Shalom Loved Family and Friends,
There is so much to update you on! Bear with me!
Thank you all for your overwhelmingly supportive responses to my most recent update regarding Anti-Semitism in the Church. I was thrilled by the many replies that showed strong interest in this subject as well as the Biblical knowledge you all have to combat such destructive theology. I applaud you all!
Passover:
Those of you that know me personally know that this time of year is very special to me... it is the celebration of Pesach or "Passover". Many of you have spent several years attending my annual Messianic Passover Seders in the past and have enjoyed the beauty in this ancient tradition of the Jewish people. We have figuratively traveled out of Egypt and into the Promised Land by partaking of the symbolic elements and reading the parallels between the Passover Lamb and the Sacrificial Lamb - Yeshua.
I look back fondly upon these memories and as I am about to experience my third Passover in Jerusalem, I can't help but see how God is true to His Promises to us, even when we are unfaithful to Him at times. As I steal a glimpse of the sunset over Jerusalem, I feel unworthy, yet as Paul said, I boast not in myself but in HIM! And it's always OK to boast about God!
Next week, as I will be gathered together with loved ones of a Jewish family that has taken me in as one of their own, I will miss you all in my heart yet feel extremely honored to know that the precious Israeli man next to me has come to the full knowledge of Yeshua as the Messiah. Could there be anything more amazing?
Special Visitor:
Not only am I looking forward to Passover, but I have a very special guest arriving the same week... my best friend and number one fan and selfless giver of time and energy and countless cell phone minutes: MOM!
My mom will be arriving in Israel on April 6th to spend three weeks with me. She and I will be traveling throughout Israel, spending time together and she will even work with me at CFI. Staff at CFI are already requesting her help for their projects so I may even have to fight for her time myself!
Please pray for her flights and her health as well as for her adjustment to Israeli life. Please pray for my dad who cannot come this time. Pray that he will be blessed in his work and that he will be able to come for a visit soon too because I miss him to pieces like I miss my mom.
Shimon's Passover Backpack:
Several days throughout the week, an elderly Holocaust survivor named Shimon comes to CFI to help us out of his own choosing. He loves the atmosphere and finds great peace there. He is quiet yet he loves the staff and smiles so sweetly when he comes in to "work". Shimon usually helps with our mailings and enjoys collecting stamps from the mail we receive. He has his own corner in the mailroom where he loves to sit and cut the stamps out of the envelopes. He has an amazing story from his life during the Holocaust and War. He is also a widower and is lonely. Though Shimon has experienced more pain and loss than any of us could ever imagine, he is so very sweet-spirited and kind. He loves to say my name because he told me his wife's name was Irene and since Erin is similar in a way, it makes him remember her.
Shimon, as I mentioned, is very quiet and can even seem timid at times. He asks nothing of us and just enjoys our company. He is very poor and can not afford much at all. Today, as I was working, he approached me with the translator and timidly asked to borrow an old backpack he found on the counter that was being donated to our Distribution Center. He said he would return it when he was done with it because he was going to travel to his son's home for Passover in another city and had to take many buses to get there. My heart melted and I said, "No Shimon, you may not borrow it, you may keep it as a gift." He was so deeply grateful as though I had rewarded him with an elaborate gift. As he walked away, I had to sit down and have a moment to cry. Sometimes, in this culture, I have moments where I need to let out my emotions before God so that I can get through the day. I was so humbled by how an old used backpack made this man's day. A man who, in my opinion, deserves so much more! The lesson I learned, yet again, is to be appreciative for every single blessing that God has given us. When we are thankful, we look at the world with new eyes.
Daniella and Roii:
One of my greatest joys is a young Israeli couple named Daniella and Roii that Tomer introduced me to. They are currently interested in Yeshua and are reading the Brit Chadasha (New Testament) because Tomer has been reaching out to them. Roii is a fellow police officer with Tomer and Tomer has shared his entire testimony with them. We were able to meet for coffee one Saturday night and we ended up deeply discussing Yeshua for three hours. The depth of their curiosity can't be explained! They are not simply interested, they are sincerely searching! Please pray for them as they have decided to visit our Kehila (congregation) soon. Please pray that God will use Tomer and I to keep speaking into their lives and that they will make a decision to believe in Yeshua as their Messiah. Please pray that they will continue to seek after Him.
The Sounds of War:
Nope, I couldn't go one email without a blurb about war, could I? ;-)
Last week, Israel conducted a nation-wide drill of military and police exercises to prepare for war and rocket/missile attacks. The war siren was sounded throughout the land at 2PM and I got to hear it for the first time. It was a grim reminder of the times we are living in and the war that is fast-approaching. I prayed that the next time I hear the siren, that I will be prepared in my heart for what God would have me do to reach out to the precious people of Israel.
As Iran has kidnapped British sailors, this could very well throw the world into a new stage. I listen daily to my conservative political radio programs on the bus and I truly fear for the USA in the times ahead. I pray that you all will stay alert, vigilant and wise. Do not fall for the mass deception! Almost a year ago, Israel was at war with Hizbollah over a kidnapped soldier, and we still haven't gotten him back... what has the world learned from this?
A Staff Outing:
As you can see on my blog, CFI staff were treated to a retreat in the North this past weekend. It was a wonderful time to get to know each other better and see the beauty of the land. Be sure to visit my blogs for pictures and stories!
This is Erin reporting LIVE from Jerusalem...
May it truly be "Next Year in Jerusalem" for you too!
Your financial support is critically needed!
As you have followed my updates and have shared in my heart and vision for Israel, I ask that you consider taking a step to support me financially at this time.
If you are interested in becoming a financial supporter of my ministry to the Jewish People of Israel, please contact my mom at kcmather3@aol.com for information on how to donate. Your support in any amount is critical and received with much gratitude. Donations go directly toward my necessities as I serve as a full-time volunteer through Christian Friends of Israel www.cfijerusalem.org