Hi friends! Those returning immediately following the tour have all arrived safely home and we are grateful for that. For those who remained for some time, we pray for their safe return following some bonus days in Israel.

One of the great blessings of our Israel tour was the way our group became one big family. Twenty-four guests from 4 countries and 16 US states came together to immediately bond and develop friendships that will last a lifetime. During our time together we prayed for one another, laughed with one another, helped one another, and ministered to one another.

Though the US government shut down resulted in delays and flight cancellations, there was no stopping this group! Those flying from America to Israel on November 8 were all impacted to some degree. Some had minor delays, others had longer delays, and several were rerouted through destinations all over the world. Our final guest arrived around midnight. It was nothing short of a miracle that everyone arrived, and that no one missed any tour activities due to flight delays. We were so grateful for that.

It was a true blessing to witness our group express the love of Jesus when we made stops at a senior citizens club and a retirement home. Interaction at the senior citizens club was particularly impactful to us all, as we were able to hear their stories, share our love, and mingle among them.

We saw the same love expressed toward Messianic, Arab and Palestinian pastors we met, toward our guide and bus driver, and toward one another. Seeing Israel is fantastic, but experiencing Israel is far better! We definitely experienced Israel in ways most tours do not.

Through love, our group grew together, and 24 became 1! What a blessed privilege to lead this group in discovering God’s faithfulness in Israel!