February 2026

The Chosen People Newsletter

Recently, an Orthodox Jewish woman, Vanya,* came to a Sabbath dinner hosted by our ministry. She had attended a church with one of our staff members and was miraculously touched by the Spirit. She did not fully understand it all, but she knew that Jesus was real and calling her to Himself, despite her feeling unworthy. Our staff members were in awe. It led to an extended period of spiritual counseling, during which one of our missionaries shared how Jesus suffered and died for us to atone for our sins.

After expressing sadness that she could not remain Jewish, one of our staff responded, “Why can’t you be a Jewish believer in Jesus?” She said, “Don’t I have to be Catholic or something?” Smiling, our staff said, “Why should you have to become something else? Jesus is Jewish.” She exclaimed, “Jesus is Jewish?!” Our staff told her, “Yes, Jesus is Jewish; He is our Messiah.” In that moment, she and everyone else in the room began to tear up. Pray for Vanya. Pray also that our growing outreach to the Jewish community in Manhattan will be effective.

*Name changed

Since 2022, more than 3,000 young Israelis have passed through Chosen People Ministries’ guesthouse in Tokyo, Japan. They come as travelers—often at the beginning or end of their journey in Japan—and many stay for several days. Through our team there, many leave touched by God’s love. We often pray that the seeds of the gospel planted in their hearts will bear the fruit of salvation and spread throughout Israel when they return to their homes, families, and friends.

One special prayer request is for a young Israeli, Daniel.* His family moved to Israel from Russia in the 1990s when he was a child. During his army service, he began practicing Orthodox Judaism—keeping the Sabbath, eating kosher, praying daily—yet he felt no living connection with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He longed for a real encounter with the Creator, not simply repeating the same prayers day after day. As he gradually stepped away from religious practice, he began exploring Jewish mysticism, Buddhism, and Japanese philosophy, which eventually led him to Japan, where he enrolled in a language school.

In Tokyo, Daniel came across one of our staff’s Instagram pages and saw testimonies, teachings, and our ministry to Israelis in Japan. Although he knew little about the New Testament, what our staff shared deeply touched his heart. Daniel reached out to our Japan staff on his own and asked to attend an evangelistic evening for the Israeli community in Tokyo. For the first time in his life, Daniel heard how Yeshua (Jesus) is connected to the Hebrew Scriptures. After a long conversation, our staff gave him a New Testament. Soon afterward, he told a missionary that he had already begun reading the Gospel of Matthew. Please pray for Daniel to encounter Jesus in the Scriptures and entrust his life to Him!

*Name changed

One of our staff members who ministers in Israel and New Zealand set out with twenty Israelis into the Israeli desert for five days of camping, climbing, worship, and conversations about God. Many of the Israelis who came on the trip had stayed at our ministry’s hostel.

As they began climbing the first morning, our staff member encountered three religious Israelis who were spending a week backpacking in the desert. She told them what the group was doing, and they were keen to join for the day. Our group was able to share the gospel with them and also tell them about the hosting network of Christians around the world who love Israel and want to bless them. They were so excited to hear about it. It is amazing how even religious Israelis are excited about Chosen People Ministries’ hosting network even though they know it will be Christians hosting them! That same morning, our staff member met another young man with a backpack full of climbing gear. He also joined the group, not just for the day but for the entire week, and he heard the gospel as well!

God is a wonderful connector! Please pray for the three religious Israelis and for the climber who joined for the week. Pray that God would continue to reveal Himself to them and change their hearts to fall in love with Jesus.

During a short staff retreat in Cyprus, Greece, (a very large island often frequented by Israelis), a few of our staff members connected with some other Israelis traveling through Greece. A staff couple rode together through the forest in a jeep with a psychologist who discussed her work with Israeli youth and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). They talked about the pain and trauma of the war, and how it had affected everyone. The psychologist spoke of her own unhappiness living in Israel. She even asked, “Why come to live in Israel, when you could live in America?” Our staff spoke to her about their faith in the Bible, how God protected His people in their homeland, how He has a plan, and how He wants people to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Please pray for Sarah* and discouraged Israelis like her.

Our staff also noticed other Israelis in Cyprus were afraid to speak Hebrew or openly wear Jewish symbols. How sad that so many countries have become a hostile place for Jewish/Israeli travelers! The Hamas war has unmasked anti-Israel sentiments as antisemitism. The same enemies who attack the State of Israel also attack local Jewish people abroad, whether they associate with Israel or not. This hatred shows the prevailing evil spirit of the age—which Christians should resist (Ephesians 2:1–3). Please pray for the protection of Jewish people everywhere.

*Name changed