We don’t usually do it this way, but our first Outreach location of 2023 is the same as our last Outreach location of 2022. We are excited to return so quickly to this region in Southern Ethiopia, where the need is so great. The Lord allowed us to have a significant impact there in December regarding salvation and healing. With your help, we were also able to make improvements to the local clinic site that now increase their eligibility for more government assistance. Even the local authorities expressed their gratitude.

We now ask the Lord for the double blessing of once more bringing high-impact ministry here through medical care, clean water, and the sharing of the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus).

Would you please pray along with us for this Outreach using the daily prayer points below? We hope to see every hour of the Outreach covered in prayer – and you can help. Sign up here to choose a time to pray from home.

Here are ways you can pray each day:

Wednesday, March 1 – Wednesday, March 8 – Psalm 90:17

• All logistics, including permissions, VISAS and medical supplies, to come together quickly
• All on-site preparations to take place smoothly and completely
• God’s favor and anointing of ease to prepare the way for effective ministry once again in this community

Thursday, March 9 – Genesis 28:15

• Protection, safety and health as our team and partners prepare and travel
• A strong confirmation for each person that the Lord is with them and will enable them to minister out of the overflow of their relationship with Him
• The Lord to prepare the hearts of the people to hear the Good News and receive Yeshua

Friday, March 10 – 1 Peter 4:10

• Relationships and fellowship to begin to form deep unity among all participants
• A sweet and restful Shabbat, including a good night’s sleep
• Forces of darkness to be banished and make way for the King of Glory, so there is good soil for the Gospel

Saturday, March 11 – Psalm 32:8

• Safety on local planes and the mostly dirt roads as we travel to our lodgings near the Clinic site
• Divine order in setting up the Clinic and effective training for medical and spiritual care
• Safe and uneventful transportation to the Clinic for those in need of care who live at a distance

Sunday, March 12 – Mark 1:15

• God’s grace as the Clinic opens for the first half day and for many to come throughout the week
• Logistics, safety and anointing for the Zehra Kid’s program to run smoothly
• May the Zehra program impact not only children but whole families and the community with God’s love and truth, joy and fun

Monday, March 13 – James 5:16

• The spiritual care tent to be a place of healing, deliverance and salvation for many in need of Yeshua
• Healing to take place through medical care and also divine intervention throughout the week, including in the lines and the community
• As last time, a successful and Spirit-led strategy to bring LifeStraws® and the Good News of Living Water into the surrounding areas

Tuesday, March 14 – Deuteronomy 28:3

• Favor and blessing from government and community leaders; and for the Lord to pour out a blessing upon them
• Renewal, insight and bold faith from the Lord during daily team prayer times
• Jubilant praise and worship that lifts the spirits of those participating and infuses the week with the fragrance of Yeshua. May Wednesday evening’s time of worship and prayer be especially impactful

Wednesday, March 14 – Acts 4:30

• The Lord to continue to both stir and satisfy the spiritual hunger we encountered there in December so that many receive Him
• The Word to be spoken boldly, accompanied by signs and wonders
• Each Outreach Partner and team member to serve with energy, humility and dependence on the Lord

Thursday, March 16 – Luke 15:7

• Today is our last full day, and Friday is our final half-day. Like our Outreach in December, may every patient be seen – a true miracle!
• Unity among Believers from different areas in Ethiopia as they minister together to enable their countrymen to receive ministry and care

Friday, March 17 – John 13:35

• Protection as the equipment is packed up and readied for transport
• Safe travels to our last lodging place in Ethiopia before leaving
• A restful Shabbat, including reflection and testimony of all the Lord has done this week in and through the team

Saturday, March 18 – Mark 16:15

• Safe travels as local and international team members journey home
• The Lord to continue to work and move in this region of Ethiopia, bringing a great movement of His Holy Spirit among these dear people
• Effective and timely follow-up to all who want to hear more about Jesus
• Stamina and grace for our Global Outreach Director, who will move on from this Outreach to one in Zimbabwe just one week later

Let’s Pray

Lord, our hearts were touched by the peaceful people of Southern Ethiopia. We know You are the One sending us there again to use us to minister and meet needs. Come with Your power and might, and provide for these dear ones. Would You especially meet their spiritual needs? Satisfy the cry of their hearts with Yourself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

THIS WEEK’S GLOBAL UPDATE

A Note from Jonathan Bernis

Shalom, my friend.

As war, violence and natural disasters continue to impact the Jewish community, please continue to pray vigilantly and unceasingly for God’s peace and comfort.

We do not know what God in His wisdom has in store, only that He is working for our good – for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

I am grateful that despite the alarming news that continually bombards us, I see glimpses of His glory revealed through the work that we do together at Jewish Voice.

Today, more than ever, God’s Chosen People need to hear the message of Yeshua (Jesus) . . . for it is only through His hope that we can endure in the face of calamity, discrimination, animosity and other hardships that confront the Jewish people on a daily basis.

To say thank you to you for supporting our work during this time of so much upheaval and unrest in our world doesn’t seem enough sometimes.

Still, I say thank you with all my heart.

Please continue to pray for the work and ministry we share at Jewish Voice. And pray for God to open more doors to share the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus) with the Jewish people.

To the Jew first and also to the Nations,

Jonathan Bernis

President & CEO

Jewish Voice Ministries International

Headline News

Israeli Foreign Minister Meets with Ukraine’s Zelensky to Discuss Iran

The Jerusalem Post reports that at a recent meeting, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to work together against their “common enemy,” Iran.

The meeting took place after Cohen’s packed one-day solidarity visit to Ukraine, in what was the first high-level visit of an Israeli official to the war-torn country since Russia’s invasion last year.

In his conversation with Zelensky and earlier in the day with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, Cohen publicly agreed to back Zelensky’s peace plan. However, he made it clear to the Ukrainian president that Israel does not plan to provide defensive weapons that could protect Ukrainian citizens against the armed Iranian drones Russia has launched against them.

Nevertheless, Zelensky issued a positive statement about Cohen’s visit, stating:

“Israel has always been our important partner in the Middle East. This is the first visit of an Israeli representative since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. We discussed deepening bilateral cooperation in various areas. I invite Israel to join the implementation of our Peace Formula; I am grateful for the humanitarian aid provided. We discussed the country’s participation in post-war reconstruction. Ukraine could use Israel’s experience.”

Other Updates Around the Globe

Fourteen Jews Rescued from Devastated Turkish City of Antakya

Fourteen Jews were rescued in Antakya, a city in southern Turkey, after the devastating earthquakes that recently hit the region. The community members from eight families – most of the city’s remaining Jews – were flown to Istanbul, where they will stay for the foreseeable future. “Even in the most difficult days following the disaster, members of Turkey’s Jewish community discovered unity, which has characterized the Jewish people throughout the generations,” Alexander Machkevitch, honorary president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, said.

Jewish Man Shot While Leaving Morning Prayers in Los Angeles

A Jewish man was shot just after leaving the morning prayer service in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles, according to a report by The Forward. The suspected shooter is still at large.

Jewish Population in the U.S. Tops 8 Million, Study Says

The Jewish population in the United States topped 8 million in 2020, according to a new study published by the American Jewish Population Project (AJPP) at Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts, up from 5.5 million in the 90s.

Pray with Us This Week for: 

• God to continue to protect innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia
• God to surround His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• God to bring His comfort to those who have been devastated by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• The Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

Much has changed in the world since 2020, hasn’t it? That year we, as an international ministry, couldn’t travel, and we sought the Lord with fresh fervency for what He might be saying to us.

He gave us an intensified vision for when travel opened up again after COVID lockdowns. He has called us to reach out to all the scattered tribes of Jewish people during the next 10 years that we possibly can, by His grace.

Along with that vision, He led us to adapt how we previously did “scouting trips.” In the past, the Lord led us to consider a possible place that was often somewhere near where we‘d ministered before. We’d seek His timing and then go scout out vendors, hotels, campsites, medical facilities and so on for an Outreach there.

We still need to do this boots-on-the-ground research and make those connections as we prepare for Outreaches. However, now, our “scouting trips” are much more focused on discovering not the logistics for a planned Outreach in a generally familiar area but exploring the potential of reaching new areas, new people groups, and even new nations. So different is this approach that we even sometimes call them “discovery trips” now.

Would you please pray for us about a discovery scouting trip happening soon? Three of our leaders head to Africa from February 20–March 3. While there, they will visit Jewish people groups and places we have not served yet. They will seek their stories, assess the communities’ needs and discern if the Lord is calling Jewish Voice to meet any of those needs – and if so, when, where and how.

Please join us in praying for this exciting trip.

• Health, safety and smooth travel for our leaders as they go and return and for their families while they are gone
• The Lord’s clear leading as to where specifically to invest our time on this trip
• The Lord to speak and provide divine appointments in each area to  help us discern what He says regarding our potential engagement there
• Insight into the origins of these groups and their Jewish identities
• A fruitful assessment of the needs in each area and direction from the Lord as to what He is calling us to do to positively affect the communities

Let’s Pray

Lord, whether a scouting trip, discovery trip, or another assignment from You, we always want to be like Joshua and Caleb, seeing with clarity the giants in the land but having an over-riding faith that sees You as greater and confidence in You that is willing to follow where You lead. May You give our leaders wisdom, discernment, favor and clarity as they seek out Your people in the nations to make You known among Your Jewish people and their neighbors. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

THIS WEEK’S GLOBAL UPDATE

A Note from Jonathan Bernis

Shalom, my friend!

With crises erupting throughout the world, especially the war in Ukraine now approaching a full year of violence, we must continue to be vigilant in prayer.  

Even though there’s every reason to be concerned, together we can stand on the knowledge that God is in control of every situation. I believe He will intervene and work everything according to His own purposes.

But He has called us to pray. Our prayerful actions are what you and I can control today, tomorrow and in the days and weeks ahead. We can – and must – be obedient in this. 

Thank you for standing with us so faithfully. And for your love for God’s Chosen People. 

Please continue to pray for the work and ministry we share at Jewish Voice. And pray for God to open more doors to share the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus) with the Jewish people.

To the Jew first and also to the Nations,

Jonathan Bernis

President & CEO

Jewish Voice Ministries International

Headline News

Russian Missile Destroys Ukrainian Synagogue

YnetNews reports that Huliaipole, a city in the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia, experienced catastrophic damage in the historical part of the city – including the destruction of a local Synagogue – following Russian bombardment.

This marks the second time the Synagogue was bombed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last February.

Moshe Asman, Ukraine's chief Rabbi, said:

“On behalf of the Jewish community of Ukraine, I strongly condemn the Russian bombardment of the Synagogue in the city of Huliaipole. It is common knowledge that holy sites are off-limits during an armed conflict. It’s an understanding the Russians chose to violate. I expect world leaders to condemn this act.”

Updates from the Middle East

IDF Strikes Hamas Weapons Sites in Gaza After Rocket Attacks

The IDF struck weapon production and storage facilities in Gaza late last week after rocket sirens sounded in Sderot, Ibim and at various points throughout the night. Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, confirmed the strikes, saying, “Any shooting at the State of Israel or any attempt to harm the lives of the residents of the south will be met with the strength of the IDF.” The escalating violence between Israel and the various Palestinian militant groups has continued despite appeals from the United States for calm from both sides.

Israel and Sudan to Cement Peace Deal

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, secured Sudan’s agreement to sign a normalization deal with Israel in a historic one-day meeting with Sudanese President Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. “Today’s visit to Sudan laid the foundations for a historic peace agreement with a strategic Arab and Muslim country,” Cohen said. The actual deal will be signed later this year when Sudan’s military, which has overseen the country since October 2021, hands over power to a civilian government.

Pray with Us This Week

Please pray with me for:

• God to continue to protect innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia
• God to surround His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• The Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

We want to give you a heads-up on what’s ahead here at Jewish Voice. We’re trusting the Lord in big ways for three special events in the first quarter of 2023. We are so grateful for the undergirding your prayers give this ministry, including for these events. We’ll send you more specific information and Prayer Points in upcoming emails, but we are praying for them now and would love for you to join us. Please pray for:

SCOUTING TRIP

Several key leaders, including our Director of Global Outreach and Vice-President of Congregations and Leadership Development, will be heading to Africa for a scouting trip from mid-February to early March. Please ask the Lord to:

• Order the steps of these good men as they seek to discern His locations and plans for future Outreaches
• Grant great favor in revealing and preparing the regions to visit and explore
• Provide divine direction from the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and His human instruments for discerning locations, timing, and partners in the harvest this year and beyond
• Pinpoint the Jewish people groups on His heart for Jewish Voice Ministries and to make His timing clear

ETHIOPIA MEDICAL OUTREACH

Our first Outreach of the year will be in Ethiopia. We hope to return to a previous location, as there is much to be done there. The Outreach trip dates will be March 9–19. Please pray for:

• Peace, health and the Lord’s own shalom and favor to keep the international and spiritual doors  open to ministering in this nation
• Logistics to fall into place with ease, as the Outreach is fast approaching
• The Lord to prepare hearts to hear the Gospel even as He prepares them to come and receive care

ZIMBABWE MEDICAL OUTREACH

In 2022, Zimbabwe had a record wheat harvest. We are praising the Lord for this and are praying for an incredible spiritual harvest in Zimbabwe in 2023. This Outreach trip will be from March 23–April 2. Please pray for:

• The “fields” of Jewish people and their neighbors in Zimbabwe to truly be ready for a harvest of salvation
• The Lord to prepare and send JVMI harvest workers – Outreach partners and medical volunteers who will be His hands and feet as they minister love and share salvation
• Grace, stamina and health for our director of Global Outreach, who himself will be “in the field” serving the Lord from late February, when the scouting trip begins, to the beginning of April, when the Zimbabwe Outreach ends

Let’s Pray

Lord, as Proverbs 16:9 says, even when we seek You in making plans, we are still dependent on You establishing our steps. We ask for Your continued wisdom, guidance and direction because our heart’s desire and prayer is for Jewish people to be saved and gathered in Messianic Jewish communities of faith. Use us as we go where You call us to go. It’s all for Your glory and for Your people to be blessed! In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

THIS WEEK’S GLOBAL UPDATE

A Note from Jonathan Bernis

Shalom, my friend!

This week we pause in remembrance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. And to grieve for their families, their lives and the lasting global stain of Nazism that caused so much hatred, suffering and death.

Days of remembrance like this are critical. We remember so that we never forget … so that it never happens again. 

As you remember God’s Chosen People, as you thank God for the Auschwitz liberation that took place in 1945, please pray that the Jewish people will experience true liberation that can only come from Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah.

Thank you for standing with us. And for your love of God’s people. Please continue to pray for Jewish Voice and for the Jewish people in Israel and around the world.  

To the Jew first and also to the Nations,

Jonathan Bernis

President & CEO

Jewish Voice Ministries International

Headline News

Amid a Rise of Anti-Semitism, Global Support for the Jewish People is Undeniable

YnetNews reports that a total of 1,116 global entities adopted and endorsed the Working Definition of Anti-Semitism issued by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). According to the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM), the tidal wave of global support for the Jewish people is undeniable and greatly encouraging. Especially at a time when the rise in anti-Semitic incidents has been alarming.

Since the Working Definition of Anti-Semitism was adopted by the IHRA in 2016, it has become the consensus definition and a widely-recognized tool in the effort to identify all contemporary manifestations of anti-Jewish hatred, including by far-right extremists, Islamists and the far-left.

Included in the growing list of IHRA Working Definition of Anti-Semitism adoptions are nations, cities, universities, NGOs and corporations such as The Philippines, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vancouver, the University of Pittsburgh and Lufthansa Airlines. And in the United States, 18 new states adopted it via legislation or executive actions throughout the last year, bringing the total number of states adopting this definition of anti-Semitism to 30 out of 50.

“Support for the IHRA Working Definition of Anti-Semitism transcends the political and ideological spectrum and unites entities and individuals of a broad swathe of religious, national and cultural backgrounds,” said CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa.

Updates from the Middle East

Israel Walks Tightrope During Russia-Ukraine War

Israel has sought to maintain relations with both countries even as it has condemned Russia's war on Ukraine and has provided humanitarian assistance. While Israel’s embassy in Kiev had ceased operating full-time when the war broke out last February, plans are underway to restore its operations within 60 days. Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, indicated that humanitarian aid would continue with the fully operational embassy when he tweeted, “I promised to continue the humanitarian aid with an emphasis on the restoration of energy infrastructure.” To date, Israel has provided Ukraine with some $30 million in humanitarian assistance, including medical supplies, generators and charging stations for phones.

Last Jewish Youth to Escape Auschwitz Passes Away

Israel Levin, the last Jewish youth to survive the Auschwitz concentration camp, passed away recently at the age of 90. Levin was 11 years old when he managed to escape the camp alongside his father and a group of other adults through the camp’s sewer system. His family told reporters that he thought it was important for everyone to know the horrors and difficulties he faced during the Holocaust and how he managed to survive. Levin’s mother and sister were murdered in the Holocaust.

Pray with Us This Week

Please pray with me for:

• God to continue to protect innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia
• God to break our hearts over the global horror of the Holocaust so that we’re never compelled to repeat it
• God to surround His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• The Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

Encircled by Need Konso, Ethiopia

• 10,941 Patients Received Care
• 744 People Received Dental Care
• 2,007 Eyeglasses Distributed
• 210 Families Received LifeStraw® Water Filters
• 2,692 People Heard the Gospel
• 171 People Received Yeshua

Our last Medical Outreach of 2022 was in southern Ethiopia, in Konso, where the gentle, peaceful people exhibited a great hunger for the Gospel. Local officials thanked us for the medical care we brought and also for the prayer and counseling we encouraged their people with.

The patients we saw throughout the week desperately needed medical attention, with most suffering from waterborne illnesses. Severe drought has left very few water sources and those are contaminated by mud and animals.

An existing permanent clinic in Konso can’t keep up with the need. The property around it is huge, but it needed repairs. Not only did we provide medical care for thousands while we were there, but we also revived the clinic’s water system for them by fixing a broken storage tank. With this and other improvements made through your support of Jewish Voice, the facility is now eligible for significantly more government funding. This will be a long-lasting blessing to the community.

Mid-week, as Outreach doctors arrived for the day’s work, they marveled that the line of people waiting for their care encircled the entire property. The medical line alone held about 2,300 people, not including dental and eye care patients. The last person in line stood at the entrance gate right near the first person in line!

It took us all day to put wristbands on every person in line. These paper bands identified treatment areas needed and ensured those who couldn’t be seen that day would get in over the next day and a half.

Doctors stayed late, tirelessly seeing patients. That night, they asked if we could open the Clinic early the next day. Absolutely! Their dedication was incredible. We shifted the morning program by an hour so they could begin seeing patients early. By the end of the Clinic, every patient had been seen.

You played a big part in making this fruitful Medical Outreach happen – through your gifts to Jewish Voice. Thank you! Take a look at how many lives you touched in Konso, Ethiopia.