Volunteers of the Ministry to Israel with Livnot workers.

Weekend shopping – supermarket in Hatzor, Upper Galilee, American accents of the deep South fill the air, curiosity aroused – I ask myself, "What brings all these folk here?" I approach one couple who are considering the choice of crisps, "Excuse me – are you on a tour up here?"

"No, my dear, we are volunteers," was the proud answer.

"Volunteers," I repeat, "Have you time to tell me more?"

"You must speak to our group leaders – let us introduce you."

And off we went to beside the fruit and vegetable counter where Jack Bowen was introduced to me. We arranged to meet some days later before they finished their work in Safed and Jack was accompanied by Diann Mullins – the official group leader also in charge of donor relations for the Ministry.

In 1988, believer Michael Utterback established Ministry to Israel because he understood that Christians have a responsibility to the nation of Israel and they are indebted to the Jewish nation because, thanks to the Jews, a system of faith and moral beliefs exist in the world. The basic conviction of these people, a wonderful mixture from the Southern states of America – Tennessee, Georgia and Florida, California, Oklahoma, Virginia and Colorado - is that they believe they have a responsibility to pray for the nation of Israel, to comfort the Jewish people and to help to bring them back to the Promised Land. "See, I will beckon to the Gentiles . . . they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders" (Isaiah 49:22) and also "He who scattered Israel shall also gather them" (Jeremiah 31:10). Those, whose dedication it is to help Jews to emigrate to Israel, call themselves 'fishermen', and since 1991 when Russians Jews could leave from behind the fallen Iron Curtain they have managed to assist in the safe landing of some 100,000  Jewish people "fished" in Siberia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Georgia. Their offices have assisted not only with paperwork and visas, but also with costs and organization of transport. The work in Siberia came to the fore in 1999 when the plight of poverty in that region expanded their efforts to collect donations by spreading the message to their followers that this was part of the Final Exodus of God's chosen people to Israel.

Apart from assistance in the field of aliyah, members of the Ministry come as volunteers to work within needy communities across the country. The message, "Come to help and see the Land" is spread successfully and people such as those I met in the supermarket come to carry out such tasks as cleaning and repairing bomb shelters, and painting murals on outside walls to make the surroundings more attractive. Even Diann had a go at that task with many misgivings about her personal skills. She carried out the job with the assistance of a bona fide artist who would paint the basic outlines. After working on a 6 foot ladder to color in a blue sky, she says, "Sometimes God instructs us to do things that are out of our comfort zone . . .   if he leads us to something, we have to trust Him to hold the ladder and guide the paintbrush."

Ministry to Israel has a staff of eight working in Israel and in the States. They also support 75 Christian workers throughout the Soviet Union, who are involved daily together with the Jewish Agency, in assisting with aliyah (immigration). Within Israel the staff carries out many benevolent activities to needy sectors of society – distribution of bus passes, food vouchers and baby baskets for new mothers. The Albert Owensby Lone Soldier project has helped more than one thousand young soldiers who volunteer from abroad, to serve in the IDF and they have opened a support center for them in Jerusalem.

For the past 22 years their executive director has traveled the world speaking to Christian organizations and churches to enlighten them on the true picture of life in Israel, contrary to the negative presentation often given by the world media. As we rose from the table, post coffee and conversation, I was assured by Diann that in no way was their Ministry seeking to proselytize, but that their belief was to help to bring the Jewish people home.

www.ministrytoisrael.com