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A group of tattooed Texans on a mission of solidarity roared up to Israel’s Temple Mount and joined Orthodox Jews praying Sunday night at the Western Wall — all that remains of Solomon’s Temple.
The Texas motorcyclists greet a devout Israeli at the Western Wall
The hog riders may not look like traditional Pentecostals, but they’re part of “Mission M25,” an Amarillo-based motorcycle ministry that ”provides identity and connectivity for ministers and ministries of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church,” according to Director Gary Burd.
He says Mission M25 ordinarily focusses on U.S. military veterans, prison convicts and the homeless, however after riding en mass to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., several members felt they were supposed to go stand in solidarity with Israel.
That was no easy task — considering that 71 Harley-Davidson motorcycles had to be shipped in ocean-going containers from Texas to Israel. And it’s not every day that Israeli customs has to deal with 71 highly customized motorcycles, each hovered over protectively by a leather-clad, bearded, tattooed combat veteran. However, the Israel Tourism Ministry helped and everything went well, reports Burd.
Harley riders roar through an ancient gate into the Old City.
Sunday the 71 roared up to the Western Wall in Jerusalem in the late afternoon — to the astonishment of locals.
“The group of 71 tattooed pilgrims,” reported Israel’s TV Channel 7 Arutz Sheva, rode their Harleys into the ancient city and stood at the Western Wall, “where its members prayed for the safety of the Jewish people and Israel, while holding a moment of silence for Israel and America’s fallen soldiers.
“Upon arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport last week, the group presented the Israeli Tourism Commissioner, Haim Gutin with a signature leather vest,” reported the TV station.
“The motorcyclists are on a 10-day tour of Israel, visiting much of the country with a police escort guide. On Sunday, the group drove from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, stopping at the Armored Corps Museum in Latrun along the way, the site of important battles in the 1948 War of Independence.
“In addition to the bikes, the mission also brought with them over $600,000 in medical aid which they passed on to an Israeli non-governmental organization, according to Burd,” reported Channel 7.
“The group has thus far covered Beit She’an, Megiddo, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ashkelon, Caesarea, Ashdod, the Golan Heights and the Kinneret and will finish off their trip riding to Be’er Sheva and the Negev.
“At the Western Wall, the group was joined by representatives from Israel’s small community of Israeli Harley Davidson owners,” reported Arutz Sheva, ”who came to join their ‘brothers.’”
Here Burd talks about getting the bike reassembled after their trip on a container ship:
And here, Burd introduces some of the participants of the adventure.
posted November 8, 2011 at 3:17 pm
This is great. More of us need to support Israel. Get right with God and support the holy land.
posted November 9, 2011 at 8:46 am
That big guy on the far right of the first picture is my pastor!!!! I hope they are having a great time!
posted November 9, 2011 at 8:58 am
What a waste of money. Hopefully these pastors also visit some Palestinian homes, and see some Palestinian Christians on this tour. This is so typical of a self-indulgent American evangelical church.
posted November 9, 2011 at 9:11 am
I trust you noticed that they took more than a half-million dollars worth of supplies with them to give to Israeli charities?
posted November 9, 2011 at 10:51 am
@ Michael you should know the whole story before you start judging. Pssst and as far as my pastor goes, this was his personal money to “waste” as you claim. My pastor is a little different he has a job to pay his bills and his work as a preacher is just cause he was called to not because he wants to get paid. You might want to actually know the whole story before you open your mouth next time. Just saying.
posted November 10, 2011 at 1:57 pm
yay uncle chip! im so glad u karen and katy are having fun! @ michael if you dont know what u are talking about you shouldnt talk at all im just sayin.
posted November 10, 2011 at 2:00 pm
p.s. im with the big guy on the right too. (who worked his fingers to the bone to pay for this trip himself) i could say alot more but i will just pray for you instead
posted November 11, 2011 at 10:36 am
God bless these pastors for supporting Israel, while our own so called POTUS is putting them down..It is God’s will that these men are there…Those that criticize, do so, because they don’t have a life….I am not a member of an Evangelical church, I am a member of God’s church, that would be any Church I chose to attend….And Besides I love tattooed Bikers…:)
posted November 14, 2011 at 7:15 am
Hello,
I wish I knew how to contact this group – just to say thanks for what they are doing!
We in Israel need to see friends standing with us.
Blessings to all,
from Israel
Forest
posted November 15, 2011 at 6:50 am
Thanks for posting this article – we have set the dates for the next ride – Oct. 22-Nov 1 – watch our website for more info – http://www.missionm25.org
Gary Burd, Host for Run To The Wall Israel
posted November 17, 2011 at 9:32 am
Michael McDonald–shut up! Shut that big pie hole right now! What kind of charity work do you do where you spend your own money? How many hungry have you fed? How often do you donate your time to the poor? How many mission trips have you been on to foreign countries and lived like the natives of that country and helped them?
posted November 17, 2011 at 9:44 am
Also…my son is a biker. He would have roared up to the wall, too, to join the others. God bless them for their ministry.
posted November 17, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Praise the Lord, me and my church will be praying for you and your group of believers that all is blessed and have a safe and uneventful trip. God’s Hands be on you all until you are home. May Gods Hands be on His Chosen People and Bless all who Bless Him. Our hearts and prayers are with you all. CFC of Largo, Florida
posted November 17, 2011 at 1:41 pm
So VERY encouraging to see the various “black hats” smiling and engaging with each other!
posted November 25, 2011 at 10:24 am
FANTASTIC!!!!! ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!
posted April 28, 2012 at 11:07 am
what a way to nip in the bud the typical conception of what bikers are all about! god bless these guys and keep them doing what they’re doing! this is the kind of thing that spells hope for this world.