Mazel: Strengthened By the Support of The Fellowship

Despite a lifetime fraught with unimaginable hardship and loss, Mazel, 25, is an incredibly strong and inspirational young woman.  She was born in Ethiopia and was raised by her grandmother after her mother died and her father abandoned her.

Mazel says that her grandmother instilled in her a love for Israel from a very early age and always dreamed of the day when she would join the Jewish people in her biblical homeland. Sadly, only Mazel would be able to realize that dream. Her grandmother died just before the two were set to move to Israel.

Once in Israel, Mazel completed school, got married to a wonderful man, and had a beautiful daughter. Her husband worked, and although the couple was by no means rich, they had just enough to get by. For the first time in her life, Mazel felt complete and safe.

Mazel’s life was shattered, however, when she received a knock at the door in the middle of the night informing her that her husband had been killed in a car accident. “I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “I collapsed and they had to take me to a hospital.”

Deeply distraught, Mazel soon moved in with her aunt. But then just last year, death struck once again when her aunt had a heart attack and died. “I just kept praying to God that I needed to be strong for my daughter,” she says. With God’s help, Mazel managed to keep going.

One day, Mazel’s oven broke and she had no money to replace it. Although this may seem like a small problem compared to her other challenges, it was the final straw that broke Mazel’s resolve and determination to go on. The thought that she would no longer be able to provide a nourishing meal for her daughter broke Mazel’s heart. “I started to cry,” she says. “I didn’t know what to do.” Again, she turned to God in prayer, asking Him to help her through this challenge.

Mazel’s prayers were answered when a social worker heard her cries. The social worker told her that The Fellowship has a Special Needs Fund set up for emergencies like Mazel’s and they would provide her with a new oven. This seemingly small gesture made all the difference in the world.

“Although the oven you gave me is very important, I think the feeling you gave me that I’m not alone is even more important for me,” Mazel says. “To know that there are Christians who love me because I’m Jewish gives me great strength. It’s such a relief that we can count on Christians in our time of need. Thank you.”