Arisenow issue.7

1www.arisegeneration.org

nowesira

WITH FOOTBALL

RESTORATION

ISSUE #7 / July 2014

HOPE

OF ALL THINGS

IN THE

FOOTSTEPSOFJESUS

ARISE hosts thrilling football camp in Bethlehem

THE DREAM

OF PEACEFour peoples dream’s about a better

tomorrow in Israel

2 AriseNow

Jani SalokangasWORKING IN: USA, Canada, Germany, Finland, Norway, England, Philippines, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Namibia, Switzerland...

Rooted in the powerful scripture of Ephesians 5:14, Arise stands to unlimitedly glorify God:

to inspire and promote Biblical truths into young people’s everyday lives. Arise devotes

itself to cause a generation to arise for spiritual awakening, works of love and support for

Israel.

From its beginning in 2002 the ARISE movement has had one mission – to gather stu-

dents and young people from across the globe to live a life centered in God. We believe

that God has a special plan for each person and it is our responsibility to live that calling to

its fullest potential. Above all we want this generation to see and discover the unique and

crucial plan that God has for Israel in His epic world redemptive plan.

The Arise movement is spreading worldwide. Join the movement today!

OUR vision is to courageously and creatively teach, live and share God’s passion for the young generation and stand firm by His plans for Israel and the world.

Blessings from Jerusalem,

CREDITS

International Director JANI SALOKANGAS

Media Strategist EMANUEL MFOUKOU

International Administrator SARAH AJILEYE

AriseNow editors EMANUEL MFOUKOU AND

JANI SALOKANGAS

Proof reading CHRIS CHAMBERS, LAURA SALOKAN-

GAS

Graphics / Illustration JANI SALOKANGAS

Writers EMANUEL MFOUKOU, JUHA KETOLA,

JANI SALOKANGAS,

Photography JANI SALOKANGAS, POND5, EMANUEL

MFOUKOU, ELIAS NAWAWIEH, MIKKO PEIPPO,

PATRICK BASSOLO, WHITE CITY SHABBAT, JAMES

CHEATHAM

ARISENOW is published by Arise ICEJ.Reproduction in whole or in part withoutwritten permission is prohibited.

International Christian Embassy Jerusalemwww.icej.org

For more information contact us

[email protected]: +972-2-539-9700

PO Box 1192Jerusalem 91010Israel

nowesira


From the leader’s pen

Paul is urging Timo-

thy to guard his

prayer life from

becoming selective.

Our prayers need to have a

goal just like an arrow hits its

target. When we don’t know

the target, God has given us

the Holy Spirit to guide us to

pray even for the things we do

not yet recognize, see or know

(Rom 8:26).

Many times I

have found

myself praying

self-indulging

prayers. Prayers that do not

move my life forward but

makes me feel good and satis-

fied. But when I changed my

prayers to all things and all

people, I realized how little I had

used of my prayer life potential.

Praying for the very things that

make us uncomfortable will

force us to mature in these

very areas of life.

In prayer we see the issues

and problems from the win-

ner’s perspective. In prayer

we penetrate from defeat

to glory. Prayer is the fuel of

our spiritual engine that makes

us move in the unseen. Pray for

this broken world, pray for the

broken people around you and

pray for the broken nation of

Israel. In prayer we declare the

word of God to fulfill its victory it

promises us.

Jani Salokangas is the Arise International Director and he is based in Jerusalem with his family.

now

Hot articles in this issueBoiling point page 6

Dream of Peace page 9

Hope with Football page 13

Dining in the Dark page 20

Restoration of all things page 24

Diving with God page 30

In the footsteps of Jesus page 34

World’s largest shabbat dinner page 41

Bnei Menashe are coming home page 44

Hooked on Matkot page 46

JOINthe movement today

Like us in Facebook.facebook.com/arisegeneration

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, inter-cessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,1 Timothy 2:1

“Many times I have found myself praying self-indulging prayers. Prayers that do not move my life forward but makes me feel good”

4 AriseNow


”...the best gift you can give to your loved ones is your time and

attention.”

ULTIMATE SURVIVORLife for too many of us has become a cycle where business has

become the new calm, we are too busy and we run all over. We

neglect our kids, our friends, parents, church, spouses and God

himself in order to be or have more. We do too much, we give

too little. I have found that I need to uproot this ideology daily

forced on us by our society. God challenges us to cherish the

valuable things that we forget so easily.

Due to the recent death of one of our close relatives my wife

had to leave me and my girls for a week to attend a funeral in

Finland. The idea of spending a week with my daughters felt in

the beginning a bit like jumping into a car that you haven’t used

in a long time. You know the car but you simply haven’t driven

it for a long time. Pondering about this I thought “I am their

father so of course this should be a natural thing”. Is it? How

many of us forget what is natural in life because we keep filling

our lives with things that actually are quite unnatural. As my

wife left I was faced with the challenge of taking care of the my

daughters 24/7.

The ultimate survivor week started by a loud hello at 6am in

the morning which sounded like a mixture of a V10 muscle car

engine and the gentle wings of a butterfly. Confused and tired

I had no choice but to wake up, since my wife was not there

getting up and putting them back to sleep as it usually happens.

This new adventure reminded me that it was not angels bring-

ing my kids back to their beds in the mornings, it was my tired

and cute wife.

Making food for my kids was no problem since I like to cook, but

I have to admit that the word healthy was not the best word to

describe each meal made by me. I found out that actually cut-

ting apple, putting nice raisin and peanut mixes, slicing chicken

to nice little cubes and making salads into their lunch boxes

actually was time consuming and required a lot of work. As a

result reminder number two, making healthy food requires love,

effort and time.

Afternoons were filled with time running after the kids in the

parks. I also noticed that I forgot about all my work troubles

when sliding down the slides with my the kid’s. I had forgotten how

fun it was to devout time to my kids. Reminder number three, the

best gift you can give your loved ones is your time and attention..

Every night when we went to sleep we prayed for a lot of ran-

dom things. We prayed for the neighbors dog, grandma who is in

heaven and the cat we saw in the park, but the one prayer that

struck me to the core was the one they prayed for me, “Thank you

God that I have a Dad and that he is with us”. Reminder number

four, my daughters appreciated me as who I am and not what I do.

Seven days past by quickly and the Ultimate Survivor Challenge

turned into a journey of joy, laughter and love. After this week I

surely have more respect and appreciation towards my wife’s un-

noticed work in our home. These seven days gave me a deeper

love for my kids, my wife and God. •

Jani Salokangas | Photography Pond5

6 AriseNow

Since the three murdered teenage boys, Eyal, Naftali and Gilad, dis-

appeared on the evening of the 12 of June, Arise ICEJ has together

with the people of Israel, prayed for their safe return. For weeks the

nation hoped and cried out to the Lord, but on the evening of Monday

the 30th, over two weeks after the boys went missing the news broke

that they had been found murdered. Staff members of Arise learned

about the tragedy while following the World Cup on Israeli television,

as the transmission was abruptly interrupted some minutes in to

the second half of the France Nigeria game. The announcement that

followed revealed that the bodies had been found on a field in the vil-

lage of Holhul in the vicinities of Hebron. The sad and terrifying news

shocked the nation, and the atmosphere rapidly changed into one of

mourning, sorrow and tension.

On the morning after, AriseNow travelled to the Shivtei Yeshiva in

Hebron, located within walking distance from the Cave of the Patri-

archs, where Eyal Yifrach, the oldest of the murdered boys studied.

On our way to Hebron we passed by the Gush Etzion Junction, the

place where it is believed that the three entered the car of their mur-

derers, while doing what thousands of Israelis do on a daily basis,

hitch- hiking. A few minutes later we passed the village of Halhul,

where their bodies were discovered, partly buried in a field.

Having arrived at the yeshiva, we were met by an emotional atmo-

sphere mixed with sorrow, anger and emptiness accompanied with

a nuance of other indescribable feelings. The spokesperson of the

Jewish community in Hebron, Noam Arnon, received us at the stairs

to the yeshiva, where he led us past the room which a couple of weeks

“But I tried to stay cool and look to-wards where I was able to find help, and that was in God...”

Boiling Point

INSIDE ISRAEL

Shuafat in Eastern Jerusalem.


ago was occupied by the now murdered

Eyal. Noam was accompanied by Michael

Rubin, one of the rabbis at the yeshiva,

who explained that the educational staff

along with the 350 students currently

studying at the school have been deeply

affected by Eyal’s murder, and that they

are trying to deal with the pain in the best

way possible.

AriseNow also had the opportunity to talk

to Michael Zivan, a 20 year old student,

both friend and roommate of Eyal. In front

of the door to their room, a sad and vis-

ibly affected Michael shared his thoughts

about the disappearance and death of his

dear friend.

He started by explaining that on the

day of the kidnapping, the 12 of June,

Eyal had left the yeshiva for his parents’

home where he planned to celebrate his

father’s birthday. It wasn’t until the fol-

lowing day that Michael was informed of

the kidnapping, and his first reaction was one of shock. “It’s really

hard to explain how it feels like when you find out that your friend

has been captured by terrorists. But I tried to stay cool and look

towards where I was able to find help, and that was in God,” he

explained. He then touched on his friendship with Eyal, and how

he was as a fellow student, friend and brother. “Eyal was the man.

With the man I mean that he was the leader; he was mature,

respectful and giving. Everything that was his was also for others,

and there was nothing that he confined to himself as his. Despite

his young age he acted like he was 20 or 30 years old, and he

was very loved by everybody.”

“It was saddening to get the news about his death, I had a lot

of hope that Eyal would come back and continue to learn in this

Yeshiva. I had hoped that the parents of Eyal, Gilad and Naftali

would see their boys come home, and when you realize that that

is not going to happen you feel sad. As soon as I received the

news about their death, the first thing I did was to pray and recite

Psalms.”

“Even if Eyal will not come back to the yeshiva, his spirit remains

here, meaning that whatever effect he had on the boys will contin-

ue to live. Eyal taught us so much, and he will never be forgotten.”

When AriseNow asked how Christians from around the world

supporting Israel, could be of assistance to the nation as they

lived through this moment of mourning, Michael advised that the

media was a good starting point. “Israel gets a lot of bad repre-

sentation from bias media, so I would first like to recommend that

they find out what is true and what is not. If you would like to live a

life of truth you need to help those who have not yet understood

what the truth is.”

Two days after the boys were found, the murderous spiral contin-

ued as the nation woke up to the news of yet another murder, this

time of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, a sixteen year old Israeli Arab

from the neighborhood of Shuafat in Eastern Jerusalem. He was

kidnapped from his neighborhood in a revenge killing, and brutally

murdered by six Jewish extremists between the ages of 16 and

22 years old. His body was found in the Jerusalem Forest, and

after having conducted an autopsy of the body, doctors at the Abu

Kabir forencic Institute in Tel Aviv confirmed that Muhammad had

been burnt alive.

In order to gage the temperature we talked to some of the young-

sters in East Jerusalem where we found 18 year old Jihad who to-

gether with his friend had taken refuge from the sun under a tree.

“There is a lot of trouble at the moment, and there are tensions

in several neighbor hoods such as Shuafat, Ras al-amud, Silwan

and At-Tour among others. People are revolting as a result of the

murder of Mohammad Khdeir, when I heard about the news I felt

very sad. People immediately went out and threw stones at the

police and the settlers; personally I have not been involved in the

stone throwing as I am working in the evenings, and what me and

my friends are doing is to stay updated and follow the news. The

people throwing stones feel empty inside and have nothing else

to do.

A picture of the murdered Israeli teens.

8 AriseNow

Jihad further explained that he believes that there is more trouble

to be seen on the horizon, and while he is unsure of a third intifada,

he is expecting to see more kidnappings on both sides. When we

asked him about the safety of him and his friends, he responded

and said that he is not afraid of nobody.

We then spoke to Tariq, a 25 year old taxi driver also from East

Jerusalem. When we asked him to take us to Shuafat he declined

and told us that it was too dangerous and that in the worst case

scenario stones could be thrown on the car. He then revealed how

he recently visited an Arab neighborhood with his Israeli licensed

taxi car, and that he got in to trouble because of Hebrew signs

on his car. “I am an Arab, but the people still threatened me and

told me to remove the Hebrew writing on my car; as a result I do

no longer work in the evenings as I am afraid of both Arabs and

Jews.”

The death of Muhammad led to uprising all across the country

with some commentators claiming that this was the closest to an

intifada the country has been since the last one ended in 2005.

Windows were broken, cars burnt and several stops used by the

Jerusalem Light rail trains were burnt and covered with graffiti. In

addition, several racist attacks of both a physical and psychologi-

cal nature between Jews and Arabs were recorded across the

streets of Jerusalem.

The events of June and July 2014 have revealed the current state

of the nation of Israel, and several politicians from all sides of the

political specter have condemned the brutal acts carried out.

President Shimon Peres, set to step down from office towards the

end of the month said in a press release, that Israel is in a deep

crisis of morality, adding that today out of Zion shall go forth the

shame. “We did not believe that such a heinous crime could take

place among our people. We mustn’t be such a people. My heart

aches with the grieving Abu Khdeir family and with the grieving

Shaar, Yifrach and Fraenkel families.”

As the tensions are on high and the temperature is rising, Aris-

eNow urge young believers from around the globe to pray for the

families and friends of the four murdered boys Eyal, Naftali, Gilad

and Muhammad, who died violently at the hands of poor, nasty,

brutish, and short terrorists. We also have to pray for calm and

stability to return to Israel and that the effects of the last week’s

events will lead to some kind of reconciliation between Jews and

Arabs, instead of a deepening of the already infected conflict. •

The sad scenery after the riots in the neighbour-hood of Shuafat


THE DREAMOF PEACEFOUR PEOPLES DREAM’S ABOUT A BETTER TOMORROW IN ISRAEL.

TESTIMONY

10 AriseNow

Shalom Halevi

I have been living in Sderot since 1970. I was born here in Israel but my parents

came from Yemen in 1907. I moved to Sderot in order to help develop this small

little town; I believe that God blessed me to do something good in my life.

The first rockets landed in Sderot in April 2001, and since then there have been

over 10 000 rockets fired on the city. The life for the children in Sderot is very

hard and 75 percent of the children are suffering from trauma. There are children

who learn how to say “tseva adom” (the announcement that warns of incoming

rockets) before they even learn how to say Mom. The only solution to peace is

by getting rid of Hamas, and the international community must understand that

Hamas is the main threat, not only for us but also to the people of Gaza. All organi-

zations from Europe, US and all over the world have been sending equipment, food

and supplies to help the citizens, but when it reaches Gaza, Hamas takes care of it

and decides what to do with it. They are keeping the citizens of Gaza in a poor level

of life because they want to rule them easily. This is a problem and instead they

should use the supplies to help the people.

Israel is a democratic country, if I fire a bullet into Gaza the police will immediately

arrest me, but every terrorist can fire rockets towards Israel to kill people and

nobody will tell him nothing. You have to understand that this is the Middle East;

it’s not the same as living with your neighbors in Sweden, Norway or Switzerland.

Can you imagine to yourself that someone from Switzerland would shoot rockets

on France or Germany, and Germany would keep quiet? Never, but the terror

organizations from Gaza have fired over 10 000 rockets during the last 10 years,

it’s crazy. The international community must understand that we need to get rid

of the terror organization of Hamas in Gaza. Believe me; the citizens of Gaza will

bless the communities of the world if they will do so.

Nir Vaknin.

I was born in Sderot, but my parents came to Israel from Tunisia. Life in Sderot is

very challenging. Every day there are rockets fired on the city, and sometimes we

receive more than 15 rockets per day. The situation is bad, not just for us but also

for the people in Gaza, because there are innocent people over there just as there

are innocent people here in Israel. We don’t want war, all we want is peace, but

with Hamas we are unable. All they are interested in is to fire rockets. They might

stop for a while and then they continue and the situation goes around and around

like a circle. Even during the night while we are sleeping they are shooting rockets,

at one, two or four AM, it depends. This morning for example, the bomb alarm

went off at six. All the time we hear the sound of “tseva adom, tseva adom,” this is

not what you call a good life, and we cannot continue to live like this.

When you hear the bomb alarm you have 15 seconds to find a shelter, and as you

can see around you there are shelters all over the city. I am afraid and the children

are afraid; no one can go out without being afraid and we are constantly keeping

our minds on the location of the closest bomb shelter. It’s difficult here, four years

ago my friend got killed by a rocket while she was protecting her little sister. And

if you are a student in Sderot your classes are interrupted several times per day,

four times, ten times, even up to 20 times. In situations like this when rockets are

falling, we are always staying at home, and the only reason I am not home at the

moment is because I came out to talk to you and let you know that we don’t want

to have war, we want to live in peace with silence, all we want to do is to live in

peace.


Almog.

My name is Almog, I have been living on a Kibbutz near Sderot for about four years, and

since I moved here we have experienced a lot of bomb alarms, people are afraid and we

really hope that the rocket attacks one day will end.

I am here working in this bomb shelter, because I could not stand watching what hap-

pened on the TV and needed to help. We have been in the shelter for three days, and we

are doing all kinds of activities for the children in order to make them feel better. We have

DJ’s and musicians in the shelter; we dance, sing and play funny games with one another,

everybody here says that they feel like a family. Earlier on today when a rocket landed

only minutes from here, everybody started to scream and cry. We are unable to sleep at

night, and last night I woke up four times. When the alarm goes off everybody calls their

loved ones to find out how they are and where they are, the children are crying and the

dogs are barking. It’s a really big problem to live here and the people are really afraid.

My dream is that this one day will stop, and as the rockets now are able to reach Jeru-

salem and Tel Aviv I believe that people finally will understand how it is to live in Sderot. I

hope this will change, because young children should not have to think about war, rockets

and terrorism and they should be able to sleep at night. Many children suffer from post

trauma and wet in their beds, it’s really sad; some children don’t even have any friends

because they are afraid of going outside due to the rockets, I really hope everything will

be ok. I would like young people from all over the world to know what’s going on here, next

time you are in Israel, do not just visit Tel Aviv, but come to us and see how we live here

in Sderot.

Idan

My name is Idan, I am 25 years old and was born and raised here in Sderot. My father

came to Israel from Morocco and my mother from Algeria. I did my studies in Sderot, and

while in the army I was an officer dealing with computers. I have lived under rocket fire for

the last 12 years, and my younger brother who is now 11 has lived with this situation all

his life. I want a safe future for me, my future children, Sderot and all the people of Israel.

I want my brother to think about something else than bomb alarms, because this is not

a regular life.

Thousands of rockets have been fired from Gaza since 2001. I know about people who

have died or got hurt, it’s a very tough situation. My parents have told me that they used

to go to Gaza to do shopping; we bought our vegetables over there because they were so

much better, and if you wanted to fix your car you went there. Our community loves Arabs

and I love Arabs as well, but if they come from Gaza to kill me it’s not ok.

We used to talk with the people in Gaza and they talked with us, we even worked together.

Today the situation is very different, if you ask someone from Israel or from Gaza what

they think about one another there is a lot of fear and hate, people are not being conscio-

us of the situation and I think that we need to talk to someone there, but not with Hamas,

as you can see today they don’t want to talk. They continue to fire rockets and they don’t

stop. No country in the world can live like this and we need to defend ourselves.

Tell the world what you have seen in Sderot, help us to talk about what’s going on here

and to stop the situation. We are a people who love peace, we don’t like wars. Once Ha-

mas is removed from Gaza everything will be ok, and once the world sees what happens

here in Sderot I wish they will understand. Everyone knows about the stories from Gaza,

but no one knows about our situation here in Sderot, and this is sad because our way of

life is very tough. •

12 AriseNow

REPORT


HOPEWITH FOOTBALLARISE HOSTS THRILLING FOOTBALL

CAMP IN BETHLEHEM

ARISE Director Jani Salokangas together with professional football player Marcos Tavares and personal trainer, Rafael Rodrigues.

14 AriseNow

In early June, ICEJ Arise joined with a local Arab Christian ministry

to host a special football camp in Bethlehem for Arab youths, fea-

turing professional soccer players and coaches from Brazil. Dur-

ing the two-day camp, more than 60 Christian and Muslim boys

aged 9 to 14 participated in training sessions and matches with

Marcos Tavares, a Brazilian striker who today leads the Slovenian

national league in goal scoring with top squad NK Maribor.

Early in his career, Marcos was selected to play for the Brazil-

ian national under-23 football team. Today, he is also pastor of a

church and serves as national director of ICEJ-Slovenia.

He was accompanied by Rafael Rodrigues, a Brazilian fitness

coach and brother of Roger Rodrigues da Silva, who in 2008 won

the Brazilian Cup with his team, Sport Club do Recife.

As the camp kick-off neared, Baptist pastor Steven Khoury of the

local partner Holy Land Missions was excited about what ICEJ

Arise was bringing to Arab youngsters in his historic hometown.

”What Arise is doing is extremely important! You are building a

relationship with these young kids and with the local church”, ex-

plained Khoury. ”They have been talking about the camp for over

two weeks and they did their homework by ’Googling’ everything

they could about Marcos Tavares.”

”We could have had 3000 people at the camp, but we had to re-

duce it to only 60 in order to make it more effective and fun for

the participants. But who knows, there might be a future Marcos

Tavares among these kids”, he added.

There were two training sessions each day, which started with

warm-ups and then drills

to teach a range of new

techniques. These were

all led by Marcos, Rafael

and Arise director Jani

Salokangas, who is also a

competitive athlete. Each

practice ended with the

boys dividing into teams to

play one another, and needless to say the team with Marcos was

the most popular.

The youngsters were so thrilled with the camp, their faces looked

like Christmas had come early to Bethlehem this year.

During a break, an enthusiastic boy named Haman said that

thanks to Marcos, he had learned several important new lessons

in the sport. Florentino, 12, said he woke up very early that morn-

ing in order to be on time for camp and even set out his play kit the

night before, just to be ready.

Many excited parents also stayed around when they dropped off

their children to get a glimpse of their kids playing with a profes-

sional footballer. On the side-lines we met Doha, a father from a

nearby Muslim village whose two boys were in the camp. He often

attends practice to see his children play, because when he sees

the joy in their eyes it makes him happy as well.

“I’m the only bread winner in my family, and with seven children it

is sometimes hard making ends meet, buying new shoes, football

clothes, and even paying for the transport in order to attend the

training. Yet despite the expenses it is all worth it, as I want my

children to be happy”, he assured.

The camp ended with a closing ceremony when prizes were hand-

ed out to the best players and Marcos shared his testimony with

all the participants.

Marcos spoke about his journey from a childhood filled with severe

poverty in Brazil, to his love for football, marrying his wife Leticia,

the start of his international career in Malaysia, and then his en-

counter with Jesus, which

dramatically changed his

life. Marcos added that he

was happy to be in Bethle-

hem and that seeing the

children reminded him of

his own youth.

“My family was poor. I didn’t even have a bed to sleep in; I had to sleep

on the floor”, he said. ”Some days all we ate

was biscuits and bread. We could only afford one coke a week, which we

drank on Sundays.”

16 AriseNow


“My family was poor. I didn’t even have a bed to sleep in; I had to

sleep on the floor”, he said. ”Some days all we ate was biscuits and

bread. We could only afford one coke a week, which we drank on

Sundays.”

”I didn’t have any shoes and played football barefoot until my career

took off at age 14, which finally started bringing in more money. But

over the years, as the fame and money grew, so did the alcohol and

women, which led to depression.”

At one point, Marcos even considered abandoning football, but

thanks to support from his wife he continued.

As he shared his testimony, over 60 young boys and their parents

sat captivated by his story, especially the part about one day meet-

ing a man who changed his life forever.

”My training got better! My relationship with my wife got better! I

was transferred to Europe and the best club in Slovenia, where I

started to score goals.”

Today, Marcos is the number one scorer in the history of the club,

with over 119 goals.

“My life was very bad, but I met someone who changed it. I dreamed

about being a football player but I had no real power to do it. But

this man gave me power and reassured me that I could do it. I could

have been dead or in prison, but here I am today because of him.

And his name is Jesus Christ! He gave me hope and a better life.”

”You are looking on a professional football player not because I had

a good agent, but because I have Jesus Christ,” he concluded.

Jani Salokangas and Steven Khoury then shared their thoughts

on the weekend. Jani spoke about the importance of being a good

person both on and off the field. He also noted the unifying power

of football, where the colour of your skin or background does not

matter.

Finally, Pastor Khoury thanked Marcos and ICEJ Arise for bringing

such joy to the youngsters of Bethlehem. He said the football camp

will go down as the first-of-its-kind for his town, and that photos of

the sporting event had already gone viral all over Facebook.

Every participant returned home with a souvenir T-shirt adorned

with the logo of the Arise Football Camp. The four best players also

received a trophy, an official NK Maribor jersey, and a cap signed

by Marcos.

The prize for Most Valuable Player went to 14-year old Mashdi, who

said the best lesson he learned was the importance of fair play. Like

so many of the youngsters, Mashdi said he dreams of becoming a

professional footballer just like Marcos. •

”You are looking on a professional

football player not because I had a good agent, but because I have

Jesus Christ.”

FC

V

ARISE FOOTBALL CAMP

18 AriseNow

The 21th century, known for being an age of new technologies, has

not only been a facilitator for the world’s communities, but also a

challenge for it. New technologies, such as internet, have created

new ways to communicate, which in turn has led to various kinds

of temptations challenging the three Abrahamic religions.

The mobile phone, especially the smart phone offering instant in-

ternet access with a sea of applications, being equipped with high

resolution cameras, has shown itself to be an obstacle for certain

religious groups. Whilst most Christian and Muslims, along with

mainstream Jews, have embraced the smart phone, some of the

Orthodox Jews have completely backed away from the use of mo-

bile phones which they see as a tool of the devil. Recently several

rabbis declared the destructive capacity of smart phones to that

of weapons.

In order to overcome some of the obstacles connected to new

technologies, organisations such as the Israeli based non-profit,

Zomet Institute, have developed a range of products in order

to unite Jewish religious laws with modern life. For instance,

switching on and off electrical devices is forbidden on Shabbat,

KOSHERTECHNOLOGY

KOSHERING OF TECHNOLOGY

“The kosher phone is a basic or regular phone, it cannot con-nect to internet nor send text messages and it doesn’t have a camera...”

TECHNOLOGY


but thanks to Zomet’s inventions, products such as metal

detectors, security vehicles, elevators, electric wheelchairs,

and coffee machines can now be used on Shabbat without

breaking the laws.

When it comes to the mobile phone industry, a special

phone, tailor made for orthodox Jews, the so called kosher

phone has been invented. With this device one is unable to

connect to the internet, send or receive text messages or

take photos.

The first provider to offer this service was MIRS Communica-

tion, which today goes under the name Hot Mobile, but they

were soon followed by other providers such as Orange, Pele-

phone and Cellcom who saw a growing need in the market.

AriseNow visited one of the establishments selling mobile

phones in the ultra-orthodox neighborhood of Me’a She’arim

in Jerusalem. The clerk behind the counter gave us a brief

history of the kosher phone, and revealed that the majority

of the ultra-orthodox community uses this kind of phone, and

that in Jewish educational institutions like yeshivas, the only

phone allowed is the kosher phone.

“The kosher phone is a basic or regular phone, it cannot con-

nect to internet nor send text messages and it doesn’t have

a camera which is typical of so many phones today. It’s basi-

cally set up to receive and make phone calls only.” On the

question whether the kosher phone works on Shabbat, Meir

answered that it depends on the phone but that most do

work with radically increased prices.

“All of the phones that I am selling from here are kosher

phones and we have all kinds of brands, from Nokia to Sam-

sung. At the moment the most popular kosher phone is the

Samsung Keystone 2 and as you can see it holds a stamp

from the rabbinate thus declaring that it is a kosher phone.”

He further showed us a range of different sim cards and

explained that the series in each phone number reveals if

the caller makes use of a kosher phone or not, adding that

the kosher sim card doesn’t work in regular phones and vice

versa. While parts of the ultra-orthodox community have tak-

en a hard stance against smart phones, emphasizing their

immoral nature, there are other Jewish groups who have

embraced new technologies as a way to advance and reach

the masses with their message.

In conclusion, new types of technologies automatically cre-

ates new challenges, but whatever inventions the Israeli start

up nation might come up with, we can rest assured that the

individuals behind the Kosher phone, and organizations such

as the Zomet institute will find a way to make these inven-

tions compatible to their beliefs. •

The rabbinical stamp to approve that the phone is Kosher.

The full Kosher phone kit...

20 AriseNow

Throughout the years the ICEJ have been active in helping some

of the more than 27 000 blind people living in Israel. One of the

places where we are involved is the Nalaga’at Center in Tel Aviv-

Yafo, a place which aims to create a stimulative environment for

deaf, blind and blind deaf individuals by engaging them in cultural

activities, such as theater, dance and various workshops. Some of

the center’s ongoing activities are the Nalaga’at theatre, the Kap-

ish Café along with the BlackOut restaurant. The ICEJ is currently

supporting the Nalaga’at Theater, a theater made up of profes-

sional deaf and blind actors who have set up plays such as “Not by

Bread Alone,” “Luna Park” and “Give me a Sign.”

To get a practical insight of their work, AriseNow descended the

Judean hills, and travelled to Nalaga’at, located within walking dis-

tance from what is believed to have been the house of Simon the

tanner. We reserved a table at the BlackOut restaurant, a restau-

rant like all others with a difference in that the meal is enjoyed in

the dark. This experience, not being able to see the tableware, nor

the food or the other guests around the table made us realize the

importance of seeing things from “the others” perspective, and

how important it is to be our brother’s and sister’s keepers.

Our waitress, Hila, who welcomed us, and in total darkness with

our hands on her shoulders, led us to our table, explained that

she has worked at Nalaga’at for six years and that at the age of

18 she became blind as a result of diabetes. “I love to work here

in what for you is complete darkness. For me it is like being in the

light, and every day I get to meet new people with different life

stories. I don’t want people to come here to experience how it is

to be blind, but rather to come and discover the light in the dark-

ness which is hidden deep inside their souls. I would recommend

you to come here with someone you love, it will be like a real blind

date mingled with an incredible environment where your senses

will reach new levels,” she explained. One of the guests who had

made his way to the restaurant was Jeremiah Dairo, Senior Pas-

tor of the Lift up Your Head Church in Tel Aviv. Having finished his

meal he was awestruck. “It was an incredible experience. As soon

as I came out of the restaurant after having spent two hours in the

dark; I thanked God for being able to see. Everyone should try this,

it really taught me to appreciate my eyes,” he concluded.

By helping the ICEJ support the Nalaga’at center, you will be able

to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and give the visually impaired,

Jews and Arabs alike, new eyes and sharper senses through their

engagement in a range of exciting and creative activities. •

”This experience, not being able to see the tableware, nor the food or the other guests around the ta-ble made us realize the importance of seeing things from “the others” perspective”

DINING IN THEDARK

CULTURE

22 AriseNow

In the beginning of May, AriseNow travelled from Jerusalem

southwards past Beersheba to the isolated Holot refugee camp

in the middle of the Negev desert only minutes from the Nizana

border crossing to Egypt. The objective with the journey was to

get a clearer understanding of the living conditions of over 3000

African refugees currently held in the camp. We were invited by

Ulrich Nganga, the leader of Afro Po, a Tel Aviv based band offer-

ing a blend of African and Israeli music, and who on this day had

decided to hold a charity concert for the Sudanese and Eritrean

refugees in the camp. The camp which can be compared to an Al-

catraz in the desert was first inaugurated in December of 2013,

and today it hosts some 3000 African refuges.

African refuges from the horn of Africa started to arrive in Israel

in 2006, and in 2012 some 55 000 refugees were living in the

country. The majority of these reached Israel by foot and walked

from Egypt through the Sinai desert. AriseNow have, during the

years, heard numerous gruesome testimonies of death, murder,

torture and rape experienced by the refugees on their journey to-

wards Israel.

“Meanwhile, the Is-raeli society is divided over how to deal with the African refugees and President Shimon Peres has called upon parts of the society to refrain from racism as it’s contradictory to the fundamental prin-ciples of Judaism.”

HOLOT REFUGEE CAMP

INSIDE ISRAEL

Afro Po preparing to perform in front of the Holot Refugee Camp.


Due to a high number of refugees, mainly in the urban areas, pro-

tests have erupted within certain factions of the Israeli society,

and some of the Israeli media have branded the refuges as “infil-

trators,” with a member of Knesset, the Israeli parliament going

as far as referring African refugees to “a cancer in the Israeli

society.”

In order to reduce the rising number of refuges a fence, 232 km

long and five meter high, has been constructed on the border be-

tween Israel and Egypt shutting out

all refugees seeking refuge in Isra-

el. Other measures in place to re-

duce the number of refugees are

repatriation, and thousands of Su-

danese women, children and men

have in the last few years been re-

turned to Sudan and South Sudan.

The Holot prison camp is the latest

in a row of strategies implemented to reduce the number of refu-

gees. While in Holot, AriseNow spoke to several of the refugees

currently calling Holot their home. Mohammed, 33, from Darfur,

Sudan, told us that he had been living in Eilat since 2010 and that

three months ago he was transferred to Holot.

“It’s not good living here, it’s very bad and at the moment I don’t

see how I will be able to leave this place as it’s too dangerous to

go back to Darfur. I think that even in one years’ time I will still be

living here. My family, who I miss very much, are still in Darfur, but

as I am not talking to them very often I don’t really know how they

are doing, it’s very difficult,” he explained.

Another of the refugees, Abdul also from Darfur, revealed that he

has been in Israel for six years before he was recently transferred

to the desert camp of Holot. “I have been here for two months;

it’s very difficult to live here, and one of the problems is that the

rooms are too warm because the air conditioning system isn’t

working correctly. We are allowed to go outside the camp, but

only if we sign in with the authorities, which we have to do three

times a day. If we don’t, we risk going to prison. If we would like to

visit Tel Aviv we need special permission, he concluded.”

We also spoke to Ulrich Nganga, the lead singer of Afro Po. He

explained that he was very happy with the concert and that it was

organised in order to encourage the people in the camp.

“Music is a way to express liberty, and we would like to denounce

the way the refugees are treated. Even if this place is not consid-

ered to be a prison, the overall feeling among everyone here is one

of entrapment. Some of them have left their countries to avoid

prison, and here they are once again put in a sort of prison, it’s

a scandal. We are here playing today in order to encourage our

brothers. Despite their situation it’s important that they keep up

their strength. They are asylum seekers, and someone who is in

danger cannot return to his country.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli society is divided over how to deal with the

African refugees and President

Shimon Peres has called upon

parts of the society to refrain from

racism as it’s contradictory to the

fundamental principles of Judaism.

Earlier this year during Passover, a

group of Israelis organised a seder

meal with the refugees in Holot in

order to recall the journey of the

Israelites through the Sinai desert to the Holy land, a journey that

practically all of the refugees in Holot can relate to.

It is important for us as believers in Jesus Christ, to care for the

refugees and the strangers in our land, in whatever nation we

might live. Each country deals differently with issues concern-

ing refugees, and each country, be it Morocco, China, Uganda,

France, Norway or Israel can in turn be criticised for their policy’s

and handlings of refugees.

However, as believers we need to remember that the biblical story

is a story of migration. Our spiritual roots are based on migra-

tion, and even our saviour knows how it is to be a refugee. Abra-

ham, Isaac and Jacob all moved between various countries in the

Middle East and voluntary or forced migrations fill the pages of

the bible. Sometimes famine was a reason for moving, and other

times, as in the case of Jacob, love was the factor, but also slavery

and trafficking, as in the case of Joseph.

As believers in the God of Israel and disciples of Jesus Christ we

need to pray for our brothers in Holot, that God will give them

peace, comfort and strength and that they also will be able to look

forward to a prosperous future filled with joy and happiness. We

need to pray for the way governments are handling refugees in

their respective countries, not only in Israel but worldwide. Finally

we need to heed to God’s unfailing eternal words imprinted in the

Holy Scriptures. “You shall not pervert the justice due an alien or

an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment in pledge.” (Deut 24:17).

•

”It’s not good living here, it’s very bad and at the moment I don’t

see how I will be able to leave this place...”

24 AriseNow

all ThingsRESTORATION OF

Juha Ketola | Photography Pond5

TEACHING


Sin entered into man and into his

world, and the origi-nal Paradise God had created as a

home for the man-kind was lost.

All humanity aches. Deep within the core of human existence dwells a sec-

ret pain that continuously cries out that something has been lost.

This pain is a mixture of feelings - guilt, fear, rejection, separation, hopeless-

ness and aimlessness. Man has been driven from his original home and is

now adrift, lacking purpose and direction – and in pain (Genesis 3:16-24).

Nature is also suffering and longing to be brought back to its original state.

Creation is groaning, just like man himself (Romans 8:18-23).

The consequences of Sin

All humanity has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

The peace and harmony between God, humanity and creation has been lost

and as a result decay, corruption and futility reigns.

Sin entered into man and his world. The original Paradise which God crea-

ted as a home for mankind was lost. Because of the first man Adam’s fall,

all creation has been subjected to futility. Sin, death and the works of Satan

are all around us. But praise God, there is hope for the restoration of all

things! (Romans 8:20; Acts 3:21) This hope is in the ‘second Man’ who

came from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

The great Hope

The great theme of the Bible is the sin and guilt of all humanity and then

God’s reconciliation of all things through His only begotten Son, Jesus

Christ. God has never withdrawn Himself from humanity, but instead has

provided full restoration to all His creation by giving His Son Jesus to die on

our behalf, and by raising Him from the dead.

God has given a great hope to a lost world by promising not only the forgive-

ness of sins and the mending of our broken lives when we believe in His Son,

but also resurrection from the dead and redemption of our bodies at His

return. He has begun His good, redemptive work in us who believe, and He

also will complete it (Philippians 1:6). He has given us peace and hope for

our earthly lives, and promised us glorious resurrection bodies for eternity

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57; Philippians 3:20-21)!

This promise is our continual joy, and gives us strength and hope for our

daily lives amid a broken world!

God has never given up

The promised restoration of all creation has always been on God’s heart.

It has never been erased from His purposes and will, and is spoken of by

all the Hebrew prophets (Acts 3:21). The New Testament affirms this full

restoration, especially in Revelation, such as chapters 20 to 22.

God has clearly promised to redeem His creation, bring everything back to

its original state - and even to a more glorious state – and set up the Kingly

throne of His Son, to rule over a world freed from corruption and futility

(Jeremiah 3:17; Isaiah 2:1-4, 9:6-7, 11:1-9; Zechariah 14:16-19; Psalm

2:6-9, 96, 98; Revelation 20:1-3).

26 AriseNow

The throne of David

God’s word speaks openly about this glorious future not just in

heaven but here on earth –– especially in His assurances to the

Jewish people concerning “the throne of David”. That throne will

be the place where the Offspring of David will return from heaven

to rule upon on earth! (Revelation 22:16)

Covenant with David

God made a covenant with King David which promises his offs-

pring will sit on His throne forever. God swore to build a royal

dynasty from David’s lineage that would finally rule over the entire

world (2 Samuel 7; Psalm 2:6-9, 89; Luke 1:32-33; Acts 2:30-

32; Revelation 19:15).

This covenant guarantees the restoration of Israel, the whole of

humanity and all creation. Jesus confirmed it with His blood on

the cross, just like all the other covenant promises God made

with the Jewish people (Ephesians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 1:19-20;

Rom.15:8).

God was not talking to David only about Solomon, but rather the

coming of His Messiah, the God-man Jesus Christ, into this fallen

world. And King David understood this, as the Apostle Peter affir-

med on the Day of Pentecost:

“Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn

with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the

flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, fore-

seeing this, spoke. . . For David did not ascend into the heavens,

but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right

hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool’.” (Acts 2:30-31,

34-35)

The apostles saw Jesus as that promised seed of David who

would restore Israel, rebuild the tabernacle of David, and eventu-

ally sit as King on his throne ruling not only a restored Israel, but

also the restored Gentile nations (Acts 1:6, 15:13-17). Moreo-

ver, the Angel Gabriel - like the prophet Isaiah - announced that

“of the increase of His government and peace there will be no

end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom” (Isaiah 9:7;

Luke 1:31-33).

Israel’s hope

The second coming of Jesus is the final fulfilment of God’s co-

venant with David. It will prove God’s faithfulness to His ancient

people and affirm Israel’s redemptive role among the nations, all

the way from Abraham to modern times. The Jewish people will

welcome the King back, and for this to happen they have to be

back in their homeland!

The Apostles Peter and Paul both explain how God would work

out His eternal purposes through Israel for the good of all hu-

manity. They tell us that without the salvation of Israel, times of

refreshing will not come and Jesus will not be sent back from

heaven (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 11).

Jesus affirmed to His own people: “You shall see me no more

till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

(Matthew 23:39)

So the context of His return will be the same as His first coming:

the Jewish people and their land.

The gospel of Matthew begins: “The book of the genealogy of Je-

sus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1)

In other words, Jesus came as the fulfilment of God’s covenants

with Abraham and David. Also, Luke wrote specifically about Jesus

as the fulfilment of these two covenants (Luke 1:31-33, 54-55,

68-75).

But for all the promises God gave in these covenants to be fulfilled,

Jesus first had to die and be resurrected, and now must return

“in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels”

(Luke 9:26).

Israel’s restoration

In order for the promised restoration of Israel and of all things to

reach its glorious ‘finale’, the Jewish people are now returning to

their ancient homeland after two thousand years of exile. This is

by the sovereign hand of God.

As a covenant-keeping God, He remains forever faithful to all His

promises to Israel, which also impact all humanity. He is restoring

the Jewish people to their land. The next phase will be their spiritu-

al restoration to God as a nation, which will open the gates for the

King of glory to come back to earth (Ezekiel 36 and 37; Zechariah

12:10; Romans 11:25-26).

Thus Israel’s restoration serves the best interests of all nations,

too! Righteousness and peace will finally come – but it comes

through God’s plans only. And those plans forever include Israel,

since “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).

Judgment of the nations

When the Son of Man returns to sit on the throne of David, all na-

tions will be gathered before Him for judgment (Matthew 25:31-

46; Psalm 96, 98). This judgment of the nations will be necessary

to usher in peace. The Bible is clear that until righteousness is

first in place, there can be no true peace between men.

Isaiah proclaimed that when Messiah reigns on earth, nation will

not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymo-

re (Isaiah 2:1-4). But all this will happen only after the Son of David

judges rightly among the nations. Indeed, He shall rule the earth

with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:6-9; Revelation 19:15).

God’s rule

God’s rule on earth for the good of all nations is certain. He will

restore justice, righteousness, peace and joy among all peoples.


The second coming of Jesus as the final fulfillment of God’s

covenant with Dav-id, not only glorifies

God’s faithfulness to His ancient and be-

loved people, but affirms Israel’s cen-tral and lasting role among the nations

of the world

28 AriseNow

Every mouth will be stopped. God will vindicate His name and cha-

racter by establishing justice for all the oppressed peoples throug-

hout history. It will be clear that God is and always has been just.

Isaiah describes this glorious future by declaring: “They shall not

hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain. For the earth shall be full

of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah

11:9)

Resurrection from the dead

The coming of the Lord to take His rightful place on the throne of

David in Jerusalem is the glorious hope of the Church! The Bright

and Morning Star will arise and we will be redeemed! The Brideg-

room will have a perfect Bride to celebrate with Him at the great

marriage supper of the Lamb!

The Bible says the dead will rise and we who are alive, in the

twinkling of an eye, will be caught up together to meet Him in the

air! (1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) Finally,

our lowly bodies will be transformed into His glorious body! (Philip-

pians 3:20-21)

The Bible says that we should put all our hope into the Lord’s co-

ming and the grace that will be given in the revealing of Jesus

Christ (1 Peter 1:13). The writer of Hebrews adds that Jesus will

return “without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him”

(Hebrews 9:28). In other words, His sacrifice on the cross was

complete and has thoroughly saved us already, even while we are

still waiting for our resurrected bodies! Jesus said on the cross:

“It is finished!” (John 19:30)

Holiness in hope

God says He has subjected all creation to futility in hope, and that

we as His own have received the gift of His Spirit guaranteeing the

redemption of our bodies. This carries a very strong message!

(Romans 8:18-25)

Because of this present hope of final redemption amid our painful

existence, we will never have His permission to move backwards

in our walk with Him. God will never give us a ‘green light’ to slide

back to our sinful ways. The old life of sin and lust is gone! There

is no way to return to Egypt, since all things have become new! (2

Corinthians 5:17) Our ‘yes’ to Jesus is also our ‘no’ to sin.

The Apostle John insisted that, “everyone who has this hope in

Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). And Paul

wrote to Titus:

“The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should

live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for

the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and

Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13)


The redemption of all creation

All creation will experience an unbelievable change at the return

of Jesus. It will be thoroughly renewed. The whole atmosphere will

become like a Paradise - a pleasant expression of God’s very natu-

re. The beauty of God’s creation will manifest itself in new depths,

richness and glory never seen since the Garden of Eden. I believe

even the colours in nature will be brighter and richer than now.

Creation is eagerly awaiting and groaning for this to happen – in-

cluding all the plants and animals! (Romans 8:19-22) The animals

will live at peace with one another and with men once again (Isaiah

11:6-9).

Because of our redeemed bodies and creation’s new freedom

from corruption and decay, the fruit of the Spirit will be overwhel-

mingly sensed on earth. The glory of the Lord will radiate again

throughout the world.

All creation is now groaning – true! But the Day will come when it

will be cheerfully rejoicing it its new and glorious freedom!

The joy in creation

The Psalmist expresses this great joy of redemption by saying the

rivers will clap, the fields, trees and hills rejoice, and the seas roar.

That is to say, all creation will welcome the Lord’s return with ut-

ter delight (Psalm 96, 98). And we should already be rejoicing by

offering a new song to the Lord about this great hope (Ephesians

5:19-20).

Yes, we groan now but at the same time sing with joy! Oh, how

joyous that Day will be!

None of this will happen, however, before the revealing of the sons

of God first (Romans 8:19-21). Jesus appearing in His glory will

cause the dead in Christ to rise and the physical bodies of those

of us alive to be changed, and only then will creation also be redee-

med and set free. We wait in our present bodies for the glory of

Jesus to be finally revealed, and creation waits with us!

Final restoration

When Peter and John healed the lame man at the Temple gate in

Acts 3, the man received a complete restoration of his body and

was leaping and greatly rejoicing. As the crowds gathered and

marvelled at this, Peter started to preach about the death and

resurrection of Jesus. As a result, the Sadducees got angry at the

apostles for “preaching in Jesus the resurrection from the dead”

(Acts 4:2). But Peter declared: “heaven must receive (Jesus) until

the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the

mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).

The restoration of the lame man, the promise of times of refreshing

for Israel, and the message of the restoration of all things were

all designed by God to go together in powerful demonstration of

what He has always desired: the redemption of all creation back

to wholeness and purity!

Our hope for the future

This message of full restoration is found everywhere in the word

of God. It is the ‘current’ which is moving and inspiring the children

of God in a clear direction through all our pains and ‘troubled wa-

ters’.

So until the day dawns and the morning star finally arises in our

hearts, let us sing the new song of redemption together with all

creation (2 Peter 1:19).

In this blessed hope,

Rev. Juha Ketola

International Director •

30 AriseNow

DIVINGWITHGODEmanuel Mfoukou | Photography Pond5, Patrick Bassolo

TESTIMONY


During the month of April, AriseNow visited the Republic of Congo,

a sub Saharan nation located in the Western Parts of Central

Africa. Congo is a Christian country and its major income stems

from the oil industry, being Africa’s fifth largest oil producer.

While in Pointe Noire, the economical capital of the Congo situ-

ated along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, adorned with white

sandy beaches and beautiful green palm trees, we met up with

Patrik Bassolo, a Christian deep sea diver in the oil industry who

told us about his experiences under the sea. He is quite unique

given the fact that he is one of a handful native divers, as the ma-

jority comes from abroad, mainly Europe.

AriseNow sat down with Patrick at the YesClub restaurant, a

Chinese establishment a stone throw from the majestic waves

caressing the sea shores of Pointe Noire, which in the past saw

millions of its son’s and daughter’s being sold into slavery and

shipped to the Americas. To learn more about Patrick’s profes-

sion and his relationship to God, we asked him about the daily chal-

lenges taking place deep under the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

Patrick started by telling us that he has been in the industry for

close to four years and that being an industrial diver cannot be

compared to a normal nine to five job in the office. “A diver is quali-

fied to do all kinds of engineering tasks, and when you go under

water you do what you are asked to do. When you are offshore you

can, for example, be asked to cut a pipe, sometimes they need you

to weld, while at other times inspections are required where you

have to take photos or videos, or even measurements for further

analysis.”

In 2014 Congo is projected to produce an estimated number of

242 000 barrels per day from it’s over 160 platforms, with each

platform being equipped with workers from different countries

”Sharks are not as dange-rous as many people tend to think, as they normal-ly don’t attack under the water. The most dangerous threat comes from the bar-racudas. When you see a barracuda, the last thing to do is to provoke it, if you do, it will disappear and shortly thereafter return with hun-dreds of its kind, equipped with razor sharp teeth able to swiftly finish you off.”

32 AriseNow

and companies such as ENI, Halliburton, Total or Schlumberger.

The workers, who are performing various tasks and operations,

are either being shipped to the platforms or flown by helicopter;

the large majority of the platforms are separated for work, while

others serve as living quarters. “Being offshore is a hard job, it’s

a very difficult environment, and sometimes we are gone for 35

to 40 days, it depends on the job that we have. On the sea there

is no such thing as Saturday or Sunday, we work every day, 12

hours a day.”

“On a normal day you wake up at four a clock in the morning, you

have your breakfast and then you go to the boat landing. That’s

the place where you board the boat that will transport you from

the platform holding the living quarters to the rig; as soon as you

reach the platform you start to work until six in the evening.”

He continues by explaining that a diver is not allowed to be under

water for more than three to four hours per day, depending on the

depths. For instance, “if one is diving to depths of over 40 meters,

work over one and a half hours is not recommended. For mis-

sions over 50 meters, so called remotely operated underwater

vehicles, ROV’s, are sent down to finish the requested work.”

Patrick is amazed by the astonishing world under the water, and

enthusiastically explains that it is a privilege being able to work

in this new world, a world that he wishes everyone could get a

glimpse off.

“Every dive is a discovery, each time you discover new creations

and new fish, it’s literally a new world. What God has created is

so amazing that I cannot even put words to it. Under the water

there are creatures that I never seen nor heard of before, includ-

ing sharks, barracudas and all kinds of different fish.”

“While working in an environment filled with new unfamiliar crea-

tures, it is easy to feel uncomfortable as you have no idea how to

behave around these species. But as a Christian, I feel safe when

I think about my creator and that he created man to have domin-

ion over all creatures. When I see a shark I know that the shark

respects me as I am called to be in charge of it.”

“One day while I was putting together two pipes with some bolts,

everything around me got pitch dark, and as I looked up I saw a

very huge whale the size of a bus scratching himself on the rig, I

was so impressed and I praised God for the rest of that day.”

Name: Patrick BassoloAge: 32 years oldResidence: Pointe NoireNationality: Republic of CongoProfession: Industrial Diver

On a normal day you wake up at four a clock in the morning...

Patrick getting ready for yet another dive.


When we asked him about his greatest fears while being under

the water, he explained that the most common danger is related

to failures of the equipment, and that some of the sea creatures

can be life threatening if not dealt with in the right way. “Sharks are

not as dangerous as many people tend to think, as they normally

don’t attack under the water. The most dangerous threat comes

from the barracudas. When you see a barracuda, the last thing to

do is to provoke it, if you do, it will disappear and shortly thereafter

return with hundreds of its kind, equipped with razor sharp teeth

able to swiftly finish you off. When you see a barracuda it’s better

to just keep on working, don’t play with it or disturb it.”

“I can recall how one day when I was working, and suddenly found

myself face to face with a a big barracuda, measuring around

1,50 meter. It tried to provoke me, and find out if I was aggressive

or not, but as I managed to keep my calm, it turned away and left.”

“Nevertheless, God is my every day keeper. When I go to work and

before I dive, I pray that the God of Israel will be in control of my

diving, sometimes I even sing and worship under the water. He is

the one who gives me strength and assurance, so when I am in

the water I don’t fear, because the bible says that we don’t have to

fear as in God there is no fear. He is my savior, my protector and

my Lord, He is always with me, and He never leaves my side, not

even when I am in depths of 50 meters.” •

Every dive is a discov-ery, each time you dis-cover new creations and new fish, it’s liter-ally a new world. What God has created is so amazing that I cannot even put words to it.

Patrick getting ready for yet another dive.

34 AriseNow

IN THE

FOOTSTEPSOFJESUS

INSIDE ISRAEL

Emanuel Mfoukou | Photography Emanuel Mfoukou


IN THE

FOOTSTEPS Nazareth, a city in the lower Galilee, is known for being the city

where Jesus grew up. At the age of 30, after being anointed to

ministry in the Jordan River, Jesus left Nazareth to set up his

headquarters in Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

In order to experience the terrain, see the landscape and under-

stand the conditions Jesus was exposed to while making the jour-

ney to Capernaum, AriseNow decided to take on the Jesus trail; a

62 km walk from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee.

On an early Wednesday morning, the day after Israel had celeb-

rated their independence day, Arise started the journey from the

territory of Zebulun, with Capernaum and the area of Naphtali as

its final destination. The journey started out with a warm sun and

cool breeze, and the first leg of the journey proved Israel to be a

land of hills and valleys, as the voyage began with a steep and ex-

hausting climb from the place traditionally known to have been the

home of Jesus, St Joseph’s Church, towards the top of Nazareth.

From here we rested our eyes on the exotic and timeless landsca-

pe from where the bible originated, where after we started our

descent surrounded by green pastures and fertile fields.

The first stop of the journey was Zippori, six km north of Nazareth,

a city which used to serve as the capital of Galilee. It remained so

during the reign of Herod the Great, and after his death in 4 AD,

a Jewish revolt against the Romans was carried out and the city

was taken over by the Jews. Shortly after the rebellion, the Roman

army burnt the city and sold its Jewish population into slavery.

When Herod’s son, Antipas became the ruler of Galilee, he rebuilt

Zippori and moved the Galilean capital to Tiberias, named after

the Roman Emperor Tiberius. The bible makes no mention of Zip-

pori, but according to tradition, it was the home of Joachim and

Anne, the parents of Jesus mother. The Jewish text of Talmud,

makes several references to Zippori, and explains that it got its

name “because it is perched on top of the mountain like a bird.”

Visiting Zippori was a journey through the annals of time; which of-

fered the opportunity to gaze upon beautiful mosaics and ancient

ruins. From Zippori the road took us by way of beautiful landsca-

pes and exceptional views offering a multitude of various fragran-

ces from the many flowers and trees in bloom. The landscape that

Jesus once travelled might not have consisted of the same flora

as the region hosts today, as estimations have it that some 90

percent of the trees in contemporary Israel have been imported

from abroad. However, the mountains, the earth, the stones and

the very atmosphere are still the same, and throughout the route

we were greeted by traditional biblical trees such as fig, olive and

almond.

“Leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali.”

36 AriseNow

Some four kilometres walk east of Zippori we came upon the city

of Mashhad, a peaceful and picturesque village, home to some

6700 Israeli Arabs. The name of the city translates into holy man,

and walking through the city was a breath of fresh air, and an ex-

perience in itself, as this city is believed to be built on the remains

of the biblical city of Gath-Hefer, the birth town of Prophet Jonah.

Visiting the cradle of Jonah, one could not help but think of how

Jesus, while growing up, might have gazed towards this city, visible

from the heights of Nazareth. Thinking about the prophet which

he so often referred to in his ministry. It is of further interest to

note how the region of Galilee and its cities seemed to have been

despised by the people of the land, in those days. Nathanael from

Cana, one of Jesus own disciples, even asked the question, “Can

anything good come out of Nazareth?” While the Gospel of John in

its turn, reveals how the Pharisees viewed the region, “they answe-

red and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look:

for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” One can but wonder how the

scribes could ignore the Galilean origins of Prophet Jonah.

Having spent some time in Mashhad we descended towards

Cana, known for being the place where Jesus performed his first

miracle, turning water in to wine. Here we enjoyed the hospitality

of the residents and sat down for some local food before we visi-

ted the traditional site, the Franciscan wedding church of Cana,

where it is believed that Jesus performed the miracle. The church

hosts two ancient jars claimed to be similar to the ones used by

Jesus.

From Cana we followed the orange marked trail north east to-

wards Kibbutz Lavi in the lower Galilee area inhabited by a majority

of Israeli Arabs. Their friendly smiles and hospitality was evident as

we met along the route. Sounds from a variety of birds, the scent

of odours from wild flowers and exceptional views of the landsca-

pe in addition to elderly women picking mint leaves in the fields,

were some of the experiences before we reached Lavi where we

finally could rest our heads.

Kibbutz Lavi is a hidden gem located a short distance from the

Horns of Hattin. It was founded in 1949 by a group of young

British Zionists, and takes its name from the Arab village of Lu-

bya which it replaced. In ancient days Lavi was known for its inn,

serving travellers as they journeyed between Zippori and Tiberi-

as. Today, Kibbutz Lavi hosts an excellent hotel with some 184

In the distance, between the two rainy mountain tops of Mt Nitai and Mt Arbel, the Sea of Galilee with its many biblical sites.


quality rooms. In addition, Lavi Furniture Industries, located of the

premises, is known for being a world leader when it comes to the

production of various types of furniture for synagogues.

After having walked some 30km in eight hours, both food and wa-

ter, in addition to a good night’s sleep was well needed and while

meditating over the journey the importance of the biblical tradi-

tion of feet washing after a long day’s journey, became so much

clearer. A nice soak in the water revives, energizes and prepares

your feet for new adventures.

Leaving Kibbutz Lavi we set our direction towards the Horns of

Hattin, an ancient volcano surrounded by two peaks. Some bible

scholars identify this location with the Waters of Merom, the pla-

ce where Joshua fought the Canaanites, but it is also known for

being the place where Saladin conquered the crusaders in the

famous battle of Hattin. In order to reach the summit we followed

the marked trail through bountiful grazing fields, and came face to

face with cows enjoying the grass at the foot of the summit. The

short climb to the top was amazing and the view was something

out of a fairy tale, from where we in the distance, between the two

foggy peaks of Mount Arbel and Mount Nitai were able to see our

final destination, the Sea of Galilee.

The whole experience was strengthened by the fact that we were

hit by the latter rains. During most of our second day on the road

the rain poured down offering a set of new challenges, turning the

descent towards the valley of Arbel into a difficult one as the water

transformed the dirt road ahead of us into a slippery slope with

mud attaching itself to our feet adding several kilos to each step.

On our way to the valley we passed by the shrine of Nabi Shu’ayb,

believed by the Druze community to be the tomb of Jethro, the

father in law of Moses and the founder of their religion.

Despite the rain and the mud, the scenery was out of this world

as we passed olive groves and wild horses. After several hours

of walking we found ourselves at the bottom of the valley, and we

now had to start our ascent towards Mount Arbel. On our way up

we were met by large amounts of water comparable to a small

stream rushing down the hill. As we finally reached the top, we

were able to behold the views over the Sea of Galilee, and the

biblical landscape hosting sites which was of such importance for

Jesus’ ministry and our faith.

Close to the top of Mt Arbel can be found the remains of an an-

cient synagogue, along with traces of a Jewish settlement belie-

ved to have been established around the second temple period. If

Jesus ever visited the heights of Mt Arbel is unknown, but given

the fact that “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching

in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom…” it

is almost certain that he beheld the astonishing and breathtaking

creation of His father from Mt Arbel.

Hereafter, the trail normally continues by a path descending the

steep cliffs of the mount, but as a result of the heavy rain this part

”After having walked some 30km in eight hours, both food and water, in addition to a good night’s sleep was well needed and while meditating over the journey the im-portance of the biblical tradition of feet washing became so mush clearer”

38 AriseNow

of the trail was closed for security reasons. Through

an alternative route we reached the bottom of the

cliffs and began the last leg of the journey from Wadi

Hamam to Migdal, Tabgha and finally Capernaum.

The ancient village of Migdal, is known for being the

home of Mary Magdalene and was most probably

a centre for local fisherman. Continuing onwards

through ripe orange fields and areas set apart for

various agricultural produce, we crossed road 90

and came to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. From

here we continued onwards towards Tagbha, the

traditional site where Jesus multiplied the loaves

and the fishes. The etymology of Tabgha takes its

roots from the Greek word of Heptapegon, meaning

seven springs, Ein Sheva in Hebrew. Some of these

springs are still in existence feeding the lake with

warm water leading to the growth of algae, which in

its turn attracts a large number of fish. This specific

area of the Sea of Galilee has therefore been a hot

spot for fishermen for thousands of years.

The last stop on our journey took us to Capernaum,

Kfar Nahum, the village of Nahum or the comforter,

Jesus’ own village, where he set up his ministry and

healed Peter’s mother in law from her high fever. It

was a true joy knowing that we, just like the Master,

had left Nazareth for Capernaum and that after two

days and 62 km had finally reached our destination.

In conclusion, after having finished the trail, not in

sandals or barefoot, but with modern sneakers, it

was so more evident that Jesus and his entourage

were a gathering of fit and strong fellows, used to

long distance walking.

AriseNow strongly recommends young adults

worldwide to set apart time for the Jesus trail;

it’s a way to literally walk in the footsteps of our

Lord and Saviour. It’s not only 62km of physical

exercise, but also a walk filled with biblical history,

and a walk packed with revelations and spiritual

insights. For maximum enjoyment of the journey

it should be done in three to four days during the

spring. •

The city of Cana where Jesus transformed water into wine.

A beautiful tree located on the top of the horns of Hattin.


The last stop on our journey took us to Capernaum, Kfar Nahum, the village of Nahum or the comforter, Jesus’ own village, where he set up his ministry

Some of the ancient ruins of the city of Zippori.

The city of Cana where Jesus transformed water into wine.

The shores of the Sea of Galilee.

A beautiful tree located on the top of the horns of Hattin.

40 AriseNow

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Arise newsletterhttp://www.arisegeneration.org/connect/email-signup


During the month of June, the White City Shabbat, a Tel Aviv

based non-profit organisation set up to help people looking to host

or participate in a Shabbat meal, made history as they reserved

a place for themselves in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Together they organised the largest ever Shabbat dinner, with a

total of 2226 people gathering around 80 dining tables in the

Port of Tel Aviv. Some of the guests present at the event were

dignitaries such as Alan Dershowitz, basketball legend Tal Brody,

as well as Ron Huldai, the Mayor of Tel Aviv.

The five course kosher Shabbat meal fulfilled the stringent kashrut

laws and consisted of 250 vegetarian plates, 1000 pieces of beef,

1800 pieces of chicken, and 2000 challahs. In addition, 800 bot-

tles of wine, 80 bottles of vodka as well as 50 bottles of whisky

helped quench the thirst of the participants.

AriseNow spoke to one of the participants, Tara, a Swedish tourist

and first time visitor to Israel about her experiences at the event

which she termed as, both unique and remarkable.

“It was an unforgettable experience and extremely interesting to

witness how a Shabbat dinner is conducted. Among the people

who invited us were the son of a rabbi, and he explained the whole

process and answered all the questions we had regarding the din-

ner. Some of the things that struck me after we had welcomed

the Shabbat and prayed were that the men did all the singing and

dancing and also served the wine.”

“Another noteworthy remark was to see the various kinds of Jews

attending the dinner, and one could clearly differentiate them by

looking at the way they were dressed or behaved. In all, the food

and the service were excellent, and the whole atmosphere was

outstanding. Israel is a fantas-

tic country and I would love to

come back soon again,” she

concluded.

We also had a word with the

director of White City Shabbat, Eytan White, who explained that

the evening was remarkable. “The atmosphere during the evening

was unbelievable, 2226 people came out to participate. It was

absolutely amazing. When the judge stood up and announced that

we had beaten the record I was hit by an incredible feeling, and I

have never experienced anything like that before in my life.”

White continued by clarifying how the whole idea of organising

the event came about and that his organisation has been host-

ing Shabbat meals for several years with some 200 participants

each month. “A year ago we thought that it would be amazing to

set a world record, so we looked in to it and found out that no one

has ever done anything like this before, and figured it would be a

great opportunity to host as many people as possible at the same

time.”

Finally, White, who spoke to AriseNow via phone from Tel Aviv,

explained that he still is recovering from this year’s event, and

that he hasn’t ruled out that a similar happening could take place

in the future. “We are talking about doing the same thing next

year again, and we really hope that someone will be able to break

our record as soon as possible. One of the goals and main points

with the whole thing was to bring publicity to the Shabbat, and to

explain why we feel it’s important. If no one is able to break our

record we just have to break it ourselves,” he concluded. •

WORLD’S LARGEST SHABBAT DINNER

42 AriseNow

LISTEN TO US IN SOUNDCLOUD


During the month of May, Arise visited the city of Ma-ribor in Slovenia. For four days we had the opportunity to minister to the city and meet with amazing people all hungry for the word of God.

The Arise International Director Jani Salokangas preached in multiple locations as well as connecting with local church leaders. Arise keeps pressing the message of the importance to love one another des-pite our differences, along with teaching the upco-ming generation about God’s purposes for Israel.

REPORT

ARISE ON THE ROAD

44 AriseNow

HOME THE BNEI MENASHE ARE COMING BACK HOME

The term which explains the process of mov-ing back to, or return to Israel, goes under the name aliyah, which in Hebrew means to as-cend or to go up; its antonym used for individu-als moving out of the Holy land is yerida, which means to descend.

ALIYAH>

REPORT


The Jewish people have used the term aliyah

since the time of the Babylonian exile, and it is

interesting to note that the bible always refers

to the going up or down from Jerusalem. This

has to do with the location of the city, situated

some 757 meter above sea level. The bible

tells us that “They were on their way up to Je-

rusalem, with Jesus leading the way…” “…Jesus

replied and said, a man was going down from

Jerusalem to Jericho…”

Last month, AriseNow had the opportunity to

witness the process of aliyah in 3D, as a group

of Bnei Menashe, Jews from North Eastern

India returned to the land of their fore fathers

after thousands of years in exile. A short while

after they had landed on Israeli soil and reached

the arrival hall at Ben Gurion, Israel’s interna-

tional airport, we spoke to a couple of the ex-

cited and thrilled 40 new comers, men, women

and children, about to start a new life in Israel.

While waiting for the group we had a word with

22 year old Asaf who for the occasion was

dressed in his IDF uniform. He explained to us

with excitement in his eyes that he was there to

welcome his grandmother who he hadn’t seen

since leaving India for Israel six years ago. “I am

very excited, I haven’t seen her for six years, so

I am pretty thrilled as you can imagine. When I

arrived in Israel, it was like a dream come true.

Everything was very new to me, it was like a new

world, and I had to start all over again. It’s a

great feeling to be back in the land of my fore

fathers, so I am well aware of the feelings my

grandmother is going through at this moment.”

As the group reached the arrival hall we spoke

to one of the new comers, Yochannan, who ex-

plained that he was both happy and excited to

finally stand with his feet on Israeli soil, together

with his wife and two children.

“I have always looked forward coming to Israel,

and before our arrival we prepared by studying

Hebrew and learning about the life over here.

It’s going to be great living in Israel; I have no

doubt about that. Coming here is like reconnect-

ing with my spiritual roots, and I can feel that I

have been re-elevated; I am very happy and ex-

cited.” If we have faith God will lead us. So I am

not afraid, the community of Bnei Menasshe will

do their best.

When we asked him about the fact that

Christians from around the world through

the ICEJ had paid for their flight he gave us

a big smile and said, “It’s a great mitzvah,

and a great charity; it is written in the bible

that the return of the Jews shall be aided

by the gentiles. We are all the children of

God, everyone, and the building of Israel

does not only depend on the people here but

also on all the people who support it. So I

am very grateful that you have supported us

and brought us back home, thank you very

much,” he concluded.

Surrounded by 40 new comers and their

families singing the Hatikva, the national an-

them of Israel, we once again caught up with

Asaf who now was reunited with his grand-

mother Sarah. The atmosphere between

the two as they hugged and kissed was one

of love and happiness, “I am very excited and

thankful to finally be in Israel, and extremely

happy to see my grandchild,” Sarah ex-

plained, before she, hand in hand with Asad,

headed towards the bus that would take her

to her new home. •

“I have always looked forward coming to Is-rael, and be-fore our arrival we prepared by studying He-brew and learn-ing about the life over here.”

46 AriseNow

CULTURE

Some the most popular sports in Israel are without doubt football,

basketball and tennis, sports which each year draws hundreds of

thousands of supporters to the many arenas across Israel. Also

popular are road bikes and mountain bikes and in the early hours

of Shabbat Israeli bikers is a common view along the Israeli roads

across the country. Besides these common athletic disciplines,

there is yet another sport which lies close to the heart of many

Israelis, at least if one is to believe Amnon Nisim, a 69 years old

Matkot enthusiast from Tel Aviv who has turned his home in to the

world’s only Matkot museum.

Matkot means racket in Hebrew, and is the Israeli name for pad-

dle ball or beach tennis. If you have visited the beaches of Israel,

from Nahariya in the north to Ashkelon in the south you have most

likely been exposed to the sport. You might not have taken an ac-

tive part in the game, but as you have rested your head on the sun

beds or shared a meal with your friends in one of the many beach

restaurants along the sandy beaches of Israel, the sound created

by the multitudes of balls hitting the rackets have in one way or

another reached you ear drums. On Israeli beaches, the sound of

matkot is just as common as the sound of the waves themselves.

In order to find out more about this Israeli phenomenon, by some

referred to as Israel’s national sport, AriseNow paid a visit to Am-

non in his home in the popular neighborhood of Neve Tzedek in

the south western parts of Tel Aviv. Neve Tzedek was founded in

1887 and was the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv, when we met

with Amnon who have lived in the neighborhood from his early

childhood; he revealed that his parents made aliyah to Israel from

the colony of Aden, today the Re-

public of Yemen, in 1935.

“I moved to Neve Tzedek with my

parents when I was six years old,

back then the neighborhood was

very different compared to today,

and we could see the ocean from

the window.

“I started to play matkot when I

moved here, and since then I have

played every day, for 63 years. As

a child I used to play on the streets

outside the house, as they back

then were made of sand.”

When we ask him why matkot is

such a popular game, he answers

that he believes its popularity is

connected to the fact that people

from all social backgrounds are

able to play it, as it’s not an ex-

pensive sport. On top of that it’s

an individual game and you don’t

have to pay attention to your team-

mates like in football.

“Matkot is special for Israel, and

everywhere you can find a beach,

from Nahariya, Haifa, Netanya,

Herzeliya, Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, and

Askhelon, matkot is played. It

makes you happy, and if I play

matkot during the day, I am able

to sleep like a child the following

night,” Amnon explains

On the question of when matkot

reached Israel, the king or presi-

dent of matkot, as Amnon is called,

explains that the sport is over 80

to 90 years old, maybe even 100.

To show proof he pulls out a black

and white photo dated 1931 show-

ing a woman playing the popular

game somewhere along the Israeli

shoreline.

He continues by commenting

on how the quality of the rackets

throughout the years has changed.

“There are many cheap rackets on

the market, especially from China,

but the best ones are Made in Isra-

el,” Amnon clarifies, takes a racket,

HOOKED ONMATKOT

Emanuel Mfoukou | Photography Emanuel Mfoukou


COME AND RUN THROUGH HISTORY AND GET TO KNOW THE BIBLE IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL IN AN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS WHO LOVE SPORT AND JESUS.

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON

JERUNSALEM 13.3.2015

bunches the ball and tells us to listen to the particular sound that

appears when the ball hits the racket. “It’s like music to your ears,”

he exclaims, highlighting that the game can be played all around

the year regardless of seasons, “if it rains, you stop and continue

as soon as the rain is over.”

There is no doubt that Amnon got a deep passion for matkot. His

house is decorated with hundreds of rackets of different forms,

shapes, and styles, and already before entering his home one

is able to see dozen of rackets surrounding the windows of his

house. On the inside, the rooms are covered with rackets, tro-

phies and photos of Amnon and his friends playing matkot.

“I have had my house decorated like this for 10 years, and in

total I have over 300 matkots on the inside and outside of the

house, this has led people to refer to my home as the palace of

matkot,”Amnon explains.

”People are vis-

iting me every

day, and some

days there are

more than 20

people here.” He

is unsure of how

many people

that have passed

through the

doors through-

out the years,

but a sure thing is that hundreds if not thousands of people have

visited since he opened up for the public. He shows us two large

guest books, with a third soon to finish, filled with names of people

who have left Amnon a note with their views on the world’s only

matkot museum. In the book are notes from large international

TV stations such as BBC and Tele Madrid, but also from the May-

or of Tel Aviv, Ron Hulda.

In conclusion, Amnon explains that a visit to Israel is not complete

without a game of matkot. “Matkot is a very good game, everybody

can play it, it’s good for your heart and it will definitely make you

happy.” •

”I have had my house deco-

rated like this for 10 years, and in total I have over 300 matkots...”

Amnon Nisim outside his house in Neve Tzedek

48 AriseNow

From these sea shores in Jaffa, Jonah boarded a ship and left for Tarshish.

BUT JONAH ROSE TO FLEE TO TARSHISH FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. HE WENT DOWN TO JOPPA AND FOUND A SHIP GOING TO TARSHISH. SO HE

PAID THE FARE AND WENT DOWN INTO IT, TO GO WITH THEM TO TARSHISH, AWAY FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

JONAH 1:3


WWW.ARISEGENERATION.ORG

50 AriseNow

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

Highlight the dates, October 10-15 in your calendars. This is when the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, the ICEJ, will open up the doors for the yearly Feast of Tabernacles celebrations. This year’s theme is Restoration, and it will truly be a feast with Jesus in the centre as thou-sands of people from all corners of the world will gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the King of the Jews, Jesus Christ. The Feast can in many ways be compared to the stories from the book of Acts, where people of all colours, tongues and languages came together in unity to big up the Most High, and to exalt His name which forever is above all other names.

Such a multicultural event with thousands of participants would not be possible unless the body of Christ comes together as one, with all of us using our God given gifts for the Kingdom. It is not an easy task to organize an event of this calibre and it requires hard work. The bible says that we all are members of one body and in order for the body to work correctly in harmony, all members must do their part, and it is the same thing with all the different departments working to make the Feast a success. Not one part of the body is less important than the other, and they all need one another to function to the fullest. Just like the speakers are in need of the sound technicians, so are the dancers depending on the musicians, and if it weren’t for the usher’s, nurses or security guards the Feast would not be the same.

FEAST of TABERNACLESPRESENTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM

If you feel called to join us in Jerusalem this October, don’t procrastinate, get in touch with us and we will find you a place on the 2014 Feast of Tabernacles Feast volunteer team. It’s an opportunity of a life time which you will never forget.

http://feast.icej.org/volunteer-1


PilgrimBethany, 20 AustraliaI love the conference, it’s pretty transforming, and it has impacted me a whole lot so far. I can’t wait to see what’s next in store. Young adults should come visit next year’s feast, they will surely be em-powered.

PilgrimChristabelle, 22, Canada This year’s Feast has been re-ally great, and I can tell that all the speakers have been touched by God. The messag-es that I have received have been really relevant to my life. I would like to encourage other young Christians from the world to come to Israel, it’s an experience that they will never forget.

PilgrimClinton Zhen, 24, SingaporeI came to Israel with my father who is an experienced traveller in Israel. The Feast of Tabernacles has been amazing and I have really been touched by the Lord through the worship. Every morning I get touched by the Lord. The messages given by the speakers have all been very edifying and given me fresh revelations from the Lord.

Volunteer Registration Tina Hartikainen, FinlandThis year I am volunteering in the Registration department, it’s been quite tough but much fun. We are in charge of the badges for all groups and pilgrims that come to the Feast and we are also selling tickets. One of the biggest chal-lenges for us is when big groups with over 30 people come. Then one has to try to remain calm and focused. If you get along with people and like to meet new ones I suggest you should try and volunteer for the registration department next year.

Volunteer Singer Dorothy Bedford, USA. SingerSinging at the Feast is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I feel it is an opportunity to get a glimpse into heaven. Seeing all different types of people, different languages, and different cultural backgrounds come together to honour the ONE TRUE GOD, Jehovah. It’s really special. Everyone should be afforded this experience at least once in their lifetime. After all, isn’t that what the FEAST is, a rehearsal for what will truly be?

Volunteer MusicTim Malilin, 25 Philippines. Bass guitarTo see the nations, every nation serving one God, one Jesus and one voice, is amazing. Another thing is that you get attached to the feast family, and it doesn’t go away. You are excited to see them, and you are excited to meet new people.

Volunteer TranslationMaren, 31, Germany. TranslationIn the translation department we are trying to translate simultaneously. Sometimes it can be challenging to translate fast speakers, especially in the mornings, but I still love it very much. I would definitely recommend others to come and volunteer in the translation department. It’s one thing that the job is fun, but even more, the whole volun-teer community thing is amazing. We all live together with the dancers and the musicians and there are all types of people from all countries and it’s just fun, everyone is waiting for the next year to see one another again and some are coming back year after year, it’s really fun.

During the Feast of 2013, 178 volunteers from different countries came together to work in various capacities in order to make the Feast a real-

ity. This year we are once again asking for your support. All ages are welcome to participate, but as Arise, the young adult chapter of the ICEJ,

we are especially urging all young adults to come up to Jerusalem and give a couple of days of their time to the service of the Lord.

If you feel called to join us in Jerusalem this October, don’t procrastinate, get in touch with us and we will find you a place on the 2014 Feast of Tabernacles Feast volunteer team. It’s an opportunity of a life time which you will never forget.

http://feast.icej.org/volunteer-1

52 AriseNow

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Arisenow issue.7

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Transcript of Arisenow issue.7