As she serves people in Israel, Reverend Joyce Jung holds one philosophy dear: "Love must not only be spoken, but must also be shown in action."
Jung is the executive director of Love 153 International, a Christian non-profit organization that works with the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) to offer various services such as sewing classes, taekwondo classes, and "Holy Land tours' of Jerusalem to orphans, widows, and at-risk youths in Israel. She explained that Love 153 offers these services as a way to show God's love.
"Many Christians don't know the historical context of Israel, and they go there and take the cross and talk about Jesus," Jung said. "But throughout thousands of years in their history, time and time again, when they were persecuted, the cross was used and the name of Christ was used as the reason for their persecution. So when they see the cross, they think of persecution. There is this fear and negative perception of Christians because of their history."
"I felt God was telling me, don't only speak about the love, do the love. I need someone to hold their hands and be their friend and help them with their needs," she recalled. "Because before they can say that God is love, they have to understand it, and we have to show them that love. So these programs are a very crucial first step."
Jung was connected with representatives in JAFI during her first visit to Israel in 2013, at which time they were seeking out Christian organizations to work together with to serve vulnerable communities in Israel. Some of the most vulnerable in Israel are the immigrants, Jung said, particularly those from Ethiopia and Russia. Ethiopian Jews are among the poorest people groups in the nation, and these immigrant Jews who finally arrive in Israel with high expectations and hopes find themselves faced with obstacles including difficulties in assimilating and searching for jobs.
As such, Love 153 started sewing classes in 2014, and today, the organization hosts sewing classes in six different locations in Israel, including the Ethiopian Jewish Center, a high school for delinquent youth, an occupational training school, an Arab widow center in Nazareth, and Jerusalem Hill center, a refuge for severely abused children. Learning how to sew allows students to start their own alteration businesses, Jung said.
Other than sewing classes, Love 153 also offers taekwondo classes for children and youth in three locations, some of which were already offering taekwondo classes but did not have proper uniforms due to a shortage in finances. Love 153 was able to provide new uniforms as well as classes taught by an 8-degree black belt taekwondo coach from South Korea.
Love 153 staff also make visits to Holocaust survivors, and offer "Holy Land tours" to Jerusalem for 50 shekels (approximately 12 US dollars) for those who have wanted to visit the city but could not afford the trip.
Such services have opened the minds of many of those in the community, who previously may have had negative perceptions about Christians, Jung said. She talked of a rabbi who invited her to his synagogue, and introduced her to the congregation.
"He introduced me by saying, "This is Joyce, and she's helping us. And by the way, she's Christian,'" Jung recalled. "He talked about the services that our organization has been offering. And afterwards, the woman who was sitting next to me thanked me right away, and even men thanked me afterwards when we made eye contact. They are thanking me, a Christian, for being there."
"Every day, people come up to me and say they didn't know that much about Christians, and now they're thinking more openly about them," she added. "This huge wall is breaking down day by day."
Jung said she hopes to continue expanding Love 153's programs, and encouraged local churches who have been interested in visiting Israel to visit Love 153's center and participate in its programs.
"It's a miracle, what God is doing here," Jung said. "I highly encourage and invite churches to come and visit Israel, and interact with the people and understand who they are. And through their lives and presence, they can show God's love."
For more information, visit www.love153.org.
