We began our amazing adventure on the beaches of North Carolina. My family rented a large beach house and 11 members of the family gathered to spend one week in Waves, North Carolina. This was Rani's first experience with the Atlantic Ocean and he was delighted! We rode boogie boards, gathered sea shells and even witnessed a school of dolphins jumping together near the shore. Most importantly, we were able to spend time with family, which was wonderful.

Along the way we were able to share our hearts with 7 churches. What an incredible experience! We've outlined a tiny bit of these blessings below.

North Asheville Baptist Church (Asheville, NC) - July 24 & 25
Pastor Jim Dykes

Rani preached a sermon entitled The Rejected Messiah during 3 services and I shared a song. NABC is nestled in one of the loveliest areas in North Carolina, home to the famed Biltmore Estate, which we were able to visit thanks to the kindness of Mrs. Dykes. We were blessed by the generosity and graciousness of this great church and were privileged to witness four lives saved during one of the services.

Green Acres Baptist Church (Tyler, TX) - August 1
Pastor David Dykes

Rani again had the opportunity to present The Rejected Messiah during 3 church services and I shared a song. We joined my aunt and uncle, Audis and Deborah Byrd at their home church, which to Rani's utter amazement draws about 6,000 people every Sunday. We were impressed with the friendliness of everyone and enjoyed meeting many different people between services.

First Baptist Church (Forney, TX) - August 1
Pastor Jim Pritchard

Following the morning services at GABC in Tyler, we drove down to Forney to share in their evening services. Rani presented The Rejected Messiah and I shared in singing. This is the church that I was a member of for several years before moving to Israel and Rani and I consider it our 'home away from home.' It was such a sweet reunion with friends and family.

First Baptist Church (Monroe, LA) - August 4

We spent Wednesday evening at FBC Monroe, home to my grandparents Bobbie and Richard Buck. Despite the mid-week timing, well over 100 people gathered to hear Rani's presentation on The Nazareth Jesus Knew, understanding Biblical parables through an in-depth look at Nazareth during the first century. I also shared in singing before Rani's presentation. This event was such an unexpected blessing and the people who made the trip to share with us were so welcoming.

*We were privileged on that evening to pray with James Christopher, a young boy suffering from an incurable form of leukemia. He had a cancerous oral tumor which we prayed over and the following day the tumor had vanished! Praise God for His mercies and continue to pray for James and his family.*

Chapelwood United Methodist Church (Houston, TX) - August 8
Pastor Bob Johnson

CUMC hosted a welcome breakfast in our honor on Sunday morning and we were thrilled to reunite with friends from former Holy Land trips. Rani and I both participated in a Q & A session during breakfast and Rani shared an abbreviated version of The Rejected Messiah during their Adult Sunday School hour. We greatly enjoyed our time and met some lovely people who blessed us immensely.

Cornerstone Baptist Church (Lucas, TX) - August 8
Pastor Jim Everidge

Following our morning in Houston, we drove down to Lucas to share with CBC. This church is located in Texas countryside and has an incredible story of beginning and growth. I shared in singing and Rani preached The Rejected Messiah during their evening service. We felt so at home with these kind-hearted people and every face reflected the love of Jesus.

Branson Missouri Gathering - August 9
Pastor Howard Boyd

We were honored to be invited to a gathering at the home of Pastor Howard during our time in Branson. We were reunited with friends we met in Israel previously and were fortunate to share the vision for our ministry SALAM with these sweet people. Rani also shared his testimony and details of the many things God is doing through SALAM, through his work at Nazareth Village and through the ministry Linga.

Gethsemane Baptist Church - August 15

We enjoyed a brief time of sharing with Gethsemane, a church that my grandfather Bill Hall pastored for almost 30 years and now home to my parents, Ron and Amy Byrd. I sang two songs and Rani shared a few words about SALAM and the Arab Christians in Nazareth. It was such a great time spent with family and old friends.

I could probably write a mini-novel about each of these encounters. We cannot say enough how blessed we were to be a part of each and every church family. This trip has truly brought to life the extraordinary fact that we are all ONE in the Body of Christ. We thank everyone for their efforts in welcoming and supporting us and hope we all meet again soon!

So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Romans 12:5