Three years late, but we finally made it to Israel. April 12th 2023, eleven of us boarded our flight in Toronto for Tel Aviv. It was a great trip from the Syrian border to the Dead Sea. Ted and Linda Walker, friends of Doug and Marni who live in Tiberias, planned the in-country portion and hosted the group. Below are some comments from a few of the group members.
Executive Director
Peter Kecskes
My trip to Israel was overwhelming. The country, the people, the food were all so fantastic! It was very moving to visit the Mount of Beatitudes and to stand where Jesus fed the 5000 overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
Israel has many dynamics to it, including the many different people: Druze, Bedouin, Muslim, Arabs, Orthodox & Messianic Jews, Armenian… Israel is a very tolerant nation, and provides security to all Israelis from the West Bank & Golan Heights. Israelis try to maintain peace for all.
My highlight was being Baptized in the Jordan River — to think Jesus was also baptized in this river — Wow! My recommendation is that everyone should visit Israel at least once!
I would like to thank Ted & Linda Walker & CRMC (Doug) for all the effort & time they put in to make sure we had such a great experience.
Dianne Dawson
This trip was a wish come true, as I had wished to someday see the land Jesus lived in!!!
The best part of the trip for me was the group of forever family we travelled with for eleven days! I loved reading daily the Scriptures that pertained to where we were at the time. After Shabbat had ended, we had so much fun trying to coordinate brain and body to remember and organize steps and directions in time with the music and the group, as we learned Israeli folk dances. Our bus driver, Sammy, surprised us one day by treating us to a popular ‘sweets and coffee shop’ (Mahroum’s? since 1940) to indulge in one of the national Arab desserts, “kunafeh”, topped with ‘kadayif’, and the TINIEST coffee cup I’ve ever seen!!!
Some of the highlights of the trip for me were: learning that the meaning of Gethsemane is ‘oil press’, and seeing the three stage oil press in the Nazareth village; the singing together in Hebrew – Allelu, Allelu, Allelu, Allelujah, Toda la-el (THANKYOU, GOD!); and learning that Israel is so committed to blessing the world. I loved seeing the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, and where He will Return (Zech. 14:4), and listening to, and learning from, our special guests who shared, and taught us.
Pat Stanlake
It was surreal to stand on the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee far below and listen to the words of Matthew 5 verses 1 to 12, just as Jesus taught his disciples on this same hill. Not far away we visited the archeological dig at Magdala, the village of Mary Magdalene. Here we saw the remains of a synagogue in which Jesus would have taught!
Two experiences that I had not been prepared for in the tour of the Biblical sites were especially meaningful for me. The first, a boat ride on the calm waters of the Sea of Galilee with Daniel, a Messianic Jew. He told his story, how God pursued him until he believed that Yeshua was indeed God’s Son and had died and risen to give him eternal life. Singing “Behold He comes riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet sound” in Israel, where one day our risen Yeshua will return, was a great time of worship for all the believers on board. The second, worshipping on Shabbat at Ted and Linda’s small congregation of Messianic Jews.
I loved every minute of the tour and feel so blessed to have participated, along with my husband Doug. I learned and experienced so much about both ancient history and modern Israel. God has given me a heart for this land, and His chosen people, that I never had before.
Marg Ollson
April 12th, 2023, a group of eleven headed out on an adventure of a lifetime…a trip to Israel!! What can I say but “WOW.” It was amazing to wake up to the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee and know that Jesus walked on the water, taught his disciples and followers (Sermon on the Mount), and at times lived in this area. There was so much to see and learn as we moved on to Jerusalem and heard testimonies from Messianic Jews and Christians and the trials they must overcome living here. I feel blessed beyond measure that I could travel with my sister Carla. We were both baptized in the Jordan and took communion in the Garden Tomb.
What captured my heart were the testimonies of Messianic Jews in Israel who live with much opposition and negative attacks. As a Christian, I realize that we should be aware of what’s going on and support Israel by learning and praying for them daily and not being easily deceived by many of the lies fed to us by the media.
In Deuteronomy 6:4 it says “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” God has promised that He will restore Israel and He is faithful.
Thanks to CMRC for making this experience available. Ted and Linda and Doug and Marni planned and prepared the places we would go and people that would guide us (with expertise and wisdom) as we travelled in Israel, and they served this team so that each and every one came home with life changing experiences and a desire to learn and study more about how we can be a part of God’s heart and desire for this chosen land!
Prayer Requests
- Pray for the pastors and their families in Cuba. They are suffering economically especially.
- Pray for Douglas Springer as he travels to Cuba from the 15th to 22nd of May.
