My trip to Israel was an opportunity I never thought would happen. To start the Journey in Jordan and follow the path of Jesus was amazing. I was amazed and at times I couldn’t hold back the tears. It’s hard to be in the place where Jesus stood, was tortured, crowned with thorns and given His Cross to be crucified on so all of us could live.

It was a very emotional experience. We experienced John the Baptist, The fisherman of men, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, The City of David and so much more. This trip by the Fathers House is not a normal tour. This trip goes behind the scenes and places not many people get to experience. This trip (my second trip) we had a total of 8 Pastors with us. All of them were amazed and taken back by the truth of the trip. I think every Pastor should have the opportunity to visit Israel and relay the message of the Promised Land to their church and encourage His Church to visit their home as well. The first thing that is said to you as you land in Tel Aviv is, “Welcome Home.” The Father’s House is amazing. They gave us the best experience they could possibly give us. From the airlines to the finest hotels, to the transportation and two of the finest meals a person could want, everyday! On both of my trips there was never an issue with safety. The people of Israel and the Jordan welcomed us with open arms and love. They are our brothers and sisters. If you love God and want to learn and understand Him, this is the trip for you. If you love to worship, this is the trip for you. I have always believed God is Real. Now I know, God is Real. – See more at: https://fathershousefoundation.com/pages/testimonials.php#sthash.XnjSgfdR.dpuf

My trip to Israel was amazing! I was told before we left by a good friend that God had a gift for me, and boy did he. I was touched in so many ways as we toured the sites and I listened to the teachings. I was especially blown away at the city of David and hearing all the teachings and seeing all the history. We ended our stop their with time in the upper room, and for me it all came together. The entire journey Jesus took for the Father, came together for me in that moment. I realized exactly what his purpose was and what message he came to deliver. It was powerful and overwhelming to say the least. For me in that moment, I truly believe I had a greater understanding of the Gospel and all that Jesus means historically and symbolically. I can now understand what he means to the gentiles, but after experiencing that moment with God, I now understand the message he was sent to deliver to Israel and the chosen people of God. In the upper room Jesus’ actions cried out I am the king of Jews, and in doing so he also hammered home the point that he is the Messiah. It was truly powerful for me to understand more about the time Jesus spent here on earth, and how God was sending such a powerful message to the entire world. God in that moment said I am the rightful king, but I came to do something even greater for all of mankind. It was an act of love that when sitting in the places where they took place, will bring you emotionally, spiritually, and physically to your knees.

My journey to Israel was God ordained from the very beginning. I was in nursing school and we are limited on how many days we can miss. This was the first time ever the college decided to close down the entire week of Thanksgiving. The insanely busy schedule of a nursing student doesn’t leave much room for anything that doesn’t involve nursing. Waking up an hour earlier to dig into the Word like I did before work started getting less and less every day; attending church and Stonewater U classes every week started to turn into online services and not attending to try to squeeze in any time to study. I have grown a lot over the past few years in my walk with Christ. This trip took the intimacy I have with God to a whole new level. I was excited about this trip and spending a week in the Holy Land, being where Jesus walked and spending much needed time in His Word. The second day in Israel, Roxie asked me what the Lord was speaking to me. To be honest, it took me a day or so to calm my excitement down and hear what He was speaking to me. He was telling me to “be still.” With that I finally slowed down and started soaking everything in. My uncle had shared some insight with us, when you look around Israel there is a lot of trash on the roads, stone buildings, not what you picture when you think of the Promised Land, but it is like our hearts, filthy, full of trash, and ugly, yet we are Holy because God says we are, just like His Land. Standing at the true birthplace of our Savior, the first place we worshiped and I couldn’t get any words to come out; I was humbled, and moved to tears from being overwhelmed with feeling His presence. This wasn’t the only location this happened at. God has done some amazing things in my life, even earlier this year, but He showed up in a huge way while I was in His land. There was a strike with our airlines and talk of maybe not making it back in time, which would’ve had me missing exceeding the number of days we could miss in school, 2. John had the travel agent working to get my mom and I on a flight out on different airlines but it would have to be early. Without a second thought I said, “no, absolutely not.” I felt God saying “are you really going to put all your trust in me or take the first opportunity to get back?” The strike ended for us to get back on schedule, before going back on strike a couple days later. I felt Him putting a whole new passion in my heart. There were some fires being started by terrorists all throughout the land in Israel, including Jerusalem. Not once was I afraid, I felt at home and safer there than I do even here. I feel like God was starting a wildfire in my heart, and John and Moshe’s passion for teaching fanned the flames. I have been non-stop in the Word since I’ve been back, and God has opened a huge door for me to go back this February for a month and learn more about Him. “For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrew 12:29