• Writings of Young Ministers Serving in the Field –
  (The names of local friends are not their real names.)

Shortly after arriving in this land, I met Lina, a teenage girl who loves dancing and is skilled at it, even performing K-pop dances. She originally lived in Russia before moving to another country. Lina has had a difficult relationship with her father, who has been married three times, with children from each of his marriages. Currently, he is not living with Lina and her mother, so it’s just the two of them.

In the schools here, they teach that the name of Yeshua must be forgotten forever, referring to Him as “Yeshu.” They even alter the symbol for a plus sign or lowercase “t” because they resemble the cross. Because of this, despite receiving a cross necklace as a gift—since her mother grew up in a Christian background—Lina said she couldn’t wear it, fearing that it might lead to bullying or disadvantages. To teenagers like Lina, the name of Jesus is one of shame and something to be forgotten.

Around last March, by God’s grace, Lina began attending Shabbat services and took steps toward knowing Jesus and God. Though her mother is a Christian and Lina knew about God, she hadn’t grown up in church, leaving many things unclear to her. Through this time, she began resolving some of her misunderstandings about the gospel and participated in a program where she experienced the Holy Spirit more deeply. She began to share her story, confessing that she wanted to believe in Jesus through me and my friends. She expressed a desire to read the Bible and pray. However, she suddenly cut off contact for about two months. During that time, her phone was lost, and all her information was erased, making it impossible to reach her. In those months, she struggled with academic stress and even fell into depression.

By a miracle, we reconnected, and we spent a wonderful time together. I was also able to finally give her a Bible, something I had really wanted to do. I am hopeful for her future and how she will grow. But soon after, she again cut off contact. I tried every possible way to reach her, but it was to no avail. I felt deeply discouraged by the ongoing challenges.

Through these times, I’ve realized how much the forces of darkness hate to see even one teenager in this land return to Jesus and grow. I have seen firsthand the intense spiritual warfare at play and the desperate need for prayer for these young people.

God spoke these words to Hosea:
“Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.” (Hosea 3:5)

In the center of our city, night after night, teenagers gather to drink and smoke. Many, like Lina, come from broken homes, unable to remember the name of Jesus and wandering without hope. But God never gives up on them. He is seeking those who will worship Him with the heart of a child. In the end, the youth of this land will come to fear and revere God. Hallelujah!

Dani, who was a high school student, also started attending Shabbat services. Dani came to this land as a young child from Ukraine. When he was little, his whole family attended church and was devout. However, one day his father was greatly disillusioned by the moral failure of a pastor, leading Dani to drift away from the church as well.

While living this way, Dani was invited to a friend’s event, and through a friend he met there, he started attending worship gatherings. Slowly but surely, he began to draw closer to God, whom he thought was too far away to approach again. He began coming regularly to Shabbat meetings and attended several youth camps. Now, with joy in his heart, he even participates in praise busking and sings praises with gladness. Hallelujah!

Here’s a confession Dani made after witnessing the war in this land:

“These hardships are exactly the kinds of difficulties the Lord already spoke about in the Bible. We don’t need to feel stressed or afraid because we are the light of the world. We are the ones who must preach the gospel and lead many to the name of Christ. If we crumble under the pressure of war, how will those who haven’t heard the gospel repent? This is our mission and a trial of our faith. We need to be more steadfast and awake than ever before.”

Amen! I believe the Lord is raising up young people like Dani in this land. Please continue to pray for the youth of this land, including Dani and Lina.