In recent weeks at our Haifa Humanitarian Aid Center, we have been reminded again why the Lord placed this ministry in our hands.
Two women — Yasmin and Areen — came to us from the streets. One Jewish. One Arab. Both homeless. Both carrying the quiet weight of life lived without stability, without safety, without certainty about tomorrow. They entered the center not knowing exactly what they would find, only that they had heard there was food.
In the short video they recorded while standing inside, Yasmin said something very simple:
“We came here and saw there is food and everything. It warms the heart. I live on the street myself, and it’s good to know there is a place like this that gives help. I want there to be more places like this.”
Then she thanked the team for the gifts, the shoes, the practical items that make daily survival just a little easier.
These are not dramatic speeches. They are not theological statements. They are the words of someone who has been cold, hungry, and uncertain — and who suddenly felt warmth.
This is what practical love looks like.
At the Haifa center, we serve hot meals, distribute food packages designed for those who cannot cook or store heavy supplies, provide clothing and shoes, and create a safe space where people are greeted by name. For someone living on the street, a pair of shoes is not a small gift. A hot meal is not routine. It is dignity. It is strength for another day.
But something deeper happens here as well.
When Yasmin and Areen stood together — a Jewish woman and an Arab woman — receiving help side by side, it was a quiet picture of the Kingdom of God. The needs of the street do not ask about ethnicity. Hunger does not divide by language. And compassion must not either.
This is the example of Yeshua.
Throughout the Gospels, we see Him moving toward those on the margins — the blind, the leper, the widow, the outcast. He did not begin with debate. He began with mercy. He fed the hungry before He taught the crowds. He touched the untouchable before He corrected the religious leaders. Compassion was not separate from His message; it revealed His message.
In Matthew 25, Yeshua says, “I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat.” When we place food into the hands of a homeless woman in Haifa, we are not simply meeting a social need. We are serving the Lord Himself. When someone says, “This warms my heart,” we understand that the warmth is not only from the meal — it is from being seen.
The practical impact of this center is visible: fewer empty stomachs, fewer nights faced without at least some support, fewer people forgotten. But the spiritual impact is often quieter and even more profound. Walls soften. Trust begins to grow. Conversations open. People who felt invisible begin to sense that God has not forgotten them.
We do not force the Gospel. We live it. And as relationships form, the message of Yeshua is shared with gentleness and respect. The altar is not rebuilt through noise, but through faithful love.
Dear friends, thank you for helping us keep these doors open. Because of your prayers and support, there is a place in Haifa where a Jewish woman and an Arab woman can stand together and say, “This warms the heart.” That is not a small testimony in our region.
Please continue to pray with us:
- Pray for Yasmin and Areen — for protection, stability, and a path off the streets.
- Pray for wisdom as we serve the homeless and vulnerable in Haifa.
- Pray that every act of compassion would open hearts to the love of Yeshua.
- Pray for partners and support as we serve both Jewish and Arab Israelis through our new Haifa humanitarian aid center.
We are grateful for you. You are part of every meal served, every pair of shoes given, every word of encouragement spoken. May the Lord bless you as you bless others.
With love and gratitude,
Pastor Saleem