My Experience in Israel

Over the years, my family and I grew more and more interested in Israel. Through studying more of the Word, we developed a desire to come to the Holy Land. To our surprise, God opened a way for us and we received an opportunity to come for two weeks at first. Through my experience here, my love for God’s Word and His people has grown and the more I come, the more I enjoy it. Bible prophecy and the Bible in general have become more realistic and it’s a blessing to know that I can be part of fulfilling Bible prophecy by volunteering at Bridges for Peace (BFP).

The first time I came to the Holy Land, I was amazed and confronted by the cultural shock of encountering so many religious people roaming around on the streets, especially in Jerusalem. It was so strange seeing Jews, Arabs, Christians and many more religious people all dwelling in the same city. I felt like an outsider, because I couldn’t converse with anybody and at times I felt very unsafe, especially in the Arab quarter of the Old City. The Old City is the most historical part of Jerusalem and has been divided into four quarters: the Jewish, Arab, Armenian and Christian. The Wailing Wall (Western Wall) is situated in the Jewish area and is considered to be the holiest spot for the Jews. It is truly marvelous there and it really touched me to see how people regularly came up to the wall and prayed, literally fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 8: 20-22. I felt secure and at peace there and could soak up the Jewish culture. What I enjoyed most the first time was simply dwelling with the Jews.

On my second visit to Israel, we stayed for three months, so I decided to volunteer with Bridges for Peace for two weeks. But as the two weeks flew by so speedily, I wanted to stay longer and asked to volunteer for two more weeks. This was still too short, but it was a great opportunity to learn many different things. Even though at the time I was only eighteen, I befriended the staff at Bridges’ Head Quarters. The best part of working with BFP was meeting people from all over the world and seeing how they are giving more of themselves to God, so that through His love we can show the Jews that we do love them and we want to bless them. The Bible says God will bless those who bless His people (Genesis 12:3). This time in Israel my family and I toured a lot more and saw a bit of everything in the land. I enjoyed the Dead Sea a lot, because afterwards I felt rejuvenated. However, I stayed a tad too long in the sea and got nauseous from all the minerals that my skin sucked in from the sea. There was a sign that said you should only stay in for a maximum of fifteen minutes at a time, so it’s important to look and to follow this instruction! My family and I also attended services at a synagogue and there I met lovely young adults my age. Many of them made aliyah from America, so I could at least converse with them. We bonded immediately and I felt more and more at home with my new acquaintances. It was sad to bid farewell and return home to South Africa, but university was awaiting me. I managed through my first year of Architecture and thanked my Father for helping me.

Currently, I am visiting Israel for the third time, this time for a month only. I am again volunteering at BFP and assisting in arranging the Zealous82 Young Adult Jan 2010 tour. It’s great fun because I get to connect with the young adults that will be coming and it’s wonderful to see how the youth from all over the world have grown a love and passion for Israel. I want to encourage more to do likewise, for you will receive blessing in coming up to God’s chosen city JerusalemIsrael. and joining hands in support for the nation of

Menan du Plessis

BFP Volunteer

Theuno's Zealous Experience

So, you are scanning the Zealous8:2 webpage, photos and possibly reading a few testimonies of a number of ‘Zealous Zealots’ who have made the trip on a previous occasion to Israel. You may be wondering … should I plan to join them on the next available tour or not? Well, I was one of those privileged people to share in the Zealous ’09 June tour and may I briefly share a few highlights to possibly help you make the decision to book your ticket for the next available Zealous tour (10 – 21 January 2010).


It’s really not about the people, the land or the tour. I have come to the conclusion that the main reason why the Zealous8:2 Adventure Tour was a highlight for me (personally) was that God had invited me on a special personal journey with Him. It was an eye-opener and life-enriching experience on so many levels that I won’t spoil your surprise by sharing all of that with you before you embark on your special journey with God in Israel.

However, I can share this. It’s a first time’ experience in many regards. You’ll never read the Bible with the same pair of glasses again and for the first time you’ll want to page to the Old Testament Scriptures first thing in your devotions in a new way as the Bible truly comes alive!


If you are from South Africa, like me, it will be the first time ever that you’ll experience something called a ‘reeces cup/bar’.

If you are from the USA or some other part of the world and you have a South African with you on tour, it will probably the first time that you ever hear about RUGBY (sport in Southern Hemisphere) and words such as ‘lekker’ (nice) or ‘boet’ (brother).

There will also be people that you’ll meet for the first time, but believe you me … it will not be the last you hear of them!

The friends I’ve met and made during the Zealous ’09 tour are truly one of the main highlights of the WHOLE TOUR.


This may be the first time that you hear of someone with such a strange name living in the Southern part of Africa, but I trust that this personal experience may inspire you to book your first Zealous trip in the coming year …

Best wishes from SA (South Africa)
Theuno Swart

Zealous8:2 in the Community

This past July Zealous8:2 & the Discovery Group department of BFP joined up to do a project at the WIZO Rebecca Sieff family center in Jerusalem. The acronym, WIZO, stands for Woman’s International Zionist Organization. The WIZO organization was founded in Great Britain in 1920 with the goal of serving the needs of women and children in the Land of Israel.


The Zealous8:2 young adults project consisted of hard work in the hot sun, sanding then painting metal fences that enclose the play ground of the center. We also removed old rotten wood from park benches, repairing and refurbishing them. Alongside of this playground repair, we also planted small trees and flowering plants in an area that for along time stood neglected and we made it beautiful.


The center also cares for women from very hard and extreme situations of domestic abuse. In this section of WIZO some of the Zealous girls helped to clean the kitchen and dining room area as well as organized the children’s play area.

The staff at the WIZO Rebecca Sieff family center was overwhelmed with the large amount of work Zealous8:2 accomplished in the two days that we were there.
Many words of praise and thanks went to the young adults as they were each given a certificate of appreciation by Kobi Hillel, the Head of this WIZO center.


I personally enjoyed working with the Zealous8:2 group because of their willingness to work with a servant’s heart. It was the first time that Bridges For Peace did a project with this center as they are one of our newest community contacts. The Zealous8:2 group made a lasting good impression on all the people there.

Daniel Kirchhevel
Bridges for Peace
Discovery Group Coordinator