Yaacovs Offspring: Toine and Liset from Portugal

We are Toine and Liset Markerink, we originally lived almost next to Kees and Hadassah in Holland, but one and a half year ago we moved to beautiful Portugal. This step we made for different reasons, we wanted to live more natural, more away from civilization 😊 and economical structures etc., more depending on the Father and be able to homeschool our 3 children of 12, 14 and 15 years old. This step has been a great, great blessing for our family.

Our children were one of the reasons why we started to search what the Bible really was telling us, back in 2012, I guess. We wanted to never lie to them and be true to our Father. So they would have the best chance to get to know the Father well. This resulted in keeping shabbat in stead of sunday, keeping the feasts of the Father in stead of Sinterklaas and Christmas. First we thought this was it, but actually this was only the starting point. Every part of our live, our belongings, the books we read, our job, our country, our house, our position, responsibilities and, most important, our character needed shaping. and still, the Father is not finished with us. But, the beauty of it, is that were a part is finished, the Father is now using it for His purpose, and we can see that. Not always, but sometimes we see the blessings of what He did in us. Thankful, deeply thankful are we, that He is so graceful that He wants to restore.

Wanting to celebrate shabbat with other believers we came in a congregation where we also heard of the strange idea that we were Israël, the lost tribes. A few years later we met Kees and Hadassah and in between We came to realize the Father fixed this strange idea in our hearts. We know we are one of Israel. How or what, we do not know exactly, but this is one of the deep, wise and perfect plans of the Father. We are Abraham’s seed and Efraïm after the promise.

We have different shabbat groups here in the middle of Portugal, and in all of these group are people with the same belief and also some different ideas as is, together we hope to grow towards the Father. This is a great blessing.

For now, we think our calling is to hear the voice of the Father, obey Him through Word and Spirit and let the Father guide all of our steps. The Word of Yah is full with these commands. All the profets spreak to us about returning, repenting, walking to road back to the Father, to were we came from.
Then He is the one who can make Judah and Efraim one. (Eze 37)

Our hope for the future is that we can be a clean bride before the Father. To be one with Yeshua our Saviour.

Toine and Liset