Israel Mission, April 2008
In March of this year, John Arnott was in Israel for a tour that TACF put on with Jim Jackson and CBU. John, along with his grandson Richard, and Dan Slade, stayed for an additional week and ministered to various congregations around Israel. At the end of that week they met a lady named Karen Dunham. Karen heads up the ministry Living Bread International Church (www.livingbreadchurch.com). Living Bread International is a NGO (non-governmental organization) based in Jerusalem. They minister into refugee camps in Jericho, Bethlehem, Beersheba and very recently Hebron. Their ministry focuses on the poor, meeting their practical and educational needs.
During their visit John felt a real connection with Karen and Living Bread ministries and was moved by what God was doing among the people there. When he returned home, he had a deep desire to reconnect and establish a longer term relationship with the ministry. He gathered a small mission’s team and sent them out to Israel. The purpose of this team was to serve under Karen and begin to talk about how we could begin to partner with her, in her efforts to win the Muslims in Israel for Jesus. The team consisted of four young adults, Richard Arnott, John’s grandson and resource manager, Natalie Mason, Carol Arnott’s intern, Noel Grzetic, pastor of TACF Central, and Ben Kennedy, TACF Jr. High Pastor.
The Team Writes:
It was in April 2008 that the team headed off on a mission trip to the land of milk and honey. It was strange being in a place of such tension and hostility yet feeling so safe. There was such a strong sense of God’s presence there. Everywhere you go and everything you do seems to have such spiritual significance. We found ourselves overwhelmed as the life and death of Jesus became more real to us. We walked where He walked, where He lived and where He loved.
Over the course of the first weekend we spent some time touring. We had a base in Tiberius and from there we went on to explore. We spent some time in Capernaum the home of Peter, we read the scriptures on the Mount of Beatitudes, stood in awe at the ruins at Bet Shean, we swam in many holy streams, floated in the Dead Sea, got fired up at Mont Carmel and wondered at the Sea of Galilee, how did He walk on the water?
Capernaum was a familiar place for Jesus. It was His base as He ministered to the Galilean’s; it was a home from home. It was also the home of Peter. Here Jesus performed many miracles He cast out an unclean spirit in the synagogue, cleansed the lepers and healed the sick. It was here Luke 5:17 took place, the story of the paralytic man being lowered down through the roof. It was here that Jesus made a public declaration of who He really was in (Luke 4:16-21) referencing the Prophet Isaiah. “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (Isaiah 61:1-2) This was why we were here. We were here to reach out to the brokenhearted and the captive. It was no coincidence that we would start our mission in Capernaum just as Jesus did.
Having time to tour Israel before we officially started the mission was so beneficial. It gave us a deeper understanding of our mission. We were there as an extension of Jesus. Loving people and bringing the good news.
Our first stop of the week was the Negev Desert near Beersheba. Living Bread has close links with Kafar Rafael a center for those with Special needs. Kafar Rafael is an oasis in the desert, literally. It is a gated community; everything inside of the gate is flourishing and growing the plants, the land and most of all the villagers. Everything on the other side of the gate is dry and struggling for life.
Kafar Rafael houses volunteers and foster families who in turn provide a home for the handicapped villagers. Within the village there are several workshops where silk scarf’s rugs, candles, oil and a range of other products are made by those living in the community. Living Bread helps to support the village through selling bottles of the anointing olive oil. All of the proceeds from the sale of the oil is sown straight back into the village to help with renovations, workshops and employment. Every aspect of the oil is made by the villagers. From picking olives, to sticking the labels on the bottles.
Kafar Rafael is committed to helping their villagers live independent, significant lives. Each of the villagers contributes to the community. Whether they help in the kitchen to provide food for the village or have a job in one of the workshops. Each person is valued and each person knows they have a place.
We were able to spend an afternoon there looking at the different workshops, spending time with some of the staff, praying over the community and mainly sowing into the village. Our visit to Kafar Rafael gave us great perspective. Jesus came to love the lost, the broken, and the outcast. Kafar Rafael is a beautiful picture of the heart of God. It is a place where people’s disabilities are not cause for them to be rejected but cause for them to be accepted and empowered to be the best that they can be. It was a joy to spend time there and invest into such precious lives and such a precious mission.
Our second day would bring us to the River Crossing. This is where Jesus was believed to have been baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 3:21). It is the place where Elisha picked up his double portion and spoke life into Jericho (2 Kings 2) and it is spoken of as the Eastern Gateway. Ezekiel 43 “The glory of the God of Israel is coming from the way of the East.”
We were about to be submersed under an open Heaven and we were determined to pick up a double portion. We jumped on the bus and began our long and slightly risky journey. As we got closer to the river the tarmac turned to dust. The road was narrow and full of bumps. Either side of the road was sectioned off with razor wire and beyond that, were land mines. As we approached the river it was heavily guarded by the IDF (Israeli Defense Force). This gateway has been shut for a long time. It is only by the grace and favor of God that the IDF they are willing to open up the crossing for Living Bread.
We all piled off the bus and headed for the shade of the pavilion where we would spend time in prayer for the land of Israel. It wasn’t long before we were in full swing and our team began to lead the group in worship along with Karen. The presence of God was so strong there. We prophesied into the land, we tore down some strongholds and picked up a new mantle.
Everything in Living Bread is done through worship and prayer. The Lord says go and they go. We entered in with everything we had, we knew that it was so important to cover our mission with prayer and call down favor over our team. What we loosed in the heavenlie's that day we saw manifest throughout our time there. Things that would be impossible with man were made possible with the Lord. We all had a new revelation on the importance of prayer. As our time was coming to a close our group headed down to the river where we were all baptized. It is a rare occurrence that people are able to enter the water at this site. We felt very honored to have the opportunity to be baptized in such a significant place.
Primarily we were there to reach out to the Palestinian people, especially those living in the refugee camps. We were going there to love them and serve them in any way that we could. After making a quick stop to change after the River Crossing we made our way to Jericho. Jericho is the oldest and the lowest city in the world. It was once called the City of God and thanks to Living Bread it is reclaiming this name.
Living Bread have spent years sowing seeds into the city and after much persecution have a thriving church there. We had the privilege of attending one of their weekly meetings where we helped to lead worship and prayed for the sick. I was struck by how loving they were and how receptive they were to us being there.
The Jericho church was a strange clash of culture and Christianity. The women wore their traditional dress and the men and women would sit separately. Whilst these cultural practices still had their place so did Jesus. Many of them took part in a fire tunnel and were eager to receive prayer. They have seen the power of God at work through the transformation of their city and their own lives.
Along with the church Living Bread have established a mission house where prayer, worship and Bible study takes place in one of the camps. This city truly is coming back to the Lord. Being able to Love on them for just a few hours was so humbling. They really have nothing. They have been rejected and shunned but hope is being restored to them as they encounter the Love of God.
On Wednesday, the team taught in a bible school held at one of the local messianic congregations. Alex Morgan, their Dean of Admissions, along with Pastor Orin, have really created a place where people are hungry for God. We taught on how to hear the voice of God and then took them one step further and taught on the prophetic. By the end of the day, we had people hearing God’s voice and prophesying over one another. It was so amazing to see the transformation taking place. We felt like we had so much to give them, only wished we had more time to give it. We talked with and encouraged the dean Alex to come to our one month Leaders School and just receive from God. I am so pleased that he has now been accepted to the school and has safely landed here in Toronto.
Later that day we went into Jerusalem to set up bible tables in the Muslim quarter. This was perhaps the most rewarding part of the trip for the team. It was late afternoon opposite the bus station, where people were coming and going from school, work and shopping. In the midst of all the business we set up two tables loaded with bibles and Christian literature. We quickly began to draw a crowd, mostly young people and school children. It was here that we experienced first hand something of the hate that Jesus must have encountered. There in front of us some teens began to burn bibles. This made us feel really uncomfortable. It could have been easy to rise up in anger or defense but we had to remind ourselves why we were there and that was to Love them.
It became really hard when the younger kids took our DVD’s and returned them by throwing them at us. It was disconcerting to see such hate in such young children. This is all that they know; this is what is being instilled into them. We had to learn not to take it personally, because break through was just around the corner. It was hard to keep pushing through but we did and in doing so we saw several young people give their lives to the Lord. For them to commit their lives to following Jesus is such a powerful statement. We were able to tell them about some local churches that they could get involved with and we pray that they will continue to meet Jesus their savior in new ways. At the end of the day we had very little bibles and books left over. We had sown many seeds into many Muslim families. It was incredible.
On Friday we spent some time in Jericho the birth place of Living Bread Ministries. Karen took us through the city of Jericho and the refugee camp where she had invested years of her life. As she shared some memories of her time living there, a strange mix of love and sadness surfaced. Karen clearly had a soft spot in her heart for the city of Jericho yet there was intense emotion attached to each memory. The people she had come to Love were also the people that had caused her much suffering. She took us by the homes she had once lived in, told us about how she had fires started outside of her house and her car blown up. These initial attacks were made in vain. Karen stood her ground and believed for the goodness of God to break into the city. He turns all things for good.
It wasn’t long before Karen had waves of people coming and going form her house. She was a light in the darkness feeding the people, clothing them and sharing Jesus with them. At the front of the house there stood a large metal gate. Karen went onto explained that the gate was not always there but had become a necessity, because of the numbers of people visiting the house at all hours of the day and night. This house was a place of life, of nurturing. Karen was feeding babies in the Faith and it is no mistake that this house is now a Day care center, nurturing and loving the children of Jericho, the children of God.
Jericho is home to several significant Holy sites, so after viewing the city Karen took us to a couple of her favorite places. Before heading up the Mount of temptations we made a pit stop at Elisha Spring. This spring waters the land of Jericho and is a daily water source. Elisha spoke this blessing over the spring 'I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.' This spring is bringing great fruitfulness to the land and holds a great blessing. So we all put on our bathing suites and headed on in. Whatever blessing this water held we wanted some and even though it had a chill to it, one by one we went under receiving all that God had for us. It has even been know for people to be healed as they enter this crystal spring.
Our next stop would bring us to the foot of a mountain. We all jumped in a cable car and headed to the top of the Mount of Temptations. It was a rouged wilderness leading us up into high places. At the top there is a restaurant where we would stop to eat and take in the beauty of this Holy land. There was a cave adjacent to the restaurant where Karen first began to shoot her television show, Door of Hope. Door of Hope is an effective tool reaching out across the Middle East and taking Jesus right into the homes of literally hundreds of people. It was really cool to see where it all started for her.
She shared some stories with us about how she used to climb the mountain on weekends, to get away from the refugee camp. She would strap on her sleeping bag, pack plenty of water and make her way up the mountain to spend time with the Lord. It became a spot of refuge for her; a time she could charge her batteries for all that she was going to pour out that week. It would be no easy climb, navigating its sharp, rough face but in the end it was all worth it as she would have incredible experiences with God that would bring life and enable her to do what the Lord had clearly called her to do.
On Sunday we were given the opportunity to go with Karen and the team to Hebron. Hebron is home to one of the worst refugee camps in Israel. This is the next location Living bread would like access to. They will bring in milk for the babies, clothes, practical help and bibles. The aim of our visit to Hebron was to meet with the mayor and negotiate the terms on which Living Bread could enter the camp.
We were met at the entrance to the camp by the mayor’s brother and our interpreter. As we walked from one end of the camp to the other where we would reach our final destination we began to draw a crowd. Kids came out of no where to ask the same questions over and over. What is your name? How are you? How old are you? And tell us their name and age. It was all the English they knew and they were determined to practice on us. They were so full of life and joy which seemed so out of place in such a camp. I was so glad we were with the mayor’s brother I felt a shield of protection behind the authority he carried.
The kids soon helped us to forget the risk involved in being there. We arrived in front of a tall white building and one of the few that stood in one piece. This was the Mayors office. This was where decisions were made and we were hoping for a favorable one. In the natural this meeting should have been tough to navigate but nothing is impossible with God. We had so much favor the mayor practically gave Living bread his whole office block to use for living in and outreach purposes. We then proceeded to the roof of the building where he enjoyed a worship time with us. The fingerprints of God were all over the meeting.
Our trip ended in Bethlehem which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip for us. We headed for one of the refugee camps situated in the city and did some ‘drive by’ clothes hand outs. We packed up our van full of boxes and carefully placed bibles among the clothes. We made our way through the camp knocking on doors and greeting people along the way. People readily took the boxes and were full of gratitude.
As we wondered through the camp we again gathered a crowd of kids who followed us on our way. We stopped to talk to a couple of young guys who enjoyed practicing their English and were genuinely touched by our presence there. We were only a dip in the pond of need but it did not go un-noticed. As we headed back to the van we were swept up into a wave of commotion. A man emerged from one of the buildings, he was not happy with the Bible he found in the box of clothes and he voiced this very loudly. We quickly got into the van so our interpreter could try to calm the situation. We had now gathered a crowd, the atmosphere was very intense and we began to pray. Moments later the two young men we had been speaking to began to defend us, telling the older man to let us be. It was so amazing to see the younger generation stand for something that was good. These are the young men who will grow into places of influence. These are the young men who will make a difference. We had found favor with them and we pray that it won’t be long until Jesus finds favor with them.
Once we had finished the ‘Drive Bys’ we headed to the Living Bread base in one of the refugee camps in Bethlehem. There we met two young men David and Peter. They were on fire and passionate about the mission of Living Bread. Our visit was short and sweet as they were setting up a youth event that afternoon for the kids in the camp. We were able to hear their hearts and vision for what they were doing there and we were able to pray and prophesy over them. It was a really special time for all of us. Living Bread needs people like David and Peter who are willing to give up years of their life and sow into such a ready harvest. I really admire their sacrifice and the joy they find in what they do, even under difficult circumstances. We parted ways and headed back to Jerusalem to spend one last night in this Holy city.
The trip was amazing. It has impacted each of us in different ways. It has truly given us a heart for the people of Israel and the desire to continue to build bridges with Karen and Living Bread. I would say to any Christian if you ever get the chance to go to Israel, go! It will change your life. It will open your eyes to the reality that we are living in the end times and cause the Word to have a new lease of life in your heart. If you are interested in volunteering with Living Bread ministries please visit their website
www.livingbreadchurch.com or email them at livingbreadjericho@yahoo.com
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19)