecuted members of the Jewish community during the holidays.
Recently, however, Belarus has been in turmoil because of quarantine restrictions, political infighting, and a disputed presidential election. The country’s border with Poland has been closed because of the Belarusian president’s claim Polish agents are destabilizing the country and organizing recurring protests against him. On the day Timothy and his team showed up at the border hoping to cross into Belarus with money, gifts, and literature for ministry, it was closed to all traffic from Poland. Instead of turning back and heading home, the team prayed and then attempted to cross anyway. Miraculously, God opened the way. The guards did not Instead of see the money or literature, turning back and our people were not required to enter an enforced, and heading two-week quarantine. home, the team To the shock of our workers prayed and then and the Belarusian believers, the guards ushered our attempted to Polish team across the border cross anyway. as though everything were normal. As it turned out, our workers were the only people from Poland allowed to enter Belarus that day. “What a powerful God we have!” Timothy told us. “He answered all our prayers. Our friends in Belarus could not believe that we made it to the other side. Together that day, we could pray and worship the almighty God of Israel. For Him, indeed, nothing is impossible. I am confident the only reason we crossed the border is that God closed the border guards’ eyes, and they could not see any problems with us. Thank you for praying for us.”
Soldiers patrolling the Belarus-Poland border. If you would like to support our Polish team or other ministries like this around the world, visit foi.org/INToutreach. Or call our toll-free, ministry-support line at 800–257–7843. Thank you for your prayers and financial support!
Beshert, Indeed
by Ty Perry serving in Las Vegas, Nevada
My wife and I met our friend Lisa a few years ago when we went to her office to fill out an application to rent an apartment she managed. As she looked over our paperwork, she asked what I did for work; and when I told her I served with The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (FOI), her eyes brightened.
“And you were led to my office!” she said excitedly. “In Yiddish, we say that’s beshert—destiny.”
It was indeed beshert in a way neither of us would have guessed. Knowing FOI helps Jewish people, Lisa called me in August 2020 to tell me about one of her elderly tenants. “Her name is Joy,” she said. “She’s not Jewish. She just called me and was crying because she can’t make her rent on time and doesn’t know what to do. I told her about you and that you serve with The Friends of Israel. Would you see what you can do to help her?”
The next day, I went to Joy’s mobile home. “Show me what to do, Lord,” I prayed.
Joy is Korean, with gray hair and a look of continual sadness on her face. As we sat in her small living room, she explained in broken English that her husband died a few months earlier and that he had always taken care of everything for them, from paying the bills to maintaining their vehicle. She wept as she told me about the first time she had to put gasoline in her car. “I don’t know what to do,” she said. “Now I’m alone, and I missed paying September’s rent. I don’t know what to do. I just don’t know.” I assured her I would try to get her
Joy with the Korean pastor
some financial help so she could pay her back rent. (FOI, several supporters, and a supporting church provided the funds.)
Before I left her house, I asked if I could pray with her. She readily agreed. After I finished praying, I noticed she was crying. “Come,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I want to show you something. She led me into her small bedroom and pointed to two paintings on her wall, one of Jesus and one of Mary.
“I don’t know anything about them,” Joy said. “I have never been to church. But I know they are special. I like the kindness in His eyes.” I shared the gospel with her and explained that Jesus is more than a kind man. He is the Son of God.
A few days later, a local Korean Baptist pastor and I visited Joy, and he shared the gospel with her in her native Korean language. Although she didn’t pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” or walk the aisle at an altar call, she placed her trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Today she attends the Korean Baptist church, is constantly telling her neighbors about the Lord, and hosts a weekly afternoon Bible study that I teach in her home.
Through a Jewish friend who does not believe in Jesus, I was able to share the Good News of the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world with a Gentile woman from Korea. And because of that opportunity, she is now a child of God (Jn. 1:12).
To support Ty Perry and others serving in North American outreach with The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, visit foi.org/namoutreach. You can also call our toll-free, ministry-support line at 800–257–7843. Thank you for your prayers and financial support!
A Letter to My Dad
It’s not easy to tell your parents they need Jesus.
by Steve Herzig
nother Father’s Day is just around the corner. My dad passed away in 2008; and at age 97, my mom still misses him. Perhaps that was why she showed me a Father’s Day letter that I wrote to him on my 40th birthday in 1993. I had forgotten about it, and she couldn’t remember why she kept it all these years but was pleased I was so happy to see it.
First, I skimmed it. Then I asked if I could read it aloud. She agreed. It was not an easy read. It was clear I had tried to share spiritual truth with my father when I wrote to him; and in reading the letter aloud, I would do the same with my mother. The words brought a flood of memories.
I was grateful Mom agreed to listen. With her permission, I share this letter now with you in hopes it will impart spiritual truth one more time that God will use for His honor and glory.
Steve with his parents at his Bar Mitzvah
Dear Dad,
Soon it will be Father’s Day, and I have thought a lot about you in recent days. It’s funny, you know—the older I get, the more intelligent you get. It seems more and more I can identify with the joys and frustrations you had while you were raising me. As I reflect on that, Dad, it has caused me to appreciate all that you did for me. I love you, Dad. You know all about my surgery and the asthma attack I had. Boy, I’ll tell you, you turn 40 and you fall apart. Anyway, those two experiences have taught me a few things about patience, pain, and even a little about suffering. During my recent recovery, you told me about Ron Mesnick [a cousin] dying. At the same time, I found out about a 45-year-old man dying of a heart attack just before his son was to be Bar Mitzvah. I say all this because it reminds me afresh of the fact that we all live on the edge. That is no news to you, Dad. How well I remember the phone calls you received informing you of our various family deaths. The plans we make for the future are not a sure thing.
Dad, you are almost 73 years old, and you have outlived all your family. The war [World War II] could have gotten you (I remember the stories you told me), but it didn’t; cancer could have gotten you, but it didn’t. With all the miles you drove, you could have easily been a traffic fatality; but it didn’t happen. I never thought about it that way before, have you? By G-d’s grace, you are not only alive but in pretty good shape; and I’m glad.
Dad, I also have thought about all the things I’ve learned from you, especially about parenting and being a husband. You were an excellent model for me. As I read the book of Proverbs, I often think of you. Yes, I know you’re not interested in what the Bible says, even the “Jewish” one; but I want to tell you that when something is true, it is always true; and when something is right, it is always right. You know, I do the same things with my kids you did with me. I take the boys out and play catch with them and give them the same advice you gave to me. I battle with my teenage daughter
the same way you had it out with Michele. It is amazing the things that stick. Ours, Dad, was a good relationship. Eighteen years ago, that relationship was strained to the limit. I did not decide to believe in Jesus as Messiah to hurt you—but I know it did, terribly. I did not believe to make you angry—but it did, very angry. Nor did I do it to betray my people, though you think I did. I did it, Dad, because you taught me that when I believe something is right, I should do it. That’s the way you have lived, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. You see, Dad, you did right by me. You gave me a strong religious training that taught me all the essentials of the faith: Jewish history, a little Hebrew, knowledge of the holidays, a sense of what sin is, and a belief in the Messiah. I am very thankful for that. You also taught me the value of family, of providing for my children and loving my wife (Alice is thankful for that). Believe it or not, Dad, I could not understand my heavenly Father if it were not for you modeling what an earthly father is. Many men have not had that chance.
You always said if I wanted to talk to you, I could; and I could talk about anything. You said I could always come to you. My greatest sadness is that on the most important issue in this world, you won’t listen. Don’t get me wrong. I understand. But Dad, you were the one who helped give me life, and I have the news that provides eternal life; and you won’t even listen. So be it. You have to do what you think is right.
I wrote this letter because I have become aware of how short life is. I wanted to tell you how I feel. If you are offended, I am sorry. But I will tell you this Dad: If there were a fire and you were in the shower, I would offend and embarrass you and come in to get you out.
The Shema says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Dad, that is Jewish. I just want you to do it and understand just how important you are to Him.
I will not speak about this anymore. It is between you and me. You’re my Dad. I love you. I want the best for you. Thanks for being there for me through the years. If I can, I would like to return the favor.
I’ll close with a prayer for you, Dad. It is found in the Torah, Numbers 6:24–26: “May the Lord bless thee and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace” [KJV].
Love, Steve
Steve and his dad at Steve’s Bar Mitzvah
Sadly, this letter elicited little response from my dad other than a thank you and some small talk. My mom merely said, “What is beshert is beshert,” Yiddish for “What is meant to be is meant to be.”
The Fifth Commandment says, “Honor your father and your mother” (Ex. 20:12). For some, that may not be possible. Perhaps you have never met your father or mother. Perhaps they are deceased. Whatever the case, you can take comfort in Psalm 27:10: “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.”
He will never fail. His love endures forever, and great is His faithfulness. Happy Father’s Day!
Steve Herzig
is the director of North American Ministries and a Bible teacher for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.
From Death to Life
The moving story of how God is healing addicts and prostitutes through faith in Christ
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv, Israel.
Population 4.18 million. Situated like a jewel by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, it beckons to tourists from around the world to enjoy its nonstop nightlife, luxury hotels, and world-class restaurants.
The New York Times has called Tel Aviv the “Mediterranean capital of cool.” National Geographic magazine named it one of the world’s top 10 beaches, and the city was voted the fourth best in Africa and the Middle East by Travel + Leisure Magazine.
But like most cities, Tel Aviv has a side that tourists never see. It’s the seedy, godforsaken-looking side, where filthy, rundown buildings and brothels frame streets littered with empty soda bottles, syringes, and drug paraphernalia; and Jewish addicts and prostitutes from every walk of life—including the ultra-Orthodox—live on the sidewalks, struggling to make it through one more day.
That is where the Aviv Center is located. Run by Aviv Ministry under the direction of its founder, Dov Bikas, the Aviv Center has been helping addicts and prostitutes since 2005 by meeting their basic needs of food and clothing and giving them the one thing that can completely change their lives: the matchless gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Aviv Center is among the many ministries The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (FOI) helps support through donations to FOI’s Israel Relief Fund. Run by volunteers who are former addicts, the center is open every day to provide a shelter where addicts and prostitutes can get a good meal, wash their clothes, take a shower, and experience the love of Christ. The ministry’s goal, as stated on its website, avivministry .com, is “to help [addicts and prostitutes] get fully restored, return to normal life and to their families, become a blessing to others and bring good fruit. We know that only the Lord Jesus can really make all these changes in their lives. That is why in our day center in Tel-Aviv we actively preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who came to this earth to save sinners—including those who seemed totally hopeless.” FOI Executive Director Jim Showers, who has visited the center many times, has witnessed the fruit of Aviv Center’s labor: “Bible studies,” Jim said, “help people see the only hope to escape their “Many young Jewish people have found addiction is to turn to God and believe in His Son, the Messiah of Israel. Having met several their Messiah, left their addiction to drugs and alcohol, and with God’s help, brought their lives back in order.”
former drug addicts who came to faith through the ministry of the Aviv Center, I have seen firsthand the life-transforming miracle of the gospel. Hearing their personal testimonies of the night-and-day change in their lives because of faith in Messiah is amazing.”
Amy Westphal, FOI’s director of Ministry Support, said the center is stocked with Christian tracts and literature in many languages, “including a lot of the languages of immigrants from the former Soviet bloc. There were also Bibles in many languages and some song books. Dov explained to us that many of the addicts are immigrants. The Aviv Ministry oozes tangible Christian love for those who are basically forgotten by Israeli society.”
People may forget them, but God never forgets those for whom Christ died. “Many young Jewish people have found their Messiah, left their addiction to drugs and alcohol, and with God’s help, brought their lives back in order,” Dov said. “We see that many of the rehabilitants not only leave drugs and fully restore their lives but also start serving others.”
Here are two of their stories. They are testimonies of the power of the gospel and how knowing Jesus personally can change a life.
Tel Aviv
Testimony
PHOTOS: iSTOCK
My name is Gennadij.
After
I was born into a Jewish Caucasian family in Chechnya, and my entire adult life was spent among Jews who honored the traditions of their fathers. I became a musician and worked in various philharmonic societies, played in restaurants, etc. I was married and had three children. At first, I used to drink only alcohol, but soon drugs came into fashion, and I switched to them and became an addict. I tried to quit many times, underwent different types of treatment, and stayed in hospitals; but nothing worked. My wife left me several times. We had many relatives in Israel, and they offered to help us immigrate and start a new life in the Holy Land. My wife agreed to give me another chance, and we moved to Israel. I got a good job and everything was great. But as they say, “The drug can be patient.” After a while I began to shoot up again. All my days were the
Aviv Center
same: search for drugs, withdrawals, lying, stealing. Eventually I ended up in prison. My wife left me, and I hit the bottom. One day, when I came to Aviv Center to eat (I had heard about this place from my buddies), I met a friend I had not seen for a long time. I didn’t recognize him because he had changed so much and looked so good. I lived in Ofakim then, and there I had a good friend who was a member of a congregation of believers in Jesus. She offered to take me to a rehab center many times and told me about Christ. But I always replied that I was a Jew, and we honored our faith. But after talking to my friend in Tel Aviv, I started rethinking the matter and eventually agreed to go to rehab. Now I have not just given up drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. I have realized that God is my personal Savior, that Jesus died for me and gave me a new life, and that now I want to dedicate my life to Him. Now I understand that freedom does not come from living in the Holy Land but from faith in the Holy Son of God. He finds sinners like me through ministries like Aviv Center and makes us His children. Today I am His son, and I want to glorify Him with the gift He gave me: to sing to Him, play musical instruments, teach others, and serve Him in the places from which He delivered me. I want to thank God for places like Aviv Center, which I visit now not to eat, but to feed others. Glory to Him for this!!!
Note: Today Gennadij leads one of the volunteer groups that operate Aviv Center.
Testimony
My name is Sergey.
I immigrated to Israel from Ukraine, where I already abused “light” drugs. At age 18, in Israel, I tried heroin for the first time. In 2010 I started seeing a girl who knew I was an addict and tried every possible way to help me get rid of my addiction. When I ended up in prison, she came to see me, never losing hope. Several years later we married and had two children. But I continued rolling down into the abyss. I even tried rehabilitation in a Christian rehab but returned to drugs. Eventually, I lost everything: my family, my job, and my faith. I lived on the streets of Tel Aviv for two years and went to Aviv Center to eat and change clothes. Later, I needed medical aid for my legs. Sadly, it took me a long time to decide to start rehabilitation. That was when a very strange thing happened to me. During the quarantine, the hours of Aviv Center changed; and some days its volunteers could not come at all. It was on such a day that I went there to say I had finally decided on rehab. I was sitting outside the door in despair, having lost all hope. I had no money, no food. And my body was rotting so that I could hardly move—and now this place, my last island of hope, was empty and closed! I did not know what to do. I remembered the words and prayers I had heard in Aviv Center. I cried out to God whom I had been told about so many times. Suddenly, a man came up to me.
After
He helped me stand up and bought me food. He listened to me and offered to send me to a rehab. We found the phone numbers of the rehabs on the schedule next to the doors. He called one and explained the situation, and its workers told him they could come Before for me. But he said he would send me by taxi. I started rehabilitation that very day! Neither I nor anyone else has seen this man since. I like to think he was an angel. God has restored my health and brought me into fellowship with Him. The relationship with my family has been restored as well. I trust the Lord entirely and want to serve Him for the rest of my life. I believe He will complete what He has started in me. Amen!
