With special guests Michael and Vanessa Mistretta
What’s it really like to pick up your life and move to Israel? Why would anyone do that? In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra talk with Michael and Vanessa Mistretta about how their very different immigration stories have one thing in common: God calling them.
Michael and Vanessa lead FIRM, Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries, based in Jerusalem. You’ll hear about:
- Their upbringings and backstories of how they each decided to immigrate to Israel
- The process of “making aliyah,” timeframes, and milestones in that journey
- If Israel can revoke your citizenship after learning you believe in Jesus
- How different is Israel from North American life
- Any surprises they experienced after moving there
- Their thoughts about the future of the Messianic Jewish community in Israel
Along the way
During the fascinating and very personal conversation, you’ll also learn about:
- Vanessa’s journey from resistance to embracing God’s call to immigrate to Israel
- Why Michael chose to make his first trip to Israel by backpack rather than a tour
- How each of their families responded to the idea of them moving to Israel
- Each of their “this is it” moments when they knew they would make Israel their home
- The surprise Michael learned about his family heritage after he was already living in Israel
- Some of the steps and documentation needed to immigrate to Israel
- God’s hand in their achieving Israeli citizenship
- A rabbi’s list no one seems to know about
- Why Israel is opposed to accepting Jewish Believers as immigrants
- Benefits given to Jewish immigrants that help them get settled
- How the issue of Jesus is very much a hot button
- Making peace with obedience when it brings a measure of loss with it
- Encouragement about the status of Messianic Jews in Israel and the hope for the futur
Words you might learn in this episode
Making aliyah
Related podcast episodes
Episode #39: Compelled to Dwell – Moving Back to Israel
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