I like youth hostels, being a single traveller, I’ve used them not just to be cheap, but I actually like to use them to get to know other people.

I’ve met quite a few Israelis in other places, in China, UK, Germany and Hungary.

Israel welcomes Christians, and preaching the gospel isn’t illegal, unless you do with a bribe. It is frowned upon though.

The proposed laws on banning gospel messages in Israel was brought up by only a tiny handful (two) members of the Knesset (Israel’s government) It got Israel’s Messianic movement and evangelical Christians worried for a day, but has been quickly quashed by PM Benyamin Netanyahu.

But I found I can be a bit creative and probe people with some other questions. In this youth hostel they have these rules pinned up.

This hostel has this poster up as they want discourage visitors of being obnoxious and annoying. I totally it get why.

In September 2022 we had the recent death of the Queen. Some German Christians came up to me in the kitchen of the hostel and told me the Queen “can’t of been a proper Christian”, she was only using the title just to meet formalities. I said no, she often talked about her faith in Christ, and explained how she would always make this part of her Christmas speech, something which might not happen in successive rulers. With this, you can get a feel of a not so pleasant vibe which would make others who don’t know Christ would put them of us.

This is the perfect place to chill after seeing places of Jesus around the shore of the Galilee. This is probably the best hostel I have stayed in, in about 20 years of youth hostelling.

Pita, chili layered homous, dates and coffee seems like a good lunch before heading out again.

Later on in the evening, I got chatting to different people hanging out on this roof. Two of them were other young tourists, anoher German guy who had to leave and a Frenchman.

The French lad was a Jew called Hugo he is about 22 I think. I asked him, as you going to move here? he said he was religious but wasn’t really sure if he wanted to be an Israeli. I smiled at him, and told him you should there is a ton of pretty Israeli girls your age here. He laughed.

I got to tell Hugo about the big poster at the side of the road, I asked him “you know this can’t be the Moshiach as he never visited Israel. The Moshiach is Israeli.”

Hugo: “How do you know?”

Me: “Its in Isaiah, in chapter 53 tells you a lot about him. You can read it in the bible, but read if for yourself and not through some religious leader’s interpretation.”

I could see Hugo’s fascination here. I sense one concern though. He would still go and look at a Rabbi’s opinion. Me very quickly prays in a few seconds he would think for himself.

Hugo: “I am going to look this up later”

He got his phone out, which has a Jewish Tankh (whole Old Testament in English and Hebrew), and said he wanted to see what a Rabbi would say.

He brought up the verse and read it quickly, his phone’s screen had a space for a commentary of someone’s interpretation, which was…. empty!! Then he said something quite shocking:

Hugo: “I think this lake has something to do with the Messiah…”

(me quietly utterly beside myself with joy and worshiping the Lord silently)

Hugo decided to head to bed, I said I enjoyed talking with him. I went back out into the street and walked around the seafront giving thanks and praise and glory that this young man seemed curious about the most explicit foretelling of the gospel and also at the place where Jesus did most of his ministry, 100 metres from the edge of the lake.

I stuck to the rules, well I gave him some things that he really got excited about…..

1. Items in the wrong places – 2. Galilee rooftop chats of faith – 3.