What would it look like for you to open up your home on our Host Israelis network?
Consider Reuven, a recent guest at Zula Lodge [in New Zealand]… Upon arriving, he bluntly declared “I know who you are and what you believe. I don’t want you to talk to me about religion. May I still stay at your facility?” Our volunteer staff warmly welcomed Reuven and assured him that their purpose was to serve him, not to force their beliefs on him. Of course he may stay.
At first, Reuven aggressively avoided everyone at the Zula, staff and guests alike. But he soon began to warm to the kind and sincere service freely offered by our staff. They took him rock climbing and taught him board games. To his great surprise, Reuven was enjoying the company of this forbidden caste.
Finally, one of our volunteers, Will, took a risk: “Reuven, do you believe the Torah?” …[and Will ended up having a great conversation with Reuven about God and the Bible].
But it was our staff members’ love for God and for one another that made the greatest impact on Reuven. After listening to the testimonies and prayers offered at our weekly erev Shabbat dinner, he was visibly moved, commenting, “You talk to Him as though you know Him.” …Those whom he had shunned only days before, he was now inviting to visit him in Israel.
While you may not be into rock climbing or hosting Shabbat dinners, we hope you can see in this story from our mentor, Scott Brown, that these were not the most impactful parts of Reuven’s experience. It was sincere, loving service and the hosts’ love for God and one another that softened Reuven’s heart to have an eye-opening conversation.
We are excited to be in the process of onboarding 20+ hosts on our Host Israelis network. Our goal is to have over 50 hosts in the U.S. before launching the Planet Zula app to Israelis in May – so we need you. We believe you have what it takes. You need little more than to love Jesus and your guests. To see if this ministry would be a good fit for you, check out our letter next month for frequently asked questions. Or if you can’t wait, you can read the FAQ section on our website (hostisraelis.com/#faqs) or give us a call (262-751-1020), text, or email.
Please pray that God would provide the hosts we need in order to launch Planet Zula. Thank you for your faithful partnership!
Love,
BJ, Carissa, Ari and Aviya