[September ’08 – May ’09]

We are moving to Jerusalem, Israel in late September!

Several years ago, God stirred in or hearts the desire to make a commitment to serve with a ministry overseas for a season. Through many prayers, open/closed doors, circumstances, and counsel it became clear to us that Israel was the direction we were heading. God is at work in the earth, in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and beyond… and for us, at this time and season, we feel the specific leading to go to Israel.

We will be working with a ministry called International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. “The Embassy’s work and witness is founded on the mandate of Isaiah 40:1, “Comfort, comfort my people…” For more than 25 years the ICEJ has been reaching out in practical ways to the people of Israel, while seeking to inform, educate and inspire Christians round the world to stand against the rising tide of hostility and anti-Semitism directed against the Jewish State. Our Ministry spans four distinct areas, to Comfort Israel, Educate the Church, Celebrate God’s faithfulness, and Confront anti-Semitism” (About).

We will officially be volunteer staff for approximately seven months. The positions we’ll be filling seem to be a wonderful fit with out current creative, technology and administrative skills. We will also be privileged to be part of the Christian Feast of Tabernacles celebration held in October in correlation with the Jewish celebration of Sukkot. We look forward to and anticipate great things as we learn to adapt to a new culture, meet and build relationships with new people, and volunteer in a myriad of ways. We pray that people will come to know peace, hope and abundant life through their Messiah, Jesus.

May we all continue to grow in a relationship with Jesus, learn what is means to love our neighbor and continually lose our lives for the sake of Christ. “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life he will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.’” (Matt 16:23-24) We also hope that as we “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6) that the entire world will know peace as well!