Jerusalem now Poland

David and I are thanking God for a wonderful and significant time in Israel last week. We spent the first few days staying at a monastery in a Muslim town, Abu Ghosh, outside of Jerusalem. Just down the road is Yad Shmona, where Revive Israel has their offices and discipleship center. Revive Israel is a ministry in Israel which Brighton Christian Church supports and with whom we have been in relationship for almost ten years. Asher Intrater, a Jewish evangelist/teacher, is the director of Revive Israel and on Monday and Tuesday we had the opportunity to meet with him and a group of pastors and their wives from Poland. We were learning about the role of Israel and what significance this has for the Church worldwide and in Poland. It was a very special time of prayer, worship, and seeking God’s purposes. On Wednesday and Thursday we stayed in a guesthouse right inside the Old City walls. We walked atop the walls (“on the ramparts”) from the Jaffa Gate to the Lion’s Gate, praying over the city of Jerusalem. We climbed the Mount of Olives and read from Zechariah 14 about Jesus’ return to this very spot. Come and reign, Lord Jesus! Wednesday evening we had dinner with a Jewish man whom I met in language school in Poland last summer. He and his wife are orthodox Jews, and we are thankful that we can build relationship with them. We pray that the light of Yeshua (Jesus) will shine through us into their lives. Being in the Old City was an amazing experience. We were in Israel 10 years ago, but we were touring with a large group and had little time in Jerusalem. This time we were on our own and were able to explore the “real” Jerusalem. We walked the streets, met the people, prayed at the Wall, … At noon on Friday we found ourselves swept up in a river of Muslims pouring down the narrow streets headed for the Dome of the Rock. It was an experience we will never forget as we were engulfed in 1,000’s of Muslims heeding the call from the minnerets. A couple hours later, the Christian “stations of the cross” processional took place on that very same road (the Via Dolorosa). It is incredible that these three major religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) exist in such close proximity. We pray that God will reveal Himself in truth and that all men will call on the name of Yeshua, the true Messiah. On Friday we joined Asher at his congregation in Jerusalem. The place was packed with people, and we so enjoyed being among them at this “Hebrew-language-only” service. Saturday was a true day of “Shabbat,” and we enjoyed hiking in the forests and reading and praying over the Land. Sunday was our last day and we spent several hours at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. We were overcome with emotion several times, especially since the names and places have become so familiar to us as we work in Central and Eastern Europe. Dave and I parted in the Ben Gurion airport in the wee hours of the morning on Monday. I am now in Poland for five weeks, while Dave is managing our ministry from our home in Michigan. Currently I am in southwest Poland at a recording studio for Christian musicians. Tomorrow (Saturday) I will teach on leading worship from the keyboard. On Sunday I will be teaching at a church in Olesno, Poland, next to Katowice to spend time with university students, and then later this week I will travel to Ola’s home to have time with her before her surgery on March 30. David will be traveling to churches and meetings throughout the month of March, especially in regards to upcoming short-term trips which we are coordinating. We treasure each of you and thank you for your prayers and encouragement as we are on this journey. As I sit in my room watching the snow fall on this grey day in a village in southern Poland, it is good to know that I am not alone. God is with me in strength, and I know that there are a host of praying friends and family back home remembering us before the throne. It means a lot. Thank you. To see 60 pictures of our trip to Israel, click on this link. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2018452&id=1042840549&l=79668 Each picture has a caption, so make sure to read and follow along. Blessings to all! …Sandy