Israelis on the Move!

Israelis are some of the most traveled young people in the world. Every Israeli citizen is required to do two to three years of army service after they turn eighteen. After this time, many take an extended vacation for six months to one year to travel around the world before starting university or settling into a career. Meeting Israelis while traveling is a perfect way to connect with them, as they are often already thinking about the deeper meaning of life and are temporarily free from their normal, everyday responsibilities. Currently, Chosen People Ministries serves in Israel and has a thriving backpacker ministry in New Zealand, where Scott and Margie B. lead the ministry. Staff members Robin from Israel and Shmuley from the United States usually travel to New Zealand during the high tourist season so they can reach more people.

Ori* was an Israeli guest at our Zula Lodge in New Zealand, one of our three facilities that host Israeli travelers for free. Like thousands before him, he attended one of our weekly evangelistic Sabbath celebrations, enjoyed a “Hummus Night” at the Zula, and connected relationally with our staff and volunteers. However, Ori was especially responsive to one of our Israeli volunteers, Yonatan, and a friendship began. Ori and Yonatan have continued to stay in touch and Ori has had many questions, moving past curiosity into sincere examination. In the midst of these digital conversations with Yonatan, Ori’s father passed away. Often we find that crises distract the seeker from his quest, but not so with Ori!  Praise God that Ori has now yielded his life to Jesus and is firmly planted in the kingdom! Ori is currently meeting regularly for discipleship with an Israeli believer who formerly volunteered at the Zula, and he is growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.

Divine encounters like this are so common that Noam, a director of a cutting-edge discipleship ministry in Israel, announced that he was going to New Zealand to see firsthand if these things were true. By the time Scott connected with him, Noam had spent four days at the Zula Lodge. Here is Noam’s report:

To be perfectly honest, I was skeptical; I was pretty sure the reports were exaggerated. Everybody told me, “You’ve got to see it to believe it… it’s indescribable!” And now I see what they mean. What’s happening here is entirely unique. I’ve worked with young Israelis for decades, and I’ve never seen this degree of openness and receptivity. And it’s not just because they’re away from home. It’s because your staff has created an environment where these guys feel safe and loved, and it’s cracking open their hearts.

That very day, Noam struck up a gospel-focused conversation with one of the guests, Tali,* a post-military Israeli woman, and one hour later they were both in tears as she bounded toward the Kingdom of God. “I don’t remember the last time I had a conversation like that in Israel,” he said, barely able to contain his excitement. “What’s going on here?”

Another such incredible story comes from Shmuley during his time in New Zealand, where he met Ela,* an Israeli girl who grew up in a religious family. After her army service, Ela no longer considered herself to be religious. She does, however, believe that there is a God even though she is unsure of who He is. During her time with Shmuley and the team members, they talked about faith and what it means for a Jewish person to believe in Jesus. She was so intrigued by the belief in Messiah that she decided to lengthen her stay!

Robin, one of our staff members in Israel, also had incredible experiences to share about her time in New Zealand. Maya* sat next to Robin during a Shabbat dinner in New Zealand. Before they all began to eat, one of the young Israeli believers on the outreach team stood up and spoke about Jesus. Another Israeli guest at the table whispered a question and Maya answered him explaining about Jesus and the gospel. Afterwards, Robin found out that she had spent a couple of days with others on the outreach team and had heard these things from them.

Then Maya asked Robin how she had come to believe in Jesus. Robin said, “This is the amazing thing about backpacker outreach: Because we are spending time traveling together and building relationships, someone like Maya gets to meet several believers…they have time to think, and ask deeper spiritual questions.” Maya is looking forward to a New Zealand reunion when she gets back to Israel.

In Israel, not only do Chosen People Ministries’ staff have reunions for travelers we meet abroad, but we also hold coffee and music nights, as well as holiday programming and a Shabbat dinner for young adults that is open to believers and seekers. Our missionaries are also able to connect with individuals and families. Recently, a staff member, Rachel, was talking with Shira,* another young mother. Shira had lived in New York City for an extensive amount of time and as the women were sharing memories, Shira brought up spiritual questions. Rachel was pleasantly surprised with the switch in conversation and was able to share the gospel with her. Rachel has a feeling the news will spread about her belief in Yeshua, as she is on the parents’ committee at school—but she welcomes it! Please pray for more opportunities for Rachel to share with other parents at her son’s school.

Another staff member, Jason, also shared about the ministry at the Ramat Gan Center:

“We held a community meal for young adults that was extremely successful. Friday nights are typically a time for Shabbat family meals in Israel, but not everyone can get home to their family. So, in partnership with a local congregation, we invited some young adults to have a meal with us. We know that young adults need fellowship with other believers but they often don’t have that opportunity. About forty people registered for the meal, although we think more than eighty came! Praise the Lord that we had enough food to feed them all. It reminded us of the loaves and fishes! We encouraged people to invite their non-believing friends, and several came. We hope to make this a monthly event, so we need your prayers.”

Chosen People Ministries is seeking more staff to be part of the local team as opportunities to share the gospel in Israel are growing. It’s exciting to think of all the potential ahead as we work together to develop and grow programs at our centers to reach more people with God’s love. We truly believe that the next revival of Jewish people coming to the Lord will begin in Israel, among Israelis. We are so excited to see this come to pass and look forward to what is ahead!