Shalom Brothers and Sisters,
It's Christmas Eve and it's cold outside. In fact it's supposed to snow tomorrow according to the weather reports. I am staring out the window into the hills and gazing at the beautiful lights of homes and buildings in Jerusalem. Not too far away, about fifteen minutes from where I live is the entrance to Bethlehem, the place our Messiah was born. So I pull out my Bible, make myself a cup of hot chocolate and curl up on the couch to read the story of the man who changed my life and the lives of so many others. And I have this hope that even though I may be far away from family and friends, I am right where I need to be. I am so glad that baby was born, the baby Messiah that would live a radical life healing the broken and urging men to leave everything behind to follow Him. The man that performed miracles and loved the outcasts. Dined with sinners and breathed life into the dead. How I love this man! My Yeshua.
I was woken up by several calls from my Israeli friends wishing me a Merry Christmas! How kind it was of them to remember that I am away from family and probably could use the encouragement. Not only that, but the fact that they don't even celebrate Christmas gave me a good laugh when I heard thick Israeli-accented friends saying "Merry Christmas!" Hey, it's good to know that Israel is much more appreciative of others traditions than the States even! No war on Christmas here. there's more important things to worry about like surviving as a nation!
Yesterday, on my day off, I went to Maon HaRofe to volunteer for the day! I got to see all the patients, feed them, love them and hang out with the staff. They were so thankful that I came to visit. All the patients remembered me and I felt so at home. It was so great to visit with Raul, Luze, Abdul and everyone! I just sat back and thought how cool it was to have such a strong network of friends in Israel. How far God has brought me in this culture!
I received the most amazing Hanukkah gift this year. I have a good friend that serves in the Police here in Israel. This past week he helped Kim and I fix up our apartment and I got to tell him more about what I believe in regards to Yeshua as the Messiah. I was curious to see how he would respond. He was so open, it was amazing. I got to share everything I believe about Yeshua and he even asked me questions about how I pray. I used King David as an example and quoted some Psalms and told him that God wants us to pray, to talk, to pour out our souls to him. David cried, laughed, shouted, questioned. he didn't hold back. Tomer listened intently and I saw something start to work inside of him. The next day, for his birthday, I bought him the book of Psalms in Hebrew and English and I highlighted my favorite Psalms. He was so overwhelmed he started to tear up. He called the next day and said that he shared the book with his police unit and they all sat together reading the Psalms I highlighted and discussed them. They even agreed to read one a day! In fact, they write down questions and give them to Tomer to give to me so I can answer them. This is an amazing breakthrough! God has used His Psalms to reach an entire Police Unit in Israel! I am so grateful, so humbled that God has used me in this simplistic way. Rejoice with me, for Salvation is near! Nine months of hard labor, sometimes painful moments and perpetual challenges have produced a beautiful and inquisitive spirit within the hearts of God's precious chosen people. These very policemen are on guard tonight at the roadblock into Bethlehem. Oh God that you would appear to them on this special night, that you would show them the Messiah! I believe! Oh I believe!
So, yes, Merry Christmas to all of you. I love each and every one of you and pray that as you celebrate the birth of Yeshua, that you will take a moment to remember how personal He is, how near He is, how real He is. For those of you that have forgotten, He is there. For those of you who feel lost, He will find you. For those of you who are grieving, He is your refuge. For those of you who are alone, He is holding you. For those of you who feel hopeless, He is reaching. For those of you who are hurting, He is standing by.
This is Erin reporting LIVE from the hometown of the Messiah.