July 2015
Your Front Row Seat to a Moving and Historic Moment in Time Yes, we anticipated a blessing — expecting to see God continue to move in Zimbabwe. We believed the Lemba people stood on the threshold of a historic breakthrough in their spiritual journey. We had been praying for that breakthrough. And we believed the day had come. We sensed we were about to witness a milestone moment in the Lord’s work among this remarkable community. But nothing could have prepared us for the beauty and richness of this moment. Like other African tribal groups claiming a Jewish heritage, the Lemba have suffered because of their faithfulness to Hebrew customs and beliefs. They’ve also been scoffed at for their centuries-old insistence on being descended from Jewish exiles of the Diaspora — specifically of the priestly tribe of Levi. But recently, science has added credence to their claims in the form of genetic testing. Even so, these sweet and fascinating people were desperately poor and largely forgotten. But Yeshua ( Jesus) did not forget them. The Lord
brought us in contact with them, enabling us to bring a series of medical outreaches. What’s more, He has also poured out His spirit over them in powerful revival, birthing whole Messianic congregations across the plains of Zimbabwe, filled with enthusiastic and vibrant Believers eager to follow Yeshua. But they face challenges. Far from the Messianic world, these brothers and sisters cry out for biblical teaching to deepen and sharpen their faith. As “older brethren” of sorts in the Messianic faith, we have walked out a delicate balancing act in our ministry there. We’ve committed to helping the Lemba express their faith in ways that plant them deep in the New Covenant understanding of Yeshua as Messiah, while staying faithful and protective of their Jewish aspects of their traditional practice and culture. We returned in April to Mberengwa, Zimbabwe bearing more than fresh waves of medical care and humanitarian help as we hosted another medical outreach. This time, we came equipped www.jewishvoicetoday.org
Alfius to take an important step toward nurturing the revival taking place amongst the Lemba. We led our very first Jewish Voice Messianic Leadership Training to assist and train up leaders for the congregations that Jewish Voice has helped to establish in Zimbabwe amongst the Lemba. The training gathered 62 leaders from 35 congregations and over 1,500 Lemba in this fledgling network of congregations. And offered two days of basic Bible teaching, equipping congregational leaders to lead more effectively and make better decisions for a healthy congregational life. We worshipped together and our team ministered each day with the laying on of hands. We witnessed deep works of the Ruach (Spirit of God) in many lives. Each day we also met with many local leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of the work, discovering many areas that need strengthening and many successes worth celebrating. That goal produced the historic ordination of the Lemba’s first National Congregational Overseer, a critical step forward in building an indigenous Messianic Jewish expression of faith amongst the Lemba and a National Messianic Jewish Movement in Zimbabwe. Part of effectively supporting a movement is recognizing and equipping its natural leaders as they emerge — and Alfius Matandu, a retired school headmaster and trusted helper of the Local Lemba Chief, has already served on our Zimbabwe Trust Board as a leader of his people. Jewish Voice Connections | July 2015
At the ordination’s end, Honorable Hamandishe, a pioneering Lemba Evangelist and servant of Yeshua to the people, spoke a prayer of commissioning in his Shona tongue. While we couldn’t immediately understand, we felt the power and gratitude in his words. Then the translation came: “Lord, we were not known. We did not know our own history . . . Now we are known and seen! It is time now that You use this man . . . to do away with our traditional ways of worshipping and to begin to pray to the Lord in spirit and in truth . . . Use this man not just to the Jews but to the world over! We were lost, but now You gave us a task . . . May He begin to work.” It was truly a moment in time. Those in attendance sat stunned at the beauty and anointing of his words. All the faith and devotion of these people seemed to pour from every syllable. Then Alfius stood and prayed this prayer in response: “I humble myself before the Lord and before you, servants of the Lord. I trust that the Holy Spirit will guide me, and only in Yeshua can we do it.” After he finished, a sound rose from the back of the congregation — a song of praise, spontaneous and heartfelt. The music filled the meeting hall and there was an overpowering sense of God’s presence in that place. God truly showed up on that day. He honored the enduring trust of His people and poured Himself out upon them. What a blessing to serve and witness such a moment! My friend, God is moving amongst the scattered Tribes of Israel, and I’m so grateful for your partnership. During our time there, the medical outreach also met countless physical and humanitarian needs, and led to over 600 new confessions of faith in Yeshua! Your gifts are making a difference — not only in the areas of congregational planting and leadership training, but with those precious people who we were able to pray for and provide medical attention.
It made a difference to the young mother who, sadly, lost her four-year-old daughter. During what was certainly the most difficult time in her life, our amazing team was able to comfort her with the love and compassion of Yeshua. Had the team not been there, she would have faced that loss alone. You made a difference. It made a difference to the wife and mother of five, who brought her husband in to be treated. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything our doctors could do for him, but spiritually, he experienced new birth — right there on the medical table. He accepted Yeshua as his Lord and Savior and asked to read a Bible right then and there. Hallelujah! You made a difference. It made a difference to Primrose, a young lady no more than 18-years-old who came in to the Prayer Tent. After receiving immediate physical healing from chest pain, we sensed that she was hurting emotionally. After asking her why she was so sad, she shared that she deeply missed her parents — both had recently passed away and she felt all alone. We were able to encourage her that God is her Father and she is never alone. One of our team members who had also lost his parents shared: “God is always with you, when you leave this clinic and walk down the broken trail, He is with you, when you get back to your home, however far that may be, He is with you.” When she left that tent, hope filled her heart and her eyes radiated with a sparkling light. You made a difference.
If you ever find yourself asking the question, “Am I really making a difference . . . does my gift matter?” The answer is YES! We couldn’t do what we do without you. Thank you! After sharing such an exciting and positive report, I debated about whether or not to even share the following news with you. But I feel that you, as a valued partner of Jewish Voice, should know. Just last month, we had to cancel one of our medical outreaches due solely to not having enough volunteers, specifically in the area of medical professionals. It breaks my heart, but rather than dwell on this missed opportunity, I am using it as a chance to call on you for help in filling this gap going forward. Please pray that the “Lord of the Harvest” would raise up willing workers to go into the fields — for the harvest is so ripe! But I would also ask that you would join us on one of our upcoming medical outreaches. Finally, I would ask that you share this need and opportunity to serve within the congregation where you worship. Perhaps your Missions Pastor should know. Or maybe you know some doctors, nurses, or dentists there with a heart for the Jewish People with whom you could share these needs. For more information and to sign up, see the enclosed insert or visit: PleaseAnswerTheCall.org. And thank you for your vital, ongoing support of all these amazing outreaches!
www.jewishvoicetoday.org
ANSWER-the-Call Jewish Voice Ministries Outreach It’s an honor to tell you about a wonderful opportunity for you to make a powerful difference in these Last Days. There is no greater privilege than to be able to bless and share the Good News of Yeshua with precious Jewish People — many of whom are suffering tremendous persecution or need. We conduct several outreach events each year, and these initiatives provide some truly exciting and rewarding opportunities for volunteers with a heart for the Jewish People. God blesses and uses these events in powerful ways — and we urgently need volunteers to help make them successful in the areas of: • • • • •
MEDICAL DOCTORS NURSES, NPs & PAs PEDIATRICIANS OPHTHALMOLOGISTS OPTOMETRISTS
• • • •
DENTISTS DENTAL ASSISTANTS NON-MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS PRAYER COUNSELORS
Would you prayerfully consider volunteering to participate in one of our medical outreach trips or one of our Hear O’ Israel! Festivals of Jewish Music and Dance? Your smile, touch, skill, and heart can make an eternal difference. Pray. Plan. And come along! There’s a place waiting for you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER: www.pleaseanswerthecall.org 1-800-299-9374 outreach@jewishvoice.org /JewishVoice Jewish Voice Ministries International P.O. Box 31998 Phoenix, AZ 85046-1998 USA 602-971-8501 1-800-299-9374 www.jewishvoice.org
Jewish Voice Ministries Canada P.O. Box 476 Maple Ridge, BC V2X 3P2 1-855-793-7482 www.jewishvoice.ca
Jewish Voice Connections | July 2015
/jewishvoicetoday Jewish Voice Ministries UK Admail 4224 London W2 4UN 1-855-993-7482 www.jvmi.co.uk
@jewish_voice
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