Yom Terruah--Rosh HaShana--Shabbat

Sound the Shofar --- September 19, 2009
Today is the sounding of the shofar to announce the beginning of the new year. It is also thebeginning of the 10 days of awe leading up to Yom Kippur--The Day of Judgement. Then, 5 days later, we begin Succot.

Our Erev Shabbat Table

This is the time of year of celebration as well as repentence and personal and national reflection. We have welcomed the weekly Shabbat as well and are grateful for this time of rest. We have been very busy this week between work in the fields and tours to historic and holy sites; going to bed late and getting up early. It has been a rich time and we have all been changed in many ways. Our eyes have been opened to new perspectives, our ears have heard new sounds, and our minds have gathered new thoughts. We will not leave here the same as we have come. And now we have this time of Shabbat to reflect and rest. Praise Him!
There is an excitement that is palpable in the air throughout the Land of Israel. The market place is bustling and everyone is out in the streets. There are greetings and salutations permeating the air and smiles on most faces. We took our musical instruments and voices down to the "mercatz" (market place) and began to sing and dance. Shortly, we attracted quite a crowd. One religious Jew was angry with us yelling that we were trying to hide Christian theology under Jewish songs and dance, but he was an abbarency and soon gone, leaving the vast majority of the crowd to enjoy the music and fellowship. Many asked when we were coming back. A local news cameraman was filming us and interviewing us and gave an invitation to come to the studio to do a segment for broadcasting.

David and Ami Ortiz


There was also a Korean camera crew that was filming what we were doing to take back to their church in Korea. They had come to do a documentary film on the bombing of the Ortiz's home 18 months ago when Ami was almost killed. They had received an e-mail to pray for Ami, and Koreans know how to pray! Now, they had come to follow up on the story and bring it back to their church by film. Some of our group got to be actors in the movie. We have also been asked to do some more music and be filmed by them when we go up to Jerusalem. They are also very interested in learning about how to get involved in helping to work in the harvest. The Wallers are going international! Tommy was talking with a group from South Africa this week about the same thing, so much is happening for the Kingdom as we speak.
The Grapes are Ready!

We will be harvesting starting 6:00am on Tuesday morning. The sugar has finally come up to good levels in the grapes and we have done the necessary preparation work so the harvest can clip along at good speed. We have also done the spiritual work of preparation.

Worship Team for Yom Terruah



Yom Terruah Celebration--Food!


Last evening, Shabbat here, Zach lead us all in a time of searching our hearts for those things that still keep us from living to our full redemptive purpose. There was much teshuva/repentence and cleansing as we bared our souls before YHWH. As we came out of the meeting, it was raining great huge soaking drops--showers of blessings! Rimona Frank was there with us and has spent her whole life in Israel. She said she had never seen it rain on Rosh HaShana before and saw it as a great sign of YHWH's favor and blessings.
Continue to pray for us here as we pray for you. YHWH is bringing His plans into reality, and the lessons of the harvest we have been learning and living here are reminding us of where we stand in the time stream of history. Be watchful and pray!