Have you wondered how you can continue to effectively bless the Jewish people when your missionaries have landed smack in the middle of the Bible Belt? We were too. At first glance it seemed to us that the best place for us to stabilize Carissa’s health might be a terrible place to do Jewish ministry. Not a chance!

As you have prayed with us through this unexpected relocation, our loving Father has faithfully guided us through wise counsel, Providential connections and refreshing reminders of our calling. Of course, as believers, our purpose is always the same: to glorify God by knowing Him and making Him known, (Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:16; 1 Pet. 2:9). And as staff with Chosen People Ministries, we are in wholehearted agreement with our mission, “to pray for, evangelize, disciple, and serve Jewish people everywhere and to help fellow believers do the same.”  What you might be surprised to learn, as we were, is that – while it will look a bit different than it does in Rio or Tel Aviv – there are many opportunities to do exactly this in Lynchburg, Virginia.

• Jewish community in Lynchburg Just a mile away from our current home is a small but active synagogue of 70 families. We visited right away and were warmly welcomed. We are excited to build relationships and find ways to serve and love our new neighbors.

• A Remnant Small but mighty is our tiny Messianic mishpocha (or family) in the city of Lynchburg. Besides our family, we have met a number of Jewish believers right here in town, and we are just an hour away from a vibrant Messianic congregation in Roanoke. We can’t wait to see how God might use us to bless and be blessed by this community. (Meet two of our new friends pictured above!)

• Opportunities for Mobilization Home to Liberty University, the world’s largest Christian university, and hundreds of churches, Lynchburg is an incredibly strategic base through which to educate and mobilize young believers and churches to go out into the world “to the Jew first.”

We won’t pretend that this isn’t a challenging adjustment for us, but we are confident that God is never limited by location, or health, or finances, or any other thing! We hope you are as eager as we are to see God’s plan unfold here in Lynchburg. “Thank you” is just never enough to express our appreciation for your prayer and support.

Love,

BJ and Carissa