The following communication is from Marilyn, one of our WindowView Associates, who has experience in traveling to and freely making a working contribution to Israel. The motivation for this is rooted in the Harmony that we address within the Window. Here is an active form of testimony focused on present events in a context that concerns a Jewish and Gentile body of persons ... a body of people foretold in Scripture and today assembling before our very eyes. You are alive to see this for yourself, open the Window and look...

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To: WindowView
From: Marilyn
Date: January 2003

When the violence broke out against Israel during the latter part of the year 2000, the following verse came to my mind:

"If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" James 2:15-16.

I then prayed asking the Lord to show me if there was anything that I could do to help Israel. Less than a year later, I met a couple who had been a part of a Christian group that participates in the Volunteers for Israel program. When they told me about this organization and their participation in it, I immediately sensed that this was the response to my prayer. I knew that this was how the Lord wanted me to help.

In April of 2002, I spent 3 weeks in Israel working side-by-side with Israelis. The Lord opened a door again a few months later, and I was back in Israel in November of 2002 for another 3 weeks, which were one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences of my life!

As volunteers with Sar-El, we worked 5 days a week, 8 hours a day at a military base. We wore uniforms like the soldiers but did not carry weapons. During the work-week (Sunday through Thursday) we stayed at the base and slept in the barracks (about 4 to 6 to a room). All of our meals were provided at the base, and I liked the food very much.

Because the volunteers are expected to leave the base on weekends, we stayed at hotels and went sightseeing on Fridays and Saturdays.

One of the things that most struck me during my trips was the gratitude of the Israeli people. The outpouring of gratefulness was such that I hardly knew I was working! More than anything, I felt showered with love and attention. They made me feel so special!

During both of my trips, our group saw no trouble whatsoever. The weather was wonderful (warm during the day, cool at night), and it was more like a vacation than work. I made wonderful friends both times, and we still stay in touch even though we are scattered in different states and countries.

The most rewarding experience was being able to see that the Lord has brought and continues to bring to the Land of Promise Jewish people from all over the world (Isaiah 43:6, Jeremiah 23:3 and 30:3). I met Jewish people from Russia, Argentina, Ethiopia, Yemen, Australia, Canada, Europe and other countries. We were seeing Bible prophesy being fulfilled right before our eyes!

As a member of a messianic congregation, I've enjoyed the wonderful fellowship of Jews and Gentiles together for many years. My volunteer trips added a new dimension to this experience. Being in the land of the Bible and seeing the Lord's work of restoration in these latter-days was like seeing more pieces of the puzzle coming together. The Lord is creating for himself a body of Jews and Gentiles that is one in Messiah (Galatians 3:28).

[Note: Marilyn has returned each year since her first volunteer trip. When she goes, others accompany her, and each year the reports are similar ... everyone comments on their journey as one with many personal reflections and a sense of making a difference.]

Marilyn was in Tiberias, fall of 2012, when a lot of rain came to replensih the Sea! She took this picture of the town dressed with a rainbow!

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If you are interested in writing a note, you can reach the author of this page by sending a comment here!

We encourage sharing Marilyn's story as well as other portions of this web site. We'd like to hear about your response to these resources... the WindowView.org contact addresses are to be found on our Response Page.

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Time spent looking ... through a window on life and choice ... brings the opportunity to see in a new light. The offer for you to Step Up To Life is presented on many of the web pages at WindowView. Without further explanation we offer you the steps here ... knowing that depending on what you have seen or may yet explore in the window ... these steps will be the most important of your life ...

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