"Hear Oh Yisra'el, Yahweh Our Elohim, Yahweh is One"
A good report from Alan and Susan
We arrived at the Ben Gurion airport the afternoon of October 20, 2003 and hit the ground running. We managed our way through customs and journeyed on to Jerusalem to the Jerusalem Gold Hotel. Our first presentation was at the evening meal within hours of arriving in the land. This pace was to be the norm of the tour.
In the short time of two weeks we were privileged to meet and hear from our brother Judah from different walks of Israeli life, about 62 speakers in all. Some brothers were not aware of the scriptural references of Ephraim’s return home. Some brothers wanted us to come home as soon as possible. Rabbinical rabbis presented the requirements they believed Ephraim must meet to come home. All this gave us a better understanding of brother Judah and what Ephraim may be dealing with trying to come into eretz Israel. As representatives of Ephraim it is our hope that brother Judah will begin to see our genuine desire to stand along side them in coming home to eretz Israel.
It was by no means a surprise that the largest stumbling block for Ephraim to come home is our belief in Messiah Yahshua and that some Rabbinical Jews think our sole purpose of coming into the land is to proselytize them. We tried to explain with integrity and without arrogance that we were Ephraimite believers in Messiah Yahshua, that we could not deny or lie about this belief and that our intention was to stand along side Judah. Despite our differences, Yahweh will bring the stick of Judah and the stick of Ephraim together as one.
We visited approximately 50 different locations in Judea and Samaria in twelve days. We have so many moving memories of the land and her people. The beauty of the land was breathtaking such as the rolling hills of Judea and Samaria. Meeting the selfless, brave pioneers in the settlements was a humbling experience.
A visit to Noqedim Kindergarten was very special. Beautiful, innocent boys and girls sang the national anthem of Israel for us. They went to recess about the same time we were leaving. The school was surrounded with a 2’ high wall and 6’ high steel bars protecting the children. As we went through the gate the children followed along the fence joyfully waving and shouting, “Shalom, Shalom.” I pray for the day that the bars will be removed and the children will come out to play in the streets of Judea and Samaria in complete safety.
Within view of Herodian is an outpost in the desert where a kind man, Yossie S’de Bar, and his team minister to boys rescued from the streets. They preserver for the sake of the children under harsh conditions, in need of support and their enemies are close by. They raise goats and make goat cheese. They proudly prepared a delightful lunch for us. The goat cheese is the best we have ever tasted!
We got out of our comfort zone. We were stretched, sometimes to the max. No gain is without pain. A lady running a kibbutz in Samaria said, “Do you realize that you people have been to places in Israel that most Jews have never been or care to go because of the danger?” Yes, there were dangers but we were safe in the arms of the Almighty.
My good friend, Ben, said it well, “This tour has Biblical proportions.” We do not know the purposes that this EphraimiteEncounter Tour had in the heavenlies. We only know it was not about us. It is about Yahweh’s promise to unite the wholehouse of Israel in the land that our fathers sojourned and from which we will never be uprooted. We give all esteem to our Father Yahweh.
Allen and Susan
Postscript:
Allen hoped that Yahweh would give him a special scripture to pray while in the land. No special scripture was given while in the land. Instead, Yahweh provided a scripture in Nehemyah upon returning home. He wondered why it was not given in the land. Upon further study Allen discovered that Nehemyah prayed this scripture while in Babylon! We too are not in the land so we pray from our own Babylon this scripture.
“Please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, for the children of Yisra’el Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Yisra’el which we have sinned against you. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not guarded the commands, nor the laws, nor the right-rulings which You commanded Your servant Mosheh. Please remember the word that You commanded Your servant Mosheh, saying ‘If you trespass, I shall scatter you among the peoples, but if you shall turn back to Me, and guard My commands and do them, though you were cast out to the end of the heavens, I shall gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen, to make My Name dwell there.’ And they are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Yahweh, I pray please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who delight to fear Your Name. …” Nehemyah 1:6-11a
We meet a new friend, Rav Avraham
