here we are back in india! it took us a couple of days to get used to it again, after being in such amazing tropical areas in thailand. but we’re definitely back in the game, and ready to push through till the end. it’s one day at a time, and we continue to pray for guidance and God’s grace in using us exactly how He desires.

yesterday we kicked it old school a little bit! we split up into three pairs, and hung out in hot-spots for israelis. this is how we started our massah ministry, and it seems that it’s going to be a great way to finish it as well.

traveling for so long has certainly brought a lot of strain–emotionally, physically, and spiritually. and it’s more and more forced us to solely rely on God’s strength. and that was definitely my experience yesterday. God gave me the mindset of just letting go and doing whatever i could to tell someone about Him.

sterling and i went to a german bakery down the road, and placed ourselves a table away from a couple of israeli girls. after just a few minutes, we were really disappointed when a guy sat at the table between ours and that one. as we sat there, we prayed that we would be able to talk to the girls before they left. i really felt God there with us, and i felt that He wanted something to happen.

as i waited, i thought of a new strategy that i was excited to try out. we got out our b’rit chadashah (hebrew new testament), and i was flipping through it, trying to read some here and there.

the guy at the table next to us got up to go, and then the two israeli girls asked for their check. i started to get a little nervous, thinking maybe we wouldn’t get the chance to talk after all. i realized that if i didn’t make it happen, it wouldn’t! so i took my opportunity, and used my slightly comical new strategy: i went over with my new testament, and asked them what one of the words meant. they started explaining it to me, and then the girl holding the new testament proceeded to look at the cover to see what book it was! after a look of surprise, she told her friend in hebrew that it was a new testament! i just smiled i said yea, i’m a jewish believer in Jesus. i believe He is the messiah!

the three of us had a great conversation, all about what it meant for me to believe in Jesus, and about what they believe about the messiah. i asked one of the girls if she had ever read the new testament before, and she said no but that she was interested in reading it sometime. when i told her she could have mine, she was very excited and gladly accepted it!

i had already put my name and email address in the inside cover of the new testament i gave her, and i asked for both of their names and emails so we could keep in touch. i am praying that i will be able to see them again, and possibly even get the chance to pray with them, or discuss something that they’ve read.

please be praying also. their names are tamar and stav (tamar is the one who took the new testament)

God is good, and He makes things happen that are in His perfect plans. yesterday i had very low energy, but that didn’t matter. He transformed my mind, and gave me the boldness and strength to be able to go over and share His amazing gift.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So once again it’s been kind of a while since I’ve posted, so I’ll just give you the most recent happenings:

We took a train to Laos a few days ago to seek out the traveler scene there and see how the ministry dynamic could go in the popular areas. We cut our time very short there, only to about 2 days, because apparently it is not the season for Laos yet. We ended up talking to two Israeli girls and found a handful of Europeans, but that was it. The boys took the opportunity to go tubing in the pretty dirty river there, and then we left soon after on an overnight train back to Bangkok.

We are leaving tonight on an overnight bus to the south of Thailand, where we are planning to spend a couple weeks at the beaches (it is definitely the season for that area right now). There is a Full Moon party that we are planning to be present for to see what kind of interactions we can have there with people- both inside and on the outskirts of the happenings. So, be praying for us there for the next few weeks!

Even though the past few days have been pretty slow as far as ministry and we have mostly been traveling back and forth on the Thailand/Laos border, God has been using this time to teach me a lot about living in freedom in my relationships with other people and with him. He is showing me how approval-based I am in my nature, and that because he is my father, I am free to be myself without judgment. How cool is that?!

So, we have almost two more months before returning home December 16th, but in that time we are moving around to three different Thai islands and also returning to India to spend time with Israeli travelers who frequent the beaches there. I have a feeling time is going to fly by pretty quickly. Thank you for all your prayers and support of us. We were just talking the other night about how we can see visible changes of growth in each one of us and in our relationships with each other. That really has been the faithfulness of God to continue working on us individually and as a group. That thought brings so much joy and I really am just so thankful for his constant faithfulness. He’s always here, and always on our side.

Thinking of you guys, pretty much all the time. Much love!

I apologize for not having written on the blog in a while- I do miss you guys and have just been slacking lately.  The rest of the team has done a really great job of summing up stories of where we have been and signficant people that we have been talking to, that are continually on our hearts.

Ministry in Nepal is quite different than in India, and I was not fully prepared for that realization when we arrived.  We were able to spend much time with Nadav and a few other close friends who are now gone on treks, but after they left us we really didn’t have that one hang out spot that everyone sits in all day, as they do in India.  Kathmandu is very spread out and the area we are in is bustling with tourists from all over the world, most of whom are constantly planning treks around Nepal.  We resolved to hang out at the Chabad house because that was the only place we knew Israelis would congregate.  We spent some time there for a few days and attended the Shabbat dinner there this past Friday night as well, but ministry from that is also difficult because we have to be strategic about who we are while we are there (it would not be beneficial to be kicked out, which is always a possibile reaction to us being Messianic).  So we would meet people there and then invite them to dinner elsewhere so that we could feel free to talk about spritual things, or we would recognize people that we met at other places, which made it possible to enter into other conversations.  The guys have also been playing shows at a nice restaurant here and we have been able to invite people to that (I have to say, they have done an amazing job in performing and also in connecting with people after they play- way to go, guys!)

It was definitely feeling like a struggle, or at least more difficult than areas we have been in before.  We took some time aside to really pray for this area and for the people here and ministry with the Israelis (there really are a lot here for the high holy days).  After just giving this area to the Lord for him to work with, we found the hang out place where ALL the Israelis go and spend most of their days… a vegetarian restaurant called Or2K.  Everyone sits on pillows on the floor and stays there for hours- very similar to the traveler scene in India.  So we now feel that we’ve kind of hit the jackpot and will be able to meet a lot more people here!  From that, I am reminded that God really answers prayer- all the time.  And he is really the driving force behind all of this.  I am so thankful for that reminder, and to know that we can just be here and be available, and God will lead us to the right places and the right people.

We leave for another area of Nepal today (Sean and Isaac are already there making preparations for us), so be praying for our time there!

Also, pretty much everyone  has felt sick in one way or another since being in Nepal- please pray for health during our time here.

I miss you guys at home and think of you often.  I am encouraged and am thankful to just be able to rest in God and know that he is taking care of things.

Much love!

more visual aids for all of you back home!

isaac hanging out with some israeli friends we met in leh

we traveled to the amazingly beautiful pangong lake

NLR playing music at wonderland for all the committed fans

with friends at desert rain cafe in leh

on our way down from leh, world’s 3rd highest pass!

NLR playing for a full house at the friendly planet in dharamkot

we love you all, thank you for your prayers!

love,
mobile

Hello everyone!!!

This is Isaac reporting live from an undisclosed location in India!

We have just traveled 20 hours straight on a jeep ride from Leh, our first location as a Mobile team, where we spent the last 2 weeks doing ministry and living life with Israelis. I am pleased to report to you all that it was indeed incredible.
When we started talking about extending the Massah program in this way, we, along with a lot of other people, were quite skeptical about what would come of it, or if it was even possible. There were a lot of ups and downs in the formation and preparation of Massah Mobile, but God knew exactly what He was doing. After spending these last few weeks with this team, living life with them and making ourselves available to be used by God in this way, I can say that there is no place on earth I’d rather be. God is so powerful and so sovereign, and it is so obvious that He is leading us in to the core of His heart and His will on this journey.

In our 2 weeks in Leh, we were able to play around 10 concerts for hundreds of Israelis and others of our music, which is Gospel-centered, as well as talk about the songs and their meanings. We also gave out over 50 Cds of our music to those we interacted with. We had very significant conversations with around 50 people about the Gospel and our personal walks of faith, and are in touch on Facebook and other means of communication with just about all of them. We interacted with dozens more whom with seeds were planted, and many of them received Cds of our music. Among those people, we made several VERY close friends whom we love dearly, and were sad to see us go. Some of these people traveled to our new location at the same time as us, and we will have more chances to connect with them. Please pray for Naama, Rotem, Chen and Ayelet, who we will continue meeting with.

Thank you so much to everyone who continues to read our blogs and continues to pray for what God is doing here. We are so excited and encouraged by what we have seen in our first 2 weeks, and can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next few months. Please continue to pray for health, discernment of God’s Spirit, and an ever-increasing ministry dynamic among the 6 of us. We love you all so much and are so thankful for your support. We cannot express that enough. Until next time. J

Love,isaac

I wish that you guys could see the scenery and landscape that has surrounded us for the past two weeks.  Beautiful streams and snow capped mountains cover the view and the amazing beauty of God’s creation is so sobering and awe-inspiring.  After hiking up a hill with some Israelis to see a better view of the sunset, one of our Israeli friends looked out at the scene of giant mountains colliding with beautifullly colored clouds.  He commented, “wow, I’m not religious, but it makes me feel like I need to wrap tifilin.”  This struck me as interesting and reminded me that all of creation glorifies God and points to him, and even those who don’t know him can understand the magnitude of the Creator and our smallness in comparison with him.  I realized that it is true that creation points to God and tells of a beautiful creator, and it has been doing that the entire time we are here.  God is bringing glory to himself, and has priveleged us with the opportunity to join in with all the rest of creation in telling others about him and in reflecting his majesty as a loving Creator who desires to be known.  How wonderful and amazing is that…?!

We met some American believers here the other day- there are 5 who are here ministering to the native Ladakhi people.  I am always freshly amazed at the instant community believers have with each other, even though we had never met it was so refreshing and exciting to meet them and be able to hang out for a little bit.  They are here until December with an organization called SEND; there is one team in northern India, one in southern, and one in Israel right now.  Please keep them lifted up also- pray for health and renewed strength every day as they battle lies of Hindism and Buddhism out of their love for these people.  And thank you, God, for community!

Please also be praying for the Israelis we have been talking to these past two weeks.  We have been able to make some really close friends and have some in-depth discussions about the gospel and how that pertains to Jewish people.  One guy that Sean and I talked to last night admits that although he is agnostic, he recognizes that he does not know and is open to the possibility of the supernatural.  He acknowledged that he is on a spiritual journey and is seeking truth.  We were able to confront him with truth last night- please keep him in prayer that God will remind him of what we talked about and continue to draw him closer.  The rest of the team also got into some great conversations last night- PLEASE keep praying for the people we are talking with.  We have one more day here, so we are also praying that God will use us to make the most of it.

I really miss you guys at home! The family, friends at home and school (and Cali!) and Alef- I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately.  I love you so much and am so excited for whatever is coming next!

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”  -Isa. 52:7

Description: We’re on a plane.

Isaac here. The conversation, as Remy stated, was indeed surprisingly well-received on Nadav’s part, as well as our 3 other friends who were, at many times, pulled away from their other conversations and listening intently to the dialogue. Although a self-professed “cynic”, Nadav seemed intrigued by the Gospel as we shared it with him. He was raised observing cultural Judaism in Israel, and had somewhat of a bewilderment when it came to the religious practices of Judaism, and any other religious practices for that matter. After clearing up a few theological confusions regarding Messianic Jews, Remy and I along with well-timed help from Sterling and Talia, were able to lay out the entirety of the Gospel, including potent nuggets from our own testimonies. Nadav, elated, many times shared that he felt our beliefs were “a very sane way of life,” which we took as a compliment. We were able to skim the surface of several key doctrines; just enough to peak his interest at the moment and end the conversation on a positive note, just as the café began to close down for the night.

Later that night, as we had made our way down the 700 steps in the dark, we reconvened in another small restaurant closer to our guest house. After sharing a few more laughs, Nadav invited our group to accompany him and his friends on a trip to the lake further up in the mountains. Earlier in the night Nadav had expressed his desire to do this trip, but that he was having a hard time finding “quality people” to go along with him. I guess we made the cut. Our plans are to make the trip with Nadav and two of his friends in the next day or so.

It would mean a lot to have your prayers in these next few days that we will be spending with our new friends. Please pray that God would be revealing Himself to them in a dynamic way, and that we would get a chance to answer more questions and even open up His Word with them. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

I wanted to update you guys on a cool interaction that Sarah and I had this evening:

We are all recovering from altitude sickness plus our personal emotional situations entering into the next four months;  We very high in the mountains (explanation for the altitude sickness).  Tonight I went over to our new favorite and consistently good café to read, pray, journal, soak into my Ipod and to escape into solitude..  About an hour later Sarah showed up and joined me in my solitude and read her Bible and journaled.  I was very much engrossed in my book that I have been trying to finish for months so that I can dive into my ‘C.S. Lewis Signature Classics’, when Sarah greets someone to my right that has apparently just sat down at the lounge/table area next to ours.  Sarah asks where he is from.  He is from Israel.  We are surprised; he does not sound Israeli on top of not looking typically Israeli.

Shortly into our conversation after asking where he is from in Israel, I mention that we were just in Israel for a and a half as returning leadership for a program similar to Taglit (Birth-Right), but for “Y’hudiim Mishechim” (Messianic Jews).  He nodded with an understood familiarity of the term and concept, and continued to ask questions about where the trip had taken us in the land and what we had seen.  After explaining all the places we had traveled in Israel we retreated back to our books and tea, and he to flipping through his menu.  After calling the waiter over and learning that the restaurant was out of what he had wanted, he turns to me and asks if it wouldn’t be too much trouble if I could explain what it is that we believe as Messianic Jews.

Hmm… too much trouble.
Me and Sarah look at each other and say of course, what would he like to know.  He communicated that he had heard of the movement and even believing communities in Israel but didn’t know what it actually was that we believed.  So we entered into a very blessed, organic, and seemingly effortless conversation with him that included reference to Messianic prophesy, Jesus as that for-told Messiah, the complete Gospel, the forgiveness of sins, and the transformative act of receiving and accepting the free gift of salvation.  It was very cool.  He followed all that God spoke through me very naturally, and his questions and insights as we dialogued were incredibly intelligent as well as spiritually and biblically thoughtful.

As we concluded, he thanked us for sharing with him.  He then got up and explained that he was on the hunt for a chocolate doughnut, and he had to go elsewhere.  Before he departed we learned that His name is Rotem and that he will be in this village for another week or so.  We said good byes and exchanged mutual feelings of enjoying the others’ company, and communicated hopes to see each-other around soon.

Please pray that we see Rotem again and that we can establish a real relationship with him.  Honestly, he was such a cool guy and we would really like to get to hang out with him and display the love of Yshua now that he knows intellectually the foundation of what we hold to be true.  Pray for Rotem that he will be stirred to seek after God.

Much love,
Remy