Visiting the Holy Land

By Martha Macdonald

Last year's trip to Israel overwhelmed me with seeing the Land where Jesus walked, how beautiful it all is, how many layers of bloody history exist there, and how many Messianic Jews in large congregations doing good work there are.

This year's trip impressed me with the deep, complex nature of the peoples and the vivid contrasts and dichotomies that reflect life in modern Israel: The Holy Land has dark, sinful problems, the Jews and Arabs live largely in peace with each other, except for the extremists shown on the news, there is still desert, but the Jews have reclaimed much of the Land and turned it into the promised 'milk and honey' and yet there is frightening poverty hidden from view, there are overflowing food markets, luxury hotels along the Mediterranean and in Jerusalem and yet few tourists, there is a show of sacredness in churches and by Orthodox and Ultra-orthodox Jews, and yet secularism practiced. The new Holocaust museum is spectacular and heart-breaking and shameful; the children's memorial, reflecting lights and repeating names of the thousands of children killed in the Holocaust is soul-wrenching, and yet the number of abortions performed in modern Israel exceeds those thousands, partly because the military offers 2 free abortions to every young woman soldier during her 2 year army commitment. How Jesus must weep over His Land.

Before addressing the serious mission of our trip, let me confess that we had a gloriously sunny, funny, well-fed, singing, sharing sweet fellowship time from beginning to end. We ranged in age from 23 to 73 and that didn't seem to matter, but just enriched our views and good humor. Never will I forget crossing the Sea of Galilee, singing the Star Spangled Banner, dancing and singing to songs like "Do Lord' and pulling into the harbor singing 'How Great Thou Art', much to the interest of those on the dock. Nor will I forget coming up to Jerusalem singing with the Gaithers "Jerusalem! Jerusalem!" And several times by the Mediterranean Sea watching the para-sailing, the waves crashing and the lovely sunsets. And the drama and humor of the bomb squad on Ben-Yahouda St. in Tel Aviv using their robot to blow up a suspicious bag that turned out to be dog food! To say nothing of riding a camel, climbing on a tank, and discussing with our younger members the difficulties and importance of finding the right mate.

We had holy times together with prayers and Bible teachings and readings, songs and communion. The Easter morning service in the lovely Garden Tomb Garden was a blessed time. We later had a tour there, and time for Holy Communion, as well as Communion on the porch of our kibbutz on Maundy Thursday. There is a church in Jerusalem named St. Ann's which has the most melodious acoustics...it sings back to you; we were all transported singing 'We are standing on Holy Ground'...a moment worth the whole trip.

We ate fresh vegetables at every meal, including breakfast, tons of cheese, fish, mainly Tilapia, had memorable soups and falafel, even chicken wings, and much too much good bread. The weather was beautiful and sunny and just occasionally windy and cold in Jerusalem and by the Mediterranean Sea. The hills were covered with red and yellow buttercups, wild mustard, red poppies, blue lupine, purple iris and citrus, mango, date. olives and other fruit trees, the fields green with growing vegetables. We had our pictures taken with Arabs, soldiers, on a tank and on a camel, plus everywhere else, 6 hours worth of precious documentary by Anna Ochoa, our beloved 23-year-old princess, who studied Hebrew faithfully on the way.

We visited a military base on the Golan Heights, due to Tisha's connections there and discovered that the soldiers are in need also. Evidently the government provides them with excellent equipment to defend Israel, but doesn't have enough money to provide boots and warm jackets, sheets and blankets, to say nothing of pillows, t-shirts, cigarettes and candy. Tisha and her friends raise money to provide these things.

What did we do for the Kingdom? How can we explain it, because so much emotion and conviction is involved? We found important ministries, encouraged, brought back assuredness that we should further help:

The Dugit Ministry (Dugit is a fishing boat) which is led by Avi Mizaraki, a Sabre Jew who has come to believe in Jesus (Jeshua) as his Lord and Savior. God has blessed their work, witnessing on the street despite harassment and bombings, bringing them Arabs, Indians, young street people, alcoholics, etc., to know Jesus, as well as impressive facilities, a coffee house, and a thriving, worshipping Messianic congregation. We have a DVD of their work, and know they will welcome all volunteers to help them in evangelizing, counseling, working in their coffee house/bookstore, etc.

Ohalei Rachamim (Tents of Mercy) Messianic congregations led by the Shishkoffs and the Morrisons; both couple are Americans. God has blessed them with a large congregation which is varied, but largely Russian Jews who have immigrated to Israel permanently, and many who are in poverty. They also have been blessed with good facilities, including a meeting hall, warehouse and small sewing factory. They also have been met with active fire-bombs, but have overcome the neighborhood with their kindness to all, distributing clothing and food and whatever help they can give.

Our work this year was overwhelming to the 5 women who returned there to lead a 2 day conference, attended by 90 women from age 80 to young teens. Just the fact that they allowed Christians to come and teach Jews, albeit believers in Jeshua, was a miracle of God. Anna took the teens and taught them such things as being under authority, how to choose friends and respect oneself and how to select a spouse. Nancy Byram taught about communication and gave a lovely primary address comparing believers to a garden. Kathy Senkbeil taught about the Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit as well as Grief Recovery, Marji Cooney spoke about Bible study and Breaking Free from Bondage. Martha Macdonald presented ideas about cottage industry to combat their poverty, how to prepare for eternity, and Marji and Martha did a workshop on alcoholism, ending with a mini-Al-Anon meeting.

Evidently this was the first women's meeting these women had ever attended, the first time they had shared their pain, and the first time they had realized that others were experiencing the same problems. The worship and prayer time was deep and moving, full of tears and confessions, and sin brought to the foot of the cross. It was exhausting and draining and only the Holy Spirit could have done it. We 5 felt totally inadequate and humbled, and we escaped from the plan to stay with different families afterwards, and went to a kibbutz by the sea to recuperate.

There is so much to do in this congregation. Nancy is still there, teaching them music and singing, and probably a little bit about sewing. Another American volunteer was there for 2 weeks (one of God's Divine Appointments along the way) who had come to teach them cottage industry, so she took over as we left. There is a center to counsel pregnant mothers to keep their babies;Marji had taken lots of information and the promise of supplies for them. There is great need for help with addiction and bringing prostitutes off the street. Plus the ordinary tasks of running a congregation....who would like to go? Who would like to help?

We were visited by a group of Victims of Terror, who showed us a tape and gave us information; their ability to communicate was hampered by language and lack of translators. Some of our group contributed funds to them to encourage their work to help others.

Tisha Grimes was our tour guide, a beautiful American, formerly married to an Israeli, mother of two children. She and her mother, Polly Grimes, who is a producer of country/gospel music and the Gaithers' principal mentor, have been working in Israel for years, bringing entertainment and relief to the Army soldiers and to terror and poverty victims. Tisha has done some spectacular things for Israel and is now singled out by the Knesset to help soldiers in the Golan Heights, and children in Tiberius. Sherry Taylor and Bill Schmidt are especially interested in helping establish a new children's center to help poor and abused children in Tiberius. You can imagine the help from volunteers and donors that could be used there.

Anna, Kathy and Nancy were on their way to film the children's center when a black pastor from the USA joined the group, as he wanted to film the same thing to show on TV locally in Virginia. Anna's expertise helped him immensely. He, Aaron Goen, joined us on our trip to Jerusalem, hoping Anna could film the meeting he and Tisha were attending at the Knesset. As it turned out we couldn't film, nor even enter the Knesset, but the miracle of it all was that, unbeknownst to Tisha, the subject before the committee was how to reach black congregations in the USA, who might help Israel. And there was black pastor Aaron Goens, who broadcasts three times a week on TV, attending this very meeting in the Knesset. No coincidence there.

Before we leave Jerusalem we did these things:

Sharon Lundgren, the President of the Daughters of the King, a 26,000 body of praying, serving, evangelizing women, was on the trip, specifically to promote a new chapter of the Daughters in Christ Church, Anglican, within the city walls of old Jerusalem. She did an excellent presentation one evening before members and Tony and Patricia Higton, rector and wife. We have hopes of returning next year with a substantial DOK group to establish this new chapter. We also found there a fascinating Messianic tour guide with 8 children (7 girls and one boy)with lots of historical information about the Anglican ministry and a large thriving Messianic congregation. Christ Church's main ministry is to the Jews and has been since the 1800s. (Remember: 'to the Jew first and then to the Gentile').

Bible Study Fellowship is starting a pilot class in Jerusalem, with two American couples transplanted, to lead the way. We had lunch, shared stories, encouraged, and hopefully, introduced one of my Messianic Jewish classmates from Wellesley who lives in Gilo, to come to the class. I also found two other women in my travels who might be interested in attending...work to do, more contacts to make. The hardest part of starting a class in a foreign country is having the attendees 'catch the vision'. More BSFers who know the vision, and much prayer needed to get this class up and going, especially with so many missionaries there with their own agendas, and expats who would rather take the opportunity to travel in the Middle East then be in a disciplined class.

We visited the children in Haddasah Hospital, taking them little stuffed toys. Patients from all over the Middle East are flown there, as it is the best hospital in the entire area, accepting Jew and Arab and whoever, alike, which never makes the news. One little boy I shall never forget, as his emaciated body was riddled with hole-like scars as if he had been hit by a machine gun.

And last but not least, a trip to 'Heart Rock' ministry revealed a strong group of young dedicated Christians and Messianic believers who make videos to play on TV to reach the young people. They are changing the name of their ministry to 'Black Sheep', hoping to reach the kids on the street. They were very taken with Anna, and invited her to return to work with them for 6 months, if her church will send her. What an opportunity!!!

On to Tel-Aviv, and contact with 'Holy Land Ministries', which runs a half-way house to redeem prostitutes and drug and alcohol addicts. They promised to contact 'Tents of Mercy' and share their expertise, send counselors, and put them in touch with other ministries doing the same thing in Haifa and a town further north.

We first heard of the rampant prostitution from two women in 'Tents' who have been ministering to prostitutes in prisons, waiting to be shipped back to Russia. They had been kidnapped, drugged beaten, smuggled in through Egypt and put on the street by their captors. All this was confirmed by Andy Ball, the owner of a Bible bookshop on Ben Yahouda street. We entered his shop 'by chance' and found out much more about Holy Land ministries and their ministry of love and redemption to the street people of Tel-Aviv. He also promised to pursue helping the congregation in Haifa. Andy pleaded with us to send volunteers to come along side these needy ones; they simply use caring, praying, affirming, giving dignity and respect, to bring these lost ones back to normality.

I believe that the hope of Israel is the work and faith of the Messianic congregations, their teaching, evangelizing, praying, loving, mentoring and providing. They need money, volunteers and prayers. They need people to teach them how to run microbusinesses and find them markets. They need Bible teaching and discipling and most of all, a sense that God has not forgotten them, and that there is hope.

I will never forget the faces and tragic stories of the women in 'Tents of Mercy'. Many had lost everything familiar, leaving Russia. Their culture had not taught them to be imaginative nor how to take initiative. Many are caught in alcoholic abusive marriages and have no where else to go. Most have not enough money to survive, and some have already returned to Russia. One woman, a practicing child psychiatrist in Russia had to start over in Israel, first to learn Hebrew, then to go to school for years to be certified to practice in Israel..difficult in her sixties, having also been abandoned by her husband. Many stories such as this.

Also, there were Dana and her husband, Americans volunteering for a time in Israel, running the Retreat Center, and Florence, an American alone in Jerusalem, living on $500 a month, ministering to the old and incapacitated Jewish immigrants, living in cold and inadequate rooms. Lots of modern day heroes and heroines.

One falls in love with these people and never forgets. The question now is, where will the Holy Spirit lead us to help? Those of us who believe the Bible is true, know that Jerusalem is the center of the world, and to that city, Jesus will return one day. To be part of this great scene pulls at your heart and captures your imagination, and draws you back to Israel.

In gratitude for the privilege of participating in this amazing trip, and For the Glory of the Father, and in the Name of His wonderful Son Jeshua.