July Update

Dear Family and Friends,
Let me recap what happened at the beginning of the month. On July first I started Ulpan (Hebrew classes). It is going amazing I am learning a ton everyday. However, it is getting hard to keep my motivation up right now. But I know this is something I need to do and I have a break in a week and a half so that should help.
The first weekend was the ELAV Conference for Youth and Young Adults hosted by Succat Hallel. It was great. We keep hearing reports of how young people’s lives were changed. You can now download or listen to the messages online at www.jerusalempraise.com under pod casts. It is very honoring to be a part of something that changes people lives.
After the conference we had our appointment at the Ministry of Interiors. It went well. It was an interview appointment for them to check and see if we are really a married couple. The lady we interviewed with said that we should just come in when we get the last paper and move forward with the next step. Hopefully we should be receiving that paper in the next week.
We went to a BBQ for staff of all four houses of prayer up on the Mount of Olives, hosted by Tom Hess. It was a time of fellowship, worshipping together, and Tom sharing.
Later that week we had a thank you dinner at Succat Hallel for helping with the Elav Conference
Then started the ELAV 24/7 House of Prayer Intensive. Jon Mark, who we minister with at Succat Hallel, has a desire to raise up an army of youth and young adults into the house of prayer. The intensive is designed to teach them about the house of prayer and then to train them in either prayer leading or spontaneous singing and to then do a watch in the prayer room with them and also to take worship to the streets. We are half way through the intensive and it seems to be going well. There is a good strong group that keeps coming and has a real desire to grow deeper. Thursday when we went out into the city we simply sat in a park and worshipped. It was very strategic because earlier that day the Gay Pride Parade walked through town. So we felt it was very important to go out and change the atmosphere over Jerusalem. As we worshipped 2 guys came and stood on the edge and listened. Some of the youth went up to the guys and introduced themselves. One guy was interested and is keeping in touch, the other guy didn't want to talk but I feel he was changed a little because he fought through his friends to be able to listen. Then there was a third guy who showed up who had been drinking way too much that night. We freely let him stay and join us. Whether he was touched by the Lord or not only He knows, our pray is that he will remember this experience in the Lord’s presence.
Then this weekend we had our Holy Spirit weekend. Four youth showed up, which was the number we planned for but it was not all the people we thought would be there. Nevertheless God had His own plan. We soaked, spent time with God, let Him fill us, we had times of prophecy break out, we had a time of prophetic art happen. The youth were happy with what happened. Stefan and I were hoping for more but for our first time, it was good. God showed up and I think that is what matters most.
Then after all of that craziness we had a birthday party for Stefan at a friend’s house Saturday night. We had a bonfire and roasted hotdogs (on the hottest day in history. And we are still in the middle of an insane heat wave.) We prayed over him and blessed him, we ate cake, and had a good time with friends.
Right now we’re in the process of looking for a new apartment. We have already had our hearts broken twice over losing some good places that were available and it is hard. Nevertheless He has the perfect place for us for this season so if those places fell through we believe it is because the Lord has something better for us. We believe He will come through. We have until the end of August to find a place. We simply want to find the place the Lord has for us.
We are also trying to get things ready for coming to the States in November. We are planning on ministering in Mexico and then around churches in CA. If you as a pastor would like us to come visit please let us know. If you would like to meet us or know someone else who would be interested please let us know. What we need prayer for is that God will arrange this trip. That we will speak where he wants us to and that we will receive the finance to move into full time ministry.
Blessings from Jerusalem,
Stefan and Samantha