News Archive
Report from Israel (2)
Shalom friends.It's shabat (sabbath) here in Haifa so we have been to Kehila (Church) this morning and now our team are enjoying a few hours downtime.
It's been a great week. We have been on campus every day except for wednesday when we took a one day tour of the Galilee. Our team are learning quickly how to relate to Israeli students and they have been making good contacts. Thursday night we held a party to which we invited all the contacts we have made. There were lots of meaningful conversations going on all over the place so it was exciting to watch our team in action.
Personally, Anna and I have been able to meet up with the students we were friends with here last summer and with Elad, one of my main contacts from last summer, we have been able to pick up where we left off in terms of discussing what Jesus means to him as a semi-religious Jewish person.
To be honest I found the first few days of this week fairly frustraing on campus. I was able to initiate with lots of students but felt like we weren't really getting to the main issues in our conversation. However I prayed about it and on Thursday myself and a student from Northumbria University were able to share the gospel with a student we met at the Technion University. Although he owned a new testament this was the first time I think anyone had ever actually explained the good news to him.
His name was Beni so please pray that the seeds planted during our short conversation would bear fruit. Pray also that he would come into contact with other believers with whom he could discuss things further as we were unable to get his contact details.
Anna has been able to meet with her friend Shuli from last summer and talk more about faith. There is a lot of anxiety here amongst the students about the prospect of war coming soon but God seems to be using this to create an atmosphere where people are much more open to discussing spiritual things. Shuli certainly seems to be expressing a genuine desire to find answers to the bigger questions because of the uncertainty she feels over what will happen here in Israel if war should break out again.
I think the highlight of the week was meeting our tour guide for the two trips we are taking. His name is Eli and he is still studying to be a tour guide currently. However he only became a believer three years ago and is one of the few Israeli born and bred believers we have met here. During our tour we were accompanied by another Israeli friend of ours who isnot a beliver. Eli took full advantage of some of the sights we were seeing to explain the gospel to Yaniv as part of his commentary on our tour. Eli also shared his testimony with our group on the bus drive home and it was a massive boost to us all to here how he had come to know Yeshua as his Messiah.
We only have three more days on campus before we travel to Jerusalem for a day touring then on to South Korea for the Campus Mission conference.
Please pray:
That our team would be focussed on making the most of every conversation in these last few days.
For a beach barbecue we will hodt on Monday night for all the contacts we have made. Last year this event was massively used by God as many Jewish students heard the gospel for the first time.
That every member of our team would have an opportunity to share the whole gospel with a Jewish student before we leave.
For our students to hear from God what he would have to say to them both about what they have learned this summer and where they take that after our project is over.
It is such a privilege to be sharing Jesus in this place. Our friends serving here full time have been so faithful in a place where they don't always get to see the fruit that they might in many other countries. Their example has really spoken to us about being faithful to God and trusting in his faithfulness.
I hope to write again before we fly to Korea. Thank you for your prayers and messages of support, and all the birthday greetings this week too. Birthday cake by the Sea of Galilee was one not to be forgotten.
Shalom.
Ross on behalf of the McCalls.