I wrote this back in February…. but it seems even more appropriate now… as our Massah (journey) begins I am once again realizing just how disconcerting it is to live life as a nomad.

The day when “put stuff away” meant “leave it in your suitcase”.

When “welcome home” meant “hit the road”.

I am a stranger, wandering down the road of life.

I have no home here but in the journey.

My toes clench the ground, my hair grows as roots only to be wrenched up again and again.

With each season’s turn the tide of life ebbs and flows in direction and with current swift toward the unknown…

Always the unknown.

I wake up in strange beds in stranger places still.

Am I home?

No. Just another stop in my ongoing journey.

Where is home but a memory, a figment or phantasm, floating like a vapor in the minds eye.

The birds have nests and the foxes have holes, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.

My home is where I can serve my master.

But where shall I store all my stuff?

Aaron T.

Well, I just want to say thank you so very much everyone for the continued prayers.

I have made it to New York- we needed to arrive a the first, but I decided that since i have never been to NYC i wanted to experience it. The airline lost my bag, so I guess its a good think I got hear early… If i had been leaving for Israel the next day it would have been a pretty sticky situation…

I made it through school and was pleased with my results, completed everything that needed to be completed for school next year, finished Massah night (It was a success! Thank you so very much for those who attended!) and the goodbye party.

Some really remarkable stuff has been happening: I was at my congregation and our Rabbi made an announcement about what Josh and I were doing to our community. After services it was really wonderful because so many people wanted to pray with me. It was so incredibly encouraging. Then one of the wonderful women gave  me a necklace and as she was helping me adjust it, I had my hair in my face, and a man came up to us and asked: Which one of you is going on Massah? Me..

and I put out my hand to shake his, and next thing I know there  is a wad of bills and he just walked away. I didn’t even get to thank that man, and I didn’t get a decent look at his face. It was so wonderful because the day before Josh and I had been praying about paying for everything, and then there was immediately an answer to our prayers the next day,. It was INCREDIBLE!! G-d was just so immediate about hearing our prayers.

Sir, if you happen to be reading this blog: THANK YOU!!!!!!

Another praise: I have been so unsure about what to do with my life lately- which I know is typical of my age group but I have just been praying that G-d would direct me in some way or another. And its the funniest thing: I have been interacting so much with people who go to College and end up doing something that has nothing to do with their degree and they just keep saying do what makes you happy. So i mean that doesn’t help me very much because it is what i’ve heard my entire life but its just interesting that even if i am unsure of my degree and what i am pursuing (accounting) but it IS reassuring to know that as long as I’m following the path that I think is alligned with G-ds will for me then the right doors will inevitably open.

I can’t wait to meet the rest of the Massah team and begin  MASSAH!!!!

Okay, this is really encouraging…

Today I got a Facebook message from an Israeli friend that we had made in India, inquiring about my being in Israel and wanting to get in touch. Now, this person is someone who was a part of a group of Israelis that my team in India got incredibly close to, and had non-stop conversations about the gospel with. Through our music we were able to present a platform for the message of Jesus and it was an incredibly surreal period of Evangelism in India last year.  At the end of our time where we were, that group their begged us to stay and it was very hard to leave due to the deep soul connections we had made with them.

Almost a year later, without much contact between us, many of those people are so enthusiastic about seeing us again.  This person in particular sent me here phone number right away. I called her and she was ecstatic to hear my voice. It was so cool. She was truly excited about us. We were more than up front about who we are and what we are about, and just loved her; and made a lasting impression! She wants to have us ALL over and spend the night and cook for us and introduce us to her friends. She said she talks about us all the time, and has shared about us with her family. I just think this is incredible. It is so evident to me how God was and is working through us, and giving us ridiculous favor; THAT WE DO NOT DESERVE.

I was so encouraged by talking with her today, and it is totally fueling me. She really is genuinely overjoyed with the possibility of reconnecting.  And the even more amazing thing is: This is by no means an isolated incident. Not only personally, but many other active members of past and current Massah have been relaying similar stories of Israelis seeking to reconnect with us in Israel, and being SO excited to do so. Praise God! This is such an answer to prayer.

I hope this encourages you, as it did me.  Please pray for continued favor –and that we would be good stewards of that favor. That God would be glorified, always.  We are hanging out with this person Thursday; pray for deeper connections and fruitful conversation. Thank you for your prayers!!

Much love.

We, (Chelle, Aaron T., Sean, and I) made it to Israel. Yay.

It feels so good to be back here. Jeanie and Efie Goldstein picked us up along with Daniel and we have been hanging out with them all Shabbat. We celebrated both Efie’s and Aaron’s birthdays tonight at a Brazillian BBQ place, accompanied by Dina Sered, and ate sooo much meat. As the ‘fair-weather-vegetarian’ that I am, I ate only so much, but it was so much fun to be with everyone. Chelle and I were marveling at how cool it is that we can come here and plug into community, just like that!  It is so cool that as a body of believers God creates and blesses community for our enjoyment and encouragement.  It has been cool to experience this everywhere I’ve gone this past year: Israel, India, China, New York, LA, San Diego, San Francisco…; God has been truly proving to me the power and ingenuity of community in Messiah.

I also realized in comparison to myself a year ago, God has lifted much anxiety and blessed me with peace. Just simply in traveling in and out of countries, I notice in myself a stability that was not there a year ago. I am thankful for this, for God growing me in spite of myself.

I am so excited about all that this means. I don’t even know.  I do know that God showed up in amazing ways a year ago, when in my opinion, I was even more unqualified and unstable. So now here I am, a little more aware and a little more engaged; and overwhelmed by the fantacies of what God will do with a little more willingness. O dear.

Please pray as we prepare. Much love,

lila tov.

Hey all! I just wanted to say how awesome our God is! He has made such incredible provisions for me this summer, and it’s just so cool to see His hand at work.

That being said, the stresses of this trip are weighing down on me and I know that there are some that would not like me to remain focused on God’s plans. Could you please be praying that God would heal me (I’m currently not feeling so hot) and that I would just be daily reminded of the incredible opportunity He’s giving me, and that He is certainly in control. I would so appreciate it!

Oh, and just a very personal prayer request: my sister is due with her second child any day now so could you please keep her in your prayers for a safe delivery! I’d be so excited to see my new neice or nephew before I left for the summer.

I hope you are all seeing God’s blessings in your life!

In Y’shua- Lizzy

Yesterday I took a 12 hour bus ride from La Paz and arrived in Cusco at night. I had no Idea where to go, but I met a girl on the bus who had already been in Cusco for a month. So, I went to a small little hostel packed with Israelis.

This morning I walked around checking out the town. There are signs in Hebrew almost every other block, tons of Israelis. And it has an old cobble stone look to it.

In a few days I’m going to fly up to Lima and spend the last 2 days there before flying to NY and then to Tel-Aviv.

More pictures can be found at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=95945&id=565401690&l=26555cef04

Last week I departed on a 3 day jeep trip through the rural Salar sand deserts in Bolivia. It was an amazing trip with 5 other Israelis with amazing scenery that took us to an attitude of around 4900 meters! We had a great time together and while each one of us was sharing about themselves I got to share my faith with them all. From there we all traveled together to La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. We have been staying together and hanging out.

In La Paz almost all the Israelis stay at the biggest Israeli hostel in the world (as far as I know), called El Lobo (the wolf). I managed to celebrate Lag Be’Omer at the Habbad house the day we arrived. About 50 Israelis came to enjoy the fire and hanging out with other Israelis.

Tomorrow I leave for Cozco, Peru, which is also one of the biggest gathering points for Israelis in South America. I am short with time and have far distances to travel in order to make my flight from Lima next Wednesday. But hopefully I’ll have enough time in Cuzco and will be able to see Macchu Picchu.

Please pray for the friends I have made and been traveling with: Udi, Shachar, Michal, Liron and Roni.

Please pray God will continue to bless this trip and give me more insight on where Israelis are, what they are looking for and how to reach them while they are on their Massah, their Journey.