Messiah’s Love Reaches South Africa

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of October 7, we wanted to do something significant to share messages of love and support with our Jewish people in South Africa.

We partnered with two local churches to handwrite two thousand cards with encouraging messages to distribute among the Jewish community. Our volunteers wrote Bible verses and phrases such as “We love and support Israel,” “We bless the Jewish people of South Africa,” and “#BringThemHome.” The cards were designed by a local Jewish artist with images from the Tanakh (Old Testament). The envelopes featured a yellow ribbon and the phrase “Let My people go” in reference to the Israeli hostages. We also included “I Love Israel” bracelets that had been donated to us years ago.
After a busy day of handing out cards, my wife, Elize, was walking back to her car alone when a middle-aged man pulled up alongside her. He asked if she was part of the group distributing cards. Elize wasn’t sure if he would be aggressive or sympathetic. She happened to have one last card in her hand, and as she showed it to him, he burst into tears and thanked her repeatedly. Joel introduced himself and said he never cries, but these messages meant so much to him and his family. Joel told her that as Jewish people, they felt so alone, and this had touched them so deeply. They exchanged phone numbers, and Joel said that he wanted to connect soon.

We arrived home exhausted, yet in awe at what God had done—and amazed at how many cards were distributed. Then Elize’s phone rang. It was Joel!

Joel handed the phone to Susan, a prominent figure in the South African Jewish community. She thanked us for our initiative and asked if we’d come to a local synagogue for an October 7 memorial—that was taking place at that very moment!

We rushed to get ready and headed off to the synagogue. We weren’t sure if they knew we were with Jews for Jesus. We were met with such warmth and gratitude. Susan gave Elize a massive hug and introduced us as the “heroes of the day.” Numerous people came to us with tears in their eyes, thanking us for what we had done. At the same time, they were completely perplexed that believers would do this, and many asked, “Why would you stand with us when the whole world, especially the South African government, is against us?”

We were invited to another memorial held at the Israeli embassy the next day. At the event, a senior member of a large Jewish charity asked if we were part of the postcard initiative. He was blown away and told us that it was the talk of the community and had been discussed on the local Jewish radio station. We were also introduced to an Israeli diplomat who was delighted to meet us and wants to work with us to connect the Jewish and Christian communities in South Africa.

Jewish community awed by messages of support (headline in the South African Jewish Report, 10‑31 October 2024 edition)

Three days later, the newspaper South African Jewish Report (SAJR)* featured a story on our outreach saying, “The messages should give the Jewish community hope, as they are a reminder we have Christian friends and there are many Christian groups from different denominations throughout the country who would have willingly posted the cards, who support Israel. At a time when many Jewish residents feel alone in their heartache … the cards are a reminder that many stand alongside the Jewish community.”

We are in awe of what the Lord has done and trust that this is just the start of more opportunities to engage with the Jewish community in South Africa. Please keep Joel, Susan, and the entire South African Jewish community in your prayers, that as they receive the support of the Christian community, they will also receive Messiah’s love.

 

*Unfortunately, the SAJR article misidentified us as Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Names have been changed to protect privacy.