Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures
forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100
Psalm 100
Lord God, we have good reason to shout, worship and sing. Patti and I have waited and prayed, struggling through our own impatience to assure we hear Your directive in Your perfect timing, not ours.
And…You have called us out. Back to the Land, back to Your people! Better yet, You have answered in a way we would not have predicted—through a friend tied to an organization offering a ministry to the indigent of Israel.
There lies the challenge and our hurdle. How is this to happen? The timeframe between now and the duty is short by our earthly standards. Questions abound:
Who will join us on the journey?
What must be done to prepare?
How will we gather all the necessary funds to cover expenses?
And only one answer fulfills:
“I have called you.”
If it were anyone else telegraphing that message, I would be suspect. I would want to know exactly what and who were involved and I would insist in the money for the trip being completely banked. But it is You who have called and so none of that matters. The evidence of Your involvement is readily evident.
When
our friend presented the mission to us, he explained the flexibility and low
cost of the effort. When he outlined the ministry itself, we were amazed at how
closely it mirrored the scriptural expectations we had; not wanting to return
for a tour, but to serve. When the trip and our needs were shared with others
for prayer and affirmation, we received immediate encouragement and even a
generous monetary gift to get the ball rolling.
There is no doubt, Lord. You have begun a work and will see us complete it. Of course that means we must be obedient as well. There will be testimony and prayer, fasting and study. We will work our jobs to the max and sell whatever we can to garner the funds. We will invite others and ask for any who share our love for Israel to travel with us, reflect on scripture or simply check our progress to hold us accountable: All to Your glory, all to bless the effort.
Master, what we don’t want is for this to become for our purpose and pleasure. What we do want is to chase Your desire; entering Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise; giving thanks to You and praising Your name.
In faith my bride and I hold up the banner for any and all to see. Come with us or support us. Not for us, but with us for Him. Read and pray about the information below and respond with questions or participation. We are going and thank you in advance for going with us!
ּרך Blessings,
Mark & Patti C.
ISRAEL PRAYER AND MINISTRY TRIP
Patti and I have been invited to participate in an incredible mission opportunity and in connection with the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America. This is the oldest not-for-profit organization established specifically for support of Israel and to meet the needs of Israel’s indigents.
In mid-May or thereabouts we will be traveling to the Holy Land to serve the people. We want to invite you to join us, either in person, or in prayer and support. Much has to happen between now and May for our trip to become a reality.
Our spiritual hearts call us to serve according to Isaiah 61:4-5
They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers.
This is a unique opportunity to do ministry in Israel and to see many of the biblical sites without participating in a large tour group. We will stay in an apartment in Jerusalem.
Ministry Options
• Pray at 24 Hour Prayer Centers in Jerusalem
• Work at the Joseph Project Ministry outside of Jerusalem
• Fellowship with Holocaust Survivors
• Volunteer to Assist with Social Outreach Ministry with the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and Ministry to Israel
• Engage in small group Bible study
Cost: If you’re interested in traveling with us, or sponsoring, the costs are as follows:
$2500.00-$3000.00 total per person including air fare for 12-13 days. Lodging will be in an apartment in Jerusalem.
Not Included: Food (we will be able to cook in the apartment), cost of sites/boat ride, bus from airport to apartment, include insurance and incidentals.
Sites to Visit
• Tour Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum and Memorial) in Jerusalem
with a Yad Vashem trained guide
• Old City of Jerusalem including Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb
• Day Trip to the Sea of Galilee to pray and visit sites (includes a Galilee
boat ride on a boat owned by a Messianic Jewish believer)
• Dead Sea/Ein Gedi/Masada
• Other areas of interest determined by the group (possibly Dead Sea Scroll Museum, Shiloh and Jacob’s well)
Sam Clarke, the pastor organizing the trip, lived in Jerusalem and worked directly with the Jewish and Messianic advocacy program and served at Yad Vashem (the Israel Holocaust Museum). His knowledge and connections to the land and the people are immense.
Please let us know of your interest and questions as soon as you can. Meanwhile, you can go to http://www.mjaa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rd_ourwork_israel_project_page for information about the Joseph Project.
Shalom,
Mark & Patti C. 615-948-8214 markc91754@comcast.net
