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JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM 2007
(The story of how it came to be…)
It all started with an innocent comment. My sister in the L-rd Terry asked me if I had ever been to Israel and I replied “No, but I’d love to be there some day.”
Around that time, our pastor began a Bible series focusing on the eternal city of Jerusalem. The Scriptures, the pictures, the stories, the descriptions, the history, the fact that Yeshua (Jesus) walked, prayed and ministered there, caused my heart to long to be there physically as well.
Terry asked me again about going to Israel and I shared how deeply I desired to go, but to me it seemed an impossibility due to the financial requirement. Tim and I live on a fixed income and this trip is way out of our reach.
Terry quipped with a smile, “Nothing is impossible with G-d!” I smiled back and went on my way, not aware that this was a huge thing about to unfold before our eyes.
Over the next few weeks, Terry would ask me several times if I had thought about praying for G-d to provide the money needed to go to Israel and would I be willing to go if He made a way. I did pray, but I did not pray to go to Israel, rather I prayed for the will of G-d, whether that was to go or not. I called Terry one day and asked her what she had in mind and she said, “I’ve got this burden on my heart to help get the word out that you want to go to Israel and there is a need to meet.”
Terry was true to her word. She had a burden and she made the need known. And G-d miraculously met the need through His church and His people! Our church family as well as friends and family all over the country gave to the cause. Our church set up a fund especially for my trip to Israel and all of the leadership prayed for G-d’s will in this.
Pastor Jimmy held a meeting for all the people going to Israel, or thinking about going. He had pictures, the itinerary, brochures, a map and answers to questions that we had. We talked for about 2 hours and I found tears rolling down my cheeks when Pastor Jimmy talked about the Western Wall and all that he had witnessed there in his many trips to Israel. My spirit longed to connect with those who loved HaShem so much, but did not recognize His Son. As Pastor Jimmy spoke, I could envision the pious, dedicated men and women swaying with heartfelt passion for the Almighty, their zeal for worship a wake-up call to some of us who sometimes take our relationship with Jesus for granted. I cried through the rest of that meeting.
As the deadline to get our money in quickly drew near, I called the church and asked what the amount was in the fund for my trip. I was disappointed to hear the figure, for it was not even close to what I needed to secure a spot on the tour. However, I had prayed for G-d’s will and I accepted the fact that it must not be His will for me to go if the need was not met.
So, I wrote a note to the pastor, asking about the logistics of returning the money to the givers and relaying my sadness at not going with them to the land of the Bible.
My pastor’s response blew me away! He wrote…
“Don’t give up yet…There’s still 6 days for God to provide the funds! He created everything in 6 days…surely He can send you a couple of thousand dollars!!
When we adopted our daughter we did not have the money to do so and the Lord was very faithful to supply it…sending the last $3,000 unexpectedly the day before I was to leave for Kazakhstan! He can do it!”
I had a renewed sense of hope, perhaps it WAS G-d’s will for me to go! I did not stop praying for the answer, but continued to pray that ONLY if it was His will would this trip come to pass for me. But the message I was hearing, and needed to be reminded of, was that there is NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING too hard for G-d to do to accomplish HIS purposes!
A few days later, 2 days before the deadline, I got another note from the Pastor, telling me the fund had received more money, but as I looked at the figure, I laughed thinking, that it was truly going to be a MIRACLE if the $2,000.00 plus still needed came in within 24 hours. Yet, I prayed believing G-d would answer a definite yes or no.
On the day before the deadline, I was out all morning at a doctor’s appointment. During the 30-minute drive to the doctor’s office, I spent some quiet time in prayer and Jesus and I had a wonderful time of communion in the Spirit. I had a peace about Israel, but I still did not know what His will was concerning my going. I did know that either way, His will was perfect.
When I arrived home late in the afternoon, I laid my bag down, kicked off my shoes and while the shower water was heating up, I popped on the computer to check my email. I opened a note from Pastor Jimmy which read:
“Good morning Vickilynn,
I’m so glad you didn’t stop praying! Your travel bill is completely paid and you are on the tour roster!
I can hardly wait to walk through the land of Jesus with you and take you down to the western wall for the very first time. Tracey and I are very excited to share this experience with you.
Only 48 days ‘til departure…”
When my eyes read those words, my mind ran full-tilt into overdrive. I started jumping, screaming, pointing at the computer, laughing, crying and praising G-d! My children came running to my side thinking that I had either seen a mouse or that I was bleeding. They all asked me what was going on, but I could only point to the screen where in large red letters the words proclaimed a miracle had definitely occurred.
The next few hours are a blur, albeit a happy blur. I called everyone who had been praying – I called my friends, my family, my beloved church family and my precious pastor – and unfortunately, I was not able to speak to anyone personally. However, I left many excited and probably unintelligible voice mail messages screaming that G-d had decreed that this Messianic Jew was going to walk the holy grounds of Israel!!
Today is Saturday and I am no longer screaming (on the outside), but inside I am screaming with joy. However, my mind has taken over and I am working out the details of preparation because I would not allow myself to do so until I knew for a fact that I was going. Now, I am happily making lists of what to bring and getting the information on how to effectively get all my questions answered. My pastor, this being his TENTH trip to Israel, is a wealth of information and I email him quite a bit asking silly, but “necessary-for-the-Newbie” questions.
I plan, L-rd willing, to keep a daily (sometimes more than once per day) journal and post it on my blog. I will chronicle the countdown, the flight and every day of the trip.
I do ask for your prayers. I know this trip is MUCH more than a trip. In fact, it is a pilgrimage and one that is ordained to change me to be more like Jesus so I can serve Him and His Body in a new and more effective way.
I ask y’all to agree in prayer with me that our group would be blessed and every one of us would be changed forever. Please agree in prayer that we would learn everything the L-rd intends for us to learn and we would walk in it, for His glory.
Love in Messiah,
Vickilynn
Micah 6:8
About Vickilynn Parnes
