We went to Tel Aviv for our first outreach of the year. We went back again on January 11. Going twice, one week apart, helped us see things more clearly. The needs did not change. In some cases, they got worse.
We were joined on the first day by Chuck, a volunteer from the USA who has spent years caring for people on the streets. We walked, stopped, talked, and listened. Nothing was rushed. Most conversations happened simply because we stayed long enough.
We have been working with Achsan for a couple of months now. She made real effort. She cleaned up and managed to get a place in a hostel. She wants to leave the street. But her wheelchair is broken, and now she can hardly move at all. That changes everything. She cannot get away when she feels threatened. She cannot reach the soup kitchen. She is being attacked and is exhausted.
Esther is in a similar situation and also needs a working wheelchair. For both of them, this is not about comfort. It is about safety and access to help.
Marina cried when we gave her a sandwich and a drink. She told us she would love to have teeth again so she could chew her food properly. That moment stayed with us. It was such a basic wish, yet completely out of reach for her right now. She showed us an old photo of herself from seven years ago. The contrast was painful. She is losing hope, and that is what worries us most.
Alex told us he wants to come off methadone. He knows his life cannot stay the same, but he needs support and encouragement to take the next step. Others we met were more shut down. Christiana feels hopeless. Fatma has accepted a sad life because expecting change feels too risky. Some people asked us to pray. Some asked for food. One man refused food and said he only wanted love.
On January 11, we used Aviv Ministries’ soup kitchen for the first time. The days before were full. We bought large pots and ladles in the rain, gathered ingredients, and prepared food for hours. Early Sunday morning, we carried heavy pots up stairs, loaded the car, and drove to Tel Aviv. By 10:00, the food was heating. Tables were set. Coffee was ready. Before 11:00, the first person arrived, hungry and waiting.
People were grateful for a hot meal and a place to sit. It mattered more than we can put into words.
But the limits were obvious. There were only three of us. That meant very little time to sit and talk. Very little time to listen properly. And no time at all to reach people who could not come to us. This is why volunteers matter so much. Without enough people, those who are stuck or immobile are simply left out.
Another hard reality is rehab. Several people want help, but Christian rehabs require withdrawal before acceptance. That costs money. Without support, people who are ready to change stay trapped.
These two outreaches were not dramatic. They were honest. We saw effort, failure, courage, and fatigue all at once. We also saw how close some people are to stepping away from the street, and how small obstacles can stop everything.
That is why we keep going back.
Prayer Requests
• Funds for the soup kitchen, around NIS 600 per week
• Wheelchairs for Achsan and Esther
• Volunteers. We need at least 5–7 people, including intercessors. Without enough volunteers, we cannot reach those who cannot get to the soup kitchen
• Intercessors to join us in the prayer room at the centre
• Funds to help people through withdrawal before rehab, around NIS 600 per person
• Vehicle fuel, insurance, and maintenance
• Prayer for female rehabs, as there are very few
• Achsan urgently needs to come off the street. She is vulnerable, regularly attacked, her wheelchair is broken, and she is losing hope and faith
Thank you for standing with us through prayer, support, and practical help. It makes this work possible week by week.
“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?”
James 2:15–16
