Saturday, 20 April 2024

Back to Jerusalem

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visit was also planned that day to visit Jan Willem van der Hoeven and his wife Ellen. We had also brought a nice amount of money to Israel for them. We were very warmly welcomed. We had known each other for years and the relationship was good. We supported them 1 or 2 x a year with a contribution for organizing the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. After a lot of catching up we went back to our hotel. The Christ Church had become a familiar place for us where we loved to stay.

for the loveApparently it had become known by now that we represented a congregation specially called to support Israel, and so it happened that one morning we were approached by the pastor of the church on the site and author of the book 'For the love of Zion'
Kelvin Crombie, which was about the origin of the Christ Church, He invited us to have breakfast with him the next morning because he was very curious about our work in the Banier. We were very honored and thanked God for this opportunity. 'For the love of Zion' Kelvin Crombie, which was about the birth of Christ Church

And so the next morning we sat on the terrace with him having breakfast looking at the beautiful Christ Church. He was impressed by our story and gave us a copy of his book with an encouraging personal word for the Banier, our church. What a privilege to have met this man. For us, the day already started with a special blessing and more were to follow!

Again to Israel, continued

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t the Christ Church hotel we met Chana again, the Dutch volunteer we met on our first visit to Israel.
We told her that we were going to visit the settlement that we supported as a municipality that day, because we were also allowed to bring a nice amount there. Chana had been working in Israel for many years but had never visited a settlement. We invited her to join us and this great opportunity was like a miracle for her. It was a beautiful settlement with 'Self Support'.

koenWe were warmly welcomed and shown around the company. We were grateful to be able to help make several much-needed facilities possible. When we returned to our hotel late in the afternoon, we saw our guide from our first visit to Israel walking by. He asked us if we were planning to do anything, otherwise he wanted to show us the place Silo, which afterwards was a nice ride through deserted land. On the way we stopped once more and he shared with great passion his vision from a biblical perspective about the future of God's people.

Shiloh was where the Ark of the Covenant had stood for a long time. Once there we climbed a Watchman's Post and were deeply impressed by the beautiful country. There we proclaimed together God's peace and protection. Suddenly the thought occurred to me to ask him again about the question of Judah and Ephraim, because it was clear to me that this must be something important.

Again to Israel, continued-2

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ust when I wanted to ask him about this I felt a heaviness come over me and spoke the Lord to me; No, don't ask!  We got up and wanted to walk back down the high stairs of the post, when our guide suddenly turned around and asked; Do you have a little time, because then I can tell you something about Judah and Ephraim. So that was it, the Lord wanted to make it clear to me that this emanated from HIM! We walked back and sat down again.

My heart raced with excitement and I returned my video camera to record mode. Our guide brought his harp and said; Sometimes you can hear him sing. He lifted it high above his head and truly beautiful sounds came out that sang away in this unbelievable silence. Then he began to explain by his harp the story of Judah and Ephraim. With tears in my eyes I was able to capture his story on my camera. For the 5th time the Lord had determined me here, I prayed softly, Lord please explain it to me very clearly!!

Our last visit on this trip was Eilat, led to the Shelter by Jhon and Judy Pex. This time we were going to meet them and we were really looking forward to it. We had the plan to support them, and already brought a nice amount for them. We wanted to record an interview to introduce our home front to this beautiful evangelistic work. It moved me that Judy told me that for many years now she and her husband John had been preaching the gospel for 'Alle Natien' there, but that she now also wanted to reach her own people, the Jewish people.

johnpexShe clearly told this with tears in her eyes. In my mind came the vision that the Lord Jesus had shown me prior to the commission to plant a church, and that He let out a cry from His heart because of the deep desire that His own people would come to recognize Him as the Messiah. Confirmation to me that this was God's work. We could hear and experience it up close. We saw Russian immigrants doing Bible study together in a corner of the Shelter. We witnessed the evangelization service on Friday evening which was translated into many languages. And then the famous BIG pot of food, cooked by John himself. was carried inside. And yes there was a plate full for everyone and I'm talking about an average, if we counted, of 60 people. The days in Eilat we also stayed in the Shelter. Neat, clean and practical.

The morning of our departure we received a special couple at our breakfast table, namely. the author of the booklet 'Fifty years after Auschwitz' Leny Zomerdijk and her husband. The booklet was about a report of an earlier conference held in Berlin and Evian les Bains (1938 and 1988). She gave me the last copy of her last edition that she still had with her after hearing our story and testimony. She wrote a nice word of encouragement in the front. There was no other way, this too was an encounter organized by God. Around noon we were taken to the airport by John. During our flight home I read the book in one breath. What an impressive report! And what a lot we had to tell when we got home. We landed safely in Amsterdam/Schiphol and thanked God for this great trip.

Judah and Ephraim

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anwillem v.d. Hoeven had already invited John a few times come to Israel. He knew John was a lavish praiser, and he could see him right at the front, dancing and singing at the great Jerusalem march held each year. John, however, kept saying to me, you go now, it is much too expensive to make this trip together. If I then suggested that he go alone, he didn't like it either. We had been there together in our younger years and that was enough for him. But every time I came to Israel, the first thing Jan Willem asked me was; Where's John?

So one day I got him to the point that he had decided to come along. So I ordered the plane tickets, and informed Jan Willem that John would come along to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles! But what happened completely unexpectedly? One day we got into such a fight that neither of us wanted to make the trip anymore. How could we be a blessing? I canceled the trip and still had to pay quite a bit for it. A disappointment but also sad of course and I didn't understand why this had to happen?

Shortly afterwards I had a speaking engagement at one of Aglow's departments. Due to a renovation of the coffee room, the meetings had been moved to the large Church Hall. After my speech, I sat down in the back of the room to think about the message I had brought. Suddenly my eyes were drawn to beautiful stained glass windows that could be seen at the front of the church at the top. Windows with Hebrew letters. I don't know Hebrew but something caught my attention. Suddenly in my mind I heard the voice of the Lord say; Adrie, come to Israel, I would like to see you there. What do Yoy say Lord? I had to process this! But why did it happen that I had to cancel our trip? I didn't understand this.

That same evening I attended an introductory evening at Fia's home with leaders from different churches. It was a nice evening and afterwards we stayed to talk with some acquaintances when one of them said; Frans, {the husband of a friend of mine} is not going to Israel. If someone wants to take over their ticket, I can arrange it that way. My heart thumped in my throat. This was a helping hand from the Lord. When I got home I told this to John, and he thought so too and that I should seize this opportunity. And so it happened that I unexpectedly came to sleep in a room with my dear friend Anneke, Frans's wife, and was allowed to experience a great journey.

yomkippurOne evening, it was at the end of Yom Kippur that Anneke and I went to the Temple Square. We first joined the women who always stood or sat to the righ t of the wall. There was a large screen between the women and men. The women always read or pray in silence. But we were full of fire and desire to express this too. The Jewish men who were standing in front of the partition were praying fervently and that attracted us much more. We wanted to pray with them. Now we could hear them but hardly see them behind the high partition. So we decided to put two chairs on a table and hook up so close to these men full of fire. We began to praise and invoke the Lord loudly for the very tense time Israel was in at that time. It must have been a strange sight and actually very inappropriate. Yet no one stopped us. So I was also allowed to go to the Feast of Tabernacles this year.

After the end of Yom Kippur and the Shabbat with a lot of sound from the many Rams horns, the men all got a glass of wine, which we could see from our place. Suddenly one of those who had been standing close to us turned around and handed Anneke and me a glass of wine over the wall. What a special blessing this was for us It was as if heaven had literally connected us with the Jewish People .

Our divorce

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imes of trial had left their marks. Through a buyout arrangement of John his business, he came to sit at home at a fairly young age. For some this was a blessing but not for John. He felt discarded by this company where he was practically all his life. People in our area were told this and increasingly asked John to do odd jobs for them in and around their homes. He always found it difficult to say no, so he was rarely home during the day. Unfortunately, he also often stayed longer in the evening with these people, and a beer was always there ready for him.

Eventually I started to say something about it, but it didn't go down well soil. Talking about it normally was no longer possible in the long run. Anger and aggression were on the order of the day. We lived completely past each other. It had none for me want more to stay together, I wanted to leave!

I had asked my sister and brother-in-law to pick me up if John wasn't home, because I knew that he wouldn't just let me go. And that turned out to be the case. He asked me one more time not to leave, but my decision was firm. A journey of 40 years of marriage has come to an end. My sister and brother-in-law drove up our street on time and took me to their beautiful mansion where I could safely recover from the tensions of recent years, It would be a stay of almost 2 years!

Our Divorce (continued)

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s I slowly settled under the wing of my sister and brother-in-law, I heard John was sinking further and further into not only alcohol but also drugs. Our children who were still trying to contact him, but could no longer reach him, which did not make the situaion of our divorce any easier. Meanwhile, God's plan for my life turned out to continue despite everything that was going on. I enjoyed the peace and love with which I was embraced by my family. A heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders i enjoyed every day. I no longer had to tiptoe and felt immense freedom. I felt God's presence in everything I experienced.

One day my sister and brother-in-law told me that they had felt separately that it would be good if I went to Israel again. I didn't expect that at all in this situation, moreover I didn't have the money for that! But that same morning we were visiting another sister and brother-in-law who suggested the same thing without knowing about each other. I understood that this could not be a coincidence, but how? When we came home in the afternoon and emptied the mailbox, there was an Israel newsletter for me. I read with interest the latest news from the messianic congregations. On the back of the magazine, I noticed an ad and prayer call for new volunteers in the Carmel Branch in Haifa.

The busy season of the Feast of Tabernacles was approaching and many hands were needed to accommodate the expected guests. My heart skipped a beat because the organization that made this call was precisely the church in Haifa that I had visited with Fia at the time and where we were so impressed by the miracles that God had done in this church. Moreover, it had been my long-time desire to do volunteer work in Israel. God had a plan for me in Israel that became clear to me.

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A new door that God was going to open

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hat same week I would go for a weekend to friends who had moved to Leeuwarden after the closure of our congregation. Our divorce had also affected them greatly because John had always been a good friend of theirs and  they regretted the situation. During that weekend I told them about the proposal my sisters and brothers-in-law had made to go to Israel again and that I really wanted to, especially to go to 'Carmel', but where did i get the money from? They asked me the question; Is there no money left in the account after the congregation has closed?

No that was not the case. The money that was still in the account was divided in consultation and transferred to the causes that we had supported for years. Besides, our work has relied on volunteers from the beginning and no money had ever been used for personal interest. Thinking about this, it occurred to me that sound equipment still had to be sold and there were a few candidates for that. They suggested discussing this with Fia and whether a ticket could not be paid for me. After all, I had voluntarily led the congregation for years? After a conversation with Fia this was no problem at all and the Lord had arranged a ticket to Israel for me.

714In the meantime, many acquaintances had heard about our divorce and had strong opinions about it. I had left my husband and now God could never use me again, not for my Aglow work but also not for my work for Israel.
I myself had already decided, in consultation with Aglow's senior management, to stop my work because of these circumstances, but the harsh judgment saddened me because no one but us together knew what was the basis of our separation. Intensely sad I turned to God, did He feel the same way? In that week my brother-in-law brought the good news that had come from Israel.

I was made very welcome and they looked forward to meeting and working with me. My faith and trust had been tested, but He who remains faithful had not cast me out and a new door opened for me!



House for sale

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n the meantime I had contacted John in connection with the unavoidable sale of our house. It was clear that John had been unable to provide any maintenance and had completely lost himself in alcohol and drugs. On the urgent advice of a friend, he voluntarily admitted himself to a clinic. I visited him there in the hope that he would agree to the sale. I was shocked by his appearance. We couldn't talk about the sale of our house. Unfinished business we went home. It had first entered my heart again to pray for John, how could he have let himself sink so far? It didn't let go of me.

At that time I also visited an Israel meeting of a befriended couple from Israel. He had spoken several times in our municipality De Banier. For years he had been Pastor of the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem and was now director of a worldwide foundation. He had heard of our divorce and from then on he avoided all contact with me.However, his wife came to me this evening and told me about the divorce of her own parents and the sadness about it. She asked me if she could pray for us, which I found hard to refuse.On the hard cold stones of that church she knelt before me and began to beg God to restore our marriage. At some distance I saw our youngest son, who I had come with that evening, watching this spectacle, and I wondered what his thoughts were?

This dear friend's heartfelt prayer would remain in my memory forever. I went home with a multitude of questions and thoughts.

Only to Israel to do volunteer work

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ntil now I had never been to Israel alone, nor had I ever flown alone. I had offered my services in the organization's household. I thought it was quite exciting, but I had to succeed. Our daughter brought me to the airport with her boyfriend. She also thought it was quite exciting for me and some tears flowed. The two granddaughters who had also accompanied me had put together a few nice puzzle books as a surprise for me to pass the time on the plane. Every now and then I take them out of my drawer and am always moved by their kind words to me, their Grandma.

carmel3Arriving at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel Tel Aviv, I continued my journey by train to Haifa, where I was picked up at approximately the last stop by two Carmel employees who were already waiting for me, greeted me very warmly and then rode the minibus to Carmel. They were two nice young girls, with whom I would have a lot of fun later. It was already late in the evening and it was therefore very quiet in the Large building where the Bibleschool and the Guest House were located. I was taken to the large kitchen where I was treated to delicious pancakes specially baked by residents for the 'new guest'. Then I was taken to one of the guesthouses where I would have my stay for the next month. I thanked God for the prosperous journey, the loving reception, and the beautiful spacious room. What would I experience? I was wondering!!

The next morning at 10:00 am I was going to meet Rita Tsukahira, who was in charge of everything that had to do with the household, but also led the Bible school, group tours, and all kinds of care together with her husband Peter Tsukahira addicts and single mothers. Surprising to me was that she too was familiar with Aglow's work worldwide. It was a cordial introduction. I was introduced to the sister who told me what my duties would be. Make your own breakfast in the kitchen between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., supplies were available. Gathering with staff, employees and students in the main lobby from 9am to 10am for worship and prayer, which became a wonderful start to each day!

Then everyone went to work. For me it meant setting the tables for lunch, replacing towels/tea towels in the kitchen. Cleaning toilets on the ground floor, emptying and replacing garbage bags and taking them to destination, etc. Also cleaning the tables after lunch and setting them for the new day. I would do this with other volunteers and also students who helped in the kitchen with mopping floors and helped the cook prepare lunch.

There were always some chores to do and so it always turned out to be a pleasant bustle in the building in the morning. the doors of all office spaces on the ground floor were also always open and it gave a special feeling of working together and being able to work for the kingdom of God. I could spend the afternoons and evenings as I wanted. Sometimes I offered to do laundry folding and ironing, but I could also take a rest in my room and then sit on the large balcony upstairs with a book. I was free to participate in everything that was organized for visitors, such as visiting Biblical places.

God works in mysterious ways!

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didn't have my own place at the lunch table, but I could sit where I wanted and where there was room, so I got many nice and beautiful contacts with students from all parts of the world who wanted to give the love for Israel and the Jewish people a big place in their ministry, just like me. And I was also allowed to have special conversations with the participating travel groups. I could express my love to young and old people and that had also been my desire. The Feast of Tabernacles was just around the corner and a special group of intercessors came every year from all parts of the world to bless the messianic congregations. And today they were to visit Carmel. That morning a breakfast table was set and it was announced that the Staff was expected in the great hall of the church. So not for me I thought as a volunteer.

As the morning progressed, I noticed that the ground floor where I did my work was getting very quiet. Suddenly a student entered the hall and saw me busy with my work, and asked me if I had already been in the church hall? No I wasn't, but should I have gone there, I didn't belong to the Staff, did I? Mistake! Totally misunderstood! As fast as I could I took off my apron and walked to the hall of the large church building.

corrietenboomUnfortunately, I could see that the meeting had already ended. Here and there a few small groups stood talking to each other. Disappointed I took a seat on the bottom step of the big stage, there was still a nice atmosphere. A sister came up to me and asked if anyone had already prayed with me and if I wanted to? Well, I wanted to, I really wanted to!

She called in some more sisters and they began to pray for me and not only that but also began to prophesy over me, anointed my head and hands and blew the shofar. What happened next shook me and I fell to the ground. She literally repeated the words the Lord had spoken to me in a vision in the late 1990's; 'Bring Me Benjamin, the generation of the Jewish people who live NOW' That these completely unknown people literally said this about me, unbelievable!! What she prophesied next was at least as special, namely. : God is going to use your progeny as he used the Ten Boom family. Those were rather special words, I was really dumbfounded. The devil wanted to withhold this blessing from me, but the Lord arranged for someone to come and warn me so that I would be confirmed in my mission and calling. I sat there in the hall for a while, I had to process this, Lord, what a wonderful God you are!  Thank you.

A special meeting in the Tabernacle

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t was the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, tomorrow morning I would fly back home. There was a pleasant bustle around the building. Everywhere groups of people were picnicking in the grass and here and there the guitar was played and happy songs were sung. I walked past and said hello to some people I had contact with. There was a great Tabernacle that would be torn down that day. I hadn't got around to looking inside yet, this was my last chance. I lifted the curtains and stepped inside and looked around. It looked cozy and just when I was about to go out again I was called and saw two older people sitting in the back. Because of their dark clothing I had not immediately seen them in the somewhat dim room.

They called me over and asked if I wanted to sit down for a while, they had something to say. I had already talked so much with people in the past few weeks that I decided not to tell much about myself and just listen to these old people. They said they had both worked for President Jimmy Carter. She in his 'Staf' and he in the army. How they met and both accepted Jesus the Messiah and served Him all their lives. This is how I got to meet these special people unexpectedly. After a while they got up because they had to go to the bus. We waved goodbye until the old woman turned suddenly and looked sharply at me and proclaimed over me the following scripture from Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD."  I was left amazed, what did these words mean? Would there be a legal case to do with our divorce? I had to get used to this thought. But God would intercede for me, I was just promised that!

Carmel last day

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his last night in Carmel had slept a little. What a special time I could have experienced here. All the encounters passed my mind, too many to mention here. I had already had the farewell conversation with Rita last night, and I had once again sat down in the cozy 'relax room' where you could watch and listen to the most beautiful films and concerts.  Once again the DVD set up with Paul Wilbur, recorded during the Feast of Tabernacles some years before. Suddenly the door creaked open and I recognized the boy who often sat alone in the long hall, hunched over his books. Clearly of Jewish descent, I could tell by the clothes he wore. He looked shyly at me and then obsessively at the TV on which the concert was playing. I nodded at him and invited him to continue. He came a step in but kept his eyes unbroken on the screen where wonderful anointed music and dance could be heard and seen. Something jumped up in my heart and I silently prayed the Lord to touch this boy. After a while he nodded and sat down again in the hallway. Had the Lord had a heavenly meeting with him here?
I fervently hoped so.

The next morning I was in the kitchen early to make my last breakfast here. No one was there yet, logically some went home for vacation and others were allowed to sleep late after the busy week. Someone else came into the kitchen anyway. It was one of the students I nicknamed David. I think that's what David must have looked like. Beautiful appearance with reddish beard and sweet voice. He said hello to me very kindly and asked how I was doing. I said I was going home today. He was amazed and had hoped I would stay longer. And thanked me for everything I had done. I had been like a mother to them. I had not seen this great compliment coming and it moved me. He asked if he could pray a blessing for me. And of course he could. I thanked God for this unexpected meeting.

Back to the Netherlands

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fter my breakfast and the touching encounter in the kitchen, I went back to my room. What a gift God had given me during this difficult time of my divorce to allow me to stay here this month. But now it was time to pack my suitcase. I carefully placed the picture frames of the children and grandchildren between my clothes, they had been my support these weeks with the home front, I was looking forward to seeing them again. After this I took my last walk around the beautiful gardens around the building. I walked into the beautiful church hall one more time and thanked God for the time I was allowed to spend in it during the services, the study and praise evenings. I also visited the bookshop arround the corner. I decided to buy the book that described the Life Story and Calling of David and Karen Davis, which I had time to read tonight.

bengurionapA sister I had met at the Guesthouse in Haifa had offered me a ride that evening to the airport where she was to pick up her parents at midnight. My plane was due to leave at 7:00 am the next morning, so I had to be there at 5:00 am.That meant spending a long time at the airport, but I preferred that to being picked up at 3:00 am by an unknown taxi driver. Just sitting in the sun on the large balcony, then I could rest a bit and get ready for departure. When I arrived at the airport in the evening, I found an inconspicuous spot in the large station hall, I put the suitcase in front of me and my large bag on top so that I could put my legs on it. I had put my book on top of it and that would help me pass the time for the next few hours.

Once on the plane, a young man came to sit next to me and I occasionally saw him glancing at the book I was reading. I asked him if he knew this? That was not the case but he had heard about David and Karin Davis and was curious about their life story especially since Karin was from David Wilkerson's Church. I had already gotten to the last chapter and told him he could have it as soon as I finished it. This again was no coincidence, I was glad I could give it to him and read it myself last night.

Arriving in Amsterdam I saw my eldest son Richard standing among the crowd of people, how could I not recognize him? Together with his wife, my daughter-in-law, we drank some coffee before we drove home. How wonderful it was to be on Dutch soil again, and there was so much to tell!

Looking for a job

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veryday reality stared at me, after this great time in Israel it was now time to start building a future for myself. There were big problems to solve. I had to look for a job and draw up a plan to settle all outstanding bills. While reading the regional magazine I came across an advertisement; Ironer wanted. I showed it to my sister and said with a laugh, I don't hate ironing. I was allowed to apply for a job and was hired immediately. It turned out not really next door, but an hour's bike ride to an industrial area unknown to me. Yes ironing was the main task, but it was actually a large launderette of a well-known food chain throughout the Netherlands. Bags full of dirty worn clothes from all branches were brought there. Also bags with dirty tea towels Polo shirts etc.

Downstairs was the washingmachine and upstairs was ironing and folding. We then walked up a high, steep staircase with clean crates. It took some getting used to after years of working in a beautiful clothing store. Still, I happily hopped on my bike every day and thanked God for this job. I had nice colleagues and was often allowed to have conversations about the Bible. A colleague confided in me one day that she was so sad because her husband had been unemployed for so long. He missed his job and a good salary. My colleague did what she could to keep things going with side jobs. When she told this, tears were in her eyes and I felt a touch for her. I asked her if I could pray for this matter, and that we have a mighty God who can help.

She would like that and added that she would also pray. This was a surprise to me because she had never talked about faith. A few months later we were cycling home together and she asked me to stop for a while on the way. My first thoughts were; did I do or say something wrong? But no, she took a large package from her side bag and handed it to me. I was totally surprised what would that be? Unpack! she said. And to my great surprise a very cool rain suit came out, blue with white cow spots. I had once told her that I had seen that in a bicycle shop and that I thought it was so funny, but also very expensive, so I just left it hanging. I looked at her questioningly, why this gift?

Well my husband has found a very good job that he is so happy with. Completely in his field, and already said months ago; If her prayer helps, I will buy her a gift from my first salary. I didn't expect this at all and didn't know what to say. Well how sweet.. but we prayed for it together. Let him thank God, He has answered our prayers.
With a song of thanks in my heart I cycled further home.

The lawsuit

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ike many divorces, ours wasn't easy. I had some small furniture picked up from our house to make my attic a little more cozy. That had not gone down well with him, to say the least. Until now we had also managed to withdraw a figure of money monthly from our joint account, which I then gave to my sister as an allowance for my maintenance. I had no longer had contact with him, he had entered another world. Those who had met him once or twice hardly recognized him. The divorce had to be arranged as soon as possible, that was certain for me.


On the advice of my brother-in-law I could hire a good lawyer, and John had to do this too. This is how our 1st meeting after months took place in court. As he passed me in the hallway, a chill ran through me. There was nothing left of John but a shadow. After a few sessions, I got a good result because there was evidence that Johnd was no longer in control due to his drugs and alcohol use. and things were no longer paid on time. There was no question of alimony yet, but a large piece of salary was transferred from John to me purely to be able to pay the monthly costs of our house and other additional annual bills. This confirmed the words of Isaiah 54:17 prophesied by the old sister in Carmel. I was allowed to rely on God's help and assistance for the future.

A new year lay ahead of me, how would my life continue?

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sat, a little dazed, looking at the official divorce letter in my hands. He had just fallen on the mat. It was real, our divorce was a fact. I felt neither joy nor sadness. A marriage of almost 40 years had now really come to an end. I didn't want to dwell on it too long, because I had already done enough of that in previous years. No, head up and shoulders straight. Now there was work to be done.

John had let me know in a letter that he had ended up in a good Christian shelter and there he had found his way back to God. Was freed from alcohol, drugs and also from smoking. He read his Bible a lot again and that gave me a grateful and comforting feeling. He also asked me for the sake of the children if we could carefully build a new friendship, but that's all, he wrote emphatically. It seemed too early to think about these things.  I went back to our own house more often to keep track of everything, because it was still for sale. It was a bad time for the housing market. I was still working in the laundromat and luckily I was able to work overtime more often.

At the beginning of the year, everyone was asked to hand in their holiday schedule. Many colleagues had divided their 5 weeks well over 3 holiday periods. I only had one desire: to go back to Israel. I saw another call for volunteers in the magazine of Tom Hess, leader of a worldwide prayer ministry.  I once attended one of his conferences with Fia, which we were greatly blessed by. And now I got the chance to go there as a volunteer. It was to be held a week before the Feast of Tabernacles, which gave me time to save some money. Unfortunately I did not receive free room and board, you had to bring an amount of 650.00 euros. That was a bit different in Carmel.

It could have been paid for a large part of my holiday allowance, but then I wouldn't have a plane ticket yet. But the Lord again provided in a special way. My dear friend Martha had deposited money into my account again. for a ticket to Israel.I was able to sign up as a volunteer and had no idea what would come of it!

 

Back to Israel. Isaiah 62:6 and 7

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y employer had approved that I would take my three weeks' vacation in October. This was an answer to my prayer as it was the busiest time for the company. My colleagues knew that I had a heart for Israel, but to give up the only time I had for vacation for that...? And now the time had come! My suitcase was packed. It was 8 o'clock in the morning and the taxi would pick me up in 15 minutes and take me to the airport. My prayer for this time was that from the time I left the house until I came back in, I would be used by the Lord, and He was going to do that! When we drove out of the street the usual question was already asked; And where are you going on holiday? I had a story to tell and with great interest the conversation started about Israel.

The taxi journey would not take an hour but an hour and a half because we ended up in a traffic jam. The driver tried to take another route because time was running out. I was sure that I was going to catch the plane and I believed that this also had a purpose because until I got off at Schiphol he kept asking questions and I could tell how much God loved his people and what I could do there. He was very keen to ensure that I was directly at the right entrance and walked with me. After a successful flight I landed at Ben Gurion Airport, which was familiar to me. I looked for a taxi outside to go to Jerusalem because I understood that I would be picked up from the bus station there to drive to the big house on the Mount of Olives where the volunteers were staying. There weren't many people in it yet and he was waiting for some more passengers.

After fifteen minutes I heard my name called loudly, Adriana,,!! I got out and saw someone coming towards me, it was the leader of the volunteer team and there was a large bus outside waiting for another large group that was going to arrive from all over the world. We got to know each other and he kindly asked me to take a seat in the Arrivals hall.. Here I would meet a special woman who would play a special role in my life. I took a seat next to her.

Stories Adriana

On this page you can find al the stories about  Adriana and her life with Yeshua and her love for Israel.
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