A North Florida church with a group of 54 safely crossed the Jordanian border this weekend after a violent war between Israel and Hamas threatened to trap them overseas.
Zach Terry, the pastor of First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach, told The Epoch Times that it is his church’s fifth pilgrimage to Israel, but never before was a trip cut short due to the sound of aerial rocket blasts and machine gun fire echoing in the streets below their rooms.
“It didn’t seem real. It was like watching a movie,” Mr. Terry said. “The city sounds would drown out the explosions during the day, but we could hear them in the distance at night. The automatic weapons were much closer. We hoped it was coming from Israelis rather than Hamas.”
Saturday morning was supposed to start with a calm boat ride over the Sea of Galilee before heading to Capernaum, the city Jesus Christ adopted as a home after being driven out of Nazareth, written in the New Testament.
But instead, the group awoke that day to the noise of war erupting.
“We first heard about the attacks Saturday morning, the 7th. At the time, we were in northern Israel, near Tiberius. Our group began to receive notifications via social media” regarding Hamas’s military invasion, Mr. Terry said.
The congregation quickly changed their plans and moved to Jerusalem to get closer to the United States Embassy. Soon, Mr. Terry realized he needed to get his people to safety outside the boundaries of Israel. The best solution was escaping into Jordan, the closest safe zone, he said.
Mr. Terry explained that border crossings into Jordan were unpredictable and would close randomly, without notice. When he and his group found a viable route, they waited more than four hours to cross the Jordanian border.
“As we drove into Jordan that night, the streets were filled with boys and men,” he said. “At first, we were concerned that this may be an attempt to disrupt those coming into the country, but we discovered this was their custom, and there was nothing to worry about.”
Mr. Terry and his group breathed calmly again after arriving in Jordan and experiencing their warm hospitality, he said.
They all stayed in touch with family and friends through social media while also receiving a bombardment of posts, with some deliberately spreading misinformation, Mr. Terry said.
“Our local friends were super helpful in filtering true from fake news,” he said.
“The people were most concerned when we woke up each morning, as we read the news from overnight. As the day went on, they settled down and trusted the process.”
To keep church members calm and distracted from the bloodshed, Mr. Terry took his group on trips to Petra and Mount Nebo while staying in Jordan. But now, they are coordinating flights back to Florida.
“Our interruption was the least of our worries. The Jewish people have endured warfare since the days of Abraham. Hamas attacked without any concern for ethnicity, religion, or civilian status. What they did was beyond brutal; it was demonic,” he said.
U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) and his wife are First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach members and heard about the onslaught the same way as most—through news and social media.
After texting with several friends in the church group and realizing all flights in and out of Israel had stopped, Mr. Bean contacted the State Department to get his congregation registered for aid.
His congressional team went full hands on deck, looking for available flights at airports in neighboring countries like Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon, as well as private charters.
Mr. Bean said the most important thing to do for any American in Israel right now is to contact the State Department and register immediately.
“If they have not told the United States government that they are there and that they need help getting out, they’re not counted,” he said.
“We’re not going to rest until they’re on American soil again,” Mr. Bean added.
“My heart aches for anybody that suffered this extreme, brutal violence, and it’s just unspeakable,” he said.
“Any civilized person will recognize [Hamas] are brutal savages, that there’s no rehabilitation, there’s no negotiation—they have to be eliminated. Doing what they’ve done, they’ve forfeited the right to coexist—there is no coexisting with people that want to do this,” Mr. Bean said. “They’re terrorists, and they want to instill terror.”
His order mentioned requests from Americans stranded in Israel who are struggling to find flights home through the U.S. Embassies in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The order utilizes resources from the Florida Division of Emergency Management to bring Floridians and other citizens who are immobilized in the war-torn country home.
While searching for return flights, Mr. Terry discussed past Israel visits and a trip to Greece that followed the travels of the Apostle Paul. He and other First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach members are planning a future journey to Egypt to follow the Exodus of Moses in the Old Testament.
Mr. Terry’s current group consists of church members and listeners to his church’s radio ministry service, Maximum Life.
Once the conflict ends and the dust from rocket explosions and gunfire finally settles, Mr. Terry plans to return to Israel with his congregation.
“When, and if, things settle down, we will return. The land and the people are dear to our hearts. Israel is like a second home,” he said.
