Why Israel is Key to Reaching the World

In 1999, Wayne Wilks had a vision in a Budapest hotel room. Seventeen years later, on a balcony in that same city, he had another one — and it became Gateway Center for Israel. Nic Lesmeister sits down with Wayne to trace the whole story: an altar in Amarillo where a missions call turned into a lifelong love for the Jewish people, a festival in Odessa that filled a new Bible institute with purpose, and a moment in Ethiopia that quietly pointed toward who'd carry it all forward. They walk through decades of open doors, prophetic words, and one visa that cleared as the plane was boarding. What we cover in this episode: • Wayne's 1982 altar moment in Amarillo and the Ezekiel study that reframed "to the Jew first" • The 1996 Odessa festival and the Isaiah 37 visa story • Ethiopia's ancient Jewish community and Zimbabwe's Lemba tribe • The Ethiopia courtyard moment that pointed toward Nick • The Budapest balcony vision and the founding of Gateway Center for Israel CHAPTERS 0:00 Why Israel Is Key to Reaching the Nations 4:54 Wayne’s Call to Missions 9:31 A New Revelation About Israel 16:52 The Calling That Led to Ukraine 32:17 A Life-Changing Encounter in Ethiopia 48:47 The Birth of Gateway Center for Israel 59:03 What’s Next for the Church and Israel FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: • https://instagram.com/CenterForIsrael • https://www.facebook.com/CenterForIsrael • https://twitter.com/CenterForIsrael • https://www.linkedin.com/company/gateway-center-for-israel LEARNING RESOURCES: • Getting Started — Israel 101: https://centerforisrael.com/getting-started • Israel Prayer Guide: https://centerforisrael.com/israel-prayer-guide • Perspective Papers: https://centerforisrael.com/papers