To my dear sisters and brothers, I just would like to say that Yahweh is good, far beyond what we can ever imagine, and He has tremendously blessed our lives this Sukkot. This was perhaps the most basic year we’ve kept. We stayed in the pop-up at night, and our group meetings took place around campfires or underneath of a big tent. Our lighting at night in the group tent consisted of about 6 - 8 kerosene lamps, which made for plenty of light, but a very cozy quiet kind of light. The cooking took place over the open fire and in crock pots. The American culture had somehow caused me to believe that campfires can only cook hotdogs and marshmallows (grin), but that was cleared up this Feast.
When we first arrived at the campground, there were no sides on the group tent. Questions like, "What about when it rains, or is very windy, or very cold?" entered our minds. Yahweh chuckled and said, "O ye of little faith. I have in store for you one of the best Feasts you’ve ever kept. What are you worrying about?" And He made the first half of the Feast so sunny and beautiful that we didn’t even need to put sides on the tent, even though there were sides available by the way, thanks to everyone donating their spare tarps, in addition to the ones that were already purchased. Then the latter half of Tabernacles did get colder, but everything was so cozy anyway, with big plastic tarps all around the sides of the tent, and campfires to sit around outside the tent,.... and it really wasn’t bad at all. We dressed warm, and we were all comfortable and cozy and happy. And this is the first year in ages that none of the Coover family got sick the entire time, other than for a tiny bit of sore throat a couple nights that never turned into anything beyond that.
The real warmth, I believe, was in being together. This gathering was just like such a beautiful family. It was a small gathering, which resulted in a family atmosphere and a special closeness, a feeling of belonging with each other and needing one other. While everyone freely discussed Scripture, they were no argumentative spirits, and everyone had respect one for another. There was such a spirit of love and mutual friendship, unity and togetherness.
One of the most beautiful things during this Sukkot was its children. These families were some of those who have realized that children are the most important thing. As the chorus of one song that we sang goes:
I won’t water down my faith.
I won’t compromise in a world of desperation.
What has been I cannot change,
But for tomorrow and today,
I must be a light for future generations."
There was such joy during this Feast of Tabernacles. What splendid times we had together playing and singing and dancing! The air just rang with our songs, and we sang with such delight and enthusiasm. Guitars and keyboard, flute and trumpet took hands, and mingled with our voices, lifted up an offering of praise to the Elohim whom we serve.
The midrashes and teachings were a great blessing too. The first message was about Sukkot being the general time of Yahshua’s birth. We believed this before, but some points that we hadn’t thought about or realized were shared, and we enjoyed hearing them. Also, a teaching was shared on the sins of Jereboam the son of Nebat, and what Yahweh desires of us on the contrast. Another brother encouraged us in faithfully running the race of life, during one of the morning midrashes. My father was able to share two messages, one on loving as Messiah loves, among our assemblies and those outside of our assemblies too; and another one on keeping the faith in the trials and tribulations that we encounter. One of the midrashes focused on Messiah’s wedding feast, and another one on whether or not it is legitimate to believe in "The Book" (the Word of Yahweh). There was a teaching, too, on how Yahweh’s salvation is for all nations, and on how we as a scattered people are a light to all those around us, the result of which is an ingathering by Yahweh of many peoples into "one fold", as John 10:16 says. The Scripture study and fellowship we were able to share was very encouraging. It was also very family oriented too. None of the teachings lasted too long or were too deep. Pretty much everything was on a family level.
Then there were the quiet times around the campfire or the table, gazing into the light of the open fire or kerosene lamps, and quietly sharing. The wonderful thing about a small Sukkot is that you really get to know each other in a personal and beautiful way that just doesn’t come when there are a lot of people.
For eight days, the Shangri-La Campground was home to us. We have been accustomed to keeping Sukkot where we stay in a cabin and where our group meetings take place in a wooden structure. It was so eye-opening to keep Tabernacles the way we did this year. After Sukkot was over, the tents and the pop-ups were taken down, and in their place was emptiness. The big tent where we had shared Scripture study, meals, laughter, music, and togetherness, was taken down, and in its place was emptiness. In a different way than I’ve ever experienced before, I understood the symbolism of what Sukkot means.... "temporary dwellings". Oh yes, I knew it before, but when I actually experienced it in this way, it was different. When I saw everything that had become home so much that it almost seemed permanent, taken down and put away, leaving a void in its place, it showed me in a different kind of way just what Sukkot means, and just what our lives here on earth are..... very temporary, able to be folded up and put away just like that.
But thanks be to Yahweh, who, as was shared in a teaching on the last day of Sukkot, will preserve our souls even after death, and will resurrect us at His appearing to dwell in new bodies, not temporal ones, but eternal ones! That will be a gathering like no other, and I look forward to being with all of Yahshua’s children in the Kingdom..... forever.
We desire to extend a huge thank-you first of all to Yahweh, for making this Feast possible, and second to Messianic Home Fellowship, for allowing Him to use them to coordinate this Festival. We pray that all our scattered brothers and sisters have been likewise blessed by Sukkot this year.
Shalom w’brachim (Peace and blessings),
Rivqah Yahsepha bana Shalom (with input from the family)