An Anchor of Peace in Haifa

by Liron Smith, Missionary and Barista, Haifa, Israel

We recently opened our third ministry coffee shop in Israel, Café Maagan Specialty Coffee in downtown Haifa! Built on the northern slopes of Mount Carmel and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Haifa is a unique city where Jews and Arabs live side by side. Since we opened this spring, it’s been amazing to see the growth and progress in ministry here.

Our café manager, Gabriel Pellegrino, says, “Our vision for Maagan is to create the most welcoming café in Haifa for students and young professionals and to build a community where everyone experiences the love of Yeshua [Jesus]. That’s where the name Maagan (Anchorage) comes from – that it will serve as an anchor for our customers.”

The Lord is already opening doors to draw people to the café. We have received several great reviews from clients and local media, including a feature in the national newspaper Haaretz. We offer exceptional quality food and drinks that are carefully prepared with attention to every detail. Many customers come because they have heard the coffee is excellent, but they return because they feel at peace.

A young woman named Agam* has visited several times. Agam comes from a secular background and is interested in New Age and similar topics. We’ve interacted with her each time she’s visited, and during her most recent visit, we had a deeper conversation about faith. She showed a lot of interest, and I invited her to join me at church. She said she would love to come. Please pray that God would give her the courage to take that step and find Yeshua.

That’s just one example of how God brings opportunities to share the gospel with new and returning customers every day – sometimes casually, sometimes through deeper conversions.

Please pray that the Lord will continue opening the hearts of the many people we meet daily. May these conversations lead them to truly encounter Yeshua personally. Pray also for wisdom, grace, and boldness for the staff as we continue to build relationships and share the gospel in Haifa.

*name changed for privacy