Slava is a new Jewish immigrant who made aliyah from Russia to Israel almost a year ago, with the hope of starting a new and better life for himself and his family. He had come alone at first to arrange all of the necessary immigration documents for his family, to find work for himself, as well as find a suitable apartment in preparation for his family’s arrival when that door opened.
Initially, it was very daunting for Slava to be faced with the prospect of integrating into the hard Israeli culture and creating a new home for his family in this unfamiliar family. Slava also didn’t know who to trust from among the people who had promised to help him, especially in regard to finding work and accommodation. And so Slava decided to just rent a single room, while working menial jobs until he had saved up enough money to rent a proper apartment for his wife, Victoria, and children, Simeon and Vasa, to come and live in.
Our outreach team met Slava during one of our projects aimed at helping new Jewish immigrants get settled in Israel. One of our team members, Eliezer, connected with Slava, as if God had guided his hand to meet this precious man, and he struck up a conversation with Slava. As Eliezer started asking questions about Slava’s journey to and within Israel, he started sharing very tensely and nervously about how hard it had been for him here in Israel.
Eliezer was cut to the heart to hear this heartbroken man speak about the challenges he had faced in creating a home for his family in Israel. He felt the Lord instructing him to start sharing the Good News of Yeshua with him, as he just knew that God had a special plan for this man’s life. Eliezer began sharing about the salvation that Yeshua had made available to us all through the cross, and how the Jewish people returning to Israel was a part of prophecy, and that God had a plan for Slava’s life in Israel.
Slava began to calm down as he heard the Gospel message and he listened very carefully. Slava mentioned to Eliezer that he did not want to ask God for anything and bother him with his requests for help, as many other people endured greater suffering and were in much greater need. Eliezer was struck by Slava’s words, and his transparency and selflessness as he spoke.
Eliezer continued to share with Slava about God’s unending and unconditional love, and while he spoke, Slava was struggling to hold back his tears. Eliezer asked Slava if was ready to lay down his struggles, to surrender his life to the Lord, and to pray the prayer of salvation. Slava agreed that he wanted to pray, so Eliezer led him in the prayer of salvation. During the prayer, Slava could not hold back the tears. He had so much accumulated pain and it was clear that he needed the salvation of the Lord!
After they had prayed Slava looked at peace and deep in thought. He asked Eliezer for reading material to learn more about Yeshua and living a life of faith in God, and thus Eliezer presented Slava with a brand-new Bible, as well as a variety of spiritual literature to support him on his journey with Yeshua.
Eliezer also invited Slava to start attending a home group and to join him for the Shabbat services at Beit Hallel Congregation. Slava was very excited about having met someone in Eliezer whom he felt he could trust, and that He knew had a clear goal in mind, with clear and logical steps to follow in getting to know Yeshua more, and to allow His grace to help him in his personal mission to prepare a home for his family. Slava had found hope for the future in Yeshua! Amen!
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.