Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas. You won't believe this!!!

Celebrate the warmth and wonder of both Hanukkah and Christmas.

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10"H x 6"W

A must-have for interfaith marriages!

If you actually want to buy this go to http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=204072528&c=

Thank God for Sky Mall and American Airlines. Shalom from the Hanukah front. David Schneier



Final Day of Fellowship in London

     On my way back to Paris, soon to be under the English Channel. I had three full days here with Larry Trishkin and his congregation. Larry overseas a Messianic congregation and a Russian speaking church that is Messianic oriented. Spoke to many Jewish believers some who came from Ukraine or Russia so I was really in my element. The level of their hospitality and openness reminded me of my days in Odessa. The congregation in London has a good vision of where they want to go and I would be surprised if they did not reach what they want to see - a Messianic Jewish congregation that walks in the Spirit and in truth, that is dedicated to the Word of God and. and that yearns without apology for the salvation of the Jewish people. Please pray for Derech HaShem in London. Shalom. David Schneier.

Larry Trishkin and I at the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London

Dear All,

   It took just 2 hours and 15 minutes to ride the train from the center of Paris to downtown London yesterday. At the famous St. Pancras station (I called it Pancreas) I met Larry Trishkin who is the messianic leader of the IAMCS congregation, Derech HaShem. The congregation joined the IAMCS in July and this was my first visit for ministry to England. Last night we gathered together 20 members of the congregation for their Erev Shabbat meeting and it was a wonderful time together. They really have a Messianic vision for their congregation and for England. We all sensed something new will be happening in the Messianic movement in England which needs a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit. Tonight I will be meeting with the leaders of the congregation and tomorrow before returning to Paris I will be speaking at a church. Hope you enjoy the photos below and please pray for my time in England. (One of the photos is of me presenting the IAMCS certificate of membership to Larry for Derech HaShem Congregation.) Shalom from London. David Schneier

Norwegians boycott of Israeli goods

Israeli oranges bleeding with the blood of Palestinians? Some Norwegians thinks so. So they will boycott a supermarket chain that dares to defy their demands to stop selling products from Israel. Funny but there doesn't seem to be any interest by these boycotters about products from "Palestine" after the Palestinians indiscriminately fire rockets into civilian areas killing Israeli civilians (which happens to be a war crime). What can I conclude about this bias - that these particular Norwegians are just simply anti-Semites which means they hate Jews. Why is it that the rest of Norway doesn't seem to get it. Shalom. David Schneier (Graphic from CFCA article, 11/23/11, www.antisemtism.org.il)

Scientologists demonstrate in Paris

Scientology protestors in Central Paris opposite the Palais de Justice ("Justice under influence. We accuse!)

"Equal Justice for the Scientologists" 

Palais de Justice (Palace of Justice)  I was just minding my business riding on the #96 bus when I noticed opposite the Palace of Justice a crowd of people carrying signs and playing drums. It was the Scientologists and they were not happy with what was going on the court opposite from their orderly "manifestation" (demonstration). An appeal was being heard of the 2009 fraud conviction of the Church. The demonstration today was aimed at what a spokesman for the Celebrity Center of the Church, Eric Roux, called bias on the part of the court against the Church of Scientology. After a ruling against the Church being able to view certain records in the court file, the representatives for the Church left the appellate courtroom according to Mr. Roux, citing this as one example of bias by the Court.

    Mr. Roux said there were approximately 45,000 Scientologists in France and that the Church was going to continue its appeal especially as they believed the current appelate court was going to support the fraud conviction. Ultimately he said they may have to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. Since this is the first conviction of the Church of Scientology according to Mr. Roux, the Church, he said, will vigorously defend itself against what it feels is a bias against it.

   While I do not accept any of the precepts of Scientology, as a lawyer I am concerned how this kind of a ruling could be used against the Free churches and Messianic Judaism in France. There is discrimination against churches, who are not Catholic or Reformed, in where they can rent and locate their operations. And what is a cult for one person is the faith of another. Gratefully the Messianic movement has not been under governmental pressure - yet.

     Ultimately how do we oppose what we believe is spiritual blindness? Probably like Paul did with the truth, Yeshua the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world. Shalom from Paris. David Schneier

Updated Schedule for the Schneiers

Here is our updated schedule for the winter and spring,2012: 

• January 7-11: Orlando,FL for IAMCS Rabbis conference
• January 12-13: Mt Dora, FL at the Garden Gate 
• January 15: Brunswick, GA, 6pm, Christian Renewal Church
• January 21: Orlando,FL at Congregation Gesher Shalom
• January 27-28: Tampa and Lakeland  FL with Congregations Shoresh David 
• February 18-19: Shreveport, LA  with Congregation Messiah Now! on the 18th and the Christian Center Shreveport on the 19th
• March 3rd: Ormond Beach, FL at Congregation Beth Judah
• April17-19: IAMCS regional leadership conference in Nikolaiv, Ukraine
• Possible trips in April or May to Spain and Italy
• Possible leadership conference in France or Belgium in April or May

Shalom from David Schneier

Messianic Jewish Leadership Retreat in Crimea, Ukraine

Dear Friends of the Schneiers,

      As we approach Thanksgiving, Leslye and I thank you so much for your prayers and financial support in 2011. It means a lot to know that you are interested in what the Lord is doing amongst the Jewish people in Europe. Please keep in touch with us at schneiers@aol.com, at our website at www.messianicinitiative.org and at our blog at www.closeupsfromfaraway.blogspot.com.

      Lots of joy in Ukraine: I, David, just returned from nine days in Ukraine splitting my time in Crimea at a leadership retreat for IAMCS congregations and interested unaffiliated Messianic leaders and pastors and in Odessa. Our hall was filled at the evening meetings with about 300 leaders and congregational members for three joyful days of worship, teaching and fellowship. One of my key topics was a biblical view of the power of Joy in our lives. It's interesting how many times joy appears in the Bible and the varied ways it manifests itself. I was surprised at sources of and effect that joy has us and how we need to see joy as more than something we can have only if we are happy. "The joy of the Lord (is truly) our strength."  I took this verse to mean that both His joy over us and our joy over Him is our strength. However you look at it we have access to a joy that is so powerful is unspeakable no matter the conditions around us witnessed by Paul and Silas praising God after being beaten and thrown into the darkest, innermost prison. So, if nothing else, be thankful and joyful this Thanksgiving because of  the hope you have that will never disappoint you.

      We were so blessed to have Pastor Barry Boucher share at the conference and thank God for his recovery after surgery. Also we had leaders from Czech Republic (Jarda and Rut Kupka) and from Amsterdam (David & Caroline Warnink) who lead IAMCS congregations there. It was the Warninks first time in Ukraine and I can say that they loved what they experienced with the Ukrainian Messianic believers. Last but not least, we so enjoyed our visitors and new friends from Shreveport, LA. They were a team of five led by Pastor Timothy Carscadden. They had a blast and joined in on dancing and praising the Lord in a new way.

      Here are some movies that give a picture of joy amongst a people who could have very little in this world to be joyful about. (You can see the movies on YouTube at  http://youtu.be/sa6xOjDX7Wk. The title of the movies are MVI_2478.AVI and MVI 2463)

Worship at the conference in Crimea, Ukraine

Victor with hand made iron

Menorah

 Team from Louisiana, Barry Boucher, me and leaders from Czech and Amsterdam

 New IAMCS congregation in
Ukraine from Uzgorod

Meeting of IAMCS congregational leaders at conference





                                                                                 

Torah procession at the retreat

Three key leaders in Ukraine: Yura, Victor and Sasha

Torah reading in Odessa

  




A call to England: We have been sensing a call to journey to England to be with a Messianic congregation there that just joined the IAMCS. It's interesting that at a popular English bookstore in Paris we met a group of Macedonians. I reminded them of Paul's Macedonian call which they were familiar with. This was further evidence to me to act on this call to England, so I will spend three days in London from December 2-4 encouraging a Messianic congregation there and possibly speaking in a receptive church. Please pray for my travels to and from London and for inspiration as to what exactly the Lord wants spoken there. I am sensing a similar call for Leslye and I to travel to Spain and Italy this spring to connect with Messianic believers and perhaps to hold small conferences to encourage the Messianic movement there.

      Challenges ahead: Our children are all facing challenges involving either health, finances, business decisions and other personal issues. Please pray for them when you think of us. We are also going through a transition with our finances due to the recession, the illness of a key donor and the scheduled ending of a foundation in 2012 whose annual gift formed a large portion of our support. We see some interesting developments in this area from sources that we did not expect (we love that). Please pray for our financial needs and consider in this season an end of the year gift and monthly support no matter how small or big that might be. There is information below on how you can help us to do what the Lord wants us to do here in Europe.

       Winter & Sping Schedule: We know some of our schedule for the winter and spring which is:

• January 7-11: Orlando,FL for IAMCS Rabbis conference
• January 12-13: Mt Dora, FL at the Garden Gate
• January 21: Orlando,FL at Congregation Gesher Shalom
• January 27-28: Tampa and Lakeland  FL with Congregations Shoresh David
• February 25: Ormond, Beach, FL at Congregation Beth Judah
• Late March or mid-April: IAMCS regional leadership conference in Nikolaiv, Ukraine
• Possible trips in April or May to Spain and Italy
• Possible leadership conference in France or Belgium in April or May

      Updates to this schedule appear at www.closeupsfromfaraway.blogspot and www.messianicinitiative.org. Let us know that you are coming! Any Messianic leaders and congregants or anyone on our mailing list who want to attend our leadership conferences should get in touch with us personally at schneiers@aol.com.

      Development for Eastern & Central Europe: Right now there are 26 IAMCS congregations with 20 in Eastern and Central Europe. In our last IAMCS Steering Committee meeting I proposed the formation of an official IAMCS Region for Eastern and Central Europe to recognize what the Lord was doing there and to promote local initiative amongst these congregations. I have been appointed to be the Interim Director of this Region until such time as local leadership rises up to take the lead.

      Again, thanks so much for your prayers and support in 2011. If you would like to financially partner with us you can do so as follows:

Please send your check, made payable to Glory of Zion Int’l Ministries, to:

The Schneiers

c/o Glory of Zion Int’l Ministries

PO Box 1601

Denton, TX 76202-1601 

(Please include a note with your check that it is “For the Schneiers.” (Your gifts are tax deductible).

    If you would like to make a credit card donation, go to www.glory-of-zion.org, click on "Donate" on the left side of the home page, fill in your credit card info on the "Send a Donation" page, in the "Put Toward" section click on "Designated Gift" and in the "Enter Recipient" section fill in "The Schneiers." This last step will insure that  your gift goes to our ministry. You can indicate in the comment section if your gift is one-time or to be charged monthly on the date you provide.

   Blessings in 2012, Love and Shalom,

       David & Leslye

Red Flags over Odessa

It was November 7, 2011 and the bedraggled band of about 70 communists celebrated the revolution, surrounded by an equal number of policeman, probably  marching somewhere, singing about the glory of their former days and hoping for the return of a new Stalin and Lenin to lead them on. So many have died here at the hands of the old regime and yet there are those who long for the good old days. It was sad for me to see such lingering nostalgia for probably the most brutal regime of all time rivaled only by Mao. Let it go says I. Shalom. David Schneier

Occupy Wall Street - More of the same anti-Israelism

 Photo from CFCA (www.antisemitism.org.il, 11/10/11)

   So once again is Israel and the Jews that are the troublers of the world, responsible for corporate greed, joblessness and world recession. Slanderous words are being spoken at these OWS protest sites repeating the age old pattern of blaming the Jews when the economy suffers. We were even blamed for the Black Plague. If we were so powerful and controlling we wouldn't let this race hatred continue. Unfortunately if lies are repeated long enough the masses tend to believe them. Modern Europe is a good example of that. Anarchists of the world unite? No chance. Winter is coming and New Yorkers will get their park back from these "Sunshine Patriots." Shalom. David Schneier

Visual Anti-Semitism in the Middle East

The print media of the Middle East keeps churning out vicious anti-Semitic propaganda in cartoons and editorials. Here's a sampling from CFCA (Coordination Forum for Countering Antisemitism, www.antisemitism.org.il) dated October 7, 2011. Offensive? Peace seekers? Grossly anti-Semitic? We are not dealing with Western values here.

                             Al-Watan, September 22, 2011 (Qatar)

                          Al-Watan, September 30, 2011 (Qatar)

 

Tishrin, September 22, 2011 (Syria).

Written on the figure: "The Palestinian State".

Shalom from Paris. David Schneier

Preparing for Sukkot in Paris

It's the evening before Sukkot begins in Paris, and in one of the Jewish areas of this city preparations are underway to celebrate this Feast in a biblical way. Here are some photos of vibrant Jewish life in Paris. Hag Samaiach! Shalom. David Schneier

 

 Tables line the streets with lulavs and etrogs for sale

       Bakery with a menorah and etrogs for sale

      Things for Sukkot for sale from a truck

    The best Parisian fellafel and schwarma

Jewish "shtoochkies" for sale

 Local Jewish family getting their things for Sukkot

Something New from Paris - A Rosh Hashanah Seder!

Paris pastry shop on the way to the Seder

We had a wonderful Erev Rosh Hashanah with Messianic Rabbi Emmanuel Rodriguez and the Messianic Center in Paris which is an IAMCS congregation. It seems that Sephardic Jews have a seder on Rosh Hashanah which I have no experience of being raised Ashkenazi. It was a great time of fellowship and celebration. Can you imagine having two seders a year? Here are some pictures from that evening. Shana Tova and Shalom from Paris. David Schneier

One of the Seder tables

Worship team for the Seder

Messianic Rabbi Emmanuel

Shofars ready for Rosh Hashanah

The Seder plate

Breaking of the Bread

Sounding the Shofar

Photo by Julia Xanthos/News

The latest front in the Arab/Israeli conflict is in the New York City subways. This is similar to the skirmish in the Seattle bus system where anti-Israel ads were pulled before they went up due to public outrage. But who can resist the smiley faces in NY. And are these kids being taught anti-Semitism in Palestinian schools funded by EU coffers. Will these kids help fire thousands of rockets into Israel with little international outcry? Will they try to sail into Gaza with arms while being protected by Turkey's navy (or so they say)? Will they enter Israeli homes at night and slaughter innocent families including sleeping children. All of this is possible because they are being taught to hate the Jew, to drive them into the sea and those who kill the Jew will be rewarded in the afterlife. They are taught that israel has no right to exist and that it was created because of a Jewish fabricated story of the Holocaust. The Jew is dehumanized and demonized in their eyes making all action taken against them justified. This week a Palestinian leader said the new Palestinian state should be Jewish-free. Sound familiar? And what's up with Palestinian leaders insisting on pre-1967 now borders when after countless wars and lost lives and treasure they could have had the same in 1948 had they accepted the two state proposals offfered by world leaders. Come on MTA and the NYC subways! These ads are patently offensive and have no place in the Metro. They are in effect "fighting words" which are not protected by the First amendment. You could not put an ad in the Metro that 9/11 was actually a CIA plot. This is bound to lead to violence and responsibility will fall on the government. And the lawyers will follow. Shalom, David Schneier

Public prayer in the streets banned in Paris/Muslim Imam fears anarchy

The Ministry of the Interior of France has banned public prayer in the streets of Paris which immediately affects 1,000 Muslims who meet at one site for prayer every Friday at 2pm. The ban may be extended to all of France including Marseille and Nice. The Minister also said that force would be used to stop such public prayers because it breaches the French understanding of separation of church and state and shocks citizens who are not Muslims. In the public arena the French expect secularism to control. The Muslims have been meeting for Friday prayers in the street for several since a large mosque closed and the local police did nothing to restrict the practice. I am told that the police will not go into areas of Paris because of fear of Muslim and gang violence against them. One resident said that she would have to call for fire department to come when she needed the police because of the lack of police response in her neighborhood. One Imam commented that there were difficulties in moving to a new place provided by the city and that Muslims were "not cattle." He also said he "fear(ed) a climate of anarchy." (Photo and quotes from 9/16/11, The Connexion, www.connexionfrance.com.) Shalom from Paris. David Schneier

Arab Spring? What a farce!

So much for the future of the Arab spring. Here's what is coming out of the glorious people's revolution in Egypt as reported on the CFCA website on September 5, 2011 (www.antisemitism.org.il). Netanyahu portrayed as Hitler. What if someone did the same for the leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah or Islam. Their lives would be in jeopardy. The Arab Spring is a sham and now is being used as a front for anti-Semitism. The West needs to take off its rose colored glasses! Shalom. David Schneier

Egypt / 05-09-2011

Egyptian magazine draws Netanyahu as Hitler

Here is the front cover of the current issue of Egypt's state-run October magazine:

The article goes through a history of Israel's supposed "war crimes" which they claim is on par with those of Nazi Germany.

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So Much For The Arab Spring - Same Old Anti-Semitism

The excerpt below is from the CFCA (www.antisemitism.org.il) dated August 26, 2011. If you are still hoping for change after the Arab Spring, forget it. It's the same old broken record - the secret Jewish "plan" written in the phony "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" of world domination and the Jews are descendants of pigs and apes and are not to be trusted. Check out the full story at CFCA. Shalom. David Schneier

"Egypt / 26-08-2011

Antisemitic articles in the Egyptian Government Press: Jews are descendants of apes and pigs; protocols of the elders of Zion are being realized in today's Middle East

Addressing recent developments in the region, the Egyptian government press recently published articles employing antisemitic motifs. One of the articles attributed the recent uprisings in the Arab states to a Jewish plot for world domination, as described in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Another article, written in the wake of the August 18, 2011 attacks on the Egyptian-Israeli border, called not to sign any agreements with the Jews, characterizing them as "the descendants of apes and pigs" who cannot be trusted."

Update on Europe from the Schneiers

Dear Friends of the Schneiers,

    We have had an awesome Spring in Europe and it's time for an update as to all the Lord has done since we last wrote. The most memorable moments since mid-Winter were two Messianic gatherings in Odessa, Ukraine and Amsterdam, our time with a Jewish, atheist American playwright in Paris, sharing at a Passover gathering with Chuck Pierce in Denton, Texas and a "France on Fire" gathering in the Cevenne region of France. Each had its own significance and we'd like to share with you these times and places, let you know our summer schedule which has been revised and lay out some urgent and significant needs we are experiencing right now.

   First, we held our semi-annual leadership gathering in Odessa, Ukraine at the end of March followed by a trip to Auschwitz. What was immediately significant was that a team of 14 came from Rabbi Eric Walker's congregation in Birmingham including Eric and his wife, Lora. Also joining in was Rabbi Joel Liberman and three of his congregants from San Diego, CA. Rounding out the list of International participants were Jarda and Rut Kupka, leaders of the IAMCS congregation in Prague and Messianic Italian leader, Giovanni Melchionda whose congregation in Ancona, Italy has applied for membership in the IAMCS. Two other congregations have also applied for IAMCS congregational membership including one from Western Ukraine from the city of Uzgorod and one from London, England. When these congregations have been accepted for membership we will have grown from five European congregations in 2007 when David became the European Representative for the IAMCS to twenty-five. Please pray as we seek the Lord's will to venture out into Spain and Germany perhaps in the fall of 2011.

 

  

David sharing in Odessa 
Teams from CA, AL, Italy and Czech Republic

   We had 15 Ukrainian congregations attend our leadership conference. This is the first time since when our Odessa congregation was planted in 1995 that large team came from the US to labor with us in the Ukrainian Messianic revival. Over the three day retreat, approximately 200 attended. We were so blessed with the words brought by Rabbis Eric Walker and Joel Liberman and Messianic leaders Giovanni Melchionda and Jarda and Rut Kupka. Part of Odessa conference included men's and women's breakout sessions led by Rabbis David and Eric and Rebbetzin Lora and Leslye. It was the first time in four years that Leslye was back in Ukraine and everyone in the Odessa congregation, as well as many from throughout Ukraine, were so glad to see her and catch up on what the Lord has been doing in their lives. The times of worship and praise were so joyful and everywhere you could see unity, friendship and service.  Our leadership gatherings usually occur in late October and late March (before or after Jewish holidays) and if you would like to participate, please let us know.

    My (David's) focus was on what it meant to be a citizen in the Kingdom of God and how that translated into being an involved and fruitful citizen wherever we are from. I used as a text and recent biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer entitled "Bonhoeffer" by Eric Metaxes. It was clear in the book that Bonhoeffer came to the conclusion that the Body of Messiah had a duty to call the State into account if it was violating its duty to protect its citizens. Along side of this conclusion was his understanding that the life of the true believer is one of "seeing and doing." Our life in Messiah was to be active not theoretical, requiring one to see what the Lord was directing us to do and simply doing it without regard to fear or personal loss. His words remind us of what Yeshua said in Matthew 10 that we should "go," "preach," "heal" "raise" and "cast out."

    Bonhoeffer paid the ultimate price by opposing Hitler and his Nazi regime. He was forbidden to teach, be a pastor to the fledgling German Church not under Hitler's control, to write, and finally he was imprisoned, tortured and hung just before the end of WWII. He risked his life of privilege because he was certain that the body of Messiah's duty was to protect the Jewish people. He wrote that a church that did not protect the Jews was not part of the Body of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. I strongly recommend reading this lengthy work to refresh your understanding of what it means to be an active and committed citizen of the kingdom of God. One man's actions can change the course of history and that could involve any one of us. Here's what he said about passivity in the face of evil: "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

  

Dietrich Bonhoeffer                      
                                 Football in Europe today. Will we be silent again!

    Following the conference we had a banquet for survivors of the Holocaust. In Odessa. There is now the makings of a 2nd congregation of survivors, their children and grand children. It was so touching to sit, eat, sing, dance and share with the survivors over several hours at the banquet. I told those who came from the US not to ask questions about the survivors experiences but to let them volunteer their stories. One survivor blurted out that he was the sole survivor of the burning of over 20,000 Jewish people in wooden barns in Odessa after the Nazis occupied the city. Needles to say that broke the ice and many other conversations occurred during our precious time together. 

 

Bringing gifts to orphans in Odessa

Rejoicing with survivors of the Holocaust

   


                                 The US and European team also had a chance to visit two of the six orphanages we serve in Odessa. We were shown what they can accomplish with the little they have and how grateful they were of our support through the financial contributions from a US based foundation connected to Messianic Rabbi Walter Leiber. For example, they showed us a new pump that we purchased for them that now keeps the orphanage warm since it uses much less electricity to operate. New windows also keep out the cold from notoriously drafty Ukrainian orphanages. We work hand in hand with the orphanages to identify what are the most critical needs and plan the budgets so that these needs can be met. In the orphanage for children who have hearing problems, we have secured computer equipment that can help those who have some degree of hearing. The list goes on and on of the miracle provision of aid and mercy from the God of Israel to the "the least of these."  Would you like to be a partner in these children's lives in Ukraine?

    European Unity in Amsterdam: In late May we held our 2nd IAMCS European conference in Amsterdam which drew about 150 participants. Messianic Rabbis Jeff Forman and David Chernoff came from the US to share and Joel Chernoff led the worship and praise. Last year Messianic Rabbi Joel Liberman spoke about Yeshua as God and this year I emphasized Him also being fully man who brought a Jewish Gospel. We are planning for a much larger conference in late May or early June of 2012 and all are invited. This year we were blessed to have Messianic leader Lorenzo Greco from Belgium share on Yeshua in the Old Testament. The team from the Netherlands under the banner of the Menorah Foundation gained some valuable experience for future gatherings in Europe.

 
Rabbi David Chernoff praying for conferees. Worshipping in Holland

                                                 
                                           Rabbi Lorenzo Greco from Belgium        

 

Joel Chernoff in concert.    

    Passover in Texas: I, David, was invited by Chuck Pierce to share my testimony at the Passover gathering at Glory of Zion. Thousands of believers were present and thousands more joined in from all over the world via the internet. The general theme was passing over into your inheritance. I was able to share to the mostly non-Jewish audience the thought that the Body of Messiah could not enter into its full inheritance without the Messianic Jewish movement. I also explained that the time for the marginalizing of Messianic Jews in God's plan for worldwide revival was over. All of the comments we heard after I shared were so encouraging because many had never heard from a Jewish believer before. The vehicle for my thoughts was what I called a "Tri-Generational Testimony" which incorporated the lives of my grand parents and parents as well as my own life as a Jew and then as a Messianic Jew. We were also encouraged that Chuck opened this ministry opportunity to us because it showed his commitment to the Jewish people and Israel and to the Messianic Jewish movement.

    Revival in France: Right after the conference in Amsterdam, Leslye and I traveled to the south of France in the Cevenne region to be part of a prophetic gathering of believers mostly from France. We often hear people say how "dark" France is spiritually but that was not the case amongst the believers in the packed hall in St. Jean-du-Gard. To get there we had to take a plane, two trains and then a taxi because the bus was canceled. The worship and teaching were so filled with the Spirit and the unity was so pleasant, Keep praying for revival in France. Next May, 2012 the presidential voting will begin. President Sarkozy has been very supportive of Israel but he may be replaced by a Socialist contender who won't. All of you know the story of Dominque Strauss-kahn who was arrested for allegedly raping a hotel maid in NYC. He is Jewish, a Socialist and he was the prime contender poised to defeat President Sarkozy. His being Jewish is no guarantee that he would be equally supportive of Israel because of the track record of the French Socialist party. Please also pray for the upcoming elections in France which is a key country in Europe.

    "Lord, send me Jewish people!": Finally, you may remember my prayer for the Lord to send us Jewish people to share with. In Paris, we attended a play reading by an American playwright who is also a Nobel prize wining chemist. After the play he shared his life story including that he was a survivor of the Holocaust. He proudly proclaimed also that he was an atheist. Leslye and I spoke with him about our work with survivors in Ukraine who have told us that they knew God had worked miracles so they could survive. I followed up on our initial meeting with an e-mail and so the slow process of befriending this Jewish man. Please pray for the Lord to open his heart because it is only the Spirit that draws men. It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance.

                          "Your what kind of Rabbi?"

 Sharing in Brooklyn where David was asked, "So what kind of a Rabbi are you?"

OUR SUMMER SCHEDULE:

1. July 3-10: Messiah College (David will be sharing at one of the daily seminars)

2. July 15: Beth Yeshua, Philadelphia, PA

3. July 22: Beth Hallel, Birmingham, AL

4. August 21: Christian Renewal Church, Brunswick, GA

5. August 27: Beth Simcha, Wilmington, NC

OUR URGENT NEEDS

  There are several urgent needs we are experiencing right now that require prayer and some action on your part if possible:

1, We wrote you about our daughter's, Rachel's, health struggles with extremely low blood pressure bouts. She experienced some time of relief but she continues to have to deal with this condition that causes extreme dizziness. These physical attacks interfere with or at times prevent her from leading her normally productive life as a wife, mom and home school teacher of two of her children. Please pray for a total healing of this condition.

2. We have been struggling with replacing our health insurance which ended on June 1st. I have enrolled Leslye in an new plan. Please pray for this process for me as the replacement insurance for both of us will cost at least $1,400/month or $16,800 per year. My application for the high priced replacement insurance was just approved.

3. Our 1991 vehicle died on the way to visit Leslye's Mom in Atlanta. We were exiting I-75 to I-575, entering traffic from the left lane, when the transmission gave out. Thank God the lower gear still worked and we were not stranded on the shoulder or in one of the fast moving lanes of the interstate. We stayed in the Atlanta area with Leslye's Mom until we found a car we could buy which we did after a three day search. We put down $2,000  for a Ford crossover van so we could afford the monthly payments. We do a lot of traveling while we are in the US and this will be our primary mode of transportation. If you could help in anyway to defray the cost of the down payment of $2,000 or the loan of about $14,000 it would be much appreciated. The need to cover the down payment is immediate and a monthly donation for the balance of the loan and increased insurance is about $300/month. Information as to gifts to our ministry appears below.

4. Contact and feedback from you: Please stay in touch with us through our web site, www.messianicinitiative.org, our blog, www.closeupsfromfaraway.blogspot.com and our e-mail at schneiers@aol.com. It is so important for us to hear from you by way of comments, encouragement and what the Lord might be saying to you after you read our various ways of communicating.

    Have a blessed summer. Hope we see you at one of our times of sharing.

    Love and Shalom.

   David and Leslye Schneier
   David and Leslye Schneier