Our Israel Photo Gallery & Testimony
Our Israel Photo Gallery & Testimony
Here we are at the airport in Houston, TX just minutes before departure to Tel Aviv, Israel on March 5, 2007. We planned to stay in Israel for 8 1/2 months ministering the Gospel of Messiah. We were so happy when we touched down in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel)! Tears filled most of our eyes the plane landed. The promise the Father had given us regarding moving to Israel had finally been fulfilled. HalleluYah!
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We arrived to the Promised Land safely! This picture was taken atop a mountain where Abraham was first given the land covenant. It was awesome to see the rainbow which is a sign of the covenant promise just as we arrived at this site. It was like the Father was reminding us of all he had done for us and how He had kept His promises.
Israel only gives 3 months visas, after which we had to leave the country and reenter to get a new visa. This sign was in downtown Petra, Jordan which is where we went for our "visa run". It shows how intolerant the Muslim people are to having believers in Yahweh and Yeshua around. We led 2 men to Yeshua just a few doors down from this huge sign. We were really praying for the Spirit to give us discernment. Yahweh is faithful!!
David took this picture of us with Basel, his father, and his sister at their home. Basel is standing to Sonia's left. We were invited into their home for tea, but after we were there, they prepared us a huge dinner. It was a very nice time. We called Basel a few months later and he is still reading the Scriptures we gave him. Please pray for him and his family.
This picture was taken in Petra, Jordan. It shows Isaiah with one of the Beduin border patrol security men. Isaiah really wanted to have his picture taken with this man, then he just wasn't quite ready for the snapshot. :-)
Our road to Israel began in 2001. We prepared for about 7 years to move to Israel for a season of 8 1/2 months in order to preach the gospel to the Jewish people and anyone else the Holy Spirit put on our hearts. At the time, we were living comfortably in a very nice home full of most of the things we ever desired. We looked like we finally caught up with the "Jones's" so to say. It looked like we were rich, but the Father had really blessed us with a nice home to rent really cheap. Then, I remember it like it was yesterday. I had my nice house and I was laying in bed when suddenly it dawned on me that I had all of my hearts desires materially. I had things that I thought I would never be able to own. I had it all. I never had much money, I just had credit to buy what I wanted.
Thanks so much to all those who have prayed for, loved, encouraged and supported us!
Yahweh bless you all!
Then, I heard the Father say to me, "Are you willing to give it all up for the sake of the call, and move out of your comfort zone to be a missionary to a lost world?" Even though, I had everything that would make most people satisfied and happy, I was growing very frustrated and discouraged about what was going on in the "church". I remember crying out to the Father and saying, "We need righteous men to be leaders and pastors who will stand up for purity and holiness. Where are the righteous men who fear you and hate evil?" Then the Father said, "What about you?!" My response was, "What about me?" I did not feel like I was educated enough to ever be in a leadership position in the body, but I had a willing heart. The reason I am telling this story is to encourage the believers that the Father is looking for people with pure hands, pure hearts, and pure motives to do the work of His ministry. It is not about us, it is about HIM! It's always been about Him and the entire world will realize that in the end.
When I started really reading the Scriptures, I saw that the message was clear. We are in a blood covenant where we are married to the Messiah. If we will be a faithful bride and not a harlot, He has unbelievable blessings waiting for us when we walk in obedience. Will you join into His covenant according to His terms, or will you try to make up you own rules? He has blessings for those who chose to follow according to His rules. I'm excited to be a part of His plan.
So, after the Father showed me the error of my ways and brought me to obedience to His Torah, I began to submit my life unto the Yahweh's plan for me. We began to sell our belongings, downsizing to smaller homes 3 times until all we had left was some tubs of office supplies, kitchen things and toiletries, etc. that we needed to use up until the very end. We also had a wrecked car that we bought for $80 from friends and our mini-van that we had tried unsuccessfully to sell. Finally, after 6 years, we were able to see the vision the Father had planted in us become a reality as we departed for Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) .
Even during our times in Israel (several of us have gone back on 3 other trips also [2008, 2010 & 2012]), we saw the Father's hand move mightily as you will see in the pictures and stories below. After we were in Israel for a few months, we sold our van to a friend in the States, who later told us that he bought it so that he could bless us with it back when we returned home. He knew we needed the money and were trying to sell it, so he wanted to keep anyone else from buying it! Halleluyah!! It is so awesome how the Father provides for our every need.
May you be blessed as you journey with us through our time in the Holy Land.
David, Sonia, Zechariah, Isaiah, Mariah and Leiah BowlingWe visited the Samaritans who are still living on Mount Gerezim. Here I am with Cohen Yefet. We were able to video the Samaritan Passover sacrifice, shown in the pictures to Yefet's right. They keep the feasts an entire month after the Jews do. To understand why, read the story of Jeroboam in 1 Kings 11-12 (esp. note ch. 12:32-33). They are the modern day result of Jeroboam's rebellion against Yahweh. We are praying for them and David has shared Yeshua with Yefet. They have dated records showing that Yeshua came there, but they don't believe in Him.
In Israel, the military is called the Israel Defense Forces. I think it is interesting because Israel is not out to make war with anyone, they only want to defend themselves. Almost everyone in Israel is required to serve in the military once they turn 18. Our girls love to see the military girls with long hair and sometimes even ground length skirts. It is far different than female American soldiers.
Shortly after arriving, we visited the Temple Mount which is now Muslim controlled and the Western Wall (aka the Wailing Wall) which is behind us here. It is amazing to see all of the security guards and army soldiers patrolling this area. It seems odd for a place of worship to have such a tense atmosphere. This is an interesting place that is important to both Jews and Muslims. Much of the world keeps their eyes on this particular spot.
We also occasionally spend time at Succat Hallel, which is Hebrew for House of Praise. We worship Yahweh and invite His presence to come and dwell with us and we pray for the people of Israel that their eyes will be opened to see their Messiah, Yeshua. We also pray for the believers here that are persecuted and sometimes even kicked out of the country for sharing Messiah.
We always pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to people who are hungry for truth. This was one of those divine appointments. We were in Jerusalem when a protest started at Zion Square, closing down all buses and taxis into the area. Since we would miss the last bus back to Ariel, we stayed the night on the roof of a youth hostel. We spoke to many people and told them about Yeshua. We still have ongoing outreach to two of the people we met there. Please pray with us for them.
Here is a view from our apartment balcony in Ariel. Isaiah was blowing the shofar. He loves to blow it proclaiming Yahweh's defeat of the enemy. Isaiah loves Yahweh so much and is a huge blessing to our family. He has a heart for worship and is currently learning guitar so that he can lead worship. You can see one of the Palestinian villages in the distance. Every day we heard the Muslim prayer towers blasting prayers so loud. We spent a lot of time praying for the people in these villages.
In the spring, we had friends visit from America. It was a refreshing time of fellowship even though it was short. We were able to go with them to Gomorrah and the Dead Sea. They also brought with them some supplies we had ordered and letters from other friends at home. The children were so excited to hear from some friends and receive cards, gifts, and pictures.
It was nice to have a park right outside the apartment. We could look out the windows or off of the balcony and keep an eye on the children. Here Sonia is watching over the children. She is so blessed to be home with them full time again. We hoped for this day for many years.
Zechariah is working very hard in every way he can. He is a great help to the ministry and to the family. He helps to burn and print the DVD's that we give away and he helps to keep things organized. The best part is that he does it with a willingly happy heart. We are so blessed to have our son helping us. He loves Yahweh with all of his heart and for that we are so thankful.
David had several opportunities to lead worship in homes and in congregations in the Land of Israel. It is so powerful to see Yahweh's spirit fall during these sweet times of worship at His throne. We pray for many more opportunities to worship our Creator and thank Him for all He has delivered us from.
We also enjoyed meeting many other believers who were also celebrating Passover. It was a very special night of fellowship and rehearsing the Passover was a great joy. Every year we learn something new. The Scriptures have such deep treasures that we love to re-read them and teach them to our children.
We were invited to spend Passover in the Galilee area with some friends. Here is Isaiah beside the roasting Passover lamb. This was our first year to see an entire lamb roasted. We did not feel it was necessary, but really put a vivid picture in our minds. Just to look at how lambs are so sweet and cute, and then it turns so ugly. It gets bruised looking. It is so sad. It made us think about how Yeshua took stripes and bruises so that we could have eternal life. He truly is our Passover lamb.
David was able to help take the meat off of the lamb once it was finished cooking. It was surprising to learn that there is really not much meat on a lamb. Also, it takes a loooooong time to fully cook.
One thing that we really wanted to see was the Temple menorah which they are planning on using in the Third Temple. It is encased in glass and is on display in the Old City in Jerusalem. After seeing this, we were praying what should we do next. I felt like the Father was calling me to take Zechariah and Isaiah and go to the Wailing Wall (the Kotel) to pray. I never had a desire to go to the wall before and I was wondering what the Father had for me there. When we got close to the wall, we were standing there waiting for a spot. It was like I could hear the echoes of the Jews crying out for the Messiah.
It moved me into tears. I could feel their agony of waiting for the Messiah to come. Once a spot opened up, we approached the wall and noticed that there were deep cracks with many little pieces of paper stuck in the cracks. I wondered how many of those papers were prayers for Messiah to come. I cryed out and asked Yahweh, "How can I reach them to let them know that their Messiah has already come?"
That was a pivotal moment for us during our time in Israel. As we were leaving the Wall, Isaiah was blowing the shofar when this Orthodox man came up to us and said that he could not wait to hear the Messiah blow the shofar when He comes. We have heard many Jews chanting for Messiah to come now. We shared that we were believers in Yeshua and He was provoked to jealousy as we shared that we obeyed the Torah.
This is just one of the many nights that we stayed out on the streets of Jerusalem until after 1 a.m. sharing the Messiah. We spent much time walking, praying, and allowing the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit) to lead us to people who were hungry for the truth. Leiah, our little prayer warrior decided to take a cat nap during our sharing with this Orthodox young man. He invited us to his home for Shabbat.
This one speaks for itself. Babylon has made it to Israel. Yes, the golden arches of McDonald's are all over Israel. This was something we thought we'd never see.
We took this picture on our way to Tiberias area. This was right before we passed through the valley of Megiddo (Armageddon).
This was just south of the Galilee area in Northern Israel. It is such a beuatiful area of the country. Just look at all the green grass and the colorful farmlands. We used to have a vision of Israel as mostly desert. That vision was proven wrong once we traveled the land for ourselves. There is some desert, but Israel is turning it into flourishing farmlands as well. Israel is supposedly the #1 fruit producer for all of Europe!!
Here the children are standing along the banks of the Jordan River, in Hebrew called the Yardenit. This is supposedly the approximate location where John the Baptist, baptised Yeshua. The Jordan River runs out of the Sea of Galilee. Isaiah wanted to have his mikweh at this location, so he had his mikweh here during another visit to the site. He really loves Yeshua and we were blessed that he chose to do this here.
The last time we visited the Yardenit, was because David felt led to preach the gospel to someone there. This was kind of odd to him, because this is a place were mostly Christians go. As he walked up to these two Jewish men, they asked if he wanted to have a coke and sit down to talk. It was a divine appointment as he then shared Yeshua with them for about 30 minutes. The man in white was amazed at what he shared. He kept saying, Wow, Wow! Pray for the seeds planted that day to grow.
On top of the mountain in Poriya Illit, is a beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee. This was taken during our visit there during the Passover season. The Sea of Galilee is actually a fresh water lake that is the single water supply for the the entire country of Israel. Yeshua spent much time in this area and I can see why. It is so beautiful. He possibly even walked right where David took this picture from. Notice all the palm trees at the bottom. They are all sweet date (fruit) palm trees.
From the north, we also traveled south a while later. As you go further south, you get into the desert area. We saw many beduin tents like these built in the middle of no where in the desert. Beduins have lived like this for many years and are mostly Muslims. It is so hot in the desert! One day we were there it was 117 degrees! It will dry you out so fast, you can hardly believe it.
This bedoin man sits on the side of the road offering camel rides. This is on the way to the Dead Sea. Notice the Sea Level signs behind him. The area around the Dead Sea is the lowest place on Earth that is not covered by water. Also, the Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water on Earth and everything (except rocks) floats in it. The children loved floating in it. The couldn't believe they could not even make themselves sink.
Then, right after the Dead Sea area is the ancient ruins of Gomorrah. It is one of the 5 cities that Yahweh destroyed by raining brimstone and fire upon it as told in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. We walked among the ashen remains of the city, which is at the base of Masada, Herod's mountain-top fortress he built right above the city. We could smell the brimstone so strongly. It is 99.?.....% sulfur! The area David and the children were standing on was solid ash! When you touch it, it would crumble and turn into dust.
Once we arrived into the center of Petra, the rock carved ancient city, the children were fascinated by the camels. We rode the camels a little way to the restrooms and back which the children loved. We, however, couldn't wait for it to get over. It was, to put it nicely, uncomfortable. :-) Here, Mariah is standing on the right, looking at the camels with joy!
David was able to share the gospel with Basel who took us to his restaurant the following day for lunch. Zechariah took this picture of us as we are sitting at the table waiting for the food to be served. After lunch, Basel invited us to come to his and his fathers home for tea that night. When we arrived, he took us to his bedroom and the Scriptures we had given him were laying right on his desk. He said he was already reading it and was excited to read more.
Zechariah snapped this picture of us leaving Jordan and crossing back over into Israel. We welcomed this moment as the spiritual atmosphere in Jordan was just so heavy! It is also heavy in Israel, but it seemed much stronger in Jordan. Yahweh was faithful to bring us back to the land of Promise. We were eager to return to Israel to continue reaching out there.
We have spent most of our time on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem ministering. This is where everyone hangs out. We met this young lady who was 5 months pregnant and homeless. She had many questions that night and we talked until 1:30 a.m. We fell in love with her. We promised to do whatever it takes to make sure that the state of Israel would not take her baby away from her because she didn't have a home or the things the baby needed.
Here she is in her new apartment with her new baby girl and fiance who returned to Israel to be with her 4 days prior to the birth. We were able to purchase a bunch of like new baby stuff for her such as a swing, high chair, bathtub, blankets, clothing, etc. After several months of sharing testimony and loving her, she became a believer in Yeshua as the Messiah. Much prayer is still needed as they have much growing to do. We continue to disciple her in the Scriptures. We have seen a big change in her and we have grown very attached to each other.
This is one of many shops that we spent time in on Ben Yehuda Street. David teared up while sharing with Nissan that we love the Torah and want to read it in Hebrew. Nissan saw that we were very sincere and upset that most Christians have thrown away the Torah. By our love for Torah, we have provoked the Jews to jealousy. They were shocked to hear that Yeshua taught us to walk in the blessings of Torah.
At the same shop, I have spent over 35 hours sharing with Gabriel. One day, Yeshua led me to confront him about this wicked "good luck" symbol you see here called a Hamsa. ---->
I didn't know that he didn't like it either and had a disagreement with his rabbi about it. I shared with him that it violated Torah and it didn't matter what his rabbi thought. I said we need to obey Scriptures, not man and that when Israel didn't destroy wickedness, they received judgement. Since that time, he's had a lot of respect and love for us. Pray that he will receive Yeshua as his Messiah.
David is praying here with Sa'eed, a persecuted Palestinian believer and his family. He has been separated from his family for about 8 years. David took him into the Palestinian village in the West Bank several times, which was very dangerous, to visit his family for a few minutes. This was the first time other believers came to his family's home to pray for them. The picture was taken outside their home. A dear brother, Yoav, drove David there and prayed with them this time.
This was just a summary of a small portion of our trip. There is so much more testimonies to add, but we'll have to add that later.
David and the boys were blessed to return to the land again for 11 days in February 2008 and 4 of us were able to be there ministering again in the early summer of 2010 for 6 weeks. Then David and the boys went for 14 days in the Spring of 2012 and several other brothers were able to go and share in that trip also. What a blessing it has been to be among the people sharing Messiah. Yah is so faithful! Halleluyah!
