Vacations usually come with carefully planned itineraries. God often has plans of His own.
While enjoying a family holiday in the beautiful forests surrounding Borjomi, Georgia, Haim and Miriam also spent time visiting local congregations and sharing the Gospel wherever the Lord opened a door. They expected meaningful conversations with Georgian believers and those curious about faith. They never imagined one of those conversations would begin with a familiar face from home.
As Haim walked toward the famous mineral springs one afternoon, the rest of the group had already gone ahead. A man was walking toward him from the opposite direction, and something about him seemed strangely familiar. Then Haim noticed the Israeli insignia on the man’s shirt and asked, “Are you from Israel?” The man hesitated before quietly answering, “Yes.” “From Ashdod?” Haim continued. Another surprised pause followed before the man nodded once more. Daniel had also come to Georgia for a short vacation, and neither of them could have imagined that thousands of miles from Ashdod their paths would cross on a quiet forest trail.
As they talked, Haim suddenly realized why the face seemed so familiar. Several years earlier, Daniel had come to Beit Hallel to receive humanitarian assistance, and later our team had visited the hostel where he lived to serve the residents there. Although years had passed, Haim suddenly remembered Daniel from those visits. Daniel, however, barely remembered those encounters.
But God had not forgotten him.
Surprised by the unlikely meeting, the two men decided to sit down together near the springs and catch up. They spoke about life in Israel, their families, and what had brought each of them to Georgia. As the conversation unfolded, it naturally turned toward matters of faith.
Daniel explained that although he respected the faith of his fathers, he had never truly understood why Yeshua came. Haim gently asked why he believed Jesus had died.
Daniel answered confidently, “For the sins of all people.”
Haim smiled and replied, “That’s true—but not only for everyone else’s sins. He died for yours as well.“
Daniel paused before quietly admitting that he wasn’t such a great sinner. Haim then asked one simple question that changed the direction of the conversation:
“Who paid for even those sins?”
The words lingered for a moment.
Then, almost as if the answer had suddenly become deeply personal, Daniel softly replied,
“Yeshua.”
There, beneath the trees of a Georgian forest, far from home yet closer than ever to the heart of God, Daniel prayed aloud, asking the Lord to forgive his sins and receiving the gift of salvation. What appeared to be an unexpected encounter was, in reality, a divine appointment that God had been preparing for years.
For us at Beit Hallel, this story also carries another beautiful reminder.
Years before Daniel surrendered his life to the Lord, he first encountered our community through a simple act of compassion. At the time, no one could have imagined that those food parcels, conversations, and visits would become the opening chapter of a much larger story—one that would unfold years later on a forest path in another country. Looking back, it is impossible not to see God’s hand at work. Seeds planted in faith are not always harvested quickly. Sometimes they remain hidden beneath the surface for years before the Lord brings them to life.
Daniel probably never imagined that a walk through a Georgian forest would become the place where he finally surrendered his life to the Lord. Yet Scripture is filled with moments like these. God meets people on roads, beside wells, in deserts, on mountains, and during ordinary journeys that suddenly become holy appointments. There is no country too distant, no forest too remote, and no life beyond His reach. Sometimes the very places we consider interruptions become the setting for God’s greatest appointments.
That is why we continue serving, sharing the Gospel, and extending practical help wherever God opens a door. Whether we’re ministering in Ashdod, encouraging believers abroad, or simply walking through a forest, we never know which conversation the Holy Spirit has already prepared—or how He may choose to use something as simple as an act of kindness to draw someone to Himself years later.
Thank you for making moments like this possible.
Through your faithful partnership, humanitarian outreach, discipleship, evangelism, and pastoral care continue touching lives in ways we could never plan or predict. Sometimes a food parcel becomes the beginning of a friendship. Sometimes a visit to a hostel becomes the first chapter of a story that won’t be completed until years later.
Daniel’s journey reminds us that no act of kindness is ever wasted and no Gospel conversation is ever forgotten. We may not always see the fruit immediately, but the Lord is faithful to complete the work He begins—sometimes years later, hundreds of miles away, on a quiet path through the woods.
