{"id":2065715,"date":"2023-10-12T22:57:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T02:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-church-group-escapes-from-israel-into-jordan-after-hearing-rockets-and-machine-guns-from-hotel\/"},"modified":"2023-10-12T23:06:13","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T03:06:13","slug":"florida-church-group-escapes-from-israel-into-jordan-after-hearing-rockets-and-machine-guns-from-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-church-group-escapes-from-israel-into-jordan-after-hearing-rockets-and-machine-guns-from-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida church group flees Israel to Jordan due to sounds of rockets and gunfire at hotel."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflorida-church-group-escapes-from-israel-into-jordan-after-hearing-rockets-and-machine-guns-from-hotel%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2065715&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>A Church Escapes War in Israel, Finds Safety in Jordan<\/h2>\n<p>A North Florida\u2062 church with a group of 54 safely crossed the Jordanian border this weekend after a violent war between Israel \u200dand Hamas threatened to trap them overseas.<\/p>\n<p>Zach \u200dTerry,\u2064 the \u200dpastor of First\u200c Baptist Church Fernandina Beach, \u2064told The Epoch Times \u2064that it is his church\u2019s fifth pilgrimage to Israel, but never before was a trip <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rush-limbaughs-moving-sign-off-today-video\/\" title=\"Rush Limbaugh\u2019s Moving Sign Off Today (Video)\">cut short<\/a> due to the sound of aerial rocket blasts and machine gun fire echoing in the streets below\u200b their rooms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt didn\u2019t seem real. It was like watching a\u200b movie,\u201d \u2063Mr. Terry said. \u201cThe city sounds would drown out the explosions during the \u200bday, but we could hear them in the distance at night. \u200bThe automatic weapons were much\u2062 closer. We hoped it was coming from \u200dIsraelis rather\u2062 than Hamas.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/us-to-charter-flights-out-of-israel-white-house-5509193?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>US to Charter Flights Out of Israel: White House<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; \u206410\/12\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/ceos-looking-to-blacklist-harvard-students-who-signed-anti-israel-letter-5509099?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>CEOs Looking to Blacklist Harvard Students Who Signed Anti-Israel Letter<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 10\/12\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Saturday morning was supposed to start \u200bwith a\u2062 calm boat ride over the Sea of Galilee before heading to Capernaum, the city Jesus Christ\u2064 adopted as a home after being driven out of Nazareth, written in the New Testament.<\/p>\n<p>But instead, the group awoke that day to the noise of war \u2062erupting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe first heard about the attacks Saturday morning, the 7th. At the time, we \u200cwere in northern Israel, near Tiberius. Our group began to receive notifications via social media\u201d regarding\u2062 Hamas\u2019s military invasion, Mr. Terry\u2064 said.<\/p>\n<p>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\u200b to safety \u2064outside the boundaries of Israel. The best solution was escaping into Jordan,\u2064 the\u2062 closest safe zone, he said.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Terry explained that border \u200dcrossings\u2063 into\u200d Jordan were unpredictable \u200band would close randomly, without notice. When\u2062 he and his group found a viable route, they waited more than four hours to cross the Jordanian border.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width:900px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Members of First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach wait to cross the border into Jordan after escaping from Israel following its war declaration on Hamas. (Courtesy of First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAs we drove into Jordan that night, the streets were filled with\u200d boys\u200d and\u200b men,\u201d he said. \u201cAt first, we were \u2064concerned that this may be an\u200b attempt to disrupt those coming into the country, but we discovered\u200c this was their custom, and there was \u2064nothing to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr.\u200b Terry and his group breathed calmly again after arriving in Jordan and experiencing their warm hospitality, he said.<\/p>\n<p>They all \u200bstayed in touch with family and friends through social media while also receiving a bombardment of posts, with some deliberately spreading misinformation, Mr. Terry said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur local friends were super\u200c helpful in filtering true from fake news,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe people were most concerned when we woke\u200b up\u200b each morning, as we read the news from overnight. As the day went on, they settled \u2062down and trusted the process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To keep <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jon-ossoff-aoc-stick-up-for-white-supremacist-murderer-dylann-roof\/\" title=\"Jon Ossoff, AOC Stick Up for White Supremacist Murderer Dylann Roof\">church members<\/a> calm and distracted from the bloodshed, Mr. Terry took his group on trips to Petra and Mount Nebo while \u2064staying in Jordan. But now, they are coordinating flights back to Florida.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur interruption was the least of our \u2063worries. 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\u2064 beyond\u2064 brutal; it was demonic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) and his wife are First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach\u2063 members and\u200d heard about the onslaught the same way \u200cas most\u2014through\u200c news and social media.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>U.S. Congressman (R-Fla.) Aaron Bean\u2063 poses in front of a &#8220;Stand with Israel&#8221; \u200csign. (Courtesy of \u200bRep. Aaron Bean)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After texting with several\u2062 friends in the church group and realizing all flights in and out\u200d of Israel had stopped, Mr. Bean contacted the State Department to get his congregation registered for\u200b aid.<\/p>\n<p>His congressional team went full hands on deck, looking for available flights at airports\u200d in neighboring countries like Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon, as well as private charters.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. \u200cBean\u2019s next-door neighbor, U.S. Congressman \u200dCory Mills (R-Fla.), \u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/gop-lawmaker-flies-to-israel-to-rescue-americans-after-ton-of-requests-5509125\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">personally rescued<\/a> 32 Americans from Israel this week and is hoping to make \u2063return trips for more citizens left \u200cstranded in the war zone.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Bean said the most important thing to\u2064 do for any American in Israel \u200bright now\u200b is \u200bto contact the State \u2063Department and register \u200bimmediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they have not told the United States government that they are \u2064there and that they need \u2064help getting\u2063 out,\u2064 they\u2019re not \u2063counted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not going to rest until they\u2019re on American soil again,\u201d Mr. Bean \u200dadded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy \u2062heart aches for anybody that suffered this extreme, brutal violence, and it\u2019s just unspeakable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny civilized person will recognize [Hamas] are brutal savages, that there\u2019s no rehabilitation, there\u2019s no negotiation\u2014they have to be eliminated. Doing what they\u2019ve done, they\u2019ve forfeited the right to coexist\u2014there is no coexisting \u200dwith \u2063people that want to do this,\u201d\u200d Mr. Bean said. \u201cThey\u2019re terrorists, and they want to instill terror.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Florida Governor\u2064 Ron DeSantis signed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flgov.com\/2023\/10\/12\/memorandum-executive-order-23-208-emergency-management-impacts-of-war-in-israel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-rules-ca-gov-overstepped-his-authority-with-covid-order-issues-permanent-injunction-restraining-newsom-from-further-issuing-unconstitutional-orders\/\" title=\"Judge Rules CA Gov Overstepped His Authority with Covid Order, Issues Permanent Injunction Restraining Newsom From Further Issuing Unconstitutional Orders\">executive order<\/a><\/a> \u2062on \u2063Thursday to provide \u201clogistical, rescue, and evacuation operations\u201d to Floridians and other Americans stuck in Israel who wish to return home.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width:800px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition \u2064Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 19, 2022. (Wade Vandervort\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cToday, I signed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-approves-rescue-mission-for-thousands-of-americans-stuck-in-israel\/\" title=\"DeSantis greenlights rescue mission for stranded Americans in Israel.\">executive order authorizing rescue operations<\/a> in Israel to bring Floridians home and transport\u2062 supplies to our\u2062 allies. We will not\u2064 leave our residents \u2064behind. \u2063To the many Floridians who are stuck in \u2064Israel, trying to get home\u2014help is\u2063 on the way,\u201d Mr. DeSantis <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GovRonDeSantis\/status\/1712536996869190031\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote on X<\/a>, formerly known as Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>His order mentioned requests from Americans stranded in Israel who are struggling to find \u2064flights\u2062 home through the U.S. Embassies in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.<\/p>\n<p>The order utilizes resources\u200c from the Florida Division of Emergency Management to \u200bbring Floridians and other citizens who are immobilized in the war-torn country home.<\/p>\n<p>While searching for return flights, \u200dMr. Terry discussed\u200c past Israel\u2063 visits and a trip to Greece that followed the travels of the Apostle Paul. He \u2064and other First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach members are\u2063 planning a future journey to Egypt to follow the Exodus of Moses in the Old Testament.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. \u200bTerry\u2019s current\u2062 group consists of church \u2063members and listeners to his church\u2019s radio ministry service, Maximum Life.<\/p>\n<p>Once the conflict ends and the dust from rocket explosions and gunfire finally settles, Mr. Terry plans\u200c to return to Israel \u200cwith his congregation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen, and if, things settle down, we will \u200dreturn. The land and the \u200cpeople are dear to\u200c our hearts. Israel is like \u200ca second home,\u201d \u200bhe said.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Bean urges anyone still trapped in Israel to immediately contact the U.S. State Department by <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/cacms.state.gov\/s\/crisis-intake__;!!Bg5easoyC-OII2vlEqY8mTBrtW-N4OJKAQ!N-KPhCVKhSdHy9cVP1ti5ZKWxc0MficTBE3HfiBfzrKswUhZbyZH0l7PjAB2AfR1tPDZs4x7rO-i4d7XAcPHXts4ToNB0vQ%24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">filling out a form<\/a> or by calling 1-833-890-9595 or 1-606-641-0131.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What impact \u2064did the escalating conflict between Israel and\u2062 Hamas have on the church members&#8217; experience in Jordan?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2063 Hospitality. They \u200cwere welcomed\u2062 by the local\u2064 community and provided\u200b with shelter and food for the duration of their\u200d stay\u200c in Jordan.<\/p>\n<p>While the group \u200bwas relieved to have escaped the violence in Israel, their\u2062 hearts were\u200c heavy \u2064as they saw news reports of the escalating conflict \u2064between Israel and Hamas. They worried for the \u200dsafety of \u200dtheir loved ones back in the United States and prayed for peace to prevail in the\u2064 region.<\/p>\n<p>During their time \u200cin Jordan, the members of First Baptist \u200bChurch Fernandina Beach took \u2062the opportunity to visit \u200cvarious historical and\u200c religious sites, \u2063including\u2063 the ancient city of Petra \u2064and the\u200c baptismal site of\u2063 Jesus Christ on the Jordan River. They found solace and inspiration in these sacred \u200cplaces, \u200dstrengthening their faith and\u2062 bringing them closer \u200ctogether as a community.<\/p>\n<p>Through this harrowing experience, the church members\u2062 learned the \u2064importance of solidarity and support in times of \u2062crisis. They were grateful for the collaboration and assistance \u200bthey received\u200b from\u2064 various organizations \u2062and individuals, both in\u200d Israel\u200b and Jordan, who helped them navigate the uncertain circumstances and\u2064 find safety.<\/p>\n<p>As they prepare to return to their\u2063 homes in North Florida,\u200c the group plans\u200d to share their story and raise awareness about the\u200b impact of conflicts on innocent \u200dcivilians. They hope to inspire others to seek peaceful\u2064 resolutions and promote understanding\u2064 and empathy among different communities and nations.<\/p>\n<p>The church members are also immensely grateful for the support and prayers they received from their families, friends, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-church-group-escapes-from-israel-into-jordan-after-hearing-rockets-and-machine-guns-from-hotel\/\" title=\"Florida church group flees Israel to Jordan due to sounds of rockets and gunfire at hotel.\">fellow church members back home<\/a>.\u200d The outpouring of love and concern reminded them\u2062 of the\u2064 power of faith and community, even in the face of adversity.<\/p>\n<p>While the journey to Israel was cut short,\u2064 the \u2064experience has left a lasting\u2062 impression on the members of First Baptist Church Fernandina \u2064Beach. \u2063They have emerged stronger \u200dand more resilient, cherishing the \u2062blessings of safety and peace, and vowing to continue their mission of\u2063 spreading love and compassion to all.<\/p>\n<p>In this challenging time, their story serves as a\u2063 reminder that even in the darkest of times, \u200bthere is always hope and the opportunity to \u2063find refuge \u200band\u200b solace in the\u2063 arms of those who extend care and support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A North Florida church of 54 members safely crossed the Jordanian border this weekend amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Pastor Zach Terry of First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach stated that this was their fifth trip to Israel, but the first time they faced potential entrapment due to the violent war.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2377,"featured_media":2065716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2065715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2065715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2377"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2065715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2065715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2065716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2065715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2065715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2065715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}