Skip to content Interview With Erin Zimmerman May 8 · 28 min ...more
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
56.8K followers
Nina and Michelle, are best friends with a passion for the Lord. They bring uplifting conversations, encouragement, and shared personal stories of overcoming and victory straight to your screen.
56.8K followers
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
A Journey of Faith Amidst Conflict 0:02 We wanna honor God because He sees everything.0:10 You were born with a plan and a purpose. He's the god of all things possible. He's the god of all0:22 miracles.0:52 Welcome to Grace Grace with Naina Michelle. I'm Michelle Humphries.0:55 And I am Naina Keegan. Welcome to our broadcast today. Today, we have a very exciting guest. She is a dear friend of ours, and her name is Erin Zimmerman. But, Michelle, you have a wonderful intro about our1:07 dear friend.1:08 Well, she is 1 of the smartest people you will ever meet.1:12 She's amazing.1:13 She's creative both sides of her brain work. She is a she is a writer, director, producer. She does it all at CBN. She directs their films. She recently,1:25 was working in Israel when the war broke out. She the her her last film was The Oracles of God, the Old Testament, and when she was working on the new film, The War Broke1:37 Out. So I want you to give a warm welcome to our very special friend, Erin Zimmerman. Erin, hi.1:47 Hey. Hey, Michelle. Thank you for that intro. I can't possibly live up to it. Well amazing, though.1:52 That's only a drop in the bucket.1:54 For myself when I feel bad 1 day.1:58 So, Erin, tell us what it was like. We can't even imagine. We know that you're in Israel a lot. What do you you spend, like, half a year there, don't you, every year? Or it's I do. And so what was2:10 that even like? I can't imagine when Wait. Oh, I'm sorry. No. When I mean, a war breaks out. Why are you there?2:17 Like, what was October seventh like for you?2:20 Okay. Well, we had just finished. I had been there all summer since July. We had just finished. We were working on a movie about the New Testament with actors and everything and sets and props and we had just approved2:31 all that. We had spent the week before that renting a sort of a we work sort of a space in Tel Aviv, we tried on all the wardrobe, we tried on all the hair and the makeup. We approved every single2:43 prop. And that Friday, the day before, we had finished our last location and said, okay, this is the place. We're done. And we all went home because it was Sukkot. It was the end of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, and that2:55 Saturday, October seventh was Simchat Torah which is the last day of Sukkot where they celebrate the Torah. And so we all went home and thought we're gonna have a good sleep because next week we're rolling cameras.3:07 Not so much. Saturday morning, I woke up early and I got in the habit because it's so hot there and I heard the heat. I would go on that go on my walks really early, like 6 o'clock, 6 303:19 and, in Israel on Saturday it's very the roads are very empty. The streets are empty. It's wonderful, peaceful. So I was walking down Jaffa Road, this big sort of thoroughfare in Israel, in3:31 Jerusalem, and I had my headphones on and I'm listening to Darlene check and she's really loud and so I'm going along. I hear this thing and I think, there's something something wrong with this song. So I took the3:42 headphones off and sure enough it was an air raid siren and I thought Wow. When you I lived there for 4 years and a lot of times they will test those sirens and they'll but they'll tell you about it the day3:54 before. They say, you know, don't be alarmed we're just testing. But I thought no 1 told me about that and it's Shabbats and they would never do that on Shabbat. So I stood4:06 there on this empty street listening to this siren and then when the siren ended I heard the explosions, you know, you hear the iron dome hitting the missiles, thank heaven, And I thought, okay, this4:18 is this is for real. So I I kept walking because I'm an idiot.4:23 Oh, no.4:25 I wanted to get my steps in and finish. So I thought Oh, my goodness. That's commitment, Erin. Well, do you know every few years Israel and Gaza has this thing where Gaza shoots some rockets, Israel bombs them,4:37 and then 3 days later it's all done. Right. So I kind of figured that was that. I got a little further in my walk and all of my producers started calling me from Tel Aviv and they're so this is how sweet my crew was.4:48 They were under fire. I wasn't so much in Jerusalem, but they were all calling me because they thought, oh, this is the American. She's gonna freak out and we need to check on her.4:57 I felt that. And4:59 you're counting your steps. Yes, I was counting my steps and so my producer, Sharone, was on the other line and she said, 'Where are you? Are you okay?' and I said, 'Yeah, I'm just walking on Joffa Street. She5:11 said, you need to go home. I said, well, I'm 2 miles away from my home, so, you know, what's the point? And she's and I said, it's not that bad here. And of course, when you say that, all of a sudden there's a huge5:22 explosion and she on the phone and she said, you can call right now. Wow But an interesting thing happened on the way home it was Simchat Torah and I don't know anyone who's been5:34 Israel on that day will know this what they usually do is there's a parade of Orthodox and other observant Jews and they have all these amazing outfits on with gold and white and they're just decked5:45 out and they carry these giant tours through the street and they sing and they dance and it's usually a huge parade and several huge parades in each neighborhood and it's an amazing thing to see and5:57 I felt so awful for these people because on the way home there were maybe 7 or 8 Orthodox guys and they brought a Torah into the street and between arid sirens, they would dance around6:09 with it and the women would be on the sidelines clapping because women and men don't dance together in Orthodox Judaism. And as soon as the siren would would go, they would run back in their shelters and they would keep6:20 doing that and come back and dance a little like they were trying to salvage that observance. And it6:25 was just seemed surreal to you.6:28 Yes. It was it it was weird. And I did take phone video of the sirens just because in America, we're just not used to that. Maybe sometimes in the Midwest, you get them for tornadoes. But Mhmm.6:40 Yeah. How did you not just freak out? Like, I guess, like you said, there's been these small little, you know, scuffles, 3 day deals. But I can't imagine that, you6:51 know, you I guess you still were thinking that. Right? I mean, that it was just gonna be all over in 3 days again? It wasn't gonna be a big deal?7:00 I'll tell you why for a few reasons. Number, when I was there in the Lebanon board, with Pat Robertson, actually, in 2006, and we were around a lot of sirens and bombs and all that stuff. So it didn't really it sounds7:12 weird to say it didn't bother me, but I was used to it. Number 2, they don't usually never hit Jerusalem. Jerusalem as it turned out was the safest place in the country this time around and it usually is because they7:24 won't bomb Jerusalem because the Muslims consider it their city so they don't want to ruin any of their holy sites. And number 3, I honestly believe God has your days and times7:35 marked. You know, if if he wants me to stay on this planet nobody can take me off of it. Amen. He wants me off. Nobody can stop that either. So either way I'm fine. Oh, that's awesome. That's risk,7:47 but, you know, it just keeps you from fear if you think that.7:50 Yeah. That's good. So, when did you make a decision that you were gonna leave? You know, we're gonna we're gonna take a quick break, Erin, but I want you to answer that when you come back, like, because then, you know,8:02 how long was it for you to get out, and and what was that like? So we'll talk about that in a minute when we come back. Stay right there. You are watching Grace Grace with Naina and Michelle, and we8:12 will be right back. I'm excited to announce that we're bringing back our best offer ever on our original My Slippers. You saved 90 dollars up here with your promo code. And now My Slippers come in even more8:23 sizes. Smaller sizes, larger sizes, wide sizes, sizes, and all new styles and colors. Get them for your friends, your family, your neighbors, everyone you know. What makes my slippers different is my8:35 exclusive 4 layer design that you're not going to find in any other slippers. My slippers' patented layers make them ultra comfortable, extremely durable, and they help relieve stress on your feet.8:47 I'm so confident that you and everyone you know are gonna love my slippers that I'm extending my 60 day money back guarantee until March first 20 24, making them the best Christmas gifts8:59 ever. So go to my pillow dot com or call the number on your screen now. Use your promo code to save 90 dollars. That's only 49 98 a pair. Quantities won't last long, so please9:11 order now.9:12 Welcome back. You are watching Grace Grace with Naina Michelle, and we are talking to Erin Zimmerman. And she was in Israel, if you've been watching, during October seventh, during the the war when9:24 the war started, the raid and the bombing. So, Erin, what happened after that? Like, when did you decide that this is more than a 3 day deal and I need to get out of here?9:35 Well, I think later in the days when we started hearing about the massacres down south in the kibbutzim and on the the kidnappings on the military base, and then we all agreed by the end of the day, this is not the9:46 normal thing. This is a horror.9:49 Wow.9:49 And it was sort of it reminded me of 9 11 where it's all happening so fast and you don't know what's going to happen next. Is it going to the Capitol? Is it going to the White House? That's sort of where we were on that10:00 Saturday. And our biggest fear in Jerusalem, honestly, was we had been told, I was with sort of our CBN news bureau in Jerusalem because I didn't want to stay home in my apartment and just listen to sirens,10:11 so I went to the news bureau. And we were told that men, that Muslim men had been encouraged in every city to go through the cities and slaughter. And Jerusalem is surrounded by the10:23 West Bank on 3 sides and Jerusalem is 40 percent Arab so and they had just had their holy services the day before on Friday so when they go up to the mosque this is what they're being told by the Imams10:36 and so that was really our biggest fear, not so much the Rockets, but are they going to come through Jerusalem and just go bananas again? And I actually, for the first time in my life, I did look around my rental10:47 apartment and say, Is there any place I could hide here? You know, you have those thoughts after you hear what went on down south. But I talked with my producer and we said, Okay, let's, let's wait a10:59 week because maybe this will be wrapped up in a few days, maybe not, and about 3 days in she called me and she said just get a ticket, get a ticket so you'll have 1. Either way you can you can cancel it, you11:10 whatever, just get 1 and she was right, I mean thank heaven for her because when I sat down to get a ticket that day United, which is what I usually fly in, United canceled, every American airline, every11:22 European airline canceled. The only airlines that were really running were El Al and some Arab airlines, and it's so from that point it took me once I got on El Al, their tickets were going11:34 2 weeks out. Wow. So I stayed for about 2 and a half weeks, and of course my mother was home going calling me just saying get on 1 of those boats to Cyprus. I said mom I'm not gonna stand out on a dock all11:45 day to see if I can get on a boat. Oh, my goodness. They did. They would be up in Haifa. You stand on a dock for 12 hours and maybe you get on the boat and then they dump you on Cyprus.11:55 So how11:56 did you finally get out?11:59 El Al. I just God gave me peace. I got that ticket. I watched their flight board, and God bless the people of El Al. They were they made every flight. They were flying in and out. They doubled their flights, actually,12:10 because they knew they had to bring Israeli soldiers home to fight that were abroad, and then they had to get people out as well. So I just you know, I got that ticket and God gave me peace, and he really gave12:21 me some things to do in the Jerusalem Bureau. I went and helped them write news stories or do whatever because they were very, very overtaxed.12:29 They were the hub at that time because they're a trusted news source, 1 of the most trusted, and everybody wanted to talk12:37 to Chris Mitchell and the gang, you know, at at CBN Israel. And I tell you that was 1 of the this is gonna sound strange, but that was a really wonderful 2 weeks of my life. And12:49 I hate to say that knowing what my friends were going through, but I loved every second with that bureau. I I was got to see some amazing things. We had a girl come in and talk about her sister who was13:01 kidnapped, which was awful. Her sister was a soldier and this this girl was just going to every news outlet she could and saying, here's my sister's picture. Put it up, you know. And then right after13:12 that, a former Hezbollah fighter came in to be interviewed. And he he had seen Jesus. He had seen a vision of Jesus and got saved. Yeah, it was incredible, but we didn't know that13:24 about him. We just knew he was former Hezbollah so we thought it would be cool to talk about him right now. It's very newsworthy. So he was in our control room watching this girl's story, he and his wife, and they were13:36 just weeping, weeping, weeping. Wow. And some of the people in the bureau, thank heaven, were running their cell phones. I wasn't because I was just caught up in talking to them and this girl came out of the13:48 studio and he wanted to talk to her and he said, I apologize on behalf of my people for what you're going through I'm so sorry and she said I forgive you and they talked and they exchanged information14:00 and he said you know I want to invite I live in Germany I want to invite you and your sister to come to come eat with us at our house come visit us she said I'll come I'll come when I can bring my sister.14:13 So then he gets into the studio and we think he's just going to talk about Hezbollah and he starts telling his testimony of God, Jesus coming to him in a prison cell. Wow. And,14:25 to see that combination of things on the same day to see him and her together to see an Arab apologizing to an Israeli, I mean it was truly amazing. So, those14:37 those 2 weeks for me were a gift.14:39 Wow. We'll see what the devil meant for harm. You know, God had you in there, you know, using Yeah. You know, and and then just to you know, people need to hear that. I mean, I know that, you know, there's so much going14:50 on here whether, you know, we're supposed to, you know, help the innocent people of Gaza. They're you know? But look what's happened to Israel, and there's so many pro Hamas things happening in the United States. And15:00 it's it's it's tariff you know, it's terrifying to see all of that. And so, you know, then you can see what what can happen when you, you know, when you see Jesus, you know? Mhmm.15:12 Yes. So when you were getting out, were you scared I mean, you know, here on the news, they were talking about the threats on the airport in Tel Aviv. You know, we're we're I mean, that had to be in and of itself15:24 terrifying. But then again, you already said, you know, your last day on Earth, you know, if that's what God has, you know. So but I I can't imagine, you know, going up in the in the flight right there.15:36 I actually wasn't scared. I I would've if we could listen, if we could've found a way to keep a crew of a hundred people safe and do that movie I would have stayed there and done it but, because would have been running.15:47 No. I I really would have because these people, my crew worked so hard on it, and we have but we had so many male, you know, being the story of Jesus and the apostles, we had so many male crew crew15:59 members and cast members and, of course, many of them got called up. And we made a decision, look, we just can't keep everybody safe, but I I wasn't scared of leaving, but I felt sad to leave. I actually cried a16:11 little bit on the flight out, which is unusual for me, because I thought on 1 hand I'm getting out and I'm gonna go spend a night in London, which I love, and then go home to America. So for me, it's16:23 good. I but I really carry the weight of, what my friends over there are going through.16:28 Yeah.16:29 Because right after it happened, they all went to work volunteering just immediately.16:34 Wow. So they basically went to help with the war and you felt some type of guilt because you were going home. Is that, is that kind of16:44 how it was? A little bit. I mean, guilt, maybe not guilt because I know God orders everything and you know I'm not Israeli so it's not my home and but but more sorrow for them because they were16:55 really traumatized. I'll tell you I have my producer's the strongest woman I know I mean she's she's the Iron Maiden I'll tell you on my behalf. She she is tough,17:07 and she was really traumatized by it. And I I could tell whenever Sharon calls me, I know I'm in for an hour long phone call. She'll talk about movies, she'll talk about art, she'll talk about books, and then we'll talk17:19 about what we need to. But she was after this, she was calling me saying what she needed to say, getting off. And I knew they were all very traumatized and that for me, I couldn't do anything to help17:31 it, but it it felt bad to leave. You know? I wanted to I'm sure17:35 it did. Well, we're gonna come back in just a minute, and I'd like to talk to you about the media coverage versus what you're actually hearing.Media, Misconceptions, and Miracles 17:43 I'm excited to announce that we're having our biggest Christmas sale ever. You get our brand new 6 piece my towels for only 29 98, or rejuvenate your bed with a MyPillow17:55 mattress topper as low as 99 99. Or how about MyPillow bedsheets for as low as 24 98? There's something for everyone. Duvets, quilts, down comforters,18:07 body pillows, bolster pillows, and so much more. Well, I know MyPillow products make for the perfect Christmas gifts, so I'm gonna extend my money back guarantee until March first 20 24.18:19 So go to mypillow dot com now or call the number on your screen. Use your promo code to get huge discounts on all my pillow products. For example, you get our 6 piece towels for only 2918:31 98, or get your very own MyPillow bed sheets for as low as 24 98. It's our biggest Christmas sale ever. Get all your shopping done now while quantities last.18:44 Welcome back to Grace Grace with Nynae and Michelle. We are with Erin Zimmerman, CBN extraordinaire, and we are talking about what happened on October seventh. She was18:56 making a documentary, The Oracles of God, the New Testament, and everything was interrupted. And, Erin, we're so sorry you had to go through that, that your plans were19:07 interrupted. And we also wanna talk to you about you are in close contact with people who were inside of Israel, and then you watch the19:19 news. Tell us the difference in the coverage.19:23 Oh, it's incredible. And I could tell from the things that that even just my mother was saying to me. She would call me and say, well, a bunch of rockets were in Jerusalem, and it there were explosions and everything.19:33 And I said, mother, I'm in Jerusalem. Nothing happened. And then I'd look at the the American headlines were so overblown dozens of rockets fired at Jerusalem. Makes it sound like the city was destroyed when really they19:45 didn't even get to the outskirts. They were destroyed 20 miles outside Jerusalem. So even the exaggeration, but honestly the I'm sick to death, I mean I'm19:56 sick to my stomach with this coverage of Israel being the genocidal country, Israel being the apartheid state. Israel is the only country I know that20:08 takes such care to the people who are attacking it. I mean, they they evacuated they helped with the evacuation of their enemies. Hamas wouldn't help. Hamas blocked the evacuation.20:20 They helped evacuate their enemies. They provided a safe corridor for them to go south. They drop notes from the air. They call you. They text you and say, get out. Go to this place because we're gonna20:32 bomb. I've never seen a country do that and Hamas certainly did not give anyone warning when they came and butchered 1400 people in Israel. It's outrageous.20:43 Nobody is talking about that and if you want to talk about genocide and ethnic cleansing oh I hear that term. Don't you hear that term all the time? Israel's ethnically cleansing the Palestinians. Well in 1920:55 48 there were 800000 Palestinians in Gaza. Today there are 2000000. That doesn't sound like if you're ethnically cleansing someone, it means that they go away and they21:07 disappear. They don't multiply.21:09 Exactly. But don't you think that TikTok and other social media, it they're radicalizing our news.21:16 Oh, it's awful. Yeah.21:18 Especially our youth right now that Yes. They are believing these lies.21:23 And you see the influences I've seen I don't know if you've seen them, these these sort of conservative reporters that for fun go in these crowds and they say, Hey, yeah, from the river to the sea. Yeah.21:35 And they'll talk to somebody. Yeah, from the river to the sea. And then he'll say to them, What river?21:41 Yeah.21:42 And they'll go, What? What river are they talking about? I don't know. What sea are they talking about? I don't know. So they're just following everything that they've been taught, and we're tracing I think21:53 somebody in CBN News is actually doing a story on this. We're tracing the origins of this BDS movement, this boycott, divest, and sanction Israel. Every root of it goes back to Hamas22:05 and goes back to other terror groups in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. So then you go, okay terrorists are funding this and our young people are and they're making it they're making it22:17 palatable for Americans and Westerners and oh, from the river to the sea doesn't that sound like a pretty poem and oh, the poor Palestinians, they're just rising up like like the Americans did in the American22:29 Revolution, you know. It's a just cause, and they need their freedom. I'm sad to say it's really effective. I hate it.22:37 It's shocking, though, really. I mean, don't you think because if you think about it, you know, why it it it is it is what if you think about when it when the Bible says whatever good is evil and whatever evil is good,22:48 and the the fact that these college kids and all these things are are are just they're spewing these things, they're having these rallies, they're all of these things are are are just it's unbelievable to me. Well, it's22:59 demonic. That it's even allowed. It is demonic. These people23:03 You just hit the nail on the head, Michelle. It there's no there's so little logic because this is what I say. Okay. If you want to take the the main causes of the left Israel is the greenest, 1 of the23:14 greenest countries on the planet. They plant more trees, they recycle everything, my goodness, they recycle their wastewater for heaven's sake. They're green, you know. Tel Aviv is considered the gay capital of the23:26 Middle East. They had a woman prime minister 50, 60 years ago, way before we've had a woman president. So they have every value that the Left should run to23:38 and the Palestinians and Islam have all the values that that don't jive with the Left here. They don't women don't have rights. Gay people will be murdered. Yeah. It's not just that they disagree, they'll be executed.23:51 So I do not understand why the Left is embracing 1 over the other.23:58 It's the only thing It's23:58 the devil.23:59 It kicks in.24:00 It is demonic. These are the children of God. This is God's chosen people and generation after generation all the way back to the Bible you see it. It makes no sense but you know the enemies the enemy24:12 does his thing.24:14 Erin we're getting close to the end of the time already. We just could talk to you for ever about things. And so so we would just love to have you pray for our viewers and then if you want to tell them what you're24:25 working on now. Yeah. Sure.24:27 And pray for Israel.24:28 Pray first or talk first. Either way.24:31 Okay. Just very quickly, this is a lesson. If God disrupts your plans, don't be too disappointed. He has a purpose for it. He disrupted 1 film to give me another 1. Right now we're working on24:43 a documentary about the amazing volunteerism that's going on in Israel right now, and it'll be called The Genius of Israel. It's based on a beautiful new book by Dan Sennor and I encourage you to read it it's24:55 just gorgeous it is also called The Genius of Israel, so we'll highlight that and highlight this time in history when the whole country is drawing together and just serving 1 another Amen. And all25:06 proceeds from this film will go to help people in Israel, the displaced families and the IDF as well. So let's pray.25:13 Okay. Let's do it.25:16 Lord, as we're getting close to the holidays, I pray for all the people out there who are lonely. I pray for the people for whom the holidays are a really hard time, Lord. I pray for the people who are alone, who have25:27 had loved ones pass away recently, Lord, who are struggling financially, who are struggling with their health. Lord Jesus, would you give them comfort and joy just like the Christmas25:39 song says comfort and joy, Lord Jesus. Would you be with them? Would you provide them with people that they need? Would you provide them with the community, Lord? Would you meet their needs in Jesus'25:51 name? Give them joy this Christmas, Lord. Let this not be a season of mourning. I just feel it very strongly because, I know a lot of people are celebrating, but boy, I know that there are a lot of people who aren't26:03 and I I feel for you and Lord just be with them in Jesus' name be with them. Anybody who's struggling Lord. Healing and hope in Jesus' name.26:15 Amen.26:15 Amen. Wow. Thank you, Erin, so much. We are just so grateful to have you on. We pray that you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year and give our love to everyone at CBN. You know we love everybody over there.26:27 Absolutely. I will. Thank you. All clear. To you.26:30 God bless you. Love you. Bye.26:33 Does science disprove God?26:35 Is there a war between science and faith?26:38 We don't need God to create a universe. There's no evidence for God, and it's irrational. Is there no evidence for God? Am I delusional for my beliefs? It is delusional and stupid.26:48 Am I brainwashed?26:49 Do I ignore reason?26:51 Logic. Critical thinking. Science.27:01 RDOF uses logic and reasoning.27:04 RDOF has empowered my sons to defend their faith with facts.27:08 If you wanna be equipped to defend against the biggest objections in the existence of God, RDOF is the27:15 place for you. Has science really ruled out God? Is faith at war with science? If you wanna be equipped to respond to these claims and more, check out r d o f dot27:27 org. The evidence he presents is so powerful and27:39 overwhelming. Incredibly compelling, yet easily understandable. We believe in rationality. We believe in reason. We believe in science, and we believe in the existence of God.27:50 I would leave every event with a mind boggling awe and assurance.27:55 I never believed in God. I just think it was craziness. RDOF confirmed my faith. RDOF confirmed my, full belief, full faith in the Lord, man. The28:07 appearance of design in the universe is undeniable.28:13 The lights, the crowd, the videos.28:19 To book a presentation or watch our free videos, go to r d o f dot org or find us on Facebook at RDOF events.In this video 0:00 A Journey of Faith Amidst Conflict17:43 Media, Misconceptions, and Miracles
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.