Day: September 24, 2023

Prayer journey for Aliyah – Part 7 

As it is still very windy, we decide to drop anchor outside the marina in Cascais, near Lisbon. This is where both Robert and I plan to disembark. Robert coughs a lot and wants to go home to the Netherlands. When Stefan tells me that Elida is going to make a stop in Gibraltar and that I am welcome to join her there, I decide to do so. 

In Cascais, four new Ebenezer intercessors come onboard: Samuel and Eric from Singapore, Krijn from the Netherlands and Lois who has been living in southern Portugal for over 30 years. This means there are now six people on the prayer team. Until Cascais, I believe Robert has blown his shofar every day, and now Samuel from Singapore is taking over with his shofar. 

Eric, Samuel, Robert and Phil in Cascais, Portugal

Stefan has good relations with a church in Cascais, and on Friday evening we invite a group of about 30 people on an evening sail to see the sunset, with a meal and fellowship onboard. 

While it’s still dark on Sunday morning, we set out from Cascais and continue our journey toward Gibraltar. After more than two days along Portugal’s south-west corner of the Spanish Atlantic coast, we approach my destination. We see the famous cliff at sunrise and then arrive at lunchtime. 

The sunrise in Cascais, Portugal

Gibraltar is considered the key to the Mediterranean. The Jews who will make Aliyah by sea must pass through this strait. Our prayer is that Britain, which has sovereignty over this peninsula, will realize the important role it has to play in helping and facilitating the Jewish people to make Aliyah. 

The sun rising up behind the Rock of Gibraltar

 

Krijn prays and proclaims the word of God over the sea

After 18 days aboard the Elida, I go ashore, grateful for all the travelling companions and fellowship, grateful for all the opportunities we had to pray, proclaim Bible scriptures and prepare the Aliyah routes at sea. What a blessing! 

 

Philip Holmberg 

Ebenezer Operation Exodus

If you want to read more about Ebenezer Operation Exodus we refer you to their own website: https://ebenezer-oe.org/
This was the last of seven parts. If you want to go straight to the beginning, click here: Part 1

 

 

A few extra pictures for Part 7

Phil and Robert gathered in prayer

 

Krijn when steering the boat

 

The prayer team from Ebenezer gathered in the saloon of the Elida

 

If you want to follow us at Elida on our social media and see more posts, you can click on the following links: Facebook and Instagram
Or if you want to go to our main website: elida.se/en/

Prayer journey for Aliyah – Part 6 

In the port of Finisterre, we come to a market stall selling jewellery and earrings. We are encouraged when we see the sign ”Joyería Ebenezer”. It turns out the stall belongs to a Protestant family from Santiago. They have chosen the name Ebenezer as it means ”rock of help” and which the prophet Samuel raised after the victory against the Philistines and said: ”Thus far the Lord has helped us” (1 Sam 7:12).

Finisterre, Spain, at dusk

In some ports we anchor a little way out because Elida’s four-meter draught is too deep for the marina. When it’s time to pull up the anchor, many of us have to pull the line – everything is done by hand and it can be heavy. 

We continue southwards along the west coast of Spain and Portugal. We see dolphins, sometimes a few but often in bigger groups. Effortlessly they swim in front of and under the boat, come to the surface, make a jump and swim on. I try to take some photos and film, but the boat is moving and the dolphins suddenly appear somewhere when I’m not expecting. And I don’t want to lose my phone in the sea. 

Dolphins swimming next to the boat

The wind is good and we decide to hoist Elida’s largest sail, the gennaker, which has an area of 650 square meters. It’s nice to sail with it, along with the big Atlantic swells lifting the boat up and down. After many hours of sailing, the wind picks up and we have to take the gennaker down. It becomes dramatic, a line breaks, the long ”sock” cover that is to be threaded over the sail partially breaks and we have to drop the sail into the sea. One of the crew members jumps into the sea to try to ensure that the sail doesn’t go under the boat. The waves are quite high, and we throw out a couple of lifebuoys. He grabs one of them, and we can pull him onboard. Then we all have to help pull up the sail and put it on deck to dry. We take a breather and can relax, no one is hurt and everything has gone relatively well. 

 

Philip Holmberg 

Ebenezer Operation Exodus

If you want to continue reading, you can go directly to Part 7 here: Part 7
Or if this was the first one you read and want to get to the beginning, click here: Part 1

 

 

A few extra pictures for Part 6

The Market stall sign ‘Joyería Ebenezer’

 

Captain Stefan and Robert

 

Alice and Noah from the full-time crew

 

If you want to follow us at Elida on our social media and see more posts, you can click on the following links: Facebook and Instagram
Or if you want to go to our main website: elida.se/en/

Prayer journey for Aliyah – Part 5 

In IJmuiden, Samuel decides to disembark and prepare the return to Israel with his family. A Dutch brother, Robert, comes onboard and we can continue the journey without me being alone. We continue south-west to Dover, where we take onboard another two prayer warriors from Ebenezer, Lizzie and Phil. Now there are four of us in the prayer team onboard. We continue by engine along the south coast of England to Brixham, where we stop for supplies. 

The White Cliffs of Dover, England

 

Robert, Phil and Lizzie in Brixham, England

During the voyage, we have prayed for the harbors on the south coast. In Brixham we feel that we should pray especially for the protection of the Jewish people against privateers and pirates. The famous seafarer Sir Francis Drake came from the area around Brixham, and he violently attacked Spanish and French ships on the seas. 

A replica of the ship that Sir Francis Drake sailed with

It turns out we can’t dock at Cherbourg as we had hoped, but have to go to Brest. Lizzie then decides to disembark and travel back to Bournemouth by train. This means we don’t have to stay in Brest but continue the sail across the Bay of Biscay to the small Spanish harbor of Finisterre, not far from Santiago de Compostela. 

The journey from Brixham across the English Channel and Bay of Biscay is very fast, less than two and a half days. But Phil gets really seasick and is constantly resting or sleeping. He actually decides to cut the trip short as soon as we arrive in port. But, as it happens, he feels better when we get to Finisterre and he can come ashore for a while, and the sea is much calmer. He decides to complete the whole journey to Cartagena in Spain. 

On our way crossing the Bay of Biscay

 

Philip Holmberg 

Ebenezer Operation Exodus

If you want to continue reading, you can go directly to Part 6 here: Part 6
Or if this was the first one you read and want to get to the beginning, click here: Part 1

 

 

A few extra pictures for Part 5

Robert when steering the boat

 

Phil in conversation with the Israeli Gabriel

 

When the boat was at anchor outside of Brixham, people were taken to the town with the red dingy 

 

If you want to follow us at Elida on our social media and see more posts, you can click on the following links: Facebook and Instagram
Or if you want to go to our main website: elida.se/en/