Walk & Pray 2020
Stand in the crossroads and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it…
Jeremiah 6:16
When Paul and Barnabas crossed through the ancient roads of Cyprus, every step they took and every prayer they prayed left an impact that shook the past, the future and their own present society. So much so that even the Proconsul of Paphos turned in repentance to acknowledge Yeshua as his Lord and Saviour. Why did they arrive as Barnabas and Saul, yet they sailed away as Paul and Barnabas? What was in God’s heart, both for them as His messengers and also for Cyprus, that He would send them first to this island?
Over three years ago, God planted the dream in our hearts to walk the ancient paths, the original route that the apostles took when they walked through this land as reflected in Acts 13. Our desire was to pray for the land and people of Cyprus to once again experience the transformative power of God’s Word and Spirit, believing that honouring God’s story in this land makes room for greater blessing and restoration in our generation. While harbouring and treasuring this dream in our hearts, we recently connected with Peter J., a biblical scholar and historian who has conducted years of research in ancient manuscripts, archaeological findings, traditional beliefs and on-the-ground journeys. Excitement filled our spirit as we started exploring the dream that was just a thought in our hearts. Slowly it began to take on form until we embarked on this pilgrimage of prayer.
When we planned this journey we weren’t even aware of the fact that we started the day after celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fallen wall that separated the German people. As half of our team were Germans, we became very aware of the intercessory cry in God’s heart for this island to be unified according to His plans and purposes.
After a short stop in the ancient city of Soli where, standing under a very old Olive tree, we learned about its importance in Ancient times, we started our pilgrimage with walking across the border that separates the north and south. Although we were first by a cautious guard playing with the trigger on his rifle, and than being told it was forbidden to cross this particular border by foot, but that they would let us go anyways, we knew God had given us favour.
We journeyed through the town that recorded the first conversion on the island through the ministry of the apostles and continued our way up the mountain. People were astonished to find out that we had set out on a pilgrimage and could not believe the distance we were willing to walk. We finally reached the mountain top when the sun was setting, throwing the mountains into beautiful shades of vibrant colours, only to find out that we had another 10 kilometers ahead of us! With determined hearts and minds, we continued our trek along uninhabited, lone mountain roads, thankful for the light of the full moon. Joy filled our hearts as we arrived in an old village called Tris Ellies “The three olive trees”. After walking 29 kilometers on untrained legs, our feet blistering, we understood at last that pilgrimage is more than just a hike. It is a journey of discipleship, of discovering things you never learn sitting in a class room or reading a book.
The 2nd day into our walk, we were excited to have a shorter downhill journey ahead of us and took off cheerfully as a company of friends drawing ever closer to each other. 10 kilometers in, news reached us that the police were closing the path ahead due to investigations on a recently committed crime. Following the instructions of the police, we embarked on what we would later realize was a 20 kilometer detour. What was meant to be a shorter day became a journey of finding deeper conviction and trusting the Lord’s purposes to be established. With our bones and muscles aching, we climbed yet another mountain. The path lead through a beautiful lush valley that did not look anything like the rest of Cyprus. At the top we ventured along the mountain ridge praying and singing out loud. It lifted the morale and helped our minds refocus on the reason for our walk. The Lord reminded Norman of an old song that began to speak so loudly into our hearts: Father of Creation. Unveil Your sovereign plan. Raise up a chosen Generation that will march through this land. All of creation is longing, for Your unveiling of power. Would You release Your anointing, oh God let this be the hour. Let Your glory fall on this land. Let it go forth from here to the nations. Let Your fragrance rest in this place, as we are walking to seek Your Face. Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done. Here in this Land. (We adjusted the lyrics a little bit) The sun began to set when we realized that we were yet five hours away from our destination, our food was gone, and some were too exhausted to continue. We called our host and asked if there is any chance he could pick some of us up. With no way to send him our location, and a maze of dirt paths between us, he drove off in the general direction we were coming from. The chances were very small for him to actually find us. But when he entered the maze of mountain roads, he met a forest ranger and asked if he noticed a group of people somewhere. The ranger answered: There is bunch of singing people walking down the mountain over there. The singing was the key to our desperately needed Helper to find us. There were great shouts and laughter as the pick-up truck pulled up in front of us and we all climbed on board. The moment we drove off, a strange phenomenon appeared in the sky which none of us had ever seen before. It looked like traveling stars perfectly aligned in a long streak across the sky. We all were in awe of God’s display of kindness and favor shown both on the earth and in the heavens.
The following morning we met up with our Cypriot hosts who had invited us for a specific purpose. Their village is guardian over an olive grove that has many trees nearing 2000 years old. Sadly, no one had cared for this grove in over five decades. After another two hour hike down a mountain along the original route that Paul and Barnabas would have taken, we arrived at the grove. It was nestled nicely on the side of a hill overlooking a beautiful large valley that leads to the Mediterranean Sea. Our task today was to rebuild old walls that had been broken down, and to prune the ancient olive trees and free them from the wild growth that had begun to suck life out of them. When does anyone in their life get to work on olive trees as old as Christianity itself? We were thrilled and deeply grateful that yet in some odd way God allowed this group of foreigners to tend to the ancient inheritance of this land. The villager we worked with told us stories of his childhood when the mountain side and valley was full of farmers working the fields and trees and the land prospered greatly. Yet the finest story was one he had heard from his grandmother who wanted to share the deep meaning of the ancient olive grove. She had told him the reason why everyone calls these trees the apostolic olive trees was not so much in their age, but because they were not an indigenous variety, but an Israeli kind of olive. We had to ask twice to check if we had heard correctly and hardly could comprehend the unfolding of our journey to this point.
We started in Soli standing under one ancient olive tree hearing how this city was one main center during Paul and Barnabas’ time here and where they certainly would have stopped to minister. Our second day was all about getting up the mountain to the village of Tris Ellies (Three Olives). And now we ended our journey in an olive grove of ancient Israeli trees.
Here is a small messianic community that has lived the expression of the One New Man on this island for two decades, venturing out on a Prayer Walk through ancient paths, and God connects every step of our way to the olive tree. Add to this that Cyprus is the only nation that has two olive branches on its national flag and we are certain that God is restoring something so deep in the inheritance of this land, both as it relates to Israel and the coming of the Anointed One, Messiah Yeshua.
Our hearts and minds are full as we consider the ways of God to lead us with such orchestration. 68 Kilometers of walking have brought us to a fuller picture of God’s destiny and divine purposes, and to a greater love and appreciation for the island of Cyprus. Our prayer is that every step we took and every prayer we prayed along the journey would impact our own society now just as it did once in the days of Paul and Barnabas.
