Sensing Jerusalem . . .

Sorry that it's been such a long time since I last posted. I started three different posts over the past few weeks, including this one, but with Chuck's Dad being in the hospital and then passing away, they all seemed so trivial and unimportant. By the way, thank you so much for all of your prayers - they really do sustain us and bring us joy.

So here it is . . . nothing wildly spectacular . . . just what we live day-to-day.
 
There are many sights and sounds and smells in Jerusalem that we experience on a daily or weekly basis, and we will try to give you a "sense" of Jerusalem through our senses. Some of it is a bit random, but sometimes that's what life is like here for us in Israel . . . so we've really had to put this into practice: "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape!"

At first glance, it seems that everything here is beige and colorless, but we've found that there is beauty within the desert landscapes and among the continuous rows and levels of sand-colored buildings. Hibiscus bushes here grow into good-sized trees, bougainvillea pour over the sides of buildings, and in the photo to the left, you'll see a crepe myrtle growing up through a crack in the pavement along the narrow streets of the Old City. Check out the size of it compared to Chuck and our friends. There are date palms everywhere. Some are tall and stately and others are short and squatty. The ones outside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City are the tall, stately ones that drop tiny dates all around on the ground. I ate one once . . . ok, so it breaks the 5-second rule, but I did wipe off the dust, and it was really sweet and tasty. (We're missionaries . . . we eat bugs, and moldy food, and wild boar . . . well, we could if we had to . . . fortunately, we haven't had to yet - except maybe the moldy food!) 

Pink Peppercorn Tree

As the Bible says, there are seven items of blessing in Israel. "For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land - a land with streams and pools of water; with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey." - Deuteronomy 8:7-8. This is a land with the freshest and most beautiful produce . . . it doesn't last long because it isn't covered with pesticides or filled with preservatives . . . that's probably why it all tastes so good! Much of this we've already shown you in an earlier post - pomegranates of every size and several colors; persimmons, which we had for the first time in our lives - they taste like a cross between a mango and a squash; teeny tiny expensive pineapples; the most wonderful little cucumbers; loads of green citrus fruits - you can only tell what they are by their shape - and apples galore. Now, let's not forget the olive trees with their twisted and gnarled trunks and their superabundance of mostly green, but sometimes purple or brown fruit. They grow for a long, long time - some of them are assumed to be over 2000 years old. One thing I didn't know was that they're an evergreen tree, related to the lilac. Here is something else fun and unusual - pink peppercorns grow on trees - really pretty evergreen trees that can reach up to 50 feet tall - and they're everywhere . . . almost as numerous as olive trees.

Damascus Gate

Come close . . . take a whiff . . . can you smell the Middle Eastern spices? - It's a mixture of curry, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cumin, and only God knows what else. It's everywhere, along with incense, especially in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. While we're in the Muslim Quarter, listen if you will to the women animatedly arguing with each other as they jostle back and forth over a square foot of ground to peddle their wares. Throngs of people are everywhere, pushing and bumping. You hold your valuables close as backpacks hit you and people are breathing down your neck. (We didn't get any pictures in the crowded area - I was too busy holding onto my stuff and avoiding the fights to get out my camera. The photo above is the Damascus Gate, which leads to the Muslim Quarter - it's only a 15-minute walk from our apartment.) Everywhere you look, there are IDF soldiers with their automatic weapons. There are also many beautiful little children, most with big dark eyes, watching us suspiciously, however, yesterday as we rode the bus, there was an adorable little girl, the middle of three sisters on the corner with their mother. As the bus waited in traffic, she began waving and smiling at us. It was so precious. She would wave, then we would wave, then she would flash that big beautiful smile and wave again. We don't see smiles out on the streets very often, so this was a wonderful way to start our day.  When we first arrived in Jerusalem, we said "shalom" to everyone, but after about a 70% rejection rate, you just say shalom to the ones who actually look you in the eye, which is very few - and some of those ignore you too.

Mediterranean Sea

Everywhere you look, you'll see the crisp white and blue of the Israeli flag as it snaps in the ever-present evening breeze. It is proudly displayed over every public building, draped in the windows of most, if not all, Jewish homes, and displayed in many of the Israeli stores. The only thing bluer than the Israeli flag is the incredibly beautiful blue skies that we have almost everyday. No, let me correct that - the Mediterranean Sea - now that's the most beautiful blue I've ever seen! Sadly, we didn't get to swim, but hopefully, we'll get to go back before we leave.

Something we see frequently is the hauntingly beautiful, semi-repulsive golden Dome of the Rock . . . seen in almost every photo of Jerusalem. It's a Muslim shrine built around 690 AD on the Temple Mount, or the site of the second Jewish Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. We have never been to this monument, but we do want to visit the Temple Mount before we leave.

There are very few dogs here, and the ones we have seen are on leashes or walking next to their owners. However, cats are another story . . . this is the land of the cats (I thought that would have been Egypt.) Here there are cats of every shape, size and color . . . and of course . . . no mice or rats! We have had four kittens hanging around our apartment since we moved in. Apparently, the last tenants fed them, but we were told not to. It was kind of easy the first week and a half, and in that time two of them stopped coming by . . . and by the smell in our parking lot, they are probably no longer alive. Two still kept coming around, one a little smaller than the other. The little one kept getting thinner and thinner, until he was all skin and bones. He finally let me pet him, but he was so weak that he would just fall down. That was all I could take . . . I couldn't just watch this little kitty starve to death, so we broke the rules and began feeding him. Surprisingly, he didn't like cheese, but he did like the steak I brought home from a restaurant. At least somebody liked it. The beef here is not very good. Someone told us it's all imported. (I wonder what happened to the cattle on 1000 hills that God owned?) Anyway, the baby kitty ate steak for three days, but tonight he hasn't been around. Don't know if he's dead or if he was kidnapped or maybe catnapped, but he's gone.

Shawarma

As wonderful as Jerusalem is, we must remember that it's still a big city with all the big city problems . . . the biggest problem is the amount of garbage lying around, but every morning, except Saturday, the garbage trucks are rolling and the street sweepers are out in full force. Most of the tourist spots stay picked up all of the time, but not so for our alley and many of the other less-often-traveled areas. We can't forget all the smells that accompany that much trash! Oye, some days . . . on very hot days . . . the smells can be overpowering. I won't go into the many nasty smells, but I will leave you with some of the good aromas - aah, the smell of shawarma (meats roasted on a spit - lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, veal or a combination of meats) is so wonderful - especially when all you've eaten is raw veggies and humus. Usually, in the same area, you will also get a whiff of falafel (deep-fried chickpea balls). This is Middle Eastern "fast food". Speaking of fast food, right off the main drag, you will be instantly transported back to the States by the smell of McDonalds' french fries! But my favorite scent has to be the freshly baked bread and bagels . . . I can almost smell them now!

Our Babbling Brook

Here's a little of what Jerusalem sounds like . . . we have many big city noises - buses, taxis and horns aplenty! This should be called the land of many horns! Patience is a virtue . . . that the people here do not possess. (Smile!) There are also fireworks just about every night, and fighter jets flying over frequently. Out our windows we see and hear a lot. On one side of our apartment, there is the Ethiopian Church compound, on the other is the Orthodox Jewish community. We get a lot of singing . . . loud singing, mostly on Shabbat (the sabbath) or on the Jewish holy days. Some of it is very beautiful and peaceful, some of it is a little off-key, but not terribly bad. Once in a while, we get someone who thinks he's a lounge singer . . . and not a good one! Many times we hear children playing and laughing . . . usually Saturday afternoons (still Shabbat). This morning, I heard children's voices singing in Hebrew . . . an innocent and joyful melody. From the Ethiopian church side, once a week they have either a program or some sort of entertainment, so there is loud talking and a lot of clapping. Today, they had a rousing worship service . . . the first time we've ever heard it, but it was wonderful . . . deep, rich African voices with clapping and foot stomping. Many times we hear the Muslim call to prayer, and once we heard a lot of yelling on their loudspeakers and in some of the Muslim areas - we later found out that it was a lot of propaganda and trying to stir up the Muslims for some reason or other. Also out our windows we can hear the many birds singing and the sound of a babbling brook - it's a fish pond on the grounds of BFP (we live right next to the headquarters building inside a semi-private compound).

An Ultra Orthodox Family

There are great variations in the outfits of the local people - some in orthodox dress - black pants, white dress shirt and black hat, priests with robes and prayer shawls, men in big fur hats or Indiana Jones-type hats - only in black, & of course the multitudes of skullcaps - mostly black, white or navy - ranging from large knitted, covering most of the head, to little 2 - 3 inch flat disks held on by bobby pins, and everything in between. Here is what I found on the Web to explain some of the hats: "In Israel, your kippah (head covering) determines your religious sect. The big furry hats are the Ultra Orthodox. The felt hats are the Chassids. The skull caps are Modern Orthodox. Nothing at all is non-Orthodox. All (except those who wear nothing) fulfill the minhag (tradition) of covering the head to remind oneself of God's presence above your head." Another tradition is that many of the young men wear the tassels hanging down from under their shirts. This is what it said on the Web: "Boys and men often wear a Tallit Katan (little tallis). The Tallit Katan consists of a simple rectangle of cloth with a hole for the neck and fringes on the four corners. Sometimes the Tallit Katan is simply called Tzitzit". We also see many Muslim women, covered from head to toe - most of them have beautiful faces, but that's all you can see of them. They like to give us Western women dirty looks for exposing our arms or legs to their men. Then there's the Catholic priests with their many colorful layered robes and rosary beads and men in long brown robes and sandals - they look like monks, but I'm not sure who they really are.

We frequently see little old men walking around begging for money and little old ladies sitting on the ground begging for money. You hear the coins rattle in the cup as they shake it, all the while crying out in Hebrew. We give once in a while to the men, but almost always to the women. They're just so much more pathetic . . . some one's little Jewish grandmama begging in the streets . . . how can you just walk away?

Another common sight is young ladies getting up for the elderly or for pregnant women on the buses or trains, while most men never even attempt to get up. I am convinced that chivalry is just about dead in Israel!

This is a melting pot of different cultures! On any given day walking the streets of Jerusalem, you will hear just about every spoken language. Amazingly, American English is the least heard here, but when we do hear a New York accent, a Texas accent or especially a Midwestern accent, we take notice and try to ask where they're from. Before we left, I didn't really think about being an American in Israel, but we all have some national pride, especially when we hear others ignorantly putting down our country or stereotyping all Americans into categories that only a minority would fit. I do, however, have to agree with them when they say President Obama is the worst thing that's happened to both the US and to Israel.

A Group of Young Japanese Christians

One of the best things for your senses in Jerusalem is Ben Yehudah Street. It's a 4 block long pedestrian mall in City Center. If you're hungry, follow your nose to the wonderful falafel and shawarma stands, or maybe grab a fresh bagel or some sweet treats. Don't forget to pick up some gifts for the folks back home - you have an abundance of stores with Judaica - menorahs, prayer shawls, etc. Then there's the jewelry stores and t-shirt shops . . . just watch out for the "hand" - called the hamsa - it's supposed to be a sign for protection, but it's really part of Jewish mysticism, and not something you want to have in your home. We get to walk up Ben Yehudah Street every morning on our way to the bus stop - it's very quiet . . . shop owners just opening up, putting chairs out and setting up for the day's business, several people heading to work or school, and usually one or more homeless people sleeping on benches. But on the way home at night, we walk back down Ben Yehudah. Now, this is when City Center comes alive - there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people everywhere, and each block has street musicians playing their various instruments or groups dancing or singing. Every night there are different performers. It's always so much fun to walk down each block and hear different kinds of music. This is probably one of my favorite things to do in Jerusalem.

Thanks for coming along. Hope you enjoyed sensing Jerusalem with us!


"Regarding Jerusalem it will be said, 'Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there.' And the Most High will personally bless this city." - Psalm 87:5

Please pray:

• that we would have patience for all those who would try to turn us from Jesus back to the Law;
• that the Lord would make His light shine forth from us into the darkness;
• and for health and safety and protection from spiritual attacks.

Blessings from the City of Peace - JERUSALEM!

The Legacy of the Father . . . (Chuck's Post)

This is something I wrote the night before Dad passed away:

The grace of God reminds me of His love and I know He will take care of my Dad. Becky and I believe in God's Word and His promises, and we won't be fooled by our feelings or our thoughts - we will not be shaken.

The things that I remember about Dad are: 

• that he always took me fishing opening day of trout season. That was always a special time for us - when he was willing to let down his guard and talk openly with me;
• that he always tried to help me when I was first married. He and Mom drove Becky out to California after I finished Boot Camp, and then he and Pete drove out to get us after Ryan was born;
• that he allowed Becky and Ryan to stay with them while I was away in the Navy;
• that he took us to Uncle Lawrence's farm, where we and our cousins, the Bruette's, rode the snowmobile and towed each other on an old car hood across the open fields;
• Dad always loved to play cards and dominoes, so my last memories of him were of playing cribbage and chicken foot.

Dad was a hard worker and he was very strong physically. I suppose those are characteristics I received from him. He took us to Uncle Jack's in the summertime to help with the work of haying with our cousins, the Fritz's. Through this we learned we could have fun even while working hard.

I decided not to come to the funeral, because I chose to spend this summer with Dad. That way I could remember him through life. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do - leaving the country knowing that I might never see him again. The time I spent with him was not always easy, but because I chose to listen to my Father in Heaven and be there for my earthly Dad, I chose to be God's son and His servant, and in many ways it made me a better person. I learned that if I followed the promises of God, He would get me through all the challenges that were before me, and I have no regrets about not coming home at this time, for I chose to be with him in life rather than in death.

No one knows what's inside of a person, except God, and I'm hoping Dad knew Jesus according to God's will, and that we'll see him again one day in heaven. So as his son, I will chose to live a legacy not through his name, but thru God's son, Jesus, which will enrich Dad's name, because I was born of him. My legacy now, through Jesus, will pass to our sons, Ryan and Aaron, and soon to our grandson, Declan Andrew - they are my priority, because the Word of God says: "But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love Me and obey my commands." - Exodus 20:6

 This is a song that I found in a song book here in Jerusalem:

The Color Song

Red is the color of blood that flowed

down the face of Someone who loved us so.

He's the perfect Man, He's God's own Son,

He's the perfect Man. 

He's the only One that can give life, that makes us grow,

That can make the love between us flow.

Blue is the color of a heart so cold

that it will not bend when the story's told

of the love for a sinful race,

 of the blood that flowed down Jesus' face.

That can give us life, that can make us grow,

that can turn our mourning into gold.

Brown is the color of autumn leaves

when the winter comes to the barren trees.

There is birth, there is death, there is a Plan. 

There is just one God, there is just one Man.

What can give us life that can make us grow

that makes our sins as white as snow?

Jesus Christ the One who gave it all.

To my brothers and sisters, I miss you. I pray God will richly bless you with His mercy and that you will have peace.

To Gertie, who was not a substitute for Mom, but someone who loved our Dad and took care of him in his last years, I want to thank you. You always treated us just like your own kids. I pray God's blessings over your life and that you would feel the presence of God's peace.

I want to thank our family at Grace Foursquare Church for always making our Dad feel important and part of the family by calling him "Grandpa Pete". Blessings to you all!

Shalom from Israel!

Chuck's First Blog Entry

I was allowed to go with Elie (short for Eleazar) today. This man is amazing! He is a Messianic Jew who can speak just about every language that I can think of. We brought food to a place somewhere in Jerusalem, where survivors from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Russia live. These Jewish men and women were not helped since that time, so they immigrated to Israel. They all have cancer and know they're going to die. Elie is always kind and is always smiling . . . he's always got a compassionate word to say to everybody. Seeing these people was hard on me, because they have nothing, and if they die without Yeshua (Jesus), they will live an eternal life so much worse than what they have now.

A few hours later, we went to an Ethiopian compound. We delivered a huge pallet of food for them. There were 5 men waiting there for us. They all were very skinny and looked a lot older than me. Elie could speak their language and he was very kind to them. They all hugged him, and you could tell they all loved him, and he loved them. When we were done, the men came over to me and squeezed my arms, and Elie said they were amazed at my muscles.

Two days ago we had three soldiers from the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) come to give a three hour security briefing and teach us how to put on gas masks. BFP has gas masks for all volunteers, and one of the soldiers said that was good, because it's hard for non-citizens to get them. It reminded me of my training when I was in the Navy. The country is on high alert right now because of an unmanned drone that was shot down over Israeli airspace a few days ago and because of rockets being fired into the southern part of the country. 

Coming here has helped me understand that everything about the Lord has nothing to do with our emotions. When keeping our opinions and our own thinking out, the Lord will elevate your mind to a new arena. And then you'll see where you walk, there is no fear or doubt as your eyes start to see with compassion, and love tears down judgement against each other. God's love has miracle components that if you are willing to receive and believe, then He will allow you to go into another dimension. Praise God, for He is mighty and full of grace and mercy.

Please Pray:

• That the Lord would allow us to speak about Him to those we come in contact with;
• Pray for the peace of Jerusalem . . . security is high,  but life goes on as usual.

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." - Philippians 2:1-4 

Shabbat Shalom!

God's Presence in Unexpected Places

One of our prayer requests has always been for "Divine Appointments", so thank you to all who have been praying specifically for that, because that's exactly what we've gotten!

When we first began to plan and think about coming to Israel, we thought how great it would be to feel the Lord's presence as we experienced all the places that Jesus walked so very long ago . . . the Sea of Galilee, where He calmed the storm; the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed to the Father to take the cup of sacrifice from Him; and the Via Dolorosa, as He carried His cross.

The first night we were in Jerusalem we were able to go to the Western Wall,or Kotel, as the locals call it. We totally expected to feel God's presence there, but we really didn't. We did, however, notice as we approached the Wall, that there was a quietness, maybe a peacefulness, amidst all the noise of the city and with hundreds of people praying there.

After several days at the Hostel, trying to learn our way around the city and figure out the money and the cabs, buses, etc, we began feeling a little like we were missing something . . . like we were having too much fun. We were doing a lot of learning, but nothing very spiritual was happening. So we began to pray that God would show us what we were really here for and that He would provide divine appointments.

Becky: One of my divine appointments came on my first full day of work -Wednesday, October 3rd. Going back to when I first got my work assignment several months ago, I have to admit that I was not too happy. I wasn't looking  forward to sitting at a desk doing office work for two months. So, about 20 minutes after I received the e-mail with our job assignments, I resigned myself to the fact that God was in control, and that was the way I wanted it, so I chose to be obedient to whatever He asked me to do.

Raine (pronounced Rain), is my immediate supervisor. She's a Native American,Spirit-filled believer. At first she was a little intimidating, but one of the first things she said was that everything that has ever happened in my life and all that I've ever done has led me to this one moment in time, and that I was brought here for God's purpose. (That's exactly what I put in one of my journal entries when we first knew we were going to Israel.) She prayed that I would not just see in the natural, but that God would empower me to see things in the supernatural. She prayed that my mouth would be used only for His glory and that I would never say that I can't do something, but that I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me. I'm so thankful to God for helping me to be obedient.

My job in the Adoption (sponsorship) Program has been pretty interesting so far. Most of what I do is on the computer working on spreadsheets, but everyday there's something new I get to do. One day I was asked to sit in and take notes on an adoption meeting between sponsors – a husband and wife from Japan and a recipient family with seven children who recently made Aliyah from America.(Aliyah is the returning of the Jewish people back to their homeland.) My work also includes editing letters that have been roughly translated into English. Most of the letters are from Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine, thanking their sponsors for their help. We are hoping we can adopt a family for our church with any extra money we might have left before we leave Israel.

Chuck: My job is in the Food Distribution Center, just downstairs from where Becky works. The Food Bank gathers food from many different sources, and we repackage those items into smaller bags or pallets for distribution to the new immigrants and other Israeli poor. Once in a while, I get to meet some of our clients when I load their cars with food, and that has been a blessing for me. The leaders mentioned that because I'm a truck driver, sometime in the future I might get to go out on deliveries around the city - don't know if I'm looking forward to that or not - the driving here is crazy!

Our boss, who is in charge of the entire Distribution Center, has asked us to consider staying longer - they desperately need help right now. We told them we would pray about it, but we really want to get back to the States before our grandson, Declan is born.

Dalia

Seven of us were allowed to leave early from work Thursday, because of the Parade of Nations. This is a parade in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, where Christians from all around the world come and show their support for Israel. The parade started at 3pm from the King David Hotel, and they let us go at 2:30 – not really enough time to take buses to get to the start, but we thought we would try anyway. Many of the main thoroughfares were closed because of the parade, so we ended up off our projected route. We got off one bus, and after a long wait, got on another. We ended up sitting by a young Jewish woman from America, named Dalia. She has dual citizenship and works in Israel several months out of the year. She asked us a lot of questions about where we’re from and why we’re here. We got a chance to tell her about BFP, and that there were many of us from all over the world who feel that the Lord sent us here just to serve the Jewish people and to bless them. She was so touched by our commitment and sacrifice, that it brought tears to her eyes. She offered to ride with us to the City Center where the parade most likely would end. After the buses, we stood in line for the light rail to Jaffa (Yaffo) Road in City Center. The train cars were so packed, that only a few people could get on. When we finally got up to the doors of the second train, we had to push, along with everyone else, to get on. Chuck was right behind me, pushing, but once I got on, I looked back and he was still standing outside. I knew the doors were going to close soon, because it was so packed in there, so I yelled back for him to get on. We kept getting pushed back in the car, so I didn’t know if Chuck got on until someone else saw him and said he made it. Once we got to Jaffa Road, we got out, and Dalia said she had to go the other way, so we thanked her and hugged her, and Chuck said we’re like parents to her now, so he asked me to say the Aaronic Blessing over her in Hebrew. When I did,she said, “That’s the blessing!”, and she almost cried again. We said, “Yes, that’s why we came to Israel – to bless you and all the Jewish people.” This was another one of God's divine appointments where we felt His presence and His touch on this young lady. We really hope we see her again - and the way God has been working, I believe we will!

Well, now you’re probably wondering if we ever made it to the parade. Let me tell you about another of God’s blessings. There were thousands of people everywhere in City Center, but there was no sign of the parade. People were just everywhere, going every which way. So we prayed and began walking toward the Old City. It was very loud with so many people, so we couldn’t even listen for it. As we got near the Jaffa Gate, there was no traffic at all, so we looked down a long hill to our right, and there were thousands more people, many waving flags. We hurried down the hill, and sure enough, it was the Parade of Nations . . . what a sight to behold! People from every nation, as far as you could see in both directions, wearing their national colors and carrying their flags, showing their support for Israel. We made it! Even though this was our goal and destination, it was never God's plan at all, but once we accomplished His desire for us to meet this young woman, He gave us our desire as well. I love that about God!

Another fun God moment was when we were at Masada and we met a couple of sisters from South Africa. I was sitting on a bench after several hours in the hot sun, and I offered a seat to one of the ladies. She laughed and said she was big and sweaty, but she squeezed in anyway. We hit it off right away. Her name was Jenny, and she introduced us to her sister, Priscilla. Somehow we all knew the others were Christians. We talked and laughed all the way to the visitors center, taking pictures, exchanging e-mails and inviting each other to our homes. We said goodbye, and figured we probably would never see each other again, but we would try to e-mail once we got home.

Four days later, we had a meeting at Headquarters, which is right next to our apartment. When we got there, there was a large group of people in our yard - they were on a tour of BFP. One of the ladies was yelling, "Jenny, Jenny!" in a South African accent. I knew that voice . . . it was Priscilla! I grabbed her, and we hugged, then Jenny came over and we hugged, then Chuck came back from the house and said, "I can't believe it!" In all of Israel, and even in Jerusalem, with over 700,000 people and thousands more visiting because of the Feast, we never thought we would see them here again. We know that God ordained these meetings, and we're excited to see what significance we will have in each other's lives in the future.

There are several people we have met through Bridges for Peace - James and Mary - the couple who came all the way across town after working all day and took us to dinner and to the Western Wall on our first night in Jerusalem. They will be leaving just a short while before we do, but they're not going to America right away. They'll be stopping at their daughter's home in Zurich, Switzerland. Amazingly, we have a 17-hour layover in Zurich on our way home, and we were wishing we knew someone there who could show us around for a few hours.

Another couple from BFP - Steve and Arlene - from Idaho, are the only ones who live on our side of the city. They arrived just 2 weeks before we did. They're a little older than us, but we're great friends already - just like we have always know them. We've gone to the City Center with them several nights this week for the celebrations; they invited us for breakfast last Shabbat; and we had them over today for lunch in the Sukkah - the temporary shelter built for the Feast of Tabernacles. They have been a great blessing to us, and they invited us to stay with them at their apartment the last 8 days we're here in Israel (after we're done working and have to move out of the BFP apartment). God is so good! He has all things covered even before we ask. Why do we ever worry?

We really haven't been to many of the Holy sites yet, but we have felt God's presence in so many situations. In Old Testament times, His presence was usually found in physical places or things - the Temple or the Ark of the Covenant, but now, we're finding that His presence is found in relationships and the connecting of hearts and minds and spirits. 

We rejoice in the fact that God has brought us here for such a time as this . . . that we are connecting to believers from all around the world and that we can be a blessing to the Israeli people . . . even if it's just one person at a time.

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This is then how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence." - 1 John 3:18-19 

Please Pray:

• that He'll open the doors He wants us to go through, and shut doors we're not to go through;
• continue praying for favor and divine appointments - your prayers are working!;
• also, one final prayer - for safety and the peace of Jerusalem. Israel is on the highest alert status right now, because an unmanned Iraqi drone was shot down over Israeli airspace recently. We heard many fighter jets flying over yesterday morning. No worries though, as Emmy, our young co-worker from England, would say. (smile)

Experience a Taste of Israel . . .

We are praising God for this time of rest and reflection and acclimating ourselves to Israeli life before we begin our ministry work, which will be Tuesday, October 2nd. 

Come with us now for a small taste of Israel.

Friday, we got to experience the Mahaneh Yahuda Market - the Shuk, as the locals call it - fabulously fun and exciting! (Now I know that's God, because I usually hate loud, crowded places. When God makes you a new creation, He doesn't just stop at the point of your salvation - it's an on-going process. I love that about God . . . actually, I love everything about God!) I'm still a bit jet-lagged, so this is rather random. Anyway, back to the market - so fun and exciting. There was everything from fish to nuts, fresh produce to spices, breads and cheeses of every kind, and pomegranates the size of softballs! I think we may have been overcharged a few times, but it was still worth it . . . the produce was so fresh tasting and the breads and cheeses were delicious! We have been enjoying it for several days and sharing with others at the hostel as they have been sharing with us.

On Friday night we went to a Shabbat dinner at the Hostel where they prepared many lovely dishes. We were able to experience a traditional Sabbath meal, including the special prayers over the candles, the wine and the bread. We shared our table with a group of young ladies from Holland who are here studying at the University, and a young man from Israel, born and raised on a kibbutz, or communal farm. Very enjoyable and all of the food was wonderful! Here is the feast for your eyes.

 

 OK, so you're probably thinking all we've done is eat . . . not so . . . we've walked, we've eaten, we've talked with many new acquaintances, we've eaten . . .

Last night we were invited to the home of one of the leaders of Bridges for Peace . . . um, for dinner. We do have to eat, you know! (smile) God has not called us to fast our way thru Israel, however, we could lose a few pounds . . . sigh. Oh well, back to our experiencing Israel.

Well, let's back up a bit . . . this was our first attempt at catching a cab in Israel . . . well, for that matter . . . ever! So we stand outside and a cab comes; we flag him down; we show him the paper with the address on, he says he has no idea where it is and leaves us standing in the street. A couple minutes later, the next taxi stops. We tell him the address with the area first - he says he knows where it is. Now, we ask the price (we were instructed to always ask before you get in, and don't pay more than 40-50 shekels for anywhere in Jerusalem.) The driver says 70 shekels, I say, how about 50? He says, but it's Shabbat, and he says 60; Chuck says forget it; I say lets take it, we're going to be late. We get in, the guy is mad, my flip-flop catches on the back of the seat, Chuck jumps in almost on top of me, the driver takes off like a lunatic before the door was all the way closed, and we pray as we're glued to the seat because of how fast he's driving. After a few minutes he says Ayala Street? I say no, Ayal Street. Now I'm praying he doesn't take us somewhere in the West Bank and drop us off, because we have no idea where this place is and we have no phone to call anyone. About 15 minutes later, he says there it is - number 43. So we get out, still praying that God has brought us to the place we need to be, pay the 60 shekels and he leaves us there. We look around in the darkness, walk up the stairs to an apartment, but don't see the number. We come back down, go around a corner . . . still praying . . . and it says number 5. We knock and it's the right place. Thank You, thank You, Jesus!

No pics of last night's food, but we did have multiple courses - appetizers, which included warm figs with blue cheese, tiny meatballs and pineapple, and proscutio & cheese melts; then the soup - a creamy spicy squash soup; main dish - curry-rubbed grilled chicken breasts, asparagus & cherry tomatoes, a beet, cabbage & pomegranate salad, and fresh bread. Then for dessert, one of the ladies from South Africa made chocolate cake with home-made ice cream loaded with cherries and nuts and I don't know what else, but it was delicious. We ate on their balcony overlooking the city of Jerusalem, not too far from the West Bank as a matter of fact, but what a beautiful view. (Not to worry . . . that part of the West Bank is safe because it's part of Jerusalem - at least that's what our host told us.)

In this photo of Jerusalem, just over the dark hill on the right is the West Bank - we were very close, yet still felt very safe.

It was wonderful to meet some of the other new arrivals to Israel - about half of them had been to Israel before, but some, like us, were first-timers. One young lady, Emmy, is from England, another, Carrie from the US, is 18 and has come by herself, Vincent, a young man from California has been here before, and he signed up for 2 years this time! There was also the lady from South Africa, Arina, and a mighty woman of God, Amy, an Hispanic great-grandmother of 79 originally from Puerto Rico, but living in Florida. A young Asian woman, Kathy, from Canada and a couple, Steve and Arlene from Idaho. Steve and Arlene have just been here 3 weeks, and they live in our general neighborhood (the others all live much farther away), so we shared a taxi back home. That was a much better experience than the first taxi ride, but the driver couldn't find Steve and Arlene's apartment, so they just got out when they saw a familiar place. After they got out, I started asking the driver questions. At first he was a little rude, but when we asked about his family, he pulled out pictures of his 2-month-old baby girl. He was so proud! And now he was even starting to be nice to us and told us he would have us home in five minutes - I think he had been driving around a few extra blocks to raise the price. Kindness works . . . Jesus works!

Our ministry here is to serve Bridges for Peace in anyway that they ask us to, but when we're out on our own, we really feel like we need to represent Jesus, by being like Him . . . to love, encourage and help everyone we come in contact with, no matter who they are or how they treat us.

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved." - 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (NLT)

Please pray:

• that we can learn our jobs at BFP quickly so that we can be a blessing to them;
• that we will be sensitive to people's needs and that we will hear God's leading and prompting.

The First 24 . . .

This is a summary of our first 24 hours in the land of Israel: 

We arrived about 10:30 am Israel time - right on time. No problems at all in the airport - we even found all 3 bags the minute we walked up to the baggage claim area. (We had put bright green tape with peace symbols all around the perimeter of each bag - very easy to spot.) Next, we went out the main doors and got a sherut (shuttle) to Jerusalem right away. It was about an hour drive - traffic was moving really well. After dropping off 9 others at their homes and hotels, he took us right to our door at the Abraham Hostel. It's not a fancy place, but it serves our purpose, and the staff and guests are very helpful and friendly.

After we got settled in, we slept for a few hours and showered. Around 6 pm, Jim and Mary, a couple who've been in Israel over a year with Bridges for Peace, came to the hostel to greet us and give us lots of info. (We've been corresponding with them by e-mail for the past few weeks.) They then invited us to dinner. The first food we ate in Israel was . . . not falafel . . . not humus . . .but  Chinese food! It was very good though. (Side note: the first food we ate in Belize was also Chinese.) After dinner, we walked down Jaffa Street to the Old City. It was so amazing, especially at night. We saw many beautiful and historical sites, and then we got to go to the Western Wall. It was so peaceful there, even with so many people still there at 10 pm. We thought about Jesus being there so many years ago, and it was humbling. On our way back, Jaffa Street was packed with people . . . mostly young people at this late hour. (Thursday night here is like our Friday night in the States.)

We got back from the Old City around 11 PM. Jim and Mary still had about an hour walk and bus ride to get back to their place, and they had to work the next day too. They were so sweet to do all the things they did for us. We're praying God's blessings over them.

We went to bed about midnight, and slept through till 11 this morning!

We will be visiting the moneychanger today. We heard that you can use American dollars and credit cards just about anywhere in Israel, but that has not been the case for us so far. We will also need to go to the phone store to see if we can get a cheap phone that we can use here. We already have a home phone number at the apartment we'll be renting. We won't be moving in until October 2nd, then we will post our address and phone numbers.

Please pray:

• for wisdom to learn the culture, the customs, the money, where to go and not to go, and how to get around the city;
• for spiritual discernment;
• and to be a Light in the darkness.

 

A Few Facts about the Western Wall:

• The Western Wall is a surviving remnant of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.

• Jerusalem was destroyed and rebuilt nine times. And through it all, one symbol remained intact: the Western Wall.

• In establishing the eternal covenant with Abraham, God promised that the Jewish people will never be destroyed (Genesis 17:7). In this way, the Wall is a symbol of the Jewish people: Just as there have been many efforts to destroy the Wall and yet it remains eternal, so too the Jewish people have outlived its enemies and remain eternal. The Wall thus became the symbol of both devastation and of hope.

"The Lord has built Jerusalem; it's walls will give refuge to His oppressed people." - Isaiah 14:32

The Lord Bless You and Keep You . . .

It’s September 26, 2012, and we are finally on our way to Israel! At this moment, a little after 5pm Eastern time, we are sitting in the Toronto airport waiting for our flight to Tel Aviv, which leaves around 5:45. We just want to take this opportunity to brag on God and bless those of you who have blessed us and made this mission possible.

We needed about $8,000 for airfare, rent, utilities, transportation, food, etc. God has blessed us all along the way – with one free round-trip plane ticket and $50 off the other; medical insurance that we thought we had to pay $700 - $800, cost us only $90; free shuttle ride to O’Hare airport (thanks to my sister); and so many other blessings from our generous friends and relatives. Then last Sunday, God blessed us exceedingly, abundantly above anything we could have thought or imagined! We still needed about $4,500, but God met that need, and then some, through our church family at Abundant Life!

Our blog is entitled, “Blessed to Be a Blessing”, and that’s exactly what we intend to do with any extra money God has provided to us. We will let you know of all opportunities we have to bless the people or ministries of Israel above and beyond what we will do with Bridges for Peace.

You know, God’s Word says that whoever blesses Israel, He will bless. (Genesis 12:3) To all who have given to this mission, we pray for you nightly and throughout the day, as the Lord puts you on our minds and hearts. We love you all!

Ye’varechecha Adonai v’yishmerecha:

Ya’er Adonai panav eleicha vihuneca:

Yisah Adonai panev eleicha v’yasem

l’cha Shalom.

The Lord bless you and keep you:

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you . . . Peace.

(Numbers 6:24-26)