Hi Sir Byron, My memories of Israel are refreshed by just reading this. Thanks for sharing it, Sir. We love you, ma’am Tammy and the Father’s House family. Indeed, the impact of that trip with the FH (January of 2010) is still fresh and unforgettable. The zeal, the vision, focus and purpose is unquenched even up to this very day.

We are committed to do the main thing God called us to do, which is to love Him with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves and to teach God’s commands diligently to our children and to our children’s children. Simple, but this truth never came to life within me, no not until we went to the Holy Land and received great spiritual treasures beyond words. I can go on and on, but I still don’t know how to describe God’s amazing grace. So let me just say again, thank you Father’s House Educational Foundation for obeying God’s call and vision. You are strengthening the under-shepherds that God called to full-time ministry in helping, training the saints, and advancing His cause. Hallelujah! -Bro Armand V

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.

Dear Father’s House Educational Foundation, Thank you SO MUCH for your contribution to the Hannah House ministry. we appreciate your generosity and support! May God bless you, Kellie A, Hannah House girl

After hearing many stories from my husband about his journeys to Israel, I was able to go with him 2 years ago. Even after hearing these stories, I was not prepared for what I actually saw and experienced. His words and stories could not do justice to the actual experience. Being able to see and go to the places Jesus went was amazing. Now, the Bible has truly come alive for me and I can visualize these places as I read. I’m not able to just read the Bible anymore, I’m able to live it.

My first journey to the Promised Land in 2007 altered my course. When Byron said, “Let’s go to Israel,” I was dumbfounded. All kinds of thoughts were swimming in my head. “Why should I go to Israel? Is it safe? Is it necessary? WOW! That’s where Jesus walked…” Obviously, the end result was a 15-hour plane ride and an amazing trek in a blue van with Byron, Moshe, Justin, and myself. Any doubts of traveling to Israel disappeared instantly as we stood looking over the Holy City, Jerusalem. I could not help but think about Matthew 23:37 where Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,… how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” I was hooked. The Bible sprang to life in a way that commentaries, videos, and imaginations were not able to produce. My journey to Israel caused God’s Love Letter to me, the Word of God, to take on new meaning. My personal readings of the Scriptures were and have never since been the same. My preaching had new direction and passion. My life was changed. Since that first time in Israel, I have been blessed to go back to the Promised Land on many other occasions. Each and every time, whether going to previously visited sites or not, I have left with fresh fire from and renewed purpose in the things of God. As you may know, the Lord has recently brought me to a new place in ministry. I no longer Pastor a church but have the privilege daily to challenge churches across the world to stand with Israel and strive to understand more of the Hebraic roots that so enrich our Christian Faith. Because of that first trip, a journey I believe EVERY pastor MUST make, I know that believers today play a vital role in the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel. Thousands of years ago, God called Abram to leave his home to travel to a new home that would be called Israel. On that tiny sliver of land in the Middle East, God began to reveal Himself to the world. Still today, that tiny sliver of land is the stage upon which God is showing the world that His plan of redemption and grace is free to all who will trust upon His only begotten Son, our Messiah. Talk about a change in direction! Baruch HaShem…Bless the Name !

I want to extend my gratitude for a fantastic experience.  I am already having a wonderful time with God, processing what I have learned!   Thanks again for a wonderful trip.  God is doing wonderful things through Father’s House.

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.

Thank you so much for inviting me to go on the trip to the Holy Land with The Father’s house. Words cannot express the impact this has made in my life. Truly a dream come true for me. I am and will be forever thankful to you and the Father’s House for making my first trip “Home” so special. I’m praying it will not be my last. For Jesus, Jerry Zucha Psalms 78:72 (72 With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with skillful hands)

Dear John, Thank you for your kindness and generosity in preparing us for this trip to Israel, our flights, insurance, and insight to expectations of the trip. You were so kind to meet us at the airport, help us through the terminals and take us to the hotel. We are so grateful to you. We would also wish to thank Byron and Tammy, Kevin and an extra special thanks to Moshe.  He is so kind, considerate and so very intelligent. I will remember his every word as I read my Bible. The whole group of 27 are such beautiful Christian people, I feel as if I had known them my whole life. I have read and studied the Bible for years but could never put myself in places where the events took place, now I too can say “I was there”.  I haven’t been able to put my Bible down since I came home.  There are not enough words to express the way I feel about this wonderful trip (I call it a journey through the Bible).  Thanks to all of you who have made this an unforgettable experience.