Dear Brothers and Sisters,

          Shalom to you in Yeshua -- our Lord and Redeemer. Thank you very much for your faithful help by prayers and

     financial support. Thank you for all your encouragements and partnership with us to proclaim glory of our Lord and Savior

    Yeshua the Messiah. May the God of Israel richly bless you.

          First, I would like to talk about Purim holiday which is going to be celebrated on February 27 (Fast of Esther on

     February 25). How does the Purim connect with the Messiah, with Israel, and all of us? The book of Esther explains this.

     This holiday was important, because on this time God saved Jewish people from total destruction , so  Savior of the world

     could come through the Jewish nation.

           Purim received his name from the Persian word Pur (the lot) whom Aman threw away to find date for the destruction

      of Israel. If not The Lord, Israel would not live. But “He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalms 121:4).

      The Lord himself has the swearing of Amalek and the all of the anti-Semites. “Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord

      will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:16). When Aman, who was a descendant of Amalek,

      lifted his hand to Israel, he lifted it against the God of Israel. Devil used Aman to destroy God’s people so the Messiah

      would never come and God’s plan for salvation would not happen. But the Lord on his almighty used a Jewish girl to

      destroy Aman. Her name was Esther (Hadassah). Ester risked her life to enter before the king and save her people. “My

      maidens and I will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish!”

      (Esther 4:16b) Here we see the high spirit and her love to her people. Powerful Aman was slain by the girl, because who

       raises his hand to Israel that it concerns the pupil of the eye of the God himself. For thus says the Lord of hosts: “After

      the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that touched you touched the apple of his eye."

      (Zechariah 2:8). It is also a warning for all anti-Semites people.

          In January, by the grace of the Lord, we witnessed to more than 150 people. I met 2 young ladies and a young man. I

      witnessed to them, and a young man accepted the Bible. Another two women from a Catholic church also got witnesses

      from me. I had an opportunity to witness to two people from Iran. I had a gospel of John in Persian and a Bible in English.

      Iranians accepted what I had. In the store, I met an American Jewish worker F. After my witness, she accepted from me

      the whole Bible. I also met one man from Germany. When I witnessed to him about Jesus and Israel, he became very

      angry. He said that the world has problems because of Israel. He said that he doesn’t like Jewish people. I recommended

      to him read the Bible and open his heart for the Lord, and also to repent. An Israeli family whom I met in the streets, after

     they learned that I believe in Jesus didn’t want to talk with me. An Orthodox lady to whom I witnessed told me that she only

     wants to go to a Russian Orthodox Church, and she doesn’t want to hear any Gospel from other Christians. She said that

     she trusts in the tradition of the church fathers more than the Bible. Another American Jew whom I stopped asked me how I

      recognized that he is Jewish. But when I told him that Yeshua is the Messiah, the man started to call Jesus bad words.

          In the rehab center, I met and witnessed to more than 15 people. Since I started work as a volunteer chaplain in this

      place one year ago, I met for a first time a Russian speaking Jewish family. The Lord blessed me to witness to them. I also

      met one Italian American woman whom I gave a NT. The woman started to cry. Please pray for her.

          In Strongsville mall, I had an opportunity to meet a couple Israelites. One Israeli A. who speaks Russian, accepted from

      me a NT. Another Israeli D. had a discussion with me for more than 30 minutes. D. told me that it is better to be Muslim

      than Messianic. He said that if his sons would become Messianic Jews, he would kill them immediately. Also he said that I

      would not stay alive in Israel for more than a couple days if people would learn that I believe and witness about Yeshua. By

      his position, every Jew who believes in Yeshua cannot be anymore Jew. I answered to him that to be more Jewish, to

      believe in Yeshua. I told him that one day he is going to meet Yeshua and understand that Yeshua is the Lord-God. D. told

      me that even when he is going to meet him, he is going to tell Yeshua that he is not God. After that he started to say bad

      words to the Holy Spirit and I left. Another Israeli woman became very upset when I told her that I believe in Jesus. She

      said to me that I am the first Jew whom she met , and who believes in Jesus. I witnessed to her. She asked me why do I

      believe in Jesus? So I had an opportunity to explain her why.

            Thank you again for all your help. Our January giving was very low. Please pray that God will bless us with new and

      faithful supporters. Our Congregation is doing well. We continue to prepare 2 people for Tvilah (Baptism). Please continue

      to pray for my family, too.

             If God leads you to start or continue to help us financially, please send your donations to the Beth-El Messianic

      Congregation, P.O. Box 360165, Cleveland, OH, 44136. May the Lord of Israel richly bless you and keep you.

            Shalom in Yeshua. Your missionary, In Lord-Messiah Yeshua, brother Igor.