Dear Byron, My brother it has been too long sense I have seen you, Tammy and Isaac.  I have such fond memories of our 2011 trip to Israel. I have just returned from the second trip (June 2012).  I can tell you that there is no such thing as a bad trip with Father’s House.  My first trip was marvelous. 

The team of you and Moshe did an excellent job and I loved every minute. I was disappointed when I learned that Moshe would not be with us on the second trip.  The second trip was as marvelous as the first.  We revisited some of the same places and I departed from each with an expanded appreciation, blessing, and understanding of each.  That is the way the body of Christ is supposed to work, isn’t it.  John Turner and Ron did a masterpiece rendition at repeats and new sites. I so much thank the Lord and Father’s House for making this possible.  My life and ministry were changed after my first trip, but the second trip completed the transformation. After 58 years of preaching/teaching the Word, I can tell you that theses two trips have enriched my teaching and reading the Word.

As soon as I returned from my first trip, I started saving for the next one. There is nowhere in the world quite like Israel.

Dear Dr. Turner and Roxie, having you baptize us all was very meaningful, and like you said finding the words to describe the experience is sort of hard. It was an “unspeakable blessing.” No words really do the specialness of the event justice. We are grateful to God for His Love and Provision and grateful to you for your part in it. We had a life changing journey. I (Nicole) prayed at the Western Wall that the banner over our family would be a “banner of joy.” Thank you. Happy Father’s Day to you and “Father’s House :)” Love, The Pizzitola Family

It wasn’t a trip that changed my faith at all. It was very confirming though to go to places and find things and see things that I’ve read about in a context. That was probably the best thing about it because it gave a context that’d be hard to get unless you’ve been there and seen it. A lot of times you read things from the Scriptures and you understand the point but not having the surrounding context of the places and things of that nature, it’s hard to really understand what it was like.

Summarizing the NAUMS 2011 Father’s House Israel Trip, despite the fact that it was the most informative and enlightening trip I have ever been on, has been a surprisingly difficult task.  As one might imagine, I have been asked by numerous friends and family members, and members of our congregation, to share what the most influential or to isolate what my favorite part, of the trip was, but I have to admit that there wasn’t a most influential or favorite part of the trip for me.  Each and every day there were multiple parts that I was very fond of and that were quite influential,  The entire trip, from beginning to end, was packed full of information and spiritual depth. I honestly wish the trip hadn’t ended, and I have been suffering from feelings of … homesickness???  Kind of strange, but it is true.  I want to return with the The Father’s House each and every time they go to Israel.  Perhaps the Lord will open a door for that to happen. I have come down to one simple statement that sums up my feelings about the trip, or maybe a better way to say this is to say that this statement sums up my feelings toward God since experiencing the NAUMS 2011 Father’s House Trip to Israel, and that is this … I have a lot more “Want To” where it comes to serving the Lord.  Having experienced Him on such a real and personal level, I don’t want to do anything that would displease him.  The experience has deepened my relationship with The Lord and has made me a better minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I “see” what I’m studying and “feel” so much more. I walked where my Savior walked and felt His Spirit. I still feel such a powerful sense of His presence. The trip was so inspirational and it was very educational. (I wish I had a recording of what Moshe said) We had several revelations about some actual “real” locations of historical significance. We feel as though we a part of Israel… every report on the news has become “personal”and our prayers are more special as we continue to pray for the Peace of Israel. We loved our time with Moshe. Byron, Tammy & Isaac were incredible. We feel we were family and will remember many that traveled with us!

The trip was really totally and completely life changing for me personally and for me as a Pastor because it allowed me to see the Bible kind of in a three dimensional aspect as opposed to just reading about and studying about it. Actually going to the places, seeing the things we saw, meeting the people and being exposed to the atmosphere of the culture and all of those things, it was just a period of time that really has forever and completely changed my life.

It was the most amazing trip! “Enjoyable experience” does not even begin to describe how totally amazing it was! Where to begin? To walk where our Lord walked. Enjoying the fellowship of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Sharing in the expressions of our love for the Lord with the Torah ceremonies and scripture readings. Again, amazing! How does one even begin to describe Moshe the Teacher? I know now why several of the tour members carried digital recorders with them. As one of Moshe’s students, you want to soak up every word and not miss one syllable. He makes it all so real, not just with lectures, but with hands-on experience. Everything from crawling around in tunnels underneath Jerusalem, to actually teaching us how the various tools and equipment worked (like the wine press and olive press and grinding wheat and the heart shaped boat anchors), to riding a camel on the Ancient Spice Route. His passion for the Lord is contagious! The Bible seems so much more real now. I read the scriptures like stories and can visualize the people and places and actions much more clearly. I want to know the “whole story“ , if that makes any sense. I think special mention should be made of our bus driver Sami. He did magical things with that bus! Who knew that a tour bus could be considered an “all terrain vehicle”? And he took such good care of all of us and made us all feel very special. There are not words enough to describe what this trip has meant to me. Each day of the trip was more exciting and more memorable that the day before. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, it did! I can’t wait to do it again! Being a soldier in Moshe’s Army for the Lord is the only way to see Israel!

Cris and I had the experience of a lifetime on the January 2010 Israel trip.  We are so thankful to Father’s House for sending us and our friends Pastor Armand and Lilybelle Valdez to the Holy Land, where we joined some US church groups on a wonderful ten-day tour. Recently I have presented slideshows of our pictures from Israel to students of our Calvary Bible Institute (both Day and Night classes) in Davao City.  It has made a huge difference for me to have been to so many of the sites in Israel and to have been guided by such a knowledgeable Jewish guide as Moshe Bronstein.  I feel like I can now talk about the Biblical places with a bit of authority and certainly with insight that I didn’t have before.  The students were fascinated by the pictures and the commentary.  Many of them would love to go to Israel now! I know Cris and I have a heart to go back to Israel and see even more of that wonderful country.   God has truly turned our hearts toward “home”– here on earth, our true original home is in Israel. God bless Father’s House! Love in Christ, Rev. Ken & Cris Sandberg missionaries in the Philippines