Pastor Kostia Tsivin with Beit Hallel Congregation says several new arrivals today are immigrating to escape rising antisemitism in the West. When they get to Israel, many come with very little.

(Photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

“Of course, it’s a very difficult period of time because a lot of people left everything – houses, businesses, families,” says Tsivin.

“They need to begin from the very beginning, from zero…. It’s a different culture, it’s a different country, everything is different.”

Messianic believers at Beit Hallel Congregation are serving immigrants with food, clothing, and even bomb shelter supplies like mattresses and pillows.

Tsivin says, “We help to organize and manage bomb shelters so that they will be more ‘cozy’ – if we can use such a word for a bomb shelter – because sometimes we have three or four sirens during the night. Of course, you just sleep in the bomb shelter because you can’t go back and forth from your apartment to the bomb shelter. You just sleep there. So you need a lot of stuff there.”

Relief supplies distributed by Beit Hallel Congregation. (Photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

Although immigrants in Israel face many new challenges, Tsivin says they’re also hearing Gospel hope.

“We have a lot of people, mothers with kids, and it’s difficult for them to go to a shop because you never know when the siren will be and where you will hide…. So we try to help and provide them with food and help with this,” he says.

“We just do whatever we can do right now…and of course, we encourage people. We pray for them. We encourage them with the Word of God.”

You can support Gospel ministry with Beit Hallel Congregation at beithallel-israel.org.

Header photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation.

Flares of fighting continued this week, with Hezbollah drone attacks and Israeli strikes along the border.

Eric Mock with the Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) says, “People in northern Israel are constantly in fear. Some are not able to go to jobs, maybe some of the jobs have stopped, and they’re in great need.”

(Photo courtesy of SGA)

Amid the uncertainty, SGA supports Russian-speaking churches in Israel that are encouraging people with tangible aid and Jesus’ love.

“About 20% of the population of Israel are Russian-speaking and Russian-speaking immigrants,” says Mock. “We work with a network of Russian-speaking Bible-teaching churches who are reaching their own. These are Russian-speaking immigrants, primarily from Ukraine and Russia…. Imagine a people that are even today considered somewhat Samaritans, and they are faithfully ministering with the Gospel.”

Mock says ministry efforts offer tangible relief and Gospel hope. “In these difficult times, people are looking for answers. SGA has been able to…support these faithful servants and their churches [with] resources for taking food to those people who are displaced, who are struggling in the middle of the rocket fire in the north.”

(Photo courtesy of SGA)

Through SGA’s Israel Relief fund, local pastors receive support to continue their work.

“By supporting this, you’re not just handing food to people,” says Mock. “These people are hearing the Gospel. These people are hearing a message of hope that will be unshakable.”

Header photo: Israel-Lebanon border. (Photo courtesy of Eternalsleeper | Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9439853)

Mock says the villages he went to were covered in craters from rocket and drone fire, and roughly half the homes were destroyed.

Nowhere to Go

(Photo courtesy of SGA)

“I encountered…an entire facility that was built underground with the capacity to teach over 500 children in an elementary school. The city administration headquarters, everything was underground, under reinforced concrete – in other words, like a bunker. This was their life,” Mock says.

“You may ask, ‘Why would anyone live there?’ Well, simply, the people that are there have nowhere to go. A majority are either elderly or single moms with children, and they literally have nowhere to go.”

Mock describes visiting one church building that expected maybe 30 people to show up. The room was instead filled with 70 Ukrainian grandmothers, all hoping to get some food and basic medications.

(Photo courtesy of SGA)

He says the elderly women “came up to me just flooded with tears, saying, ‘Please, thank the people. We are so hungry and in so much pain.’ They didn’t have simple medicines like Advil or Tylenol,…or simple foods to make it through the day. They were desperate.

“They wanted to know why. Why would someone help people that seem to feel there was no help? I said, ‘It’s because of God’s grace upon us. Nothing we have was not meant to be shared. But ultimately, it’s about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.'”

Monster Trucks and the Heart of a Child

When Mock left for Ukraine, he wasn’t just bringing supplies from SGA. His young grandson, Asher, also sent his favorite toy monster truck to be gifted to a child in Ukraine. Then, while Mock was distributing aid, he met a toddler named Danil.

Eric Mock giving Danil the toy monster truck. (Photo courtesy of SGA)

“He’s standing there dirty, and you could hear the explosions in the background, and you see the difficulty of his living. I knelt down and handed him this monster truck. He looked at me for a second in pure shock. But…in the midst of everything, he literally dropped down in the dirt, making engine sounds, and started playing with his truck in the dirt.”

Mock says, “He didn’t care about all the circumstances. He didn’t know what would come tomorrow. He just knew in that moment that he had been given a gift, and he wanted to have all of the gift and experience it. May we, too, be the same way with our Heavenly Father when He gives us these good gifts.”

Ask God to uplift Ukrainians’ hearts like young Danil.

“Do not lose sight of the needs that are there,” Mock urges. “The need is overwhelming in Ukraine…. The lives they live over there are stunningly difficult.”

You can support SGA’s relief efforts in Ukraine at their website.

He asks, “Pray that they would be faithful in the middle of these difficult times, and their witness would lead us in whatever we face to be faithful.”

Header photo courtesy of SGA.

“It’s the women, it’s the children, it’s the men, it’s across the nation because the men are the ones going to war – there’s just devastation,” he says. 

Wesley and his team recently visited partners in South Sudan to encourage, teach, and provide trauma counseling. He says touching down in the capital city of Juba didn’t raise immediate societal alarms. But when he spoke with people: 

“All they would talk to you about was the fact that civil war is looming and that they don’t want it to come,” he says. 

Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled to establish national unity, with skirmishes involving both ethnic and religious groups within the country and neighboring countries outside it. Furthermore, Wesley says corruption complicates a worsening situation. 

“Here’s the heartbreaking thing: aid is trying to come into the country, and it’s being robbed.”

He says International Aid Agencies are working to help where they can. 

“Now they’re considering air dropping things to the needy people – to the camps – but it costs 17 times more to do it that way. And yet, if you don’t, what is that going to look like?” Wesley asks. 

Yet against this heartbreaking reality stands another one: hope found in the doors of unassuming church

South Sudan flag. Courtesy of Aboodi Vesakaran via Unsplash. Header image courtesy of Speak Media Uganda via Pexels.

buildings and the hearts of humble Jesus-followers. In his experience of congregational worship, Wesley says the people’s joy and exuberance were unmatched. 

“I was overwhelmed. They have tapped into the reality that God is their strength in the midst of this hardship,” he says. 

And the substance of their supplication is clear. 

“The number one prayer is peace,” Wesley says. 

Without peace, war will continue to impede almost every kind of progress: economic, societal, educational. Please pray that spiritual progress would be the exception, and that God’s Word would go out with more force and power than any earthly weapon being wielded. 

“If there’s any believer out there who’s listening to my voice, and you’re hearing this story about South Sudan, join with us in praying for South Sudan,” Wesley requests. “All of the prognostications are that it’s going to go into civil war, and it’s going to go downhill. But God.” 

Let us pray for the Holy Spirit’s convicting work to transform leadership and the economic landscape in South Sudan. Pray for peace in hearts and peace in this nation, and ask the Lord to do a mighty work in this most difficult place. 

“There’s a great sense of ‘Not this again’ here in Lebanon, because we’re living the same style of war as we did in the fall of 2024, where we have airstrikes every night,” says Pierre Houssney with Horizons International.

People on the streets of Lebanon in fall 2024. (Photo courtesy of Horizons International via Facebook)

Last week, Lebanon appealed to European leaders and the United States to intervene diplomatically as it seeks a solution with Israel, who is bent on neutralizing Hezbollah. More than 800,000 people have been displaced since the latest Israel-Hezbollah hostilities began on March 2, 2026. Schools, streets, and other public spaces across Lebanon have become shelters. 

“The infrastructure that we have available to help those people is really limited,” says Houssney. 

In the chaos, Horizons has a pulse on the real-time needs of 130 partner evangelical churches across Lebanon. With donor support, they are equipping these churches with food, bedding, and more to serve families in need. This opens the way to share the hope of Christ.

“The good side of people losing hope in the things of this world is that they often open their eyes and put their hope in the things of eternity,” says Houssney. 

Yet in the bigger picture of the Middle East conflicts, Houssney is concerned that narratives in politics and media are drawing Christians into division and even hatred for those considered enemies.

“What I’m seeing in the world is one side cheers when bombs go one way, and another side cheers when bombs go the other way,” he says. “When bombs fly in any direction, when people die, whether they are military or civilian, poor or rich, brown or white or whatever color or nationality they are, God’s image is in those people. And His heart is burdened and really angered when that image is marred. So I think it’s a time for a heart check, so that we can align our hearts with God.”

(Photo courtesy of Horizons International)

Please pray for Lebanon, Israel, Iran, and all those caught in or watching the Middle East conflicts unfold. Then, with God’s help, enter your community as a peacemaker. 

“I would encourage every [reader] to be looking at the community that they’re in — talking to the people that are around them and encouraging them toward not taking a side in the political matters, but starting to take a side in the spiritual war,” says Houssney. “Taking a stance on the side of love,  the side of forgiveness, the side of praying for those who persecute you, blessing those who curse you — you know, really loving your enemy. That’s the side that Jesus is on.”

Header photo courtesy of Nathan McBride via Unsplash.

But another headline is unfolding in Cuba — another government hanging in the balance, and a Church preparing for whatever comes next.

Duane Friesen, Vice President of International with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, says these two nations share a defining question.

Vinales, Cuba (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Chen via Unsplash)

“We have two different countries in different parts of the world, but facing the same challenge, and that is: what does their immediate identity look like? Will they face a radical regime change that results in a radical identity change? And…what will be the response of the Christians in those places in the midst of radical change?”

Cuba is currently experiencing shortages of food and medicine, and facing a U.S. fuel blockade. The fuel crisis has led to power outages.

“This trickles down right to every village in the country,” says Friesen. “They are now in a crisis mode. They realize that they will not have power for maybe most of the day. In many cases, they’re only getting one hour of energy to charge whatever they have to supply. But in the midst of that, they’re wrestling through: ‘What will our country look like a year from now?'”

For Cuban believers grappling with economic challenges, Friesen says they still have a supernatural joy that can only come from the Holy Spirit.

“The Church in Cuba has tried to keep a Spirit-filled expression of grace in the midst of difficulty. But the reality is they have so little and continue to have less and less. [They] are in crisis just to get basic supplies of food, basic medicine, [or] be supported at a hospital.”

A makeshift baptism (Photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA)

When Cubans are looking for relief, the ones who often show up with food, medicine, and encouragement are the local Christians.

Friesen says, “I’ve heard where there are networks of a church community given permission out of Havana to supply medical equipment and drugs to support the local hospitals on the outer skirts of the island.

“From the Church perspective, they’re looking at ways to be ready – ready to share what Good News they have, but also ready to be part of the solution, of blessing a nation in its next chapter.”

Please pray for Cubans to find sure footing in Jesus Christ.

Friesen says of Cuban believers, “Their prayer is that the Spirit would work through them to demonstrate what courage looks like in the midst of fear, in the midst of change, and that they would be a beacon of light to see a nation encouraged and brought to an understanding. There’s hope in Christ.”

Header photo: Wonders in graffiti above a woman walking in Havana, Cuba. (Photo courtesy of Emily Crawford via Unsplash)

“Some government relief has gone into the mountains, but there are still people living in tents, and it’s cold. There’s snow in some regions,” says Patrick Anthony with FMI. 

The FMI team partners with a local ministry leader who lives just outside of the earthquake’s impact zone. He and another Christian brother have spent the last few months organizing and carrying out aid distributions to people in remote, hard-to-reach areas. 

But terrain hasn’t been the only difficulty. At one point during an attempted trip, the pastors were stopped from completing their journey by security forces who took issue with their Christian affiliation. 

After finding a workaround, they were able to continue, eventually connecting with locals and passing out used clothing items collected by local churches. The believers were also able to pray with the villagers and begin building relationships. 

“They said they were doing this in the spirit of Christmas,” Anthony says. 

While communities in this region are predominantly Muslim, several parents told ministry leaders they are only Muslim by ritual. When their children asked the visitors, Who is this Messiah? Is he Santa Claus?, the men were able to give a simple overview of the Gospel. 

Please pray for the local ministry leader leading this effort. Anthony says he is encouraged, as “now people want him to return and explain more.”

He and his fellow believers will need to be wise as they seek to do this, since security challenges are common across Morocco. Anthony says Christians there need to be careful to build trust slowly when engaging new people. 

“When they hear of someone who’s interested to learn more about the Gospel, they’ll meet with that person – three times, five times, ten times – before they invite that person to visit their fellowship” Anthony says. “It’s just common across Morocco that people try to infiltrate the church to turn people in and to get pastors and church people arrested.”

Please pray for discernment and open doors as mountain visits continue. 

“It sounds like God has opened up a tremendous door of opportunity for the Gospel in these places where people are still suffering from that earthquake a couple years ago,” Anthony says. 

Pray also for boldness, safety on dangerous Atlas Mountain roads, and wisdom for believers who must answer to authorities. Most of all, pray for the villagers: some who have never heard about Jesus but may now have that chance. 

View of Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Courtesy of Kaur Virunurm via Wikimedia Commons. Header photo: 2023 Earthquake damage; courtesy of Lucyin via Wikimedia Commons.

FMI’s Patrick Anthony says this Christian leader has made several trips into various Muslim-majority communities still recovering from a devastating earthquake two years ago. On one recent visit, he distributed clothing to children in a remote village.

“They said they were doing this in the spirit of Christmas, that it’s because of really Christmas that they were giving these gifts to the kids,” Anthony says. “It was fascinating because the kids didn’t know what Christmas is.”

Children in Morocco. (Photo courtesy of Andrea Nieblas/Unsplash)

The local families in these villages are Muslim “by ritual.” However, they are unfamiliar with Islamic teachings, much less the Christian message of the Gospel.

The ministry leader told them, “God commands us to love all people. It doesn’t matter where we come from. He wants all to receive salvation.”

When he shared the Christmas message of Jesus with kids and their families, they asked him to come back.

Anthony says, “They want to know more about this Jesus. The children asked him, ‘Well, who is this Messiah? Is he Santa Claus?’

“He explained a little bit. But he also has to be careful, especially on his first visit, because there are spies for security forces and things. That’s common in Morocco.”

Even so, interest is growing — and so is opportunity. Trust is forming. Conversations are beginning. The ministry leader hopes to return soon, continuing both aid distribution and deeper discussions about who Jesus is.

An alleyway in Morocco. (Photo courtesy of Mathieu Gauzy/Unsplash)

Anthony urges prayer “for the villagers, people who have never really heard about Jesus. They know nothing about Christmas. Pray for their eyes and ears to be open to the Gospel.”

You can also bless FMI’s ministry with tangible support. “Morocco is one of our partner countries,” Anthony adds. “So funds can be given for Morocco to cover tangible resources, and we can help those ministry leaders purchase some of those relief needs.”

Pray for boldness, protection, and wisdom as ministry leaders reenter these communities. Ask God to use simple Christmas gifts to spark eternal transformation.

Header photo: Mountains in Morocco. (Photo courtesy of Imane/Unsplash)

*Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the Christian ministry partner is supported by FMI. He is not an FMI partner, simply a friend of the ministry.

Nehemiah with FMI says the Taliban-run nation lacks basic infrastructure, including heavy machinery for disaster relief. “Afghan people, they are digging the rubble with their bare hands and trying to find out their loved ones who are buried or who are down in the rubble,” he says. 

Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes, and the mud and wood that many Afghan homes are made of can’t withstand many tremors. Most recently, a 6.0-magnitude quake struck eastern Afghanistan one night in late August, killing more than 2,200 people.

(Photo courtesy of FMI)

Today, survivors of the November 3 quake need tents, food, blankets, and basic medical help, says Nehemiah. Yet Taliban control is another factor that hinders much-needed help.  

“They [the Taliban] do not want [others to] see what’s going on on the ground. So they don’t want any aid from foreign countries,” he says. “There are very, very few non-profit humanitarian organizations who work in Afghanistan, so they have very limited access to these affected areas.”

An August 2025 report from the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction documented how the Taliban diverts U.S. humanitarian aid for its own purposes. That environment presents a challenge for FMI partners, too. 

“This is very, very strange situation,” says Nehemiah. “It’s very difficult sometimes to proclaim the gospel when you don’t have food to eat, when you don’t have [a] place to stay.” 

But FMI partners still point people to Christ. One partner recently visited a family that had no home and was living under the open sky. He was able to give them some aid, and he told them, “This is a gift from your Father.”

“We don’t have a father,” they said, confused.

“Father means Jesus Christ,” the man explained. 

Nehemiah says, “This is very important. Sometimes just a simple sentence, not even sharing [the] gospel, but just a simple word that really encourages these families who are stranded in such situation.”

Please pray for gospel hope to reach survivors. Support FMI’s relief work in Afghanistan with a gift of any amount at this critical time.

“Please pray for them. Come forward, support them, and try to be an echo for these brothers and sisters who are voiceless,” Nehemiah says. 

Header photo: A boy stands by the side of the road in Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of IMB — Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License)

Ukraine has struck at least 21 of Russia’s 38 large oil refineries, leading to fuel shortages. Meanwhile, Russia is targeting Ukraine’s gas infrastructure. Emergency power blackouts have occurred in nearly every region in Ukraine. 

Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association says a partner in Kyiv sent a desperate message last week about one Russian strike. 

“The damage that was done to the electrical facility was so great that the local leaders said, ‘This will not be rebuilt until the war ends,’” Mock reports.

You can imagine what having no light or heat source means for that SGA partner’s household, and others like it.

Heat and Hope outreach provides generators for emergency use (Photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association)

“Last year it was a temperate winter. But this year, we’re hearing that it’s going to turn cold, and it already has become much colder,” Mock says. 

SGA sends resources through an outreach they call Heat and Hope in order to equip local Christians for ministry. To provide generators, they partner with a group called Sunset Solutions. The emergency equipment goes even as far as the front lines of the war — but always through local churches.

“All the food we send over, everything we send over for winter warmth, all of that goes through the local church. Why? [So] that people that are in need would hear — hear from Christians who are showing them love and grace, even in their own fear — of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” says Mock.

Find your place in the story. Learn more about past Heat and Hope outreaches and how to partner with SGA’s work in 2025 on their website. 

“Imagine the people in Ukraine where a light switch doesn’t work, nor a thermostat doesn’t work, who may sleep through the night when it’s 25 degrees in the house, who may have to burn a candle as their only source of light, or use the the light on their cell phone through a soda bottle to generate light to live by, to even read their Bibles by and to stay in touch,” says Mock. 

“Life for them is very difficult. It’s in such time[s] that God’s people gather together to take care of one another.”

Header image: Ukraine, Kyiv (Photo courtesy of Алесь Усцінаў via Pexels)