Omega Israel Tour- 2008

Thank you so much for your prayers and support of Ballet Magnificat! Omega's recent trip to Israel! (November 9-22, 2008) The tour was simply amazing. To say that the Lord moved powerfully seems like an understatement. We had the honor of performing Hiding Place in Jerusalem, Haifa, Nazareth, Tiberias and Tel Aviv. The audiences were comprised of people from the communities, and many unbelievers attended each performance. Two of the performances were for Holocaust survivors. The Lord truly went before us and we witnessed the Gospel being received with soft hearts. As you can imagine, the story of Hiding Place hit a sensitive chord with the audiences, allowing for God to minister where man could not. The ballet created the opportunity for wounds that have long been ignored to be addressed and the healing of Christ to be presented. Each year, the Jewish people vow to “never forget, never forgive” the atrocities of the past, but the message of forgiveness seemed to penetrate the hearts of those who have long been bitter. This message was the springboard to speak boldly about the forgiveness found in Jesus the Messiah– a taboo subject for so many Israelites. To be honest, the opportunity was amazing. We were so honored and humbled to watch the Lord doing His work in the Land that He loves. Thank you so much for being a part of the ministry!

News Review from Shavez Tzion

Haifa, Israel

There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still.

-Corrie Ten Boom 1892-1983

"Hey you! Stop immediately!" The loud shout draws everyone's attention to the mean-spirited SS officer who is chasing a hunched figure between the pews. Will she be able to escape? What is the poor woman's crime? She is a Jewess!

We are not in Dutch Haarlem in 1944. We are at SHAVEI TZION congregation in Haifa, Northern Israel in 2008. We are spectators to an intense scene of "The Hiding Place", a ballet based on Corrie Ten Boom's life and performed by BALLET MAGNIFICAT, a Christian ballet company founded in 1986. "The Hiding Place" is the story of a Dutch family that hides their Jewish neighbors from the Nazis during the second World War.

Why is there the need to retell the story of the Holocaust? Haven't we heard about it enough times? Absolutely not! I believe God won't allow this horrendous part of history be forgotten. It is in the character of God's heart to bring healing and restoration even to the present generation of Jews who have vowed never to forgive or forget. When talking to Erin Beaver, the tour director, I could see that her heart was full of love for the audience. She said she felt honored to serve the very people who had actually endured similar war-time atrocities that were seen in the ballet that evening.

This was the ballet company's first visit to Israel, and they had prepared this beautiful performance as a gift for the people living here. Even at the rehearsal, and during the time of worship, there was a tangible anointing in the congregation. Every action seem to reflect the awe of God and His goodness. The directors of Ballet Magnificat, Keith and Kathy Thibodeaux, declared that it had long been their prayer to be able to perform the "The Hiding Place" in Israel." This has been a life changing experience!" Kathy said.

The ballet group was amazingly flexible: they adjusted their performance to fit our tiny space, just 30 by 30 feet. The close proximity of the performers brought forth a roller-coaster of emotions in the audience. At time quietness would fall over the entire place, and at other times, our hearts would jump at every shriek and cry. Still, we were only spectators to something that in real life had affected the lives of millions. There were elderly people in the audience who had lost 50 to 70 percent of their families during the holocaust. For them, it was no small thing to relieve those emotions from the past. Many wiped away tears. Yet, there seemed to be an unusual healing presence in the performance. Leon Mazin, the congregational leader, stated that he had never seen anything so profound. The dancers who only minutes earlier had played malignant Gestapo officers also shed tears when an elderly gentleman from the audience handed them a bunch of flowers.

At the end of the evening, copies of the "The Hiding Place" in Russian were distributed to the guests. I believe that stories like Corrie Ten Boom's have the potential to bring healing and reconciliation to the hurting people of Israel. This is not only because of her heroism, or due to the wonderful performance of the ballet, but because we have a God who miraculously heals and restores today.

The following evening, the members of the ballet troupe were able to join us at Shavei Tzion congregation for a Shabbat meal. Warm expressions of mutual appreciation were exchanged. Everyone enjoyed dancing traditional Jewish dances at the conclusion of the unforgettable night.

We are grateful for righteous gentiles like Corrie Ten Boom who risked their lives to save God's ancient people and to Ballet Magnificat for portraying this prophetic picture that brought healing to the hearts of many wounded Jews of this land.

A.Gorell, Haifa Israel

News Review from Helping Hand Coalition

Nazareth, Israel

A spectacular ballet performance was organized in Nazareth for over 700 Holocaust survivors living in Nazareth and Haifa. The ballet was performed by an incredible team of top-professional dancers who train in the USA and perform on stages worldwide. The dancers themselves are from the USA, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and other countries.

The Ballet performance (The Hiding Place) tells the story of Corrie Ten Boom and how she hid her Jewish neighbors and friends from the Nazis during the Holocaust. The entire performance is done in dancing. The wonderful music and lighting during the performance add a lot in telling this wonderfully touching story.

The Holocaust survivors were deeply moved by this performance. Many of them cried during the different scenes of the dancing and all of them applauded loudly with gratitude at the end.

After the performance, a short word was spoken by an HHCoalition representative to the Holocaust survivors regarding to why this special team had come such a long way from the USA to bless them and to the importance of the Holocaust survivor to them.

Shortly after this evening, the event was written about and mentioned in different local Nazareth papers. This event will be very well remembered by the Holocaust survivors and by the entire city of Nazareth for a very long time.

L.Gasiorowski, Nazareth Israel

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Update!--------Latest online news articles on Ballet Magnificat!

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http://www.clarionledger.com:80/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080804/FEAT/80804015

http://www.americanprofile.com:80/article/27455.html

articles:http://www.thestar.com:80/entertainment/article/462428

We are establishing a

Blessings to all!

Keith Thibodeaux