New Hope goes to Israel

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Each year, people from New Hope Church, (located in the Canyon Lake Towne Center) go to Israel with Moran Rosenblit and “Hope for Israel” to experience Israel’s past, present and future. They arrive in the Spring, just as the rainy season ends, to enjoy the cooler weather, green hills, blossoming fruit trees and a variety of colorful wildflowers, some of which grow only in Israel.

This year, 31 people from around the world, including four from New Hope – Pastor Chris and Jan Suitt, Rhonda Burns and Melanie Otten – left on February 27 and returned March 14. According to Pastor Chris, it was not a simple “Holy Land tour.” It was an “experience Israel” tour.

Chris says, “Welcome to the land of cell phones, cigarettes and cats! Israel is a modern country where people of many diverse cultures live, work and recreate!”

Israel’s Past

Chris explains that visiting Israel allows people to see where biblical events took place. This group got to see the terrain where David fought Goliath at the Elah Valley, drank from the spring at Ein Gedi and strolled through his palace. They put their feet in the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, walked along the sands of the seaport of Caesarea and smelled the flowers on Mt. Gilboa where King Saul fought his last battle.

They also were able to visualize the battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal from Mt. Carmel, see the tombs where the demoniacs met Jesus and his disciples at Korsi, and walk among sources of the Jordan River at the Dan Nature Reserve.

With Bible in hand they read about and saw what Jesus said and did at Caesarea Philippi, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Jericho, the Pool Siloam, Bethesda, the Garden of Gethsemane and the place of the Skull where Jesus died, as well as the Garden Tomb, a location cited as the place where Jesus was buried and rose again. They even walked down the same Mt. Olivet where Jesus rode His donkey on Palm Sunday, and stepped on the very stones Jesus did when He entered and exited the Temple.

The group visited all these locations and many more. However, as Chris points out, “If this is all we did, it would have been just another Holy Land tour. But there was more – much, much more to this trip.”

Israel’s Present

The team members each carried luggage with humanitarian aid.

The group met with individuals from the various people groups who live in Israel. They met with Arabs and with religious and secular Jews, while bringing humanitarian aid to both Jew and Muslim alike. They even enjoyed a traditional meal in a Druze village.

It was in the Druze village that they heard a first-hand account of how terrorism affects every part of Israeli society, and where they were able to bring much needed school supplies, toothbrushes and toothpaste (donated by Dr. Derek Hauser of Lakefront Dentistry), toiletry items, toys, books and clothes to help the needy children of the village.

They had a time of worship with a group of Lebanese Christians, who were forced to leave their country because of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. Some left with literally only the clothes on their backs. Joseph Haddad, an Arab Israeli pastor supported by “Hope for Israel,” started an outreach to these people, providing food, clothes, training and housing.

The Canyon Lake group brought Pastor Haddad much needed help in their suitcases: children’s clothes, toiletry items, candy, toys and school supplies to help those still adjusting to a new way of living in a land not their home.

The group also saw what life is like on a kibbutz and the important part these communities played in the founding and sustaining of Israel. They traveled to the Golan Heights, prayed for the people being affected by the Syrian conflict and saw firsthand what it would mean if Israel gave back the Golan Heights to Syria.

While on the Golan Heights, the group heard from an Israeli commander on what Israel is doing to defend itself and how others can help, which is what this group came prepared to do. While touring the country, the group had the opportunity to stop at two military bases to hear first-hand stories from those who fought and lost comrades in the latest Gaza war; and from U.S. Jews who are fighting in the Israel Defense Force because they believe so strongly in a Jewish homeland.

At both of these bases, the group was able to drop off needed supplies, which both the congregants of New Hope and a member of the Canyon Lake Torah Club donated.

The group also had the unique opportunity to see firsthand the many difficult issues facing Israel today, such as the security fence, the Israeli settlements within Judea (Hebron) and Samaria.

They were able to see and feel the horrors of the Holocaust at the Yad VaShem Holocaust Museum and then experience modern life at the Shuk, a bustling outdoor “farmer’s market.” They listened to and saw the story of the man credited with beginning the modern Zionist movement, Theodore Herzl (Israel’s George Washington), at the Herzl Museum.

It was at the museum they learned of the European anti-Semitism that drove Herzl to dream of a modern state for Jews to live, thrive and protect themselves.This dream became a reality on May 14, 1948 when Ben Gurion declared the State of Israel a nation at the Tel Aviv Art Museum, which is now the Independence Hall Museum.

Israel’s Future

It’s been said, “If the Palestinians lay down their arms, there will be peace. If the Jews lay down theirs, there will be no Israel.”

Chris says, “Israelis want to live in peace, but they do want to live. This was driven home again after hearing the story of a double suicide bombing attack at the Beit Lid Junction where 21 Israelis died, along with a dear Druze friend of Moran Rosenblit.” According to Chris, Rosenblit shared his pain at the loss of his friend. He shared how, after his military service was completed, he left Israel, wondering if he could ever return.

Then he found himself in a church in Hermosa Beach, California on the invitation of a Jewish friend. After initially being angry at what the pastor said, Rosenblit began a journey to discover who this Jesus was, the self-proclaimed Jewish Messiah. After much soul searching, this self-described angry man says he found the inner peace he was looking for in this very Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew).

Since the day he became a believer in Yeshua, Rosenblit has had a burning desire to bring the hope he found back to his homeland and his people. He started a ministry called “Hope for Israel” and now lives with his family in Israel.

He and Pastor Chris designed this tour to bring people to Israel to experience Rosenblit’s country and its people. They currently are planning the next “Experience Israel Tour” for March 5 to 20, 2016. Chris will be holding an informational meeting in June. For more information, contact him at csuitt@hope4youtoday.com or call 951-244-2177.

To read each of the team member’s personal impressions of this trip, visit www.fridayflyer.com.

Individual stories

Pastor Chris

The biggest impact on my life has always been the people. There is one family that comes to mind. They live in a gated community like Canyon Lake called Shimshit. Each year families from this community open their homes to host people from our tour for Shabbat (Friday) dinner. It’s a great time for all. The conversations (they speak English), the food, and the bonds built are so fantastic that when our tour participants return to the bus, every person wishes they had more time.

Jan and I have been hosted by the same family the last four years. The husband was a fighter pilot and is now a stay at home dad while his wife, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, works as a dentist. They have three beautiful children who love to swim.

We’ve been emailing back and forth over the years, sending each other pictures of our vacations, and generally keeping in touch with what is going on in Israel. We’ve made friends in Israel.

Rhonda Burns

This is my fourth “Experience Israel” tour with Hope for Israel.  Every trip has left me with amazing memories and a changed heart.

On this tour, we saw ancient and not so ancient places where battles between God’s people and their enemies have been fought against a backdrop of beautiful mountains, deserts, and meadows, with flowing rivers, lakes, and seas. Each day is full of experiencing Israel to its fullest and brings life and deeper meaning into the Holy Scriptures as you read them.

One of my favorite things to do in Israel is meeting with Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers. It’s an honor and blessing to meet and spend time with these young men and women who fight to keep Israel safe and free, who stand for a cause they know is just and right.

Jan Suitt

Israel impacts you before you even travel there. You read about the country, think about the sites you will be visiting and perhaps the expectations about what the trip might be like. Honestly, you will find many unexpected surprises when visiting this amazing country. Nothing really prepares you for the sights, tastes, smells, experiences, people and adventures that await.

Our trip was chock full of amazing history, scenic beauty, stories of heroism and tragedy, modern city life, old and new joined in interesting ways, and the stark yet beautiful desert landscape. Each day we met new people, heard their stories, and gained a better understanding of the reality that is Israel.

We met people who were victims of or who had family members die in terrorist attacks. We met soldiers who put their lives at risk to keep their country safe, as well as regular people who just want to live and thrive in their communities, want their plot of ground to be safe for their children, and want peace. One of the amazing things we did was to bring humanitarian aid to hand out during our stay.

Melanie Otten

Pastor Chris explains the biblical history of Caesarea Maritima.

Pastor Chris has always taught on Israel and its historical place in biblical teachings. After my husband’s sudden passing in May 2011, I felt led to visit Israel in 2012. The decision to travel with Hope for Israel was based on knowing the heart of the people who host these annual tours. 
The mission of the Hope For Israel ministry is to bring reconciliation to both the Arabs and the Jewish people. If you read a newspaper, watch TV, surf the net, one doesn’t have to go far before you see that this little country is at the forefront of any daily news cycle.

Going to Israel gave me a chance to see their lives and culture through a biblical filter and see in person how the people live, work and lead daily lives, much the same way we do here in the U.S. It puts things into perspective to see that our lives are not so different from theirs.
This was my second visit to Israel and so many locations renewed my spirit. I felt like Israel is a part of me and I will forever want to be there alongside the people of this country. Each time I go, this tour is like “going home,” and I would certainly encourage anyone who wants to truly see Israel to go on this tour and learn first hand about the rich history, receive daily teachings from the Word of God and see this country spoken of from the days of Abraham to today.