The Friends of Israel in Action Sep/Oct 2026
The Gospel Door God Surprisingly Opened
Earlier this year, Cameron Joyner, The Friends of Israel’s (FOI’s) assistant director of Ministry Mobilization, met his Israeli friend Moti for lunch. The two were squeezing the visit into their busy schedules before Cameron left for Israel on FOI’s annual Hesed volunteer trip. That lunch felt like a last-minute door the Lord opened.
Over the years, Moti and Cameron have developed a genuine friendship. Moti knows his friend loves Israel and the Jewish people, and he has seen that love expressed both through Cameron’s words and through FOI’s compassionate ministry. Like many Israelis, Moti has been stirred by the depth of Christian love for Israel in a time when antisemitism is flourishing.
The men’s friendship has created space for many deep but difficult conversations about Jesus, the gospel, and God’s plan for the Jewish people. Moti is thoughtful, sharp, and deeply Jewish. He has serious objections to Christianity. Many times, when Cameron begins to explain something from the New Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), Moti quickly shifts into debate mode, preparing his rebuttal while his friend speaks. But this time was different.
During lunch, they talked about Israel being not only a nation surrounded by enemies, but also a scattered people facing hostility around the world. They discussed the antisemitic rhetoric and faulty theological teachings (such as Replacement Theology) that many social media influencers are spreading. Through this conversation, God was opening a door for Cameron to reach his friend.
Moti asked Cameron how he could believe in Jesus and still support Israel. He had asked that question before. But this time, he really wanted to understand the answer.
For 40 minutes, Cameron walked him through God’s plan for Israel and believers in Jesus. He explained that the church does not replace Israel and that God’s promises to the Jewish people have not been canceled. He taught Moti that the church is made up of both Jews and Gentiles, not by erasing Jewish identity, but by bringing the nations into the blessing God promised through Israel. He talked about the Hebrew Scriptures, the covenants, and the hope of Israel. And most importantly, Cameron explained Jesus’ sacrificial death that atones for our sin.
Moti did not merely hear the words. He listened. He contemplated. He asked thoughtful questions. He was not trying to win an argument. He was trying to understand. By the end of the conversation, Moti acknowledged something Cameron has been telling him for years: The New Testament aligns far more closely with his Hebrew Scriptures than he had realized.
Moti has not yet embraced Jesus as Messiah. But this breakthrough was big. The apostle Paul wrote that a veil remains over the hearts of the Jewish people when Moses is read (2 Cor. 3:15), and only the Lord can lift that veil. How He does so is a mystery, but how He uses us as messengers is a great blessing.
The Lord is doing something in Moti’s life. Please pray for him and all the Jewish friends to whom our staff lovingly ministers.
You can support Cameron and other representatives serving in North American Ministries. Thank you for your prayers and financial support!
‘Enemies’ United in Christ
On a tranquil farm outside Warsaw, Poland, surrounded by open fields, forest paths, and the sounds of animals, a group of Jewish and Christian guests gathered for a conference hosted by a team of FOI workers from Central and Eastern Europe. Theirs was an unlikely gathering, as these believers in Messiah came from Belarus, Israel, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. There, amidst the peaceful setting of a farm, with morning light streaming down, believers from countries that are enemies gathered to pray for one another.
FOI’s teams in Central and Eastern Europe regularly host Holidays With the Bible retreats for believers living under the daily tensions and uncertainties shaped by war. These getaways provide a place of refuge and spiritual refreshment. For several days, guests sit side by side at long wooden tables to share meals, open the Scriptures together, walk through the fields, and spend time with God.
During a recent retreat, the morning times of corporate prayer felt particularly poignant. Participants from Belarus stood and prayed openly for peace and protection over Ukraine, despite the two countries’ hostilities. Some in the group have family members directly affected by the war. Tears flowed freely as political borders and national tensions seemed to fade. All that remained were believers expressing love for one another in Christ.
Such unity did not materialize by accident. It is the fruit of decades of consistent ministry among Jewish and Christian communities in these countries, even during war.
One pastor from Grodno, Belarus, exemplifies this cross-cultural cooperation. He is an ethnically Jewish believer in Jesus whose country is a close ally of and client state for the Russian government. For more than a decade, FOI teams have partnered with him in outreach to the Jewish community in Grodno. His presence illustrates the faithful friendship that has been forged by our teams’ work in both Jewish communities and churches in Eastern Europe.
One participant from Israel reflected, “We come from countries that do not trust one another. But when we open the Bible together, we are no longer Russians or Ukrainians or Israelis. We are simply people listening to God.” Others shared that this was the first time in many months they experienced truly peaceful sleep without the sound of blaring sirens and fear of missile attacks.
Most importantly, throughout these retreats, God gently works on people’s hearts, as they finally have a space to ask honest questions, find comfort among others who can empathize with their unique wartime struggles, and encourage one another in Christ. For those who recently gathered at the farm, FOI’s retreat created a quiet and powerful place for hearts to heal and experience the unity that only the Messiah can bring.
You can support our Central and Eastern European teams or other FOI ministries around the world. Thank you for your prayers and financial support!
Photos: The Friends of Israel Archives
