Some journeys to faith begin with questions. Others begin in moments when life feels fragile and uncertain. Very often, people do not come to faith because they were persuaded by words, but because they encountered love at a time when they had little strength left. Marina’s journey is one of those stories.
For a time, Marina and Alex’s world was narrowed to the confines of hospital rooms and treatments enduring long days and long nights. Alex was a believer when he was diagnosed with cancer and Marina was an observer in anything related to his faith. She knew he had faith but just wasn’t wanting that for herself. Our follow-up ministry team walked this journey with him during a season that was marked by fear, pain and uncertainty. This eventually led to her journey with the Lord.
Persistent Pain
Marina was initially disinterested in matters of faith during this difficult season, but our team kept ministering to Alex. She would watch from a distance and see something she had never witnessed before – people who would not shrink back in the face of a heavy situation. When Alex later went to be with the Lord, our team did not disappear. They were there, at the funeral, standing with the family. It was in this place of grief that they actually encountered Marina personally for the very first time. Even though she wasn’t seeking explanations or theological answers, she appreciated our ministry’s follow-up team walking alongside her now as she tried to find her footing in a life that had so suddenly and drastically changed.
Consistent Presence
What she encountered was not preaching or pressure, but presence. The same people who had walked with her husband through a difficult journey were now doing the same through her painful journey of loss. The team stayed connected with her, checked in, and continued to care in quiet, practical, and compassionate ways. This consistency – the fact that people remained present even after her husband had passed – left a deep impression on her heart. The bottom line – they cared about her, too!
Scripture tells us that
“the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”
Psalm 34:18
For Marina, that truth was first encountered not as a verse on a page, but as a lived reality through the faithfulness of people who reflected God’s love. He had worked on her heart through this consistent presence, and she was ready to take a step she never imagined she would take. She joined one of our discipleship courses, a place she could come with her questions, uncertainty and even a guarded heart. The class became a place where she could explore faith honestly and safely. Marina found community in this as she was not alone searching and seeking. Others had questions, too.
Infallible Faith
After the discipleship course was over, Marina joined one of our home groups. This smaller community gave her a space to share how God had worked in her life from the follow-up team’s care to the present. Her faith grew stronger with each decision she made in her involvement with our ministry, and today she considers herself a follower of Yeshua. Praise the Lord!
Marina’s journey from deep grief to deep faith is a perfect example of how God works through VOJI. You play a vital role when you partner with us. Our follow-up teams, discipleship courses, and home groups illustrate a beautiful journey in faith for so many. Your investment in our ministry gives us the resources and opportunities to continue connecting with Israelis just like Marina. Thank you will never be enough. Your partnership changes lives in Israel daily!
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6