Time To Go

Josh received direction from the Lord to serve Him in Israel in June of 2021. At the time, this seemed to be an insurmountable mountain from our perspective. For one, the world was kind of on lock down for all international travel, and especially Israel. Not to mention the vaccination requirements! Additionally, it is not a simple thing to decide to live in Israel unless you are Jewish. So at the time of hearing His word, we had only one option: let's sit here and wait to see how He does this. 

The first opening was when the government of Israel dropped all COVID restrictions for travel in and out of country. This was announced in Feb of 2022. A friend had called first thing in the morning with the news. "Did you hear?!?!? Travel to Israel is opening back up!!!" We felt the Lord's reassurance and confirmation, and again waited to hear the next move.

Through different workers, we were encouraged to first go visit the country, survey the land and culture, and get a feel for what life may be or not be for us there. So Josh began to make plans to go and stay with a guy living in Jerusalem that we had met through a mutual friend. This guy became an angel to us as he encouraged us by his life to leave it all and follow God. Josh stayed with him for a month, and the two of them walked the streets of Jerusalem each day looking for people to meet and opportunities to see where and how God is working in that area. From day one, Josh found wide open heart-doors of seekers among the Jewish people. The ground has been readied! Again, we felt the Lord's reassurance and confirmation!

After his time there, the next big "impossibility" of gaining residency in Israel suddenly seemed possible with realizing that Josh was actually Jewish. We began collecting paperwork and trying to dig up evidence of Josh's Jewishness for applying for citizenship, or making Aliyah. This is laborious and feels hopeless as so many historical records were buried and destroyed to hide Jewishness or even "unconvert" from Judaism. At one point while we were belaboring over this process, the Lord seemed to settle our hearts with this verse: "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do." 1Ti 1:4 The Lord seemed to be whispering in our ears, "don't sweat this stuff... believe Me." And so the paperwork and research went on the backburner. 

Fast forward to October 7th, 2023 when Josh saw the headlines that morning, he came into our room with wide eyes, saying this is it, time for us to get ready to go. We had known that God was going to strike that land as a precursor to the work we were to be a part of, but actually seeing it play out in real life was stunning to us. And so we hung on to our seats and watched the show, waiting for God to give us the nod to go. 

Meanwhile, in our lives, attachments and stuff began to break away. We experienced the Lord gently uprooting us and cutting ties, although it never feels gentle in the moment. And that's all I'm going to say about that, as the gut wrenching ache in our hearts isn't easy to put into words. But at one point after days of desperation and crying out to the Lord for an answer, or just a gesture, or anything! the Lord seemed to tell me, just wait for April. Ok Lord, I can do that.

So in April of 2024, after more shifting and upheaval in our lives, Josh heard from the Lord that it was time for us to go while reading through the gospel of Luke, chapters 1 - 10. By this point, however, we are so............. NUMB. That is the only word I can think of. This process of preparation for the work ahead has flattened us. We realize we are nothing and have nothing and can do nothing. When it was time for Moses to go back to Egypt to rescue the people, his response is exactly right on. But if we have learned anything during the last few years, it is that we must obey Him. 

We have gotten passports for the kids and continued the paperwork for Aliyah. The sale of our house is the next big thing between us and buying airfare to Israel, which the Lord may already be sorting out ahead of us. More to say on that as it develops!