Wednesday February 14: The muddy earth, after three days of rain in the southern Galilee, posed no obstacle for the 80 Evangelical Christians from Belgium who came to plant trees in the land of Israel with their own hands. They arrived at the KKL-JNF Tree Planting Center near Kibbutz Lavi, accompanied by their leader Pasteur Paulin Palete Gimbengi of the Protestant Baptist Church La Colombe “The Dove” in Brussels; Chief Rabbi of Brussels, Rabbi Albert Guigui; President of KKL Belgium, Jacky Benzenou; and KKL-JNF Emissary to Belgium, and head of the Brussels office, Dani Benloulou.
On-site to meet the Belgian congregation were KKL-JNF foresters who explained that each visitor was going to plant a one-year-old sapling, either an oak or a cypress, which, if nurtured properly, would be part of a huge new forest in about twenty years’ time. They promised to do their part to make sure that all the saplings will survive and thrive. The 80 exited visitors recited the Planter’s Prayer in unison, which concluded with a resounding ‘amen’.
Each visitor was handed a sapling and a garden spade. The planters eagerly set out through the muddy ground to find a pre-dug hole for planting.
Rabbi Albert Guigui quickly and skillfully planted his tree, and then took time to help those who were having difficulty. He explained that he has a close relationship with the members of the congregation and that was why he came along with them on this trip to Israel.
“They have a great love for Israel and the Jewish people, and often invite me to their Church to speak about these subjects.”
While planting her tree,Vanessa, one of the younger participants, said: “This is really special for me because I love Israel and by doing this I feel that I am helping the country to grow strong.” Sandrin, her companion, said: “By planting trees we are blessing Israel.”
Some completed their tree planting by standing up and reciting a silent prayer.
Before boarding the bus for their next stop, the travelers spent time brushing wet earth from their clothes. A small group was speaking English to each rather than French while cleaning their muddy shoes and shrieking with laughter.
“This is not dirt, this is Holy Earth of the Land of Israel,” one said.
They explained that they were Canadians from Montreal and members of their local church, which is an affiliate of the Protestant Baptist Church “Mons” in Brussels.
Canadian Nadia Stuart, who is a TV presenter in her country, said that while the group is largely from Belgium there are 4 participants from Canada and several others from the Congo.
“We are all believers and we all support Israel. We read about this trip in our church newspaper and decided to register. We will be in Israel for one week under the auspices of KKL-JNF and we hope to see the entire country. ”
The next stops that morning were two locations on the Carmel Mountain Range. First was the Carmelite Muhraka Monastery near the Druze village of Daliyat el-Carmel. KKL-JNF Guide Arye Cohen explained the history of the site according to the bible.
“In Jewish, Christian, Druze and Muslim belief, this is the spot where the dramatic battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal took place. Amid this struggle, the fire that rained down from the sky fell in this exact location. The battle’s horrific end is described in 1 Kings 18:
‘Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, is the God; the LORD, is the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there’.”
A large statue of a triumphant Elijah holding a sword stands in the yard. The roof of the monastery presented a wonderful view of Ramat Menashe, the Jezreel Valley and the surrounding KKL-JNF forests.
The next stop on the Carmel range, after lunch in the Druze Village of Isfiya, was on top of Mount Precipice, just south of Nazareth. The site was especially interesting for the Christian visitors because it was here that ‘the rejection of Jesus’ took place, when the people of Nazareth did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and tried to push him down the mountain.
Standing on the edge of the site and looking outwards, KKL-JNF guide Claude Fallik pointed towards the various areas in view that are mentioned in the Bible.
“The city we see just north of this spot is Nazareth, where Jesus lived as a child, and looking east we see Mount Tabor where, according to Judges 4:13-16, the scene of the battle of Deborah and Barak versus Sisera took place.”
It was evident from the questions that followed, that the audience was very familiar with both the New and the Old Testaments.
KKL-JNF Emissary and Director General of KKL Belgium Dani Benloulou pointed to the blankets of green forests that surround the site and stretch into the distance as far as the eye could see.
“Each and every tree that you see was planted by people like you in the 20’s and 30’s of the last century. They were Jewish immigrants to this land who were employed for this specific task by KKL-JNF. To date over 240 million trees have been planted. That is 17,000 trees per week, every week, and the effort continues at this very moment.”
The day’s itinerary ended in the Ofer Forest on the shores of the Mediterranean near Kerem Maharal, with a KKL-JNF dedication ceremony, which was one of the highlights of the tour.
President of KKL Belgium Jacky Benzenou opened the proceedings by saying that they were there to honor the Protestant Baptist Church La Colombe congregation and its leader Pastor Paulin Palete Gimbengi.
“We are here today to tell you how much KKL-JNF and the people of Israel appreciate your generosity and support. I want to mention your recent huge donations of 1000 trees for the rehabilitation of the Carmel Forests after they were devastated by fire, and towards the building of a reservoir near Sderot in the western Negev, for the benefit of the residents of the South.”
Max Iglitzky of KKL Belgium spoke about the strong bond between the Protestant Baptist Church La Colombe and KKL-JNF.
“The congregants are continually looking for ways to support Israel, and they find their answers through KKL-JNF. Over the years we have become one family and the relationship has strengthened now that they planted trees in Israel.”
The tree was also the theme of the address by Etti Lankry of KKL-JNF's European Desk. She spoke about the spiritual value of planting trees in the Holy Land and trees’ symbolism in the scriptures.
“A tree is a powerful symbol in the Bible. The Tree of Life sprouts from a seed, grows tall and branches out, and then creates fruit that gives life to the next generation. It is an ongoing process and symbolizes the family and its connection to the past.” Etti thanked all those present for their participation in the tour, and for their steadfast support of KKL-JNF and Israel.
Chief Rabbi of Brussels Rabbi Albert Guigui again thanked Pastor Gimbengi and his congregation for their strong support of Israel. He placed a tallit prayer shawl over his head and blessed everyone present. The audience rose to their feet and responded with another mighty ‘amen’
Pastor Paulin Palete Gimbengi responded on behalf of his congregation.
“It is my great honor to stand here before you and thank you for allowing us to plant trees today. The trees we planted are a sign of our love for the land of Israel and for the people of Israel. We now have roots in this great country, which will grow deep. Each one of us will return home as a staunch ambassador for Israel, its land, and its people.”
Jacky Benzenou joined Pastor Palete Gimbengi in the unveiling of a plaque acknowledging the contribution of his congregation towards the rehabilitation of the Carmel Forests.
KKL Belgium’s Betty Dan presented Pastor Palete Gimbengi with a certificate for the donation of 1000 trees for the rehabilitation of the Carmel Forests signed by KKL-JNF World Chairman Daniel Atar. The certificate was co-signed on site by Pastor Palete Gimbengi.
Joyfully singing gospel songs, the 80 Evangelical Church congregants boarded their busses to travel to their hotel on the next stop of their KKL-JNF trip to Israel, in the Holy City of Jerusalem.