![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-3-3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe aim of the trip wasn\u2019t only sightseeing but also with missional purpose! With most participants – students of the Polish College of Theology and Humanities in Podkowa Le\u015bna, the main purpose of the trip was to understand the land of the bible, and also provide and opportunity to serve the local community by cleaning up the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we think of effective missionary work, the first thing that usually comes to mind is ‘speaking to multitudes of people, converting and baptizing as many people as possible,\u201d said Marek Micyk, Polish Union Conference youth director and lead trip organizer. \u201cGod used our humble mission of picking up rubbish by sending many people our way to engage in conversation. We do not know what will happen next, but we just planted the seed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The community they hoped to connect is considered to be a rather closed community. This is why they had to search for creative ways of sharing Jesus\u2019 love, Micyk explained. \u201cAs visitors, we took care to be mindful of their belief system, so that our actions weren\u2019t counterproductive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The relationships made during this mission trip were invaluable, with all project participants able to get to know one another even better. Cleaning up rubbish also created an opportunity to support local initiatives, as the group did not work alone.<\/p>\n
Micyk explained that the group joined forces with a local organisation which has been working for several years to restore the land on which Jesus walked. \u201cWe also had the pleasure of helping pick olives straight from the tree in a garden, which was a fun activity for the whole group,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Micyk said he is very thankful to the Trans-European Division and its special fund for Youth Missionary Initiatives, which supported the trip. He added that it would be difficult to list all the places the group visited during the trip to Israel, but each location was meaningful in its own way.<\/p>\n “We rejoiced in being able to minister to the people we met, but also had the privilege of learning about the local culture and could more clearly envision the Bible stories played out centuries ago in the places we visited,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were also able to serve at a Jewish moshav. While we worked, we learned about the principles of this particular Israeli cooperative community, and about the way it functions.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the trip participants, Oszkar, said that for him, it was an amazing experience to see the Holy Land and meet the people of Israel. \u201cIt was exciting to listen to their stories, learn about their views, and recognise the\u00a0 diversity of their community. I also enjoyed getting to know the people in our group more,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Another participant, Jonasz, said the trip was a spiritual experience. \u201cAfter being in the places where Jesus lived, taught and healed,\u00a0 I was able to gain a better understanding of the gospel stories. The places described in the Bible are now tangible memories for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Micyk added that the trip helped participants understand that no matter what their culture and religion is, it is important for people to go out of their way to be kind and hospitable to one another. \u201cWe experienced exceptional hospitality from both Arabs and Jews and were surprised by the sheer acts of kindness we encountered on every step of our journey,\u201d he said. \u201cOne that stood out the most to us was the feast that awaited us upon arriving at [the home of] Bedouin Ibrahim, who took us in as his guests. We were also invited to a Shabbat dinner at a rabbi\u2019s home.\u201d<\/p>\n Jerusalem, Jericho, Bethel, Shiloh, Samaria, Mount Carmel, Tiberias, Qumran, Gamla, Hippos, Bethsaida, Korazim, Capernaum, and Magdala were just some of the places that the group had the opportunity to see and learn about. \u201cWe believe that thanks to the Holy Spirit, our humble ministry will have a positive impact on the lives and faith of the people we met,\u201d Micyk said. \u201c[We hope] they will see the love of Jesus we wanted to share with them through our actions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n