January 8, 2008

30 Tevet, 5768


 

Dear Praying Friends,


In this letter:

- Our Week in New York

- A Personal Revelation and a New Freedom

- Teens at Nes Harim

- The End of a Season

- New Beginnings

- A New Way at Emmaus

- Arni's Germany Trip

- A Perspective on Politics


Our Week in New York


We arrived in New York on December 25th. Our son Jonathan (whom we had not seen for a year) came from Australia; our daughter Stephanie from California; Arni’s brother Dennis from Italy; and we from Israel. Arni’s mother had been intubated, breathing with the help of a respirator, and heavily sedated for nearly two weeks. By the 27th a decision needed to be made. The tube could not stay in any longer. The doctors had been unsuccessful in getting her to breathe on her own without the help of the machine. For two hours we all talked and prayed and counseled with the doctor. The question before us was, if she didn’t breathe on her own when the machine was turned off, would we elect to have a tracheostomy done and connect her to a respirator? In her living will mom had stipulated that she did not want to be kept alive with machines or fed artificially. Our main concern was for her salvation. As far as we could tell, she had not ever openly given her life to the Lord. As we considered this, our son brought out the fact that Mom has heard the gospel for over thirty years. She has all the information. At this point, God did not necessarily need our help to reveal Himself to her. The desire to hear her pray was really for us…more specifically for Arni.

We had done all we could. It was time to place Mom in the hands of the Lord. To everyone’s surprise, when the breathing tube was removed and the respirator turned off, she immediately began to breathe normally. We are so very thankful to you all for praying and to the Lord for hearing. As things are progressing, she could be back in her own apartment within a few days.

 

Release and Freedom

As is often the case, God did more than we expected. To this point I had not so clearly focused on the fact that there was something I wanted from my mother. I was hoping that in this moment, especially if Mom’s time was at hand, I could connect with her true heart, even for just an instant. For reasons we won’t go into, in all the years, I have never had the sense of a deep, transparent, intimate connect with my mother. The question that was raised in our family meeting -- “who was it for?” -- reverberated in my being, confronting me with the need to let go of wanting anything from her. This moment was all about her and God, not about her and me. It’s amazing how that seemingly small decision changed my life.

Beloved, wanting anything from anyone, apart from God, thinking we need something other than the Presence of God, makes us unable to walk in fullness and wholeness. Such desire is like looking to a respirator to help us breathe instead of looking to God alone.

 

Tel Aviv Teens at Nes Harim

A few days after our return, a group of thirty young Israelis comprised of teens and their leaders from the Tel Aviv area came to the Center for a Friday/ Saturday retreat. We have waited and prayed for the opportunity to serve the local body as well as those coming from the nations.


From what we saw, experienced, and heard from the leaders, the day was a smashing success. Everyone loved being out here, away from it all. Their program and our facilities allowed space for a variety of experiences even in the short time they were with us. There was opportunity to be quiet before Him, to worship, share the Word of God, hike in nature, barbecue, and just hang out. They hope to come back soon for a longer time with the teens and to also organize an outing with the local young adults group.

 

A Season’s End

As we sit in the center of God’s Hand, we can declare by faith that all change is good, regardless of how it feels or looks. Pruning, transplanting, and other such alterations in our state of being are normal occurrences in the course of life. Having said that, and giving full mental assent without reservation or hesitation, I find there is yet a tendency within me/us that tends to look at unrequested shifts in the status quo in such a way so as to wonder what went wrong. I cannot help but admit this propensity…drive…need…to blame someone or something. Really, does this not emanate from the heart of our fallen nature? Emmaus Way has gone through a season that would certainly have lent itself to being looked at in such a way.

Having said that, we have some news to share with you. A year ago, after being around his parents for thirty-two years, our son and ministry administrator felt the need to step out and find a place of his own. With God’s help we recovered from the personal loss of not having our children and grandchildren within touching distance, and with Michael’s help, the ministry did not suffer any administrative trauma whatsoever.


For the last year our dear friend Michael has given of himself in service to Emmaus Way at great personal cost. Firstly, his passion and call has never been administration. But there was a need and he stepped in to fill it. On top of that, since our move out of Tel Aviv, for the last two and a half years, Michael has spent four hours a day getting to and from work by train. This also has been no small sacrifice. According to what we all witness as the Lord’s good pleasure, Michael has sensed that the time has come for him to move from his present situation into something yet to be revealed. We pray and expect that this change will be for him like going from running to flying. Surely God’s blessings make us rich without any sorrow added to it.

We want to honor, thank and bless our friend for the priceless service he has given over the past six years, and ask you to pray for the wings of the Spirit to take him on into the next blessings God has in store for him.


New Beginnings

There are no gaps in God’s plans. His ways are so amazing and wonderful. Just as Michael is seeing a new door opening, David’s wife Katya (who lives here on the property… David has been caring for the practical needs of the center for half a year) has been working for a family helping care for several handicapped children. Her job is just now ending as her employers have hired a live-in foreign worker. In addition to Katya’s artistic gifts (she is a trained painter and graphic artist) she has over seven years' experience as manger/administrator of a Jerusalem antiquities business. Our office is literally on the other side of their living room wall. Michael is presently training Katya (who is fluent in Russian, Hebrew, and English) to take the administrative reins of Emmaus Way. It appears that this shift is a blessing from every angle.

Last year we met a couple of folks with a wonderful anointing to lead and teach worship. Our connection was so nice, we had the sense that there might well be some kind of ongoing thing between us. But as their path led them elsewhere, it seemed that our wondering would not be materializing anytime soon. Recently our paths crossed again. This time we found the connection substantial enough to invite them to abide here with us for a season to see what the Lord might desire to do with us all. We all sense an exciting potential before us.

 

Same Emmaus in a New Way

Emmaus Way today is different in structure than it was. In the past, we had a team of people whose lives were connected through where we lived, what we did, and where our support came from. We were a community of which Arni and Yonit were founders, visionaries and leaders. As many of you know, last December, as a result of conditions and situations on various levels, not the least of which being the fact that Arni’s gifts did not extend to pastoring people in such a setting, the Lord led us to dissolve the team. Except for Yonit and Arni, all the others moved into Jerusalem. It was obvious we could not administrate the Center ourselves and needed practical help to care for the premises and guests coming in and out. Knowing that, we were committed to not return to the old form or structure. Here we sit watching with wide-mouth-amazement as the Lord does His work. He is bringing ministries together with a similar heart, understanding, passion, and calling. He is not gathering us all under one ministry title but allowing us each to maintain our identity and uniqueness. We are committed to work together concerning the practical needs of running and maintaining the Center. None of us are the others' covering, and all have freedom to function in our giftings and callings apart from the practical work, as the Spirit leads. God is constructing a community of interrelated ministries. We invite you to visit David and Katya’s website at www.emisrael.info.

 

Arni's Trip to Germany

On Thursday I (Arni) will fly to Germany for two weeks. I’ll be meeting leaders and ministering in Nuremberg for the first time. This is a very important city. Please pray we will find the pathway to the heart of the Body in the city, and that the word the Lord has given us will be received and bear fruit. I’ll go from there to visit with Saxonian leaders and churches with which we already have relationship to seek the next step to implement the vision of a movement among the youth to pray for and come to Israel.

 

A Spiritual Perspective on Current Political Events

Let's start with a few questions. Do you believe what politicians say and what the media reports? Do you believe that President George W. Bush is really in the driver's seat, or that the real movers and shakers of the world are behind the scenes? Do you believe that the enemy has a plan that he began implementing before 1992…or even before 1967?

The situation concerning the fate and destiny of nations is in principle no different than that concerning individuals. Without God we don’t know who we are or where we are going. We are lost and will forever wander in darkness. Without Yeshua there is no way for us to get to God. Without the covering of His blood, there is no way we can stand in God’s Presence or receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In short, without Him we have no hope. Without Him there are no answers and no solutions.

As we said, all of this is as true for nations as it is for individuals. The events surrounding Israel and the Middle East, as radical and extreme as they appear, are simply a picture, an expose, a stripped-bare look at what lies in the heart of all peoples and nations. God bless George Bush. But neither he nor any other world leader can fix what was broken 6000 years ago. Only King Yeshua can and will.
 

It’s not a matter of what is going to happen, but how. The issue is not if it's going to happen, but when. Let us lay up our treasure in eternity, building the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men.

 

May God bless you from Zion!

        Your servants…

For the Glory of His Name,

        Arni and Yonit


 

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Emmaus Way is a faith ministry dependent upon the support of God’s people.