Our Vision

Shortly after I gave my life to Messiah in May 2018, our Heavenly Father, ABBA told me, "Bring My children back home with you." ~ Gia

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That is exactly our mission here with Operation Tivkah; to bring as many men, women, and children as we can back home to our Heavenly Father. 

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Sometimes life can get in the way of us pursuing our Creator and having that fulfilling relationship with Yahshua (Jesus). Life is a challenge for everyone and learning how to navigate through it isn't an easy feat. Whether we are believers or not, we all go through struggles throughout our lives and face many different storms and seasons. Some people are under the false impression that once you give your life to Yahshua (Jesus) your troubles are over but that is far from the truth. Our enemy, Satan, will try anything he can to try and trip us up and lead us back into our sinful past.

 

Everyone has a past and for some of us, we suffer from emotional trauma because of our past experiences. Sadly, within the Christian community, there seems to be a lack of help for people dealing with such emotional issues. Often when we go to church we show up and may appear to others as if we have it "all together" when in reality, many of us are broken and in need of some deep spiritual truth of who Yahweh is and His great love for us. 

 

What's not dealt with much in the modern church is the lack of help for the many believers who struggle with emotional pain such as depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and same-sex attraction. There are many professing Christians, pastors even, married with children who struggle eternally with their own sexual identity, burying this deep dark secret from within leading some to feel they have no other option than suicide. Why aren't these major issues being dealt with directly? Our fellow brothers and sisters who are struggling need a safe place they can come to and have a listening ear from fellow believers who have gone through the same struggles they are going through and will not judge them. They need a place where they can be free to talk about what's bothering them without fear of being condemned to hell. 

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If we can just be the listening ear that they need and truly be the hands and feet of Yahshua, along with Yahweh's guidance, meet our fellow brothers and sisters where they are at and administer to them with Biblical understanding (not the traditions and teachings of man and man-made religion); perhaps we can make enough of a difference to help them through the challenging season that they are going through. 

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When we are struggling with these eternal issues, it only creates a stumbling block in our own lives to grow close to Elohim (God). 

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"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

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The world needs healing, but at what cost must one pay? Sure, there are many great skilled therapists out there that almost always come at a cost or Christian retreats that'll set you back a minimum of a thousand dollars a week; or if you want your child to go to a Christian behavioural school or camp, that'll set you back another thousand dollars or more a month. 

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Let's be honest here, most people cannot afford this. Many of these healing institutions do not even accept health insurance, and if they do, many people don't even have insurance, which is why Rising Up Ministries envisions building a healing retreat, a sanctuary if you will, a safe haven where believers and those wanting to get to know Yahshua, can come to and heal at no cost. 

 

Helping someone heal through a "Christian" perspective shouldn't be performed in such a way that we are making it more about money than the actual healing. While we understand that one must make a living, as disciples of Yahweh we know that our Heavenly Father will provide. And with careful planning, there are many creative ways to generate income within the community. We put our complete faith and trust in our Heavenly Father and know that Yahweh will work everything out, financially and otherwise. It's about coming together and building the family of Yahweh in these end times and getting ready together for the return of our Saviour, Yahshua Messiah. 

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We do not want to limit who can come to stay with us which is why we envision having both the retreat and individual dwellings throughout the property; complete with tiny homes and cabins to suit the needs of each individual who desires to be a part of the community.

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With our "house of healing" project we are looking to acquire land in Western New York with a minimum of 140 sprawling acres with mountain views, a river running through the property, and lush trees throughout so that we may offer a beautiful place for healing among like-minded believers. Upon the rolling hills will sit a beautiful, handicap accessible 13 bedroom ranch style home complete with 6 bedrooms and 4 baths. 6 bedrooms will be for the guests on the main floor along with the three bathrooms and the remainder of the rooms for the staff on the upper floor. The ranch will also have a fully functional kitchen with intimate seating for guests up to 10; a 4-seat table centred to the kitchen and a breakfast bar that looks out through a large window at the serene setting of the land. Adjacent to the kitchen will be a formal dining room with a 30-seat table for much larger gatherings. Just beyond the formal dining room will be a sunken living room with a baby grand piano, plenty of cosy seating for guests, and a large stone fireplace that expands the length of the vaulted ceiling. Just off the living room, a library fitted with a variety of Christian-themed books, including reading material for homesteading, gardening, and much more. Three of the bedrooms on the main floor will be handicap accessible, as will all 4 of the bathrooms. One of the bedrooms will include a family suite with a private bath for those families who may want to come and heal as a whole.

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In addition to the ranch house, there will be other dwellings throughout the property such as a dining and gaming lodge, tiny homes, lodging for human trafficking and abuse survivors, and cabins for our guests who may graduate from the healing programme and desire to stay in our community. We will have plenty of work opportunities available from tending to the farm which will include taking care of the animals, repairs, and learning different life skills such as soap and candle making, gardening, woodworking, and ironwork just to name a few.

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We envision living like our ancestors who were self-reliant and lived off the land. Like them, we will grow our food and natural herbs for medicine, raise livestock, make our clothes, and build our furniture. We desire to be as self-reliant as possible and to share our bounty within our community, in addition to selling our products to people outside of the community so that we may provide a financial allowance for the members who live and work in this one-of-a-kind intentional community. 

 

Among the 140-plus acres that we acquire will sit a large heated barn with a variety of farm animals to source our eggs from chickens and ducks, wool from sheep, milk from cows and goats, and meat from either bison or wild game that we hunt from within our property and to use the hide to make blankets, rugs, and hats. The attached greenhouse will have tropical fruit trees in addition to other fruit trees and edible plants that would otherwise not survive in the western New York region.    

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The community will function with a holistic, off-grid approach; using solar and wind energy and resourcing building materials as much as possible. As part of our vision with the healing retreat, we will be accepting applications from volunteers from all over and conduct a thorough background check, in return for their help, we will provide them with necessities such as food, shelter, and a financial allowance (once we are established).

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Below are the projects we are looking to build and the services & amenities that we are looking to provide for the healing retreat: 

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• Holistic faith-based healing for those who suffer from depression, thoughts of suicide, low

self-esteem, sex addiction, anxiety, stress, sexual trauma, childhood trauma, substance abuse & guilt

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• Life skills activities & mental stimulation activities such as gardening, woodworking, cooking, strength

training, exercising, kickboxing, group outings (hiking, camping, snow sports, etc.)

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• Private bedrooms w/ shared bathrooms, handicap-accessible rooms & handicap accessible family  

suites both in the main house & additional lodging

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• House moms/dads & mentors (some of whom have gone through the many experiences of those

who will be coming through our doors)

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• Support buddies who are veterans themselves who have gone through what many vets are going

through today and are willing and able to help

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• Practical & effective coping skills that will help veterans deal w/ common triggers & how to handle

relapses 

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• Support group meetings for individuals & families to help repair damaged relationships

 

• Breathing exercises & Biblically-based meditation practice 

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• Heated barn w/ greenhouse & workshop

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• Non-religious, Bible-based studies

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• Family integration programme

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• Game room in the main house

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• Dining lodge & recreation centre 

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• Indoor/outdoor schoolhouse

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• Positive thinking group study

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• Canning & preserving foods​

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• Relationship support​

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• Community Garden

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• Art & music therapy

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• Tiny homes/cabins

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• Family-style meals

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• Forest Kindergarten

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• Animal therapy

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• Nature therapy​

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• Worship centre

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• Fitness facility​

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• Bunkhouses

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• Childcare 

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• A library

 

To build this retreat we will need the help of many volunteers to be emotionally and spiritually invested and hands-on with this project. Ideally, fellow brothers and sisters in Yahshua who understand and/or share the same vision as us and want to be a part of this incredible opportunity to build a community with like-minded believers in Yahshua Messiah.

 

Now, we know that a project as big as this will require a huge financial obligation which is why we are already looking into different ways in which we can raise money for this mission. One of the ways that we have come up with is to have Operation Tivkah operate in two phases:

 

In Phase One we will purchase a smaller plot of land anywhere between 15 to 40 acres and build an off-grid rustic-style campground complete with cabins, lean-tos, and tent sites for people who are looking for a rustic camping experience. The income generated from the campground would solely go toward the maintenance and upkeep of the property and funding for Phase Two which is purchasing the land for the healing retreat and community.

 

We will also organise fundraisers and accept donations from those who wish to support our ministry. 

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We ask that with all major decisions, please take our vision to prayer with our Heavenly Father. We hope to have you join us if you feel led to be a part of this incredible opportunity and learning experience.

 

Yahweh bless you!

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 “Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.”
                                                                                                   Isaiah 58:10

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