The Dead Sea

Snorkeling in the Red Sea ... behind me you can see Egypt!

This one I took for Dad...

Back from Eliat!

Hello everyone! I know it has been a while since I posted but I did not have internet access in Eliat. Eliat is at the southernmost tip of Israel in the middle of the desert. It was soooooooo hot there every day! Not my kind of weather at all.. but we got to do some really fun things while we were there. We stayed at a Christian youth hostel and met some really awesome people. We joined in on some of the ministry work they were already doing in the neighboring community. Friday night the shelter hosted a big shabbat dinner and invited many people from the neighborhood. Our group performed a skit and helped lead worship. There were people there from many different countries speaking all different languages: English, Spanish, Russian and Sudanese. The gospel message was being translated into all of these languages for the people. The shelter is running an amazing outreach out of Eliat and it was a blessing to be there to help and encourage the long term workers..
One of the coolest things we did in Eliat was going snorkeling in the Red Sea. It was so beautiful.. looked just like something out of finding nemo! There were fish and coral with every color of the rainbow. That was definitely an experience I will never forget. I just kept thinking wow, God's creation is so amazing.. After snorkeling we spent the night in a small community of Sudanese refugees spending time with the children there. Most of the parents are at work all day and the children are left alone to fend for themselves. These kids are just starving for attention and as soon as our van pulled up they all came running to greet us. We spent the night playing games, singing songs and just pouring love over the kids. They were all so cute and it was a blessing to spend time with them..
Now we are finally back in Jerusalem and it feels like home. Although it seems like I just got here, tomorrow will be my last day in Israel. We have a full day of activities planned including visiting the Temple mount and the garden tomb. Please keep me in your prayers as I travel back to the states tomorrow night.

Hello all! The last couple of days have been filled with a lot of intense work. Monday we spent the day in Sederot ministering to Holocaust survivors. These people are very elderly and many of them are shut in. We had the opportunity to bring them care packages of food and just sit and visit with them. Even though most of them spoke either Russian or Hebrew, we were still able to communicate our love for them by just showing up and helping them with whatever they needed. Sederot is one of the most poverty stricken areas in Israel. Many of these people live in fear of Hamas attack. There are bomb shelters in every home and on every street corner. It blows my mind to think that these people lived through the holocaust, some of them even survived concentration camps, and yet they still live in fear for their lives because of hateful and evil people. The people were so appreciative that we would take the time to come and visit with them and bring them food. It was really inspirational to meet these people, see their resilience and hear their amazing stories.

Yesterday we spent the day in Tel Aviv volunteering at a soup kitchen. Again, this particular neighborhood has a very high poverty rate. Many of the people we were serving have drug or alcohol addiction, some may be prostitutes, most were elderly and many were refugees from Sudan. The first part of the day was spent in the distribution center. A large shipment of donated clothing was recieved in the morning. It took a long time to sort through all of the clothes and organize them all. We also spent a lot of time making care packages of food items. The soup kitchen opened at five oclock, and people had been waiting outside for several hours. Serving the people was very hectic and kind of crazy but everyone was fed. I learned a lot about having a servants heart even in the midst of chaos and confusion. This experience also made me greatly appreciate all of the blessings I have in my life. Unlike these people, I have never been in need and I have never gone hungry. After having a meal, each person was able to sort through the clothes closet and recieve a bag of food to take home. It was a blessing to me to be a part of this experience. It taught me a lot about being humble and serving others.
"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me"
Matthew 25:40


After several days of working with survivors, today we will visit the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. Please be in prayer for our group as we continue to minister to these people, so that we can have a better understanding and appreciation for what they have lived through.

Sea of Galilee

Garden of Gethsemane

view from Mount of Olives

After a few days in Haifa we are back in Jerusalem. Haifa was definately one of the most beautiful places I have seen so far, right on the Medditerranean Sea. During our time there we worked with a Messianic Jewish congregation doing various service projects. Friday night we had the opportunity to host two different youth groups, one was all Russian and another group was from Chicago. We had at least three to four different languages among us but somehow we seemed to make it work. We all had a great time in fellowship together having a rooftop barbeque, singing worship songs and performing skits. It was a really fun experience in fellowship with fellow believers from all over the world.
On the way home from Haifa yesterday we had the chance to make a pit stop in the ancient Roman town of Ceasarea. It was so cool to see the 2,000 year old Roman ruins built by king Harod. There was an ancient ampitheater and gladiator areana. You could even visit the house of Agrippa where the Apostle Paul was put on trial.
Today we spent the day putting together care packages of food and making cards for the Holocaust survivor ministry. We will be destributing the packages tomorrow in Sderot. Please be in prayer for our group that through these care packages, we can share the love of Christ with these people who have lived through so much..

Great day today. Our group had the chance to volunteer at an old persons home or what we would call an assissted living home. My main job for the day was working in the garden weeding and planting. I even got to plant a mandarin tree and a sugar cane plant. But the best part of the day by far came later on when we got to interact with the people in the home. I was able to meet a 96 year old holocaust survivor named Heinz. Heinz was raised in Berlin in a Jewish household. His housekeeper was a Christian and read him the Bible, thats how he came to know Christ. When the Nazi party began to take over Germany, an underground church helped Heinz escape to Sweden. After the war was over, he returned to Germany to minister to the Jewish people. The stories he was able to share with me were absolutely amazing. He even wrote a book about his life story but unfortunately it has not yet been published in English. Before I left him I asked if he had any words of wisdom to share... he said to me "keep following Jesus and you will have a good life"... It was such a blessing to meet him, an experience I will never forget.

Hi everybody! The team is doing great over here in Israel. This week we are in the Northern country by the Sea of Galilee. Our first stop was Tiberius (capitol of Rabbinic Judaism). During our two days there we had some awesome service opportunities. I was able to volunteer at a Messianic kindergarten school. We helped the teachers by cleaning and preparing the school building for summer vacation. The kids were so precious but they all spoke Hebrew so I could not understand a word.. But the one thing I could pick out was Toda Yeshua or Thank you Jesus!! The kids said it a lot and I loved hearing it. It was a real inspiration to me and a reminder to thank God more everyday. The same night (last night) we set out on the town to a place called the promenade. The promenade is a popular hang out spot right on the water.. absolutely beautiful. Our intention was to just hang out by the water and sing worship songs. Many people walking by stopped just to listen to us and some even joined in. After worshiping by the sea, we set out in pairs to have dinner with the hopeful intention of meeting new people and engaging in some spiritual conversations. Before my friend Cynthia and I could even find a place to eat, we met these two Israeli soldiers and started talking to them. To make a long story short, the two of us talked with these guys for the next three hours!! They were very curious as to why a couple of christian girls from America would care about their land and their people. Even though the two of them were completely different, I could tell that in different ways they were both desperately searching for the truth. A lot of Israelis have a skewed perception of what it means to be a Christian. I feel that by talking with them we really helped to change that perception. I was able to share the gospel with them in a truly awesome way and I think for the most part they were really responsive. We had the opportunity to pray over them and even exchange names and email. Please be in prayer for Shalomi and Shahan that God would soften their hearts for Jesus. I have never been so excited to know that God is using me in amazing and wonderful ways. All the Glory be to him!

The Temple

The Western Wall

view of Jerusalem

Hello everybody! Yesterday was another great day touring around old city Jerusalem. We saw so many historic biblical sites like the temple, the city of David and Hezekiah's tunnel. I can not even describe the feeling you have walking around the streets of the temple knowing that Jesus walked on the same ground, its amazing. Today the real service begins.. we will be leaving for the North in and around the Galilee. We will be partenering with several different ministries in the North. Tomorrow we will spend the day volunteering at an old peoples home. We will also volunteer in soup kitchens and do some beach evangelism in Haifa. I may not have internet access for a couple days but I will try to keep everyone updated as best I can. Please keep our group in prayer and ask God that he will provide us with many opportunities to share our faith and share God's love through our service.

Masada

The Dead Sea

The second part of the day was much more relaxed. Our group had the opportunity to visit the Dead Sea! It was a really cool expirience, you are completely boyant in the water. The mud from the Dead Sea is also very good for your skin, thats why you see me covered in mud in these pictures. We had a great time just hanging out on the beach. We met many Americans vacationing there and had some great conversations with them. Tomorrow will be just as exciting. We are scheduled for a tour of Old Jerusalem! I am having a great time being immersed in all of the history here, dad you would love it! Another early day tomorrow so im gonna sign off, but ill keep you updated on our travels :)

Masada and the Dead Sea

Today was a great day in Israel. Our group got up early this morning and drove about an hour outside of Jerusalem to Mount Masada. Hiking to the top of Masada was definately one of the most challenging things I have ever accomplished both mentally and physically. However once you reach the top it is so rewarding. Masada was a last fortress of Jewish freedom fighters against the Romans. These rebels built a small city on the top of this mountain to avoid being enslaved by the Romans. For many years the Jews lived on Mosada and held a community despite the grueling landscape and harsh temperatures. Eventually, after the Romans destroyed Solomons temple in 70 AD, they came for the Jews on Masada. The Jews were under siege for several months. The Romans used Hebrew slaves to build a large ramp to reach the top of Masada. When the Romans had nearly reached the top, the Jewish community decided that they would rather die at the end of their own swords rather than be slaughtered or enslaved by the Romans. On that day nearly one thousand Jews on Masada took their own lives, they refused to give up their freedom. The Roman soldiers reached the top the very next day only to find the dead bodies. Today, the climb to the top of Masada is used as a part of training in the Israeli defense force. It is not only a important historic site for the Jews, but an important reminder for the Israeli defense as to what they will never let happen again. Hiking to the top of the mountain and seeing the remains of the city was very inspirational for me. It reminds me of the men and women who make great sacrifices everyday in our own country to protect and preserve our freedom. After spending a whole day in the desert heat, I have a whole new respect for my brother Greg who spent six whole months in the desert heat serving his country. Sometimes as Americans we tend to take our freedom for granted. It is inspiring to see a people who are so willing to fight and die for the freedom of their country. I truly believe that one day God will fully restore the nation of Israel and defeat its enemies.

The Schook (market)

Shabbot Shalom!

Spent the day in Jerusalem getting ready for Shabbot (Sabbath) that starts at sundown. We visited the Schook wich is the outdoor market to buy fresh fruit, vegtables and bread. We will be hosting Shabbot dinner for about 22 people. Tonight after dinner we will visit the Western Wall and Old city Jerusalem. We have some exciting days ahead! Tomorrow we will visit Masada and the Dead Sea and Sunday we will take a tour of old Jerusalem and visit some historic sites. Israel is very rich in culture, I am having a blast seeing the city and getting to know the people. Pray that God will give us many opportunities to share our faith with the Israeli people.

Our House

Airport in Tel Aviv

Shalom from Jerusalem!! After a long and basically miserable flight, I have arrived safely in the Holy Land. The house our group is staying in is absolutely gorgeous! Be on the lookout for pictures. I will provide updates about the missions work we will be doing while here. More info to come!

OUR TEAM!!!!

Two more guys meeting us in Israel from Germany:)

Today's the day!!

Today is the day our team sets out for the Holy Land! The ten of us have spent the last week together in NYC getting to know each other and attending various training sessions. The Lord has revealed to me some amazing things through the study of the Old Testament. We have an amazing team and an awesome leader! I am so excited to see what God has in store for us over the next several weeks. Our flight leaves JFK airport at 7pm. We will be arriving in Tel Aviv at about 2pm Israeli time (about 6am our time). I will try to update you as soon as I land safely. I will also try to update my blog as much as possible whenever I have internet access. Love you guys! keep me in your prayers:)
-Sarah