Israel: Day 1
After not getting to bed until 2 AM, Elizabeth was up and ready to go to breakfast at 8:30! I could tell by the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice if I didn’t get moving I was going to get left in the dust. I then remembered when she came back from Israel last year she was raving about the breakfasts. She was ready to head downstairs and relive the experience. I was still in dreamland somewhere (after taking 2 Benadryl to try and sleep) but managed to get my pants on right and headed down with her. What awaited me was a veritable feast spread out over a 100 ft of one side of the hotel restaurant. There were fruits, vegetables, cheeses, fish, olives and breads of great variety. This was on top of the various egg based dishes including quiche’s etc. Let’s just say we waddled out of the restaurant! While eating, I decided to see how far it was to the Adonai Roi Congregation from the hotel. It turned out to be just 1.5k so we decided to walk off breakfast and head over and see if we could catch the last part of the service. I had met Pastor Avi Mizrachi in Kansas City in 2008 before I wrote Saving Zimbabwe. He had told me a profound story of how his congregation had joined together with a Palestinian congregation from the Galilee area for a day of fellowship and worship. With the message of reconciliation so strong in my heart, I was greatly impressed with the fact that mortal historic enemies could forgive and actually love one another here in this war torn land. Avi had not seen the book and so I gave him a copy and we talked about meeting sometime this week.
After returning to the hotel, Elizabeth decided to continue to unpack which seems to be a rather lengthy exercise for women. She calls it “nesting.” While she nested, I caught up on correspondence and then decided to go for a walk along the sea. As I made my way across the road toward the water I was surprised to see dozens of wild cats along the shoreline. They were everywhere and staring at me. It was quite creepy and for a moment I felt like I was in an Alfred Hitchcock movie or a Stephen King book. You find yourself looking over your shoulder wondering if they are following you!
As one looks back towards the Tel Aviv skyline you cant help but be struck by the history of this place. There are cranes dotting the horizon as modern high rise buildings are being erected. These Goliath’s dwarf the single level ancient stone buildings that have hundreds of years of history etched into their exteriors. The ancient past meets the modern world here.
Did they have any fruits that are only native to Israel or did they have fruits that you find here in US?
Reply to this
Nothing really new but they sure taste good as much of it is grown here. Dates and Figs are probably the most unique thing I've tasted.
Reply to this
I hope you have a great trip. Glad you are making the effort to reach out to the local Believers; thousands of Christians traveling there every day act as though these amazing Brothers and Sisters do not exist. I would love for you to meet 'our' Team of Israeli-Arab ministers and their families that are working so hard on discipling and restoration in the Galilee. Let me know if I can be of any help now or when you return...
Reply to this
John I would be really interested in learning more. I already have meetings scheduled while here and not sure if there is room for anything else. Having said that...I am always interested in anything that has to do with reconciliation and bridge building. Please tell me more about what you do.
Reply to this
Bob, thanks for the response.
Our work is fundamentally about sharing the GOSPEL with whomever God puts in our path over there. Our logo tries to express our lack of 'taking sides' by including both Arabic and Hebrew.
Our primary focus is on the Arabic churches, mostly as a function of being based in Nazareth, and our pastors are very involved in Jew/Arab reconcilaton, and have been for years. They are part of a program that attracts hundreds of both branches of the step-brothers to an annual Day of Prayer in Nazareth to worship in the name of the Christ They also participate in leadership retreats twice a year (one in a Jewish area, another in an Arabic area) known as SAYF (Sitting At Yeshua's Feet).
They primarily serve about 30 small groups and/or churches in about two dozen towns and villages.
Whether good or bad, we are non-political and non-eschatological as a function of the ministry. We individually have a variety of opinions, but do not hold to them as a function of teaching or fellowship.
I am heading over in about a week and would love to meet you if you're still there, but recognizing how tight most trips are would also offer to buy you coffee on this side of the world when we both return.
Reply to this