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Designation: Gregory Podrez
Missionary
Growing up in Minsk, Gregory Podrez did not attend church as a young man—despite his parents’ urging. After completing military duty with the Soviet Army, however, something changed. Gregory found himself drawn to church services, and in time, he saw the truth and turned his life…
Growing up in Minsk, Gregory Podrez did not attend church as a young man—despite his parents’ urging. After completing military duty with the Soviet Army, however, something changed. Gregory found himself drawn to church services, and in time, he saw the truth and turned his life over to Jesus.
Churches in Belarus were forbidden to baptize young people when he came to faith, so Gregory was secretly baptized. God gave him boldness in his faith, and in 1973, led him to teach youth Bible studies. He had to take care, however, to avoid government attention.
In 1982, at the request of the Belarus Baptist Union, Gregory went to the city of Polotzk to begin missionary outreach. During his 12 years in this heavily atheistic city, Gregory formed a church of 70 members, and facilitated other groups of believers in the surrounding region. Eventually Gregory turned the work over to another pastor, and returned with his family to Minsk.
He attended the Baptist Bible Institute in Minsk, and since 1998, has worked closely with Gennady Brutzki. Like Gennady, he has a great love for the Jewish people, and a passionate desire to tell them about their Messiah.
Pastor Podrez currently pastors our messianic congregation in Minsk, where he is responsible for many duties including: preaching, teaching, outreach, visitation, and humanitarian needs.
Gregory and his wife Natalia have five children.
We are grateful to have this dedicated brother as a part of our team in Belarus.
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{"David Lovi":"David Lovi is a Jewish believer in Jesus. He has extensive experience as a missionary to Jewish people and as a pastor in the Chicago area. David is a graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree. He has a passion for evangelism and helping others go out and do the work of reaching the lost. David also feels called to equip the Church to reach the Jewish people and to believe the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:16 where he says that “the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.”","Diann Parkas":"Diann Parkas has been a Jewish believer in Jesus since 1983. She grew up in a Jewish home, had a traditional Bat Mitzvah, and never considered following Jesus, until she met a Jewish believer in Jesus who told her that following Jesus was about a spiritual relationship, not religion. She learned that a Christian was a follower of Messiah, and by that definition, she could be Jewish and also be a Christian!\n\nDiann was a dancer when she became a follower of Yeshua (Jesus) and she immediately dedicated her dancing, as well as the rest of her life, to Him. Her desire is to bring glory to Yeshua, and to point others to Him, through every aspect of her life.\n\nDiann earned a Master of Arts degree from NYU and is currently enrolled in a PhD program of Biblical Studies at Antioch Baptist Bible Seminary.\n\nDiann has worked in Jewish Ministry alongside her husband, Peter, during their 30 years of marriage, until Peter went home to be with the Lord on July 21, 2017. Diann is continuing the work of the ministry and is using her gifts of teaching, writing, public speaking, hospitality, choreography, and dancing, to reach out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and to all who will listen. Her desire is to be used of God to lead others to saving faith, and to inspire and instruct Christians in sharing their faith, especially with Jewish people. She also has a passion for teaching the Bible in its Jewish context, and discipling and equipping Bible believers to serve the Lord and others with biblical maturity.","Eric Chabot":"Eric Chabot was raised in a mainline denomination in Columbus, Ohio, but he doesn’t really remember hearing too many teachings from Scripture—and definitely not any salvation messages. Although not Jewish himself, Eric grew up in a Jewish community, where most of his friends were Jewish. He attended countless Jewish holiday events, weddings, and numerous Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. His daily exposure to Jewish culture continued throughout his youth and into his college years.\n\nAt age 24, Eric had never before met Jewish people who believed in Yeshua (Jesus). Invited by a friend to attend Beth Messiah, a messianic congregation led by a Jewish pastor, Eric heard the powerful and convicting message of salvation, for the first time, taught from the Book of Matthew.\n\nAfter becoming a believer a few weeks later, Eric felt a strong burden from God to share his faith in Yeshua with his Jewish friends. Through Beth Messiah Congregation, Eric grew spiritually and looked for opportunities to serve the Lord. He began to understand how God had strategically placed him around so many Jewish people, and he could see that God had a calling on his life. Eric also understood that he was fulfilling what Paul wrote in Romans 11:11 about the role of the Gentiles: “. . . to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.\"\n\nEric holds an M.A. in Religious Studies from Southern Evangelical Seminary. Serving full-time as Midwest Ministry Representative for CJF Ministries, Eric uses his gift of evangelism to reach out to Jewish people in a variety of ways and venues. He speaks in local churches and conferences about the Jewish roots of the historic Christian faith (and other relevant topics) and also serves as director of Ratio Christi apologetics chapter on the campus of Ohio State University. A collection of come of his apologetics teachings is available on his YouTube channel.","Gregory Podrez":"Growing up in Minsk, Gregory Podrez did not attend church as a young man—despite his parents’ urging. After completing military duty with the Soviet Army, however, something changed. Gregory found himself drawn to church services, and in time, he saw the truth and turned his life over to Jesus.\n\nChurches in Belarus were forbidden to baptize young people when he came to faith, so Gregory was secretly baptized. God gave him boldness in his faith, and in 1973, led him to teach youth Bible studies. He had to take care, however, to avoid government attention.\n\nIn 1982, at the request of the Belarus Baptist Union, Gregory went to the city of Polotzk to begin missionary outreach. During his 12 years in this heavily atheistic city, Gregory formed a church of 70 members, and facilitated other groups of believers in the surrounding region. Eventually Gregory turned the work over to another pastor, and returned with his family to Minsk.\n\nHe attended the Baptist Bible Institute in Minsk, and since 1998, has worked closely with Gennady Brutzki. Like Gennady, he has a great love for the Jewish people, and a passionate desire to tell them about their Messiah.\n\nPastor Podrez currently pastors our messianic congregation in Minsk, where he is responsible for many duties including: preaching, teaching, outreach, visitation, and humanitarian needs.\n\nGregory and his wife Natalia have five children.\n\nWe are grateful to have this dedicated brother as a part of our team in Belarus.","Larry \u0026 Deb Dubin":"Larry Dubin is a first-generation Jewish follower of the Holy One of Israel, Yeshua (Jesus; Isa 43:1-3). His paternal and maternal grandparents were immigrants from the Russian Pale of Settlement (Western Russia) to the United States, entering America through Ellis Island during World War I.\n\nReared in an Orthodox-Conservative Jewish family from Pueblo, Colorado, Larry walked away from his “father’s religion” prior to his bar mitzvah (“son of the commandment”) at twelve years of age. As a young child, Larry was instructed by his mother that the Jewish people were G-d’s Chosen People. His father believed that his son would be “okay” before G-d if he recited some special words from the Hebrew Scriptures at his bar mitzvah. When Larry became aware of the Holocaust, he in turn rejected Judaism and decided that he was going to live without G-d, the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Jewish community and its ceremonies.\n\nAfter graduating from high school, Larry enlisted in the United States Navy. He earned a four-year scholarship, graduated from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in 1989, and was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy Supply Corps. After serving on the USS DETROIT (AOE-4) and being active in “Operation Desert Storm,” Larry received “orders” to attend submarine school. Upon graduation from submarine school, he was assigned to the USS LOS ANGELES (SSN-688) as the only non-nuclear trained officer.\n\nDuring his tour on the USS LOS ANGELES (1991-1994), Larry observed the character of one of his commanding officers. As a sailor, this man was noticeably different from the rest of the naval officers. Provoked to jealousy upon learning this man was a believer in Jesus (Rom 11:11), Larry too came to believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. He felt led to resign his commission as a naval officer in 1997 and later earned a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary.\n\nIn 1999, Larry began his vocation in Jewish missions. For twenty-one years, Larry was on staff with Jews for Jesus, and served in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington DC, South Florida, England, and Israel. That same year, Larry met Debby, who also worked with Jews for Jesus. In November 2000, they were married and have been happily serving together as a team ever since. When Jews for Jesus closed its South Florida branch in December 2019, Larry and Deb were offered the opportunity to continue serving the Lord with CJF Ministries (San Antonio, TX), commencing in February 2020. The Dubins reach out to Jewish and Gentile people alike to share the Good News through one-on-one visitation, discipleship, meet-up groups, and acts of service in caring for the local community.\n\nIn February 2022, Larry was diagnosed with cancer (chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL). During the two-month window of “watching and waiting” before treatment commenced, he became aware of another incredible mission field—that is, people diagnosed with cancer and more specifically, CLL. This has led to many opportunities to reach out and connect with those afflicted with this illness and introduce them to the Shalom, Hope, and Faith that is available through the Jewish Messiah, Jesus.\n\nDeb Dubin, a Jewish believer since 1996, grew up on Long Island. Although her family went to an Orthodox synagogue and were not religious per se, her Jewish identity and culture were a part of family life. At the age of 7, her best friend invited her to church; the first exposure to a religion outside of Judaism. Noticing a Bible on her table one day, she opened it up to a picture of a man. Chris told her “That’s Jesus; that’s God.” It planted questions in Deb’s mind about “why is there one God for the gentiles and another God for the Jews?\" These were questions that she would continue to wrestle with for the next thirty years. After receiving her own Bible from a co-worker years later, she learned that Jesus was Jewish! She began believing His claims but as a Jewish person what would that mean? One afternoon in the summer of 1996, in a Manhattan park, Deb encountered a woman wearing a T-shirt that said in bold letters, “Jews for Jesus.” That’s when she learned of the organization and began attending their Bible studies.\n\nSeveral weeks later, during a Messianic Shabbat service she sensed a confirmation that what she had been reading about Jesus was indeed true and prayed to receive Him into her heart. In the spring of 1999, she entered into full time Jewish ministry where she met Larry, also a Jewish believer in Yeshua. They married the following year.\n\nDeb enjoys meeting with Jewish seekers who express an interest in Jesus. She loves studying the Scriptures (in homes, coffee shops, over the phone and video conferencing), one-on-one discipleship and encouraging women in their faith. Deb’s ministry also includes sharing the Jewish roots of Christianity in churches, women’s groups, and Bible studies.","Marcos Morales":"Marcos Morales was born into a missionary home in Mendoza, Argentina. Growing up surrounded by an active ministry was a great blessing for him, which continues to this day. At the age of nine, Marcos received the Lord Yeshua the Messiah as his personal Savior. Marcos’ father, always a studious man of biblical prophecies, has a heart for Israel as well and impressed these teachings on Marcos during his teen years.\n\nAs Marcos was approaching his eighteenth birthday, he felt the Lord’s call to bring the Good News of salvation to the Jew first. Since that time, the Lord has brought many Jewish people into his path. In college, Marcos had the opportunity to share the Gospel with many Jewish classmates who looked to him for friendship—and some of them wanted to know more about the Messiah. This experience led Marcos to deepen his understanding of Jewish culture, customs, and terminology, which helped him to present the Gospel in a more accurate way.\n\nShortly afterward, he began to study biblical Hebrew and met Deborah (who would become his wife). Of a conservative Jewish family, Deborah came to faith in Messiah when she was a teenager while attending a summer Bible camp. The Lord later called her to serve Him among His Chosen People. In 1993, Marcos and Deborah married; and the Lord has blessed them with two daughters, Johanna and Sol.\n\nCurrently, the Moraleses are serving the Lord among the Jewish people in Mendoza—the most important city in Argentina's western area—by holding weekly meetings, Bible studies, discipleships, and radio programs. Marcos has been invited to speak to several regional conferences, and participates in a monthly prayer meeting with pastors and elders in Mendoza.\n\nOf the nearly 800,000 Jewish souls in Latin America, 400,000 of these live in Argentina. God has placed in the hearts of Marcos and Deborah the vision and desire to reach them all with the precious message of salvation.","Michael Campo Jr":"Michael Campo Jr. was born in a suburb of Chicago to Catholic parents. He was 16 years old when his father, Mike Campo Sr., received Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Shortly thereafter, God called Mike Sr. into ministry, specifically Jewish missions. He served in Jewish missions for 35 years, the majority of that time with CJF Ministries (formerly known as the Christian Jew Foundation) before the Lord called him home on August 22, 2019.\n\nAlthough Michael had repeatedly heard the Gospel from his father and was exposed to the truth concerning the Gospel of grace, he had a stronger desire for the things of the world (primarily drugs) than for the things of God. While Michael was experiencing many trials due to his addiction, God brought a concerned believer into his life (a former addict) who became Michael’s mentor and advocate, encouraging him to enter a drug rehabilitation program with Teen Challenge. After spending four months at a rehab facility, Michael returned home not only free from drugs but also a born-again believer.\n\nIn 1994, God called Michael into ministry. His pastor and many others encouraged him to use his spiritual gift—teaching—for the Body of Messiah and the glory of God. After 15 successful years as an insurance agent, Michael and his wife, Lorena, sold their home and invested the proceeds into a Bible college education. They and their two daughters moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where he attended Emmaus Bible College. Following his graduation from Emmaus Bible College, Michael served the Lord as a pastor, church planter, and conference speaker.\n\nMichael and his wife, Lorena, live in Illinois, where he pastors a church he helped plant. He is also on staff as a Church Ministries Representative (CMR) for CJF Ministries, speaking in churches, conferences, etc., teaching the Jewish roots of Christianity. Through messages, such as “The Feasts of Israel,” “Israel in Prophecy,” and “The Passover Seder,” Michael teaches the Jewish perspective of the Scriptures, emphasizing the need and responsibility of the Church to bring forth the Gospel message “for the Jew first, and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).\n\nMichael is a gifted speaker and diligent student of God’s Word. He welcomes the opportunity to present the ministry of CJFM to churches and other venues. His love for the Lord and his burden for Israel is self-evident and manifests itself in all of his teachings. All who hear him will be blessed.","Michelle Beadle":"Michelle Beadle's journey to faith in Messiah centers largely around three months--October to December, 1974—during her senior year at Cornell, in Ithaca, New York. A young woman from Malaysia, named Malaer, attending Cornell along with her husband, played a key role in this drama. Though not reared in a Christian home, Malaer had trusted in Jesus at the age of fourteen upon hearing the Good News of redemption in Him from an aunt.\n\nSince she was studying child development, Malaer found that her schedule put her in some of the same courses as Michelle, although the two remained unacquainted for a time. That fall, Malaer had been praying for a friend. Then by chance one evening, Michelle and Malaer met in the library and struck up a conversation. A friendship was born.\n\nAlthough Michelle was totally unaware of Malaer's faith in Jesus, this new friend began praying for her salvation. During this same three-month period, Michelle made a spiritual search. In her quest, she read books on Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, and she also read The Late Great Planet Earth at the urging of a Jewish friend.\n\nThis book somehow \"got\" to Michelle, impressing her with the truth that Jesus was Jewish, rather than Catholic, as she had previously believed. During these critical weeks, a fellow student cornered Michelle at a frat party and, much to her embarrassment, aggressively presented the plan of salvation to her for a quarter hour.\n\nFinally, in early December, Michelle and Malaer found themselves attending a conference for social workers not far from the Cornell campus. After attending morning workshops, the pair sat together at the luncheon that followed. In the course of this meal, a woman—a complete stranger—approached them and began sharing her faith in Jesus with Michelle.\n\nAs the woman spoke of Jesus, Michelle observed Malaer nodding her head in agreement. The razor sharp realization that Malaer, too, was a \"Jesus Freak\" cut Michelle's heart. Far from being drawn to her, Michelle felt betrayed by her Malaysian friend, and almost screamed at her in rage. But a still, small voice seemed to be nudging Michelle, \"Listen to her. She loves you; she's your best friend.\"\n\nMichelle regained her composure and listened as Malaer shared her how she came to believe in Jesus for salvation. Then, right there at the table—in full view of any who cared to look—Michelle prayed a prayer, asking Jesus to be her Redeemer.\n\nReturning home to Queens after her spring graduation, Michelle informed her Jewish family of her faith in Jesus. Naturally, some family tensions arose, and her concerned parents took her to talk to their rabbi.\n\nNevertheless, her gracious parents never rejected their daughter who was now a follower of the Jewish Messiah. Michelle continued attending synagogue with her family, and—much to her surprise—she found that familiar old prayers in the Siddur (Jewish prayer book) \"came alive\" for the first time.\n\nAs should be expected, all was not smooth for Michelle in her new pilgrimage. Hungry for fellowship but untaught in doctrine, she fell in for a time with followers of Sung Myung Moon, who took her on a retreat and began indoctrinating her.\n\nA very short time later, Michelle happened to run into a woman who was the first Jewish believer (other than herself) she had ever met. The woman kindly warned Michelle to stay away from the \"Moonies,\" and also thrilled her heart by teaching her the Hebrew name for Jesus the Messiah—Yeshua HaMashiach.\n\nMichelle entered Tulane for graduate work the following fall, and during her first few days there she discovered another believer in Jesus at an orientation session. This young man introduced her to the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship group on campus, enabling her to find fellowship and encouragement.\n\nIn time, she also met other Jewish believers at the university and had Bible study with them. On her own initiative, Michelle even started a messianic book table at the student center, thereby sharing the Good News with Tulane's other Jewish students.\n\nFollowing graduation and marriage, Michelle became affiliated first with another Jewish mission board on a volunteer basis, and finally, in 1994, she joined CJF Ministries as a full-time outreach worker in New Orleans, representing CJFM in the southeastern region of the United States. She is currently stationed near her hometown of New York City, in Connecticut, bringing the Good News that Messiah has come to the nutmeggers of this state. (An endearing phrase for citizens of Connecticut).\n\nPray for Michelle—forever changed since that December day in Ithaca—as she labors heartily in the vineyard for Messiah.","Richard Hill":"\"Sharing the love of Messiah to the Jew first and also to the Greek.\" Richard Hill was the associate pastor of a messianic Jewish congregation in Los Angeles when he was invited, in May, 2000, to join the CJF Ministries' missionary staff as its southwest ministry representative in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was further confirmation to Richard that God’s ministerial calling for him was to reach out to His Chosen People.\n\nRichard has trained and taught many volunteers how to witness effectively to the Jewish people. He leads a campus ministry at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) passing out tracts and sharing the Gospel of Jesus to all who are interested. Richard also leads a door-to-door ministry in predominantly Jewish communities.\n\nIn September, 2003, Richard planted and continues to pastor Beth Yeshua (House of Jesus), a messianic congregation on the southwest side of Las Vegas, which serves as an outreach into the Jewish community. Another aspect of his ministry is teaching the Jewish roots of Christianity in churches and imparting his love for “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” to his Gentile brethren.\n\nRichard is married to Oanh, who also has a burden to share the love of Messiah with the Jewish people. They have three children: Stephanie, Rebekah, and Isaak.\n\nRichard has received an M.A. in Religion and a Ph.D. in Theology. He is an astute teacher and communicator of God’s Word. All who hear Richard’s teachings will be blessed!","Rob Styler":"\"Teaching the Bible, One Story at a Time.\" This is the goal of Rob Styler, founder of 2nd Adam Performing Arts, the drama ministry of CJF Ministries.\n\nRob is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute (Chicago), where he majored in Jewish and Modern Israel Studies. He was ordained by Associated Gospel Churches and served as a street evangelist and pastor in both New York City and Toronto. His current position is CJFM Director of Missions.\n\nAs leader of a diverse messianic congregation, Rob was prompted to investigate different teaching methods:\n\n“It was while I was doing this that I made an important discovery: Jesus taught mainly through stories. The stories of Jesus spoke to his friends and his enemies alike, to those who believed and those who did not, to the rich and poor, young and old—in other words, everyone. This was the answer I was looking for.”\n\nStorytelling evolved into first-person narratives and thus 2nd Adam was born.\n\nHaving always been an actor of sorts, Rob attended the Storyteller’s School and studied drama at the University of Toronto while ministering there. Rob then moved back to his home state of New Jersey and continued taking acting classes at HB Studio in New York City.\n\nTo be biblically and historically accurate, Rob thoroughly researches his characters. His desire is “to help my audience relate to and better understand the Holy Scriptures—and their Author.” The motto of 2nd Adam is “Teaching the Bible, One Story at a Time.”\n\nIn 1999, CJFM welcomed 2nd Adam into its family. In 2005, Rob was appointed director of missions. He is privileged to oversee and encourage the CJFM missionaries and representatives around the world, share the Gospel in unique drama presentations via 2nd Adam, and participate in the other evangelistic and training ministries of CJF Ministries.","Robert Weissman":"Around 2017, Robert and Rosamund Weissman thought seriously about moving out of the London area. Their youngest son, Jonathan, was concerned for their safety. He believes the End Times are fast approaching and does not want his Mum and Dad going through them in London’s increasingly hostile environment. Jonathan reminded his dad that he had always liked Northern Ireland, where Robert had preached when he was in his 20s and 30s. CJFM’s president and the director of missions were supportive of the Weissman’s moving the work to Northern Ireland. In early 2019, the Weissman family moved to County Down. Currently, two of their sons live with them. The eldest is in Oklahoma with his wife and young family.\n\nWhen living in London, Robert spent over 40 years evangelizing Jewish areas of north and northeast London. He carried out a lot of door-to-door work, always calling at every house with specially written tracts designed to be of interest, especially to Jewish people. Responses ranged from respectful to violent. The Jewish newspapers regularly attacked the work of Jewish missions over the years, with rabbis and other leaders writing that missionaries targeted the weak, elderly, and children.\n\nNorthern Ireland is small, only 5,000 square miles, with less than two million people. The Jewish community is tiny, with an estimated 300, with no rabbi. The churches have tended to be stronger and more fundamental here than in England. However, preaching opportunities have been scarce due to the effect of Covid-19, with churches shutting down for long periods.\n\nThe change in circumstances called for a change in ministry approach. Now, Robert writes special tracts to mail to rabbis, Jewish leaders, and celebrities. Two recent tracts are titled “Which Road Are You On?” and “Lock-down; Can Any Good Come Out Of It?” Robert is currently working on another titled, “Wrong Decisions And Right Ones.” In this one, the reader is urged to make the right decisions today to consider Jesus and trust Him now. At the time of this writing, he is planning yet another. It will be about the contrast between the Talmud and the New Covenant. One should be superseded by the other!\n\nRosamund has also been busy writing and reaching out to their new community. She wrote a book during the 2020 lockdown titled Exploring The End Times And Interceding For Israel. It explains how to pray for Israel in the End Times and is written primarily for women in Northern Ireland. She has had offers to provide teaching based on her book.","Varia O.":"Varia grew up in a house of faith—congregations, weekly meetings, and life with the local body of Christ. When she was six years old, she prayed a prayer and asked God to speak into her heart. Something—or rather Someone—lifted her hands and filled her mouth with praise that wasn’t her own. She was excited, bewildered, and in awe. She knew God was real. She knew He was supernatural. And she wanted more. She learned early that God speaks when we search for Him.\n\nThen came Varia’s teenage years—and with them, a pretty severe wet eczema that covered her face, neck, arms, and legs. Waking up with bloody fingernails and constant pain wasn’t even the hardest part. It was the kids at school who were too disgusted to look at her. Mistreatment followed, and one day after school, she cried out to God: “How can You do this to me? What could I possibly have done to deserve this?” God, of course, could have done anything, but she felt prompted to open her Bible. Her fingers landed on Psalm 20. Reading Scripture was hard for her even then, but that day it was as if the words glowed: “May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.” A wave of gracious relief washed over her. She wasn’t alone. She wasn’t forsaken. She didn’t need to understand why this was happening—God was with her, showing mercy in the middle of trouble.\n\nWhen Varia was 17, she felt ready to be baptised. She chose to do it in a bathtub at home—a funny, unorthodox decision, but there was a reason. Baptisms were turning into social events, and she wanted her choice to be about God alone, not about anyone else’s expectations. So, into the bath she went.\n\nAs she turned 18, doubts started to creep in. First about her own salvation, then about God’s very existence. For nearly six months, she prayed all the “right” prayers, but only out of habit. In a way, it was a test—would anyone notice she was faking? No one did. Eventually, she decided to give God one more chance. Her draft date for military service was set for July 31st, and she was desperate to delay it. She set a condition: If God is real, He’ll postpone my draft. Months passed. Then, on a sunny Friday morning, as she was making butter cookies, a military envelope arrived—her draft date had been officially postponed. Varia sat down shaking, knowing full well that the hand of God was on her life. There was no turning back. That was the day her belief in the permanence of salvation settled deep in her heart.\n\nVaria spent the months before the draft serving as a counsellor at youth camps—her first taste of ministry. She persevered through her military service, spending every vacation and day off with the kids, and eventually became the camp coordinator.\n\nIn the army, Varia served in the Education Corps, teaching Hebrew to newly drafted olim. She loved teaching and guiding, and before long, she was sent to officer school. She had hoped for one position but was assigned to a very different, far less hands-on role. Moving from direct teaching to a desk job felt . . . insulting to her. She wrestled with God for a month until she was unexpectedly offered a chance to leave the position. She prayed and fasted, desperate to know if this was God’s way of opening a door. At first—silence. Then she sensed a question: Would I stay where He placed me, even if I was unhappy? Or would I chase the job I wanted and disobey Him? After much prayer, Varia chose to stay. Four months later, Benny Gantz (yes, that Benny Gantz) was appointed Chief of Staff, restructured finances, and redefined her role. Suddenly, her job became everything she had hoped for—and more. She learned that she didn’t need to lean on her own understanding. God knows best, even when He gives us a choice.\n\nAfter completing her service, Varia joined the Lech L’cha discipleship program, then enrolled at Ben Gurion University. There, she discovered a surprising talent for debate, eventually ranking 6th in Israel and 9th in Europe. She was ecstatic—but quietly, she drifted from fellowship, Scripture, and the church. She began replacing faith with clever arguments, poking holes in religion and pointing out logical flaws that, in her mind, centuries of Christian tradition had somehow missed. When Varia brought questions to church leaders, she was often met with dismissive answers, such as, “That’s why we don’t endorse studying philosophy.” But God, in His wisdom, sent friends—dear friends—who offered grace, understanding, and thoughtful, satisfying answers to her doubts.\n\nAt 27, God spoke to Varia again. He laid His hand on her and whispered, “I’ve got you.” Her soul finally rested, knowing her God could handle any question and meet every doubt with truth.\n\nFrom there, her life took many turns. After eight years as a debate coach, Varia moved into the nonprofit education world, then into a SaaS startup, eventually becoming a CS operations manager specialising in long-term projects and automation. Yet through it all, youth ministry kept tugging at her heart. What started with three kids visiting her home grew—kids kept coming, and they stayed. Seven years later, the youth group has 30 participants and a team of four counselors, two of whom grew up in the group themselves.\n\nAt 34, God called Varia into full-time ministry. His work had outgrown every spare minute she had. And God’s story in her life is still unfolding.","Violette Berger":"Violette’s religious upbringing was in the Greek Orthodox tradition. In addition to attending a public elementary school, she also attended “Greek School,” taking language and religion classes.\n\nViolette graduated from the University of Illinois with a BA in English. She has worked as an editor, copywriter, human resource director, and teacher. When Violette met her husband, Barry Berger (a Jewish believer in Jesus the Messiah), he shared the Gospel message with her and introduced her to his pastor’s wife, who invited Violette to attend her Bible study. Violette was challenged by the Word, and in March 1977, she prayed to receive Jesus as her Lord and Savior.\n\nGod called Barry and Violette into full-time Jewish ministry, and they served together for 38 years. Barry is now home with the Lord, but Violette continues their Jewish ministry. In addition to her position as a staff writer for CJF Ministries, Violette coordinates the Messianic fellowship, Tikvah BaMidbar (Hope in the Desert), that she and Barry started in Phoenix, Arizona. It serves as an outreach from the local church into the Jewish community (and also among Gentiles) by teaching and sharing the Jewish roots of Christianity, the feasts of Israel, and Israel in prophecy. Violette receives requests to witness, counsel, and speak in different venues. She also teaches women’s Bible studies and discipleship classes.\n\nViolette’s mission is to impart her love for “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” to her Gentile brethren, and to encourage them to share her burden and vision for reaching them with the Gospel.","Yossi Ovadia":"I was born in 1960 in Haifa, Israel to a traditional Jewish religious family (Masoraty). My father worked in the Rabbinate (the state's official Jewish religion authority), as a circumciser (Mohel), a cantor and a Bar Mitzvah teacher, etc.\n\nIn 1983, after nine months of searching and being exposed to the messianic belief, I came to faith and joined the local congregation in Haifa. The way begins.\n\nAfter I came to know the Lord, I continued living at my parent’s house—even though my father stopped talking to me when he understood in whom I believe. I taught the children and youth in the congregation and at some national events. In conjunction with my congregational involvement, I went to a practical-engineering college. I was also involved in the Messianic Students Organization in Israel (I was the chairman in 1985 and 1986).\n\nToward the end of my studies I understood that God was calling me live in Karmiel—a development town in the Galilee. A year and a half went by before the right door was opened for me. During that time I regularly accompanied one of the congregation's elders in Haifa to a weekly house study group in Karmiel. At the end of 1988 I moved to Karmiel.\n\nIn August 1990 I married Ronit, who is also a messianic Jew born in Israel. By the relationship with Ronit, God softened my father’s heart, and we started talking with each other again. My father was our cantor (chazan) at the wedding, and passed away three days later. We have since had three boys: Emanuel, Yedidya, and Aminadav.\n\nOn Passover 1989 we had the Lord's supper for the first time; and the congregation was established. In the beginning our group was only about 10 people and we gathered in my rented apartment. We continued to gather there after my marriage and later in our new apartment—altogether for about 10 years, until the place was too small to contain all of us.\n\nThroughout the years, parallel to shepherding the congregation, I held a government job. As the years went by, both activities expanded. The congregation grew from 10 to more than 70, and my responsibilities at work expanded from a simple inspector to being in charge of all Karmiel's government development works. After a long time of prayer and searching of the Lord's will, I understood that He was guiding me to quit my secular governmental job, and make myself fully available to the Lord's service. I quit the work of physically building Karmiel, to be freed to do the work of spiritually building Karmiel!\n\nSo, on August 2003 I started to work full time for God's work in Karmiel.\n\nPeople come to our services not just from Karmiel, but also from the entire Galilee region, and Katzerin on the Golan Heights.\n\nThe congregation is composed of native Israelis, old immigrants, and new immigrants. All together, we have members from about 15 different countries. Our weekly service is in Hebrew, with English and Russian translations through earphones. We have a children’s class during the service for approximatley 40 children.\n\nOur congregation is an Israeli messianic congregation—with our main aim being the Hebrew speakers in the Galilee region and all others willing to learn the language and desiring to integrate into the Israeli culture.\n\nIn 2005, we moved to our new location—a meeting hall that seats 165 people comfortably; classrooms for the children, babies, and youth; a kitchen, and offices. After the summer of 2006, the second Lebanon war (where Karmiel was the target of many rockets), and some changes in our congregation's leadership, our congregation started to grow quite a bit. We had over 125 people representing over 50 households by the summer of 2007—with new people coming every week."}

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