We had a basket sent by your ministry to a Jewish woman we have met who is in trying circumstances. Her response to the arrival of the Shalom basket was amazing to us. She told us it brought her joy and made her feel valued and loved. Later on she described the beauty of the objects within it and how she used them for her holiday dinner. She was bubbling over about it. It also did open the door to a spiritual conversation, and we can only trust there will be more to come.

My boss and I are friends. I love her very much and respect her Jewish traditions. I have witnessed to her many times about Christ. She has asked me to please cease and I have respected that. So, I honor her with these lovely baskets and continue to pray for her and her family to be saved. I believe God is doing a work in them and will, in time, bring them all to faith. She is the mostly godly person I know! I know the Lord has plans for her. B.R. has been praying for several Russian Jewish people for the past few years although she has never met them. Each year she has sponsored Shalom baskets to be delivered to these dear ones LOM ministers to. One of them, an older man, prayed to received Jesus as Messiah at last year’s Chanukah tea! This year’s basket delivery revealed another miracle as the brain tumor he had has been healed!

B.R. says, “Of course I was all teary and tear stained going to work upon learning of... his healing. Just like "The Revelation" song (glory, praise, and honor to the Holy One) for this one... Prayers will continue and thank you for allowing me to share...I decided to send a basket to some friends I used to work with years ago. They were delighted to receive the beautiful basket and said how special and sweet it was to be remembered! This was a good way to reconnect with them. - S.R.

My Shalom basket recipient receives one every year from us. She is always surprised and touched that someone remembers her! We shared a holiday meal together, and she used the lovely plate that was given several years ago to serve apples and honey! - A friend of the ministry in Milton, GA

I want to tell you about the two delightful responses I got when I ordered Shalom Baskets for Rosh Hashanah. The first person I purchased one for, I had it mailed to another state. This co-worker and her husband had just moved there. Their house was still in disarray and they told me later they were concerned that their home was not ready for the holy days. Then the beautiful Shalom basket arrived! They called it “exquisite!” My co-workers were so surprised and thankful! The woman told me that just the beautiful card alone made her disheveled home feel ready for the New Year!She also told me she called her mother right away to tell her all about it, and her mother was encouraged by such a sweet gift!

Well, then I had ordered a basket to hand deliver myself to yet another co-worker. She told me later that she and her husband were totally confused as to why I had asked to come by and bring them something before sundown! When I arrived, only the husband was home. I could see he was truly stunned! The woman, who was not home, was on the phone with me not long after, since her husband called to tell her what I had done. Of course it’s not about me at all! But she was so beside herself with thanks! She touched me by saying that no one in her whole life had ever given her a gift for the Jewish New Year....except her daddy!I plan to continue to bless other Jewish friends with these baskets in the future. Who knows what seeds God is planting and I get to be a small part? - N. Tindall

I am a Gentile who has been interested in your ministry for several years, ever since you visited our church about 8 or 9 years ago. You came up and presented a Passover meal for us.In the mail a few weeks ago, your office sent a request to purchase a Holiday basket for any Jewish friends that I may have, and I responded. I have had a Jewish Dentist for over 14 years. in my order, I requested that you send the basket without any mention of Jesus Christ and/or the salvation message. Thank you for honoring my request. My dentist is very aware that I am a born again Christian and very active in my church. When the opportunity came from your office for me to do something special for him and his family during this special holiday season, I felt a real urge to send him and his family a basket. Since I did not have his home address, I had it sent to his office. A few days ago, I received a call from his office letting me know how very pleased he was that I had sent the basket and especially remembered them during this special holiday season.in the same order I purchased a basket for myself, in order that I would know what it contained. It was wonderful. I have enjoyed everything so very much. The choice was outstanding.

Thanks again, Rabbi Tilles. You are doing a great work for the Messiah. May God richly bless you, your family and those who work with you in your ministry.Grace B. I wanted to let you know that we recently sent a Shalom Basket to some of our Jewish friends that we have been getting to know. They loved it and seemed very appreciative. We do not feel that they are ready to hear the gospel, so we gave you the "red light" with delivering the basket. However, we hope this will become a tradition and perhaps we can give you the "yellow light" next year, to proceed with caution in sharing the good news of the gospel. Blessings to you and this ministry. - Mark B.

My family sent a "New Year's" basket to an employee at my husband's company. He did not go into my husband's office to thank him personally. Instead, he waited until late afternoon to call me at our home. I believe the reason he wanted to offer his thanks on the phone could be heard in his voice. He was obviously moved and very emotional. He was thrilled to have received this gift. This basket opened the door for me to send him a "Hanukkah" card. Thanks to your newsletter educating me about the Jewish holiday, I was able to write a note in this card telling him that without Hanukkah there could be no Christmas. Again, our friend was deeply moved and this time thanked my husband in person. Your ministry is so important. Thank you for constantly reminding us all of our debt to the Jewish people for provided the genealogical line for our Lord and Savior to be born into. - Jo Anne L.

I’m so grateful to Murray Tilles and “Light of Messiah” Ministries for the eternally significant work they do every day. This September, I took advantage of the Shalom basket program initiated by “Light of Messiah”. After submitting the names and addresses of some Jewish friends I’ve shared Christ with, Murray and his team delivered shalom baskets to their houses in keeping with Jewish tradition surrounding Rosh Hashanah. This act alone demonstrated to my Jewish friends that I both understood and respected their tradition, thus reinforcing my testimony of Messiah Jesus to them. But the program didn’t stop there. When submitting the names and addresses, I also indicated whether or not I wanted Murray and his team to have dialogue with my friends when they delivered the baskets. For some of my friends, I felt that delivery of the basket itself would have the greatest impact as a supplement to what had already been shared; for others, further dialogue with Murray and his team was a GREAT opportunity that I didn’t want to pass up.I obtained immediate, sincere and highly positive feedback from all those to whom the baskets were delivered. The most enthusiastic response, however, came from a particularly resistant candidate for Christ’s kingdom with whom Murray interacted directly. My friend came to my door that afternoon, grabbed my hand and looked at me with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m a hard nut to crack, but I listened to Murray and will carefully consider what he said."- Hank B.

I would just like to take this opportunity to give a short testimony of God's work in my life through your ministry. In May of 2004 I had a dream that I was witnessing to 2 Jewish people that had never heard of Jesus Christ. When I woke up I felt the Spirit of the Lord tell me to write to your ministry, Light of Messiah, and ask for the appropriate Old Testament Scriptures that have been fulfilled by the coming of our Messiah Yeshua, Jesus. The response I received from Light of Messiah was amazing! You sent me books and pamphlets that gave me the information I needed. It was such a blessing to me. I didn't even ask for anything. All I asked for was prayer with this situation. As the months passed we would keep in touch through notes. I have never been received so fully as by your ministry.

As time grew closer to Rosh Hashana, The Jewish new year, I met a Jewish woman and her family through my daughter. She had asked me what synagogue I went to because my children wear the Star of David. At that point I told her we were Messianic, which she understood. Through the leading of the LORD we as a family sent a Shalom Basket to this family through Light of Messiah Ministries. When I had asked my daughter if she thought it would be alright to send a basket to her friend, she asked if I could send a second one to another friend of hers in school. So we sent 2 baskets. I had not realized it, but these were the 2 Jewish people that I had dreamed about 4 months earlier. GOD is truly amazing!My friend called me the day she received her basket crying. She was so excited. She told me that she is 51 and has never received a Shalom Basket before. This has opened a wonderful door for us as families to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I even sent calendars with both baskets with all the Jewish holidays that your ministry provided as well. Because your ministry is so personal, when you delivered the second basket and the mother did not know who we were, you were able to explain to her that it was from a friend of her son. Both families were very blessed. Thank you to Murray and all the Light of Messiah personnel. GOD Bless you! I will continue to support and pray for you. - Michele B.