I landed in Tel Aviv, Israel at 5:30 in the morning. Got off the plane, went through customs (he said so your from Saskatchewan, stamped my passport and let me through. I picked up my luggage, grabbed my rental car and by 7:00 in the morning was ringing Chad's door bell ready to start the Israel adventure.
The first thing that we did was go and grab some shekels out of the bank machine and went to have breakfast. Both Chad and a Middle Eastern Man that I sat beside on the Toronto-London flight told me food was fantastic in Israel - I learnt this for myself by breakfast. We were given a platter of fresh food that included freshly baked bread, yogurt, cheeses, egg plant, chick peas, vegetables, eggs, jam, and more. It was all good!
After walking around the modern city of Natanya and doing some errands, we met a local Messianic Jew Pastor for lunch. I had half a sandwich and some orange/carrot juice (still full from Breakfast) and immensely enjoyed the conversation we had. A couple weeks ago, they had a Palestinian Christian Pastor come to their congregation and it was a tremendous experience - you can read more about this at Chad's latest blog posting. There is conflict in this land but their are followers of Jesus that are wanting to unite Palestinians and Israelis IN HIS NAME! This is where unity can be found. This is where the Upside Down Kingdom values become the roadmap to transformation!
Next, I toured the Israel College of the Bible - the first hebrew speaking bible college in Israel since the disciples! It is a beautiful facility where Messianic Jews, Arab Christians, and International Students study together. The schools desire is to see all of God's people come together because the best thing for Israel has always been Yeshua (Jesus)! We met with a Mennonite from Lancaster County who has been working in the school and in Israel since the 1990s. He shared about the explosive growth of the college and how amazing of a story they have. He is extremely excited about their future and the possibilities God has in store for them.
I also met Chad's room mates. A collection of guys from United Kingdom and United States who are all studying in the international program at Israel College. They are great guys and have been both a support and a blessing to Chad - I was glad to meet them. We talked for awhile about the International House of Prayer - a place that two of them are connected to. It was great to hear how they all ended up in Israel, studying Hebrew and scripture together.
At 4:00 we ended up serving at a "soup kitchen". We were serving food to Jewish Immigrants from Russia, Holocaust survivors, and others who needed a help. However, we did not stop with soup and give them a full three course meal that included delightful chocolate cake that was lovingly made by a lady from Alabama. She also volunteers for two days a week in a home for special need kids in Haifa (along with her husband). It was a blessing to be a part of this ministry.
Next we found my hotel in Natanya and it is time for a well needed rest! Tomorrow we start seeing Ancient Israel and I will have pictures to post!
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