פסטיבל בוםבמלה

Boombamela Festival 2007

Headline: At a Passover beach festival which promotes "freedom, ecstasy, sex, pursuit of lust" and more, young Israelis also found authentic Jewish spirituality, warmth, and tradition. (http://israelbeat.blogspot.com/2005/05/dreadlock-payos-and-tie-dyed-tzitzit.html)

For many, they also found Yeshua, their long awaited Messiah, the most authentic expression of Biblical Jewishness!

April 5-7 was the time frame of the Festival this year.  As the Festival opened its gates, there were four campsites of Believers in Yeshua: Jews for Jesus, Congregation HaCarmel and two from the National Evangelism Committee. 

I participated in the NEC campsite called “Omega” with the team from my congregation.  It was a hard situation as “my kids” with whom and to whom I’ve ministered at all the previous Festivals were at the other NEC Camp called “Alpha.” 

But the Lord our God more than made up for any of my personal challenges.

Our team was fantastic.  Although this was the first Festival for many, they had been trained well and were ready for the three days of camping on the sand.  God brought this team together through our Evangelism Training Workshop.  In my absence my friend Darlene encouraged and bonded the individuals into a “mean, lean evangelism machine”.  Four days before the Festival God lead two incredible intercessors. 

Grace (far left, front row) led the prayer and even called for round the clock prayer and worship.  Janet was on holiday from England and felt the Lord wanted her to stay!

At the same time God was developing an International Intercessor Network which received updates in real time.  Without doubt, it was the continual prayer, fasting and worship which broke down the barriers and brought in the Harvest.  One of the team said, “With only 3 hours of sleep each night, I had supernatural stamina.  It must have been the prayers.”

Immediately after a team from Haifa set up camp they began to worship.  Soon a group of 10 Israelis joined them.  I believe it’s part of the Israeli DNA to worship!  Soon J (the team leader) opened the Scriptures and walked them through the Gospel from the Old Testament.  One young man shouted, “I want Yeshua.” J then invited the rest of the group – ALL responded in the sinners’ prayer! 

Almost at the same time, Carlos led two Israelis who wandered into our camp to their Messiah.

The Festival was off to a good start and it only went up from there.

By the third day, one of our team said, “We just gave up counting!”

The Book Booth was always crowded with lots of curious and seeking hearts.  Often there were groups of 5-6 youngsters held captive by the Word of God.

After a visit to Alpha Camp I was leaving the tent when a pretty American/Israeli entered asking, “Is this Jews for Jesus?” I replied that while it wasn’t their campsite, we all were Jews who believed in Jesus.”  She asked, “Please tell me about Jesus.”

With great joy I shared about the Love of my life. I started with my testimony and then the reasons why I believe using key OT verses – Isaiah 53, Jeremiah 31, Daniel 9, Leviticus 17:11 and Psalm 49.  She asked the crucial questions and kept up with understanding.  Our conversation attracted others and soon she was hearing the Gospel in stereo. For the next two days Talyea hung out at Alpha.  I don’t have her contact information but am sure someone does. 

Later in both camps, we fed the ‘5,000!’  It’s amazing what an invitation to a free meal will produce.

While standing in line for my dinner of rice and vegetables, I noticed a very sullen looking girl sitting by herself.  Dana and I had the same thought and both went to sit with her.  Almost immediately her friends came as well so we had a lively little group.  My attention turned to the young man sitting right next to me – Shai.  He had never heard of Jesus and was astounded at His story. For the next 1 ½ hours I shared and answered Shai’s questions.  It was a great conversation, but ended without a decision.  It’s those times that I shake my head in amazement. How can people to hear the truth not respond?  It’s also a bit scary, but God is responsible for the Harvest.

And He did bring in quite a harvest. I’m told that the number of decisions for Jesus could number almost 30!  We’ve never experienced such a harvest.  Jesus’ parable about the seeds and different kids of ground, we’ve learned that saying a prayer of “commitment” is not a real salvation decision.  It is more of a statement of interest.  We experience the reality of Jesus’ parable of the seeds.  One out of 4 actually fall into good prepared ground.  

While some of the “salvations” are questionable, there were others who immediately insisted on being baptized!  So into the waters of the Mediterranean went our Festival leader J – twice!  One man, Aviad comes from the second most religious neighborhood in Israel!

Perhaps we’ve “stumbled” on the key for the harvest – intercession.  I praise God that He established a network of committed intercessors who took on this assignment.  A cherished sister sent real time reports as she got them from the field.  I think many of us were too busy to send her the reports!  Meanwhile we had an incredible prayer team on site in Omega camp.  As God gave them visions, He was fulfilling them! 

At one time, Grace (Prayer coordinator) sensed to go to the area in which the Gay Tentand  where the Tarot Card Reader was.  Walking in the sands of the Festival is never easy, but Grace is blind which makes such a trek really God ordained.  She stood in the “court yard” area and proclaimed verses from Revelation about the downfall of such behavior.  Then she went back to camp.  Within moments our “prophetic” team came to her for prayer because they felt the Lord was leading them to that VERY place!

Another prayer team began to pray for the wind of the Holy Spirit.  Suddenly the wind picked up and grew to a violent level.  They feared the tents would blow away.  Meanwhile the prayer group just kept on praying, “More Lord…” The wind went on for 15 minutes. It was astounding.

Most remarkably, they had visions of fire falling from the sky and then coming out of our mouths forming a wall of fire around us. Fire was indeed coming from our mouths as we preached the Gospel.

At the Book Booth we not only gave out evangelistic literature, but also stickers which said, “God loves you.”  Everywhere we looked people were wearing them! 

Here’s a typical story.

I saw three boys walking by.  One had a t-shirt which said, “Extreme Motivation.” I challenged him about what was his extreme motivation?  That began a fun conversation.  The third boy started to challenge me about Jesus.  Suddenly the middle boy said, “Jo-an I’m your missionary.  I brought my friends to see you.”  Then I recognized him as one whom God had touched greatly last year.

Mor was now in the army and had been thinking about all he’d heard.  Then he met Dan who was an avowed atheist and “logical thinker”.  He got confused.  So he brought Dan to meet me hoping that one of us would change the other’s mind and Mor would know what to do!  Fortunately I was joined by two other team members who took Dan on.  At the end of the debate, Dan allowed them to pray over him.

A team of “prophetic evangelists” went into the Gay camp.  They intended to be there for 30 minutes but left after 4 hours.  They reported many stirring and fruitful conversations with not only gays, but their straight friends.

The anti-missionaries were continually in front of our two book booths (we had one and so did Jews for Jesus).  They tried to divert people from coming into our booth, so our team members diverted their attention by engaging them in conversation. Thus no one was prevented from coming to the booth.

On my way home from the Festival my cell phone rang. It was a wrong number. Then it rang again….wrong number?  For the next 45 minutes I explained the Gospel to this young man who finally told me his name was M.  He called again tonight as I began writing this.  Once more I walked him through the greatest story every told.  Since that phone call I’ve been told that others have received these mysterious calls from the anti-missionary group.  Perhaps, but the Gospel is still going forth!

Thank you for your prayers.  They were the foundation upon which God brought in the Harvest.  Not co-incidentally, Psalm 126 had been my Scripture reading the morning the Festival began:

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Please continue to pray that the multitudes of seeds will bear fruit.