Sondra’s November letter
We just finished our holiday season and one of the highlights of the holiday for me was our two Feast tours – one day in Judea and one in Samaria. My assistant Avital guided the Samaria day but I was able to meet the group at my favorite spot – the 3 Seas Outlook in Samaria overlooking the Biblical mountains of Gerizim, Ebal and the Oak of Moreh, as well as the Jordan Valley and the Mountains of Gilead in modern Jordan. I never tire of meeting groups there and sharing with them a teaching about G-d’s promise to Abraham as it relates to the later covenant with the Nation of Israel at that same spot. The truth of the Bible shouts out at you from that wonderful mountain-top! And my husband and I had the privilege of hosting part of the group in our succah for lunch while the other half of the group was hosted by my good friends Dina and Phillip. The next day I guided the tour to Hebron and Judea. We had some light rain and it was rather chillier than usual, but we had a wonderful time. We even connected with a Dutch group along the way and I was able to share the story of Hebron with both groups at once. We had lunch in Tekoa with families in their succah and I was hosted by a middle-aged couple who had been among the founders of Tekoa. He was from the former Soviet Union and told a harrowing yet inspiring story of his encounters with the KGB, as he struggled to identify as a Jew and return to the Land of Israel. Each year, thousands of Christians come to Israel to join the people of Israel in celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. And each year, I am overwhelmed by the love and support that these people show us in Israel. A few days after the Feast, I met a Canadian group in the Jordan Valley and they asked me how I felt about all these Christians coming and parading through Jerusalem. I told them how I had just pointed out to my daughter-in-law in synagogue, as we read from Zechariah 14, that Christians were coming now to fulfill the Divine words of that holy prophet. And we are witnessing this amazing miracle! I want to extend a personal invitation to you visit with me in Israel in 2018. My American colleague and dear friend, Kimberly Troup will be leading a tour this coming March which I will be hosting in Israel. I would love to show you my favorite mountain top in Samaria and share my teaching with you. If you think you can make it, please phone Kim at her toll-free number (1-800-647-3344) or send either of us an email. If March doesn’t work for you, please consider coming soon. Let me know when you can come and I will do my best to help you find the right tour and set you up with a fabulous visit in Judea and Samaria. Whether you have been here before or not, I hope you will consider coming to see us soon. I’d love to host you!
Sincerely,
Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel Office
P.S. , if you are considering the CFOIC Heartland tour in March, the tour price increases $200 for all registrations after November 1. Send in your registration today to save $200! We have included with this letter a supporter survey, we hope that you’ll take this opportunity to tell us what is important to you! The survey can also be found online at www.cfoic.com/survey.