Dear Byron and John; I want to thank you both for the opportunity to be a part of the recent trip to Israel. It was a wonderful experience for me and I was blessed in a big way.

I’m still processing many of the things we experienced. I appreciate your investment that allowed me to be involved. You all did a great job and you are a blessing, not only to me but to God’s people here and in the Holy Land. May the Lord continue to bless you, your families, and the Father’s House. With sincere gratitude, Mark Greenroy

I was on the 2011 / 2012 Holiday trip to Israel. I want to thank Byron, Tammy and Fathers House for making it possible for me to go on this life changing trip. Hardly a day goes by that I do not think about some aspect of our trip, what I learned or what I experienced. It truly is a life changing experience. I firmly believe that every Pastor should go to Israel either while in seminary or in the first few years of ministry. Moshe has so much knowledge of historical importance, Biblical understanding, and archeological perspective of Israel that I was captivated by his lessons and explanations. Each day was something new, exciting, educational and edifying regarding new discoveries, history, archaeology, current events, biblical history, biblical truth and application. A short time ago, my wife was anxious to make plans for our next get away and she asked me, If you go anywhere right now, where would you like to go? My answer came quick and without hesitation; Israel. We hope go to Israel sometime in the next few years this time together.

How amazing! I can’t wait to go back. Thank you for the privilege to be in the Holy Land last year and dreaming for another trip in His time.

I know that I will never be the same and can’t wait to go again. I truly believe that this trip was more than information it was impartation which added such a deeper diminution to the experience. In my particular situation the hand of God literally snatched me out of my world and dropped me into another world completely out of my control and comfort zone. I also think that I was more than surprised of how much I retained from this trip (since I gave up on note taking about the third day) but to my surprise the Holy Spirit was etching some truths into my soul that went far beyond Israel facts and history alone they where personal life lessons. I also had a eye adjustment while there in Israel by the Holy Spirit that has helped me to see my world from a better perspective more filled with hope, more Kingdom fight and better than all that to take the sour things in this life, and with God’s help make lemonade ever time we have opportunity that can sweeten and enrich our lives and those around us. God gave me a fresh grace not to see the wilderness as my enemy anymore and to ask everyday what lessons are there to learn in the wilderness and if God put me in a wilderness place He can speak to me and show me the way, plus the quicker I learn the lessons of the wilderness the quicker I can get into my next season of milk and honey. Several of my parishioners came up to me and asked what has happened to me (IN A GOOD WAY) since returning from this trip and I’m not sure if I can point to any one thing but I do know that God started a fresh work in my heart filled with new hope and a eye for the future. God has used me to help some of my pastor friends that have been burning up in the desert with despair and hopelessness to look for God to speak to them in their wilderness. Thanks so much for being that vehicle that the Holy Spirit could use to light up a worn out soldier of the cross and give him (ME) a fresh wind to fight the good fight another day. As for Your FATHER’S HOUSE team all of you are a God send and a real tool in the hand of God so please keep up the hard but good work and know your labor is not in vain.

Our trip to Israel with the Father’s House was truly heart changing. I had heard from people who have been to Israel before and how God seemed to speak to them in the Holy Land. I wondered deep down, would he speak to me, what would it be like, what if he didn’t? With all those thoughts swirling around my head, my prayer was God speak to my heart. As a man, pastor, husband, and dad, I struggle with pride. I did not want to come back and be a know it all about Israel, I wanted to come back with a changed heart. And that’s exactly what happened. Sure, I learned, experienced, and gained tons of knowledge and I will never read the bible the same or preach the same again, but God’s greatest gift to me was a more loving heart. I tell people that Israel made me a better LOVER. I love my wife, my kids, others, and my God more and it’s easier to show it. The second to the last day of the trip John gave us the opportunity to be baptized in the Sea of Galilee. Inside I thought, I’m a pastor, I’ve already been baptized, I baptize others, I don’t need to be baptized. But then at the same time I felt our Father say, Do this for me, humble yourself, who cares what others think or say, do this for me, humble yourself for me. The wrestling match continued until the spirit won out and I got dunked. It was awesome. Humbling but awesome. It just felt right. Thank you for that opportunity. It was one of my highlights.

Father’s House, Thank you so much for the time, energy and care you put into our Israel trip. I am so grateful for the loving attention you gave to our group from Pedernales River Fellowship. May the Lord continue to bless you as you serve Him. In Christ, Greg

I have been challenged in several areas spiritually and will be using this next year to work through some of the spiritual truths that were shared on the trip. On my first trip to Israel two years ago, I felt like it was more learning about the places and what happened there, but on this trip I really sensed a greater connection between the places we visited with the spiritual themes being emphasized. The repeated spiritual truths and connections were great. I am so grateful John got to share spiritual insights I could grasp. He greatly increased the spiritual growth experience and was always ready to answer my many questions. Ron was also easy to understand and I appreciated his teaching as well. I thought it was great how well they worked together to help us understand the spiritual truths related to what we were seeing. The boat ride on the Sea of Galilee was a spiritual high this trip. After experiencing the wilderness, the beauty of the sea and the worship music was very moving.

I am Armando Lagda Valdez, married to Lilybelle Grace Mamaril.  God blessed us with four kids (3 boys and 1 girl), plus added precious children under our care.  I am a product of “Calvary Bible Institute” – supervised by Sir Ken Sandberg.  My wife and I are pastoring a church in Davao City, that is affiliated with – Maranatha Fellowship in Maryland, USA (IPHC).  We have established relationship with Sir Ken & Ma’am Cris and partnered with them in equipping the saints through conferences, summer camps and at CBI. And just recently, after our Sunday morning service (Nov. 8, 2009), we received a phone call with the grandest surprise – A TRIP TO ISRAEL!  It blew me away and made me shout for joy!  Hallelujah, glory to God!  To step in the soil of Israel was only a dream that we hope would come true sometime in the future. Now, that the door to visit the birthplace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is in progress, I can’t explain the thrill and excitement going on as the days go by.  The trip to Israel is truly a big inspiration to us and this is happening because of the Lord’s kindness through my Bible School mentors (Sir ken & ma’am Cris) and through your generosity.  Honestly, we don’t really know how to express the gratitude and the joy that is within us.  Words may fall short to express it, but we sure are grateful to the Lord and to you.  May the good Lord multiply your blessings! Again, i want to let you know that we appreciate the love, the blessings and the big heart.  Thank you for sponsoring our trip.  Indeed, we don’t know how to repay you.  Simply, because we don’t have the capacity to do it.  But the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach will! God bless you and your family Sir Byron and Ma’am Tammy.  God bless you sir/ma’am John Turner.  God bless the “Father’s House Foundation”.  God bless “CBI” family.  We look forward to see you on December 5 & 6, 2009. To Sir Ken and Ma’am Cris, thank you for the high level of trust and favor.  God bless us all. In Christ, Armand & Lilybelle V