After we left Australia, we spent 5 days in India where we flew from Bombay to Cairo, Egypt. We landed in Cairo, but we had no idea where and what to do the next 2 months in Middle East, we first spent several days in Cairo, where we get five days off from the team, we used the time
to rest and spend time with God . After several days in Cairo we went to Alexandria where we thought to take a boat to Turkey, our plane was to serve in Turkey for several weeks and then through Syria and Jordan enter into Israel, but it would be only a miracle from God that we get a ship to Turkey, we could not find a boat in Alexandria, and we went east to Port Said where we found a man who told us that there are possibilities, but we should wait for a few days, after 4 days of waiting and asking Gods blessing for the plans, the Lord closed the door to Turkey and we went for Israel. We arrived very late at the border between Egypt and Israel and decided to sleep on the beach and from there begins our experience with the Egyptian and later with Israeli police, we spend 10 hours in
the Egyptian police and 8 hours on Israel border where they reviewed all possible on us and in our bags.
Late in the evening we finally entered Israel:) Three weeks in Egypt were very difficult for me spiritually, I think the worst three weeks in these 2 years of Global Challenge. Spiritually and physically I was very tired, a couple of times I thought that was enough and I want to go home, I was very attacked but thank God for His grace and strength. After we had crossed the border, I felt so much freedom in the Spirit, I felt free in the Spirit soon as we entered Israel and I was ready for a new challenge. After a night on the red sea beach (which is legal in Israel) we began hitchhiking to Haifa. In Haifa, we had a contact that we found from brother Kenny (Kenny spent a month with us in India, after India, Kenny has
traveled to Israel and found the contacts for us) so we were more than welcome in Haifa at Mount Caramel where the church, Caramel Assembly is. After 400 km of hitchhiking and spending the night in Tel Aviv city park:) We arrived Haifa, Mount Caramel, where brothers and sisters welcomed us. Caramel Assembly is a church that was started 20 years ago. The service began with opening of a rehab canter "House of Victory," where later Caramel Assembly was born. The church is located on Mount Caramel, if you read in 1 Kings 18 is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal, the story happened at Mount Caramel . We served 3 weeks in the church, we built two walls and cleaned around the church and the rest of the day would be with the children from Sudan. Caramel Assembly has a home for refugee children and women from Sudan who would walk across the desert from Cairo to the border and try to illegally cross the border, many would be killed on the border from the Egyptian
army so we had two small children whose mother was killed by the Egyptian army. If they manage to cross, the Israeli government helps them to survive. So now there is about 15 - 20 women with their children. Besides the children a lot of time we spent time with workers of Caramel Assembly, brother Scott, Colin, Elijah, Butch, Gidon, sister Rene, Rita ... we were really blessed with brother Peter Tsukhaira (I recommend
Luke 10: 1 - 12
10:1 After this, the Lord appointed seventy other disciples and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place that he intended to go.
10:2 He was telling them, "The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.
10:3 Get going! See, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
10:4 Do not carry a wallet, a traveling bag, or sandals, and do not greet anyone on the Way.
10:5 "Whatever house you go into, first say, 'May there be peace in this house."
10:6 If a peaceful person lives there, your greeting of peace will remain with him. But if that's not the case, your greeting will come back to you.
10:7 Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the worker deserves his pay. Do not move from house to house.
10:8 "Whenever you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat whatever they serve you,
10:9 Heal the sick that are there, and tell them, 'The kingdom of God
is near you! "
10:10 But whenever you go into a town and people do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say,
10:11 'We are wiping off your town's dust that clings to our feet in protest against you! But realize this: the kingdom of God is near! "
10:12 I tell you, on that day it will be easier for Sodom than for that town! "
When we entered the Old City through Lion Gate I remembered a church where we served last year, we decided to go to the church and ask if we can sleep there, when we came to the church there was nobody to talk English so that they could not help us. But while we were near the church, Stoffel has heard that someone speaks Afrikaans, and began to call out the person who spoke Afrikaans and one woman from the neighborhood appeared and I immediately recognized her (Evelyn), it was our host from last year in Jerusalem, We had coffee with her and we were able to explain what we do and she immediately called out sisters from Coptic Church in Bethlehem, where
we could spend the next three days, sister Evelyn has blessed us with 220 Israeli shekels, with which we could pay the hostel and bus tickets back to Haifa. In Bethlehem, we spent 3 days, we were digging a cave during the day and in the evening walk in town and shared the gospel with people. After three days we returned to Haifa. Luke 10 was very challenging, we had our Bible, passports, cameras and a lot of faith that the Lord would provide for us, the first two days were very difficult, how many times we just thought that the Lord is not with us and that this is not His will but we went in faith and God as always remained faithful to his word. He provide in small things like our working clothes, toilet staff, food, a place to sleep and we could share the gospel. The most important lesson was that we must wait for the divine, right God time, because we spent all day on the Mount of Olives praying, in the moment we
came down to the old town and the moment we heard the voice of our African sisters to talk on the phone, if we were 5 minutes later before we would never heard the voice of our sister and who knows what would happened to us, let's be patient and wait on the Lords voice that He will show to new steps for our lifes. Glory to God.
When we returned to Mount Caramel, we started with a new blessing, as this year or this two years is approaching the end God had a special plan for me / us, after all blessings I have received in this 2 years from Lord this showed me – How awesome GOD we serve
School of Ministry is part of Caramel Assembly a school which lasts for two weeks includes learning from the new and old Testament, about Israel and the nations with visiting bible
places in Israel. We were invited by Peter Tsukhaira to serve at the school and all we would do is to help in the kitchen and be 'sheep dogs':) and we could be part off all teachings from Peter Tsukhaira, David Davis and many others. As 'Sheep dog' we would go to certain places like Galilee, Mt. Hermon, Jerusalem ... and our job was keep everyone together and not to lose someone and protect them if they have problems. So we had a group of 72 Spanish speaking people ( Mexico, Peru, USA, Colombia ) for 2 weeks. About the school I can write another new blog, but the teachings that we received and spiritual growth is huge. The blessing that we could be part of the school is huge, we would never be able to pay financially but the Lord is good, every ticket was paid , all food, sleeping places, a blessing that I could never imagine, Lord is good.
We were at Mt. Hermon near the border of Lebanon and Syria, one of the biggest enemies of Israel, we had the privilege to pray for peace between Israel and Lebanon-Syria near the border and declare that Yeshua is King and Savior of the Nations. My challenge to you is to stand in prayer for Israel and the Church of Christ in Israel, to stand together for a small church in Israel, but a new church, which appeared in Israel after 2000 years, Jews and Arabs are turning to Christ and seeking for His Kingdom , pray for the two brothers, Isaac and Ishmael to turn their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Pray for protection over Israel.
I hope you enjoyed reading my new blog. For sure I can say that Lord is working in many new ways in my life, from new knowledge, better understanding of His words and His great faithfulness in my life.
With blessings.
Darko Rajic
Global Challenge Expeditions - Work Your Way 2010
www.gcex.org