Lena Levin is pioneering a new work based in Jerusalem working alongside those who are marginalised & abused in Israel. With Social Services sending them people they don't have a solution for, Paul Calvert went to find out more.

Lena: Because many women are afraid to stay alone, so they are ready to suffer and do everything to save their family. They have hope that somewhere the husband will be changed and they will start a new life. They have faith, hope and love even for abusers, they are afraid that they cannot manage and they are afraid because they have very low self esteem. We try to help them get out of this trap and help them understand that God doesn't want women to be abused, to be battered and to suffer and God doesn't want to see children crying and you know it's a very bad testimony to children from fathers, especially believers about faith and about who God is and who we are before Him.

I think it's a very painful but very crucial issue for us as believers and to all our society.

Paul: Do you think that sometimes Christian theology keeps a woman in a relationship, like for instance she would never divorce because she feels that it would be wrong to divorce?

Lena: I think that Yeshua (Jesus) didn't mean violence when He came to us; I think Yeshua meant for us freedom, love and peace not only in our family and society but first of all in our hearts. I think that if Christian theology can't support these kinds of things then it is wrong theology, its perverted theology. It's a perversion of the word of God.

Paul: So how can the church help in this area?

Lena: I think only the church can help really because many times it's not just psychological problems it's lack of love, lack of respect, lack of freedom and sometimes it's a kind of possession by bad spirits and I believe real help should include social assistance, psychological therapy, counselling, help in education and spiritual support - to pray for each other, to pray for deliverance, to pray for freedom and peace, to pray for repentance for husbands, reconciliation for families. I believe church and congregations in the right way can do this and help families.

Paul: So you're actually helping the abused and the abuser?

Lena: Yes, in our program we are helping both sides. I'm giving counselling to men. I have about 8 men and altogether it was 14 men that went through counselling from these few years that we started our work. The abuser needs just as much help as the abused because nobody is doing evil things because of happiness or peace or good life, all of them were suffering in their childhood, and all of them were victims themselves. I see in everyone, in every man, somebody who is suffering, someone who is crying out and who has no way to explain and to share or to show his pain, so definitely I believe they need help, professional help, spiritual help, love and mercy.

Paul: So is it easy to counsel someone in this situation?

Lena: No, it's very difficult. It's a big challenge for me personally. Many times I feel the burden on myself and I am crying and I feel helpless, but it's also the point that we as believers have God for whom I can come when I feel helpless; I can come to God and ask for His almighty power. I saw so many miracles I believe God is here, it's His work.

Paul: You've just taken a property and I understand you have seen God's mighty hand of provision through that, how did God provide?

Lena: We had a prayer group from Korea with us in Jerusalem, one of the leaders saw a vision about a year ago, she saw a house with three floors, and she saw me with women and children around me. She shared with me this vision and I just forgot it.

About a few months ago my friend found a house with 3 floors and I came to see it and immediately felt that this was something from God, so I was praying because it was expensive and we had no money, we only had people who are ready to help us. I prayed about who can help provide money for renting this apartment. After 2 or 3 days the lady who gave the prophecy called me, she asked me first of all about the house she saw in her vision, I told her we found the house and it is exactly 3 floors, I said she should come with me and check and see if it is the house she saw in her vision.

After a few days she came to see the house, I tried to introduce her to the Landlord but I saw she was just watching the wall. On the wall she saw a picture which was written faith, hope and love in Korean. They saw it on the wall and so they fell on their knees and started to cry because they didn't expect to see this kind of thing in Jerusalem, on the wall in Korean.