"Fishers of Men" in Israel (Evangelism Update from Tel Aviv, Haifa, Bat-Yam, Ashdod)

Here is an update from our friends, Dov and Olga.
dovbikas@gmail.com
Tel. +972-54-4997336
P.O.Box 1181
Arad 89110


OUR "FISHING" PRINCIPLES

Dear friends and prayer partners, this time I would like to acquaint you more with our ministry by describing the principles we hold on to based on Luke 5:4-7. At first sight it seems that this biblical passage is only about fishing and the miracle Jesus showed to Simon, but our Lord himself tells us "I will make you fishers of men," doesn't He? I believe we can see several important principles if we reflect upon this passage together.

Our first principle is to follow God's lead. In Luke 5:5-6 we read: " ‘Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.' When they have done so, they caught a large number of fish..." I think this verse teaches us that, sadly, we can spend a lot of time and resources and even try to follow the methods of successful missionaries -- and still all this hard work will be in vain. We understand that we are to be very sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and not to work on our own -- even if it seems to us we have already become "professional fishermen."

"Let down the nets for a catch." We believe that a full time minister who has made evangelism his profession should work with boats and nets like professional fishermen do, and not with a couple of fishing rods. Sometimes, indeed, a certain fish cannot be caught by nets for different reasons and thus requires a personal approach, but that does not mean we should leave our nets and content ourselves with a small number of saved souls.

"...He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water...' " It is our principle to go out into "deep waters" and work among the lost rather than visit a reservoir belonging to other workers who cultivate their fish in it and care for it. Such fish has already been caught. We see the main goal of every evangelizational activity and project in catching as much "wild fish" as possible.

"So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them..." It is our strong conviction that evangelization is a team work. Before Simon even left the shore, there were people who cut down the trees, made the boat, sewed the sails, made the ropes and the nets. Our ministry keeps going not only because we keep walking the streets and holding Bible studies, but because there are those who pray for us regularly, those who support the ministry financially, those who send us Bibles and other Christian literature, those who write and print out the tracts... Simon needed his partners to help him accomplish his goal. That is why we appreciate all your help, prayers and support so much. It is an honor to partner with you in our Master's men-fishing business!

NEWS AND PRAYER REQUESTS

We are grateful to God for the opportunity He gave us to start a new Bible study in Bat-Yam. Now every week we visit Lena -- a former drug addict who attended our Bible studies in Tel-Aviv about two and a half years ago and whom we helped to get into a Christian rehab center. Today she is a believer and free from drugs! She returned to her husband (who completed a secular rehab program in prison) and now they have a four-month-old baby. Lena's husband is very open to the Gospel and very sincere. They are a good couple, though I feel some tension between them because of everything they went through in the past; they both need much attention and spiritual help. Please pray for them.

We praise God for one woman who is attending our Bible studies in Ashdod for parents of drug addicts: last week she invited Jesus into her heart!

Please keep praying for Tanya. She has found a place where she can work a bit, but it is very little money and cannot be called an income yet. Spiritually Tanya is doing well, holding strong and attending a congregation regularly. She has regular Bible studies in her home now -- organized by a leader from this congregation. Besides that, she is getting help from a Christian psychologist and also attends a secular support group for women like herself.

Please keep praying for Tanya's friends from the shelter. Though they suffered so much in the past, they are not bitter, but very open to the Lord. The women have many problems in their lives, and we try to help them when we can. Recently it has become difficult (for different reasons) to gather them together each week for a Bible study. We even had to take a break for several weeks, but then some women started attending again and the Bible studies resumed.

• Recently a new woman started attending these Bible studies. She told us she was only 15 when she was brought to Israel: She thought she would work as a babysitter... She is an orphan and suspects that her own grandfather sold her to the panders. She cried when we prayed together.

• Another woman was born in a believing family and even attended church services till the age of 16. Then she moved from her village to a big city and left the Lord. In the age of 18 she was told she could work as a caretaker of the elderly in Israel... When she got into sexual slavery she started taking sedatives and then drugs. At some point, however, she was able to leave drugs and now she has rededicated her life to God! Sadly, she has got acute hepatitis C and needs serious treatment, but cannot afford it, since her health insurance is very limited.

• Another woman from the shelter told us she grew up in the Asian part of the Soviet Union, in a Muslim family. When she was in her late teens, she saw a similar advertisement the other girls did... She remembers being led from Egypt to Israel through the desert by a group of Bedouin men who held the girls at gunpoint. Finally she was brought to a building -- a "market place" where panders would buy themselves prostitute slaves. Miraculously nobody wanted to buy her for a whole month -- until the police came and arrested the criminals! Then she met and married an Arab guy and gave birth to her twins. The husband left her soon, however, and she also found out he had a couple of other wives...

Please pray for me as almost every day of the week I have a different Bible study to lead, and each of them has its special topics and audience. Often I feel as if I am running a marathon! But it is worth it, since I have an opportunity to share God's word regularly with many people who are not believers yet and who are very open to God. Please pray for God's strength for me.

Thank you for your prayers and support and may God bless you!

Dov and Olga Bikas