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