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