As I write this post we are at 80% of our fundraising goal. I am floored by the generosity of friends and family. It is so cool to see people believe in us and what we are doing. We need $1,910 to be fully funded, and we are definitely feeling the mantra “every little bit counts”. The fundraising process has made me rethink how I give to others. I often think, “I can’t give ___ and so I guess I can’t give”. On the receiving end of these gifts, the thing that has been most amazing to me is not simply the large amounts given by individuals, but the sheer number of people who have given (for the sake of transparency- we actually don’t see the amount given by each person). There have been 57 people who have given to our trip, and that is incredibly encouraging. I am realizing that it is more powerful to see many people giving because it helps us to feel like there are an army of people who love us, and are happy to come alongside us as we seek to love others across the globe. THANK YOU so much to all who have given. If you would like to help us reach our goal, CLICK HERE to donate!

In my last post, I got to share some of the reasons we are excited to go to Uganda. In this post, I want to share some reasons that we are thrilled to be heading to Israel. As followers of Jesus, we are incredibly excited to journey to the places that Jesus lived, preached, and brought healing. We are flying into Tel Aviv, and will be traveling around the region to places such as Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. As we go to the places where Jesus walked, we will be exploring the Beatitudes, which are a group of teachings out of the book of the gospel of Matthew.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Up until we began preparing for this trip, I thought that the conflict in and around Israel was primarily religious in nature. I assumed, like many Americans, that the conflict was a centuries old fight for land promised to specific people in the Jewish and Islamic scriptures. Recently, we learned that this is not primarily the case. In our preparation, we  learned that the conflict is more complex than simple, and more multifaceted than one dimensional. Without attempting (with my limited and evolving perspective) to give a summary of the present situation, I want to share a few things that I have been learning. To those who are more well educated on this subject, please give me grace as this is all very in process for me.

One of the first things I learned was that there are Palestinian Christians living in the area. I learned that the region of Palestine has not been in perpetual war for the last 2,000 years, but has had both times of conflict and times of peace (peace here characterized by Muslim, Jewish, and Christian people living alongside one another as neighbors throughout the region). I learned that the region was previously controlled by Great Britain, and before that the Ottoman Empire. I learned that, in the wake of the Holocaust, many Jewish people were yearning for a modern-nation in which they could live and belong. I learned that Palestinian people were forcibly removed from their homes when world powers at the time determined to turn the land into the modern-nation of Israel. I learned that there have been attempts to reach a compromise. I have learned that people have acted inappropriately on both sides of the conflict. I learned that real people have been hurt, are experiencing sadness, persecution, and forms of suffering.

It is in this context that we will also be reading the beatitudes. Jesus came to this region over 2,000 years ago preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God had come. The question is not “how can we solve this problem”, but rather how can we embody the gospel of peace, and become ourselves peacemakers. This is what excites me most about the trip. It is an amazing opportunity to connect our past with our present and future. In this sense, it is a true pilgrimage. We want to learn from Jesus himself, to learn from him what it looks like to be peacemakers.

As a couple, we want to learn how to be bearers of peace in all aspects of life, wherever we find ourselves. I believe that this trip will give us such a cool opportunity to learn from people from various walks of life, with unique perspectives on faith and life. It will be an amazing opportunity to learn from and encourage our Jesus-following brothers and sisters across the globe. It will be an amazing opportunity to support and partner with their ongoing ministry in the region. It will be an amazing to connect with Jesus himself-through his Holy Spirit- in the place where our faith began. And I believe it will greatly impact- even transform- the ways we minister to people as we return home.

Ways to Pray for us: Pray that God would show us how to minister to people “along the way” as we travel, that we would be sensitive to him as we engage with different people. That God would unify our team and increase our love for each other. That God would use us to encourage believers in Israel/Palestine. That we would reach 100% funding. That this trip would transform how Bethany and I minister to and love people.

To learn more about our trip or to give financially CLICK HERE.

This is part 2 of a series about our trip to Uganda + Israel. To read the first post Click Here.