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 |   | 2007: Guyana | Jamaica | Uganda | Rwanda | Israel | Tanzania
2008: Guyana | Uganda | Tanzania | Burundi | Egypt/Israel |
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Thirty people from Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Jamaica had an action-packed, knowledge-rich and spirit-filled trip to Israel from Oct. 26 to Nov. 6. We joined Rev. Debra Zimmer on her 77th mission trip with End-Time Glory Ministries. She noted the significance of making this 77th trip during the year 2007.
After many hours of travel we arrived at our hotel in Tiberius, where we saw a full moon shining over the Sea of Galilee. We imagined Jesus walking on this same water in the moonlight.
On Mount Bental we looked down on the nations of Israel, Syria and Lebanon. We prayed that God's purposes would be fulfilled in these nations and that the children of Isaac and Ishmael would come to know Christ as their Savior and Messiah. Debra told us that each one of us on this trip was called by God to fulfill an assignment to intercede for Israel.
Then we traveled up the Mount of Transfiguration. There is an open heaven on the top of this mountain. As we came together to worship and seek His face, the glory of the Lord surrounded us. Words can't describe the Glory that came in that place. The ground itself was holy, and the words that came forth over the team members were life-changing. It was awesome!
We took a ride on a Jesus Boat on the Sea of Galilee. Our captain was Daniel Carmel, a Messianic Jew who became a believer in Jesus as he heard the testimonies of Christians who came aboard his boat, and as he witnessed the presence of God in them. Daniel's boat is the only Christian tour boat on the Sea of Galilee. Our time together on the boat was so amazing! Part way through the ride, Daniel dropped the anchor and led us in an awesome time of worship, right there on the water. The presence of God was so rich that we didn't want the time to end. After disembarking from the boat we dipped our feet in the Sea of Galilee, and then we were on to the next part of our adventure!
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2007 Israel Team |
Worshipping on the Sea of Galilee |
A beautiful view of the Golden Dome |
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Most of the people on our team experienced the blessing of being baptized in the Jordan River as words of prophecy and encouragement were spoken over them. Being baptized in the Jordan River is always a highlight, as the Lord often ministers a fresh word to many for the next season of their lives. We also had the wonderful privilege of four Christian women from India joining us for our baptism service. These women had been praying there at the Jordan River for a pastor to come and baptize them, and they were so glad when Debra baptized them!
When we reached Jerusalem, we visited the Holocaust Museum, prayed at the Western Wall, saw the Garden of Gethsemane, visited the Mount of Olives, walked through the Via Dolorosa, had communion at the Garden Tomb and saw the Temple Mount. While in Jerusalem, we also attended a Shabbat service at a Messianic church.
As we entered the Upper Room, there was another group already there. This group and our group had the same spirit, and they had already begun worshipping the Lord. There was an open heaven in this place as our two groups joined in worship. It was so awesome! The presence of the Lord was so heavy in that place.
On a trip to the site where Shiloh had once been, we saw the place where the tabernacle had stood in ancient times. When the Israelites came to the tabernacle of the Lord, they would experience His manifest presence. And as we worshipped, the Lord's presence began to manifest around us in a powerful way. There at the site of Shiloh, Debra prophesied that God is raising up a generation of people to minister to Him as Samuel did. We knew we were a part of that generation.
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Visiting Jericho was another major highlight of our trip. We walked around the remnants of the old walls of Jericho, and then we rode cable cars up the Mount of Temptation, where Jesus was tempted by Satan. Jericho is a Palestinian-controlled area that is peaceful at this time. Karen Dunham, a woman whom God is using powerfully in this region, was sent by the Lord to Jericho to start a church. God is moving in such a supernatural way. There are over 400 people in the church Karen started, and over 90% of her congregation has had visitations from Jesus. While we were there, we prayed for God to release His blessings over the Jericho area and for even more of those who live there to find salvation in Jesus.
We found our tour guide, Arie Bar-David, to be very knowledgeable and eager to share his love of Israel with us. Arie was such a gift from God. To have a Jewish guide who loves the Lord, and has such a passion for the plans of God concerning the nation of Israel, was a dream come true. Arie told us that there are 10,000 Jews in Israel who have accepted Jesus as their Savior. He shared personal stories of how his family and his wife's family came to be believers. He told us that we were blessing Israel with our presence there. And as our group ascended some steps on the way to the Jewish Quarter in the old city of Jerusalem, an Orthodox Jewish man thanked us for coming to Israel.
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Praying at the Wailing Wall |
Baptism at the Jordan River |
Finally, we got Debra on a camel. Sitting behind her is Dorothy Sonju. |
We experienced a little bit of what life was like for Abraham and Sarah as we had dinner in Abraham's Tent. The food was great, the view was awesome and the camel ride... well, that really made it special too. |
The Eastern Gate |
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