From an Inborn Identity to a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience of Being Deeply Loved
🏠Ray & Jane｜ BBPN Beit Simcha｜ March 7, 2026
A Meeting that Spanned Families
Our first meeting with S and O on February 28 carried the warmth of instant familiarity, as though we had known each other for a long time. It turned out that O is the cousin of one of the backpackers from the third group we had previously hosted. Meanwhile, S’s father is an international tour guide who often shared with her his love for Taiwan, which made her long to visit this place one day.
This connection that crossed both family lines and nations made the evening’s fellowship especially warm and natural.
Celebrating in the Midst of War
Two days later was Purim. Yet just a few hours before we met again, the United States and Israel had launched a joint strike against Iran. With care, we asked whether they still wished to celebrate Purim. They shared calmly that although the area where their home is located is relatively safe, war has already become part of everyday life.
That evening, we chose to celebrate together with them. Wearing festive props, waving the flags of Israel and the Republic of China, we shouted together, “Am Yisrael Chai!” (“The people of Israel live!”)
In a moment filled with uncertainty, peace and joy from heaven flowed among us.
A Love Rooted in the Bible
S once worked in promotion for the Jewish Agency for Israel, and she was very curious: Why do we love Israel so deeply? How do we share this with churches and encourage them to host backpackers?
We shared that our love for Israel comes from the revelation of the Bible—seeing how deeply God loves His chosen people, and sensing the heavy and heartfelt burden the Apostle Paul carried for his own people. We also testified that among many gods, only Jesus (Yeshua) truly answered the deepest cry of our hearts.
We firmly believe that through God’s love for the Jewish people, He reveals His love for all humanity.
The Father’s Precise Provision
After dinner, we went to the “Beit HaMashiach” (House of Messiah)—Pastor Jamie’s home—to continue our fellowship and prayer. We also gave them a small gift: specially designed postcards and our own Alishan tea.
The day before, when Pastor Jamie used AI to translate the formulas for Ning’s Aroma handmade essential-oil roll-on bottles, the system unexpectedly added a short message of blessing. Only after the message was sent did we discover that the formula and the words spoke directly to the needs in S and O’s hearts.
Just five minutes before the message was sent, they had been standing in a fragrance shop, hesitating whether to spend money on a massage roll-on bottle. In the end, they decided not to buy one.
Looking back on it all, we once again realised how precise and delicate God’s timing and provision always are.
A Blessing that Reached the Heart
What surprised them even more was that the “Voice of Burning Bush” (a prophetic blessing) shared by Pastor Jamie spoke with nearly 99% accuracy into their inner situation.
O said with emotion, “This is more special than the blessing I received at my Bar Mitzvah. It is an experience of being loved unlike anything I have ever known in my life.”
Tears shimmered in S’s eyes as well. In that moment, it seemed as though she rediscovered the noble and glorious destiny of being Jewish. At the same time, she expressed a longing for the kind of intimate life of prayer we shared.
This reminded us of Romans 11:11–14—that our love for the Lord might stir them to jealousy, drawing them back to the Father.
Grafted Branches Connected to the Root
S mentioned several times that being Jewish feels like an identity one is born with. Because of that, religion has always seemed almost taken for granted to her, and she had never truly paused to reflect on or treasure this identity.
So we shared the teaching from the Book of Romans: we are merely wild olive branches that have been grafted in, while Israel is the root of our faith. This sincere and loving exchange deeply moved the couple.
A Blessing for Future Backpackers
Before leaving, they wrote a blessing in English and Hebrew in the guestbook for future backpackers who would come here:
“The love in this place will become a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you.”
May God continue to enlarge our territory, so that every group of backpackers who comes to Beit Simcha may, through this genuine love, grow in a holy curiosity toward the Messiah we believe in—Jesus (Yeshua).
“Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!”
—Romans 11:11–12
