merry hanukkah

the holidays have crept up on me like a thief in the night.
it's a lot more subtle here in Tel Aviv especially, because there is no such thing as Christmas.

but anyway, merry Christmas !

as a team, we decided that we would not journey to Bethlehem during the holiday season, because we discovered that it is transformed into a total tourist festival. because we have journeyed to this land in order to reach out to the Jewish people & to respect their culture, we chose to instead spend time as a family near our home.

so today, Christmas Eve, we set out to reach out to the Sudan refugees who have found it difficult to find their place in this land. teaming up with the local Korean church (it's so crazy to see so many Koreans here !), we sang Christmas songs & celebrated the birth of Jesus at a park where many of these refugees call their home. just showing them the love of Christ by singing & handing out gifts was so fun & encouraging. millions of miles away from home, I was able to realize that there really is more to Christmas than what the world has to offer.

tomorrow we are going to have a picnic at a park where Michael Jackson supposedly had his wedding, & have a family dinner with our team.

although this new culture is fascinating & fun, I do miss the comforts of home, family & friends. I really hope you are all having a most blessed holiday season!

sending you love from Israel,
r.

the above is a jelly donut that many eat during the hanukkah season. they sell them in almost every store !

שלום

shalom.
I have arrived in the land flowing with hummus & falafel.
the weather is surprisingly nice here & I love taking a stroll down the various alleys & streets. or the beach--sand soft as powder & water clear as glass.
and the food. absolutely amazing. seriously loving it.

we had the opportunity to do some street worship & it was cool because people were so intrigued by us. I would catch them watching us or stopping as they walked by. we'll be doing various ministries as the weeks go by. I'm seriously excited for all that God has to give us.

just walking down these streets, I can't help but be in awe. so much history was made on these paths !

prayer requests:
1. that I would be more in tune with the Spirit so that I could more clearly hear His voice
2. overcoming jetlag
3. to be bold & courageous, but also very loving with the people here
4. that I would be mightily used for His kingdom
5. that I would love my team more & more each day

I'll update again soon. with more pictures.
love you all !

r.

here we go

within the next hour, I will be heading to Tel Aviv, Israel for two months.
thank you all for being so interested in my journey.
I'll be updating during my time there.
I love you.

see you later alligators.

r.

the final countdown

we're in single digits now--9 days till I leave for outreach. it's surreal.

I'm seriously eager with anticipation for what God has planned for me & my team in Israel. the enemy has definitely been tugging at our team, using disunity & discouragement to break us apart. but I see now that these hardships show just how much more glory is waiting for us in Israel.

last week, God showed His sovereignty through finances: our school needed over $100,000 in funds for outreach & it all came in within 5 hours. not one of the students in our DTS are being left behind. isn't He amazing? still astounded by His grace.

spending thanksgiving here was such an experience. away from the family & friends that I was familiar with, I found joy & peace in spending the holiday with new loved ones.

side note: I'll be celebrating Christmas in Israel !! how awesome is that?

anyway, the fact that it's my last full week here on this island startles me. these past ten weeks have been so fruitful, faith-stirring & fast. our fire&fragrance dts has gotten so close that we really feel like a big family. I already miss them.

prayer requests:
that God would continue to have favor on our team so that we could be used effectively in Israel.
that He would continue to pour out His blessings & mercies on me--I want more of Him.
that I would grow even more on outreach--that He would stretch & bend me further.
to trust Him more.
to spend my time wisely & efficiently.
to fall even more in love with Him.

I can't wait to be able to update this during my outreach phase. thank you for all your love, concern & encouragement. hope this day finds you well.

r.

locked & loaded

it has been weeks since I last updated & I apologize for the lateness ! so much has happened in such a short amount of time & I would like to share with you the highlights of my time.

during "Holy Spirit week," I was baptized by water & by the Holy Spirit--both experiences were new to me, as I had only been sprinkled with water as a baby. it was a very special experience for me & I felt so much peace & freedom. He is so good.

this past week, I had the great privilege of praying over high school students & relaying to them their original design. I've found that God shows me people's original designs through images & words, and the pictures He revealed to me were so beautiful & powerful. it's crazy to think that these kids have already so much knowledge & wisdom at such a young age.

the theme for this past week was "bible overview," & the speaker was so amazing. seriously, he made the old testament come to life through his thorough understanding of the word & through his unbelievably awesome speaking skills. definitely want to read more.

honestly, I can't even begin to imagine how life would have been if I hadn't come to this place. I'm learning so much & it's hard to envision where I would be if I were not here. I have been experiencing a new breakthrough or revelation every week (maybe even twice a week) & I find it amazing that His mercies & blessings are never ending.

great beaches I have been to: punalu'u black sands, hapuna, mile 88, children's, magic sands

time is zooming by per usual. maybe even more quickly. so much happens in such a short period of time. end of november already?

I'll be leaving for Israel in 24 days. the closer it gets to december 14, the more excited I'm getting. please pray that God thoroughly equip me to be an effective vessel in His land. as I'm hearing more about the history of & the current state of Israel, I'm beginning to have an even greater heart for the nation of God's chosen people. God waits to welcome His people back into His loving arms--they are not all lost in their ways of old. if God will, then they too shall be saved.

please continue to pray for me. I am so excited to see what lies ahead in the weeks to come & my time in Israel !

I hope you are all well. love you very much.

r.

if I give it all to You

dearest friend,

as each week passes, I find myself just a little bit different (in a good way) & it brings me great joy.
this past week was "freedom week" & the Lord blessed me in a great many ways. but two specifics are as follows:
1. He blessed me with the gift of tongues. it's definitely been exciting getting used to having this gift & practicing it.
2. He gave me an opportunity to lead worship in the prayer room & allowed the Spirit to fill me with heartfelt praise & adoration.
spiritual warfare is real. I find that I must equip & prepare myself everyday.
the sunsets here are truly gorgeous. each one is new & unique in its own special way.
geckos are fun, but impossible to keep as pets.
I'm slowly learning to give up my rights to comfort.
in the following weeks, I will be fasting from time to time, so if you have any prayer requests, please send them to me.

I love you very much.

r.


banyan acai bowl. takes me back to sb.

set a fire

dearest friend,

where do I even begin? today marks the third week of my stay in kona, hawaii & it has been a glorious 21 days. God has brought so much healing & restoration so swiftly & steadily. it is definitely the start of a new chapter in my life.

I know that many of you are curious about where God has decided to send me for outreach. I am so excited & grateful to share that come mid-december, I will be heading to Israel, which was my first choice ! He is such a faithful father & I am SO excited to see what He has planned for me there.

the lectures & worship here bring such great blessings. everyday is just jam-packed with goodness that sometimes I just need to pause & soak it all in. this week was "pure heart" week, where we focused on various kinds of inner healing. it's just been so good & yet very draining as well. please pray that the Lord provide me strength & endurance during my time here. sometimes I just get so tired with the busy schedule. on a lighter note, I've taken up snorkeling as a pastime, & it's so awesome ! swimming with various fishes & sea turtles & just enjoying the beautiful nature that God has provided has been amazing.

as I end my first post, I'd really like to genuinely thank you for all your support. you have all been more than generous & I am so grateful for such precious friends & family. if you would still like to support me or send anything, my address is as follows:

Rebecca Choi
Fire and Fragrance DTS, UofN
75-5851 Kuakini Hwy, #255
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

I love you all so very much.

r.