Kehilat HaCarmel was born in 1991 shortly after the first Gulf War. Over the past 25 years we have seen miracle after miracle of lives transformed by the love and power of our Messiah Yeshua. We now see our spiritual sons and daughters bringing forth great fruitfulness, as they carry the good news of salvation even further into the fabric of Israeli society, penetrating the veil over the hearts of our people with a fresh anointing of creativity and power. In Messianic congregations throughout Israel there is a generational transfer beginning to take place, as a new generation of leaders has been discipled and prepared to advance the Kingdom of God in Israel.

Here at Kehilat HaCarmel our leadership team has known for many years that the Lord was preparing our Israeli-born pastor, Dani Sayag, to eventually assume oversight as lead pastor of Kehilat HaCarmel in the Lord’s perfect timing. The recent diagnosis of my (David’s) cancer has coincided with our recognition that the “appointed” time has come for us to begin to implement this transition. Truly “all things work together for good for those who are love Him and are called according to His purposes” (Rom. 8:28).

Several years ago Dani and his wife LuAnne planted Kehilat Kerem El, our Hebrew-language daughter congregation, which meets at Beit Yedidia and is flourishing greatly under their leadership. They have already raised up a ministry team of young Israeli Hebrew-speaking pastors and deacons at Kerem El, which will enable Dani and LuAnne to assume oversight of both congregations, Kehilat HaCarmel and Kerem El. We have often referred to these two congregations as the “Upper and Lower Springs” (Judg. 1:15).  We firmly believe that under Dani and LuAnne’s leadership these “springs of living waters” will merge into a mighty river of life to draw a great harvest of Israelis, native-born, as well as immigrants, into the Kingdom of God in the coming years.

Karen and I will be flying next week to spend several weeks at a well-respected alternative cancer treatment hospital which offers combined conventional and alternative treatments suitable for my situation. We feel a great sense of peace that He is totally in control and “will perfect that which concerns us” (Ps. 138:8). I look forward to returning to Israel in greater health to continue to be available as a mentor to our spiritual sons and daughters as Founder of Kehilat HaCarmel, and to a deepening of my call to prophetic intercession in the tumultuous times ahead in Israel and the Middle East (Jer. 23:18).

Pastor Peter Tsukahira, Co-Founder of Kehilat HaCarmel, is continuing in his powerful calling from the Lord to build strong bridges of relationship between the Body of Messiah in the nations and Israel through his anointed teaching ministry, both internationally and here as Director of the Mount Carmel School of Ministry. The School of Ministry has become one of the most highly effective study tours for imparting understanding of God’s heart and purposes for Israel, connecting international participants with the local Body of Messiah, and often bringing about profound life-changing encounters with the Lord. As Co-Founder of Kehilat HaCarmel, Peter’s pastoral leadership remains invaluable to our local community, and he continues to serve here as the Director of the Or HaCarmel Ministry Center.

Today Peter and I are rejoicing to see the fruit of our 25 years of co-laboring together now coming forth in the lives of our next generation of leaders. As I was preparing to write this prayer letter, the Lord brought to my remembrance the Dedication I wrote years ago for my book “The Elijah Legacy”:

“To the faithful spiritual sons and daughters the Lord has given us on Mount Carmel. May they pick up the cloak of the Elijah legacy and fulfill God’s highest destiny for their lives.

May we all joyfully embrace His times and seasons, and say with the apostle Paul in this new year, “forgetting those things which are behind, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua” (Phil 3:14).

                                                                                                          --- DD