Issue 1/2016 Bringing glory to His name€¦ · the separatists in Lugansk may conscript him into their army and send him into the combat zone. We were afraid you had left Ukraine

C E L E B R A T I N G 2 5 Y E A R S O F A L I Y A H 1 9 9 1 – 2 0 1 6

Bringing glory to His name

“Thus far The lord has helped us.”

1 SAMUEL 7:12

A Christian organisation helping the Jewish people return to Israel

Issue 1/2016

OPERATION EXODUSEBENEZER

INTERNATIONAL

‘… holding fast to the Head from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.’ Colossians 2:19

Twenty-five years: a quarter of a century and a commonly accepted definition of a generation. On both

counts 2016 sees Ebenezer Operation Exodus crossing a significant threshold.

In a prayer gathering in Jerusalem in January 1991, while Israel was bracing itself under missile attack from Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, the Lord spoke to Gustav Scheller that now it was time to help bring the Jewish people home to Israel.

In this extraordinary God-appointed event Ebenezer Operation Exodus was born. From Gustav’s office in Bournemouth, England, the task of facilitating the first expeditions to contact Jewish people and aliyah flights began. The ‘fishing ground’ was the former Soviet Union, where hundreds of thousands of

them were ready to make aliyah. Also, many more thousands were waiting for someone to come to their town or village and seek them out, coming to remind them that Israel is still their Promised Land, that now it was time for them to make Israel their new home and that Ebenezer was there to help!

Volunteer ‘fishers’ went out across the expanses of Ukraine, Russia, Central Asia and beyond. After the first aliyah flights came the opening of a shipping lane from Odessa to Haifa. The Jewish people were sailing home, bringing most of their belongings with them.

So it began: from a modest presence in Bournemouth, with bases soon multiplying across the fSU. Locating documents and obtaining aliyah visas was often arduous and time consuming, but our teams persevered. By plane and ship we’ve been helping the olim make the journey to Israel. In January this year the number helped by Ebenezer since we began topped 150,000.

Purely by the grace of Almighty God, we press

PETE STUCKEN CHAIRMAN EBENEZER

EMERGENCY FUND INTERNATIONAL

HOLDING FAST TO THE HEAD!

In 2015 the Ebenezer International Board requested that a new logo be designed to replace the existing ministry logo. The Board wanted the new logo to:

ų Reflect the ministry’s foundation and history.

ų Incorporate the ministry’s name Ebenezer Operation Exodus.

ų Be usable worldwide.

Juan Saborido, our young designer, prayerfully approached the brief and started by looking in Gustav Scheller’s book

‘Operation Exodus’. He came to where it says that Samuel’s testimony in 1 Samuel 7:12 states that “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” We sent out simple material explaining what we felt we had to do, called it Operation Exodus and set up the Ebenezer Emergency Fund to administer it.”

As you can see from the two diagrams, Juan included and refined the following elements to produce the new logo which the International Board has commended and approved. Over the next few months it will be adopted throughout the ministry.

NEW INTERNATIONAL LOGO

2 | Ebenezer Operation Exodus

on in this glorious work of bringing the exiles home to Israel. Our ‘fishers’ are now also active in Europe, USA and Latin America. We now have representation in some 50 nations. In each of them we have the responsibility to raise up prayer for aliyah, proclaim God’s prophetic purposes for Israel to the Church and give practical assistance and humanitarian aid to Jewish people wherever and whenever the need arises.

As we cross the 25-year threshold we pause and ask: Who are we? What are we called to be? We are called and equipped to demonstrate the selfless, dynamic love and restoring power of a God who is also Israel’s redeemer, the restorer, the healer, the One who makes things right and who always brings to fulfilment that which He has promised.

In helping the Jewish people home we desire to be those who express and reflect the character of Jesus, the Head to whom we are submitted. Our relationships with each other must be like healthy joints and

ligaments that provide loving bonds between the many different functioning members of the Body of Christ.

We hold fast to Jesus the Head because only then will our growth be from GOD — and that is the only growing we want to do. Only then will we be rightly positioned to fulfil our calling: to pray for and help the Jewish people as they return home from all over the earth.

This brings glory to His holy Name!

NEW INTERNATIONAL LOGO

2 | Ebenezer Operation Exodus Helping His People Home | 3

Ebenezer name means: Hebrew: lit. stone of help. Altar built by Samuel saying: ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us.’

By splitting the shape and softening the space created by the intersection of the menorah we achieve a double symbolism, a hidden menorah, and a figure worshipping.

altar simplification

OPERATION EXODUSEBENEZER

Symbolism: Using recognisable Jewish symbols, we try to convey a friendly attitude towards Jewish communities and organisations without compromising our Christian identity.

menorah altar combination

hexagramcombination

Top right: The Mediterranean

Sky was the first ship

Ebenezer used.

Below: Engage:Israel

participants.

‘INTERNATIONAL We are just ordinary people but we serve an extraordinary God!’ our late founder, Gustav Scheller, used

to say — just servants of God Most High. We stand in awe as we celebrate 25 years of God’s exploits, fulfilling what He has prophesied to His covenant people: to bring them back to the Promised Land, and that we believers would help them do so. (Isaiah 43:5–7; Jeremiah 23:3).

God called Operation Exodus into being in seemingly almost impossible circumstances: a meeting of 120 intercessors sitting in a bomb shelter in Jerusalem with gas masks in the midst of the first Gulf war. But this was His timing and He made the impossible possible! So the ministry was birthed in prayer and this has remained the lifeblood of all we do. We are deeply grateful for so many dedicated intercessors around the world.

Being servants in helping to fulfil what the prophets foretold, the Lord has provided the means to charter planes and ships (Isaiah 60:8–9). He called many volunteers to assist the Jewish people to return to their true

homeland, Israel (Isaiah 49:22). The sailings from Odessa to Haifa over 12 years sent a strong signal to Christians worldwide that now is the time that God is re-gathering the Jews back to Israel (Jeremiah 31:10). Paul declares in Romans 15:27 that it is our duty to support the Jewish people and Isaiah 62:10 calls us to prepare the way.

We marvel at how the Lord granted the ministry to expand in now more than 50 countries. He provided financially through believers around the world to enable us to assist more than 150,000 Jewish people to make aliyah over the past 25 years, as well as help and comfort many thousands through our humanitarian aid programmes in the former Soviet Union. What a wonderful Christian testimony of love and care towards God’s chosen people!

As we bring glory to His name we marvel at the privilege of cooperating with the God of Israel in this exciting prophetic task of aliyah. Dear prayer partners, supporters and co-workers, you are part of this miracle!

WE STAND IN AWE!

Top: Volunteers in the fSU wait to help olim on

arrival at a railway station en route to Israel.

Ebenezer aliyah sailing.

MARKUS J. ERNSTPRESIDENT EBENEZER

EMERGENCY FUND INTERNATIONAL

‘


WE STAND IN AWE!UKRAINEI

s this Ebenezer Fund? Are you still in Ukraine?’ the voice on the phone asked. When we replied that we were indeed

still active there, the caller became very emotional and found it hard to hold back his tears:

‘Please help us!’ he pleaded. ‘My name is Vladislav and we live in Lugansk. We have ten children and our eldest son will be 18 in two weeks’ time. We are very frightened because the separatists in Lugansk may conscript him into their army and send him into the combat zone. We were afraid you had left Ukraine because of the war. We want to go to Israel and you are the only ones who can help us!’

We made enquiries and indeed it turned out that this family’s situation was very urgent. Vladislav’s children were, according to the Jewish Law of Return, the last generation of his family eligible to make aliyah but to do so they would have to go before their eldest son’s 18th birthday, and there were only 14 days left! Poor Vladislav’s wife wept as she

contemplated the possibility of having to leave him behind. The emotion of the situation tugged at everyone’s hearts. We had to act fast, but sensitively. Anything that caused a delay could have permanent repercussions for the family. We prayed.

The first thing to do was evacuate the family from Lugansk. After a hazardous journey to find a safe border crossing, we managed to bring the whole family to Kiev, where their documents were submitted to the Israeli Consul. Then we all waited for approval of their aliyah application. It was a testing time for both the family and for us, but at last the good news came! They were approved and Vladislav’s family made aliyah three days before their eldest son’s 18th birthday! What a miracle! God is faithful.

Please pray for our Ukraine team as they continue to help desperate Jewish families escape the war zone and go to Israel. Please also pray for the Lord to bless us with all the necessary funding for this work.

YANYAUKRAINE TEAM

THE MIRACLE THEY NEEDED!

Vladislav and his family making aliyah.

‘


UKRAINE Our son and his family have been in Israel for some time,’ Leonid told us, ‘but we have a daughter

here in Ukraine who needs us.’ It was a common reason for delaying the decision to make aliyah.

The decision was changed overnight when a shell landed only 100 metres from his home in Donetsk, a city at the centre of the war in eastern Ukraine. Leonid and his wife, Olga, were in shock. No one was injured but the danger they were in became very real.

The couple sought our help. After their aliyah applications had been processed we helped them through the checkpoints and took them to the station for their train to Kiev. They were so grateful for our assistance and praised our driver Vladimir, who, they said, cared for them like relatives, carrying their heavy luggage. ‘We wish you all of God’s blessings,’ Leonid said as they boarded their train.

The city of Dnepropetrovsk has one of the largest Jewish communities in Ukraine. We recently opened an office there so please pray for our work.

TATIANADNEPROPETROVSK

BASE LEADER

SHELL CHANGES THEIR MINDS

Top: Shells collected in the conflict areas in Ukraine.

Right: Leonid and Olga.

Right: Irina looks to a better life in Israel.

ALIYAH EASES HER PAIN

Irina was no stranger to pain and problems. Her son was diagnosed with cancer when he was 12 and sadly

passed away at 21. She had worked in a beauty salon but when the conflict between separatists and government forces broke out in eastern Ukraine the owner closed it and left town, leaving Irina unemployed.

Being a kind-hearted woman, she tried to help the elderly in her neighbourhood but it was hard living without an income.

Irina had relatives in Israel and contacted our office to see if we could assist her to make aliyah. We gave her financial aid for a passport and to attend consular appointments. She was very grateful to us, especially for the emotional support we gave her as well, because she had

felt isolated. Eventually the day came for her aliyah flight and a local pastor who helps us in our work drove her to the airport. She wished us God’s blessings and prosperity.

‘


RUSSIA

KAZAKHSTANOn the way to the airport eighty-nine-year-old Taisia told me the story of her family. She admitted that she used to

be reluctant to go to Israel permanently but had longed to visit her great granddaughter, Victoria, who had done so some years before.

Victoria’s mother had eventually convinced Taisia that it would be a good thing for them all to go, so the whole family made the decision to make aliyah.

The process was interrupted when Taisia fell and broke her hip. Because of her advanced age she was bedridden for quite a while and it looked like the dream had stalled. But Taisia’s daughter continued preparing their application.

Now Taisia, her granddaughter and son-in-law are in Israel and her daughter, who stayed behind to sell their two flats, is expected to join them soon. So four generations will be reunited in the Promised Land!

ZHANSOLUKAZAKHSTAN LEADER

TOGETHER AGAIN IN ISRAEL

A SPECIAL MOMENT

KONSTANTIN & ALYONA KHABAROVSK LEADERS

As we were saying our goodbyes to Valentina at Khabarovsk airport for her aliyah flight, a familiar Jewish face

appeared. Natalia, Valentina’s daughter, had flown in especially from Israel to accompany her mother to her new home! Natalia had made aliyah two years before.

Six months earlier Valentina had gone through her aliyah application process and was thrilled when her Israeli visa was issued. She couldn’t wait for the time when she would see Natalia again, this time in the Promised Land. It was a moving moment when Natalia showed up at Khabarovsk. They hugged each other and us too in the check-in area. It is always a special moment when different generations are reunited on their way to a new life in Israel, to the land God had promised them.

We wished them a safe trip and hope that Valentina will settle in her new land and be happy.

Please pray for our teams to help more families be reunited in their true homeland, Israel.

Left: A dream is coming

true for Taisia (centre).


EUROPE In the past 25 years we have seen the mighty hand of God bringing the Jewish people home to Israel. It started in

the ‘land of the north’ (the former Soviet Union), but a few years ago a shift began to include Jewish people of all countries (Isaiah 43:5–6).

Our international structure in Central Europe is mainly in place and the teams in our region are working well. Against a sharp rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe, Ebenezer held its first major Central European Conference, ‘Israel Redeemed’, in Ambilly, France, last June with leaders, intercessors and supporters from 15 nations to worship, pray and seek the Lord’s word concerning aliyah for these days.

The attacks against Jewish people in Paris not only shocked France but the whole of Europe and many other parts of the world as well. In 2014–15 there was a large increase in aliyah from France and the massacre in Paris last November is likely to cause a further upsurge in those leaving. Through cooperation with Jewish organisations and the communities, our team in this country has become more and more known by French Jews. In the past year we helped more than 500 of them to make aliyah — nearly 10% of those who did so.

We see an increase in aliyah from Germany. Praise God for our second and third aliyah group flights from Germany on the last day of August 2015! Our German team maintains

very good relations with the Jewish Agency and more aliyah flights are planned in 2016.

The first aliyah flight from Italy took place last July. We sensed that 2015 would be the beginning of our ministry of aliyah but it far exceeded our team’s expectations. More aliyah flights are planned for 2016.

Our Netherlands team is helping Jewish families make aliyah through loading containers and bringing repatriates to the airport. Our teams in Britain, Belgium and Switzerland have also assisted Jewish families to go to Israel. Relationships with Jewish people and organisations, and help with aliyah, are increasing in these countries.

We are so thankful to all the intercessory prayer and financial gifts from Africa, especially South Africa, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where we have faithful Ebenezer teams in place. They are much involved in informing Christians and churches of God’s plan with Israel and praying for aliyah. They also have opportunities to speak on radio and television.

URS KÄSERMANNDEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

A SHIFT TO THE WEST

Top: Helping to fill a container for Dutch olim.

Bottom right: Olim with their Israeli ID cards.


LATIN AMERICAFourteen Mexicans took the last Lufthansa flight to Tel Aviv in January 1991 before the outbreak of the Gulf

War to join committed believers from 24 nations for the annual prayer conference in Jerusalem. None imagined they would witness the dramatic birth of Ebenezer Operation Exodus.

Today, by the grace and will of God, Ebenezer works in 12 Latin American countries, with pastors, leaders and hundreds of believers not only in Mexico but Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela being part of the family committed to the ministry of assisting Jewish people return to Israel. We have established representative offices working closely with the Jewish Agency. A key event took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December 2014 when we dedicated our first operational base in Latin America to the Lord.

Over the past 25 years continuous and focused intercession has been central to overcoming opposition, preparing the way

for the Jewish people through national repentance, prayer walks at borders, ports and other strategic places, and by raising faithful intercessory groups.

Our main aliyah focus in the past five years has been in Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela, where we have built teams of dedicated representatives and volunteers to enable us to give love, comfort and practical assistance to the Jewish people. Funds for the work have been raised in local churches.

We proclaim God’s Kingdom purposes to the Body of Messiah regarding aliyah, the restoration of Israel and the Lord’s return, as well as exposing replacement theology, anti-Semitism and arrogance in the Church towards Israel.

As well as continuing to support the international ministry in the days ahead, we face the big challenge of 625,000 Jewish people living in Latin America, as well as several million Latinos who have Jewish ancestry. They all need to hear from us that the Lord God of Israel is calling them to go back to their own land, Israel, so that He may manifest His holiness through them in the sight of the nations.

HERIBERTO GONZÁLEZREGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR LATIN AMERICA

MOVING FORWARD IN LATIN AMERICA

Left: Repatriate from Argentina (on left).

Below: Meeting at the Jewish Agency.

Copyright © 2014 Gaston Cabrera Arista.


ASIA PACIFIC When the Lord scattered the people of Israel into ‘all the nations’ (Luke 21:24) He did a thorough job. When

I was in Penang, Malaysia, in 2012 for an Operation Exodus regional board meeting we were taken to an old Jewish cemetery. The gravestones bore witness that there had once been a Jewish community there, a place I imagined too remote for them to be scattered. I was proved wrong by the evidence in front of me.

I pondered about what happened to this community and found it no longer existed. It seems that it is now only a footprint in history because the descendants of those in the graves have moved on — perhaps back home to Israel. Which brings me to this point: The Lord God of Israel, who was faithful in carrying out His threatened promise of judgment and dispersal to the Jewish people because of their consistent disobedience, is now being equally faithful and thorough in carrying out His promise of re-gathering them from every nation because of His mercy (Psalm 102:13; Isaiah 54:7–8).

And so today we in Ebenezer Operation Exodus hear Jeremiah the prophet shouting: “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who

scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over His flock like a shepherd’” (Jeremiah 31:10).

Here in the Asia Pacific region we are among the most distant coastlands from the land of Israel that you can come across. And yet in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, India, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Fiji and many other places, the work of Ebenezer continues to gain strength as we reach out to build new networks to raise prayerful and practical support for this God-ordained end- time re-gathering of the Jewish people. We thank every person in every nation who is participating in this mighty work in one way or another — thank you so much for your sacrifice. When Jesus returns He will say to us all, ‘Well done good and faithful servants!’

NIGEL WOODLEYCHAIRMAN OF EBENEZER

NEW ZEALAND

GATHERING HIS SCATTERED PEOPLE

Right (opposite and below): Bnei Menashe

Jews from India.


PRAYERThe birth of the ministry of Ebenezer Operation Exodus came about in January 1991 at the International

Prayer Conference in Jerusalem attended by 120 intercessors from 24 nations. During that week Saddam Hussein began his Scud missile attacks upon Israel. In this environment the Lord spoke to Gustav Scheller, founder of the ministry, with words confirmed by the conference leadership: ‘Now is the time to help the Jewish people come home from the land of the north.’

The first message given at the conference, from Jeremiah 1:11–12, was very pertinent for those of us who were called to take up prayer for this newly-birthed ministry: ‘I am ready [watching] to perform My word.’

Prayer is at the heart of the ministry and early on we learned the importance of corporate prayer with its commitment to the Lord and one another. Learning how to pray corporately in small groups includes laying down our own agendas to take up what is on the Father’s heart. There is a special strength in the agreed spiritual plurality that the prayer is ‘ours’ and we have learned it is ‘we’ who pray and not ‘I’ (alone) in our groups.

The Lord has taught us to exalt His name together with His word over difficult situations (Psalm 138:2); therefore the proclamation of His Word and acknowledgement of the armour of God is very much part of our prayer as we wrestle against the wiles of the enemy (Ephesians 6:11).

Isaiah 62:10 says,‘Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people… Build up the highway! Take out the stones…’ This provides the scriptural mandate for the calling the Lord has given to Ebenezer Operation Exodus to build aliyah highways in the Spirit. It involves spiritual warfare with dedication in prayer initiatives focused in particular regions and nations (2 Corinthians 10:3–6).

We are often led to appeal to our heavenly Father to release His angels to do spiritual warfare in line with His Word (Psalm 103:20-21). Thank you to those who have joined us on this Ebenezer prayer journey! Be encouraged to move into the new season with us.

PRAYER IS OUR HEARTBEAT

Top: Ebenezer was born at this prayer gathering.

Left: Prayer in Russia.

JOAN THOMASPRAYER TEAM


Tour Guide: Hanna Ben Haim

Leaders: Urs Käsermann and Johannes Barthel

4th International Ebenezer Tour to Israel1 – 11 September 2016

Hotels: Tel Aviv, Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem

Tour Price: 1899.- USD Flight costs not included. www.operation-exodus.org/tour-book

FRANCEAt our recent conference in Jerusalem we announced the opening of a new office in Paris to support our team in

France and the growing work of aliyah.

The Jewish Agency reports an increasing number of anti-Semitic attacks and last year 7,900 Jewish people made aliyah from France — an all-time record. Ebenezer Operation Exodus, in cooperation with Christians for Israel International and, is expanding efforts in France and the new office is part of our development plans for 2016.

Seventy per cent of France’s 600,000 Jews live in the Paris region and the opening of our new office is a significant strategic step by Ebenezer in this land. The office opened in February and Elizabeth Webb and Sarah Gimenez are building up its work under the leadership of National Coordinator Xavier Darrieutort. A key part of this is to establish contacts with churches in Paris and build

prayer support. The team will also be involved in providing practical support for those making aliyah.

Please pray for the Lord’s covering over our team in this new initiative. Also pray for those in the Paris area whom the Lord has been preparing and calling to join the work of aliyah.

ALAN FIELDINTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR

NEW OFFICE IN PARIS

Find more information & to view the promo film: www.engage-israel.org (*excl. flights & some lunches. Price subject to change)

18 JULY – 1 AUGUST 2016for ages 18 – 35+

1590 US$*TOUR PRICE

(*excl. flights & some lunches. Price subject to change)

+info: www.engage-israel.org

Operation Exodus USAPO Box 568 Lancaster NY 14086

Phone: 716 681 [email protected]

Operation Exodus SE Asia OceaniaLevel 2, 39 Leighton PlaceHornsby NSW 2077 AustraliaPhone: +61 2 9482 4692office@operation-exodus-seao.orgwww.operation-exodus-seao.org

Ebenezer Emergency Fund New ZealandP.O. Box 5319, Terrace EndPalmerston North 4441Phone: + 64 (0) 6 3574883 [email protected]

Operation Exodus South AfricaPO Box 61887, Vaalpark, 1948 South AfricaPhone: +27 169 711 766 [email protected]

Ebenezer Emergency Fund International & UK Offi ceEbenezer House, 5a Poole Rd.Bournemouth, BH2 5QJ, UKPhone: +44 (0) 1202 [email protected]

Operation Exodus Canadac/o 135 Strathcona Ave. N.Hamilton, ON L8R 3C2, Canada

Phone: 905 [email protected]

Our vision is to be servants and intercessors of the Lord, to help the Jewish people return to the land of Israel from all the nations and to proclaim God’s Kingdom purposes for their return.

All articles in this publication Copyright © Ebenezer Emergency Fund International March 2016. Operation Exodus is the operational part of Ebenezer Emergency Fund International. Started in 1991 with just three people, it now has representatives in 50 countries worldwide.

Documents

Issue 1/2016 Bringing glory to His name€¦ · the separatists in Lugansk may conscript him into their army and send him into the combat zone. We were afraid you had left Ukraine