A Tour Of Roses Israel Preview

Partial ATOR Team arriving from around the country at Bush Intercontinental, Houston, TX

Dear Friends of Improbable People Ministries and A Tour Of Roses. Welcome to our preview of the ATOR missions trip to Israel, 2024. The team has been working for months in the planning of this momentous excursion abroad in the Land of God’s Chosen People. My name is Michael O’Connor and I’ll be your tour guide through these daily updates we will be sending to you by way of your email inbox. Before we introduce the team you’ll be following for about two weeks, we should take care of a little business:

You are receiving this update because you are either a regular subscriber to the GraceNotes From Sally Devotional, the From Here to Eternity Blog, are a prayer intercessor for one or more of the ATOR Team Members or you happened to hear about the amazing mission and decided to see what it was all about. If you do not wish to receive our daily updates for the next two weeks all you need to do is go to the bottom of the email we sent to you and click the UNSUBSCRIBE button at the very bottom. We don’t want to be junk mail for anyone.

We will do our best to get you the latest information as soon as it’s available from the team. Please understand this will be an uneven process with hopefully at least one report per day. But the time of day will fluctuate because the first order of business is the ministry and care for the condition of our Team Members. And some days there may be no report because the team is too weary from ministering on the streets of Israel. Our faithful correspondent and intrepid cub reporter Robert Emmert will interview team members on the day’s activities and relay his quotes back here in the States where I’ll compile the stories and photos to release a new edition of the A Tour Of Roses Update.

The main purpose of these updates will be to inform you, our dear friends in ministry, so you can be vigilant on behalf of these warriors on the front lines of the Kingdom—especially in the midst of war.

The Team thanks you in advance for your prayer covering and for those who were able to support the team financially as well.

At the end of each post there will be a chance you you to send words of encouragement in the Comments section and we hope you’ll take advantage of the chance to lift the spirits of a particular brother or sister.

MEET THE TEAM
(alphabetically)

 

 

Robert Emmert is an Elder and a Leader of Prayer at a Messianic Jewish congregation in Northern CA.  He is passionate for leading fellow believers into an intimate, on fire love relationship with the Lord, for preparing the Body to become the Ready Bride, and for the lost sheep of Israel to know their Messiah. This is Robert’s first trip with ATOR.

 

 

Ingeborg Greenwood was born 1943 in Berlin, raised and educated there. She emigrated to USA, married, raised her children.  Ingeborg recently buried her husband of 53 yrs. “After experiencing God’s grace, mercy, and surprising ways, I experienced the shame of the Holocaust history. And I want to be part of the process of healing.”

 

 

Evi Hardy is a Messianic Jewish believer who loves Israel.  A retired Special Ed teacher with 6 children and 8 grandchildren, Evi lives in Northern California with her husband, Tom. This will be Evi’s fifth trip with ATOR since 2007.

 

Sunny Lehman is a City Librarian in Arizona who enjoys hobbies such as beading and drumming native style on both the hand and big drums. This is Sunny’s second trip with ATOR. “I’m looking forward to sharing God’s love and concern for His people during this difficult time. Eagerly anticipating to see how God is going to move at this time.”

 

 

Sally Klein O’Connor is co-founder of Improbable People Ministries and founder of A Tour Of Roses. A Jewish Believer in Jesus, Sally is a wife and mom, singer-songwriter, speaker, and author of A Rumor of Roses, the book that documents the genesis of the A Tour Of Roses movement. She is a wearer of many hats. “But first and foremost I am a daughter of the Most High.”

 

Lura Olander has been a follower of Jesus since 1990 and attends Beth Emanuel, a Messianic congregation in AZ. This is her 3^rd trip with A Tour Of Roses and her 5^th trip to Israel. She also leads a ministry called Soaring Eagles, which reaches out to the Native and Indigenous People.

 

 

Dave Panther is a Native American and an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation). He and his wife, Yara have served together at their local church in Southern, CA for over 25 years, “My wife and I love music, so for us serving on the worship team fulfills the longing in our hearts to minister to the Lord. We appreciate ATOR because of the message it holds to—the ministry of reconciliation and of forgiveness.”

 

 

Yara Panther is from the Los Angeles area is married to fellow team member, David Panther. As a tandem the Israel trip makes 15 combined ATOR trips for the couple.  “I’ve always had a heart for missions and am grateful to be able to share God’s love with people near and far. I’m excited to be a part of the team and see God work on this mission trip.”

 

 

Annie Weatherby lives in Northern CA with her husband Eric. While Eric is a veteran of the ATOR trips (and a fellow traveler on this one), this is Annie’s first time with us and we are excited for her to join the crew in Israel. Welcome aboard, Annie!

 

 

Eric Weatherbee is a long-time believer of the Messiah, encountering Jesus on a mountain-top experience in 2001. He lives in Chico, CA, with his wife Annie. Eric loves playing worship music on the guitar and praising God. This is Eric’s 4th trip with ATOR.

 

 

Karen Wevick is a partially retired Information Management Consultant, Accountant, and Operations Manager. She has 2 adult children, 2 children-in-love (in-laws, but I love them), and 5 grandchildren. Karen loves going on missions trips and falls in love with every people group she visits. “Although it is seemingly insane to be going to Israel during this particular time in history, I am anticipating that we will see amazing miracles as we minister, and Daddy God holds each of us in the palm of his hand. I am excited to be returning to Israel and loving on people.”

 

 

Khalida Wukawitz is a former Muslim born in Bethlehem in 1967, during the Six-Day War.  Orphaned 11 days after her birth, she was raised in a Jewish orphanage until the age of 9. She was then sold to a Bedouin tribe, where she was basically a slave until she was finally sent to live in her biological father’s house and raised in a devout Muslim home.  She immigrated to the US and, following two arranged failed and violent marriages, Khalida escaped the Muslim community to seek a safer environment for herself and her three children. During a divine appointment, Khalida met a caring Christian woman who brought her and her family under her covering.  Khalida prospered, learning to speak English, got a college education and converted to Christianity after a personal encounter with Jesus.  She then married a messianic Jewish American man who she loved and cared for until his death.  Khaldia is now remarried to a wonderful Christian Iraqi man who loves the Lord.    This will be her second trip with A Tour of Roses.

 

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UPDATE:

Evi, Sunny and Lura traveled separately from the members you see at the top of this update.

They are already in Israel awaiting those coming in from Houston by way of Paris.

Here is the Team schedule for the next 3 days:

 

 

Thanks all, for your kind attention. Please remember to pray daily as often as you can for the team. They will be out there on the front lines doing God’s work and need our support. Blessings to each and every one of you.  —Michael