Ed
This trip God has shown me the meaning of forgiveness at the Western Wall.He has heard my cry and brought me up out of a horrible pit and set my feet upon a rock. Yeshua has opened my eyes to the wonderful beauty of each day.

Sarah M.
HSE this semester God has been teaching me how to be in complete submission to His will for my life. No matter what that means. Just as Isaiah 55:8,9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways My ways declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth; so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God’s will is always best and the purpose is always to bring glory to Himself. Knowing that this life is only the beginning and but a breath compared to our true home in Heaven with God our Heavenly Father. Jeremiah 29:11

Terry
My view of Israel has certainly changed. We have had a tremendous opportunity to speak individually with people all over the country from the various factions: Jewish, Arab, Lebanese and others. What Paul wrote of the Jews in Romans 10 applies to most. “They have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge.” There are many wonderful ministries here; People are open to biblical conversations and evangelistic opportunities abound.

Josiah
This trip to Israel was like none other. Though I love this land and people, my whole heart has not been here to serve. Half has been concerned about my own state of comfort and well-being. This half has been a sort of rottenness to my bones for it has not allowed me to worship the Lord in fullness. I confess my heart has wanted to go after other gods (weed, women). I confess I turned away from the true and living God to worship my own lusts and desires. In His gentele love and through this confession, He is restoring this half a man to become fully His for His glory and honor. In and by his love Josiah Tijerina.

Matt
One of the most profound things I experienced was reflecting upon and understanding how important the nation of Israel has been to my faith. Knowing that through one man God formed a nation through whom my Lord and Savior came and then to see the places with my eyes and feel them beneath my feets has made me more in awe of Him. Although I’ve always known it was the truth, it has all become more real and caused me to grow in my love for Him and for the people of Israel. It has been a memorable and life-transforming experience in so many ways that will not be forgotten.

Devin
God only does wonderous things. He loves me with such extravagance that it draws me to His heart After being married for 8 ½ years, He chose to reveal his plan for a child here in Tel Aviv, Israel. Ali is pregnant! God revealed the truth of His son to Ali through a friend named Israel. He revealed His love for us through the wedding diamond cut in Israel and now He has revealed His love for my family addition in Israel. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. God took my Dad home to be with Him just three months ago and now He gives life that will make me a Dad. There is such great contrast of feelings. God knows me, God heals the heart, He is the God of all comfort. God only does wonderous things.

Ingrid
For me this incredible trip to Israel was where I encountered the Holy Spirit. His presence was with me the entire time, especially in Jerusalem. Every single day was an adventure for us all to remember and apply to our ministries. I left my heart on the Golan Heights with Daniel and Willie, an Orthodox Jew and a 93-year old Holocaust survivor. Pray for Daniel and Willie. I love them and will never, ever forget them.

Tiffany
God’s love is so powerful. Being in Israel God continued to show me how much He loves me and cares for me. While in Tel Aviv we spent reflection time at the beach looking out at the Mediterranean Sea. The beach is one of my favorite places. After standing in the water my feet were covered with sand and God spoke so powerfully how His thoughts toward me are more than the sand. In that moment I felt God’s love and was overwhelmed by His presence.

Damin
God is doing amazing things in Israel, and it was incredible for our group to catch a small glimpse of it. But for me, the sweetest work was happening in our team. In Tiberias God slowed down our group and ministered to us through devotionals, fellowship and amazing worship. The time was well needed and we left Tiberias bound in unity, love and filled with the Holy Spirit!

Maria
The Lord has been working on my heart for his people in Israel. My favorite memories were waking up at 5am to pray for Jerusalem at the Wailing Wall and Mt. of Olives overlooking the Dome of the Rock. I also enjoyed sailing on the Sea of Galilee. It felt like a family reunion! Another great memory was meeting my new friend Itai that I met on the plane. The Lord used me to share the gospel with him. I plan to stay in contact with him and be available to answer any questions about Yeshua.

Mel
I always wanted to get baptized at the Jordan River where Yeshua got baptized and it was incredible to be able to do so on this trip!

Heather
One of my favorite memories is meeting my friend in Tiberias at the Kibbutz. He started off saying he was an atheist but after 3 of us started sharing God’s love with him he said that he felt good knowing God thought about him like that. Another memory is the lady I met in Tel-Aviv who was a “holiday Christian” convert to “holiday Judaism” for her husband. I got to spent time and pray with her. She told me she felt hope for the first time in a long time.

James
While on my trip in Israel, God taught me to be more flexible and experience more of his serenity in the relationships around me. I have learned that being quick to listen and slow to speak is a key component to building relationships.

Dorothy
I have loved every moment here in Israel! I love the beautiful people, Jerusalem, the peacefulness of the Sea of Galilee and the nuances of every city! But my favorite thing of all was the love I found for the Israel team! It was incredible to be with Ali when she told Devin she was pregnant! It was as if WE were having a baby. Moments like this have caused all of us to drop our defenses and every wall around our hearts and grow in love for each other as we grow in love for Jesus!

Eloise
My favorite memory was being at the Garden of Gethsemane. I was powerfully impacted by being in the place where Jesus struggled but made the choice to die to his flesh and die for us so that we may live.

John
While serving in Israel I was blessed by the connection we shared with the Israeli believers, the effectiveness of our ministries, the strength God was building in me and by the spiritual growth of our team.

Madi
This Israel trip was an experience that I really cannot express in words. Over the past 3 weeks I have seen God in a new way that is great, mighty and ever so present. Our God is real and loves extravagantly!

Brittan
God has shown me the power of love in action and how loving in deed and in truth moves mountains. One of the most impactful mountains on the trip was picking up trash in the Arab Quarter. The people couldn’t get over the fact that Americans came to Israel to pick up their trash and bless their people. A simple act of service in love was enough to move their hearts to amazement and gratitude. What an honor to be used by Jesus to serve his Holy Land.

Liz
My favorite memory of Israel has been our outreach to the orthodox Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem. We were able to pick up trash on the streets and no one understood why we would do such a thing. We were finishing up when they sent an English-speaking Jew to us to ask why we were cleaning. Being able to tell him that it was because of God’s love was an incredible experience for me!

Tae
Morning and evening devotionals on the rooftops were the highlights of my trip. How can I forget the view from the Hashimi Hotel rooftop, overlooking the Mt. of Olives? I also loved the night in Tiberias when I was able to pick a name out of a hat of one of my fellow teammates and share a word of encouragement with her. I found out that what I shared was exactly what she needed to hear from the Lord. It was a powerful night!

Terri
This trip to Israel, Yeshua has shown himself strong on behalf of those who diligently sought him. Walking in Jesus’ steps and coming to know and love his chosen people was a life changing experience. The transformation of our lives was met and inspired by the abundant display of God’s mercy, grace and love painted across this majestic landscape. God’s holy word is alive and well in Israel, thank you Yeshua!

Sarah K.
God has done a paradigm shift in me. I came to HSE seeking God’s life plan for me. But instead he reminded me of his ultimate majesty and that I only need to seek him and everything else will be revealed in time. He reminded me of the power of prayer and how awesome it is that I can plead the blood of Jesus. He is my good shepherd and all I need to do is seek him daily; stay in constant communication with him. There is no room for fear or worry in Yeshua.

Nick
From beautiful sights to the loving friendships, this tour has been an incredible experience for me. To walk where Jesus walked and become immersed in the culture was heart changing. Being here and experiencing the darkness and hatred of Jews and Muslims for each other has shown me that it is not about religious philosophies but simply love. God is love and even though Jesus was rejected, he displayed his love for everyone to see. I feel that I have learned how to love on this trip sacrificially through actions and not based on condition.

Ali
The day we arrived in Israel, God gave us a brilliant rainbow as we made the journey to Jerusalem. The day we left Tiberias for Tel Aviv, he gave us another. I can’t help but think of that first rainbow God gave Noah. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8) It was his promise, a sign in the sky, a memoir of grace extended to all generations. I have experience this grace here perhaps more than my whole life, grave for a nation, grace for my team and now, grace in my womb. How I long for the day I can see what John saw- him and his rainbow encircling the glorious throne.

Richard
I enjoyed handing out Hebrew New Testaments to the people in Tel Aviv and seeing the various reactions. One man said he would read it; I pray that there will be a large Kingdom harvest of those who read the New Testament! I pray that we who are “grafted in as Gentiles” will be instrumental in harvesting new souls for the Kingdom.

Cody
During this trip God was speaking to my soul. He told me that I need to let him lead me deeper into Him. He let me know that I either needed to submit or else He might break my legs or something to get me to Him! I know that His heart is to do the best for me even though I resist sometimes. I learned to shift my paradigm on this trip from “I know what I want” to “God knows what He wants for me”. I know that is I wiser than I will ever be and the “Lord is my Shepherd” and He leads me deeper still.

Ann
Each day seemed to be more amazing than the last, so I’m choosing to tell about our last day in Tel Aviv. We have gotten to know Steve and Pat Apple (and Erik, as well as several of their people) at Calvary Chapel, Tel Aviv. There have also been several teens with their leaders from Oceanside serving alongside us. Many of us were able to hand out New Covenants in Tel Aviv. Not know how receptive the people would be, we were pleasantly surprised by a majority of the people being willing to accept them. Please pray that they will read them and believe!

Wes
On a prayer walk through Jerusalem we prayed for the city and the Lord gave me the word restoration. I thought it was for the city but now that the trip has come to an end I have realized that it was for me.

Marni
God has reminded me on this trip of the power of prayer! It is our strongest weapon and has made a huge difference before our outreaches and service projects and uniting the group as one body. Praying at the Wailing Wall for the nation of Israel, for my HSE team, for my family back home and just for God to use us in mighty ways on this trip has encouraged me to continue to pray without ceasing in my daily life! Never forget the power of prayer!

Nicola
God opened my eyes to the work he is doing in Israel and his special relationship to his chosen people. It broke my heart to see people so bound in religion and tradition and it was awesome that God gave me chances to speak to some of his people about their Messiah. He showed me a real and practical picture of the difference between religion and relationship. Our God is an awesome God who desires a relationship with all people, especially his chosen ones.

Jenny
On our way to Israel, I excited most to see the historical sites; the house Jesus grew up in, the Jerusalem streets he carried the cross down and the Garden where he was buried and rose again. At the end of our trip, I have realized that while it was neat to see the historical places, my fondest memories of Israel are actually the ministry days. It was powerful to share his love with his people and I learned that the true legacy of Jesus is not so much in the historical sites but in the spirit of love that continues to move throughout the land of the people he loves.

Dina
During my trip to Israel, God has taught me the importance of relational evangelism and how much impact we can have on others through the lives we live and not just the words we speak. Love speaks louder than words and our lives are our greatest weapon for God’s kingdom.

Scott
I am in awe at the extent with which God poured out His grace on us this practicum. As we daily engaged God, he manifested himself powerfully to each of us, healing deep wounds, setting us free from old attitudes and patterns of behaviors, and radically transforming into the image of His son, Yeshua.

We came to Israel to help ministries, heal lives and handout hope and in doing so, God has blessed us beyond comprehension. We went to fill ourselves, and have, ourselves, returned filled to overflowing. Our God is truly a God of great grace toward His children.

Kami
“Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Romans 11:19

This truth resonates so much deeper now that I have spent some time in the Holy Land and have had multiple opportunities to engage the Jewish people. My heart cries out with compassion knowing that through their blindness, I, a gentile, have an opportunity to have eternal life. I am forever indebted to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and I will forever have a heart of compassion for His chosen people.

Caroline
The intensity of the spiritual battle in Israel was a sobering experience. The strongholds of religion and violence were palpable. It was impressed upon me the urgency of the intercessory work needed for the country, in both the physical and spiritual realms. It was powerful to see God’s love and mercy work through our team to serve those He lead us to.

Sarah C.
In between serving in Israel, God blessed us with many opportunities to visit so many meaningful places, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea, among others. Seeing such sights brought the stories I had only read about in the Bible to life. Though I would consider myself someone strong in my faith, actually seeing, in person, those places made the Lord more real and tangible to me. It brought me to a new level of trust and, in turn, a deeper level of surrender in my relationship with my Savior.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!

Please check back soon for additional photos and testimonies from everyone .

The remainder of the team partnered with SEND Ministries to pass out New Testaments and spread the truth of the Gospel on the streets of Tel Aviv. Many of us were met with gratitude while others faced opposition and confrontation. Please pray that all of those we came in contact with will allow God to soften and stir their hearts closer to Him.

Tomorrow we will be back at CCTA to finish up the murals and any other side projects left to complete. After time there, we will prepare for departure back to the states. Though we are excited to be back home with loved ones, please pray that our hearts are fully focused and invested in the work God has left for us to complete here in Israel.

Sarah Matthews

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”–Proverbs 3:5-6

At lunch today before my team and I went back out to hand out New Testaments printed in Hebrew, the Lord told me that someone was going to be saved. Right as we left I noticed a man on his bike and approached him. His name is Adam. Adam claimed to be a Christian but through his anger and bitterness toward people, the Spirit was telling me that he did not fully understand the saving knowledge and relationship of Jesus Christ. As I listened to his story I finally asked him if he were to die today, did he know, for sure that he would go to heaven. He replied no. I asked him if he wanted to make sure that he did and ask God to come into his life and transform him. He replied yes. So right then and there he accepted the Lord, truly. As we finished praying his whole countenance was different. There was a new light upon his face. Today, God chose me to show the abundant love of Yeshua to Adam.

Caroline Brenton

“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”–1 Peter 4:1

Though street evangelism is nothing new to me, many of the things I saw today while doing so were. As our team passed out New Testaments in Hebrew on the streets of Tel Aviv, we met opposition and confrontation. Some, angered by our attempts to spread the truth of the gospel, took the New Testaments we were giving and tore them in front of our very eyes, one going so far as to set it on fire. At the sight of these things, I was struck with confusion and heartbreak. However, the Lord quickly calmed my soul by reminding me that we are blessed in the face of persecution. As it says both in Matthew, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” and in 1 Peter, “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you”. Any negative emotions were washed away, and I remembered the privilege it was to be doing His kingdom work.

Tomorrow part of our team will continue with service projects at CCTA. The remaining members will evangelize on the streets of Tel Aviv, spreading God’s love and the truth of His Word.

Nicola Sanborn

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind”–James 1:6

After three weeks of being on the mission field, I have had a persistent struggle with spiritual attacks, which have left me feeling so distant from the Lord. I began to believe the lies I was constantly bombarded with, doubting my place with the Father. I saw God as being in the center of the ocean and saw myself as washed upon the shore, far from Him, desperately trying to get back. Today we were blessed with reflection time on one of the beaches in Tel Aviv. The Lord impressed a revelation on my heart, that I no longer have to fight against the current but rather surrender my struggles so I might be pulled in gently on one of His waves. On that very shore of Tel Aviv, I rested in the Lord; I gave all that I wrestled with to Him, all my doubts and insecurities. God freely and graciously took them, and drew me back into His presence.

Liz Gentner

“…that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ…”–Colossians 2:2

Today as we sat at a beach in Tel Aviv watching a High School missions team from Oceanside put on skits, I started talking to a woman. I was so excited to be in a conversation but soon realized that she did not speak much English. I asked God to not let this moment pass by and prayed that he would somehow anoint my tongue. Right then I mentioned that I can speak some Spanish, not even thinking that would help. To my surprise, she lived in Peru for 4 years. There we had a thirty minute conversation about why we were there and what we were doing—in Spanish. God used an unexpected language to communicate the work that He was doing through us in Israel.

Ali Kaun (pregnant)

“And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.”–John 19:35

I had the opportunity to share my testimony today in front of a group of people during an outreach. An Iranian family was so touched by my story they approached me after to tell me I should probably pray at a synagogue because of all my troubles. I was tickled by their comment and I immediately made a heart connection with these people. The father asked for my husband to come over so they could pray a blessing over our marriage. I was so blessed that God proves himself by transcending enemy nations—Iran and the United States—and unites people through the heart instead.

Later we partook in a wonderful Thanksgiving feast that was prepared for over 60 people including missionaries and CCTA staff. LOL Israel team was so blessed to host and serve them. After dinner we came together in worship and thanking the Lord for all that He does and all that He is. Hope all had a blessed Thanksgiving!