BethEl Russian Messianic Congregation and Ministries
P.O.Box 360165
Cleveland, Ohio 44136, USA. 
Igor B. Missionary and Pastor, pastorigorbethel@yahoo.com. 
Dear Friend,
Grace and Shalom to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah! Thank you very much for your sacrificial faithful support by prayers and giving. We are greeting you with Shavuot- Pentecost Feast, which begins at sundown 0n May 21 and ends at nightfall on May 23 by Jewish Calendar.  Shavuot means weeks in Hebrew. It is celebrated on the 50th day after the Passover. According to tradition- this is the day of giving the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. In the New Testament this day is called the Pentecost, meaning from the Greek word 50. A great miracle happened on that day. Before his ascension, Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit will come upon them. Pentecost is the miracle described in the Book of Acts 2:1. In the Bible this feast is known as the feast of harvest, and the first sheaf had to be dedicated to the Lord. When Yeshua was in the desert 40 days and 40 nights and was tempted by Satan, Yeshua told him, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by word that proceeded out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He is quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, pointing to the main gift of God- His Holy Word. In fact, this is the essence of the Jewish celebration Pentecost. Liberation from slavery wasn’t enough to make Israel “kingdom of priests and holy nations.” Without God’s word, Israel would just be a group of freed slaves, assimilated in other nations and eventually wiped out from the sagas of history. It would not be exaggerated to say that the people of Israel were born as a nation in Sinai. Pentecost is the celebration of the Birthday of God’s covenant nation.  In the same way we can say that salvation, which Yeshua made available to us through cross wouldn’t be enough to build the church on Earth. Of course, He saved us from darkness and slavery of sin by his atonement. But if he didn’t say what to do next, his disciples would go back to being fisherman. But Lord needed “fisherman of men” (Mt 4:19). He needed people that would listen to his Word and spread it throughout the World. It becomes possible through outpouring at the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. That’s what Yeshua told his disciples in Luke 24:48-49 and in Acts 1:8. Before receiving mighty power of the Holy Spirit, disciples were weak and lost. Now they had power, wisdom and force, needed for them to become apostles. Without receiving Ruah Ha Kodesh (in Hebrew), Holy Spirit, there would be no church, no gathering of believers, united under apostles, who spread all over the Earth, among all nations Good News about Messiah Lord Jesus. Pentecost is birthday of the church. This year Shavuot, according Jewish Calendar, was June 1, and we already celebrated. Churches will celebrate the Pentecost a week later. 
In May, by God’s help, I witnessed to more than 2,000 people. We had a blessed outreach in Portland, Baltimore, and Denver. I am going to share some testimonies from this evangelism in my next prayer letter, God willing. In this letter, I want to focus more on my son Rafael’s ministry in Columbus, Ohio. Please pray for him as he continues to manage his Crohn’s disease remission, but God still gives him power to do missionary work as well. Here is the report:
On March 14, my friend and I visited Scotts Miracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, for a
Columbus Crew soccer game. There were many people; some encouraged us, some ignored us,
and others seemed annoyed. However, I noticed that many were paying attention and watching us as we shared the Gospel and handed out tracts. This reminded me that the work we do in sharing the Gospel is not in vain. Even if people do not accept it today, a seed may be planted for God to work later (1 Corinthians 3:6).
 
Two of us returned to Nationwide Arena to evangelize before a Columbus Blue Jackets game.
About halfway through, it started raining very heavily, but we decided to wait and see if it would clear up. We moved to the other side of the arena, and the rain began to calm down. There, I met a man who said he thought he had accepted Jesus, but he asked what that meant for gay people. I told him that marriage is between a man and a woman, and he responded that this was what God says, not Jesus. I explained that Jesus and God are one (John 10:30), but he left shortly after. This was a reminder that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that we are all in desperate need of salvation because of our sin. Please pray for this man.
 
Popular country singer Luke Combs came to Ohio Stadium at the Ohio State University for a
concert, and we saw it as a great opportunity to share the Gospel, especially since university
campuses and concerts can often be secular environments. Many people shared their stories
about how they accepted Jesus into their hearts, while others were reminded or heard for the first time about the Good News of Jesus and what He did on the cross. We also had many people encourage us to keep praying and sharing, even in the midst of fear or rejection. Praise God for how He remained faithful that day. Honestly, it can be challenging or discouraging, but we are commanded to be partakers in His Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20). God willing, we can return to more stadium events like these in the future. Souls are at stake, and we must lean on the Lord in taking opportunities to share the name of Jesus with joy.
Thank you for your prayers and partnership. People from our congregation send you shalom and thanks. My family is very appreciative for your prayers. Please continue to pray so that God will send more faithful supporters to our ministry. We need solid prayer and financial support to continue. We trust in God!
Our giving is low.  If God leads you to start or continue to send us your financial help, please send your donations to Beth-El Messianic Congregation and Ministries, P.O. Box 360165, Cleveland, OH, 44136. All donations are tax deductible. May the Lord God of Israel richly bless you.
Maran  Ata!  Shalom in Yeshua, Beth-El Messianic Congregation and Pastor Igor

May 2026