Marcus and Joni Lamb | Traveling Evangelists
Summary
Marcus and Joni Lamb discuss the miracles they’ve seen since expanding their programming into Israel.
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Jonathan Bernis’ first encounter with Ethiopia came in 1998, when he traveled to Ethiopia with board member Roger West and other ministry leaders. Roger had received clear direction from the Lord that the Beta Israel Jewish community needed help, and the team went to see what they could do. They spent time in Addis Ababa and Gondar.
Here is how Jonathan described the experience:
When I saw the incredible needs in Gondar, I was deeply moved. One thing I noted, in particular, was that there wasn’t a dentist for 300 miles. Imagine a city of over 300,000 people without one dentist. I felt the burden to organize a Medical Clinic Outreach, something we had been doing already in the former Soviet Union throughout the 1990s in conjunction with our International Festivals of Jewish Music & Dance.
The following year, Jonathan returned with a small team to care for some of the needy Beta Israel. They rented a public health center and quickly realized the overwhelming nature of the situation.
We discovered as soon as we began that the need was so great that people overran us. It was absolutely chaotic. Still, in the midst of the chaos, we were able to help several hundred people with medical care, simple dental care, and medicines.
This clinic in 1999 was the beginning of the work of Jewish Voice in Ethiopia, but it was several years before the vision took shape. “Although the clinic was a very moving experience, I didn’t really have a sense of what the next steps were,” Jonathan explained.
The years following that first Clinic were filled with the needs of existing ministry in other parts of the world. Hear O’ Israel Ministries (HOIM) continued its outreaches in Eastern Europe. For a time, Jonathan was leading two separate international ministries. Then they merged, requiring several years of transition. Jonathan didn’t have the opportunity to return to Ethiopia until 2004, when he went as a delegate for a TJCII (Toward Jerusalem Council II) committee to host a conference. Newly married at that time, Jonathan and his wife Elisangela experienced both the richness of Ethiopia and its intense poverty.
Jonathan tells the story of how God called him and Jewish Voice Ministries to an ongoing work in Ethiopia:
The second night after I arrived, I couldn’t sleep. God began to deal with my heart about the severity of the needs in this land. These were our brothers, our Jewish brothers and sisters, and they lived in squalor, isolation, and persecution. I knew God was calling me to do something, and it wasn’t just another one-off event.
I didn’t sleep all night, and by morning I knew I had to do something for a very specific group in Addis: a Jewish community in the Kechene area – the Beta Abraham, or the house of Abraham. I shared this experience with one of the members of the team, Gerald Gotzen. Gerald had already been working for more than three decades in Ethiopia and was sort of considered the “white father” for the Jewish community and many Believers. When I shared this with Gerald and another team member, they told me—to my surprise—that the elders of this community were joining us that evening at the hotel for dinner.
When I shared with them at dinner and told them that God was calling me to do something to help on a continual basis, they immediately responded that they needed medical care, that their community was too poor to go to local hospitals, and they were so isolated that they were afraid to go anyway.
In 2006, JVMI conducted a two-week, two-city Medical Outreach that served the people of both Addis Ababa and Gondar, Ethiopia. The trip was originally designed to reach out to the Beta Israel in Gondar and the Beta Abraham congregation and community in Addis Ababa. Jewish Voice did not approach the Beta Israel group across town in Addis Ababa because they had never allowed outsiders in before. But God opened the door to serve them as well.
Many of the Beta Israel had left their homes and everything they owned in other areas of Ethiopia. They came to Addis Ababa to be ready for mass, Israel-sponsored aliyah (immigration to Israel). In 2006, most of the Beta Israel in Addis Ababa had been waiting there for eight years or more, living in deep poverty.
The hopes of the Beta Israel for aliyah depended heavily on protecting their “Jewish” status, and Jewish organizations closely watched their community. The Beta Israel did not want to do anything to jeopardize their opportunity to make aliyah, and thus, did not invite outsiders into their community.
But their needs were so great that when they learned of the JVMI Clinic, they reached out to Jewish Voice and asked for help. The ministry was thrilled to add an unplanned satellite Clinic right in the Beta Israel synagogue. There they were able to help hundreds of Ethiopian Jewish people with medical, dental, and eye needs.
“I was humbled and honored to be invited to speak before this ancient Jewish congregation that had given up all for their dream of returning to Israel,” Jonathan said.
By 2006, Jewish Voice Ministries International had solidly navigated the merging of two organizations and was well beyond the transitional years. The ministry had thrived—all the while moving steadily and boldly forward to advance the Good News of the Jewish Messiah to the Jew first and also to the Nations.
The Medical Outreach to Ethiopia that year opened the doors wide to the future, and Jewish Voice walked through to a dynamic new form of ministry.
“When people see that you truly care about them, they are open to hearing why.”
Jonathan Bernis wrote those words in the 40th Anniversary edition of “Jewish Voice Today.” In that January/February 2007 issue, Jonathan reiterated Jewish Voice’s commitment to help the impoverished Jewish people in Ethiopia through regular Medical Clinic Outreaches and establishing a permanent Medical Clinic there in the coming years.
Join us on the Jewish Voice Blog each month in 2017 as we unfold the Jewish Voice story and piece together for you how two ministries with the same heart merged and became the Jewish Voice Ministries International you know today.
Check out Flashback Fridays on our Facebook page, where you’ll see glimpses of our 50-year journey.
Discover the whole inspiring JVMI story with our beautiful, full-color coffee table book, Jewish Voice: A Look at 50 Years. Along with more than 200 photographs and a fascinating narrative chronicling 50 years of ministry, this special edition includes biographies, stories, and reflections from television guests, partners, and staff.
Previous JVMI 50th Anniversary blog posts:
The Early Years – Jewish Voice Broadcasts
Israel’s United Nations envoy Danny Danon slammed the Palestinian Authority (PA) late last week, saying, “They have no shame.”
Quoted in The Times of Israel, Danon was reacting to what he termed “lies and incitement from those who are paying terrorists to kill innocent Israelis.” He added that their claims “will not change the fact that the Palestinian leadership refuses to end their support for terror.”
Danon’s comment came in response to a senior PA official’s claim that Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) are not terrorist groups.
The Palestinian official, Saeb Erekat, reportedly said that Hamas and the PFLP “are not terrorist organizations” and that the key to defeating the Islamic State is to end the “occupation,” the term used by Palestinians in reference to Israel’s presence in land they claim as their own.”
The PA leader’s remarks came at an event called the United Nations Forum to Mark Fifty Years of Occupation which was organized by a pro-Palestinian UN group.
Hamas and the PFLP have both carried out numerous attacks on Israeli security forces and civilians. Less than two weeks ago, the two terror groups claimed responsibility for a knife attack that killed a 23-year-old Israeli border policewoman in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Israel also cited the PA’s payments to terrorists sitting in Israeli jails, to their families, and to the families of Palestinians killed while carrying out terror attacks against Israel as further evidence the Palestinians give aid and comfort to terrorists.
Few topics captivate our minds or fill our hearts with fear like the end times. In this book, Jonathan Bernis comes with the perspective that is both startling and hopeful, unpacking the mysteries of this cryptic time and what it means for you.
Danon objected earlier to the event, held at UN headquarters in New York, informing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that some of the billed participants had ties to Hamas and the PFLP. Guterres said the event did not have the blessing of his office.
According to Breaking Israel News, on Wednesday of last week Danon went as far as to say the UN “colludes” with terrorist organizations.
“It is beyond comprehension that UN funds are supporting organizations which aid terrorists and incite [violence] against Israel,” Danon said. “We call on the Secretary-General to intervene immediately and prevent these individuals from appearing at the UN.”
Danon may soon be in a position to have more influence over UN activities. He was elected in May to serve as vice president of the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly. For one year, he’ll chair the body’s meetings, have a say in setting its agenda, and oversee rules and decorum during its sessions. His election is seen by many observers as a major victory for Israel, which has been very vocal in its criticism of what it calls the UN’s long-standing bias against the Jewish state.
These are interesting developments, which we’ll be watching closely—especially in light of Israel’s new leadership in the UN General Assembly.
The people of Israel need committed friends. And it has been my honor, and a key calling of this organization, to support the Jewish state. Through your prayers and financial gifts, you can stand with Israel—and this ministry—as a friend of the Israelis.
Please give now in support of Jewish Voice Ministries. Your partnership will carry forward this work in the name of Yeshua (Jesus), including our proud support of the nation of Israel.
To thank you for your gift of $40 or more today, we’ll send you a copy of A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days. Along with this important book, you’ll also receive the Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Mug so that you can enjoy your favorite coffee while you read.
Thank you for your partnership with us. It is a blessing, and we are so grateful you have chosen to come along side us in this work. God bless you.
To the Jew first and also to the Nations,
Jonathan Bernis
Jewish Voice Ministries International
Here’s a quick follow-up to my report last week on the growing threat Iran presents to the Jewish state…
Last week, Israel’s military intelligence chief, Major-General Herti Halevi, proved just how dangerous Iran is to Israel and the entire Middle East region.
Speaking at a conference, he revealed that Iran is investing in terrorism on a large scale. The Muslim nation sends $75 million a year to Hezbollah, $50 million to Hamas, and about $70 million to Islamic Jihad.
Halevi’s information confirms what the Times of Israel reports CIA Chief Mike Pompeo said last week: Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror. The disclosure provides further evidence of Iran’s ill-will toward Israel as they fight a proxy war through funding their terrorist allies Hezbollah, Hamas, and jihadist groups.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows increasingly grim, Israel deflects criticism that it is the sole cause of trouble in the Strip. Halevi placed blame for the lack of construction supplies, medical care, drinkable water, and electricity squarely on Hamas by confirming that the terror group is clearly spending most of the Iranian aid on building a terror machine to battle Israel.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Halevi said Israel has allowed into the region “four times the volume of building materials” required to construct one of the world’s largest buildings. But “Hamas is using the materials for war, not rebuilding.”
The U.S. State Department calls Iran an active state sponsor of terrorism. Over a decade ago, an article by CBS News noted former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice labeled Iran a “central banker for terrorism."
CIA Chief Mike Pompeo said last week, “Today, we find [Iran] with enormous influence, influence that far outstrips where it was six or seven years ago,” according to the Times of Israel. Pointing out Tehran’s meddling in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, he said, “Iran is everywhere throughout the Middle East.”
During his meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivli last month, President Donald Trump said, “The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran…must cease its deadly funding, training, and equipping of terrorists and militias immediately,” The Guardian reported. President Trump added that even Israel’s Arab neighbors share a common cause in battling the threat posed by Iran.
We’ve known for years that Iran is a sponsor of terrorism. Still, it’s shocking to learn the actual extent of that country's support of fear, destruction, and death.
Let’s allow the famous words of the great British parliamentarian Edmund Burke to inspire us in the face of Iran’s intimidation: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Let’s do something. Together. Starting with prayer—fervent prayer—for the safety of people and nations who oppose Iran in its campaign of hatred and violence.
As you pray for Israel in its opposition of Iran and other terrorists, please also consider a gift in support of Jewish Voice Ministries. Your partnership will provide the encouragement and financial support that move this work forward, and we are so grateful for you.
For your gift of $45 or more today, we’ll send you the lovely Pewter Temple Plate featuring finely crafted, relief images representing the Jewish faith, the Temple, and Jerusalem. It will surely serve as a beautiful reminder to pray for peace in Israel and for Jewish people everywhere to come to know the Prince of Peace, Messiah Yeshua.
Thank you again for your love for Israel and for your partnership with Jewish Voice Ministries. God bless you.
We have seen the Lord do amazing things in answer to your prayers, and now we are asking you to join us in praying for blessings in Buhera. This region in Zimbabwe lacks so much – such as clean water, employment, and good medical assistance. As we bring medical and dental care to a new location within the Buhera district of Zimbabwe, we will also share the biggest blessing of all – the love and Good News of Yeshua (Jesus) – with both the Jewish people and their neighbors there..
This will be the largest-ever Medical Outreach team we’ve taken to Zimbabwe. Please help us cover them, and every aspect of the trip, with around-the-clock prayer. Choose your own prayer time slot on our calendar. Here are detailed prayer points so you can pray with insight into our day-to-day needs.
You are a blessing as are your prayers. Together we will soon praise the Lord for the blessings He will pour out on Buhera!
Please pray for:
Wisdom and strength for our advance team as they set up the clinic in this new-to-us area in the Buhera district
Special insight for the layout and setup of the campsite as this is the largest number of partners we have ever had on an Outreach in Zimbabwe
Great favor with local authorities, and all permissions, official and unofficial, to fall in place
Our partners as they prepare to leave family, friends, and vocations to minister in Africa
The LORD's watchful protection over our Outreach partners and team members as they travel
All transportation connections to be made easily for our passengers and their luggage
The Spirit of the Lord to prepare all of us for this time of intense and rewarding ministry
Mild, dry weather throughout the Outreach and on travel days, as it can be very cold this time of year
Our group of Outreach partners to bond and build relational connections with one another early in the trip
Purpose, unity, and joy at the welcome meeting and dinner at the hotel in Zimbabwe
Jet lag to dissipate quickly and a good night's sleep every night
The campsite to be well prepared in time for the arrival of our Outreach partners
Safe travels to the campsite
A good day of transition and spiritual fortification before the Clinic begins
Clarity, unity, and understanding during the Clinic orientation and setup
Many to feel loved and be served as the Medical Clinic opens for its first four hours today
Health and physical protection today and every day for all of our team members as well as for those who come to us and then wait to be treated
The Zehra Kids program to be a blessing all week as children come and play, color, sing, and learn together
The best possible layout of the clinic to help our large team of partners successfully serve the many patients who will come
The spiritual affairs manager and all those ministering in the prayer tent to be used powerfully by the Holy Spirit
The worship leader to draw every heart to the Lord for fresh energy and anointing
Each person to serve with a willing, humble heart out of the faith and gifts the Lord has given
The Lord's favor to permeate every element of this Outreach so that we are blessed in order to be a blessing
The food, sleeping, and washroom arrangements to fully accommodate the needs of our largest-ever Zimbabwe team
The powers of darkness to flee as the spiritual atmosphere in the region is changed by welcoming the Prince of Peace
All Outreach partners to be integrated into the larger team with a spirit of unity
Effectiveness of and good reception for our special discipleship materials
The Lemba leaders to be enriched through the new Leadership Training on Wednesday and Thursday evenings during the Outreach
The truth of Yeshua to be manifest through word and deed and accompanied by signs and wonders
Many to receive Yeshua and salvation through Him
The medical team to administer successful treatment for all who come and for the Lord’s healing of many
Deliverance for those who are bound or oppressed in any way and for that freedom to impact the region
Breakthrough and a breaking away from any legalistic religious spirit
Energy and safety as we break down the campsite early in the morning
The Lord to allow us to treat as many as possible this last morning of the Clinic and for Him to meet with each one that we are not able to see
Safe travels back to the hotel and a wonderful evening of joy and Sabbath rest
Rest and reflection with gratitude on all the Lord has done this past week
Staff and Outreach partners to continue to be blessed by the Lord's protection and divine health
Healing for any Outreach patients referred for ongoing medical care
Stamina and attention to detail for our staff team as they close out the Outreach
Safe travels to the airport, across the sea, and home
Partners as they arrive home and resume "everyday life" with new stories of God's power and goodness to share
Our staff team members as they travel home and immediately begin to prepare for the next initiatives and locations where the Lord is leading us
Local congregational leaders as they follow up with the new Believers and those open to contact after the Medical Outreach
We pray, Lord, and boldly ask for unprecedented blessing for the people and region of Buhera, Zimbabwe. You see their hardships, and You hear their cries for healing, deliverance, and mercy. Please pour out Your blessings and save and heal many. Please also bless those in the region who will continue to bring a deeper awareness of Your loving-kindness. In Yeshua’s name, AMEN.
