The Romance of Israel

Because I love Zion,
I will not keep still.
Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,
I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her
until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
The nations will see your righteousness.
World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name
by the LORD’s own mouth.
The LORD will hold you in his hand for all to see—
a splendid crown in the hand of God.
Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”
or “The Desolate Land.”
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”
and “The Bride of God,”
for the LORD delights in you
and will claim you as his bride.
[Isaiah 62:1-4 NLT]

From the moment I boarded the plane from Newark to Tel Aviv, I felt caught up in the “romance” of God’s heart for Israel. I first noticed it as I became aware of the numerous orthodox and Hasidic Jews lining up for extra pre-boarding security required for this flight.  As an American Christian, I’ve had a (not uncommon) desire to visit the Holy Land at least once in my lifetime – there’s a certain “romanticism” about visiting the land of the Bible, although my understanding of modern Israel was more limited.  But what I started to feel as I boarded flight UA90 on February 11, 2013, was a lot more than a check on my personal “bucket list”…

On the plane, I was fascinated to see so many families in orthodox clothing, rocking back and forth with their prayer books, and eating pre-arranged kosher meals in flight. My heart was caught somewhere between tears and delight, and I wasn’t sure why – the feelings intensified as we arrived in Tel Aviv, where the sight of still more black hats, coats and beards in security lines at Ben Gurion airport reminded me that these people were entering their “home country” - even those who were just visiting relatives or (like us) making a kind of pilgrimage to their spiritual and historical homeland.  Even as I write this, a subtle desire to weep washes over me again.

Of course, we enjoyed the Holy Land’s “tourist attractions” which are filled with significance for New Testament believers – kneeling to touch the spot where Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a sip of sweet wine at Cana, boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, baptism in the Jordan River, worshipping as we entered Jerusalem and in the Upper Room, praying at the Garden of Gethsemane and the Western wall, walking along the Via Dolorosa, sharing Communion at the Garden Tomb…

As a “Gentile Christian” who has read the Bible for many years, I found that touring Israel for the first time had a kind of magical or “romantic” quality, yet also quite a bit more… Searching for words to describe this experience, I considered these definitions from www.dictionary.com:

“romance”
1. a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds, pageantry, romantic exploits, etc., usually in a historical or imaginary setting. 2. the colorful world, life, or conditions depicted in such tales. 3. a medieval narrative, originally one in verse and in some Romance dialect, treating of heroic, fantastic, or supernatural events, often in the form of allegory. 4. a baseless, made-up story, usually full of exaggeration or fanciful invention. 5. a romantic spirit, sentiment, emotion, or desire.

“romantic”
1. of, pertaining to, or of the nature of romance; characteristic or suggestive of the world of romance: a romantic adventure. 2. fanciful; impractical; unrealistic: romantic ideas. 3. imbued with or dominated by idealism, a desire for adventure, chivalry, etc. 4. characterized by a preoccupation with love or by the idealizing of love or one's beloved. 5. displaying or expressing love or strong affection. 6. ardent; passionate; fervent.

Considering the troubled history of the region - and the very real cost in human lives over the centuries - I want to be sure that my understanding and love for Israel aren’t superficial, overly idealized, “full of exaggeration or fanciful invention.”  I want my heart for Jewish people and the nation of Israel – as well as my understanding of their history, current events, and prophetic destiny - to be rooted in God’s real love and truth.

As we crossed over the Israeli border from Bethlehem (on the Palestinian side), a member of our mission team played the Israeli national anthem “Hatikva” (from a 19th-century Jewish poem called “Our Hope”) and reminded us that the very existence of modern Israel is a fulfillment of ancient Biblical prophecy and, in many ways, “miraculous.”

Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.  [Isaiah 66:8 NIV]

The history and prophetic destiny of modern Israel is a fascinating subject - far beyond the scope of one blog posting!  When I got home from my trip, I began to look deeper into this “tale of adventure and romance,” a story as thrilling as any blockbuster novel or movie I’ve ever seen. For example, as I watched the documentary “Six Days in June” on DVD, I literally cried with joy at footage of the Israeli army reclaiming Jerusalem in 1967, when secular Jews who didn’t know how to pray stood weeping at the Western Wall and learned the Shema from fellow soldiers. (A few of my current favorite book and video titles are listed below.)

The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.  [Deuteronomy 28:7 NKJ]

We saw evidence of God’s blessing as our bus traveled south from Galilee to Jerusalem, passing through both Israeli and Palestinian territory. We praised God for answered prayer as our tour guide noted increased water levels in Galilee; and, while one could possibly explain flourishing Israeli farms with Jewish work ethic and irrigation, we wondered at uncultivated hillsides covered in green grass, which became barren dirt as those same hills crossed the Palestinian border…

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom… they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.  [Isaiah 35:1-2 NIV]

“I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”   [Genesis 12:3]

I don’t think I will ever forget standing in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives, and looking across at the eastern gate to the old city of Jerusalem, through which the prophets saw heavenly streams of healing waters flowing (Ezekiel 47:1-12, Zechariah 14:4-9) and where the Messiah will one day return to His beloved land.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings… I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”   [Matthew 23:37, 39 NIV]

On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem...Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.  [Zechariah 14:4-5 NIV]

As many of us are aware (to varying degrees), three major religions and multiple people groups claim Jerusalem as their spiritual home.  The photo below this article was taken at the Western Wall plaza, where my friend Dawn (the blonde) and I shared our joy and sense of “belonging” with a family of Orthodox Jews on their bi-annual trip to Israel from New York.  Dawn asked if she could give the women a hug, later commenting on my photo, “That guy [at left] is smiling.”  :)  What a picture of God’s desire for unity between Christian believers & the Jewish people!

Of course, not everyone in the region feels the same peace, joy, and beauty we experienced – an Armenian shopkeeper we encountered as we exited the old city ranted, “City of Peace?!  No, no city of peace – city of devils!  Jerusalem is full of devils!”  Oddly, he seemed more confused and deceived than “hateful,” which reminded me that confusion and deception affect many who struggle with understanding or accepting God’s spiritual purposes in and through Israel.

“I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves…”   [Zechariah 12:2-3 NIV]

This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD Almighty is his name: “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the LORD, “will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.”   [Jeremiah 31:35-36 NIV]

These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  [I Corinthians 2:13-14 NKJ]

Returning to the airport in Tel Aviv on February 19 – it was so hard to leave!  I purchased one last round of souvenirs at the gift shop – a few postcards of Jerusalem, a small silver-plated menorah – to bring home along with those I’d already packed: a shofar (ram’s horn), tallit (prayer shawl), little bottles of anointing oil and Jordan River water, and a couple of scarves I’d bought at a Messianic shop in the Old City, which (I found out later) were labeled in Hebrew, “100% Polyester, Made in Korea.”  :)   (I was happy to support Messianic Jews in Jerusalem, so the label just made me laugh.)  As I sat in Ben Gurion airport (across from my team-mate Mary Cate, pictured here) waiting to (reluctantly) board flight UA85, I sensed God saying to me that I would be unpacking this trip for years to come...

If I forget you, Jerusalem,

may my right hand forget its skill.

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth

if I do not remember you,

if I do not consider Jerusalem

my highest joy.

[Psalm 137:5-6 NIV]

Back in the U.S., my suitcases and souvenirs were indeed unpacked and sorted long before my thoughts and feelings about this trip… Compelled by a strangely “homesick” longing to understand and experience more of Israel’s beauty, history, and prophetic destiny, I embarked on a further journey of love, learning, and intercession for this beautiful land and its people.  A month or two after our return, one of my teammates told me she had a vivid dream of me joyfully sharing salvation with a young Middle Eastern woman.  I listened again (several times) to a CD message on Israel & the End Times by Randy Martinez of Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace (from Awaken the Dawn 2010), and read all 600+ pages of O Jerusalem! (a riveting history of the birth of modern Israel), along with other resources listed below.  A local church hosted Paul Wilbur, Asher Intrater, and Ron Cantor in June and July (it's surprising how many Messianic leaders began their ministries in the DC area - Intrater and Cantor are among those who now live in Israel); and, in August, I attended Aglow International’s “Watchmen on the Wall” seminar about praying for Israel & the Middle East…

Most Christians I know have some desire to visit and/or honor the Holy Land - hopefully we are continuing to grow in our depth of understanding and sharing God’s heart in these areas.  To sum up what I’ve learned so far, both during and since my travels in February 2013:  understanding and partnering with God’s end-time purposes for Israel is not optional for those of us who say we love Jesus.  The salvation of Israel [Romans 11:25-27] is as important to God in these “last days” as the preaching of His good news to all nations [Matthew 23:37-39, 24:14].  One day, Jesus – Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah – will set His actual feet on the Mount of Olives again, and then He will rule the earth from Jerusalem [Psalm 110:1-4, Micah 4:1-8, Zechariah 14:4-5].   May we all be found standing with Him in His Love and purposes for Israel and for all nations.

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“The sleeping Bride of Christ needs to wake up and assume her rightful place of intercession and cooperation with the Son of God. Her awakening concerns the priority of Israel in the last days and the Gospel of the Kingdom being preached and demonstrated to the ends of the earth, preparing the way for the Messiah’s return. She will awaken to the place of the Jewish people in the Word of God, in the heart of God and in the move of God.”

-- James Goll, The Coming Israel Awakening

O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls;

they will pray day and night, continually.

Take no rest, all you who pray to the LORD.

Give the LORD no rest until he completes his work,

until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.

The LORD has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength:

“I will never again hand you over to your enemies.

Never again will foreign warriors come

and take away your grain and new wine.

You raised the grain, and you will eat it,

praising the LORD.

Within the courtyards of the Temple,

you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed.”

Go out through the gates!

Prepare the highway for my people to return!

Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders;

raise a flag for all the nations to see.

The LORD has sent this message to every land:

“Tell the people of Israel,

‘Look, your Savior is coming.

See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”

They will be called “The Holy People”

and “The People Redeemed by the LORD.”

And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”

and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”

[Isaiah 62:6-9, 10-12 NLT]

Recommended for further study:
Derek Prince, Promised Land; Derek Prince Ministries, 2003
James Goll, The Coming Israel Awakening; Chosen, 2001 & 2009
Don Finto, Your People Shall Be My People; Regal Books, 2001
L. Collins & D. LaPierre, O Jerusalem!  Simon & Schuster, 1972
Stan Telchin, Abandoned! Chosen Books, 1997
Ron Cantor, Identity Theft; Destiny Image, 2013
Asher Intrater, "Israel & the Church in the End Times" (4-CD series available at www.reviveisrael.org)
DVD “Six Days in June” released in August 2007 (available at www.amazon.com)

Additional resources for intercessory prayer:
http://www.aglow.org/get-involved/events/watchmen
http://www.ihopkc.org/israelmandate/prayer-for-israel/

http://www.ihopkc.org/israelmandate/related-ministries/

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Interested in joining Global Celebration’s 2014 mission team to Israel?    http://www.globalcelebration.com/Holy-Land-2014

PEACE ON EARTH - My first visit to Bethlehem

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."
[Luke 2:8-15 NKJV]

My first trip to Israel - with a Global Celebration mission team of about 35 people, most of them from the U.S. - was originally planned to depart on Friday 2/8/13, but our flights were cancelled due to a snowstorm in the Northeast, and our group rescheduled to depart on February 11.  A good snowstorm sometimes interrupts our human plans, and forces us into that quiet place where God’s voice can be heard and His plans displayed (Job 37:5-7)… With three additional days to re-pack my suitcases and pray, this delay helped me to connect more personally with God’s heart for this mission trip in a way I hadn’t really been able to before.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous about visiting Palestinian territory – after all, U.S. media rarely reports anything but suicide bombers, rockets and hatred for Israel. While in theory I admired Global Celebration’s commitment to show love toward all people, like many American Christians, I love and pray for Israel, and hadn’t heard much of anything positive about Palestinians. So when our trip was delayed for 3 days by the snowstorm, I was a little bit glad we’d have less time in Bethlehem, and needed a few extra days to pray through the hidden fears in my heart.

God is so faithful to answer when we seek Him!  As I prayed for our team, at first I “saw” angels going with us into Palestinian territory, then felt led to read Psalm 34:7 – “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”  So far so good…

On Saturday 2/9, I was praying at home and had a spiritual “vision” – eyes closed, a mental image with profound spiritual meaning that reassured me about our destination.  Here’s what I scribbled in my journal to remember it: “ancient walls crumbling, big boulders, blue skies, both sides (esp. Palestinian) could see common humanity – peace.  rubble, large beings tossing boulders around (angels? playfulness? or secular ‘powers that be’).”  [I decided later that these probably represented political powers, who toss issues back & forth, only occasionally removing any “boulders” of enmity, fear, anger, etc.]  I also had a very strong sense that this was something God was already doing in the region, and that our team was going to be a part of something larger, which was already in motion.  For the first time, I began to feel a personal connection to God’s heart for the mission aspect of our trip.

When we got to Dheisheh, the larger of two camps we visited in the Bethlehem area, we entered into God’s heart immediately by blessing a group of local widows and their fatherless children with groceries, hugs, kisses, and music. (We worship in English, so nobody minded our lyrics, and it created a beautiful atmosphere.)  Global Celebration leader Georgian Banov introduced us with a short explanation that “we’re not politicians, we don’t have all the answers to the situation here, we just want you to know that we love you and we’re with you and we care about you.”  A Dutch couple who work with the deaf at Dheisheh cultural center led a drum performance by their music students, and then we laid out our donated supplies for arts & crafts – crayons, paints, beads, stickers, pipe-cleaners, etc – and enjoyed a gleeful “art camp” with the children of the community.  Afterward, we were invited up to the 3rd floor to eat lunch with the children, and when they dispersed, one of the leaders thanked us (through an Arabic translator) for “changing things” for his young son, who played with us.  He said, “I try to teach my son to look at people – not as Muslims, Jews, or Christians, but as people… Today you have helped me to show him this.”  Then, since we had been playing our worship music on the sound system in the background, he invited us to dance with him and his friends to Arabic music – what an amazing, joyful and lively time that was!

The “sweetness & light” we experienced was still set against the backdrop of harsher realities – murals depicting the Palestinian narrative of Israeli occupation, violence and the sorrows of war were displayed above the windows, and a young man who came to speak with us after our 3rd floor “dance party” implored us to “tell the world that we are refugees!” Palestinian “camps” don’t look like refugee camps in Africa – they reminded me more of the narrow concrete neighborhoods one sees in the cities and towns of Central America. But the psychological impact of having been displaced and restricted by the existence of Israel was evident in this young man’s emotions. Georgian was graceful to come alongside and encourage him to share his heart with us so we could pray with him for solutions to the problems and needs that concerned him – jobs, opportunities, justice and freedom. Through the translator, Georgian asked another young man, “What are your dreams?” He replied, “I want world peace. I want to change the world.” The other fellow teased him, “Oh, he wants to be an angel!”  The one who spoke of peace was a nursing student, and I felt strongly impressed to share what I’d heard missionary Heidi Baker say many times, so I asked the translator to tell him: “Love the person in front of you. This is how we change the world: one person at time.”  Our team prayed with both of them for jobs and places to live and opportunities for their generation to change their world.

On our second day in the Bethlehem area, Abdelfattah Abusrour, PhD – general manager of Alrowwad Cultural and Theatre Center for Children in Aida Camp, where we gave more groceries & hugs to widows and enjoyed art, pizza and soda with the children – walked with us through the neighborhood to visit a widow whose name means “Beautiful.” The streets were relatively calm and peaceful, but he asked us if we could smell the tear gas, as there had been a conflict with Israeli soldiers earlier that day.  It was February 14, so we wished him a Happy Valentine’s Day, and he replied with a smile, “Every day is a good day to love.” (Amen!)  The widow named “Beautiful” had a son in prison and four deaf-mute grandsons, one of whom visited with us while his grandmother served us tea and bananas, and we worshipped and talked with Dr. Abusrour on her patio. He told us about bringing his children’s theater group on tour in the U.S. and France, showing them poor neighborhoods in wealthy nations where the children remarked, “these people are poorer than us!” As I listened to him speak about his philosophy of non-violent, “beautiful resistance,” I told him about my vision of the walls crumbling and people recognizing their common humanity, and shared something else I felt God showed me as we were talking, that his cultural center is “a fountain of love” in this community… Later, when we stopped by his office to donate some quality art supplies for his older students, we noticed pictures of this Palestinian’s “heroes” on the wall: Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King. Dr. Abusrour’s gentle eloquence clearly debunks popular myth (conscious or unconscious) that automatically associates the word “Palestinian” with the word “terrorist!”… Strife, hurt, fear, and enmity can distort perceptions on both sides - yet Dr. Abusrour’s words (quoted here) echoed very obviously the message I felt I’d received from God about walls coming down, and people perceiving their common humanity:

"We do not have the Luxury of Despair, but the Steadfast Hope that we can create a change that we can be proud of, and leave a better heritage for our children and the generations to come, based upon the values that we share as human beings and equal partners".

Continuing this theme of how awareness of our “common humanity” promotes peace, we later visited a rehab center in Tel Aviv which assists patients recovering from traumatic injuries (including a number of Israeli soldiers) and a Jerusalem residence for juvenile heart patients and their families (mostly from the Kurdish region of northern Iraq), with prayers and gifts.  Medical care in Israel (as in many other parts of the world) is offered without regard to politics or nationality.

Then, to top it all off, on the plane home from Tel Aviv to Newark, I sat next to an Israeli-Palestinian youth band called Heartbeat, who were embarking on a U.S. tour, (for more on how this group uses music to promote honest dialogue and peace, see http://www.heartbeat.fm/about/ ) and had an amazing hour-long conversation with one of their leaders, Tamer, who seemed as appreciative of what our group was doing on our trip as I was of his. He confidently asserted that, throughout history, walls (like the physical wall separating Israel and Palestine) have come down, because walls are not ultimately the solution… I said I felt my vision referred first to the walls of enmity, fear and anger in our own hearts and minds.  Later, when I searched the Heartbeat website to attend one of their events, I got tears in my eyes as I read these lyrics to their official music video “Bukra Fi Mishmish” (Arabic for “when pigs fly” or “when the impossible happens” – hello, we're the “Holy Land Miracle Tour” - we love the impossible !!):  “when we understand that we’re all human beings, then forever and ever we’ll be able to live.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xw6NiUb44o&feature=player_embedded#!

I’m not pretending to have all the answers for the complex issues of Israeli-Palestinian relations - I mainly wrote this to describe some of my experiences as honestly as I could, as an American Christian who got to be part of some “walls” coming down – especially in my own heart and mind - as I participated in Global Celebration’s 2013 “Prophetic Journey and Compassion Outreach” to the Holy Land.

For example, when we visited the “Shepherd’s Field” in Bethlehem, I noticed Palestinian colors flying over a flock of sheep grazing below us, and was tempted, for a moment, to regret seeing this Biblical site in the hands of “Israel’s enemies”…but, quickly and clearly, it dawned on me that the shepherds on that famous night in Bethlehem were not necessarily looking for God when He broke in on their lives with the greatest gift of peace and good will humanity has ever known, and His gift of love was not just for the Jews then, either.

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.' ”

[Isaiah 65:1 NIV]

I was reminded of the apostle Paul’s words to Gentile Christians at Ephesus, reminding them how God Himself reached out for them with His salvation. Most of us who claim relationship with God were at one time undeserving wanderers, loved and found by His grace, in spite of ourselves!

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

[Ephesians 2:12-13 NLT]

May God’s Spirit of Love and Peace again break through for the Palestinians of Bethlehem and everyone in the region. This “good news of great joy” – the message of God’s good will toward humanity - is for all people on the earth.

Postscript:  While I was waiting to depart for Israel, a few members of our team who’d arrived from countries other than U.S. (and were not delayed by snow) posted photos on Facebook of their visit to the Dead Sea. It was fun to see that some of our team were already there, knowing we’d all meet up soon, and I was SO THANKFUL that God spared me from having my photo on internet in a mud-covered bathing suit !!!  ha ha  :)  Still, it’s a great message – PEACE & LOVE – and I’m glad we all got to carry it through the rest of our trip…

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
[Ephesians 2:14-18 NLT]

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
[Matthew 5:43-48 NLT]

For more information about Global Celebration, see www.globalcelebration.com

Israel 2013

Wow.  Wow, wow, wow... there will be no glib summaries from me of Israel 2013 "Holy Land Miracle Tour" with Global Celebration mission team of 35 wonderful-&-wild-for-Jesus best team ever :)  In Tel Aviv airport on Tuesday a.m. Feb 19, as I was reluctantly boarding our plane back to the U.S., I sensed God saying to me that I will be unpacking this trip for years to come. So, no sense being in a hurry!   or trying to write about it all in one blog posting...

So, while I'm working on writing about several different themes from this trip (which could take a while :)), here's a link to my photo album (to read captions, double-click on the first image to "open" the album, then click the arrow on the right side of each photo to "turn the pages"), for those of you who haven't already seen it on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4284697638575.144898.1320390486&type=1&l=c3f37201c0

  

Wow.   :)   I can hardly wait to go back again next year....

In His love & blessings,

gina

Nicaragua 2013

Wow!  what a great week !!!  Just returned from my 5th annual trip to House of Hope in Nicaragua, and thought I'd try to capture a few highlights while the memories are still fresh...

On Sunday, January 20, I met up with my teammate, Ana Rich, in the Houston airport - I'd met Ana on Global Celebration's "Steps of Paul" mission trip to Bulgaria, Greece & Turkey in 2011 - her flight was delayed, but United got her on another plane in plenty of time, and she arrived full of peace and joy.  I'd had a half-caf mocha while I was waiting for her in Houston, so when we arrived at Quinta Shalom in Managua around midnight, unpacking & organizing our supplies for the week (in our big 4-bunk room) was a breeze... Monday we started our week of classes & activities on multiple but related themes:  Culture of Honor, Supernatural Ways of Royalty, & Restoration of our True Identity in Christ.  House of Hope residents ages 10 and up attended for about 2 to 3 hours of ministry every day, except for Tuesday morning, when I spoke for about 40 minutes on "Identity" to about 350+ women who come to HoH on Tuesdays to make greeting cards & jewelry.  For more information about House of Hope (including testimonies, projects, how to donate or order products), please see their website www.houseofhopenicaragua.com

On Monday, we talked about what it means to "Honor all people" [from I Peter 2:17a] and how unity is not sameness - that God created us all different and He enjoys diversity!  We closed the class by sharing Communion, and asked God to help us see ourselves and one another as He sees us (forgiven, accepted, loved) and to appreciate our God-given differences as unique individuals, created in His image and likeness.  Tuesday's message focused on how our behavior flows from our sense of identity, and asking God to paint HIS picture (of ourselves & one another) on our hearts and minds - I posted this cartoon image of an ordinary cat painting himself as a tiger to illustrate the idea that God's vision for us is more beautiful and powerful than we have yet seen or realized.

On Wednesday, we talked about humility and honor, focusing on the fact that true Biblical humility is not putting ourselves down, but serving one another through being secure in God's Love.  Jesus knew who He was, where He came from and where He was going, and He received glory and honor from the Father by laying down His life for others and setting us free.  We closed this session with footwashing - complicated by the fact that the water was shut off on HoH campus that day (interruptions to water and power can happen unexpectedly at any time in poor countries) - Brittany, my friend and HoH dorm mom, provided us with 3 gallon jugs of water that she & her girls had saved for bathing... Each member of the group took turns both giving and receiving, washing another person's feet and speaking positive encouragement to each other, which continued building our sense of community and willingness to "love your neighbor as yourself." [Lev 19:18, Mt 22:39]

Thursday began with a short skit by two of the dorm girls to illustrate a teaching on conflict resolution, then we did a second session on "royal robes" with scriptures that show how special clothing (including "putting on Christ" and wearing Love) can be an outward expression of the worth and dignity of the person wearing it.  We passed out beautiful fabrics in assorted colors and encouraged each member of the class to use them to dress creatively for our "royal banquet" (chicken dinner).  The girls far surpassed my expectations and looked outstanding in their glamorous "gowns" that evening!   A few of my favorite photos are attached - a beautiful 8 year old, who would barely smile for a picture on Monday, truly stepped into her identity as God's Princess as she paraded her long train of satin butterflies... who doesn't feel more wonderful wearing a necklace, bracelet, crown or tiara?  a few young boys (who live with their mothers or grandmothers at House of Hope) really enjoyed pinning fabric to their shoulders like superhero capes - what a transformation!   :)  

Friday's last class was on "Following Your Favor" - I began by telling a story from last year's trip (see 2/22/12 blog posting "Buttery Steps!" http://holy1fire.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html ) - then explained how, when we follow what God has truly put in our hearts, we find that His grace opens doors and we feel His smile upon us.  Although we will encounter challenges and opposition, we have what it takes to overcome obstacles when we are walking with God in His will for us!  Again we encouraged one another to seek God for how He sees us, and what He wants to do with us in our lives day by day.  Then we invited the younger children to join us for an art activity - each person decorated their piece of a posterboard puzzle with colors & pictures expressing their unique identity & God-given talents or dreams - and celebrated the end of our week together with ice cream for all... :)

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 NIV

Saturday was a relaxing outing for me and Ana with our "guide" Laura (House of Hope staff member who coordinates team visits, along with many other duties! :)), who drove us about an hour southeast of Managua to Laguna de Apoyo - a small volcanic crater lake just west of Granada (we also visited the Granada marketplace for souvenirs before heading home).  I loved seeing signs declaring "Everyone has a right to relax" and "Please respect others' right to rest" at the lakefront restaurant & guesthouse called "La Abuela," where we enjoyed an hour of sunbathing on the deck after lunch (the water looked refreshing, but we decided not to swim and then have to drive home wet).  It was a beautiful day that allowed us to appreciate a bit more of the Nicaraguan countryside, since the rest of the week we mainly shuttled between House of Hope and our nearby lodging at Quinta Shalom, with a few side trips for supplies & groceries.

My strongest impression and greatest joy on this trip was seeing so many familiar faces and spiritual growth among the residents, staff & women who come on Tuesday mornings - I still find myself rejoicing at their continued progress in faith and life.  After 5 trips since 2009, visiting House of Hope is more than a "short term mission trip" for me - it's a spiritual investment in many lives, and I am privileged to see the rewards of sowing God's Love unfold before me year after year.  As on previous trips, we left behind most of our supplies, clothing, a couple of suitcases and several backpacks as donations to House of Hope.  I was also thrilled to "plant" about 30 copies of my 16-page teaching notes in Spanish in the lives of spiritually hungry women who will study the scriptures, share with their friends, and continue to listen as Holy Spirit speaks to them personally about who they are becoming in Christ.  I know the Lord keeps sending us each year to refresh and encourage the hard-working House of Hope staff as well.  Ana's spiritual sensitivity, sweet spirit & prayers were a great blessing - God was faithful to keep her safe and well in spite of some hip pain and lots of bumpy Nicaraguan roads!  Please keep all of these precious people in your prayers.  As for me, I fell more in love with the place and people than ever - each year, life in Nicaragua seems a little less hard and a lot more beautiful - I can hardly wait to return...


Source books & teaching CD's available at http://store.ibethel.org/
Danny Silk, Culture of Honor & The Practice of Honor
Kris Vallotton, Supernatural Ways of Royalty

For a complete album of photos from this trip, click here:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4106693268577.143393.1320390486&type=1&l=8510884f0a