When we moved to Jerusalem in 2016, we were vaguely familiar with Isaiah’s description of Jerusalem as a furnace (Isaiah 31:9). It wasn’t until we lived there for a few years that we understood why. Israel is intense, especially Jerusalem. Short-term visitors seldom notice, but the threat of conflict is in everyone’s peripheral vision, which hangs in the air like exhaled smoke. There’s sobriety in the eyes of Arab & Israeli alike. Besides having the most disputed real estate in the world, it’s ground zero for the Gospel.
St. Paul knew this tension well. There’s an easy-to-miss but recurring theme running throughout several of his letters, a theme that took on new meaning for us after living in Jerusalem. Paul and his companions were burdened by the realities of living in Jerusalem as a follower of Jesus (Yeshua). They were motivated to help ease their suffering and give relief to the saints who lived there, and St. Paul wasn’t shy about asking for help either. See (Acts 11:29, Romans 15:25-27 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 Corinthians 8)
We get it.
Jewish believers and other Christian workers laboring in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and other regions are under immense physical, emotional, and spiritual strain. In fact, physicians in Israel report that the entire population suffers from mild to severe P.T.S.D.
After a visa run to Cyprus in 2017, we began to imagine how we could relieve the saints in Jerusalem by providing a free retreat center in Cyprus. We tested the idea a year later when we sublet a villa for 6 weeks and took some Jewish believers with us. We watched as they rehydrated like dried-out sponges, telling us it was the most relaxing retreat they’d ever had.
The following year we received 2 grants that enabled us to return and lease a suitable property where we could begin receiving guests.
Think of this project as a spiritual M.A.S.H. unit (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital), where people serving in Israel can come for much-needed relief, rest & restoration.
Our team hosts 1-3 ministry leaders and their families per month. These are people who have an incalculable reach within Israel. We host, comfort, counsel, and encourage leaders in dire need of relief, restoration, and respite. Our guests make their way to Cyprus at their own expense, as the 30-minute flight comes at a minimal cost. However, we will help with the airfare on a case-by-case basis. They are met at the airport, transferred to the property, and provided with free room, board, and hospitality for their stay. Their visit includes a much-needed rest and reprieve from the intense atmosphere in Israel, recreation in the quiet & beautiful Mediterranean island, encouragement, counsel, and ministry, along with worship and prayer at a nearby prayer house.
How can you get involved?
- We need financial support
- We need volunteers
If you are interested in volunteering, we need mature people who can get away for 30-90 day stretches and who do hospitality well but also have experience with prayer ministry/intercession/deliverance/inner healing.
This project needs to be underwritten financially.
Please consider donating to help our team bring relief to the saints in Jerusalem. Send us an email to find out how you can help through monthly support or sponsoring a family.