Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
2 Corinthians 1:3
We recently held a very special womens conference that was geared towards encouraging, empowering and inspiring women of all ages in our congregation and our community to step into their God-given calling and become everything He has called them to be.
This conference has made tremendous strides throughout the past few years, and the lives of hundreds of women have been touched by the love of God and the saving knowledge of Yeshua through it. Many of the women in attendance are new immigrants who have fled the horrors of war in Ukraine, and their struggles are many.
Many others are non-believers, with whom we have formed authentic friendships and who have shown interest in learning more about Jesus and the Gospel. Women who have attended our conferences in the past often testify with tears in their eyes about how they’ve found true friendship, acceptance, help and salvation through our women’s conferences.
Also this year it was again a truly powerful conference!
The atmosphere was filled with God’s presence, and He was touching and healing hearts in an extraordinary way.
When the conference was finished, we were approached by Elena who asked for prayer for her son. It turns out he is only 18 years old and had to stay behind in Kharkiv, Ukraine — a city that is continuously being shelled. She was sick with worry about him, about what will happen to him, and she really needed prayer.
What she revealed next was absolutely heartbreaking. Elena shared that she managed to get out of Mariupol, the city that was completely destroyed, held under siege, with thousands of people dying under terrible circumstances. She said she has witnessed many people, especially children, dying before her eyes, and that she herself had to bury people. She had to sew open wounds, and what she lived through was nothing short of hell on earth. Elena is currently struggling a lot with PTSD and is worried about her 18-year-old son’s safety back in Ukraine.
Our sister Miriam asked if she would pray with her for God to come in and take away that terrible pain, trauma and worry from her heart, and allow Jesus to come into her heart. As they stood there, two women, holding hands, one opening her heart, the other leading her to Yeshua, ministering to her heart — Elena prayed and wept before the Lord, as He was giving Miriam a word of knowledge over Elena’s life. The healing process had begun and Elena walked away with tears of restoration and hope, smiling, assured that God would never let go of her hand.
It’s incredible to see the instant transformation in the person’s eyes when they genuinely allow Yeshua into their hearts. Miriam could see it in Elena’s eyes: she was a woman comforted by God. She couldn’t stop crying as she was experiencing God’s presence powerfully for the first time in her life.
These testimonies are the biggest indicator of just how important these conferences are, to give women this moment in time to find God in their secret place, where only He can enter and comfort them. It was also beautiful to see the Lord touching in a special way the non-believers, the ones who are still seeking, still on a journey to find Him. To witness that encounter is an absolute blessing, and the very reason we continue to invest in and organize these events and conferences.
Beit Hallel is a Messianic Jewish congregation in Ashdod, led by pastor Israel Pochtar, serving holocaust survivors and the poor and needy locally and throughout the nation of Israel, while building up the body of Messiah in the promised land of Israel.