By Nina, volunteer from Ashdod

Just a small park separates Aviv Center from an abandoned alley where the addicts shoot up. It is a scary place. It is the kingdom of death. You can see it everywhere and in everything. A blank glance of a guy lying on the pavement… The twisted thin arms of a girl who has just got her fix and sunk into semiconsciousness… Rags, garbage, empty syringes…. And silence, disturbed only by occasional unintelligible exclamations...

The volunteers I have joined today know many people here. The reason is pretty simple: some time ago they themselves dwelled in this hell. Today they come and sit down next to someone, look into his eyes, hold him by the shoulders and start talking. They talk to every person as if to a brother, understanding the depth of his suffering, still remembering this life so vividly.

And their message is simple, and in their call life triumphs over death. They say: “Look at me! Take a good look! I was here, I was dying, like you are now. Nothing is impossible for God. He saved me, and He can save you too!”

And in somebody’s fading eyes suddenly one can spot a glimpse of hope.

This is the living Gospel.