Ebenezer Operation Exodus - Whats on Your Heart ?

We are living in exciting and rapidly changing days and as we look forward to the rest of 2011, I wonder what further adventures God has for each one of us. Since May 2009 we have been on a journey with the Jewish Agency which has brought about greater cooperation and deepening relationships with the Jewish communities and their leaders here in the UK and internationally. We were challenged at our Bi Annual Conference last may to encourage more young people to participate in the work of Ebenezer. To that end, a steering Group led by Andy Ernst and mentored by Ken Hepworth, has planned a conference at Cefn Lea in mid Wales May 6th - 8th 2011 to educate, envision and empower 18 - 35 year olds.

What does this mean for our Ebenezer supporters in the UK ?

• We have the work in the fSU of helping the Jewish people to make Aliyah through volunteers/fishing and assisting with documentation to prove their jewishness, and the general giving to make the above possible.
• We support the work to assist the Humanitarian Aid in the fSU and Israel with specific projects such as food parcels, medicines for holocaust survivors or the winter shoe appeal.
• This year we are partnering with the Jewish Agency to sponser five Group Aliyah flights from the UK. The first flight was on the 11th April when Ken Hepworth and Jeff Holloway represented Ebenezer on the flight.
• We don't just want to organise a conference for the 18-35s, we want to build on the conference and draw more young people into the ministry through this year, and as ongoing initiative, by organising other teaching/educating networking meetings.

The leadership of Ebenezere never cease to be amazed at the generosity of the giving by our supporters and especially in these difficult days of economic change. We have noted that as we have prayerfully stepped out with new ventures that people have been challenged and encouraged to support them

What appears to be happening is that many of our supporters have different aspects of the ministry on their hear, and like their gifts to be used specifically

• to support the work of Aliyah from the fSU
• to fund Humanitarian Aid in the fSU and Israel
• to support the sponsering of the Group Flights from the UK (£60k)*
• to support the work of mentoring educating and encouraging young people in the ministry.

* Funds received in excess of the above figure will be used to support the general needs of the ministry.

I marvel that God is choosing us Gentiles - "the wild branches" - to come alongside His sons and daughters, to affirm and support them in their Aliyah calling, especially when they need support in their final "lap" before "take-off" How unfathomable are His ways! (Rom 11.33) What an amazing privilege! I was also impacted by the awesome realisation that as we come alongside God's people to support them, we become one in God's project with them! I felt I was experiencing first-hand the reality that God is beginning to form us together into the "NEW MAN" (Eph2.14-16) - the Body made up of both Jew and Gentile in which He will one day come to dwell! (Rev 21.3) "To Him be glory in the assembly" (Eph 3.21.)

By Jeff Holloway - UK National Director, Operation Exodus