Report from Sydney

Lidia* came to us with an interest in learning Hebrew and joining our virtual tours of Israel. She has lived in Australia for many years, while her relatives reside in Israel. Although she has never been to Israel, visiting the country is her dream. She used to attend a local synagogue for many years until she became seriously ill and partially paralysed. Before her illness, she had found a picture of Jesus and secretly kept it. And then during her darkest hours of sickness, she turned to Jesus for help. She felt God's touch and experienced His healing.

However, when she returned to the synagogue and shared her experience with the rabbi, his response was rejection, so Lidia stopped coming to the synagogue and started attending an Orthodox church from time to time.

When we met, Lidia told me that she believed in the power of the silver cross she wore around her neck. So, I explained that the power does not lie in the cross itself but in Yeshua, the Son of God, who died on the cross. I shared what Yeshua has done for each of us.

For the moment, Lidia prefers to believe in the power of her relic. She believes the cross protects her from all evil. And even though she no longer attends the Orthodox church and refuses to come with us to a messianic congregation, she gladly agrees to meet with me once a week to read the Scriptures and pray together. Would you please pray that Lidia’s heart would see God clearly rather than through the prism of a symbol?

* name changed for privacy