Israel 2024 - Week One
Tues, Nov. 5 - Wed, Nov. 6 - Journey to Israel
Our journey begins... On November 5th, 2024, election day USA, we followed God's direction and headed to Israel.
The weekly Torah portion, read by all Jewish people around the world, was God's promise to Abraham to leave his country and go forward in faith. We felt like Abraham knowing that God had a plan for us in His land.
We arrived to Boston ready to catch our next flight to Israel.
Starving, we stopped to eat at a local Boston seafood restaurant. If you are ever in the Boston area, we highly recommend the famous 'Legal Seafoods'.
We shared very fresh and delicious salmon...
...and incredible, fresh Haddock...at the airport!
We safely arrived in Israel to Ben Gurion airport. We found out the following day that rockets were launched at that airport around the same time we were there. God had his hand of protection over us.
The sign behind us reads "Welcome to Israel". While many tourists used to come through this entry. But today, during time of uncertainty and war, very few tourists visit.
Our friend and driver Vadim was so excited to pick us up. The year has been hard on him. Tourism he said is less than 5%. He was very thankful we came to show our support.
Upon arriving, we walked the streets of Jerusalem.
We came to a restaurant where one of the hostesses remembered us from last year. She was amazed to see us, saying "I was just thinking about you and wondering if you would come!"
Thurs, Nov. 7 - Sat, Nov. 9 - Hosting Shabbat with New Friends in Israel
Bill and Shari, acquaintances through work, extended their stay in Israel to meet us. Before their arrival to Jerusalem, we welcomed them to stay with us and learn about what we do here in Israel.
Bill and Shari who live and work in Kenya, joined us in Jerusalem where we met for the first time. Upon arrival, we invited them out to dinner where we instantly connected through our faith and backgrounds.
Karen felt led to gift Shari with her Complete Jewish Bible. Out of the kindness of her heart, Karen dedicated her bible to Shari, knowing it would deeply connect with her and her Jewish background. Shari was thrilled and ready to dive into the pages.
There are flowers everywhere in Israel!
Everywhere in Israel, posters grab our hearts to remember the more than 100 hostages still in HAMAS captivity. PLEASE, LORD!!!
The traditional bread served on Shabbat is called "Challah". At the Mahane Yehuda market, known as the "shuk", you will find some of the best Challah.
Just as the Israelites collected a double portion of manna before Shabbat, we too collected our double portion of challah, reminding us that God is our provider.
Princess pose!
We stopped at one of our favorite places for olives called Tzidkiyahu.
Olives, roasted garlic, and dolmas!
Fresh pumpkin, green beans, and passionfruit!
Freshly made baked goods...
Every variety of Halvah (dessert made from sesame seeds)
Let's try that one!
Nadav and his family own the best fruit and vegetable stand in the 'Shuk', the open air market. They were so happy to see us again and to meet Shari.
Michelle met Yonatan last year while searching for the best spices in the Shuk. He was so happy to see us and had just what we needed for the special lentil rice dish.
In my red hat, i can always be found!
Raoul and Bill discussed Enzi Motor's 'business as mission' opportunities in Kenya and beyond.
Enjoying our first Shabbat in Jerusalem with our new friends from Kenya.
And now for the special salad dressing!
Blending cooked pumpkin to make a creamy soup!
Shari and Bill gifted Karen with a necklace from the Massai tribe in Kenya. The necklace is bigger than Karen!
We walked down to the Western Wall on Shabbat to pray. Here you can see a piece of the 'Western wall ' where people from around the world come to pray. Birds nest in these little holes.
This is a glimpse of the new synagogue build underneath the western wall. It is lovely!
This is a view into the modern Mamilla mall from Luciana's restaurant. In the distance are the walls of the Old City of ancient Jerusalem.
Delicious Drum fish filet
Halumi cheese salad
Tasty onion soup
Our New Kenyan friends, Bill and Shari, who love the Lord. This is Bill's first time to Israel and he loves it!
Sun, Nov. 10 - Shilo
Beit El and Shiloh
We drove to the biblical heartland of Israel - Judea and Samaria. The stories of the bible come alive in this place where Abraham and his descendants inherited the promises of God.
Our first stop was in the ancient town of Shiloh, where the ancient Tabernacle of God stood for 369 years.
It was here that God's presence would come to earth and dwell with his people.
Welcome to ancient Shilo
The 12 tribes of Israel
An incredible Israeli leader, lawyer, and friend, Nati Rom, met with us. He and his wife, Yonat, are true pioneers of Judea and Samaria who believe with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, that the Jewish people need to heritage the land, plant vineyards and olive groves, raise strong families, and follow the bible. They stand strong for the Jewish people amidst great adversity.
Deep discussion with Nati
Nati is a modern day Boaz. When his wife was 19 years old and newly married, her husband died in the Israeli Defense Force, while his wife was 8 months pregnant. Nati stepped in as a 'Kinsman Redeemer' and together they have a beautiful family with many children and dedicate their lives to serving others.
This archeological site is filled with ancient stones and rich biblical history. Along the path you can see shards of pottery and roman glass dating back thousands of years. You also can hear the red heifers in the background. They are being kept in Shiloh as the Jewish people prepare for the coming of the Messiah and 3rd temple to be rebuilt.
Two peas in a pod...
A couple who came from the USA prayed for a son in Shiloh and they had a son. They were so thrilled, that they dedicated the funds to build a beautiful theater you see behind us on the hill to tell the bible story.
The Shiloh theatre
Bill and Raoul surveying the land of the Tabernacle
There is a small structure build on the site of where the Tabernacle stood, to tell the story of Hannah's prayer.
The theater stands as a modern structure overlooking the archeological digs all around.
Walking down to the land where the Tabernacle stood, you can see the large, flat area, surrounded by archeological digs that have uncovered pottery from sacrifices, and mikvehs for ritual cleansing.
Do you remember the story of Hannah's prayer for a son? In this place Hannah poured out her heart to God for a child. God granted her that child and she named him Samuel, and dedicated his life to serving God. It was this prophet, Samuel, who anointed Saul, and later King David, as Kings of Israel.
Shari and Karen Faith waling the site of the Tabernacle
Please take the time to read 1 Samuel chapters 1 and 2. Read Hannah's faithful prayer to God. Imagine standing where Hannah once stood pouring out her heart to God in desperation for a child
Hannah's prayer
As the wind blew, we felt God's presence. We took the moment to pray and connect with the land knowing how truly miraculous it was to be in this place at such a time as this, especially as we were the only people there. In this time of war, we feel the deep privilege to be standing where God's presence once came down to earth.
Raoul taught that God, the land of Israel and the Jewish people coming together spark miracle blessings. These 3 things cannot be separated. If the world understood this, there would not be any soil for Antisemitism to grow. "A three-stranded cord cannot be broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
Shari's heart is so touched. Her maiden name is Cohen. Raoul's teaching for Jewish people to connect with the land has stirred her desire to make Aliyah and 'return to the Promised land of Israel'.
God was showing off in the sky around us.
Go God!
Little shells in the dirt - on a mountain!
This is the flag of the tribe of Menassah.
This is the flag of the tribe of Benjamin.
This is the flag of the tribe of Ephraim.
This is the flag of the tribe of Judah. Think of Jews from the tribe of Judah, King David from Judah, and our Messiah, Yeshua, from the tribe of Judah!
The flag from the tribe of Shimon.
This flag is of the tribe of Naftali.
This is the flag of the tribe of Asher.
This is the flag of the tribe of Dan.
This is the flag of the tribe of Zebulun.
This is the flag of the tribe of Yissakar.
This is the flag of the tribe of Gad.
This is the flag of the tribe of Reuben. Shari learned from her mother that this is the tribe her family came from!
We walked back and before heading to the next town, we stopped at a local restaurant and were delighted to try traditional Israeli Shakshuka and Haloumi salad.
They served salad with the shakshuka.
Famous Israeli Shakshuka
Haloumi Salad
What an amazing lunch at Merlot restaurant.
Sun, Nov. 10 - Beit El
These are typical Jewish homes and synagogue in Judea and Samaria.
These are typical Palestinian arab homes in Judea and Samaria.
The town that Judas Iscariot came from is overlooking Shiloh. The town is called Iscariot.
These neighborhoods are filled with many large homes, some of which look like palaces. These are not Jewish villages. They are actually Palestinian villages with beautiful, large, empty homes
These signs are posted in front of every Palestinian villages warning "The Entrance for Israeli Citizens Is Dangerous."
Our next stop was the ancient town of Beit El which means "House of God." It was here that Jacob had his dream, and Jacob inherited the promises God made to Abraham and Isaac that you can read about in Genesis chapter 28.
Israel drove us up to the vineyards of Beit El Winery.
We toured the Beit El vineyard with 'Israel', one of the founder Hillel's sons, whose family farmed the land since he was a child.
A few grapes are still on the vine.
Walking in the land of the vinyards
Colorful vineyards
We are standing in front of the Merlot grapes, growing again here in Beit El, after more than 2,000 years.
Their family has a lovely rose garden in the middle of their vineyard.
Yellow roses are my favorite!
But I love the hot pink flowers too!
Shari loves this shade of Burgundy!
These rich colors shine brightly in the sun.
What a beautiful day we are having!
Don't forget to take time to stop and smell the roses!
Each rose is a work of art.
The roses are so lovely, I almost forgot thst we are in a wine vineyard!
Quartz is also found on the land.
Raoul, Bill and Hillel discussed exploring potential partnerships between Israel and Kenya.
Israel showed us his selection of extra large bottles of wines for weddings and special occasions. They are quite popular!
Recording memories of our visit in the guestbook
Beit El vineyards originally produced wines during the time of the Tabernacle through the 2nd Temple period.
Grace and Karen Faith are sporting 'Beit El Winery' caps.
Bill and Hillel explored expanding their businesses between Israel and Kenya.
The founder, Hillel, in the center, joined us even though he was flying out to Italy the next morning.
A new label reminding us that Beit El supplied wine for the Temple.
One of their new labels for this year is "Jacob's Dream"!
A selection of their best wines
No trip to Beit El is complete without a visit to Herbie, the baker.
Herbie and his family just celebrated moving 39 years ago to Israel and Beit El from Tennessee.
Mon, Nov. 11 - Bible Study & Blessings for Friends
We are having breakfast and bible study to begin our day with the Lord.
Hadassah's cart is a must have for serious shopping
Bill and Shari needed many gifts for friends, family, and clients in Kenya and Uganda.
Shopping makes us hungry!
Wow! Homemade doughnuts!
The selection overwhelmed Bill and Raoul. They were stunned.
Raoul and Bill are big doughnut fans for sure!
Bill's bought his first Kippa, and 10 more to delight his friends.
Karen gifted Shari with her blow dry brush, not available in Africa. Shari's hair looks fabulous!
Our friend Rami who owns the Kosher kitchen restaurant showed us his new meat restaurant called Muu.
Shari was excited to try this new spot!
We opened the wine that Nati gifted to us- his first fruits!
Princess pose!
Muu's opening gave us the "open invitation " to ask Josh, an observant Orhodox friend of Shari's to dinner. He was ready and brought all his bibles and commentaries. Raoul softened his heart and by the end of dinner, he and Raoul were hugging!
Shari and Bill gave gifts from Israel to their friends in Africa!
Bill and Shari may be back in Kenya now, but they celebrate Shabbat with their new Shabbat gifts from Israel along with their community.
Tues, Nov. 12 - Meeting with the Holocaust Survivors
Walking through the park on a beautiful day to visit with a group of Holocaust survivors in Jerusalem.
At the corner is a reminder that last year our precious doggie Hadassah was also with us.
Seeing Erika again warmed both our hearts!
Maxim was so kind to invite us to participate. We share a tremendous heart to love and serve the Holocaust survivors while they are still with us.
Luda began with a few songs that were crowd favorites.
Introducing Erika's friend from Korea
We had a guest from Korea who loves to sing as well.
She shares our heart for the Holocaust survivors.
Her friend loves to sing.
This is Peter from Poland who runs summer camps for youth and Holocaust survivors.
Peter and his precious family were visiting from Poland.
Grace was so happy to reconnect with Luda, who also shares our heart to serve.
A short break on our walk
