Hear How God Is Moving In Sydney!

Our Sydney staff is spread as we write this newsy letter. I’m in the US speaking at conferences in St Louis and in Kansas City, deputizing a church in Nashville and visiting with my two daughters and four of our grandsons along with my wife. Lots of travel and lots of joy!

Rebekah Bronn completed her missionary training and received ordination to continue to serve the Lord. She joined other trainees from London, Israel, the USA and Germany. She and I were both in Colorado for that exciting ceremony and the annual leadership summit for the ministry. She is now in New Zealand celebrating her entry into this ministry and seeing to her sister’s wedding on North Island.

As you receive this letter and both Rebekah and I are back in full swing in Sydney, we want you to know how we appreciate you. Thus, first things, first. Gratitude! Thank you so much for your faithful partnership with Jews for Jesus. We are so grateful to you.

Without your prayers and really without your heart for the Jewish people, this would never happen.

Second, we are writing today to ask you to make an additional gift to support Jewish men and women seeking spiritual truth, and to make it possible for them to receive the abundant gifts of God’s love in their Messiah.

Third, if you don’t mind, may I share some stories that amplify our gratitude? This year we’ve seen people like Adam finally come through and give his life to the Lord. Our staff went to the beach for his baptism, and he brought some bread and juice (He had heard that we should have that as a community) and we are still celebrating that man’s new faith. He continues to study the Bible with us most weeks. Adam had been ‘hanging around’ us for 10 years before God spoke deeply to his 40-year-old heart.

We first met Michael in January on LiveChat, the computer assistant that pops up when you are on a website for a while. He had been thinking about God and Jesus and being Jewish for two years. What’s significant is that he is an Orthodox Jew, one who takes his religion seriously. Not that it satisfied him, but it was normal for him. He began discussing these issues with a Christian woman in the US whom he had met on an internet writing club of sorts.

We continued in ministry with Michael, sometimes daily, sometimes every couple of weeks, to discuss, to explain, to help him get across the line. And sure enough, he did, and again our staff went to the church near our offices and watched as Michael went into the baptistry and came out rejoicing. He’s sharing what he believes with others and wants to help them see the connection between Older and Newer Testament. His family doesn’t yet understand, but they are beginning to speak peaceably with each other. Michael is taking seriously the meaning of “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.”

We tell you these stories to help you see that your donations are making a difference.

And that we need you to help us just now as our opportunities for sharing Messiah with our Jewish people continue to present themselves. It’s as if the Lord is opening their eyes and giving them a heart and a hunger for the Bread of Life. When I met with some folks from a Kansas City church, who regularly pray for our work in Australia, they told me that they were sensing a real turnaround, a breakthrough, and that more and more Jewish people were going to be saved in 2023 than ever before. I join their enthusiasm and their commitment to pray!

Would you consider giving a generous end-of-year donation to join us in thanking God for so many Jewish people considering the Gospel, for those who are coming through, for the ones still scratching their heads and even those who dismiss us out of hand? This is a great time of year to offer thanks to God. My heart is full of gratitude for what the Lord continues to do through YOU! You are a gift from above, making it possible for many Jewish seekers to find hope and new life in their Messiah. I rejoice and give thanks because of you!

I think of Rachel, a young Russian Jewish lady, who was originally significantly hostile, and I mean hostile, to us and to our message. Then over the last 6 months, she regularly has been coming into the shop, bringing her own lunch or some dessert to share, and speaks with us about the issue of faith and so much more. One step at a time, you know?

Bruce is a Jewish man who grew up in Sydney and had some failures (his admission) in life. He was seeking something new and different. His partner is a committed Christian, which never bothered him, and her daughter is a deeply religious follower of Jesus. They started talking with Bruce and soon he came onto our Facebook page and asked about our faith. Again, over time, and over lunches and coffee, and meeting in his partner’s church, and at our High Holiday events, Bruce gave his life to the Lord. He has found peace, he says, and he feels very comfortable where Yeshua is worshipped and adored. You, dear reader of this newsletter, when you prayed and when you gave, you helped Bruce. He will one day in heaven give you the thanks you deserve.

I baptised two ladies in October, both Jews, both originally from Ukraine, and both formerly in the New Age movement. Neither knew each other, and we didn’t know either of them until 2022. They both joined our weekly Bible class (Fridays at 10 AM Sydney time) on Zoom and over time, yes, you guessed it, they professed faith in our Righteous Messiah, the Prince of Life.

We love stories, in fact, we think God loves story itself.

Think about it, the Bible is a series of stories and narrative that shows God’s awesome love for all people, our continued intersection with him, and our failings, and yet…. AND YET… God reaches into our situations and brings his being to bear, his life to help, his word that brings light and healing. Without God, the people of God are simply a club. With God, you and we are making a difference on the planet, and even here in Australia and New Zealand. I was privileged to travel to Warsaw and Ukraine, to help the Ukrainian refugees in April/ May this year and many of you sent funds to help us reach them. We continue to hear of God’s continued interactions with our Jewish people, even in Kiev and Odessa, and to know our groundwork efforts met with God’s grace to bring many of our people to himself.

The Art Lounge Bondi relaunched this year and the Jewish people and others who attended found a good community of love and art-appreciation. We feature a new artist each month beginning with a launch usually on the First Saturday evening. God continues to open hearts to his message through the artwork and through the testimony of the artists. Because of your involvement and engagement, whether only one time in the past or with greater regularity, our missionaries and staff have had the capacity to witness for Jesus and to lead many to him. Thank you—thank you!

Bob Mendelsohn, December 2022