Warmth Before Winter
A warm welcome can arrive in a bowl, but sometimes it comes in a box. Earlier this week, Ruth’s Choice sent us 59 boxes of clothing from the Netherlands to share with people in need. Inside were jackets, deodorant, socks, underwear, trousers, shirts, jerseys, scarves and beanies for women and men.
For someone living on the streets, these everyday items can be difficult to obtain and even harder to replace. With winter approaching, a warm jacket and clean clothing are welcome gifts.
We are deeply grateful to Ruth’s Choice for this generous gift. We have been noting people’s sizes and plan to prepare individual parcels, so each person can receive items suited to their needs. These practical essentials will bring real help and comfort as colder weather approaches.
We hope to begin preparing the parcels soon. Taking the time to find the right sizes is a small but meaningful part of caring for each person. Behind every parcel is someone we have met, spoken with and want to help.
A Busy Morning and a Pot of Chicken Soup
That same care continued today at the Tel Aviv Soup Kitchen.
With winter approaching and many people dealing with colds, we prepared a hearty chicken soup filled with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, baby marrows, corn and cauliflower.
It proved popular. Throughout the busy morning, we stretched the soup two or three times as people continued coming for a meal. Each time, it went quickly.
Preparing and serving food takes patient, steady work. There are ingredients to prepare, meals to serve and people to welcome. We are grateful for our volunteers, who give their time to these ordinary tasks while a busy morning unfolds around them.
Alongside the food, there is time to listen. Someone may want a conversation, someone may need practical help, and someone may ask for prayer. Through these conversations, we learn people’s names and begin to understand their stories. Remembering a name and using it when someone returns is a simple way to help them feel seen and welcomed. These moments also help us understand what each person is facing and how we might support them.
For us, this care grows out of our faith in Jesus Christ. We want the people we meet to experience His compassion through the way we welcome them, speak with them and respond to their needs.
Natalie Asked Everyone to Pray
One of today’s meaningful moments began with Natalie asking for prayer.
She wanted all of us to join her.
Colette, a visiting volunteer from France who has lived in Jordan for thirteen years, had been speaking with her. When Colette switched from English to French, Natalie became calmer. We then prayed with her in French, Afrikaans and Arabic.
In the middle of a busy day, we paused together to bring Natalie’s needs before God. We came from different backgrounds and spoke different languages, but we shared the same hope: that she would know His love and find help in Him.
We do not always know what will follow a conversation or a prayer. Much of our work involves meeting people again, listening again and continuing to care when change takes time. We can pray faithfully, offer the help available to us and trust God with what we cannot yet see.
Please remember Natalie in your prayers. Ask the Lord to draw her close to Himself and surround her with people who will care for her well.
Hope for the Next Step
Another conversation today concerned rehabilitation. Yosef asked Elias for help getting into rehab.
Asking for that help is a significant step, and following through can be difficult. We are praying that he will have the courage to continue and that the right support will be available to him.
Please also pray with us for Benjamin, who is currently in rehabilitation. Pray for his salvation, for growth in his understanding of God’s Word, and for patient conversations that help him work through his questions. Recovery involves many needs, and we ask the Lord to give wisdom and understanding to everyone supporting him.
Some people we know have not been seen for several weeks. We notice when they are missing, and we wonder how they are doing. Please pray for their safety and for opportunities for us to reconnect with them and offer help.
Praying for a Safe Place
Visitors from Ireland also joined Elias in the prayer room today. Together, they prayed about our desire to establish a safe house, especially for women, with the hope of extending support to men in time.
This remains a vision in development. We have questions to work through and practical needs to consider. We are asking God for guidance, provision and the right people to help us move forward.
The need for a safe place becomes personal when we know the people who might need it. Our conversations at the soup kitchen and on the streets continue to shape our prayers and hopes for the future.
Please pray with us for wisdom as we consider what this could look like and how we can best serve those who need it.
Exploring Medical Support Together
We have also made contact with Street Medicine Tel Aviv, an organization founded by social worker Ronnie Lee.
Its team includes around sixty volunteer doctors and nurses who provide care on the streets of Tel Aviv on Monday nights and Wednesday mornings. Their work includes wound care and access to some medications.
We are exploring how we might work together. These conversations are still at an early stage, but we hope closer cooperation could help us connect people with medical care they need.
As we spend time with people, we become more aware of needs we cannot meet on our own. We are thankful for opportunities to build relationships with others who can offer help.
Please pray for wisdom as these discussions continue and for good relationships between those of us serving the same community.
Thank You for Helping Us Care
We are thankful to Petra, Colette, Todd, Tom, Angie, Indy and everyone who helped today. Each person brought something valuable, whether through preparing food, serving, speaking with visitors or praying alongside them.
We also thank Ruth’s Choice once again for the generous clothing donation. Long before a parcel reaches someone’s hands, others have given their time, resources and attention to make it possible. We are grateful to everyone who has helped us care in this practical way.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2
This week, bearing those burdens has taken several forms: receiving boxes of clothing, preparing soup, listening to questions and gathering around someone who asked for prayer.
Please continue to pray with us, that through these ordinary acts of service, people would encounter the love of Jesus and find help for the days ahead.
If you feel led to support our ministry, we would be grateful for your gift. Your generosity helps us continue sharing meals, practical care and the love of Jesus with people in need. You can give through our donation page.