Help us fight a spiritual battle in Israel

Nadia’s life of drug addiction and prostitution began at age 16. Our Mekomi* team met her some three decades later on the streets of Tel Aviv. We cared for her as best we could for several years before we opened our safe house in October 2021. Nadia was the first to request a spot.

Nadia left shortly after moving in but returned to us two months later, after completing a rehab program. She surrendered her life to Yeshua (Jesus) and was baptized in the Jordan River last July!

My only friend was crystal meth, but today I have God and friends.

This year Nadia celebrated being drug free for a year—the longest she’s ever been clean. Last October she broke her leg and was in a lot of pain. She asked for morphine in the hospital, but we prayed and encouraged her to avoid anything that could take her back to using drugs. She chose not to take the morphine, and that was a great victory. She told me, “In the past, my only friend was crystal meth, but today I have God and friends to be my family in the painful times.” Praise God for transforming Nadia’s life, and please keep her in prayer.

I wish I could say that all our residents are doing consistently well, but this type of ministry includes many ups and downs. It’s not uncommon for women to struggle with old patterns even after coming to faith. Thank you so much for your part in what God is doing in and through our women’s shelter. Please keep praising God for each victory, and pressing in to pray as the battle continues for the hearts and lives of these women.

Please be praying especially for Natalie, who arrived at our women’s shelter in April 2022. Natalie wanted to leave her life of prostitution but had nowhere to go. She is in her late 50s and has three children—two of whom are under the age of 18 and have no other support. Natalie arrived at the house with great fear and hesitation but adapted quickly.

“The house is like heaven,” Natalie said, and was quick to help with cooking and other chores. She participated in daily devotionals and prayer times. She told us about her struggles and her shame over the past. Last June, she prayed to receive Yeshua as her Lord and Savior and was baptized soon after! But her struggles were far from over.

She was amazed that we still care for her.

After several stressful months of searching for a job, Natalie left our shelter and went back to the only way she knew to make a living. I visited her and asked her to come back. After a few days, she returned, but a week later, she left again to a brothel. This pattern has continued and each time she leaves, we search for her to tell her we love her and are waiting to welcome her back. Most recently when she left, I brought her coffee and food, and she was amazed that we still care for her.

We have very good relationships with the social services in Tel Aviv. We are frequently visited by social workers and work closely with rehab centers, field workers, and others. This gives us many opportunities to explain our faith to unbelievers who are also trying to serve these women, and who are often amazed by what they see.

As we serve Nadia, Natalie, and so many other women, we have joy, and sorrow, and most of all, we have hope in Jesus. He taught us to leave the 99 to look for the one lost sheep. Thank you for helping us to do just that.