The horrific events of October 7, 2023, left Adi enraged, depressed, and hopeless. Israeli but raised in Australia, Adi volunteered to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a young adult because of her deep love for her Jewish people. After her military service, she returned to Australia where she married and had children.

When the war broke out, she wanted to rejoin the IDF, but she now had small children to consider. The surging antisemitism she saw around her not only enraged her but also made her want to cut out every Gentile from her life. She became filled with hate.

‘I was in a dark place, and I needed a miracle to make me want to live again.’

“I was in a dark place, and I needed a miracle to make me want to live again. I prayed, ‘Please God, if only for the sake of my children.’”

It wasn’t long before God answered. “One day, I was feeling down and lonely, and I heard a voice say, ‘Come, and I’ll give you peace,’” Adi says. Somehow, she knew it was Jesus.

Adi had heard that there were Jewish people who believed in Jesus, so she did a Google search and found Jews for Jesus. She phoned the Australia office, and Rebekah put her in touch with a nearby Messianic congregation run by a partner ministry.

When Adi attended that congregation, she knew that it was just what she had been looking for. The more she attended, the more she was convinced that Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah!

Since then, Adi’s mental health has been better than ever, and her husband has also received Messiah’s gift of salvation. Glory to God!

Growing up, Adi describes her experiences with God as confusing: “We celebrated all the chagim (Jewish holidays), and at every Shabbat dinner, we lit the candles and said the prayers. We recited the words, ‘Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe,’ yet we were taught not to believe in God.”

‘In that moment, I knew God really existed.’

Despite that, Adi had always longed for a relationship with God. At 18, she had a spiritual experience at the Kotel (the Western Wall, but also known as the Wailing Wall since it is one of the last remaining walls of the Jewish Temple) in Jerusalem. “In that moment, I knew God really existed. It was so beautiful; it made me cry. I think this was one of the reasons I lived there for six years and completed my army service with the IDF. I felt the need to give back to my country.”

It was still a long way off before she found peace in Messiah. “I searched everywhere! I associated with Christians who loved and followed Jesus, but I wanted someone who I, as a Jew, could follow. I searched Buddhism, Hinduism, Scientology, Islam, Taoism, and New Age spirituality. I delved into their teachings, and I even worshiped their idols. No matter how much I tried to find peace in my long battle with OCD, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and fear, I just couldn’t find anything to believe in that gave me hope.”

Praise God for the local congregation that helped bring the hope of Messiah to Adi. We’re so grateful for the relationships we are cultivating with partner ministries who walk alongside us in reaching Jewish people like Adi—people searching for truth, even in places where we don’t have a physical presence. Together, hand in hand, we are extending Yeshua’s love beyond borders, ensuring that no Jewish seeker has to walk their journey alone.

Please keep Adi in your prayers, that as she continues to grow in Messiah’s love, her testimony will reach many of her Jewish people. Please pray that those who are locked in the darkness of hate and depression may also find healing and peace in Yeshua. And finally, pray that the Lord will connect us with many more effective partnerships in the work of bringing the gospel to our Jewish people around the world!