A Family's Struggle in Israel

Marina and her Messianic Jewish family moved from Russia to Israel believing they were following God’s call for Jews to return to the Holy Land. But the transition wasn’t easy.

Marina explained, “My husband got a job working construction and everything was going well until the contractor started withholding his wages. This put our family in a very stressful situation, and we were worried about how we’d provide for our children.”

Marina and her husband, Alexey, went into debt to put food on the table, and often skipped meals to make sure their kids could eat. They prayed constantly and believed God would provide a solution.

Alexey said, “I couldn’t understand why we were having to go through this, but I kept my faith in Jesus and that’s the only thing that kept me going.”

Marina added, “It was a crisis period for our family, but Jesus has been our rock.”

Marina and Alexey’s pastor in Russia put them in touch with a church in Ashkelon that CBN Israel partners with. We took them groceries and made sure the family had what they needed to get by.   

“The food has been a real support and has helped us balance our expenses,” said Marina. “It’s a blessing to be able to feed our family.”

Alexey said, “This food has lifted us up. It’s helped not just financially, but also spiritually. It’s shown me that there are people who care about our lives, and through them I know that God is listening. And He really does want us here.”

Thanks to CBN donors, Marina and Alexey were able to feed their family while saving money to get out of debt. Alexey eventually found a better construction job and Marina started volunteering with CBN Israel to help other new immigrants.  

Marina said, “You are giving us the means to reach people here and share the real heart of Jesus to non-believers. Thank you for everything you have done for us, and other families in Israel.”