That time of year has come again! With crisp air and frosted mornings come puffy winter layers and your holiday to-do list. So, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you have already done!
Together, we have accomplished a lot this year! Because of you Israelis have heard the Gospel. Because of your prayers, encouragement, service and financial support, the name of Jesus has been proclaimed and the Christmas story shared.
Together with you, we shared the Gospel of Messiah at the Shelter on the Lake in Argentina, prayerfully selected Rio de Janeiro as our future ministry location, led Passover Seders and taught about God’s heart for the Jewish people in numerous churches, served Holocaust survivors, foster children, Russian believers, and elderly immigrants in Israel.
Because of you, we had powerful Gospel conversations with Tali, Binyamin, Idan, Yosef, Dov and many others. Because you took action, they heard that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. And when we suffered the tragic loss of our brother, Levi, and our Israel outreach was cut short, your prayers, service and outpouring of love encouraged – and continue to encourage us- through our heartbreak.
As we continue our journey through this intense grief and look to the next year with mingled pain and joy, we are more thankful than ever for your place on this team. It is harder than ever to make plans or share them with you, with this heavy reminder so fresh in our minds that God alone knows what the days ahead will hold. But, with complete trust that our lives and futures are secure in His hands, we continue to make plans and move forward.
God willing, we will welcome 2017 in Prague at Muchan – Chosen People Ministry’s international conference – looking into God’s Word with great speakers, connecting with Messianic young adults, forging valuable connections, sharing our heart and vision for reaching Israeli backpackers with new friends, and looking for potential workers to join us in the ministry! Following Muchan, we will return to the Hebrew studies we started in Tel Aviv. And when we return to the States in March, we begin the exciting work of growing our partnership team – raising funds and recruiting prayer warriors to enable us to take the next step in Fall 2017 (to be announced soon).
So, as you celebrate the birth of our Messiah this Christmas season, please continue to pray for our travels, studies, health and family; but most of all please remember Yeshua’s heart for his people and continue to pray with us for their salvation.
With love and grateful hearts,
BJ and Carissa