Sometimes the greatest encouragement in ministry comes through the simplest moments. Marina has been coming regularly to our Humanitarian Aid Center in Haifa, and when she returned recently, she walked in with the biggest smile. As she received the assistance she needed, she wanted to share a few words with us:
“I’m so happy to be back with you again. Thank you so much for helping me and for always welcoming me. I’m very grateful, and I’ll see you again soon.”
There was one part of what she said that especially touched my heart: “I’m so happy to be back with you.” Not simply thank you for the food or thank you for the help. She was happy to come back. And that tells us something beautiful about what has grown between these walls. Marina knows she is not simply a name on a list or another person coming for assistance. She knows there are people here who recognize her, care about her, and are genuinely glad to see her again.
This is what we pray our humanitarian ministry will always be.
Of course, the practical help matters enormously. Jewish and Arab Israelis come through our doors carrying very real financial burdens, and sometimes a bag of food, clothing, or other basic necessities can bring much-needed relief. Our assistance is always given freely according to need, regardless of a person’s faith or background. But we never want our ministry to end with what we can place into someone’s hands. We want every person who comes to us to leave knowing that they were seen, treated with dignity, and received with genuine love.
And when people like Marina return month after month, something begins to grow. We learn their names. We hear about their families. We ask how they have been since the last time we saw them. Conversations become relationships, and relationships create trust. What may have begun because someone needed practical assistance can slowly become something much more personal—a place where they know they are welcome.
For me, this is especially precious because we are here in Israel.
Jewish and Arab communities can live very close to one another and yet sometimes feel very far apart. But inside our humanitarian center, both come through the same doors. Both receive the same welcome. Both sit with us, talk with us, and are treated with the same dignity and love. This is how bridges are built. Not always through something big or dramatic, but through ordinary encounters repeated over time—a bag of food, a conversation, someone remembering your name, a door that continues to open when you return.
But for us, this is much more than humanitarian work. Our faith in Yeshua is the reason we serve. Scripture tells us,
“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth”
1 John 3:18
We want His love to become something people can experience. When someone is hungry, we want to help. When someone is carrying a heavy burden, we want to come alongside them. When people from different communities enter the same place, we want them to encounter an atmosphere of peace, respect, and kindness. Our prayer is that through all of this, they will experience something of the heart of Yeshua—not only through what we say, but through the way we love them.
That is why Marina’s smile meant so much to me.
It was a small moment, but it reminded me again that what God is doing through this ministry goes far beyond the things we distribute. He is giving us opportunities to place hope into hearts, build trust between people, and quietly break down barriers through love. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Sometimes that light shines through moments so ordinary that we could almost miss their significance.
And I want you to know that you are part of these moments too. You may not be standing beside us when Marina walks through the door, but your prayers and partnership help keep that door open. They help make it possible for practical needs to be met, relationships to grow, and people like Marina to know there is a place where they will be welcomed with dignity and care.
Sometimes the fruit of ministry looks very simple. This time, it looked like Marina coming back through our doors with a big smile and saying, “I’m so happy to be back with you.”
And that is something worth thanking God for.