Feeding the poor

Feeding the poor

In the Streets of Jerusalem

Locals and those who frequently visit Jerusalem are unaware of the homeless.

A friend of mine makes food packs consisting of bread, cheese of humus, chocolate bar and an item of fruit. you can see the bags we give out in the pictures above.

We carry the food backs in packs on our back. We visit the homeless one by one. Many of them are waiting for us.

Here is a testimony from my friend who has been giving out food for years

Last Monday after finishing food deliveries to the homeless/poor on Jerusalem's downtown streets, I stopped at Noah's sidewalk cafe for a coffee - which is something of a tradition when the food delivery is complete, for us and for volunteers who may help out. As I sat there in the sunshine, a gentleman approached me and said, "Excuse me - you're a Christian, aren't you", his Russian-accented words being more of a statement than a question. (Note: It is illegal for Christians to identify themselves as such, or to mention Jesus/Yeshua, while actually handing out food, as to do so can be deemed proselytising, with the food being the inducement for people to listen. In this case, however, I was no longer handing out food and was simply answering a question.)

"Yes," I answered. This rather well-kept gentleman then said, "I was sure you were. Do you remember me?" he asked, as he removed his sunglasses. "You do look familiar..." I answered, trying to place him. "You and your wife used to feed me and my friends. I was one of the Russian drunks you used to feed in front of the department store on King George Street."

Then I remembered him. About 40 years of age, he was always either intoxicated or passed out on the sidewalk, usually with a bottle of liquor nearby. I hadn't seen him in well over a year, and I had wondered if the booze might have killed him. It was hard to believe this was the same fellow we had known: he was now neatly attired, as clean-cut as a man could look, looking more like a college professor than a drunk: what a transformation!

"What happened to you!" I almost demanded.

"Almost two years ago, I had an unbelievable revelation of Jesus Christ," he said. "All of a sudden I knew that people had been praying for me - you and your wife were probably two of them - but there were many others who had prayed for me, and the Lord made it clear to me that He was answering those prayers. I had nothing to do with any of this - nothing. It was completely Him, as if He grabbed me and said, 'Enough,' and then He started the change."

Yuri, a Russian Jew who made aliyah some time ago, brought his heavy addiction to vodka with him from Moscow. He went on to explain that at the very moment of his amazing revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, he knew his alcoholism was over. He started attending a Russian church - which is also a Christian rehab center - in neighboring Talpiyot, and is being guided in his Christian walk by the church's pastor. I came home and told Lesley about my divine encounter with Yuri, and we spent some time in a prayer of gratitude to the Lord for this almost unbelievable miracle.

I "accidentally" ran into Yuri again two days later. It was wonderful to hear him quoting from the Scriptures as he asked me questions about spiritual warfare. From events he described to me, he has obviously been experiencing some warfare since he invited Christ to be Lord of his life. I was able to gently give him some advice, with a suggestion that he enlist as much prayer as possible at his fellowship.