Founder’s Story
Messianic Hope International (MHI) was established in 2021, though the roots of this work were planted many years earlier. The story begins with Jane Reich Yoder, born and raised in rural Kenya in a village where poverty shaped everyday life and resources were scarce. Families lived off what they could grow, and schooling was limited, often leaving children with heavy responsibilities at a young age. Like many girls in her community, Jane walked miles each day to fetch water and gather firewood. Hardship was part of life, but even then, she remembers moments of joy woven through her childhood.
Her father, Bishop Peter Kihara, began walking in Torah in 1972 and went on to establish many assemblies across Kenya and Africa. Much of Jane’s upbringing was spent beside him, helping where she could and learning through the example he set. Looking back, she sees how Yahweh was planting seeds in her heart long before she understood what they would one day become.
At the age of 25, Jane married missionary Charles Reich and moved to the United States in 1998. They settled in Penn’s Creek, Pennsylvania. With the help of her late husband, Jane continued to work alongside her father’s ministry, the Messianic Assembly of Yahweh. In 2000, Jane perceived a voice within her saying they would build a worship center in Kenya. Despite experiencing this voice a few more times, she kept it to herself, fearing it would be too great a task. Astonishingly, Charles came home from work a few days later saying he heard a voice telling him they would build a worship center in Kenya! This experience was nothing short of supernatural, confirming their calling for a shift in ministry work.
With arduous work and self-sacrifice, the Messianic Assemblies of Yahweh (MAY) Assembly Hall in Nairobi officially opened in December 2003. It was a joyful and meaningful accomplishment for both Jane and Charles, a clear testimony of Yahweh’s guidance.
In February 2015, Charles passed away after a short illness. His memory is a blessing. Losing him left Jane in a season of deep uncertainty. She often felt desperate as she searched for meaning and purpose in her life again. It was a difficult and painful journey.
During this time, Yahweh began weaving another chapter into her life. Through fellowship and community, Jane came to know Joseph (Joe) Yoder. Joe and his late wife, Judy, had begun their Hebraic faith journey in 1999 during the Feast of Tabernacles with their four children. Judy passed away from cancer in 2012, leaving Joe to walk through his own season of healing and learning to trust Yahweh in a new and painful season.
When Jane and Joe met casually at fellowship, neither could have imagined what Yahweh was preparing, and through Yahweh’s clear answers to both their prayers, they recognized His hand in bringing their lives together. They married in September 2016 and settled in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.
Despite finding love again, Jane still wrestled with personal peace. It wasn’t until a time of prayer and fasting that Yahweh spoke clearly to her heart: “Serve others.” She felt it sharply—as a word from Yahweh that pulled her out of deep despair and revived a calling she thought had been buried.
The vision for MHI began to take shape when Jane and Joe visited Kenya together. Joe witnessed the profound impact that even small acts of compassion could have. His previous mission work—including youth ministry in Canada—had prepared him in some ways, but the realities of Kenyan village life were very different. The stark lack of basic necessities, the daily struggles, and the resilience of the people stirred something deep within him and strengthened his desire to serve.
There have been challenges along the way, yet Yahweh has been faithful through every step. Guided by compassion and conviction, Jane and Joe established Messianic Hope International in 2021 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, simply following His leading wherever He opened a door. What began as small, faithful steps has grown into a ministry touching the lives of children, families, and communities in ways only Yahweh could orchestrate.
Jane and Joe look back with gratitude—and ahead with anticipation—standing in awe of what Yahweh has done and trusting Him for all that is yet to come.