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Hey Friends and Family!We got our video up! - www.youtube.com/zemerlevav
This video is kind of special. It was our first opportunity to play on the "Big Stage" at the yearly "Messiah Conference". We got asked to play two weeks before the conference. They asked us to do this song because the theme of the conference was "Mayim Chaim-Streams of Living Water". We didn't even have the track yet! We asked our producer to send it as an mp3 file so that we could rehearse it, and he would have the full track for us at the conference.
We had to learn the track version of the song (we'd been doing it slightly differently). I had to choreograph the dance and teach it to the girls. Then we had to rehearse it enough to be at least somewhat comfortable with it all in two weeks!
Needless to say we did it! Praise God for His grace. I hope you enjoy it!
Blessings in Messiah, ~Shimrit
Shalom Family and Friends!God continues to teach us to trust Him, and to have a thankful heart. He continues to bless us with the beauty of His creation, and reminders of His goodness. We have so much to be thankful for.
The calander is filling up! We are so thankful, thank you all who have helped out.
We still have some open dates that we need to fill.
We are booked Friday evening January 4th at Baruch HaShem in San Antonio, TX
We need a concert Saturday evening January 5th or a Sunday concert on Jan. 6th in San Antonio.We are booked Friday evening January 11th at Adat Shalom in Dallas, TX.
We need a concert Saturday evening January 12th or a Sunday concert on Jan. 13th in Dallas, TX.We are booked Sunday January 20th at Crossroads Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque, NM.
We need a Friday night or Saturday morning concert that weekend in the Albuquerque area.We are booked Saturday January 26th at Adat Yeshua in Albuquerque, NM.
We need another booking either Friday night January 24th or Saturday morning the 25th in the area.If you know of Churches or Messianic Congregations in these areas who you think would be interested in and enjoy our ministry send us their contact information. If you would like to do some footwork for us you can download and print a brochure from our web-site to pass along, if you do this, send us the name/names of the Pastors/Rabbis you shared with so that we can contact them.
Coming soon! A video of Zemer Levav singing and dancing will soon be posted on our website and Youtube (if you look for us right now on youtube you will find some very poor quality camera videos with very poor sound quality![People singing off key in the background!] There is one that is better from California. We thought it was time to address this problem so people could hear what we are really capable of!). This is a good quality video done at Messiah conference 2006. Look for it within the next week or so!
Please pray with us for grace as we are on the final weeks of preparation for the wedding.
Pray for God's will on whether Joseph and Shalisha come with us or settle here for now. We are waiting on God's provision of [...]. If that doesn't come in we will know that God wants them to stay here. They will be a blessing and help to us either way. Though I must say I will miss her terribly!
Pray as God prepares us to go out again, and as we pack up our stuff and put it in storage for the next year.
God bless you abundantly, we are blessed and looking forward to the next step in our journey.
In Mashiach Yeshua, ~Shimrit
Shalom Friends and Family,The Lord bless you all.
We are still going through changes in our lives, and we are learning that God is in control and not us, and that we have a purpose, which He will see through to the end. He is faithful.Praise Adonai our new album is out! The title is "As Long as I Breathe". Ask for it at your local Christian bookstore. If they don't have it, ask them if they will order it for you. It is being distributed by Provident/Integrity Music Distribution.
We have had a couple of concerts in Florida since our last newsletter. We were well received, and the ministry was sweet.
We recently took a much needed family vacation to Key Largo at a state park between concerts, as they were in the southern part of the State. The girls went wild over the coconut palms, and we had coconuts in various stages of destruction in the motor home all week! We saw many fish (Natanyah swam right up to a school of them on one swim) and two small nurse sharks. We also took pictures of three very large iguanas! The water was warm and blue-green. The weather was good. We had a restful and fun four days!
Plans for Shalisha and Joseph's wedding are going well, we finished making the invitations right before we left for the concerts and vacation week, and are addressing and sending them this week. If you would like you can check out their "Wedding Web-site".
www.theknot.com/ourwedding/ShalishaHanes&JosephSimpkins
Joseph is in Israel right now performing Israeli dances for a tour group, and teaching them dances.The mold problem in the mobile home has been corrected. Thank you to those of you who emailed us advice and sympathy. I felt very supported and it made me feel much better. We have fixed it up, and the owner has subtracted from the rent for the painting and repairs, which has kept the rent nice and low for the past couple of months.
Mark has continued with the repairs on the vehicles and we finally have the Volvo running. It is so nice not to have to drive the big truck with the stiff clutch!
We still aren't sure where we will make our residence after the wedding, but at least for now we are feeling settled.Everything went well with the move here. It was a very expensive move, but we are all confident that it was the right thing to do. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.
For those who have ever asked, "How can I help?"
Would you like to help us book our next tour? We do not have anyone to do our booking for us at this time and I am too busy with the wedding, and Natanyah's schooling etc. to spend the amount of time needed to book our winter/spring tour. I have created a "Projected Itinerary" for the months of January through April. This is not set in stone and sometimes changes dramatically as we always pray for God's hand to guide where we go, but it gives me a framework when planning our trips. Here it is:
January – Texas and/or New Mexico and/or Arizona
February – Arizona and California (we have a concert booked at Kehilat Mashiach in Upland, CA February 9th)
March – Northern California and Oregon and/or Washington
April – Washington, Idaho, Colorado? Kansas?
If you live in one of these states, or anywhere along the route (remember we are in Florida) and want to help us get a booking in your area, here's what you can do.
~First and foremost pray for God's help and guidance in every step!
~Go to our web-site, click on <Booking> and download the Poster, brochure, and other helps that are there. Print them and hand them to those who might book us. Let them know that they can hear our music on our web-site. Have them call us if they need a promotional CD.
~Next, share us (our music and our ministry) with everyone you know as well as asking your leaders if they would be interested in having us. Ask your friends if their Church/Congregation would also be interested in having us.
~Then, find out if our CD is available in your area and if not ask your local Christian bookstore to order it. (This will be especially easy if the friends you shared our ministry with want their own CD, have them ask for it also)
~Call your local Christian Radio Station and request our music. Let them know it is a "Galilee of the Nations" CD and is distributed by Provident/Integrity. If you want to be real helpful, ask them if they've ever heard our CD and if not send them one, or give them our email and phone number so we can send them one (don't send them a computer copy, they won't take it seriously!) This works even better if your friends call in too!
What do these last two things have to do with booking a concert? When you have booked your concerts, if your bookstore has our CDs they will want to promote the concerts (you'll have to bring them a poster) after all, they want to sell those CDs!
If the local radio station is aware of us, they also will be more willing to share about the concert on the air, particularly if they have begun to play our music!
~ Lastly, make sure that those who need it have all our contact information. It will be on the materials that you printed out from the web-site.
The posters are for advertising the concerts once they are booked. The address of the facility where each concert will be, the date and time of the concert, and local contact information should all be added to the bottom of the poster. Use the "How to advertise your concert" tips provided on the web-site.
Rabbis and Pastors! Give us a call! Use this number (our temporary home phone) as our cell does not work well out here in the Florida Swamp! (352) 338-9101
You can also use our cell number and leave a message, I do check them pretty regularly.We are still in Florida through December and are still open to concerts here during that time. The wedding is December 9th so we're not available the weekends before, after and during that weekend.
I had quite a few prayer requests in my last newsletter so I will list the requests with the answers we've gotten so far.
Pray for wisdom for Mark and me as we look for God's direction in all this (where we should home base, if we should stay at this house or move elsewhere).
We have gotten clear direction for what we need right now, but God is quiet about what we are to do in the future. I'm feeling that He will reveal His will on a "need to know" basis at this time in our lives, as He's done before. We can do it again.Pray for wisdom in planning our next Israel trip. We need wisdom on God's timing in this also. Same answer as above.
Pray for an abundance of bookings for September - December, and a settled place where I can set up an office to book our winter/spring tour (January-March).
God did not have an abundance of bookings for us. This was to be time to pray, and seek Him as a family so that when we go out again, we will be a strong unit. Also, time to prepare for the wedding. I'm finding that even with a settled place, I have little time for booking.Pray for a laptop computer for me.
This answer is pending. I am waiting to hear from a couple who may be able to provide me with one. What a blessing!Pray for a manager/booking agent person for us so that I have more time to work on the music, and be a mom!
We have a possible pending answer to this one also, plus God gave me the wisdom to try the grassroots approach that I've outlined above. Having our friends all over helping as they can. This will be a big help in the meantime!May the Lord bless you with wisdom, and the knowledge of His power, goodness, and love toward you. May you shine like the stars in the heavens. May you be blessed when you go out and when you come in. May your basket and store be blessed. May you always harken to the voice of the Lord your God.
In trusting obedience to Him, ~Shimrit
Shalom Friends and Family,I pray that you are experiencing God’s blessing and peace in your life. We are going through many difficult changes right now, and through them God keeps reminding me that I need to rejoice, and be cheerful, trusting in His faithfulness.
Praise Adonai for our new album which will officially release in October! The title is "As Long as I Breathe." Ask for it at your local Christian bookstore. If they don’t have it, ask them if they will order it for you. It is being distributed by Provident/Integrity Music Distribution.
We are now in Gainesville, Florida. We just got here, but we must turn around and go back as our house in Ark. City just sold. This was an answer to prayer, and a great blessing as the neighbors who have been caring for it while we were on the road have bought it. I prayed that God would send a buyer in His timing who would be motivated and be able to do most of the footwork necessary as we had no time. That is exactly what happened. This should be an exciting time but I’m finding myself fighting depression, and feeling totally uprooted.
We are in a mobile home right now out in the boonies. It’s a lovely area with huge oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. Cell phone reception is very poor out here, which is problematic, and the back rooms have a mold problem which is really troublesome.
Our plan is to stay in this area while we prepare for Shalisha’s wedding (Dec. 9th), and minister in areas within a day’s drive on weekends. We want to move because of the mold problem, but it has already cost us three thousand dollars to repair vehicles and get them moved to Florida, and now we have to move the rest of the household belongings which will cost another 1500 to 2000 in gas, rentals, and hotel and food costs. We have sold the house for 15,000 as it is a crumbling 100 year old Victorian farm house, and needs many repairs, also the housing market is very depressed in that area. At this time we don’t know where we will move our stuff to! We will probably need to rent a storage space!
Housing costs are much higher here, so we are considering trying for a repossessed house at auction. As you now know we don’t really have that much to work with. Part of that lump is going to pay for the move itself! We are thinking that if we buy something in better condition than our previous house that we will be able to rent it out for the next year, and then either sell it, or have Shalisha and Joseph make the payments and be near his folks, when they begin their family.
We have very little income right now because we had to leave this time open with no concerts, and we have eaten up all our reserves. I am having a very difficult time booking concerts, with the problems here, and having to go back home for a week and pack, and it’s a two and a half days drive each way.
It’s a scary time, and an exciting time. I just need to focus on the exciting, and trust God for the scary!
Please pray that we will grow in strength, wisdom, and faith during this time.
Please pray for a new home base for us, and for wisdom to know where to look.
Please pray for peace for Shalisha, Mark, and I. It seems we are the ones having the most inner shake-up over all these changes.
Pray for wisdom for Mark and me as we look for God’s direction in all this.
Pray for wisdom in planning our next Israel trip. We need wisdom on God’s timing in this also.
Pray for an abundance of bookings for September – December, and a settled place where I can set up an office to book our winter/spring tour (January-March).
Pray for a laptop computer for me. It would make booking, typing newsletters, creating posters and flyers, doing web up-dates, writing and arranging new songs, and writing the series of books I want to write, much more doable.
Pray for a manager/booking agent person for us so that I have more time to work on the music, and be a mom! So many people have great ideas for advertising and promotion to get the word out that we exist and are available, but I just get frustrated because I don’t have time to search them all out.
We love you all! Thank you so much for your loving concern for us. Those of you who support us financially, thank you so much as your giving helps us over these rough times, and makes it possible to minister freely without worrying, both here and when we are in Israel. Those who pray thank you so much as your prayers really do lift us up, and knowing that you are there for us standing in the gap, is such a comfort!
I have been anxious to get this newsletter out so that you can know what to pray for us at this time.
I pray that we will soon have many exciting answers to prayer to share with you all. May the Lord bless you abundantly, may you increase in wisdom, and knowledge of His word, and workings. He is mighty!
~Shimrit, and the rest of Zemer Levav
Shalom Friends and Family,I know you have probably been wondering what happened in Migdal!
The concert for the township canceled. We ended up instead, barbecuing, and worshiping in music with a group of Arab Christians from Nazareth and the surrounding area. They were youth leaders in their churches and the man who is the director for the area youth leaders was our tour guide at Nazareth Village! We were able to spend more time with him, and trade contact information. The next time we're in Israel we may get to play for young Arab Christians!
We also did play at the hospital the following day, which was blessed. The town manager, Victor, was with us. We ended up at his home and sat with him awhile and talked. He now has a copy of our CD, and we feel that we will see him again! As often is the case, God's plans were different than what we expected.
Rotem and her family came to visit us on Saturday morning. That was awesome! It was their first outing all together as a family since the accident, and was Rotem's first time somewhere besides the hospital or home since then.
We all had a great time talking over homemade pita bread (Shalisha's) and hummus (my contribution), olives and Israeli pickles, etc. The little ones had a foam fight in the back yard, and when Kerah lept in with two spray cans it turned into a hilarious rumble!
We were all laughing so hard, and then to add to the mayhem Liorah came running with the hose and started hosing everyone down. It was such fun.
We took Rotem on a short walk so she could hear the birds. I saw some beautiful bright yellow flowers and picked some for her to see and hold. Her parents told me that this was very special as the flowers I had chosen were "Rotem" and are what Rotem is named for!
We prayed for Rotem and her family just before they left. It was God's blessing and ministry from beginning to end.
We must return. We feel we started so many things there and it was distressing to leave! I know God will have His way, so I rest in that hope and pray!
Now that we are back, we are gearing up for summer tour. Pray for us that God opens doors where He wants us to go. Our schedule right now is full of holes and July after Messiah conference is a blank. It was very difficult to do booking from overseas.
We are in rehearsal mode right now. What does that mean? It means dance warmup and rehearsal for three hours in the morning. Then we break for lunch. Then set-up and three hours of music rehearsal in the afternoon. Then we break down and pack up, go home and cook dinner, do chores, answer emails, do laundry and make things for breakfast and lunch for the next day!
We'll be doing this Monday through Wednesday. On Thursday we will just have music rehearsal and prayer time at the house. Friday is preparation day, when we catch up on any chores that didn't get done during the week. Clean house thoroughly, and make Shabbat dinner. Shabbat we rest and go to services, and Sunday is clean up after Shabbat and do what we like with this 1/2 day of free time!
Pray for financial support for us during this time of preparation.
Pray for God to continue healing Rotem, and Andy Moriah and that He will touch them in ways that only He can.
Pray for Olah, that God meets her in a special way and reveals Himself to her.
Pray that Shalisha and Joseph will grow in their relationship with one another and with the Lord.
Pray that God provides a nice "Fifth Wheel" trailer for them.
Pray that gas prices will drop!
Pray that God will fill our calendar for this summer tour.
And last but not least, pray that God will prepare our hearts to minister and that He will prepare the hearts that we are to minister to.The Lord bless and keep you, ~Shimrit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 20th, 2006GALILEE OF THE NATIONS SIGNS ZEMER LEVAV
Nashville, Tenn.- Galilee of the Nations, the World leader in Messianic Music has just announced an exclusive long term recording agreement with the family group "Zemer Levav", of Arkansas City, Kansas. "We are excited about producing music for this messianic family of seven, that have written some of the freshest new messianic music I've heard in quite some time. I believe were making an important statement when we say that our family and community is the most important thing we have next our relationship with the Lord", says Yochanan Ben Yehuda, President and Founder of Galilee of the Nations Music. Production will begin in late August with the record releasing world wide in the first quarter of 2007.
Pictured from Left to Right (Top Row) Liorah Hanes, Shalisha Hanes, Mark Hanes, Shimrit Hanes, Yochanan Ben Yehuda, Kerah Hanes, Adrielle Hanes and Natanya Hanes (Bottom row center)
Adventures in Israel!Our second day in the land we went to the wall, we wanted to go there to pray there but we couldn't get near it. We could only look longingly from a distance as the Arabs screamed and set off cherry bombs to make noise, since they can't shoot firearms so close to the Jewish quarter. It was really an experience and helped us all to better understand the political climate of the area.
Three weeks later we were trying to find our way to our new home in Nes Harim, and we happened to go too far towards Bethlehem. We came to a "kicar" (a traffic circle). We found ourselves at a dead end with a huge high concrete wall and a tall fence with a gate and razorwire. There was no way to turn, but back the way we came. Suddenly we noticed a group of about 5 or 6 Arab men striding across the kicar. They had hard angry faces, and they signaled us to stop. Several of us began adjuring Mark, "don't stop, go faster!" "Hurry, hurry!" So we made tracks back to the Israeli check point to get directions.
Mark got out of the van and started to speak with one of the Israeli soldiers who was there. Neither of the soldiers could speak English so one of them was going to go and get someone else, when another group of Arab men came around the side of the building and started arguing with the soldiers there. More soldiers came out, and things were heating up. Mark suddenly remembered that the other group of Arabs we had run into at first were probably getting close to this checkpoint, so he high tailed it back to the van and we took off like the scared bunnies we were.
We prayed for the soldiers, and that we would find our way home. We did, and now we have found a better and safer way to get to the south end of Jerusalem.
The Hospital ministry has been such a blessing. We especially love the Alyn children's hospital. The wing we have played at twice now, is for severely injured children who need lots of therapy.
We sing and dance and get the children to participate as much as possible. We all have so much fun! This can lead to deeper ministry as we get to know the families.
Here three weeks ago we met a 17 year old girl named Rotem Chaya (her mother added "Chaya" to her name after the accident, because it means 'life" or "lives" so her name is "Rotem lives!"). She fell from a sixth story balcony, so you now understand the addition to her name. She has been in the hospital for seven months.
In the beginning they did not have much hope for her, but she has continued to survive and improve. She cannot speak. It is difficult for her to move much, she is basically paralyzed. She can move her left arm a little, and her fingers, which is how she communicates (simple yes and no).
Anat, Rotem's mother, invited us to their home, as Rotem goes home on the weekends. When we arrived she introduced us to Andy and Avner. Andy has leukemia and Anat had told her about us and invited her over so that we could pray for her!
We had a lovely evening and prayed for her and for Rotem. When we prayed for Rotem I was holding her hand. She stroked my fingers with her thumb and signaled "yes" with her fingers throughout the prayer. When I ended with "B' Shem Yeshua HaMashiach" She pulled herself up as though she would sit up, and her whole face lit up!
I was able to tell them all the story of Alana, the 10 year old girl I had you pray for last summer when she drowned and God brought her back to us. And, by the way, she is doing very well and learning to walk now. Her story is so full of miracles of the right people being in the right place at the right time, and miraculous progress in her recovery, and even her very survival. It is a glowing testimony of Yeshua, and the power of praying believers!
Well that's a lot of news! We will be heading up north to Haifa and the Galilee tomorrow. We will connect with David and Karen Davis to talk with them about working with them on future trips to Israel, and in the Galilee we will visit some friends and sing in a home for Autistic people.
Pray for traveling blessings as the van has been in and out of the shop and has not been working well.
Please pray with us as we have been offered a good recording unit that will help us continue to record demos. We had been having problems with the recording set up we had, and were at the point where it was not working for us at all just before we left.
This unit would also help solve the problem of eight people needing computer access for work and school and only two computers to use. It is a stand alone unit that doesn't need a separate computer to work. It is a 2,000 dollar unit and they are offering it to us for 1,000 dollars. Please pray for the finances to purchase it.
We have an interesting season ahead of us. We have a month of intense rehearsal scheduled to prepare us for our summer tour, and need financial provision while we sit still and work. Then we will have another sit still month in September as we all sew, plan, and make the final arrangements for all the details of our first wedding in the family! Shalisha will be married to Joseph Simpkins of Gainsville, Fl. just after Sukkot!
Because of all the expense and "sit still" time (no finances will be coming in from concert ministry), we are asking if those who have been so faithful to support us while we are in Israel could continue their support.
We want to continue to come and work in Israel from three to six months every year. We feel called here, and want to continue the work the Lord began with us here. We are so thankful for your prayers that have helped buoy us up and carry us through the difficult times, and that have protected us. Your prayers I believe also help to open doors for us.
The Lord bless and keep you, and bless you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah Yeshua.
~Shimrit(Donation information is on the Contact page.)
Shalom Friends and Family!We have had quite a whirlwind here in Israel our first three weeks! We have played at three hospitals so far and had a blessed time doing it. The children in the hospitals loved us and we fell in love with them. They played our instruments, and we went from room to room and played and sometimes prayed for them. The elderly people in the Geriatrics wing of Hadassa Hospital clapped along and sang the old favorites. We made new friends in another hospital and gave away several C.D.s. We will have pictures up on the website soon.
We have also played at three congregations in the Jerusalem area, and at a home where people just gathered to worship the Lord in music. We were gearing up to play on Ben Yehuda St. in the center of Jerusalem (an area of cobblestone streets for foot traffic only, with myriad shops and restaurants. Each time we would think it was time to go out, it would cloud up, get very cold, and rain. We will try again when the weather gets a little warmer, and drier. The rain has been very good for the land.
We spent several days packing up the “Hands of Mercy” office, painting, and moving. We were concerned for a time that we would not be able to find alternate housing in time, but G-d blessed us more than we asked or thought! We are now living in a two bedroom apt. in the Judean hills. It is green and full of birds and flowers. We wake up to a bird “Hallelujah Chorus” just like we used to at home in Kansas. Even several of the wildflowers are familiar to us. We are so delighted! Also we are in a moshav (community) of believers who are also musicians and love to worship. The name of the entire Moshav is Nes Harim. That means “Miracle Mountains”. Our little community is in the “Raphael” community. It is west of Talpiot, which is in the south of Jerusalem.
We celebrated Purim with two congregations on two separate nights. La’aman Tzion on Friday night, and Netiviyah on Sunday night. Natanyah dressed up as a ballerina. She has made a friend named Leah. Leah doesn’t speak much English, and Natanyah is only just learning Hebrew. I like having friends that don’t speak much English because it forces me to use my Hebrew and that’s the best way to learn.
Liorah has made some friends with the youth at King of Kings Assembly in Jerusalem. We are in a position here to have youth come out for fellowship, picnics, and worship. We are working now on getting the King of Kings youth group out for a time of food, fun, worship, and fellowship. The older girls have also made friends, so we are also in the planning stages for a college retreat. We never planned on doing this sort of thing when we left, and we are very excited to have this open door to minister to the young people here.
We also traveled south to Be’er Sheva this weekend, where we visited our friends the Gelbarts whom we met in Kansas City many years ago. We were blessed to worship with them and another family, and Rachel Boskey whom I had always wanted to meet.
We are finally feeling settled, and at peace. God is opening new doors of ministry for us. We thank you all for your prayers during our first trying weeks. Thank you to those who gave toward our housing emergency. May God bless you all abundantly for your prayers and giving. We need one more months rent for next month. The rent is 800.00 dollars a month. Utilities shouldn’t be over 100.00, as we have solar water heating, and a fireplace! God is so good!
Shalisha is putting together a photo journal of our trip which we will put up on our web-site. She is also looking into publishing it.
May you be blessed and may Adonai pour out His blessings on you, may you have peace and abundance, health and clarity. May the Lord make your paths straight, and may your soul prosper. B’Shem Yeshua Ha Mashiach (in the name of Yeshua the Messiah) Amen!
~Shimrit and Family
| © 2008 Zemer Levav www.zemerlevav.org | Last Modified: Saturday, 02-Feb-2008 21:19:54 PST |