Yossi's Bio
Background
I was born in 1960 in Haifa, Israel to a ‘Masoraty’ (traditional Jewish) religious family. My father worked in the Rabbinate (the states official Jewish religion authority), as a Mohel (circumciser), a cantor and a Bar Mitzvah teacher, etc.

In 1983, after nine months of searching and exposure to the Messianic belief, I came to faith and joined the local congregation in Haifa. The way begins:

After I came to know The Lord I kept living at my parent’s house even though my father, when he understood in whom I believe, stopped talking to me. While in the congregation, I took part in teaching the children and youth, and in some national activities of that kind. In conjunction with my congregational involvement I went to practical-engineering college. I was also involved in the Messianic Students Organization in Israel (I was the chairman between 1985 and 1986).

Being called to Karmiel:
Towards the end of my studies I understood God was calling me to move, and live in Karmiel - a development town in the Galilee. A year and a half went by before the right door was opened for me. During that time I regularly accompanied one of the elders of the congregation in Haifa to a weekly house study group in Karmiel. At the end of 1988 I moved to Karmiel.

The Ovadia family:
In August 1990 I married Ronit, who is also a Messianic Jew born in Israel. By the relationship with Ronit, God softened my father’s heart, and we started talking with each other again. My father was our "chazan" (cantor) at the wedding, and passed away 3 days later. We since had three boys: Emanuel 16, Yedidya 14, and Aminadav 11 years old.

Establishment of 'The-Way' congregation in Karmiel:
On Passover 1989 we had the Lords supper for the first time; it was then that the congregation was established. In the beginning our group was only about ten people, and we gathered together in my rented apartment. We continued to gather there after my marriage in 1990 and later in our new apartment, altogether for about ten years, until the place was too small to contain all of us.

The decision to go into full-time service for the Lord:
Throughout the years, parallel to shepherding the congregation, I held a governmental job. As the years went by, both activities expanded; in the congregation we grew from ten to more than seventy, and at work my responsibilities expanded from a simple inspector to be in charge of all the governmental development works in Karmiel. After a long time of prayer and searching of the Lords will, I understood that He was guiding me to quit my secular governmental job, and make myself fully available to the Lords service; to quit the work of building Karmiel physically, and to be freed to do the work of building Karmiel spiritually!

So on August 2003 I started to work full time for God's work in Karmiel.

The-Way congregation today:
People come to our services not just from Karmiel, but also from the whole Galilee and even further, from Katzerin on the Golan Heights.

The congregation is composed of native Israelis, old immigrants and new immigrants. All together, we have members from about fifteen different countries. Our weekly service is in Hebrew, with English and Russian translations with earphones. During the service we have a children’s class for around 40 children.

Our congregation is an Israeli Messianic congregation with our main aim being the Hebrew speakers in the Galilee and all others who are willing to learn the language and desire to integrate into the Israeli culture.

In 2005 we move to our new place. Our meeting hall can sit 165 people comfortably, classes for the children, babies’ room, youth area, kitchen and offices. After the summer of 2006, the second Lebanon war (were Karmiel was the target of many rockets), and the changes in leadership our congregation grew quite a bit and at the moment (beginning of summer 2007), we are around 125 people who include about 50 households and new people come almost every week.

Contact Yossi Ovadia
P.O. Box 345
San Antonio, TX 78292

(800) 497-8766

yossio@cjfm.org

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