Someone from Israel loves me

It was our final day in Israel for our 2017 Hesed Project. We had already said goodbye to three of our teammates who had left early for home or had joined the Friends of Israel Up to Jerusalem tour. The day was bright and sunny.

We joined together for prayer after breakfast and then went on our way to worship with Israeli and other believers at the kehilah (congregation) in Rehovot. The worship was uplifting, the message was challenging, and the fellowship was heartfelt. Many in the congregation said they were sad to see our team leave once again. The time always seems to go so fast.

A highlight of the morning was each member of the team receiving the gift of a t-shirt from the kehilah. On the front of the t-shirt is a map of Israel, with Rehovot highlighted, stating, "Someone from Israel loves me." On the back, the t-shirt quotes John 3:16. Everyone appreciated receiving such a love gift.

Later in the day, activities included packing to leave, dinner at our beautiful hotel (Yad Hashmona), saying good-byes, and the final details of arriving at the airport, returning the rental cars, and checking in to our flight.

As we anticipate going home to our loved ones, highlights of the memories we have of our time in Israel come flooding back: working at Kaplan Medical Center, all of the Israeli friends we made there, dinner with the CEO of Kaplan, Shabbat dinner with staff from Kaplan, the "free-range" chicken roaming the grounds of Kaplan, the beautiful landscape and accommodating staff of our hotel, laughter around the meal table, lots and lots of delicious hummus, visiting the performing arts high school in Bikurim with its accompanying rocket shelters that FOI has provided, dinner at Ezekiel and Ruth Zloof's, the crazy driving in Israel, the lack of parking in Israel, the kehilah Purim party and worship times, the visit to the Israeli Parliament (Knesset), and the journeys to Jerusalem.

We were blessed, uplifted, stretched physically and spiritually, and overfed. And through it all, God was faithful and used each of us for His glory. Thank you for your prayers and support.

As we were ready to leave for the airport, a couple of our team members ran to the west, away from our group. They had to get just one more photograph of the beautiful, big and orange Israel setting sun - a metaphor of the closing moments of our wonderful trip.

I didn't blame them in the slightest.

Bruce Scott
Director of The Hesed Project