ICEJ Arise tour of Israel impacts young Christians for life
Published on: 5.7.2022By: Lily Sironi, ICEJ Arise director
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
These powerful words from Joshua 1:9 were the spiritual foundation for last month’s ICEJ Arise young adults summer tour, as 17 young believers from around the world journeyed together all around the Land of Israel. In a world where standing up for the truth of God’s word is tantamount to becoming a social outcast, young people need to draw all the courage they can before deciding to travel to Israel. Thankfully, we serve a faithful God Who promises that if we seek Him we will find Him, and that is exactly what happened during the twelve amazing days of this tour.
Coming from Canada, the UK and Germany, the Arise tour group arrived in mid-June for their first ever trip to Israel. Most were able to come thanks to a special Arise scholarship program offered by ICEJ-Canada.
The tour began in the historic port of Old Jaffa and the trendy street markets in Tel Aviv. They quickly encountered a thriving metropolis built on what were barren sand dunes less than a century ago.
We then travelled north along the coast to Mt. Carmel and recounted the story of Elijah the Prophet on the very mountain where he took a bold stand for God amid an idolatrous generation.
The following days were spent visiting Bible sites around the Sea of Galilee, gaining an understanding of the historic and strategic importance of the Golan Heights to Israel, and having a traditional meal with the local Druze community.
Next, the group arrived in Tiberias and boarded a ‘Jesus boat’ for a sail on the Sea of Galilee. Neither jetlag nor the rhythm of the waves could stop them from launching into a special moment of worship in the middle of the lake. The Spirit of God moved among us as each one poured out their hearts to God.
From the Galilee, we ventured into the Biblical heartland of the Shomron, or Samaria, and saw prophecy coming to life through Gentile Christians planting vineyards for the local Jewish communities in fulfillment of Jeremiah 31.
After a long drive down the Jordan valley, we arrived at the Kfar Hanokdim Bedouin camp for camel rides, a Bedouin tea ceremony, and a bonfire. The next morning we witnessed a beautiful sunrise from the mountain fortress of Masada, followed by a relaxing float in the Dead Sea.
Finally, the tour crested with our ascent to Jerusalem! The group first toured King David’s initial capital of Hebron with local Jewish community spokesman Yishai Fleisher. The long, unbroken history of Jews in Judea caring for the tomb of their patriarchs and matriarchs, beginning with Abraham and Sarah, left a strong impression.
Next came a visit to the traditional Shepherd’s Field, followed by a stop at the First Baptist Church of Bethlehem to hear from local Arab pastor Naim Khoury, who has bravely stood with God’s enduring covenant with Israel at great cost. The entire group was moved to tears by his testimony of facing persecution from his own people and responded with a powerful time of prayer for the church and surrounding Arab community.
The next morning was spent at Yad Vashem learning about the Holocaust and the sad history of Christian antisemitism. From there the group toured the Friends of Zion Museum and ended at ICEJ headquarters to delve deeper into why Christians should support Israel. We also got to hear from Eva Erben about her dramatic life story as a Holocaust survivor. Eva urged the Arise group to always examine the decisions of their leaders and never accept injustice.
The next day we had a time of personal prayer at the Western Wall before touring the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, and then welcoming the Shabbat with a traditional meal hosted by a Jewish family in Ma’ale Adumim.
The remaining days in Jerusalem were spent visiting the landmark Christian sites in the city and seeing the Bible come to life through the many amazing archaeological discoveries in the City of David.
On the last day of the tour, we headed down to the Gaza border region to see first-hand the tough reality faced by Israelis living under the constant threat of rockets and the positive impact which the ICEJ is having on these vulnerable communities.
As the tour came to a close, the farewell meeting was a lively time of everyone sharing what they had learned during our time together. One young man who had begun the tour fairly skeptical of Israel declared that the Jewish people rightfully belong here – something he was excited to share with friends back home. Numerous others felt that Israel had been planted deeply in their hearts, while their faith and relationship with God would never be the same.
Everywhere we went, this group of young Christians fully engaged in the story of Israel. They asked deep and thoughtful questions about the God of the Bible and the people that He is still gathering back in the Land today. We spoke about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and heard directly from local Jews and Arabs about life here.
God indeed moved mightily during the ICEJ Arise summer tour 2022. So, please consider sending a young adult on our next Arise tour to Israel! You can change their view on Israel and impact their walk with the Lord forever.