Arise, Walk Through the Land

Our God is such a personal God! Little things that matter to me probably mean little to others...but they matter to God. And He is that way about all His children. He cares about not just the big things in our lives...who we should marry, job changes, our spiritual progress...but the little things as well.

In 2009, Linda loaned me a book written by a husband and father of two. This family lived in Israel for nearly a year. During that time, they traveled throughout Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. But in addition to the typical sites, such as the Mt. of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane, they explored out-of-the-way biblical sites that most people never even hear about, let alone visit, and this man wrote about them. This appeals to me, since for the most part, when it comes to educational sightseeing, I like to be where people are not. It seems people tend to flock to places that are advertised and well-known. I like to find little hidden jewels that connect-the-dots for me biblically or present me with a visual understanding of biblical principles.

Here in the Holy Land, many popular sites only warrant a "traditional" placement. A common phrase in the archaeology world is "according to tradition." This means that there is no true historical evidence to prove that the location is a valid biblical site. Much of the controversy about biblical sites is rooted in the actions of Constantine's mother, so-called Saint Helen, who visited Palestine during the 4th century. She would declare a place to be the location of a key Bible event. She had the power and money to not only establish her word as fact in the religious world, but to order a church built on that site. She claimed to find Jesus' cross and even the nails from it, a piece of His tunic and pieces of the rope that were used to tie Him to the cross. Call me a skeptic, but please direct me to historical sources showing that she was credibly educated to make such important decisions. Then, I will rethink my opinion of Helen and her influence in the Holy Land.

But I have digressed. Anyway, when Bill and I visited Israel in 2009, we used Linda's great book, which detailed biblical sites but did not lead people to believe they were seeing authentic sites when they were not. It provided relevant corresponding Scriptures and best of all...directions on how to get to these off-the-beaten-path sites! We and our little rental car bumped down dirt roads in search of some of these sites. It was great fun. I know some people find it an incredible bore, but I almost get ecstatic when I stand next to a pile of rocks which are the ruins of a biblical city. It is insightful to stand where David, Samson, Nehemiah, and so many others lived, walked, talked, prophesied, and wrote. To see the hills that surrounded their villages, or the remains of homes they may have visited, provides my mind with pictoral background when I read the Bible. Sometimes we found ourselves all alone on a tel or beside a quiet stream. As I said, not many people visit these places. The solitude makes for much better absorption of the site, contrasted with big tour groups that are rushed through big churches adorned with icons and stained-glass windows. In 2009, we used that great book to enhance our Israel visit with meaningful and life-enriching jaunts.

Hoping our days off from IBCJ activities would enable us to explore further, I searched and searched for this book online. But I could not find it and Linda could not locate the copy she had loaned me. So I came to Israel with a similar book, but it did not provide the detail and directions as the one I'd borrowed.

A few weeks ago, we were in a bookstore and my eyes immediately fell on Arise, Walk Through the Land by Roy Turkington. It had a new cover but I could tell by the typesetting of the book that it was the one I was looking for!

I am well aware that probably no one else is excited about my discovery, but that's okay. To me, it was a little reminder (not that I have forgotten!) that God is still interested in me, my life, and yes...even little day-to-day matters that don't seem very spiritual or important. I'm grateful for His blessings in my life, not just obvious ones, but little ones as well. If you have taken the time to read all the way through this long blog, I hope you too are reminded that God is concerned about you, your life, and the things that are important to you (as long as they are not carnal or harmful to you!). He is an attentive, caring, compassionate Father.

Orphan Brides

A very nice lady approached us at the market. Though we could not understand her Hebrew, we knew she was asking for money. We have learned to be highly selective with our donations, since every time we turn around someone has his/her hand/cup out. But Bill gave this lady a few shekels. She was pleasant and seemed to have a legitimate cause. She retrieved a few words from her English vocabulary, smiled, thanked us, and said, "Orphan Bride. To help young lady get married and be happy."

This got me to wondering what an orphan bride is. Seems that when a young lady does not have family to help her, or her family is impoverished, organizations will assist her with her wedding and help her get settled as a newlywed wife with housewares and financial support.

Interested in learning more about this charitable cause? Check out: http://zdaka.org/Hachnasat-Kallah.php?name=Hachnasat%20Kallah and http://www.yadeliezer.org/program_info.php?program_id=11.

Kosher Gym

 

The other day, as the sherut we were in traveled along one of Jerusalem's main thoroughfares, I noticed a sign on the back of a bus: http://www.koshergym.com/.

We have been learning a little about kashrut - the Jewish system that governs the preparation of food. Most restaurants here serve either meat or dairy products. You would have to go to a non-kosher restaurant to eat a cheeseburger, since kashrut prohibits eating cheese with meat. Yesterday, as we were sitting at an outdoor table enjoying our economical lunch of falafels on pita bread, a man from a bakery told us to move. We were not allowed to eat our falafels at that table. I guess that particular table was a dairy-only table, although we could not figure out what in our falafel sandwiches resembled meat. (Our education is still in it's infant stages.)

Anyway, the kosher gym thing piqued my curiousity. Turns out that this is a gym designed to assist haredim Jews who want to get and stay fit. They offer separate exercise times for men and women, kosher food, and the opportunity to pray and read while working out. If you're curious too, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sgh05k1dxs&feature=related. Also, http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm is an interesting read about kosher laws regarding food.

How's the Weather?

Yesterday, Bill and I were working in the school office when we heard the most unusual sound. It was sudden and loud and we could not figure out what it was until we looked out the window. For over five minutes, steady hail rained from the clouds. Hail...certainly something I did not expect to see here in Jerusalem. I think, due to misconceptions, I thought that Israel was hot and dry all the time. But these folks do experience winter and, while it is nominal compared to the United States and Canada, it does get cold, windy, rainy, and even snowy once in a blue moon. Sometimes, people can ski on biblical Mt. Hermon in the North.

This hailstorm prompted me to think about how frequently weather is mentioned in the Bible. Weather is not my favorite subject but God found it interesting enough to make reference to clouds, dew, frost, mist, storms, rain, thunder, lightning, wind, even hail. Many times he used weather to draw spiritual analogies for people.

After reading some weather-related verses, maybe the one I like the most is found in Acts 2:2. "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting." This event is especially meaningful to me right now, since this "wind" blew approximately one mile from where I am sitting right now.

I also like Genesis 8:22, because it reminds me of God's promises, and He always keeps His promises. "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." In most places on earth, the weather changes as seasons cycle through the year, a great reminder to us of the changing seasons in our own lives which bring with them opportunites for rest, labor, growth, and harvest.

Jerusalem Artichoke

 

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We thought that a Jerusalem artichoke was just a variety of artichoke. Wrong. Turns out that the name does not match the product. It is not native to Jerusalem, but the United States and Canada. (There are several theories as to why it came to be called "Jerusalem" artichoke, but I won't bore you with those details.) The Jerusalem artichoke is actually a type of sunflower, more commonly called sunroot or sunchoke. The tuber is the edible part.

It is interesting that we had to come all the way to Jerusalem to eat a misnamed plant that has been cultivated in our homeland for hundreds of years! Regardless, I'm glad we tried it because it is delicious. Jerusalem artichoke soup: perfect for warming chilly bodies.

Ahn-gleet? (English?)

In a high school French class, I remember Mrs. Kambarian asking us the following questions:
"What do you call a person who speaks three languages?"
Answer: Trilingual
"What do you call a person who speaks two languages?"
Answer: Bilingual
"What do you call a person who speaks one language?"
Amswer: An American

Mrs. Kambarian's quiz was designed to illustrate America's egotism and ignorance. I recognized her point but did not appreciate her backhanded slam. Yes, the world does not really revolve around America, but it is still a major player on the world's field. And, historically speaking, the more influential a nation, the more its language is spoken.

I suppose most Americans speak no languages other than English because they don't really need to. When I was in high school, I took two years of French, one year of German, and a semester of Spanish - not because I needed to, but because it expanded my education. Maybe I would use my foreign language skills some day, maybe not.

When traveling abroad, it becomes strikingly clear that, in the sense of being able to be understood by many people groups, Americans have an edge. English is the closest thing there is to an international language. It is the language of commerce and business. When we were in Singapore, signs on the busses encouraged the Chinese citizens to "Speak Better English."

Sometimes we meet people who do not want to communicate with us in English, although they can. In a way, I understand. After all, this is their country and the official language is Hebrew. (The other official language is Arabic. English and Russian are also widely understood and accepted.) I can't say for certain, but perhaps some of them resent the wide useage of English because it represents how the United States, England, and other English-based countries dominate the world's political-economic-business scene.

Regardless, it helps us that we are not completely at a loss communicating. If someone we meet does not speak ahn-gleet (English), we are never far from someone who is willing to translate for us.

Home Improvements

 

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Imagine that your bathroom consisted of all the basic components: sink, toilet, and shower. Not much imagination required, right? Factor in a shower that shares a floor with all the other components. Now, imagine that the shower drain is so malfunctional that even military showers are too luxurious to be feasible. For if your shower exceeds 1.24 minutes, you are sure to have water over the entire bathroom floor, which you must then squeegee and dry after your shower, waiting patiently for the drain to receive the water you send its way.

For about a month, this was our plight, which we took in stride. I was remembering that old prayer, "Help me accept the things I cannot change..."

Then, good ole' Boris came to our rescue. The tenant below us was getting water stains on their ceiling! Imagine that. So one day Boris came in with the plumber. This guy did a great job fixing the drain. He caulked around the drain and the wall. He left a terrible mess and it wasn't the neatest caulk job I've ever seen, but I'm not complaining, especially since Boris paid the plumber, not us. (Unlike American customs, here repairs are normally paid for by the tenant, not the property owner.) Yay! No more floods.

Not long after this wonderful event, some friends of ours bought a refrigerator for our apartment. This was icing on the cake (a whole-grain cake, of course). From my perspective, this new fridge brought home improvements up to a whole new level.
Our apartment came equipped with a dorm-size refrigerator. (That is the only size fridge that will fit into our pint-sized apartment.) But it had serious issues. It liked to freeze food, rather than simply keep it cool as normal refrigerators tend to do. It was possible to regulate it, but it would have required that we turn it on a few hours every day, then remember to turn it off, lest the fridge morph into a freezer.
The school has a very small refrigerator, so we stored a few things in it, trying to leave the students room for their beverages and food. In addition to the fact that we had to limit what we stored in their fridge, this was simply not convenient for us. Getting something out of this little fridge entailed unlocking our apartment door, crossing the hall to turn on the hall light, locking the apartment door, unlocking the hall door, locking the hall door, walking down one flight of stairs, unlocking the school door, retrieving the needed item from the refrigerator, then repeating the locking/unlocking procedure in reverse.
I promise - I was NOT complaining, but I happened to mention our refrigerator situation to our new friend Charlotte. I was simply discussing. After all, it's just one of those things. When you live in a foreign country, rather than fight what you cannot change, you simply accept certain things as normal. We have learned to adjust to inconveniences while maintaining a good attitude and smile (most of the time, anyway...knock on wood...). Evangelizing for a decade or so has taught me that being productive sometimes requires being personally inconvenienced. At this point, adjusting ourselves as necessary is just par for the course. We don't have to love our situation, but learning to live with it is much easier than being discontent and unhappy.
The long and short of this story is that the next thing we knew, James and Charlotte had ordered a new refrigerator for the apartment. The delivered it last Saturday and since then, life has been even better than before. Now, when we get a craving for a snack of hummus on toast, we don't have to leave the apartment!!
You know, it doesn't take much to make me happy. I was happy before, in spite of being inconvenienced by the lack of a functioning refrigerator. But now...I am triple happy. Thanks, James and Charlotte! May you never lack a functioning refrigerator!!

Crisis in Egypt

A fog has settled over the city of Jerusalem and steady rain and wind show no sign of abating anytime soon. As we enter another quiet Shabbat, it occurs to me that some family and friends might be wondering about our welfare, since Israel borders Egypt.

Egypt's Day of Rage escalated into more than we anticipated and we are keeping an eye on the situation and Mubarak's actions. We are not in danger. Cairo is a long way from Jerusalem and any repurcussions that may result from a change in leadership will probably not be felt here right away.

We have noticed a slight decrease in the value of the Israeli Shekel. That is good for us, since it means our U.S. dollar is worth a little more here, but it is an indication that investors in Israeli interests are being cautious. For more info on this, check out: http://www.mlive.com/opinion/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/02/guest_commentary_why_israel_fe.html

There is speculation that the ripple effect of these demonstrations and the possible leadership transition could alter the good relations that Egypt and Israel have enjoyed with each other for over 30 years. Egypt was the first country to develop a peace treaty with the modern state of Israel, doing so under the leadership of Anwar Sadat. (Jordan later followed Egypt's lead.)

Please be assured that all is well with us here in rainy but beautiful Jerusalem!

Rainy Day Bus Ride

Recently we've had several of those cozy rainy days, just right for snuggling up with a good book and a cup of chai tea. But chores have called us outdoors into the drizzle.

It doesn't seem like people here are the least bit upset about the rain. If they are complaining, we don't know enough Hebrew to understand their gripes. (I don't think they are perturbed, though, because they are expressive enough without speaking! And even their non-verbal expressions do not communicate aggravation about the weather.) Since we arrived here, we have heard people say, "We need rain...and a lot of it." This is a country desperately reliant on winter's rainfall to get them through the hot, dry summer, since they have insufficient water supplies without it.

Today found us out in this weather, chilled to the bone but not minding it one bit. While waiting at a bus stop, just barely under its shelter, we engaged some schoolgirls in conversation. They asked us if we knew "Justin Somebody." I was clueless but Bill was rescued since he had just seen an article about "Justin Somebody" on the Internet. (See, everyone once in a blue, blue moon that worthless time-consuming information comes in handy.) He must be a famous singer or movie star. One of the girls said, "I love him!" The girls all giggled. Switch the language and it could have been a conversation conducted in America.

A few minutes later, a mother walked by holding her son's hand as he reluctantly followed. He held his tongue out, hoping to catch some raindrops with it. We laughed; he was so cute. He reminded me of American children doing the same thing with falling snow.

Our bus arrived and we boarded. Whether it is getting a place on the bus to sit or stand, crossing the street, or shopping at the market, here in this country it is every man for himself. (The slogan "You snooze, you lose" comes to mind.)

It was interesting to watch as an elderly woman spoke to a younger woman, who immediately vacated her seat for her elder. That is a good example of not needing to speak much Hebrew to know what has been said!

We got off the bus, asked directions to our destination, walked quite a ways, got slightly lost, asked directions again, walked back the way we came, found our destination, accomplished our task, and headed back to the bus stop.

As we waited about 20 minutes, a young mother with four small children - one of them in a stroller - walked by. She was wet from head to toe but smiling. One of the little boys took advantage of the rain and splashed his feet in a puddle. It did not splash onto us, but I would not have minded if it had. After all, boys will be boys, no matter where they live!

Sorry, I didn't get any pictures of any of the great rainy-day events. (My camera is not deluge or even drizzle-proof.) But I was reminded of something important: People are the same no matter where you go. We may have language barriers and culture differences, but inside all of us are needs, hopes, dreams, and desires that are the same, regardless of our language, skin color, or lineage.