Do you ever wonder how we got started in Jewish ministry and ended up working with Chosen People Ministries (CPM)?
In November 2012, only four months after we got married, Carissa and I attended a Messianic retreat. There God burdened our hearts for the Jewish people and gave us a passion for Israeli backpackers, but we had no idea what to do next. Jewish ministry was completely foreign to us.
At the retreat, we made friends with Jewish believers from Chicago. They invited us for Shabbat dinners, so we started making the two-hour drive from Wisconsin every other week. That is where we first met Shmueli (Stephen Arnold), who told us his vision to start a guesthouse ministry in Brazil to reach Israeli backpackers. This was too perfect – I grew up in Brazil and we want to reach Israeli backpackers with the Gospel! We prayed about it and decided to partner with Shmueli.
As we were deciding which missions organization to join, CPM stood out to us for several reasons. We constantly met CPM missionaries at events, conferences, and congregations we attended. They were very friendly, doctrinally solid, and encouraging to us as we sought God’s direction.
Probably the deciding factor for us was that CPM is a very entrepreneurial organization. They leave it up to the missionary to decide where to go and what ministry to do – as long as it lines up with CPM’s mission statement. This is a great fit for us, because we have a specific passion and vision that others are not doing.
Since joining CPM in 2014, we have been continually impressed with the leadership who have guided and mentored us, encouraged us in difficult times, and exhorted us to take care of family above ministry. We are inspired by the rich 125-year history of Chosen People Ministries and the incredible work they are doing in 18 countries around the world. We are excited to be a part of the vision going forward: to focus on reaching Israelis, to utilize digital evangelism, and to invest in a new generation of young adults to expand missions to the Jewish people.
We could not be happier with the organization we chose, and we are so grateful to have you partnering with us in the Gospel. Thank you for your continued prayers and support, our ministry would not be possible without you.
Blessings in Messiah and Happy New Year,
BJ, Carissa, and Ari