A group of Olympia church members on a mission trip to Israel believe they may have been a target of arson, and some of them say God performed a miracle to save them. 

"There's no reason why we should be alive," said Pastor Tim Heffer as they returned to Sea-Tac Airport Friday.

Last Friday, members of the Hidden Creek Community church were staying at a 100-year-old christian church,  helping them with their olive harvest when the fire broke out in the middle of night, while all of them were a sleep.

"I was dreaming of fog and when I woke, I just 'boom' woke up and there was dark smoke," said Cynthia Patton.

Fire investigators told the missionaries it was arson. The church is located on the border of an ultra orthodox Jewish neighbor and has been the target of attacks before. The pastor believes they were targeted this time.

"We believe it was also targeted because Americans were in the buildings and those are some of the ideas and thoughts of people who live there," Heffer said.

There were no smoke alarms, yet everybody got out safely, and they say, it was because someone of watching over them.

"Usually in a fire like that you don't awake, you just keep on sleeping," Heffer said. "But I believe we were miraculously awaken all at the same time."

Despite the fire, the group stayed in Jerusalem to continue their work with the Israeli church.

Komo News