Stories from the Field

February 2005

Israel – not the only one!

From IMB CompassionNet’s Wednesday Window on the World

Have you ever viewed the movie about Tigger the tiger and his quest to find out if there were other "tiggers" in the world, for he had long believed that "I'm the only one"? Yet he found himself lonely for someone like him. Sometimes we as believers find our walk with Messiah to be a lonely one, even in the midst of multitudes of believers all around us. But can you imagine how you would feel if you really thought you were the only one? This is not an uncommon experience among Jewish believers. One Israeli was saved in Japan and came home, thinking he was the only one in Israel. One elderly believer living in a home for the elderly in a major Israeli city was afraid to reveal his faith in the Messiah, for he felt he was the only one and feared he would be totally ostracized or even lose his living quarters. And then there is a young 16-year-old who recently came to faith reading the New Testament, and believed he was the only one in Israel who believed that Jesus is the Messiah. He was so excited when he overheard another young man in his high school speaking about the Messiah to another classmate. Now this new believer is being discipled by his newly found friend! Please intercede for all new believers in Israel, that they will find other believers in the land with whom they can fellowship and grow in their faith.