Israel Mission Report

Two months in Israel – what a blessing that was, and the favor of God was upon us the entire time, even as we prepared to go! Thank you to all who prayed for us, because we know that God gave us favor in answer to your prayers. If you helped us financially or prayerfully, you were a big part of God’s blessing of Israel, and you will be blessed in return. God loves Israel, that’s for sure!

Here are some of the highlights of our mission:

Bridges for Peace (BFP), the Christian agency we volunteered with while in Israel, did a lot of humanitarian aid in the Land. We gave food, bus passes, household goods and clothing to the poor and to the new immigrants making Aliyah (returning to their homeland). They also gave to anyone who stopped in at the Food Bank who was in need. There were volunteers who did repairs to homes and apartments of the elderly and poor and there were two drivers who brought food to groups or individuals around the country. Chuck was allowed to go along to help several times, and one of the places he got to take food was to the immigrants in Jerusalem who were survivors of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Ukraine. All of them have cancer, and because they are Jewish, they were allowed to make Aliyah to Israel. That was the first time Chuck wished we could minister to the people there. (It’s illegal to proselytize in Israel, and BFP strictly adheres to that policy). They delivered food to several other places, including a home for abused children and an Ethiopian school.

One time Becky was blessed to go with Chuck and another driver, Jey. He’s a South Korean who was adopted by Israeli parents. He is humble and kind and very knowledgeable about the Bible and the land of Israel. As we were driving, he would tell us to open our Bibles to a certain passage and read it, then he would say, "That happened right here." It was so exciting to be in places we only read about before, like where David fought with Goliath. He took us to communities in the West, along the Mediterranean Sea - just a little north of Gaza - where the rockets were being launched into Israel by the terrorists. We delivered pallets of food to four different agencies that redistributed the food – one was a group that helped recovering addicts get back on their feet, two were groups that helped feed the poor, and one was an apartment where eight Russian Holocaust survivors lived. All of these were wonderful, humanitarian relief deliveries, but we came to see, that without giving opportunity for people to hear of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, that we were only caring about their current physical needs and totally disregarding their eternal fate. We struggled with this even before we left for Israel, but this is the agency God used to get us over to the Land, where we could meet others who were actually spreading the Word and seeing salvations among the Israeli people.

One of the ministries we discovered was the Domari Society of Gypsies in Jerusalem. They’re a very disadvantaged minority in the Old City of Jerusalem who are not accepted by either the Jews or the Arabs. There are only about 1000 of them left in Israel because of persecution and discrimination. One bright spot, though, is Amoun Sleem, a Gypsy Believer in Yeshua. She started this agency back in 1999 to change the future of her people. She now has a community center where women can come to learn sewing, jewelry making, and other handicrafts to empower them to be able to make a living. Gypsy children come to after-school programs to get help with homework and to learn computer skills. Becky visited the community center with several other workers from BFP who have had an on-going relationship with them. We bought food for them, gave them money and several bags of clothing, and bought some of their handicrafts, in the name of our church, Abundant Life. Amoun was very thankful for these donations, and said the money would be used to buy Christmas presents for the children.

We were also able to reconnect with some Messianic Jews – those who are followers of Yeshua (Jesus). We first met Danny and Tammy Meyuseff and Tammy’s sister, Orna Greenman, and their children several years ago in Chattanooga at the Crossing, our church at that time. We also ministered with Danny on our mission trip to Belize in 2006.  They live in Kfar Saba, between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and have two ministries that spread the love of Yeshua and teach about His saving grace. Ot OoMofet – a Sign and Wonder, is a ministry that helps orphans and widows. These are their goals:  “To make known God’s name as the Father of the fatherless and the Defender of widows (Ps. 68:5); to teach how God turns the curse of widowhood and orphanhood into a source of blessing; and to plead the cause of those without a voice.” The other ministry, The Garden of Life, offers a place of reflection and memory for women and families that have lost a baby. Some come here to remember the baby that was miscarried, most come here to plant a tree in memory of the baby they aborted. The Garden offers a tangible place for healing as women face the pain of loss in their past, repent and make amends before God, and continue on.” In this garden, they have olive trees, which they harvest and then produce organic olive oil. They sell this oil, along with date honey, to earn money to help with their ministries. We were able to spend one evening with them, having a wonderful family meal together and getting a tour of their home and ministry. Afterward, we talked and prayed together and gave them a donation for their ministries – again in the name of Abundant Life. They were very touched, and prayed that we would be able to return again one day.

Even though it’s illegal to witness about Jesus in Israel, we still had several opportunities to share our faith. One was with a young Jewish American woman working in the Land. She asked us many questions about why we, Christians from around the world, would come to Israel to help the Israeli people, which opened the door for us to tell her about our faith. She let us pray for her before we left her, and Becky said the Aaronic Blessing over her in Hebrew, “Ye’varechecha Adonai v’yishmerecha; Ya’er Adonai panav eleicha vihuneca; Yisah Adonai panav 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). She exclaimed, “It’s the Blessing!” and nearly began to cry. It was a precious moment for all of us.

Another time, Becky was walking alone down one of the busy streets where beggars do their business, when she felt the Lord tell her to turn around. When she did, she noticed an elderly lady lying on the ground with her little cup of change. She went back, smiled at the lady, put some coins in the cup, and turned to go, but again felt the prompting of the Lord. So she knelt down and put her hand on the woman’s shoulder and prayed for her . . . in Jesus’ name. The woman smiled and took Becky’s hand and kissed it over and over again, saying something in Hebrew. Becky then felt the Lord prompt her to pray the Blessing in Hebrew over her, which she did, then left her with tears in her eyes. It was as if a touch from another human being meant more to her than any money ever could.

One of Chuck’s experiences happened at a light show at the Tower of David. It showed all the events that happened to Jerusalem from the time of King David to modern times. In one of the scenes, there were four men walking in a row up the hill to the city, and through this scene, God showed Chuck his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and his great-great grandfather. They were Germans and all of them had a hatred of the Jews. Through this, Chuck felt that he needed to apologize for his ancestors’ hatred and stop the curse that comes from hating the Jewish people. So he went to four of our Jewish co-workers at the Food Bank and asked them for forgiveness for the sins of his forefathers. They were each very moved, thanked Chuck for humbling himself before them and accepted his apology.  (The photo is not of this specific time, but another time when we did foot-washing during our morning devotions. Chuck washed the feet of two of our Jewish co-workers, Elie, an Israeli national, and Viktoriya, a Ukrainian Jewish immigrant.)

We adopted (sponsored) a family through BFP for a year in the name of our church. They are the Zeitoun family from France – a Jewish family who made Aliyah in November, 2011. Nathan and Virginie have 6 children – Laura, Silvaine, Sharon, Yves, David and Sara. They live in Karmiel, which is in northern Israel – in the West Galilee region. Nathan and Virginie have not been able to attend a Hebrew course and can only communicate in French, but five of their six children attend school and are learning Hebrew. The youngest son, David, has ADHD and doesn’t go to school. Please pray for this precious family. (Sorry, the picture would not upload.)

We were able to do some sightseeing – most of it was on Sundays and on foot around the city of Jerusalem. The Old City was about a 20-minute walk from our apartment, so we went there often. It was amazing to live in an area where, for centuries, so much history had taken place. We walked to Golgotha, the place where Jesus was crucified, and the Garden Tomb, which were two of our favorite Biblical sites, mostly because they were the least altered over the last 2000 years. Another day, we toured the Mt. of Olives, which from the Old City looks like a mostly barren hill. Once you’re up there, you realize it looks barren from down below because it’s mostly graveyards – many of them in disarray. Chuck said it reminded him of the Scripture in Matthew 27 – “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.” 

On one side there are still olive trees in a small gated area – the Garden of Gethsemane. We were taken up to the top of the Mt. of Olives by van, but then we walked to every site and then all the way back down, through the Old City – through the Lion’s Gate and the Muslim Quarter and then through the Christian Quarter, which comes out right near the Tower of David and the Citadel. By our assumptions, we may very well have walked along the same route that Jesus walked from the Mt. of Olives, on the night He was betrayed.

Thank you again for your prayer and financial support for our mission to Israel. Your prayers helped us to stay safe throughout all the rockets being fired from the terrorists in Gaza, and hearing how many of you woke up in the night to pray for us, only God knows how many other dangerous situations we may have been saved from. Your finances not only enabled us to help the Israelis through Bridges for Peace, but you also financially helped Danny, Tammy and Orna’s ministries, the Domari Society of Gypsies, and you sponsored the Zeitoun family for a year. As you have blessed these Israelis, God will surely bless you! He promises that in Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you (Israel).”

2012 has been a year of great highs and lows for us. Both of our Dads passed away this year – Becky’s in June as we prepared for this trip, and Chuck’s while we were in Israel. We miss them a lot, but the fond memories we have of each of them grows stronger every day. Chuck also lost his job in March, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise . . . it was the final sign that we were free to fulfill the call He had for us to serve Him in Israel. And as much as our mission to Israel was one of the greatest of blessings, 

the top honor goes to the news of our long-awaited grandson, Declan, who is going to make his debut into the world any day now. We were hoping it would be on the 4th, since that is his daddy’s birthday, but he is a little man of God, and the Lord has His own plan for him (however, we're praying that plan will include the love of missions, like his Grandma & Grandpa)! This is one of the Scriptures God gave us before we left for Israel: “May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace!” Psalm 128:6. (Why do you think we never worried over there . . . we had God’s promises and your prayers!)

Love and shalom in the name of Yeshua,

Chuck and Becky Miller

P.S.  Let us know if you want more information on any of the ministries mentioned. They are always excited to hear from people who may want to help by praying for or supporting their outreach to the Israeli people.