By: Ashley Bergner
9/28/2006

She spent her summer in a country plagued by bombing, violence and terrorist attacks.

Although Lisa Ratzlaff was often in harm’s way during her trip to Israel this summer, her desire to help the Israeli people motivated her to brave the danger. Not even a war could stop her from following her calling.

Ratzlaff  — a biology major and a forward on the Friends University soccer team —  spent a month working as a volunteer for the Jerusalem-based ministry Christian Friends of Israel. CFI provides aid to members of the Jewish community, including Israeli soldiers, Holocaust survivors and victims of terror attacks.

Ratzlaff said that going to Israel had always been her dream. She grew up in a Christian home, raised by parents who had a heart for Israel. Her family celebrated many of the traditional Jewish feasts and holidays.

Over a year ago, representatives from CFI spoke at Remnant of Israel, the Messianic congregation in Wichita of which Ratzlaff is a member. As she listened to the speakers, she felt God calling her to go to Israel. 

To travel to Israel as a CFI volunteer, Ratzlaff had to fill out a 15-page application and write several essays. After four months of waiting, she finally got the word. Her application had been accepted, and she was going to Israel.

“I couldn’t contain myself,” Ratzlaff said. “I was so excited.”

Her long-time dream seemed to be coming true. She began preparations for her trip and purchased a plane ticket to Israel.

She had no idea the Israeli-Lebanese war would break out only four days before her scheduled flight.

On July 12 the militant Lebanese organization Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed several others, prompting a military response from Israel that quickly escalated into a full-scale war.  

In the face of such violence, Ratzlaff could have canceled her flight. Yet while her family and friends expressed concern for her safety, she did not change her mind about traveling to Israel.

“I can’t explain the peace I had about going,” she said. “Personally, I knew I was going to be taken care of.”

Ratzlaff said she relied on God to take care of the details, to protect her from harm and to provide for her basic needs.

“The Lord opened all the doors,” she said.

When she landed in Jerusalem, she took a bus from the airport to the “Old City,” a historic section of Jerusalem surrounded by walls and separated into four quarters — Armenian, Christian, Jewish and Muslim. During her first four nights in Jerusalem, Ratzlaff stayed in a youth hostel in the Jewish quarter, which she had heard of through an acquaintance’s friend who had been to Israel before. She later stayed at the home of another CFI volunteer.

During her stay in Israel, Ratzlaff worked in the CFI clothing distribution center, helping to unload and sort shipments of donated clothing. The clothing was distributed to immigrants and other Israelis in need, including war refugees, Ratzlaff said.
Ratzlaff also worked in CFI’s bridal salon, which provides gowns and other accessories to Israeli brides.

While in Israel, Ratzlaff had to grow accustomed to seeing soldiers with weapons patrolling the streets. Security is always tight in Israel, and the war increased the threat of violence, she said. Although the sight of so many soldiers was unnerving at first, Ratzlaff later came to appreciate their presence.

The first week of her stay in Jerusalem, soldiers detonated a bomb in the central bus station next door to where Ratzlaff worked.
“I was definitely in harm’s way,” she said. She soon came to be thankful for such constant security.

One of the most powerful experiences during her trip was speaking with Israeli soldiers at a roadside café, Ratzlaff said. She and a group of volunteers took groceries and other supplies to the café, which provides meals free of charge to passing Israeli soldiers.
Ratzlaff and the other volunteers were able to meet some of the soldiers. They told the soldiers, “You’re not alone, and we’re praying for you,” Ratzlaff said.

The impact their words had on the soldiers was immediately visible.
“Suddenly they looked like they had hope,” Ratzlaff said.

While she wasn’t able to travel north because of the war, Ratzlaff visited many famous tourist sites in Israel, including the Wailing Wall, the Dead Sea and the garden tomb where Jesus is believed to have been buried. She also attended a traditional Jewish wedding where the bride and groom took their vows in Hebrew.
Ratzlaff said her stay in Israel was an incredible experience. She saw a change in herself as a result of the trip.

“I’m not as ready to be quiet about my faith,” she said. “I want to declare all of the Lord’s works that He’s done for me.”

Israel needs support, she said. While the rest of the world has left Israelis standing alone, Christians need to support them.

Ratzlaff’s heart is already drawing her back to Israel.

“I want to go back so bad,” she said. “I’m sure it’s going to happen sometime soon.”