Displaying items by tag: North America

Jadine Louissaint is a second-generation Haitian born and raised in the USA. While growing up, she experienced the stigma associated with her culture and ancestry, and tried to escape from that social disadvantage through education and a good career. She trained as a nurse and did an MBA in healthcare, but in 2015 realised that something was missing from her life. She began to seek God through prayer and fasting. He showed her that His will and purpose for her life was not only to embrace her culture and heritage for herself, but to seek to empower young Haitian women and girls to effect positive change in their country - spiritually, socially, and culturally. In response, she founded TransforMe Ayiti (Transform Haiti), which seeks to provide the next generation of women leaders and innovators with tools for success. Jadine’s vision is to help Haiti become a self-sustained country, by investing in its most precious resource: the youth, specifically young women.

The inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America took place in Washington, watched by tens of millions around the world. His speech was full of rhetoric and confirmed many of his aims mentioned in the campaign leading to his presidency: America First, never let you down, trade deals changing, Mexico wall, anti-terrorism. Think big, dream bigger. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, before reading a passage from 1 Timothy, said: ‘Mr President, in the Bible rain is a sign of God's blessing. It started to rain, Mr. President, when you came to the platform. It's my prayer that God will bless you, your family, your administration, and may He bless America.’ We will wait to see when the rhetoric becomes reality and what priorities President Trump sets. One of his first actions was a memorandum designed to move forward the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. See:

In the Messianic Jewish community that I’m part of, we define ourselves as Jews who are at the same time loyal to Yeshua as Messiah and Lord, and loyal to the Jewish community with its values and traditions. This can be a balancing act at times, but it also unlocks a prophetic vision for the restoration of all Israel, not just individual Jewish people, through Messiah Yeshua. This restoration, in turn, is to be the source of blessing for all of humanity. “For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” (Rom. 11:15).

This vision was rekindled in the late 60s and early 70s as many Jewish people got swept up in the Jesus movement of those days. Today’s Messianic Jewish community was pioneered at that time and on through the 80s, but in North America it’s been in a less dynamic mode in recent years. In contrast with our early days, we are missing:

• Unabashed enthusiasm for Yeshua and his rule present and future.
• Active moving of the Spirit of God among us.
• Simple and powerful reliance on Scripture.
• Constant concern for Jews who need Messiah and how to reach them.

I request prayer for our community to be renewed on these four vital points. We also need prayer for:

1. Spiritual awakening among the Jewish communities of North America, including (and probably starting with) our existing Messianic Jewish community.
2. Our community to have a new level of influence and impact in the wider Jewish community, with boldness and wisdom in sharing the good news of Messiah, and many Jewish people of all ages responding.
3. Renewing our founding vision in terms that younger Jewish people can understand and find compelling, and which remain true to Scripture.
4. The growth of a thriving prayer network within our community.

Russ Resnik

Rabbinic Counsel

Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations

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