The First 24 . . .

This is a summary of our first 24 hours in the land of Israel: 

We arrived about 10:30 am Israel time - right on time. No problems at all in the airport - we even found all 3 bags the minute we walked up to the baggage claim area. (We had put bright green tape with peace symbols all around the perimeter of each bag - very easy to spot.) Next, we went out the main doors and got a sherut (shuttle) to Jerusalem right away. It was about an hour drive - traffic was moving really well. After dropping off 9 others at their homes and hotels, he took us right to our door at the Abraham Hostel. It's not a fancy place, but it serves our purpose, and the staff and guests are very helpful and friendly.

After we got settled in, we slept for a few hours and showered. Around 6 pm, Jim and Mary, a couple who've been in Israel over a year with Bridges for Peace, came to the hostel to greet us and give us lots of info. (We've been corresponding with them by e-mail for the past few weeks.) They then invited us to dinner. The first food we ate in Israel was . . . not falafel . . . not humus . . .but  Chinese food! It was very good though. (Side note: the first food we ate in Belize was also Chinese.) After dinner, we walked down Jaffa Street to the Old City. It was so amazing, especially at night. We saw many beautiful and historical sites, and then we got to go to the Western Wall. It was so peaceful there, even with so many people still there at 10 pm. We thought about Jesus being there so many years ago, and it was humbling. On our way back, Jaffa Street was packed with people . . . mostly young people at this late hour. (Thursday night here is like our Friday night in the States.)

We got back from the Old City around 11 PM. Jim and Mary still had about an hour walk and bus ride to get back to their place, and they had to work the next day too. They were so sweet to do all the things they did for us. We're praying God's blessings over them.

We went to bed about midnight, and slept through till 11 this morning!

We will be visiting the moneychanger today. We heard that you can use American dollars and credit cards just about anywhere in Israel, but that has not been the case for us so far. We will also need to go to the phone store to see if we can get a cheap phone that we can use here. We already have a home phone number at the apartment we'll be renting. We won't be moving in until October 2nd, then we will post our address and phone numbers.

Please pray:

• for wisdom to learn the culture, the customs, the money, where to go and not to go, and how to get around the city;
• for spiritual discernment;
• and to be a Light in the darkness.

 

A Few Facts about the Western Wall:

• The Western Wall is a surviving remnant of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.

• Jerusalem was destroyed and rebuilt nine times. And through it all, one symbol remained intact: the Western Wall.

• In establishing the eternal covenant with Abraham, God promised that the Jewish people will never be destroyed (Genesis 17:7). In this way, the Wall is a symbol of the Jewish people: Just as there have been many efforts to destroy the Wall and yet it remains eternal, so too the Jewish people have outlived its enemies and remain eternal. The Wall thus became the symbol of both devastation and of hope.

"The Lord has built Jerusalem; it's walls will give refuge to His oppressed people." - Isaiah 14:32

The Lord Bless You and Keep You . . .

It’s September 26, 2012, and we are finally on our way to Israel! At this moment, a little after 5pm Eastern time, we are sitting in the Toronto airport waiting for our flight to Tel Aviv, which leaves around 5:45. We just want to take this opportunity to brag on God and bless those of you who have blessed us and made this mission possible.

We needed about $8,000 for airfare, rent, utilities, transportation, food, etc. God has blessed us all along the way – with one free round-trip plane ticket and $50 off the other; medical insurance that we thought we had to pay $700 - $800, cost us only $90; free shuttle ride to O’Hare airport (thanks to my sister); and so many other blessings from our generous friends and relatives. Then last Sunday, God blessed us exceedingly, abundantly above anything we could have thought or imagined! We still needed about $4,500, but God met that need, and then some, through our church family at Abundant Life!

Our blog is entitled, “Blessed to Be a Blessing”, and that’s exactly what we intend to do with any extra money God has provided to us. We will let you know of all opportunities we have to bless the people or ministries of Israel above and beyond what we will do with Bridges for Peace.

You know, God’s Word says that whoever blesses Israel, He will bless. (Genesis 12:3) To all who have given to this mission, we pray for you nightly and throughout the day, as the Lord puts you on our minds and hearts. We love you all!

Ye’varechecha Adonai v’yishmerecha:

Ya’er Adonai panav eleicha vihuneca:

Yisah Adonai panev eleicha v’yasem

l’cha Shalom.

The Lord bless you and keep you:

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you . . . Peace.

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Days of Awe . . .

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins tonight at sundown and continues until sundown on Tuesday, the 18th, beginning the Days of Awe. 
 

This is a special time to be going to Jerusalem . . . during the High Holy Days. We are blessed that this is when our Lord has decided to send us to Israel. In the natural right now, it seems that the world is going crazy . . . especially in the Middle East, yet God has chosen this specific time for us to go.

Some of our friends and family are afraid for us, and have even cautioned us not to go, but God's Word says that "No weapon formed against us shall prosper." - Isaiah 54:17.  It also says, "If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go." - Psalm 91:9-11

We are not afraid to go to Israel, because we believe we are in God's will and that He will protect us as we go to do His work in the Land of Promise. He has always protected us, and even blessed us on every other mission trip we've been on. Many times we could see His hand of protection, but other times, it was only in retrospect that we saw how He had saved us. We are amazed at how "God always works all things together for good for those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

These may be the "Days of Awe" for our Jewish friends, but they are also the "Days of Awe" for us. We are in awe of how He has orchestrated everything in our lives up to this point to prepare us for this moment in time - all of the joyful mountaintops, the many desperate valleys, and even the nothingness in between - all of them leading up to this moment, this time of serving Him . . . 

      in the Days of Awe . . . 
                                             in the Land of Awe . . . 
                                                                                     because He is the God of Awe!

Please pray:

• for the peace of Jerusalem;
• for our family and friends, that the Lord will give them a peace that passes all understanding;
• and for our mission not to be hindered by war, weather or any other wickedness, because God is the only One that can shut this door.

 Shana Tovah and Shalom to you all! 

(Happy New Year & peace)

Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust The Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. The wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted. -Psalm 112:4, 7-10


Learn more about Rosh Hashanah here:
http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/roshhashanah/survival2.html

In the Beginning . . .

In the beginning . . . (don’t all great stories start this way?) Anyway, this is the beginning of our story about our mission trip to the Promised Land --- Israel! Where Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden; where Abraham became a friend of God; where David defeated Goliath; where Jesus was born; where He taught His disciples and did miracles; where He gave His life as a ransom for us and was raised from the dead; and where He will return again one day.

Even though we've been on several other missions, this will be our first attempt to communicate electronically with all of our friends and family at once . . . so please be patient. (smile).

This blog will be our lifeline to you, our loved ones back home and around the world, so you can track us and pray for us. It’s also where you can communicate your prayer needs to us . . . remember, we’re going to have inside seats, so to speak, to the Western Wall, so your prayer requests can be hidden in the “cleft of the rock”.

Prayer requests:

• That God would give us wisdom and revelation of how this blog site works, and that we would learn quickly. :)

• That we can accomplish all of the many small tasks that still need to be done without losing focus on God’s bigger plan for us.

1 Kings 8:41-43 “In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands because of your name,  for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do."  

We love you all and so appreciate your support!

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