Mission and vision Statement of Twins Tours

In this podcast we will give a general introduction about Twins Tours, we will talk about twins Tours Mission statement, the Vision of Twins Tours , and at the end we will be   talking about Twins Tours Team.   

Twins Tours & Travel LTD is a local Christian Travel agency specializing in building customized tour packages to the Holy Land. You will Experience the Bible’s living history first-hand as you retrace the path of the Patriarchs and walk in the footsteps of Jesus. It is our aim that you and your fellow travelers will gain greater insight into the Scriptures as you connect with the land and the local Body of Christ. It has been both humbling and a privilege to see numerous lives transformed as our groups experience the God of the Scripture on a personal level through the intentional interaction with the Land of the Bible.

Our Mission Statement

To provide a journey of identity through learning the culture, the customs, and the context of Scripture through Jesus’ Middle Eastern eyes, mind, and heart.

 

Our Experience

In our experience of more than 20 years, most people leave this land changed forever. For those who have never been to Israel, it is hard to describe how much of a difference it makes to come and stand in the land of the Bible and see it for yourself. We have often heard it described as suddenly seeing in color after living in a world of black and white. There is no doubt that coming to the Holy Land will inject new life into

 

the faith walk of each tour participants with Jesus of Nazareth, and unveil a new appreciation for His Word.

In addition to offering Biblical study tours, we also offer a variety of tours, each with a different focus:

• Biblical Study Tours
• Faith Pilgrimages
• Service/Volunteer/Ministry Projects
• Intercessory Prayer Journeys
• Personally Customized/Specialized/Themed or Concept Tours
• Conferences/Concerts

 

Twins Tours  Vision Statement

We  pursue  unity  between the Western and Eastern Churches by building bridges in personal interaction between the living stones to foster relationships of mutual blessing and understanding between them. Through personal experience, God gives revelation of  His heart for every tongue, tribe, and nation which matures the Body of Christ in bringing reconciliation, unity, and a testimony that Jesus is Lord.

To achieve these goals, we invite groups to experience the Holy Land and its people in depth from an indigenous Evangelical Christian perspective. Come join us in bringing your prayers to life!

 

Detailed Vision Statement

We pursue a real unity which does not imply becoming homogenous or agreeing on everything. Real unity recognizes that no man (or culture) is an island. We each have strengths and weaknesses and we benefit from diversity when we achieve unity that produces mutual blessing.

Achieving unity requires a revelation from God on three levels:

 

1. Awareness – God reveals to us that there are Christians from a completely different culture and with a completely different history

– Middle Eastern Christians.

2. Awareness begins with realizing that there are Palestinians Christians which are not Muslim background believers (MBBs) but rather Christians from birth and often for many
3. Awareness continues with the revelation that Jesus didn’t give His disciples the King James Bible with His words in red. Jesus spoke Hebrew and Aramaic. Middle Eastern Christians today speak the same Semitic languages of Aramaic, Hebrew and
4. Awareness, ultimately, includes revelation that Jerusalem is the birthplace of all Christianity and not the Western Nations which receive the most media attention. There is something holy and rooted about Eastern Christianity that Western Christianity only vaguely knows exists!
5. Understanding – God reveals the culture and history of these Middle Eastern Christians and gives us the ability to see how they Their perspective of the scripture becomes one in which we understand and can also access.
6. Appreciation – God reveals his heart for these Middle Eastern Christians and the beauty He sees in that culture and perspective. Co-founder Tony likes to say, “We still carry the smell of Christ.” It may be different and because it is foreign, that smell may not appeal at But with understanding and connection, a level of unity can be achieved which produces appreciation for the Middle Eastern Christians and the “smell of Christ” still present in this culture. Appreciation begins with humility of seeing weaknesses in one’s own culture/perspective that could be strengths in the other cultures/perspectives.
7. Appreciation also realizes that Eastern Christianity may look very different and have weaknesses, but the strengths Western Christianity has to offer must come from a place of service and not superiority.
8. Appreciation also includes a decision not to vilify any of the groups in the Middle East: Jews, or Palestinians. The saying is, “If you choose, you ”

The Western and Eastern Churches which Twins Tours is trying to unify has  many  distinct  differences. As mentioned previously, it is to be aware of these differences, understand these differences, and ultimately, appreciate these differences. Here are some of the noteworthy differences:

 

Western Christianity

Romance Languages (English, Spanish, latin etc.)

Organizational Individualistic Rigid/Boxy

Formal without many customs Values Mind and Thought Theoretical

Timely

 

Eastern Christianity

Semitic Languages (Aramaic, Hebrew, Arabic)

Relational Communal Fluid

Informal with many customs Values Heart and Emotions Action-oriented Improvisational

 

These Christian communities also differ tremendously in their history. These historical differences impact the perspective of Christians from these communities even today. Western Christianity was integrated with national governments even ruling over large sections of Europe at times. This produced a more hierarchal oriented  Christianity and one which naturally thinks institutionally. Eastern Christianity began with almost 400 years of persecution and attempted to survive under various ruling nations and people. This produced a community oriented relationally.

Both Western and Eastern churches have valuable natural strengths and Twins Tours would like to help each side to be aware, understand and ultimately appreciate those strengths. We recognize that our rich indigenous Christian heritage and culture utilizing the Aramaic and Hebrew sources of scripture can be an asset to Western Christians.

Twins Tours serves as a natural bridge because of its connection to Messianic Jews, Orthodox Jews, Arab Christians, Arab Muslims, and Western Christians. We want to help others build bridges in personal interaction in three main ways:

1. Bridging to Arab Christians
2. Bridging to Arab Muslims
3. Bridging to Jews

 

A bridge, by definition, is a two-way connection. A weak bridge cannot handle a heavy load. Similarly, a weak relational bridge cannot handle heavy topics and in order to bring true unity, we must be able to talk about the heavy concepts plaguing the Middle East. But we start building and recognize not all relational bridges are ready for the weight of some issues.   We appreciate any and all bridges as they   do represent an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the “other” to an extent.

 

In  the  end, every relational bridge  comes  down  to  a  personal connection. To this end, Twins Tours fosters personal connections between tourists and local communities. The type and depth of connection is dictated by the size of the group.

 

• Ministry: For groups of 10-25 people, these groups get hands on with locals often in their personal
• Interaction: For groups of 26-50 people, these groups visit locals in their ministry
• Exposure: For groups of 51+ people, these groups are visited by locals who share about their life, ministry, and

 

Three quick examples of these opportunities:

A Ministry Group can have one- or two-nights home stay with a Palestinian family in Bethlehem or West Bank. They will enjoy the food prepared by the host and learn the village culture in a way that brings the bible to life. They will hear the family stories and have fun learning from each other. In this way they will understand the daily challenges of the family, build trust, and begin a lifelong friendship.

Though many people want to do “ministry” in Israel and Palestine, we have found that pastors first need to build a relationship with the people before “doing ministry” in order to be effective.

An Interaction Group can have a Shabbat dinner with a Jewish family. They will learn about Shabbat and Jewish family values and the daily life in Israel. They will learn a Jewish perspective that will help the Bible come to life. The experience will probably stay with the group longer than the guide teachings at a given site.

 

An  Exposure  Group  can have a Jewish Rabbi meet the group for a lecture about Jewish-Christian relations. Then that same group can meet a Palestinian Christian farmer and hear his story as well. Another option is to bring a Muslim-background believer (MBB) to share his testimony. These experiences expose the group to a world they may not have even been aware of previously.

For those who want to minister to locals, they must have a relationship with local pastors and appreciation for the good in the culture. It is important not to give solutions until a relationship is established. In the beginning of a relationship, it is important not to judge but just hear the hearts of the people who are hurt and need someone to listen to them.

In this way, a tourist can relate to the history and ancient lessons rooted in the Bible and also to the living stones. We read in 1 Peter 2:5, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

We are all the living stones which are being built up together. Sometimes tourists forget the local believers who are living stones far more precious than the ancient stones of the Western Wall or Caesarea. They are a holy priesthood with spiritual sacrifices and gifts to give. They are the continuation of 2,000 years of what Jesus started here in the Land. There is a continuation of biblical events with events going on TODAY in the land.

To bring the living stones into unity, the wounds of the past will need to be healed through reconciliation. Some of these wounds include the wealth of the Western church, neglect and even complete ignorance of the Eastern Church, a Western superiority complex, and indigeneity pride of the Eastern church.

 

Clearly, the vision for unity has not yet been achieved. It has grown but the vast majority of the Body of Christ is still far from unified. What will real unity look like when achieved? The mutual appreciation we’ve discussed, will result also in mutual blessing. There will be a cooperation between the different parts of the Body just like the eyes, hands, feet, and ears of our physical bodies work in harmony (1 Corinthians 12:15-25).

“15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the  hand,  “I  don’t  need  you!” And the head cannot  say  to  the  feet,  “I  don’t  need  you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the  parts that are unpresentable  are  treated  with  special  modesty,  24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”

The strengths of one part of the Body of Christ assist in the weakness of another part. The Body functioning properly is a healthy whole and each part is blessed by being part of the whole.

 

In addition to mutual blessing, unity brings a testimony to unbelievers

(John 17:20-23) and the power of the holy spirit (Acts 2:1-4).

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

In a land divided by politics, language, and tribal loyalties, unity of believers which transcends politics, language and tribal loyalties is remarkable to the unbeliever. The love of Jesus is given a stage which all can appreciate. The heart of God is not just that as many to be saved as possible in a general sense. It’s not a generic love to mankind, it’s a personal love and appreciation for the beauty of diversity. In the age to come every tongue, tribe, and nation will come up to Jerusalem to worship (Revelation 5:9).

“ 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals, because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased for God

 

persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

We serve Jesus as Lord.  He cares for us and He is our friend, but He  is also our Lord. We serve Him fully with all our heart, mind and soul. Our business is a ministry to build His Kingdom. He is the King of that Kingdom… Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Our vision for unity is such that we bend knees together in unity to Jesus as Lord.

Twins Tours chooses to be a sustainable business rather than a donor supported ministry in order to be a source of stability and blessing to others. God provides miraculously for hundreds of ministries in Israel, but our desire is to be a source of stable economic provision for the ministry done by our staff as well as helping subsidize groups who cannot afford to come otherwise. In addition to subsidizing some Ministry Groups, Twins Tours will do once a year a Ministry Group completely free. The group only has to get to Israel and Twins Tours will cover the rest of the costs. Lastly, Twins Tours does familiarization tours for pastors which are also free to them. On familiarization tours, we invest in pastors for a week teaching them how to lead groups on the ground. These activities are only possible from the modest profits from the unsubsidized tours and the books we publish.

Another important part of the vision for Twins Tours is to send out ministers to bring the message of unity to others overseas. Currently Andre travels twice a year for 3-4 months and in the future, we envision, others will also be sent out.

Our Local Vision

Part of the vision of Twins Tours has always been to build up the local believing community by building bridges between Messianic Jews, Palestinian Christians, and the worldwide Church. A service tour is an excellent opportunity for your group to take part in the day-to-day

 

ministries of the ‘living stones’ of this land, and to experience firsthand what God is doing today both in Israel and among the Palestinian Territories.

The Holy Land is larger than you think: Israel, Jordan & Egypt, Lebanon, Syria (Expansion to Turkey, Greece, Rome).

The heart of our vision is to be able to reach the forgotten Christian people especially in the heart of the west bank. Your presence is a big encouragement for the Christians in the west bank who are left and just to connect with them is a big deal. One example is with some of the ministry groups that partner with us, they help in running summer camps through the churches of the land for even simply visiting Christian homes for a dinner eating together at their homes and talking as well as also literally cleaning and painting their homes and villages as well working through the different municipalities.

Though these are little things, but it means a lot for the Christian people living in villages in the heart of the west bank and in the outskirts of Ramallah or one example the Zababdeh village near the city of Jenin. This is where almost no tourists get to and is away from the normal touristic sites. This will unite the west with the east and they will find simple people who want just to live a normal life, Twins Tours will prepare and help the people from the west how to be sensitive to their culture, as Palestinians have tight family relations. For example hugging is not encouraged, as well as when staying at their homes to have marine showers that is a very quick few minutes shower as water is scarce in the west bank and they don’t get water every day, they will find out even the Palestinian Christians don’t have much but they are very hospitable and serve fresh healthy food, coffee and tea. As they will be greeted with something to drink, and it is not nice at all to refuse the first drink, that will break the ice and not to ask immediately for the internet password when you first meet! Only listening to these

people and to their daily struggles is something quite big for them as sometimes they are more open to foreigners. Twins Tours will help the west learn more about the Palestinian culture even help them in Olive harvesting for example as Palestinians are very good farmers, some folklore dance, etc. This way our pilgrims will experience more deeply not only the sites but as well the living stones of the land. It is not necessary to agree with all but try to understand each other.

The Twins Tours Team

Twins Tours office staff looks forward to meeting you and doing our best for your group to have the best experience in the Holy Land. We pray that while you are touring the land of the Bible, you will have a special encounter with the Holy Spirit. We are so excited that you were able to make this trip of a lifetime!

Andre & Marie Moubarak:   Andre is the Co-founder and manager    of Twins Tours and one of the main tour guides. Marie is the Director of Program & Partnership Development, and she has a heart to see visitors and pilgrims encounter the land and the people of Israel in a meaningful, integrity-filled way.

Tony & Sawsan Moubarak: Tony is the Co-Founder of Twins Tours and the main Tour Guide. He also helps manage the office when Andre is outside the country. Sawsan assists in accounting and manages supplier payments. Tony and Sawsan have 2 Children – 12 years old girl and 14 years old boy. Tony loves studying, reading, and writing so that he can teach the Word of God.

Setrag & Sylvia Shemmessian: Setrag is the Reservation Manager  at Twins Tours, he deals with all the hotel bookings, site reservations, and daily emails and communications with all the suppliers. Sylvia, Setrag’s wife, is the Accounting Manager and oversees all financial

 

transactions. They have a newborn child almost 6 months old. Sylvia is Andre, Tony and Albert’s cousin.

Albert Moubarak: Albert is the logistics manager in the office - he communicates with drivers and guides and supports the whole office. Albert and his wife, Rasha, have 3 children, two boys (6.5 yrs. old, 5.5 yrs. old), and one girl (4.5 yrs old).

Celesty Dabbagh: Celesty is the Media Projects Manager and a licensed Tour Guide with a deep love for the land of the Bible. When she is not on tours, she is at the Twins Tours office, creating physical and digital content to enhance and promote the business. Celesty is also Sawsan’s niece.

Our Website to book Tours:

www.twinstours.org

Blessings

Andre