Ready to Come Home

Tonight we had our last dinner in Israel... Tomorrow we will head up to Jerusalem to drop off our good friend Sosimo, shop a little and then go back to the Airport. Today we had a great time touring Caesarea and Mt. Carmel. Being here has been a really good trip, but I am honestly ready to see my family. I really am grateful for the fact that I can talk with them and see them via iChat but it is nowhere near the same as seeing them in person!

Thank you so much for all your prayers for this journey, we have seen God do so many things! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a safe journey home. Please keep the missionaries we visited in your prayers... There are so many things that are happening is Israel and around it. Being here has really opened my eyes more and convinced me that we are much closer to seeing many of the most amazing prophesies of the end times fulfilled in our lifetime... We need to wake up from slumber and watch and pray as the Lord commanded us to do!

Love in Deed and Truth!

Today we spent time putting final touches on the decorations at the worship place and soup kitchen. Pat and Stephen were especially stoked with the Chips Ahoy cookies and Chili we brought them back from the states! I had a really good time serving with Stephen helping to set up a new sound system. It brought me back to the old days when they were all on staff at CC Oceanside working together in the work of the ministry. The one thing that really impressed me about the ministry here is the balanced emphasis on spreading the gospel and caring for the poor. As Stephen shared, there was a time when getting the gospel out held more weight and importance in his mind. However as he has been serving in Israel and ministering to the poor, God has taught him, that caring for the poor serves to open the heart in order to receive the gospel. As he noted, back in the states there is the camp which emphasizes getting out the gospel without any service to the community, and then there is the other camp that emphasizes community service with no getting out the gospel! God has taught him that both equally work together, for love in action prepares the heart to listen to and receive the gospel. Because there is so much practical ministry happening, the people in this neighborhood are so open to the gospel and actually look forward to meet more followers of Yeshua (Jesus)! People here in in the immediate area are so much more open to the gospel. Their hearts are touched by love in action! Just as John said, "Let us not love in word of in tongue but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18).

Tel Aviv Outreach

Well the highlight of the day today was the outreach in Tel Aviv. It is officially the end of Shabbat (Sabbath) as I write this blog, but today was the day when Israel slows down and people gather at the beach to just hang out. We started the day with a worship service and fellowship meal. It is so amazing to witness first hand the ministry that the Lord is accomplishing through the obedience of his servants. The poor and needy are so grateful that followers of Yeshua come to love in action. We have had so many wonderful privileged opportunities to share the Love of Christ to the nation of Israel.

After the worship service we had the chance to take the sound system down to the beach. The students shared with the people through worship music and drama. Horizon School of Evangelism from San Diego is here, so we did the outreach together. 2 people from their team shared their testimony to the people. The Lord allowed for many divine opportunities for conversation and distribution of tracks and copies of the "new covenant" (a.k.a. the New Testament) which is not printed in Israel and difficult to obtain.

Tomorrow we will finish some work at the soup kitchen, and may participate in another outreach and distribution of the "New Covenant." Thanks so much for your prayers. We are witnessing the miracles of God in so many ways I cannot even list them all.

Work Day!

Just got finished with our work for the day and are enjoying yet another Pita sandwich...

Today we had the opportunity to serve with Horizon School of Evangelism to paint and decorate! It was fun to hang out with the Apples, brought back so many wonderful memories of the days before they came...

The sun here has officially set and so it is Shabbat (a.k.a. Sabbath). We will go to worship in the morning, have food and fellowship with the congregation and then will participate in a street outreach afterward! Thanks for keeping posted on all that's going down!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We arrived in Tel Aviv and joined up with Horizon School of Evangelism to prepare the facility to minister to the poor with a restaurant style meal. There were so many wonderful opportunities to minister and talk with people. The team had the privilege to experience God's healing power on a woman who had been living with a chronic foot condition. Pat also shared with us last night after our arrival that she had been praying for a church to make knit beanies for the elders they minister to. The wonderful thing is that unknowingly, but obviously orchestrated by God, the youth in the states made knit beanies for us to take to Tel Aviv. A phrase came to my mind last night as we shared and prayed... God is a God of Miracles, and God blesses faith. I know personally, I have felt stretched so much everyday of this trip... The most amazing thing is that God has done amazing miracles everyday. Thanks for the prayers, we feel them. Today we will be painting and decorating the Church in Tel Aviv and tomorrow we will be out on the streets . The trip has been so amazing and there are so many stories to tell, I don't think it would fit! Many blessings to you back in the states, Happy Thanksgiving and Shalom!

On Route to Tel Aviv

By the grace of God we have completed the first half of the journey to and are in route to Tel Aviv. We began the day with baptisms at the Jordan River and had an amazing time. From there we drove south to the Dead Sea, where we stopped for lunch at En Gedi and then went for a short float in the Dead Sea. From there we made our way towards Tel Aviv. We are currently in Jerusalem for the night and will leave for Tel Aviv first thing in the morning. We will spend our Thanksgiving serving the poor at the food at a shelter! Many blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!!! (Oh, the picture is a lamp that has been constructed to furnish the Temple on the Mount... When it will be built that is!)

Great Day Touring

We have had a such a busy time the last few days, but got our work done a day early so the team took the day to go touring throughout Northern Israel...

We went to Tel Dan and experienced on of the springs that feeds into the Jordan River and took a look at the Lebanon border. From there we went to Banas a great water fall and Caesarea Phillipi and picked up a bunch of petras for the youth group. From there we went to Mt Hermon (a.k.a. Mount of Transfiguration), Mount Bental which overlooks the Syrian borders. The day was finished off with a Falafel... A GIANT FALAFEL...

We are at the local coffee shop making phone calls, updating facebooks and obviously blogs. The next plan is to grab a box of Magnum Ice Cream and going back to the house to finish off the Sweet 16 Celebration for Kaila!!! Tomorrow we make our way for Jerusalem and from there to Tel Aviv for the final half of the trip! Many Blessings to you all, thank you so much for your prayers!!!