Shalom Friends,
The Autumn feasts have passed by, and I would like to give you a short report and ask for your participation in what is happening here at “Return to Zion-Shavei Tzion” congregation and in the ministries associated with it.
After 16 years as a congregation, we have begun the process of “membership”. Bear in mind that many of the adults in our congregation grew up in the USSR. For immigrants from the USSR, where everyone tried to stay “under the Communist radar”, there was a certain resistance to “being listed”; again. But a new generation of leaders said, “Let’s go for it” and so we did. Somehow “electricity from Heaven” has entered all segments of our ministry. We work on the documents/structures/principles of faith and membership, while the Lord works on us, challenging us to leave our comfort zone and seek His face. We have always been a bit conservative, but recently, during congregational prayers, we heard many prophecies and a lot of expressed desires “to start doing what the Lord shows us to do.” Therefore, I ask for your support in prayer!!
Sukkot with Olim
The Feasts of the Lord
To be honest, I lost count of the number of events that we organized during the Autumn feasts. We had meetings with new immigrants (Olim), and we organized trips for them across Israel (all in the framework of Zionism and the belief in the Messiah). We distributed a huge number of food packages, and now we are preparing an “Alpha Course”, to which we have invited more than fifty people (we’ll see how many will come). We have held dinners, studies of the Scriptures and other festive meetings.
Sukkot
Our Sukkah (tabernacle) was full of guests – from Israel, Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Norway. “Ushpizin” (Aramaic for “guests”) is the traditional sign of Sukkot – the Feast of the Tabernacles. Receiving guests, living out faith in God and all this in the Land of Israel – that’s how it was. The Lord wants to increase the “heat” of our passion and give all of us special experiences during these days!
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah)
The “concrete” of our building was shaking from our dancing, as we simply rejoiced together with all Israel in thanks for the written Word of the Lord. We have already noticed that when we “rewind” the Torah scroll from Deuteronomy back to Genesis, the Spirit of God touches everyone!
Music and Art School
We started the music school as a small project eight years ago with seven children. This year we started with more than a hundred students and fifteen teachers. This is a place where talented children from underprivileged families can be strengthened and find direction in life. It is being funded as follows: 50% being subsidized by donations and 50% from tuition fees. It is an opportunity to be a light to those children and their parents who have never heard of the Grace of God and the Messiah!
Concert for Holocaust Survivprs
Oasis Media
Oasis Media is functioning as a “Jewish Voice” in the Russian-speaking world – offering Russian language programs about the “Jewish” God, Messiah and Scriptures. We register more than 50 thousand views a month. By our standards this is quite considerable. Thousands of viewers in Israel are watching up-to-date programs and interesting speakers. In a way this is feeding the needy, because “Man will not live by bread alone, but by every Word coming out of the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Haifa Bridge and the Twin-Cities Conference
This event brought together key leaders from Haifa, Germany, Taiwan, China, the USA and South Africa. Return to Zion acted as a host. The Lord was present with us as we tried a novel format of faith, prayer and discussions. How will all this affect the future days? We will pray and see … We are inviting everyone who knows that your city is a Twin-City” of Haifa to the meeting next year, during Sukkot, in 2018. (Please write us if this includes you.)
Prophetic studio
“The Prophetic Studio”
I tried to describe it to people from outside as a “Prayer Room”, but I was corrected and it was confirmed as a “Prophetic Studio“. A studio is a workshop – a place where we try, where we compare, where we learn. It is a place where one is not afraid to try to hear the Voice of the Lord! I’m even a little scared to write about this, but we see that it has begun to function! And it has become a “revolving door” where many can enter, feel God’s touch, and as one brother from China prophetically said, “ascend the mountain of the Lord” and go further, renewed in the Word heard from the Creator. Why Haifa, and not Jerusalem? It sounds ostentatious, but many have said, more than once that a breakthrough in Israel will come from the North! We prayed for more interaction among the congregations in Haifa, for the interaction of the congregations from Haifa with other congregations from abroad, and most importantly, about our joint interaction with the Lord our God.
We are asking for your intercession and are grateful for your ongoing support. So many of our projects are functioning successfully and achieving their goals because of your generosity!
Many thanks to all of you who have sent me and my wife Nina birthday greetings. We appreciate hearing from you and receiving your greetings and prayers.
We love you … please keep in touch.
Wishing all of you many blessings in our Lord Yeshua,
Leon and Nina Mazin
This article was previously published on April 15th here, on the Shavei Tzion website.