What happens when God answers prayers was something a young, new leadership team from Christians Standing with Israel (CSI) experienced firsthand. This summer, for the first time, they assumed full responsibility for a group of 43 travelers. Their shared impression: the leadership of the June 2023 trip to Israel, organized by Young CSI, did not lie with them, but with God.
“At first, I thought it made no difference whether I flew to Morocco or to Israel,” said one participant from our June 2023 trip as we gathered for our closing discussion. Now, this same participant is part of our team of volunteers at Young Christians Standing with Israel (JCSI). He has come to understand the difference between Israel and other vacation destinations. Next year, he wants to help lead a tour group and share the experience he had with others.
Our JCSI trips focus on theological topics, such as the Jewish Jesus, the olive tree, and the history of the covenant, as well as addressing antisemitism and replacement theology in our church history. Therefore, we meet Holocaust survivors on every trip. This time, thanks to the organization of Alex Dietze, we were able to meet a large group of them and even invite them to lunch, thanks to the generosity of our Jewish partner, Keren Hayesod, and its chairman, Sammy Endzweig.
Donations from the network of Christians standing with Israel enabled six students and trainees to fly to Israel – without this funding, they would not have been able to make the trip. We let them tell us in their own words what they experienced there and how the trip changed them:
Christina: “As German Christians, we have a mandate to transform the Jewish people from a curse into a blessing.”
“The ten-day tour was packed with encounters, adventures, and new impressions. Of course, swimming in the Dead Sea, the boat trip on the Sea of Galilee, the campfire in the Judean Desert, and the hike in the beautiful En Gedi were among the highlights, but the greatest enrichment was getting to know and understand Jesus better. This happened in two ways: by getting to know his homeland and his family. At the same time, the trip gave me a new perspective on the Jewish people and awakened a love for them within me—through the realization that we non-Jews, ‘thanks’ to our rejection of the Messiah, have been included in the Jewish story of salvation. […]
Many of the Israelis we had the privilege of meeting inspired me in several ways. In particular, my encounter with a Jewish woman named Ronel, who lives with her family in the Judean Desert. Bedouin attacks on their property are always a possibility, but the family chooses not to worry about tomorrow. Instead, they thank God every morning for the new day they are allowed to live on earth. […]
I was also impressed by the Jewish people's love for the Torah: Ronel told me that her grandson will remain at the Torah school until he can not only recite the Torah from memory, but rather until it is inscribed in his heart. This shows how much many Jews strive to truly and genuinely know God and to obey and follow Him wholeheartedly.
In short, the trip to Israel deeply touched me, and I am very grateful for the sponsorship that made it possible. Through every single encounter, I learned something new about the country, the state, the culture, and Judaism – and therefore also about myself and my own faith.
At the same time, she motivated me, as a current student of politics and economics, to specialize in Middle Eastern politics next year, so that I might one day be a positive voice for Israel myself. The visit to Yad Vashem and the boat trip with Holocaust survivors made it clear to me that we, especially as German Christians, have a mandate to transform the curse of the Holocaust into a blessing for the Jewish people, and I would like to contribute to that myself
Jael: “God keeps his promise, yes, he keeps his word.”
"This promise accompanied me throughout my ten-day trip to Israel, shaping and transforming me. It was the common thread running through my journey. I was privileged to rediscover and come to love God anew in his faithfulness and love for Israel. There wasn't just one highlight; there were countless small moments that ultimately became a great treasure for me. A treasure that I now carry with me, one that nothing and no one in the world can take from me.".
When we took a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee, I couldn't help thinking about the story of Jesus and his disciples. Jesus said they would cross to the other side. Then came the storm, the fear, and the distress. The despair, the worry, and above all, the lack of trust in Jesus. How often do I have moments in my life when circumstances threaten me, when I feel like I'm drowning, like I have no control, and am almost at the point of despair? How often am I just like the disciples: seeing the storm, seeing the fear and the hopelessness, instead of following the voice of the Holy Spirit? Looking at the storm and not at the one who calmed it. Very quietly, very slowly, I remember his promise again: We will cross to the other side. […]
We also recognize God's greatness through prophecies from the Old Testament. While we were traveling in the desert, something became clear to me: More and more settlers are coming to the desert, cultivating, planting, and inhabiting it. More and more Jews are returning from the Diaspora and beginning to live in Israel. Something has begun that cannot be stopped. […]
God fulfills his own promises. He brings his sons and daughters home. He calls his beloved and chosen people home. The God of Israel begins to make the desert a living place again. […] I want to contribute, through prayer and practical support, to comforting God's people and bringing his sons and daughters home. I want to bless Israel. […]
The Jewish people yearn for the coming of the Messiah. It is not merely a waiting, it is a longing, a cry from the soul, unable to wait to see its Messiah. This is the attitude of heart I desire for my own life and for the lives of Christians in Germany, according to Revelation 22:30: that we long for our King, seek Him, and pray to Him. That we, as a bride, wait passionately for the Bridegroom. The Messiah, Jesus Christ, will return. To Israel, to Jerusalem, to the Mount of Olives. God has announced it, and it will happen. For God keeps His word. He stands by His promises. What joy! L'Shana Haba'ah b`Yerushalayim. Next year in Jerusalem!
Anny: "The journey is only just beginning."
"Through this journey I was able to understand what a perfect plan God has for his people and the land of Israel, and what role I play in it all. Grafted as a wild olive branch into the cultivated olive tree, I am allowed to be a fragrance of the Messiah to the Jews, to arouse their jealousy and awaken in them a longing for their Messiah (Romans 11).".
God has opened hearts on this journey and simultaneously raised so many questions. As one fellow traveler said in the closing discussion, "The journey is only just beginning!" I can only agree. It's only now that I'm truly beginning to explore God's heartfelt theme, and I'm so excited to discover and understand it more and more. I received my beloved Jesus from the Jews, and I want to get to know him and his origins more deeply. It began in Israel and will likely continue throughout my life
For more than ten years, Christians Alongside Israel two trips annually for young Christians aged 18 to 35. These trips were previously known as Israel Connect. With the merger of Israel Connect and the ReformaZION network under the new name Young CSI, a generational shift has also taken place in the trip leadership teams. Our goal is, and remains, to help young Christians find their place alongside Israel.
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 134. You can order the newspaper free of charge here. We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
