WOFFORD MISSIONS

HAPPY 62nd BIRTHDAY ISRAEL!

2010-04-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

We have much to post, including a field study trip to Northern Galilee & the Golan Heights and a return trip to Jordan . . . but we have been very busy with kitchen duties. There is another short term group here for a couple of weeks, including the JUC board of directors. Our numbers for breakfast & lunch fluctuate, depending on whether or not they are on campus for meals or going on their own field study trips. But at times we are feeding up to 150 people! I'm glad to report that yesterday's lunch was our last preparation for large numbers. We have rented a car with a couple of students and we're going to Tel Aviv this afternoon, returning later tonight. But that's another blog post for later . . .

I am making this post because Israel is celebrating 62 years of independent statehood, and it is very exciting around Jerusalem! Events began Sunday at 7pm at the Western Wall for "Remembrance Day", which is like our Memorial Day. We had just returned from a trip to Mt. Hermon, but got to the wall just in time for the ceremonies to begin. After going through security, we found a place in the crowd to witness this somber remembrance. There was a military procession, and then a siren blew throughout the city. Everyone stood still & silent for one full minute. Then there were speeches by President Shimon Peres, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi. It was, of course, all in Hebrew, but it was beautiful! I have posted a link to YnetNews. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3877869,00.html The wooden covered walkway is the entrance for non-Muslims desiring to walk to the Temple Mount, which is dominated by the Dome of the Rock. The protective covering has been recently added to prevent people from being hit by stones thrown from the other side.

This period of remembrance continues for 24 hours into yesterday, Monday morning. We were in the kitchen preparing lunch but knew to go up on the roof at precisely 11am when the siren blew again and Jerusalem came to a virtual standstill for another full minute. Cars & busses stop, with some passsengers getting out and standing still & silent. I could see people on balconies, rooftops, inside glass windowed cafes standing perfectly still. It was extremely moving to see.

Monday evening there was a ceremony at Mt. Herzel (where Theodor Herzl, founder of the Zionist movement, is buried along with some past prime ministers and military personnel) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Herzl. We didn't attend, but had been told that this ceremony marks the transition to the Independence/Birthday celebration. And what a party ensued!!! We walked down to Ben Yehuda Street in central Jerusalem and got in the middle of the extremely enthusiastic crowd for photos, music, food, beverages, and a visual of how important 1948 is to these people! Wonderful bands were playing, and people were spraying shaving cream, silly string, and "bebopping" each other on the head with huge inflatible plastic hammers. It was so much fun! We knew we had to get up at 5am today, but we stayed until about 11pm before heading back to campus. Winding our way through the crowd, I asked a couple of plain clothed girls if I could have my photo taken with them and their M16s. As soon as we got to our room, we heard fireworks and could see them through the trees from our bedroom window. For a better view, we ran up to the rooftop where other JUC folks joined us to watch the celebration in the sky over King David Hotel. We finally crawled into bed, with the sounds of celebration still being heard out in the city. As I was slumbering, more fireworks began! I just watched from our window, then put in my earplugs to get some sleep. I woke around 3am to go downstairs (and across the courtyard) to the bathroom and could still hear partying in the city! I'm tellin' ya' . . . they love their independence!!!

Tomorrow morning we'll get the short term group off to the Sea of Galilee until the weekend, and they depart Sunday evening. It's nice to just be "family" again, cooking for the students. There will be a military flyover President Peres' residence around 11:30am. Since he lives nearby, we'll interrupt lunch prep and go up on the rooftop for the airshow . . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISRAEL!

Shalom y'all

JUC Easter Picnic

2010-04-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

The Easter sunrise service at the Garden Tomb was over at 8:30am so we strolled back to JUC, walking around the perimeter of the Old City. The photo is taken just a short distance from campus. We crawled back into our unmade beds and took a nap before the BBQ and party on the JUC lawn at 3p. All of the staff and students, those living on & off campus, came for a feast of barbecued kabobs (thanks to Tim & Dr. Wright), assorted veggie dishes & salads, and delicious desserts! That's Abby helping Diane Wright serve iced tea & lemonade. Always the willing & cheerful servant, she is . . . and her husband!

It was a beautiful afternoon. Several of the students had manicured the lawn and pruned the garden. Children of some of the married students were there to enjoy an easter egg hunt. There were games and plenty of food & relaxed conversation to go around . . .

It was the perfect ending to a perfect Easter Sunday in Jerusalem!

Shalom y'all

Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T10:39:00.001-07:00

Even though we had just returned from a field study trip to northern Galilee and the Golan Heights Saturday night, we went to bed early and got up at 4am to attend the sunrise service at the Garden Tomb. It was beautiful! There was a praise & worship team, complete with band instruments and we sang songs familiar to all of us. Most of those in attendance were from the States, with others from all over the world. But the majority of us were Christians, and it was a very joyous & peaceful service with an inspiring message. The speaker told of a book he had read titled "Events That Changed the World: Over 50 Major Events That Have Changed the World in the Past 100 Years". Then he talked about the resurrection of Jesus and how it is the single event in history that has changed everything for all eternity! It was very good. And it was wonderful to listen and participate while looking at an empty tomb, and feeling His presence all around us!

Some of the JUC students had attended the midnight service at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and they said it was not a pleasant experience. It was extremely crowded and rather chaotic. Though they were tired, they were glad they stayed awake for the Garden Tomb service. We took a photo of four of our guys. Apparently Todd was thinking Easter bunny!

We are glad we went, too! The video is not ours, but a representative one I found on youtube. I'm actually in it for a split second on the far left, but it's not worth trying to pinpoint it. It was just enough to be there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z2R6PKrRUg

Shalom y'all!

Galilee, 20-23 MAR 2010

2010-03-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

We boarded our bus at Jaffa Gate and headed out at 7:30am on Saturday, heading northwest to the Coastal Plain & Sharon Plain. Dr. Wright had to return to the states as his dad is ill, & Cyndi Parker took up his mantle with the "Physical Settings" field study . . . she did a good job! We took sooooooooooooooo many photos, but posted the best representative of each site. We still haven't had success putting captions on the individual photos, so you'll have to do the work! I made several posts for this trip, trying to put photos & related text on the same page . . .

Our first stop was Caesarea Maritime, Herod the Great's magnificent palace site on the Mediterranean. I'm not sure I've personally seen anything more beautiful! It has been one of the highlights of my trip thus far. He built it in 28 BC in honor of his beloved Ceasar Augustus and it was a challenge of nature, jutting out into the Med. But we're finding out that Herod liked challenges! The hippodrome (open air stadium for horse & chariot racing), a portion of the aqueduct (photo of Nat on top), and theater still remain through preservation. The theater still has concerts. I would love to go to one, listening & watching the sun set over the Med, but haven't found the schedule of events yet. A portion of the incredible harbor remains, and a dive shop is available for anyone wanting to see the underwater antiquities.

It was from Caesarea Maritime that a Roman Centurion, Cornelius, saw a vision that told him to send for Simon Peter (Acts 10). After Peter's arrival, Cornelius and his family became the first New Testament Gentile converts to the Gospel. The apostle Paul became a Roman prisoner after a riot against what he taught broke out in Jerusalem. When a plot to ambush and kill Paul was discovered he was immediately taken, under Roman protection, to Caesarea (Acts 21-23). Soon after his arrival in Caesarea. Paul's case was heard by Roman governor Felix. The governor, however, kept Paul a prisoner in the city for two years in the hope that money would be offered to secure his release (Acts 24:26-27). It was only after Felix was replaced as governor, and Paul requested that Caesar himself hear his case, that he left the city.

I wanted to stay, but we then traveled northeast through the Carmel mountain range to Mt Carmel & the Jezreel Valley (Yizre'el). From every vantage on this trip, we could see Mt. Gilboa, Mt. Moreh & Mt. Tabor. We could see Megiddo in the distance and TransJordan beyond. Periodically, we could see snowcapped Mt. Hermon as we travelled to the Golan Heights.

Galilee, 20-23 MAR 2010

2010-03-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Along our drive, we saw several first century tombs right on the highway!

After a day of climbing & hiking, we made our way to Ein Gev kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee. This is where we stayed the three nights of our trip. Our cabana room was right on the water's edge with Tiberias across the Sea. It was absolutely beautiful! A kibbutz (Hebrew for "gathering, clustering") is a community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism. In recent decades, many kibbutzim have been privatized and changes have been made in the communal lifestyle. A member of a kibbutz is called a kibbutznik. Ein Gev has about 250 residents, with tourism and agriculture comprising its two main income-generating activities. The facility we stayed in is an actual tourist resort.

Sunday after breakfast (the food at Ein Gev is wonderful), we went to the ruins of Beit She'an which sits 17 miles south of the Sea of Galilee. Destroyed by an earthquake in 789AD, it was excavated in the '20s & '30s, resulting in exposing one column. It was again excavated extensively in 1989. The ruins visible today are a spectacular sight (photo of us in front of excavated ruins). Here sat an Egyptian governor's residence, so it became known by some as "Little Egypt". Beit She'an is where the decapitated bodies of Saul & his sons were brought after they died in the battle of Mt. Gilboa, Saul committing suicide after being wounded (I Samuel 31).
We drove past Harod Springs (no photo), where God instructed Gideon to cull the 32, 000 men down to 300 after telling him, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands . . ." The final determination was down to the men who lapped their drinking water from their hands at the springs. It's a good read from the 7th chapter of Judges.

Galilee, 20-23 MAR 2010

2010-03-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Our next stop was Tel Megiddo, 25 times built & destroyed. King David built the 16th layer. The waterworks & stables were built by King Ahab for his many horses & chariots. British General Edmund Allenby conquered the Turks during a WWI battle here. The War of 1948 ended in the extensive plains of Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley, where many believe the battle of Armeggedon will take place. (Revelation 16:16 & 19:11-21) It was thrilling to contemplate, as believers will participate (v.14)! We took a photo of the site from the Tel. The landscaped farmland belies the Apostle John's revelation of blood as high as the horses' bridles.

We then drove to Nazareth and sat on a high overlook on the edge of town, over the Jezreel Valley. It is here that tradition says Jesus was taken by the crowd to be thrown down, and he ultimately walked right through the throng of people and went on his way (Luke 4:16-30). And sure enough, something quite good came from Nazareth. I took a photo of Nat on edge of the precipice.

On to Tzippori (Sepphoris) which governed as the capital of the Sea of Galilee until Herod Antipas moved the capital to Tiberias. We visited a Roman mansion which had lovely mosaics. And we saw ancient Cana in the distance. (No photos)

We drove up, up, up to the Turon Ridge and climbed, climbed, climbed a lookout built during the 1948 war. It provided an excellent view. We were not the only ones there though. An Arab family had apparently gone there for a picnic. They cranked up their music, the young started dancing, the men sat on a blanket and smoked their elaborate water pipe, and "Mama" fired up the grill! Well, that's all the JUC kids needed to see. One by one, they climbed down from the lookout and joined in the fun. Our bus driver, Hani, was delighted and broke out some snacks of his own. Soon it was one big party! After about an hour, we headed back to Ein Gev for another delicious meal and good night's sleep.

Day three started at Rosh Pinna in the Huleh Valley, an agricultural region in northern Israel. Rosh Pinna was founded in 1882 by thirty immigrant families from Romania, making it one of the oldest Zionist settlements in Israel. We then went to what remains of Tel Hazor (photo of Nat in front of part of the ruins), where Joshua defeated the king (and his kingdoms), ". . .not sparing anything that breathed, and he burned up Hazor itself." Joshua 11

We drove through Kiryat Shmona (no photo), on the western slopes of the Huleh Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai (where we will return to this next weekend with another class field study & stay at a kibbutz). Kiryat Shmona's location close to the Lebanon border makes it a rich target for cross-border attacks. In the years 2000-2006, the locals enjoyed relative peace but suffered from loud explosions every few weeks because of Hezbollah anti-aircraft cannons fired at Israeli Air Force planes flying across the Israeli-Lebanese border. During the 2006 Lebanon War, the city was again the target of Hezbollah Katyusha rocket attacks. Approximately half of the city’s residents had left the area, and the other half who remained stayed in bomb shelters. During the war, a total of 1,012 Katyusha rockets hit Kiryat Shmona.

Galilee, 20-23 MAR 2010

2010-03-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

We went to Tel Dan, identified with the Biblical city of Dan, the northernmost city in the Kingdom of Israel and known as Laish prior to its conquest by the tribe of Dan (Judges 18). It is a lush, beautiful place with lots of foliage, flowers, springs, flowing water, and a very refreshing wading pool! Including in the remains is the only mud brick arched gate in existence . . . for those interested. Jeroboam set up a cultic site here (I Kings 12). Got a photo of Nat rummaging through this site. From north facing embattlement trenches and a lookout, we saw the remains of a destroyed Syrian tank from one of the wars.

Our next stop was another favorite of mine, and mentioned in the gospels of Matthew & Mark. Caesarea Philippi, named for Caesar Augustus & Herod's third son, Philip. The territory first belonged to Cleopatra, but the beautiful remains are attributed to the Herod Family. Say what you want about Herod the Great & Sons, but they were absolutely ingenious when it came to building palaces! Caesarea Philippi reminded me of Petra, as the remains we saw are carved into the red rock mountain . . . absolutely stunning! Caesarea Philippi wasn't anything like I had pictured it in my mind all these years . . .

Galilee, 20-23 MAR 2010

2010-03-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

We then went to the excavation site of Omrit. Located in the northeast corner of the Huleh Valley on the foot of the Golan Heights, the ancient site of Omrit sits atop a foothill of Mount Hermon. After a brushfire cleared the area and revealed some interesting hewn stone in 1998, archeologists from Macalester College of St. Paul, Minnesota began excavating. Thus far excavations have yielded three phases of Roman temple construction approximated at mid first century BC, 20BC and first century AD. It sits on the Roman road to Damascus and it is curious to ponder whether Saul of Tarsus had made it this far before his encouter with the Lord? We had a lot of fun crawling all over the site looking for treasures. I did find a small piece of marble which is interesting because it is not a stone native to the area and any marble had to be brought in from Greece or somewhere, but left it for the Macalester students. Nat gathered up some seeds of Israel's variety of our Texas bluebonnet . . . except much larger! Since the pods are still green, not sure if the seed will be viable but going to try them and see.

We drove past areas where battles took place in the 1967 "Six Day War" & the 1973 "Yom Kippur War". In both conflicts Israel won, pushing the border to Damascus and both times giving it back to Syria . . . mistake? Israel did keep areas atop the Golan Heights, primarily 2 extinct volcanoes which, allow excellent viewing and military vantages in regard to keeping an eye on any future military buildups. Plus, there is an additional buffer zone (DMZ) which is enforced by UN troops. During peace negotiations after '73 war, it is said Prime Minister Golda Meier gave Defense Minister Moshe Dayan strict instructions to "Keep the volcanoes." It was already dark when we arrived this site, but we'll be going again and take photos.

Another good night's rest, and we checked out of our rooms after breakfast on Tuesday. I made my way down to the water's edge, at least dipping my toe in the Sea of Galilee. I didn't test walking on the water. Nat never got in, but sure had fun saying, "I swam today where Jesus walked." Before leaving the area we went to Ein Gev Harbor, which is part of the kibbutz operation, and went out onto the Sea in one of their boats. We anchored in the middle of the Sea while Cyndi pointed out the physical settings around us as they relate to the Bible and places Jesus & his disciples would have been. Different political systems surrounded the Sea in that day. Locals would most likely cross the Sea by boat to avoid taxations on land, from one area to another.

On to Kursi, and the ruins of a Byzantine monastery. This is another site where tradition has Jesus healing the demon possessed. Cyndi used this opportunity to remind us that Matthew's gospel was written to the Jews, Mark wrote to the Romans, and Luke to the Greeks. Many times, depending on who Jesus was talking to as he traveled (even in regions surrounding the Sea of Galilee) He would caution the Jews, "Don't tell (what I have done for you) . . .", so as to not stir things up. Other times, He would say to the Romans, "Go tell . . .", because they weren't looking for a Messiah & Jesus then wanted to stimulate thought and discussion. I found this insightful. They not only grow huge "bluebonnets" in Israel, but take a look at the dandelion Nat is holding!

Galilee, 20-23 MAR 2010

2010-03-30T09:00:00.001-07:00

On the drive to Capernum, we just had to stop and at least look at the Jordan River! Then on to Capernaum, where Jesus & the disciples spent much of their time while in Galilee. Matthew was a tax collector, and Jesus called him to follow here. The remains of Peter's home are here. A church has been built on top of it, but I was able to take a photo of part of it. All of the disciples, except for Judas, were from northern Galilee. Lots of good fishing at Capernaum! We've posted a photo of me with our leader & now good friend, Cyndi Parker! We're standing very near footprints of Jesus Nat discovered on the Sea of Galilee behind us . . . :)

We stopped the bus at a site where Jesus possibly taught His sermon on the mount. We sat in a wheat field while one of the students, Casey, recited the majority from memory. It was very enjoyable & peaceful. On the way back to J-Town, we drove through modern Tiberias & stopped at Mt. Arbel where everyone (but me) climbed down the steep cliff and explored the cave dwellings and then rock climbed back to the top. It would have been novice work for rock climber Natalie, but Nat had a great time!

Nat says that the Galilee is the only area of Israel he has seen so far that he would even consider giving up Texas to live in. Words are easy!

So, goodbye to Galilee until Thursday when we return with Dr. John Kaplan's "Historical & Social Settings of Modern Israel" class. This should be equally interesting as we travel the borders of Lebanon, Syria, & Jordan discussing the various military conflicts . . . just as long as we're not a moving target!

Shalom y'all

Easter & Passover in Jerusalem

2010-03-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Things are in high gear in J-Town as Easter & Passover are both being celebrated this week. The Old City is spit & polished and Israeli flags are flying high & proud!

Yesterday, after attending Palm Sunday services at Christ Church, we walked to the outside of the Old City eastern wall to watch the commemorative procession down from the Mt. of Olives and into the city. It wasn't a re-enactment with Jesus on a donkey, but a celebration with flags waving, drums beating, and the growing crowd singing & dancing. At the base of the mount, Nat & I saw a group of very enthusiastic people dancing their way down. I said, "I'd wager that the JUC students are involved in that!" And sure enough . . . by the time they passed us, they were yelling, "Nat & Shirley, come on with us!!!" So we did! It was so much fun! Tourists, local Believers, priests, nuns . . . all having the time of their lives celebrating the King of Kings! I noticed the streets & Via Dolorosa were lined with curious Jews. One Jewish policeman asked Nat to explain the palm branches we were waving. After a very good explanation, and a thank you from the officer, Nat said to me, "I should have said, 'You explain it to me . . . your people started it!' "

The crowd ended at the courtyard of St. Anne's Church (traditional site of Jesus' grandmother's house . . . Mary's mother). A live band was set up and the celebration continued. Nat & I finally gave up and made our way back to dinner. This evening is the beginning of Passover. For the past several weeks, the Jews have been systematically cleaning their homes and particularly removing any leaven. Stores have cleared their shelves for the week of any leavened products. Smoke is rising all over Jerusalem today . . . not from acts of violence, but as items removed from homes are burned. "Tradition, tradition!"

I would love to have been invited into a home for a seder meal, but alas, no. We had a pseudo sader (just fun to say) last Friday night as part of our shabbat. I enjoyed it, but not the same. We'll be gone on Good Friday for a three day field study to northern Israel, but will be back Saturday night. I'm planning to get up and join the crowds for the sunrise service at the Garden Tomb. Seems a shame to be here and not, huh?

Pesach Shalom y'all (Passover Peace)

Negev, Wadi Zin, Masada, Dead Sea, 06-08 MAR 2010

2010-03-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

Negev, Wadi Zin, Masada, Dead Sea, 06-08 MAR 2010

2010-03-14T12:14:00.001-07:00

Negev, Wadi Zin, Masada, Dead Sea, 06-08 MAR 2010

2010-03-14T12:07:00.001-07:00

Negev, Wadi Zin, Masada, Dead Sea, 06-08 MAR 2010

2010-03-14T12:00:00.001-07:00

Negev, Wadi Zin, Masada, Dead Sea, 06-08 MAR 2010

2010-03-14T11:54:00.001-07:00

Negev, Wadi Zin, Masada, Dead Sea, 06-08 MAR 2010

2010-03-14T10:51:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month, we went with Dr. Wright's "Physical Settings" class to the Negev. It was three full days of our own wanderings in the desert!

We got there by first passing through the The Shephelah (the lowland) in south-central Israel. We stood where we could see the areas of Judah, Benjamin & Dan which includes Zorah where Samson was born & buried. Dr. Wright read passages from the book of Judges and talked about the battles that ensued in the valley below us. We envisioned Samson trekking to Timnah to take a Philistine woman as his wife. Judges 14:4 says, "His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel." It's all recorded in the Bible, but in the end Samson took his own life and crying out, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And, "thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived." His body was returned to Zorah where he was buried.

We visited the battle site where David slew Goliath, and viewed Gath (Goliath's hometown) at a distance. Then on to the ruins of Lachish. During Old Testament times Lachish served an important protective function in defending Jerusalem and the interior of Judea. The easiest way to get a large attacking army (such as an Assyrian army), up to Jerusalem was to approach from the coast. Lachish was one of several city/forts guarding the canyons that lead up to Jerusalem and greater Judea. In order to lay siege to Jerusalem an invading army would first have to take Lachish, which guarded the mountain pass. During the reign of Hezekiah, King of Judah, the Assyrians, under King Sennacherib, attempted to take Jerusalem, and, in that campaign, succeeded in taking Lachish (see 2 Chronicles 32:9 and Isaiah 36:1-3). Modern excavation of the site has revealed that the Assyrians built a stone and dirt ramp up to the level of the Lachish city wall, thereby allowing the soldiers to charge up the ramp and storm the city. Excavations revealed approximately 1,500 skulls in one of the caves near the site, and hundreds of arrowheads on the ramp and at the top of the city wall, indicating the ferocity of the battle.

We visited the ancient ruins of the Canaanite city of Tel Arad. A "tel" is a hill or mound, and the word is commonly used to reference archaeological sites of ancient cities. Habitatation of Tel Arad by the Israelites began in the 11th century BC, after being abandoned for some 1500 years. A fortress was erected on the site, apparently during the reign of King Solomon in the second half of the 10th century BC. After the destruction of the first temple in the year 586 BC, the Arad fortress continued to serve as a military transit station during the time of the Persian rule. Then the Romans had possession and turned it into a stronghold, but ceased functioning in this capacity sometime during the 2nd century BC. After its capture by the Arabs in the 7th century AD, it served as a wayside inn until its destruction in the 8th century AD. Tel Arad has remained uninhabited ever since. We spent our two nights at a youth hostel in modern Arad, a small lovely community up in the desert. It is mostly a Jewish population.

On Sunday we went to Tel Beer Sheva (Beersheba). This is the land where Abraham would have shepherded. The remains of Tel Beer Sheva attest to its habitation in the fourth millennium BC. After a gap of more than 2,000 years (at the end of the second millenium BC, the Iron Age, also known as the Israelite period) settlement was renewed. It was then continuously occupied for about 500 years, finally as a fortress for the Herodians, then the Romans & finally the Arabs. There is a well at the entrance to the city and some suggest that it is connected to the one mentioned in Genesis 21:27-32 in the story of the alliance of Abraham and Isaac with the Philistines at Beer Sheva. The oath sworn at the well gave the city its name (sheva means "seven" and "oath" in Hebrew).

We visited the burial site of David & Paula Ben Gurion which overlooks the Wadi Zin. He was the leader of the Zionist movement and first prime minister of Israel. After leading Israel to victory in 1948, he oversaw the immigration of vast numbers of Jews from all over the world. Upon retiring from political life in 1970, he moved to Sde Boker, a kibbutz in the Negev, where he lived until his death.

We then went into the Wadi Zin, a ravine on the northern fringes of En Avedat which is a canyon in the Negev Desert. We walked deep in the canyon, finally climbing narrow steps up to the top. It was absolutely beautiful! I'm guessing Moses & the Israelites might disagree with me after being in the area for forty years! We experienced a mild early spring day, compared to the heat of the summer when the temperature can reach over 120 degrees! It would have been a perfect trek, except that two large groups of young people showed up at the same time we did . . . one being young Israeli boys & girls on a field trip, and the other being 120 young Ethopian Jewish boys who immigrated here three years ago and now call Israel "home". They were screaming, blowing trumpets, singing, clapping as we were attempting to single file climb out of the ravine. Suddenly, these young men just started scaling the rock around us! It wouldn't have been a concern except that one rock loosened could have started a dangerous landslide. In the end, we all made it out just fine. I think we got just an inkling of what Moses had to deal with in herding all those people around!

Once out of the wadi, we drove to a lookout over the wilderness. In one photo, notice I'm sitting on the edge of a precipice. It doesn't look all that impressive until you look at the next photo where I have on my blue jacket and have walked a distance away . . . with the cliffline in the background! What was I thinking?!?!?!?!?!

Monday we drove to Masada. Just like Petra, it gave me chills. It is majestic like Petra, but the history is what gets you. This stronghold overlooking the Dead Sea was the site on which Herod the Great erected some of his most daring buildings, including a three tiered palace on the cliffline. Masada is also the scene of one of the most dramatic episodes in human history, when 960 Zealot defenders preferred to kill themselves rather than surrender to the Romans three years after the destruction of the second temple by Titus in 70 AD. The only source of its history is the contemporary account by Josephus. The account of the siege of Masada was related to Josephus by two women who survived the suicide by hiding inside a cistern along with five children, and repeated Eleazar ben Ya'ir's exhortations to his followers, prior to the mass suicide, verbatim to the Romans. Because Judaism strongly discourages suicide, Josephus reported that the defenders killed their families and drew lots to kill each other in turn, down to the last man who would be the only one to actually take his own life. Josephus records a dramatic speech in which Eleazar ordered his men to destroy everything except the foodstuffs to show that the defenders retained the ability to live, and so chose their own death over slavery. There is considerable debate among historians today as to the accuracy of Josephus account. Whether fact or fiction, Masada is absolutely magnificent in appearance! My experience was magnified as we climbed up to the top alongside the siege ramp built by the Romans. As we reached the top, we encountered a celebration of shofars, drums, wild singing, clapping & dancing . . . it a was a bar mitzvah! The large group went from site to site atop Masada, carrying the Torah with them. Along the way, the honored carrier would kiss it. I never saw the young honoree, a lad soon to be a man. He was surrounded by too many happy guests! Dr. Wright said that even Jews from the US will charter planes to bring guests to Masada for their young boy's 13 yr old hallmark celebration. Another interesting note for the day was wherever there was a crowd of people, there were plain clothed men carrying rifles over their shoulders. I was told that it is necessary for protection and mandatory for school outings.

After descending Masada (several of us opted for the easy cable car down), we drove to the Dead Sea for a swim (bob). One of our guys remarked, "It was kinda like swimming in jello." You can't help but float, but it was cool & refreshing. Some of the kids swam around a bend where there are pools of mud mineral deposits. They coated themselves and then swam back to the clear water to wash off. This is the stuff they bottle up and sell for large amounts of money in the cosmetic/spa industries. Nat & I preferred to just float for a while. I kept my head above water because the salt content was just too strong and I didn't want to get it in my eyes. I tasted salt for a long while after swimming, as it came in through my pores. And even after showering twice, I still felt a little sting if I rubbed my eyes with my fingers.

After grilled hot dogs on the "beach" (thanks to Dr. Wright & our bus driver), we drove just across the road and down a bit to En Gedi, specifically the Wadi David. Talk about a contrast! This oasis in the desert is lush with greenery & multiple waterfalls into pools of clear, cool water. The name Wadi David comes from the tradition that it was in this area that David hid from Saul in caves. One close encounter is recorded in I Samuel 24 where David spares Saul's life. One of our students had a close encounter of his own while attempting to climb up a waterfall. Halfway up, he realized the remainder of the climb was extremely slippery with moss. As he maneuvered, I prayed. He managed to inch his way back down (with the help of another student in the shallow pool below) and finally just jumped. I was so glad to get my hands on that boy! I gave him a big hug . . . and got really, really wet . . .

Last stop before heading back to JUC in time for dinner was Qumran. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the hiding place of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of the sheer desert cliffs. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of about 900 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves by a young Bedouin shepherd. The most complete document is the scroll of Isaiah.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_sea_scrolls

I cannot adequately relay how impressive these field studies are with Dr. Wright. I can only attempt to journal a few thoughts to give a sense of what an opportunity we have been given! I know it will be helpful to label photos, and I will as soon as I figure out how! Just start with the first photo at the beginning and work down toward the text . . . . . . . . .

Next weekend, we will journey to the Sea of Galilee for another three days . . . oh my . . .

Shalom y'all

Samaria & Vespers, 26 FEB

2010-03-02T11:59:00.001-08:00

Samaria & Vespers Testimony 26 FEB

2010-03-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

On our latest field study trip while driving through Samaria, we saw where Jacob tended the land all those years with Leah while waiting for younger sister Rachel's hand; thanks alot Laban. The land was portioned to his sons and their descendents. We saw some of the most beautiful countryside yet as we traveled through Joseph's allotment (Genesis 49-22-26), later divided between his sons Ephraim & Manasseh (known as the "half tribes").

We spent time on Mount Gerazim, the site of Israel shouting out blessings across the valley to Mount Ebal (Deut 11). We visited a community of Samaritans, one of only 2 left worldwide comprising just 750 people (here at Mt. Gerazim & Tel Aviv where some have gone for work). They numbered over a million prior to 1917 when their population dwindled to just over a hundred. The priest took time to explain some of the heritage of the Samaritan sect, and their belief in the Messiah's coming in the end times. In a typically Eastern mentality, the importance of claiming priority in traditions and practices shone through. They see themselves as the main heirs of Moses and in possession of the original scroll of the Pentateuch, as well as the oldest written language. hmmmmmm

They mainly want to live in peace and claim their right to exist in the "old ways", which includes a right to land and animal sacrifice. We have learned that you can purchase "tickets" to the Passover ritual. I'll pass over this. . . They speak Arabic, worship in a synagogue, and sure do think a lot of Jesus. Dr. Wright said that being such a small sect, they just can't afford to tick anybody off! I said they need a banner stretching across the entrance to their one street through their lovely little town "Why Can't We All Just Get Along". I was fascinated with them . . . Oh yeah, and about that dwindling population? They are always in the market for women to increase their numbers. Anybody interested???

Later on in the day we spent time at the biblical site of Shiloh, a venue for the tabernacle before it got moved around and ended up in Jerusalem. Although raining off and on all day,the bottom dropped out while we were there, and we found shelter in old Byzantine church remains for our picnic lunch (see video clip).

Back to JUC in time for shabbat dinner and vespers service. It was our privilege to speak to the students that night. Nat introduced the Beltway video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0uHnr3pnpA by saying, in short, that sometimes blessings come from tragedy (of course referencing Kenzley). Then we showed the video. I spoke briefly afterward telling them that we sent a birthday gift to our granddaughter who would be celebrating her fourth the next day, February 27th. I said that I personally don't know a parent, or grandparent, who doesn't want to bless their children. We get that Godly characteristic from our Father, who also wants to bless us as His children. But that is not His purpose. His purpose is to redeem mankind, and He wants to partner with us in that process. He also is preparing each of us to rule & reign with Him in eternity. The testimony of our lives (especially in the tough stuff) overcomes the enemy, witnesses to others of a sustaining faith, and readies us for our eternal assignment. I also said that when difficulties come into our lives, and they surely will, we can do one of several things. We can turn away, turn inward, or press into Him to find out what He is wanting to teach us. For me, it has been about the realities of Heaven. I believe that on a large scale the Church of Jesus Christ has lost interest in learning about our future home. I expanded just a bit, using Colossians 3:1-4. I hope these students will not only study where Jesus walked . . . but where we will walk with Him.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is you life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

It was good in that it served to put us in even closer relationship with the students, and some have wanted to talk further . . .

Shalom y'all

Wadi Qilt, Jericho, Nebi Samwil, Gezer 20 FEB

2010-03-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

Wadi Qilt, Jericho, Nebi Samwil, Gezer 20 FEB

2010-02-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 20th, we went on a "Physical Settings" field study trip to the area of Benjamin and Ephraim which includes Wadi Qilt in the Judean desert of the West Bank, Jericho of OT and NT, Nebi Samwil, and ended the day at Gezer.

The wilderness is a vast, beautiful place. But I wouldn't want to travel it by foot . . . or spend the night out there! (Gen 49:27) A Wadi is the channel of a watercourse (we would call it a deep valley or canyon) that is dry except during periods of rainfall. Jerusalem is on the western ridge and has rainfall of approx 24" per year while Jericho less than 15 miles to the east gets only 2". The Wadi Qilt is very deep and a barrier to traffic both foot and vehicular. Travelers must trek alongside it rather than cut across it. This is what Jesus and the disciples would have done traveling from Jericho to Jerusalem. This is probably the area Jesus was referencing in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Needless to say very rough, rugged, desolate, and foreboding terrain.

We then went to New Testament Jericho and visited the site of another Herodian palace. Herod the Great was quite innovative. Here he had the bricks laid in a diamond pattern, making it more sound. He also had a bridge built to span the Wadi Qilt for when waters were on the rise.

We arrived Old Testament Jericho (Joshua Chapter 6) at high noon, and it was very hot. The group, including Nat, went into the site where he saw the excavated remains of the oldest known building, a pre-pottery Neolithic A (8500-7500 BC) tower...see pic. I opted to sit in the shade of a palm tree, amid all the other tourists. I had my sunglasses on and was resting my head on a large clay pot watching the world go by, but apparently looking as though I was napping. A group of Chinese tourists decided to take one another's photo next to me. This happened to me once before on a bench seat across the street from the Garden of Gethsemane. That time it was a group of young Asian guys who weren't shy at all about sliding in next to me for a photo op. I'm not sure what it is about me, but they sure do find me fascinating! Perhaps they think me a rare Israeli antiquity?

We then went to Nebi Samwil (City of Samuel and traditionally the site of his tomb but probably not accurate inspite of the highway roadsign!). It is a Palestinian village just north of Jerusalem. We climbed atop a building which serves as both a synagogue and a mosque! From the roof we could see Jerusalem (City of David) and City of Saul (and other locales). We sat and listened, using our imaginations, as Dr. Wright read about Joshua and the Israelites and all of the chases & battles that took place below us. From this same vantage, it was amazing to see how close in proximity the two capitols of Saul & David were.

Our last stop was at Gezer to see the remains and one of Solomon's six chambered gates, which had been excavated by JUC students and staff (in the 1970's, I think). The surrounding hill country of Ephraim/Benjamin was absolutely lush and green with panoramic views of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean.

We also saw some large upright stones. Archeologists suggest that the stones represent a treaty between the city of Gezer and nine other Canaanite city states. Rituals related to a treaty between these cities were probably performed here. Amid them was an altar. But what was important to the students? Who can climb up to the top of one faster . . . the girls or the boys!

Shalom y'all

Thirty-five years ago today . . . . .

2010-02-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a very loving family, though not particularly religious. I doubt that anyone would have denied God's existence, and my two sisters & I were taken to Sunday School, but we just didn't talk about Jesus or discuss Christianity. And the huge Bible which would have provided everything we needed to know sat unopened on the living room shelf . . .

I was a rebellious teenager, and continued to make bad choices into my young adult life. One day a very good friend, Ann, told me that she had re-dedicated her life to Christ . . . huh???? And she expended a tremendous amount of time trying to convince me that I needed Him in my life, too. My response, "I'm glad for you, but it's just not for me."

One Friday afternoon . . . specifically February 21, 1975 I was finishing up my day as a secretary with the utility company in Corpus Christi, Texas. I was reading the newspaper and a very small public notice in the classified section caught my eye: "Gardendale Baptist Church will present the film The Rapture tonight at 7pm". Well, Ann had told me about this mysterious catching away of Christians and I thought, "Wow! If they can capture this on film I want to see it!" So, I called Ann and asked if she had any plans that evening. She coolly replied, "No, whatcha got in mind?" When I asked if she wanted to see the film with me, she said sure and asked what time she could pick me up. I told her I would meet her at the church, because I wanted my own car to attend a party afterward (I knew she wouldn't want to go to this particular party).

I met her in the church foyer and as we entered the sanctuary she said, "Hey, there are two seats in the middle of this row. Okay with you?" It was great with me because it was close to the back of the church! So we made our way in and sat down in time for the film to begin. It really wasn't very good. In retrospect, how do you capture such an event anyway? When it ended, a visiting evangelist spoke. I don't remember anything he said, but God was closing in on me! At the close of his message, the evangelist said, "I don't always do this, but I want to ask a question . . . If you were to die when you leave tonight, and you know for certain you will go to Heaven, I want you to stand up." I was caught! There I was sitting next to Ann. I had told her, repeatedly, that her "religion" wasn't for me. If I stood, I was a liar. And as most around me stood, I remained seated and for the first time felt something I had never heard of or felt before. Conviction.

The evangelist asked that those who remained seated make their way to the front for prayer. It was as if I didn't even feel my legs take me from the middle of that row, down the aisle, to the altar. In retrospect, I appreciate God's sense of humor in dealing with my pride issue. It would have been a much easier and closer walk had I not been sitting all the way in the back of the church! I knelt down, trying to decide what to say. The only two prayers I knew to date were "Now I lay me down to sleep" and "God is great, God is good, and we thank Him for this this food." Neither seemed to apply. So I said, "God, Ann says you are real and that she has a personal relationship with you. If this is true, I believe I need you in my life because nothing else seems to be working for me." I opened my eyes to realize that I was the only adult kneeling at the altar. There I was with about dozen small children who had come to give their hearts to Jesus. To his credit, the evangelist came to me and asked if we could talk for a few minutes. We went to a side pew where he went through some scriptures with me, explaining my need for a saviour, and prayed with me again. Something else I had never felt before . . . Peace.

We went to Ann's mother's home after the service (I completely forgot about the party I was to go to). I found out that early that morning, Ann's mother "Molly" called her, "Would you like to believe God for a miracle today?"

Ann, "Sure. What's up?"

Molly, "I just read in the newspaper that Gardendale Baptist Church is showing a film on the rapture tonight. Let's pray that Shirley will want to go."

Ann, "Okay! I'll call her and ask her."

Molly, "That's not a miracle. Let's pray and believe that she'll want to go without prompting." Well, you can imagine Ann's surprise when I called her at 4:45 that afternoon asking if she wanted to go see the film.

There I sat that night in Molly's living room experiencing something else for the first time . . . pure, unadulterated joy! After a short while, people began showing up I had never met before. I found out that Ann and these people had been gathering two nights a week for the past year praying for my salvation. Ann had called them and told them to be at the church that night to continue to pray. They arrived early and sat in a way to form a "prayer circle" in the pews, with two seats available in the middle. God and Ann knew I would want to sit in the back!

I have stayed in touch with Ann & Molly over these years. Her little sister, Susan, and I are now best friends. She was part of the "conspiracy", too, and I'm forever grateful to the Bludworth Family. And I'm glad to say that everyone in my family are now Christians, too. God just needs a seed . . .

Today is Sunday and here I am in Jerusalem (who would have guessed). It's been a wonderful day as Nat & I attended Christ Church and I've reflected on these 35 years since that Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas. So much has happened since I walked that aisle and gave my heart to Jesus! Those little children who prayed alongside me that night would be young adults now. I hope their journey with the Lord has been as meaningful as mine. I'll ask them someday . . . soon I think. Because He who called me is faithful.

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city . . . The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life . . . He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Revelation 22

"Let us rejoice and be glad, and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear. Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.
Revelation 19:7-8

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Got your robe washed?

Shalom y'all
Shirley

Mt. of Olives, Herodian & Bethlehem, 13 FEB

2010-02-19T11:36:00.001-08:00

Mt. of Olives, Herodian & Bethlehem

2010-02-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

Part of our semester duties is to prepare bus lunches for the field study trips. And since we get to particpate in the "Physical Settings" class trips . . . we made enough for us, too! We got up early last Saturday, 13 Feb, and prepared breakfast for everyone. Yehye served those students who were not going on the trip, and cleaned up for us. We joined the class and walked to the Jaffa Gate where we boarded at 7am and started our study on nearby Mt. of Olives, where we ourselves had been before. On this trip we visited the Greek Orthodox Church with it's impressive goldplated onion domes, which we only saw from a distance on our earlier trek to the Mount (see pics on earlier Mount of Olives post).

We learned from Dr. Wright that what we see does not necessarily always line up historically. For instance, what we originally thought was Absalom's Pillar is actually a tomb for a temple priest, and the traditional site of the Garden of Gethsemane is probably not the spot where Jesus prayed. The grove of olive trees at this site are at most only 800 years old, as the originals would have been utilized along with all other area trees as firewood during the Roman siege in 70AD. But nothing changes biblical facts. We do know that Jesus did spend much time on the Mt. of Olives, and he did pray somewhere up there before being betrayed by Judas, arrested by the Romans, and taken across the Kidron Valley to Jerusalem for trial. Local and church tradition, we see now, are always to be questioned.

We went to Herodian (Herodium), one of perhaps as many as twelve palaces commissioned and built by King Herod the Great. Most were built from 20-10BC (industrious fellow) in locations such as Caesarea (including a port formed by a seawall which he was told would be an "engineering impossibility;" the guy really liked a challenge), on the coast of the Mediterranean, on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, in Jericho, and on the mountain fortress of Masada. We are eagerly anticipating our trip there.

Herodian is a very impressive site. It has a breathtaking view overlooking the Judean Desert and the mountains of Moab (now in Jordan) to the east, and the Judean Hills to the west. It was built in two separate areas, each with a distinct function: a circular fortress, including an elaborate palace, surrounded by a wall with towers on top of the hill; and Lower Herodium, in the plain to the north, with a group of royal buildings around a large pool.

The combination of fortress and palace is a uniquely Herod innovation, which he repeated on Masada. At Herodian, a circular palace-fortress was constructed on top of a hill, which rises almost 200 feet above its surroundings. The outer walls measure about the same in diameter. The fortification was originally about 100 feet high, with seven stories. Two of these stories were underground foundations, strengthened with barrel-vaulted ceilings, and the superstructure of five stories was considerably higher than the palace courtyard. Wooden ceilings separated the stories, which were used for storage and as quarters for soldiers and servants. Huge towers projected from the walls on all four sides. The eastern tower (the largest) was a massive, round tower on a solid stone base and measured approximaely 60 feet in diameter. It had several upper stories with elaborate rooms, probably for the use of the royal entourage. This eastern tower rose above the entire fortress, its roof commanding a panoramic view; it also served as a hiding place in times of danger. There is a current archeological dig in progress because Herod's tomb was discovered in Herodian in 2007.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/Herodian1.html

On our drive to Bethlehem, we passed through the area where Naomi & Ruth would have moved to after Naomi's husband and two sons died (one being Ruth's husband). We stopped and took a few photos at a threshing floor, not unlike the one where Boaz & Ruth "met".

In Bethlehem, we visited the Church of the Nativity where Dr. Wright says is very probably an accurate location for Jesus' birthplace. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Nativity

Once inside the church, we followed the crowd into the "grotto" where a silver star marks the spot. Israelis are not allowed in Palestinian controlled Bethlehem since the second intifida which began in September 2000. In mid 2002, Israel built a long, 25 ft. high concrete wall separating it's capital Jerusalem from Bethlehem. Israeli's call it a security wall to prevent suicide bombings and terror attacks. Palestinians call it the apartheid wall. We can see it from Mt. Zion. We didn't have much time to sightsee this day, so Nat & I plan to return soon on our day off. We'll catch Bus #21 at the Damascus Gate and it will drop us off at the checkpoint entrance to Bethlehem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Intifada has a photo of the wall. We were not allowed to take any pictures as we passed through Israeli security on our return to Jerusalem from Bethlehem. My, my how things have changed since the Prince of Peace was born in that little town.

We do wonder if Joseph & Mary stopped for a "Stars & Bucks" latte on their way to the inn?

Shalom y'all

Shabbat Dinner & Vespers 05 FEB

2010-02-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from sundown Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact time, therefore, differs from week to week and from place to place, depending on the time of sunset at each location.

Shabbat recalls the biblical creation account in Genesis, describing God creating the heavens and the earth in six days, and resting on and sanctifying the seventh. Shabbat is considered a festive day, when a person is freed from the regular labors of everyday life, can contemplate the spiritual aspects of life, and can spend time with family. For this reason, many Jewish places of business shut down for these 24 hours. Traditionally, three festive meals are eaten . . . on Shabbat-eve, at lunch, and as an end-of-Shabbat evening meal. The day is also noted for those activities which are prohibited on Shabbat prescribed by Rabbinic Judaism, but not all Jews follow these categories.

Meals begin with a blessing over two loaves of bread (lechem mishneh), usually a braided challah (only baked for Shabbat), which is symbolic of the double portion of manna God gave the Jewish people on Preparation Days during their time in the desert after the exodus from Egypt. It is customary to serve meat or fish, and sometimes both, for Shabbat eve dinner and Shabbat lunch. The third meal, eaten late Shabbat afternoon, is called Seudah Shlishit (literally, "third meal"). This is generally a light meal and may be dairy.

JUC has its own tradition to honor the Jewish Shabbat. Last Friday night everybody involved with the campus dressed up a little and gathered in the dining room which had been transformed into a beautiful place for the "family" to gather. All of the tables were covered with white linen cloths and each had fresh cut flowers lying on the table, two candles (to be lit by the "mother"), a braided challah, & communion cups. Dr. Wright led us in reciting traditional scriptural prayers for the men, women & children. The challah was passed and we had communion together. Then we went upstairs where Ronnie & Tamer had prepared a delicious chicken dinner.

After dinner, we all moved to the auditorium for praise & worship. Each week, someone will give a brief testimony or devotional which serves two purposes. It encourages the community, and gives us an opportunity to know one another a little better. Last Friday our cousins, Tim & Abby, told us a bit of each of their lives growing up in Christian families. Back and forth, they told us their individual testimonies of coming together when they met, fell in love, married and began their journey with the Lord . . . first with Samaritan's Purse in Indonesia, then on here to JUC for further study & training. It was a beautiful story of two people we would love even if they weren't family!!! We also got to celebrate Abby's birthday this past Wednesday!

Now it's Friday again and as the sun sets slowly in the west . . . in the MidEast . . . we'll gather for Shabbat dinner & vespers. Tomorrow, after early breakfast, we'll go with Dr. Wright and the Physical Settings class on a field study day trip to Mt. of Olives, Bethlehem & Herodian (built by guess who).

Shabbat shalom y'all

St. Anne's Cathedral...note the acoustics!

2010-02-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

Old Testament Jerusalem

2010-02-10T10:57:00.001-08:00

Old Testament Jerusalem

2010-02-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

New Testament Jerusalem

2010-02-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

New Testament Jerusalem

2010-02-10T10:36:00.001-08:00

Walk Around Jerusalem

2010-02-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of our coming to JUC is the opportunity to audit classes. In other words, we get to enjoy selective lectures and go on many of the field studies with the students. While our kitchen duties won't allow us to attend Dr. Wright's "Physical Settings" class, we do get to go on all of the trips. The first two were the past two Sundays . . . a walk around Old Testament and New Testament Jerusalem. Much imagination is necessary when attempting to go back in time.

Where JUC is situated, and the walled in Old City we have been visiting for over a month now, is New Testamant Jerusalem. This is where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Dome of the Rock (Temple Mount), Western "Wailing" Wall, Via Dolorosa, and the four inhabited quarters are (Jewish, Christian, Armenian, & Muslim). The walls surrounding were built, and rebuilt, during the Crusader, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods.

It's debated whether Jesus was crucified and buried at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (CHS) or the Garden Tomb outside the northern wall (which we have not visited yet). Dr. Wright says he is not certain if there is enough evidence to place these events at the site of the CHS but he is certain it is not the Garden Tomb. CHS is very ornate, with Greek Orthodox & Catholic icons, candles and burning incense. While we were there, a procession of singing priests were "making their rounds" throughout the interior. Interestingly, during the Ottoman Empire the reigning Turk stepped into a squabble and gave the key to the church to a Muslim family. To this day, it is a member of this family who unlocks and locks the doors each day. You can imagine how demeaning this is to the Christian community. There are actual rooms upstairs where only Catholics can stay overnight. They are austere and available through prior arrangement. The clincher . . . once the door is locked at night, it remains so until 5am the next morning. A story has circulated that an overnight "guest" suffered a heart attack in the night, and they could not get him out! But, whether Jesus died and was buried here or the Garden Tomb, I can't say for sure. I'm just glad that wherever it was . . . it's empty!!!

Old Testament Jerusalem is the "City of David", which is outside the current Old City walls descending sharply down southward to the intersection of the Kidron and Hinnom valleys nestled between high hills all around including the Mt of Olives to the north and east. The City of David begins outside the Old City southern wall, directly across the Kidron Valley from Silwan village (a volatile area which Dr. Wright cautioned us to avoid). There are no identifiable remains of David's palace only foundations and retaining walls suitable for previous large buildings. The area today does not reflect where one would expect royalty to abide but it was most probably chosen by David because the valley is where the water flowed and collected (water is life in this area... even to this day). Also it was an established city of the Canaanites who where conquered by one of David's mighty men, Joab. (Next to Damascus, Jerusalem is the longest continuously inhabited city in the world.) It was a productive agricultural area at the time, and we saw the site where the King's Garden would have been at the base of the hill. You can well imagine the psalmist when he sang:

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. Psalm 125:2

We walked through a portion of Hezekiah's Tunnel on the dry pathway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezekiah_Tunnel Water still flows through, and visitors can wade through its entire length as long as you don't mind water up to your calves, tight spaces, and you carry a flashlight. We may do this when temperatures in Jerusalem reach 100 degrees in the summer.

And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? II Kings 20:20

And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city and they did help him. So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?" II Chronicles 32:2-4

This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. II Chronicles 32:30

Next, we went to the Pool of Siloam (keys also held by an old Muslim man). New discoveries are being made at this site since 2004, including steps which ascend/descend from the temple site to the pool. Jesus most probably walked these same steps and directed the man born blind to go there after putting the mud salve on his eyes.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man." "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded. He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." "Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said. John 9:1-12

There are also recent discoveries of Roman coins, which a young man was eager to show us.

We looked at a painted mural which depicts what the pool would have looked like in Jesus' day. That concluded our morning of discovering the City of David or Old Testament Jerusalem.

After lunch at JUC, we then began a "discovery" of the New Testamant Jerusalem. We entered the current Old City through the Dung Gate, past the Western (Wailing) Wall, through a museum to the entrances of Herod's temple. We sat on the steps where the apostle Paul reportedly sat as a student of Gamaliel.

The Western (Wailing) Wall receives the most pubic notoriety but we were impressed with the extension of this wall, uncovered after 1967, especially the southeast corner. The "pinnacle" of the temple was the highest place among the royal colonnade built by Herod within the area of the temple. Here at the base of the temple mount wall the stones are massive. We photographed one, estimated to weigh over 250 tons, but others are estimated to weigh 500 tons! We walked past some which were hurled down by soldiers of the Roman Legion after the destruction of the temple on the 9th Day of the month of Av in 70AD. The recently uncovered stone slab pavement of the street reflects the impact of the huge stones cast down.

Some believe the distance from the top of the pinnacle to the pavement below to have been seven hundred feet. It was from here that the priest watched, waiting for dawn, to give the silver trumpet signal for beginning the services of the day where he summoned his waiting brethren beneath to offer the morning sacrifice. This is where Satan enticed Jesus:

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' " Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " Matthew 4:5-7

Next we visited St. Anne's Church and the Pool of Bethesda, both within the Muslim Quarter. The Church of St. Anne is a beautiful 12th-century Crusader church, erected over the traditional site of the birthplace of Anne (Hannah), the mother of Mary (again, using your imagination). The architecture is captivating, because it is purposely designed with "flaws" . . . opposing windows, columns, & moulding with just the slightest difference in design to reflect that we, too, are flawed and only made perfect when united with our Creator.

Saint Anne's acoustics, designed for Gregorian chant, are so perfect that the church is virtually a musical instrument to be played by the human voice with a 7 second echo. Pilgrim groups come to sing in the church throughout the day and only religious songs are permitted. One of our students (appropriately named Melody) led us in singing a couple of songs . . . truly beautiful!

Is this truly the site of Mary's mother's home? We don't know, but it is fun to imagine young Jesus visiting his grandmother on this spot. For thirty plus years would He have passed a crippled man nearby at the crowded Sheep Gate, near the Bethesda Pool?

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. John 5:1-8

Our last stop was at the Austrian Guest House on the Via Dolorosa, where we were allowed to climb to the rooftop and watch the sunset over New Testament Jerusalem. It remains very eery to hear the muzzein's call to prayer from the many Muslim minnarets throughout the Old City. One in particular began right next to the guest house. We looked in the window, expecting to see a bearded Muslim in a robe singing/leading the ritual prayers. Instead we saw a plain clothed fella holding a microphone in his right hand, standing casually with his left hand resting in his pants pocket. Could just as easily been on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour (and lost if based on quality & pitch). But he was pleased to let us watch, throwing back the window curtain for a better view. One of our students, Todd, remarked,"Hey, where do I sign up for that?"

A great day with a great bunch of kids in a great city with a great teacher! We walked this past Sunday from 7am to 6pm. After dinner, it was a quick "spit bath" and bedtime. Because the alarm was set for 5:15am to prepare breakfast and lunch again.

Shalom y'all

Jordan Trip, 23-25 JAN 2010

2010-01-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

One more for the road . . . These guys were great!!!

Auschwitz Holocaust Survivors

2010-01-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

Monday night, after our return from Jordan, we walked to Christ Church in the Old City to meet & listen to Esther Mannheim and Yehudith Kriegel, surviving sisters of Aushwitz. Their mother was murdered during the "shoa" and their dignity was completely taken away from them . . . but only temporarily as these two ladies, in their eighties, told their story so eloquently. They spoke in Hebrew, and one of the members of Christ Church translated in English. I don't have their entire testimony, but I did record Esther's comments at the end. She said that she & Yehudith are privileged to speak for those whose voices were shut . . .

Fosia and Nat

2010-01-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

Jordan Trip 23-25 JAN

2010-01-29T12:20:00.001-08:00

Jordan Trip

2010-01-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

Jordan Trip

2010-01-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning, 23 January, at 6am we boarded a bus for the Jordan border with students from US, Canada, Australia, & New Zealand. Jack Beck, JUC extension professor, forewarned us of the possible long border crossing. It was not difficult, just took a while. Once we were all processed through in Jordan, our tour guide met us. His name is Zopher, a Jordanian educated at Texas A&M College Station . . . and proud of it! He dubbed Nat & me "Texas" and enjoyed talking with us throughout the 3-day trip.

We first toured the "Decapolis Cities", beginning with the ruins of Gadara http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umm_Qais It is here where some historians place Jesus' healing of the demon possessed man in the gospels, i.e. Luke 8:26-38. We walked through the tombs where the afflicted man lived. Didn't see any pigs . . .

and Jerash

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerash Nat & I even had opportunity to dance the jitterbug in an amphitheater. The band??? Arabian bagpipes & drums, of course!

Then we had a 5-hour drive to Petra, arriving late in the evening for dinner at the nice hotel, a warm bath, and good night's sleep. Up for breakfast at 6:30am, and a short walk to the entrance of the ancient city of Petra. I have long wished I could visit this mesmerizing place, having been told about it in a home Bible study several years ago http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra .

The impressive eastern entrance leads steeply down through a dark, narrow gorge (in places only 3–4 m (9.8–13 ft) wide) called the Siq ("the shaft"), a natural geological feature formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks and serving as a waterway flowing into Wadi Musa. At the end of the narrow gorge stands Petra's most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh (popularly known as "the Treasury"), hewn into the sandstone cliff.

It was a beautiful day, so when we rounded a corner and saw the Treasury, my breath was taken away by the sunlight dramatically highlighting the pink/peach colored building! And you can clearly see the hundres of bullet marks shot by the Bedouins and others. Al Khazneh has appeared in many Hollywood movies, gaining particular fame featured in the 1989 film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (represented as the entrance to the final resting place of the Holy Grail).

Petra is much, much larger than we anticipated. I'm certain we only scratched the surface of things to see there. But we already know we will return in April with Dr. Wright's class. He tells us that trip will be more extensive, so we're already looking forward to it! So on this trip, we just meandered around and drank in the sites. We also fell in love with a young Bedouin girl named Fosia (sp?). She wanted to give me a lovely beaded necklace, refusing payment. She just wanted me to have it. In the end, we thanked her very generously. Her English was very good. She said she learned "from the tooo-rists". We spent quite a bit of time with her, just visiting. We plan to find her again in April and take her a special gift. We would say that Fosia is the real treasure hidden away in ancient Petra!

Nat also bought some postcards from some really cute Bedouin girls dressed in traditional clothing.

After lunch, we drove to ancient Edom (descendants of Easau), then on to the capital city of Jordan, Ammon. It is a large, modern city with photos of King Abdullah and his late father, King Hussein, looming everywhere! We stayed in the beautiful 4-star Geneva Hotel. Dinner, accommodations, and breakfast were luxurious and abundant!

While in Amman we visited the museum which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_scrolls

8am on Monday, we were off to Medeba (Numbers 21:30) where we visited a church which houses the only known ancient map of Palestine including the city map of Jerusalem in existence. It was made about the year 565 from more than two million colored stone cubes. The center of the map is Jerusalem. We then had a leisurely three course lunch in the courtyard of a pretty European style restaurant.

Back on the bus, it began raining with small hail or ice pellets and the wind was blowing rather hard. It didn't stop us from visiting Mt. Nebo where Moses was taken by God and shown the promised land. He was also told that he would not be going with the Israelites to possess the land. Why? Numbers 20:1-13 To quench the thirst of the people during their journey, God told Moses to speak to a rock and water would come out. Moses not only spoke to the rock . . . he struck it. Water did come out, but Moses reaped the severe consequences of his disobedience. The scriptures go on to say that God buried Moses in the valley of Moab, and his grave has never been found (Deuteronomy 34:1-8). Our instructor, Jack, said that for water to come out of the granite like rock just by speaking to it would, indeed, be a miracle. When Moses struck it, he brought praise to himself from the people. Remember, God will not share His glory. I expect time has healed Moses' feelings, and we will see him one day soon in THE promised land!

This wrapped up our first field study trip with JUC. We were not disappointed!!!

We arrived back at JUC in time for dinner and to walk to Christ Church that evening to hear from two Holocaust survivors. It deserves its own posting.

Shalom y'all

Dr. Gabby Barkay lecture

2010-01-22T07:34:00.000-08:00

We had opportunity last Saturday evening to hear a lecture by Dr. Gabriel "Gabby" Barkay, archaeology professor at JUC and respected authority on temple mount antiquities. He had a photo slideshow of just a few of the tens of thousands of artifacts that have been recovered in The Temple Mount Antiquities Salvation Operation, which he has spearheaded since 2005.

The Temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation is an archaeological project established in 2005 and dedicated to recovering archaeological artifacts from 300 truckloads of topsoil removed from the Temple Mount by the Waqf during the construction of the underground el-Marwani Mosque from 1996-1999. A waqf is an inalienable religious endowment in Islam, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. It is conceptually similar to the common law trust.
In early 2001, Israeli police said they observed bulldozers destroying an ancient arched structure located adjacent to the eastern wall of the Temple Mount in the course of construction during which 6,000 square meters of the Temple Mount were dug up by tractors, paved, and declared to be open air mosques, which is assumed to have intermixed the underlying strata. Some of the earth and rubble removed was dumped in the El-Azaria and in the Kidron Valleys, and some of it (as of September 2004) remained in mounds on the site. The excavation and removal of earth with minimal archaeological supervision became an issue of controversy, with some scholars claiming that valuable history material is being destroyed. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) inspected the material and declared it of no archaeological value, but a group called the Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount campaigned against this position and in September 2004 obtained a temporary injunction against the IAA and the Muslim Waqf preventing them from removing the material which still lies in mounds on the site. Both sides accuse the other of having political motivation. Some claim that this will lead to the destabilization of the retaining walls of the Temple Mount, of which the Western Wall is one, and/or the al-Aqsa Mosque, and allege that one side is doing so deliberately to cause the collapse of the sacred sites of the other. Israelis allege that Palestinians are deliberately removing significant amounts of archaeological evidence about the Jewish past of the site and claim to have found significant artifacts in the fill removed by bulldozers and trucks from the Temple Mount. Muslims allege that the Israelis are deliberately damaging the remains of Islamic-era buildings found in their excavations.
Since the Waqf is granted almost full autonomy on the Islamic holy sites, Israeli archaeologists have been prevented from inspecting the area; they have, however, conducted several excavations around the Temple Mount. And since 2005, The Temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation is sifting through the excavated rubble of artificacts. I'm not sure which is more amazing . . . their beauty and historical significance, or the fact that a group of people would consider them refuse and have them reduced to a garbage heap outside the Old City walls . . .I found this two part radio interview of Dr. Barkay, which includes most of the historical and current information he passed on to us during the lecture. They are not long to listen to, and very informative . . .

http://odeo.com/episodes/25387551-Archeologist-Gaby-Barkay-1 Part 1
http://tsiyon.co.il/archeologist-gaby-barkay-2/
Part 2

We cooked our last meal today for the large number of short term students. They had their final exam this afternoon and the majority will be heading to their respective homes on Sunday. Some of them paid for an extension trip to Jordan which leaves early Saturday morning and returns Monday evening. And guess who gets to go with them???

Petra . . . here we come!!! Photos & blog entry next week . . .

Shalom y'all

Mount of Olives, January 14th

2010-01-18T03:51:00.000-08:00

Mount of Olives, January 14th

2010-01-18T01:20:00.000-08:00

We trekked up the Mount of Olives last Thursday on our day off. JUC and Mt. Zion sit just outside the southwest corner of the Old City wall. To ascend the Mount of Olives, we passed the Eastern Gate, also known as the Golden Gate. In Jesus' day this was the most important gate in Jerusalem because it led to the holy place of the Temple.

About 2,500 years ago, Ezekiel foresaw the future of the Temple Mount. The prophet wrote that the East Gate would be sealed, and remain sealed, until the “prince” comes.

EZEKIEL 44:1-3
"Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the Lord unto me; this gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same."

Ezekiel wrote this prophecy in the 6th century B.C. About 600 years later, Jesus entered Jerusalem through the East Gate, riding on the back of a donkey Luke 19:28-48. Almost 2,000 years after this prophecy was written, the Eastern Gate was permanently sealed. In the year 1543, Arabs under the direction of Sultan Suleiman “the Magnificent” walled up the gate with block and mortar. After 500 years, it remains sealed to this day. Sultan Suleiman was the leader of the Ottoman Empire, and a member of the Muslim religion. Muslims obviously have no desire to convert anyone to Judaism. Yet, a Muslim unwittingly fulfilled a Hebrew prophecy. In fact, it appears that Sultan Suleiman may have sealed this gate to prevent the Messiah's return. The Muslims also built a cemetery in front of the gate, allegedly in the belief that the Messiah would not be able to pass through without risk of impurifying himself. But we know that when Jesus returns to set up his millenial reign, the King of Kings will enter Jerusalem through that gate!

The fulfillment of this prophecy has proven to be miraculous. Since the time Sultan Suleiman sealed the Eastern Gate in 1543, it has remained sealed year after year. Throughout all the years of violence, wars, and foreign occupations, no one has opened this gate. The sealed Eastern Gate is a testimony to the Word of God!

Directly across from the Eastern Gate, in the bottom of the Kidron Valley at the base of the Mount of Olives, is a Jewish cemetery. The Prophet Ezekiel's tomb is on the far right, and on the far left is Absalom's Pillar. Absalom was David's oldest son, a wild one at that. Yet, even though he usurped his father's throne and sought his death, David mourned Absalom's untimely death. The story depicts a father's refusal to discipline a wayward child, and God's unavoidable judgement . . . Absalom was killed, and David mourned.

II SAMUEL 18:18

"During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King's Valley (Kidron) as a monument to himself, for he thought, "I have no son to carry on the memory of my name." He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument (Pillar) to this day."

We then came upon the tomb of the Virgin Mary. Very elaborate and tended to by nuns. Photos were allowed, even within the burial place itself. Nope, nothing left to see but the rock slab she was supposedly laid on.

The Mount of Olives climb is steep, even though the narrow roads are now paved with asphalt. It took about 20 minutes to ascend to the top where we had a magnificent view of the Old City, and a picnic lunch! A couple of boys were fascinated with Nat's mini binoculars, so he let them use them for a while. We also watched busload after busload of tourists unload for a photo opp, some unable to resist paying a few shekels for a camel ride around the turnaround circle.

Upon descent, we visited a lovely garden and took photos of the ossuaries. An ossuary is a chest (bone box) made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the skeletal remains are removed and placed in an ossuary. The greatly reduced space taken up by an ossuary means that it is possible to store the remains of many more people in a single tomb than if the original coffins were left as is. I'm thinking Moses transported Joseph's bones from Egypt in an ossuary. And I noticed when we visited the Wright's living quarters that they have a bone box in a corner of the living room . . . Uncle Harry perhaps???

GENESIS 50:24-26
"Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place." So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt."

EXODUS 13:17-19 "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place."

JOSHUA 24:32

"And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants."

Back at the base of the mountain is the Garden of Gethsemane, which has some of the oldest olive trees in Israel. Jesus would have seen some of them, and most probably prayed amongst them.

MATTHEW 26:36-46

"Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

A church has been built right next to the Garden . . . surprise! The Church of All Nations, also known as the Church or Basilica of the Agony, is a Roman Catholic church. In front of the altar is a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest.

We then walked back past the Eastern Gate (still sealed shut, by the way) and entered the Old City through the Dung Gate which happens to be the quickest/closest approach to the Western (Wailing) Wall. We returned to Pappa Andreas' rooftop restaurant to watch the sunset before returning to campus for dinner.

What a memorable day!

Shalom y'all

Wednesday, January 13th

2010-01-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

Today would be Nat's Dad's 88th birthday . . . here's to you, Louis!

Sunday night, we were invited to Dr. & Mrs. Wright's home here on campus for a student reception. Paul & Diane have lived here for several years, and their apartment is very nice with a panamoric view of Jerusalem. Diane baked a delicious assortment of goodies, and Paul gave a history of JUC, and how the current location came to sit on Mt. Zion following the six day war in 1967. Here is a link that has a brief video with the story . . . http://juc.edu/about/historylocation.asp

We are having so much fun getting to know these "short term" students who are here for a month's extension course with their individiual colleges back in the US and Australia. We're going to miss them when they leave in a couple of weeks. Then the regular semester students will return to campus for the spring. I'm sure we'll love them, too! We already love "Tibby"!!!

Monday, I tried my hand at converting my favorite meatloaf recipe (thank you Leslie) from six servings to 133! I just multiplied the ingredients by 20 . . . no problem! The photo says a lot! Justin & Mandy continue to be such a blessing! We also made potato salad. By all reports, we did good!

Beginning Tuesday morning, the students began leaving in three groups for a three day field trip including swimming (floating) in the Dead Sea. We're eager to hear all about it! Since our lunch number was down to 45 people, Nat made individual pita crust pizzas with various toppings. I practiced using the industrial mixer and food processor to make a HUGE batch of chocolate chip/walnut cookies . . . success! And since we're still learning the old oven's temps, Nat was happy to eat the few burned ones :) Yehye, Ronnie & Tamar were happy to have sweet treats in the kitchen, too!

Nat continues cleaning & repairing things around the old kitchen. He is spending a lot of time taking off layers of burned on grease from the gas burners on the large stove. Ronnie said, "But Nat, it has been on there since Moses was here!" He is always amazed when he returns each evening for the dinner shift to see what Nat has done! He's sure handy! And Yehye seems to be inspired by Nat's enthusiasm. He cleaned the outside of the stainless appliances today, smiling so big with our praise and appreciation!

We have learned that Yehye grew up here at JUC as a child, working on campus. We are told (and it is apparent) that he is a bit slow mentally. Yet Ronnie tells us that he is actually quite brilliant in certain areas. Yehye can be in the same room listening to a three-way conversation and afterward "replay" it word for word. Ronnie says he has an uncanny memory. Nat says he must be somewhat of an "idiot savant". I don't care for this terminology, but it is a correct Webster definition for such amazing cases. This may explain why he constantly talks. He speaks Arabic, so I don't know what he's saying. Perhaps he's repeating conversations? I'll ask kitchen manager William more about this. It's very possible that Yehye is the smartest person here!

Campus is quiet today, with no lunch or dinner since everyone's gone. It is cold & drizzly outside, so Nat worked out and I had successful Skype dates with Natalie and my two sisters. What a blessing!!! And yesterday I got in a text chat with Taryn, which included at least a quick look at Kenzley (the connection wasn't as good at that time). Now a quiet evening reading & posting . . . The forecast for tomorrow looks very pleasant for us to make the much anticipated trek to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane! Man, oh man . . .

Shalom y'all

Sunday, January 10th

2010-01-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

This was our first day off! We enjoyed breakfast with the students, prepared by Alana, then we walked to the Old City to attend the Anglican "Christ Church" http://www.cmj-israel.org/CMJMinistries/ChristChurch/Overview/tabid/70/Default.aspx. It is located just inside the Jaffa gate of the Old City, and is the oldest Protestant church in the whole middle east...1849. Really neat liturgical service, conducted in English. The Vicar came from Florida 30 yrs ago, and another priest was an Aussie. They both had delightful personalities and deliveries. The sermon was taken from Luke 3, and the Vicar talked about how even John the Baptist was hoping Jesus would be the conquering deliverer they were looking for. Very thought provoking. There was a worship team, and we sang some of our familiar praise songs, some in Hebrew. They had a large screen displaying the words in Hebrew and English. We were served holy communion (broken bread and wine from a common cup).

Tim & Abby, her sister Havvah & husband Mike, and brother Jude were there also. Many of the JUC short term students attended, as well. After the service, we exited to the courtyard where we were offered coffee and refreshments. The congregation also made available a selection of goods for sale to raise money for the poor in the Old City.

The verse on the outside of the sanctuary entrance is Psalm 122:6 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you."

Nat had a neat experience. As long as I have known him (we've been married for 30 yrs), he has had a favorite Bible. It was given to him by the men of First Baptist Church Stephenville, Texas when he graduated from high school in 1971. It reflects the Old Testament portion (RSV) was translated in 1952, the year he was born. There are real photographs of Israel included strategically within the text. We, and most especially Nat, have looked at those photos many many times throughout the years. As Nat was turning to the sermon text, it was opposite one photo in particular. It was titled "Church of the Dormition on Mount Zion", but the photo was mostly of Jerusalem University College, which sits next to the church! We even see the window of the room we are staying in while here! We were absolutely amazed, sensing the prophetic in Nat's life. God knew he, we would be here now and to have that photo come alive, in church this morning, was a thrill!

So, God knows the end from the beginning, not just historically but in our individual lives. Absolutely nothing is insignificant in your life. Don't discount that He is always at work in your life. Don't miss a thing!!!

Shalom y'all

Saturday, January 9th

2010-01-09T02:18:00.000-08:00

WOW! Whadda week!!! We have certainly been baptised by fire, as Tim warned us (fortunately not a kitchen fire)!

We have been cooking breakfast early in the mornings for 102, followed by lunch for 133! It's been great and the students are so appreciative! There are students from various colleges. A lot from Australia, a few from New Zealand, many from various parts of America. A precious young couple who are JUC students, Justin & Mandy Kelley, are helping us out this month. It also earns them a little money. We are having so much fun with them! We laugh a lot, and get the job done. Yechye stays on top of all of the dishes and wanders through smiling. He periodically hands Nat his tea cup, and always wants me to see the new vegetable/fruit delivery. He also got me a HUGE roll of paper towels. Either he has observed how much I use them, or he sees how messy I can be :) Everyone's happy! Interestingly, Mandy & we have mutual friends in Durango, CO. Small, wonderful world, huh?

Nat & I are functioning well as a team, and our individual tasks seem to be falling to each of us naturally. We discuss the menus, and then alter depending on what supply is on hand and what the dinner cook prepares. Online recipes are a wonderful resource! We have made vegetable soup from scratch served with sandwiches (pita bread fresh from the market and meat/cheese that Nat & Justin sliced on the industrial slicer), spaghetti with garlic bread, and hot dogs with french fries (chips).

Yesterday & today we prepared early breakfast at 6am because the students were going on a field trip (hurray . . . no lunch). Nat has become the expert egg scrambler & server, while I set up & monitor the dining room with cereals, fresh yogurt, walnuts/raisins, brie cheese, bread, hot beverages. The weather has allowed us to open the big push out windows that open to the flower garden, full of butterflies, for fresh air . . . Oh man!!!

We get up at 3:45am for this early breakfast. This gives us plenty of time to leisurely cook and set everything out. We wake up ready to go, but I fade as my duties end. We won't be back on duty 'til Monday morning, so we want to get out in the city again. We haven't had time, or energy, since last Saturday. We're hopeful to go out at some point today . . . or perhaps tonight because the weather is so nice.

Yesterday afternoon after we finished up the early breakfast, I went to do my laundry since the campus was empty of students on their field trip to Mount of Olives, Bethlehem (Nat made 'Christmas' eggs to commemorate-#150 scrambled eggs, with potatoes, onion, and red & green bell peppers...they were well received), Garden of Gethsemane, and other locales. I used the washer, then chose to use the clothesline to dry (as most of the folks do). So nice, since it was 72 degrees here (sorry for you folks back home in Texas right now dealing with a hard freeze)! Anyway, the garden is lush here and there are secluded spots. I climbed up to a high point, turned a chair toward the sun . . . and promptly fell asleep to the sounds of this city . . . people, church bells, the Muslim minaret call to prayer (that begins at 4:30am and continues regularly throughout the day- 5 times I think). Fortunately, a fly woke me up or I would have burned myself! As it is, I have a nice glow. And my clothes are clean & fresh! Nat used the afternoon to get in a work out in the little "gym"/weight room they have here.

Speaking of the Muslim call to prayer . . . I was passing through the dishwashing room the other day to find Yechye kneeling on a piece of cardboard facing the back wall. In a hurry, I thought he was looking for something on the floor! I came so close to asking him if I could be of assistance (which he wouldn't have understood anyway) . . . fortunately, I realized he was praying before I interrupted him. Thanks for covering my rear again, Lord . . . and draw him to Yourself with Your goodness.

We are organizing and cleaning the kitchen as we go along. It is an old institution and lots of people pass through it. I only hope what we are all striving to accomplish can be maintained. What do they say about too many cooks in the kitchen? I always thought it meant too much input into the cooking, but it can also mean a very messy kitchen! And some of the cleaning is by "Mt Zion standards". Now we know what Dr. Wright meant when he said this!

Nat is repairing water sprayers, de-greasing the stove, cleaning out drawers that haven't been opened in who knows when! And he's cleaning up the contents, repairing things along the way. When he fixed the industrial water sprayer for the deep sink (duct taped and leaking for a long, long time obviously), William (facilities/kitchen manager) smiled and said in Arabic, "You are very clever, Nat." Indeed he is! We're each finding our niche and partnering for the rest. Thank you all for your faithful prayers!

William alluded yesterday that "they" hope our stay is longer than the end of July. We don't know who "they" are, or exactly what he means, but it makes us feel as though we are doing a good job after our first week! It really is fun . . . hard work . . . but extremely satisfying. I told Nat yesterday while on my knees cleaning the stove trays, "You know, a year ago I prayed that God would give me hard work to do. Not that I necessarily wanted it, but I felt I needed it. Life was getting a little too "cush". Then I said, "Obviously that prayer didn't return void!"

Tomorrow is our first bonafide full day off! We are going to church, perhaps with Tim & Abby ("Tibby" as they are known by the family). They worship regularly at Christ Church in the Old City. Tibby popped into the dining room last night for a short visit. They are still traveling with Abby's family, but were back on campus for a few things and wanted to say hi. We are looking very forward to our extended family time with them soon.

Later that same day . . .

Nat was doing laundry while I was cutting my hair outside in the garden (I figure, with the cut I've had for years . . . why not try). It actually turned out pretty good, with Nat's help on the back. Facilities/kitchen Mgr William and his wife, Shakura, and their two daughters Luna & Lamara were returning from the city and invited us to their home (here on campus) for tea before dinner. Such a nice family who have lived here at JUC for four years. William, whose ethnicity is Egyptian (Coptic Christian), is from Nazareth. They have lived in Jerusalem for quite a few years, the girls were born here in Jerusalem, and I don't believe we learned where Shakura is from. All of them are gifted artists, with several of their pieces displayed in their home. Really good!

We've been slack in taking photos this week. Just too busy. But we did post a photo of Nat & Justin at the slicer . . . and one of the Copty family, for viewing pleasure. We'll try to take more tomorrow.

Now, we're heading to the Old City for an evening stroll before bedtime . . .

Shabot shalom y'all

Monday, January 4th

2010-01-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

Sunday we "shadowed" the Sunday cook, Alana, who is a JUC student. It was very helpful to us. That gal is a machine! But she thanked us for the help, because it saved her time. For lunch, potato soup, homemade rolls, salad & fruit. 43 new arrivals from the airport, so the soup didn't make it to the finish line. The last few people got the salad, rolls and sliced smoked turkey & cheese . . . no complaints . . . except from me, because I wanted some of that soup!!!

For dinner, 35 folks were served a ground beef/pasta/cheese casserole which Alana calls Pizza Casserole. It was served with buttered (frozen) cut green beans, salad with dressings and hummus, fruit, and homemade chocolate chip cookies . . . very good! We have yet to get a full understanding of the variance in numbers of this short term group. Some of it has to do with who is staying on campus or not. We got a really good idea of how the kitchen works. Nat got the industrial grater/slicer up and running. This is gonna save tons of time with cheese & vegetables!

We got up at 5:30am, put on our work clothes, and headed to the kitchen . . . down the Via DolaBathroom. We set out cereals, granola, yogurts, toast, fruit, . . . and Nat set up a small burner stove where he prepared eggs to order for 35 (while I cracked eggs for the chef). We will not be making this available for the large group, but we will for these guys. The eggs were delicious, the students were made to feel special, and the order line gave us time to get to know names and a little bit about each one. This is gonna be a great short term group. For lunch we served baked chicken & rice with salad & hummus, which they love. I am now not only a great packer, I can prepare rice for a crowd! God is so very good . . .

Our dishwasher is named "Yehye", which pronounced sounds a lot like "Yuk Yuk". He doesn't speak a lick of English, and walks around talking to himself . . . or praying to Allah . . . or cussing us under his breath. Just kidding. He seems to be a really nice fella who smiles a lot and gets his work done. He also really enjoys doing things that please us . . . setting up a brand new hot water pot for our tea, de-greasing the dicer/slicer that Nat got up & working, showing off a load of beautiful vegetables to me . . . so pleased to please us.

We finished by 2p when the dinner cook, Roni, showed up and took over the kitchen, and we headed back home to re-group, go to the grocery story (Super Deal) for some personal coffee filters, and rest a bit before dinner (well, I did . . . Nat got in some pushups). And another surprise. A gal from housecleaning came and told us that they will clean up the dining room after lunch. We will still wipe off the tables after breakfast, but this is so great. It gets us out of there even that much faster. And we thought we needed to wash the aprons & kitchen towels that pile up each day . . . nope . . . William assigned it to the dishwasher. MAN, what a sweet deal!

More & more students arrived throughout the afternoon. I'm not sure where they are housing 102-133 people, but we joined them for dinner which Roni and his helper, Tamar, prepared. What a spread! Turkey, mashed potatoes w/gravy, carrots, salad bar and, of course, hummus!

We will have 102 for breakfast tomorrow (scrambled eggs each day) and 133 for lunch which will be vegetable soup, pita sandwiches and always salad. William said we will have a couple of full time students helping us prepare. We'll need it! Well, it's 8:30p and the kitchen is freed up. We are going to return and do a little prep for tomorrow, then get to bed . . . We're getting up at 5am tomorrow!

We can do this thing!!!! But only with your prayers and God's help. He knows a little something about feeding masses, doesn't he?

Saturday, January 2nd

2010-01-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

We had our initial meeting with Dr. Wright and the facilities/kitchen manager, William. Dr. Wright & his wife, Diane, are from the US and have been directing JUC since 1997. William is from Nazareth, and we can tell you from what little we know of him thus far . . . something good indeed can come from Nazareth (that makes at least two!). I believe our working relationship will go very well.

We have been informed that we will have someone in the kitchen to wash dishes after both breakfast & lunch. We do not have kitchen duties on Sunday. One of the female students does the meals on that one day. We will "shadow" her tomorrow, helping where we can, and learn the ropes. Someone else prepares the field trip sack lunches. This is great news for us! Also, there are quite a few days when no breakfast and/or lunch are needed. Each month will change according to field studies (which we get to go on after this January surge of short term students).

After the meeting, Nat & I went out to buy our pound of coffee in the Old City. We wound our way down the Via Dolorosa to the coffee vendor. Beans ground to order . . . "dark roast, medium grind, please." It sures smells good! We will see how it tastes tomorrow morning! We then made our way back to the center of the city to eat dinner at Pappa Andreas' rooftop restaurant just beside the Church of the Redeemer. It was a beautiful view of the Mount of Olives and eastern Israel/western Jordan in the background. The Dome of the Rock was between us and the Mount, but it could not compare with the beauty of that place of Jesus' ascension! And to know that He will set foot down where that dome sits, when He triumphantly returns . . . Mesmerizing to watch the sunset and the lights of the city come on.

We then returned to our little nest (I counted 67 steps all total from the entrance) and planned menus for this first upcoming week. It's gonna be crunch time with the big numbers, so we figure that by week #2 we'll be old pros!

ps The "two moons" seeming to appear in some of the pics above were merely specks of dust NOW removed from our camera lense.

Happy New Year from the City of David

2010-01-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

We arrived Wednesday morning (Dec 30th) after being blessed with two first class flights (DFW to Newark, NJ and Newark to Tel Aviv), and a beautiful sherut (taxi) ride from Tel Aviv. How do you explain the feeling riding past a sign that points to "The Tomb of the Prophet Samuel"! JUC does, indeed, sit atop Mt. Zion at the southwest corner of the Old City wall just a couple of blocks from the Jaffa Gate entrance. Again, how do you explain that feeling? And the peace . . . there really is something to people praying for the peace of Jerusalem. You can feel it. It is tangible. I love it!

Cousins Tim & Abby Hereford welcomed us at the gate to the campus and took us to our room. It's just perfect! It is upstairs, across a courtyard from the kitchen building. The row of bathrooms is in between, so I plan to get up early each morning, jump into my workclothes, grab my toothbrush, stop off at the bathroom, and head to the kitchen! I only hope I can adjust to no toilet trips in the middle of the night. Going downstairs, through a floral courtyard is lovely . . . but not at 3am! I will add it is perfectly safe, just an adjustment. The Wrights have apologized for what they consider inconvenient quarters, but space is at a premium this semester. We believe our placement is an added blessing. It us up and out of the way, private with two windows that have lovely views of the city. Besides, I have had much more difficult bathroom trips while in the tribal regions of the Philippines!

We were introduced to the young couple who cooked last semester. So glad we met them, because they were moving off campus that day. What with jet lag, and the excitement of just being here, I was trying hard to follow all they had to tell us. Suffice it to say for right now, the meals indeed are simple . . . but the kitchen needs some serious inventorying and organizing. We have a meeting tomorrow morning (Saturday) with the kitchen manager and Dr. & Mrs. Wright. That will be very helpful. There are very few people on campus right now. We do know that an Arab (Palestinian Christian) gentleman named Ronnie comes in from Bethlehem to cook the large evening meal (not needing our help), and an American female student cooks lunch & dinner on Sundays. Tim & Abby say she is very good, so we plan to "shadow" her on Sunday. We start on Monday morning with an expected 35 for breakfast, 43 for lunch and Ronnie cooks for 102 that night! On Tuesday morning, we get that 102 for breakfast, and 133 for lunch. The numbers will be very sporadic in January with large numbers of short term students and quite a few field studies which we are currently being told we won't have to prepare sack lunches for. And then in February, I think things will settle down with the 35 students on a regular basis. Much to learn but with this month's crash course . . . we can do this thing!

The campus is old, the main building was built in the 1850's with 1 foot thick stone walls, but beautiful! Has a village feel of its own. Upstairs, downstairs, through courtyards, down stone pathways, flowers everywhere . . . and church bells ringing from the city on the hour. So far, they are very enjoyable.

We managed our jet lag and slept well, venturing out to the Old City the next morning to find coffee. We found an "Aroma" coffeeshop just outside the wall in a new pedestrian mall full of designer shops. I was told you won't find a Starbucks in Israel. A bit of research tells me that Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, is a proud friend of Israel and purported anti-Palestinian state. I believe the chain was boycotted here for these reasons. "Aroma" has a definite Starbucks feel to it. It is currently the largest café' coffee retailer in Israel, and cooperates with the Ballestra family from Naples, Italy, who for generations has been specializing in the production of gourmet coffee. I learned from a gal on campus where to buy roasted beans in the Old City and have them ground. Mmmmmmmmmmm . . . I can hardly wait!

One thing I need to keep in mind is that Jerusalem is not solely a Jewish city. The Arab population is very large. Most citizens appear to co-exist very well. Again, more to learn . . .

We went out into the Old City last night where we had a wonderful dinner, and a nice chat with a Palestinian Christian, apparently a true fellow believer. He was quite a talker! We agreed to meet again. Then we came "home" and listened to a few firecracker pops from our window. It's not as big a celebration here since the Jews and Muslims have already celebrated their new years.

Woke before Nat this morning, so got dressed and went out by myself, feeling perfectly safe. I was on mission, though. Realized when we went to bed last night, that I had lost something while we were out. My lower, clear plastic retainer for my teeth had fallen out of its container when I reached in for a toothpick. It could only have happened at one of two places. So I remembered my friend Lois' prayer at such times, "Lord, please bring it forth."

First I went to the restaurant in the Old City. As I stooped over, perusing the stone walkway (we dined outside), I looked up and realized people were watching me. They must have thought I was admiring the place where Jesus walked? If they only knew . . . Then back out to the mall where I sat waiting for Nat to return from the restroom. The tables & chairs had all been cleared and pushed back for the night, not put out again yet. There were street sweepers everywhere! Looked around to no avail, pulled out a chair, sat down & prayed, "Lord, I don't like being so irresponsible. This retainer is not only necessary, but expensive. I can't find it though. Please help me to get over it until our return to Stephenville and my orthodontist, and please don't let my teeth shift!" I started to get up, looked directly down to my right side . . . yep, there it was. I just stared at it for a moment, picked it up, and tearfully thanked God for caring so much for me. He is, indeed, our Father who cares even about the smallest of things. There is a wonderful scripture in Isaiah 52:12 "The LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard." Shirley's translation, "God covers my rear regularly!"

After a cup of coffee and blueberry muffin at Aroma, I returned home to find Nat up and about. We went out again into new Jerusalem for coffee at "Cup O' Joe", which is across the street from the King Solomon Hotel. We then strolled up King David Street, cutting across a garden area, coming upon the tomb of King Herod and his family. Interestingly, not very well marked. We went back into the Old City for lunch at a little outdoor eatery. They are everywhere in the open market place.

We have observed, so far at least, that the vendors in the market are not terribly intrusive. Now, if you catch their eye or show interest in their wares, then they will show a lot of interest in you! Another observation, it looks and smells clean. We have had different experiences in our travels to the marketplaces of different countries.

You can hear the Muslim call to prayer regularly from a tower that looms above the city. We have been to the Jewish, Christian & Armenian Quarters so far. We have not yet ventured into the Muslim Quarter. We went to the entrance of the Western (wailing) Wall but it was very crowded and Nat's pocket knife would not pass through the security screening metal detector. So another day for the WW.

It is now Friday evening, the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from sundown Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact time, therefore, differs from week to week and from place to place, depending on the time of sunset at each location.

I don't know if we will venture out this evening or not. We meet with the staff in the morning, so we might return to the kitchen tonight for a little more familiarization.

We do wish all who joined our journey today a very Happy New Year!

Shalom y'all

Next Year in Jerusalem!

2009-12-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

Our heads are swimming, and our hearts are full!

Our time with YWAM in 2007 was productive and meaningful as we met so many wonderful people, teaming up with new lifelong friends. We didn't know at the time God was preparing us for the next journey. Nat & I have been offered a volunteer seven month kitchen position at Jerusalem University College (http://www.juc.edu/) in Israel. It was founded in 1957 as the American Institute of Holy Land Studies and sits atop Mount Zion just outside the south wall of the Old City. The stone structure was an Anglican Church built in the late 1800's. We will be flying out early tomorrow, December 29th, returning the end of July.

Nat's young cousin & his wife have been grad students there for the past 2+ years, and I emailed Tim's mom & dad on Nov 1 to see how the kids were in light of news headlines. She reported they are doing very well with one more spring semester to complete their studies (living side by side with Palestinians who have citizenship in Israel, all used to a military presence, and a fragile peace) and then added, "Oh by the way here's an opportunity . . ." Next thing we knew, I was in contact with the head of the university. They will be providing us with room & board, a small monthly stipend, and we can go on all of the student field studies of Biblical/Holy Land sites. Oh yeah, and all the food we care to eat :)

Our responsibility will be to cook breakfast & lunch for the students. They have an Arab cook for the larger evening meal, and the kids want American fare for the other two lighter meals....eggs, pancakes, soup & sandwiches, macaroni & cheese, pizza (guess that's actually Italian?), etc. During January & May there will be about 130 students on campus. The rest of the semester will have about 35. We do not purchase the groceries, and the January menu is already set. We just slide in, get settled into our dorm room, meet everyone, first breakfast on Jan 3rd at 7:15a, lunch at noon, clean up and all evenings & Sundays are ours. On field study days, we prepare sack lunches for everyone (including ourselves) and tag along. Hey! Somebody's got to do it!

We are overwhelmed that He is blessing & trusting us with this! Neither of us have ever been to Israel, loving it from afar since our youth. Can you hear the 'shofar' blowing from Huckabay, Texas? We have fully enjoyed Christmas with Natalie, Kenzley, Taryn, and most family members on both sides. We have finished packing, buttoned everything up for our extended absence, and now our hearts are set on Jerusalem. We have stored up memories (and photos) to take along with us.

Now we're off . . . again
Shalom y'all!

LIFE INTERRUPTED

2007-07-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

Until further notice, I am re-directing any non-YWAM folks to call if you want to catch up on us. I'm taking a "time out" from posting . . .

I will say that we are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay excited because Natalie will be arriving here on August 24th (much love and thanks to all who have supported her these past six months). Taryn & Kenzley will come on the 28th! The three of them will be here on base with us until they all three fly home to Texas on September 2nd, just before Nat & I leave for the Philippines on the 4th. At that point we'll drop out of sight, anyway, because we don't plan to take our laptop or our cameras with us . . .

Now, back to whatever it is I was doing before technology and compulsion interrupted me . . .

We do send our love and assure you that God is on the move here. We're trusting He also is in your neck of the woods!

held,
Shirley

Maasai Land . . .

2007-07-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

well we're working on our time with the Maasai and i just wanted to drop a quick update to keep you posted :) Its been a really incredible experience so far. Our team is camping in three tents alongside the Maasai Boma (village) with Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro as backdrops (not to mention waking up to giraffe herds every morning - such awkward animals)!! im so blessed. The Maasai are beyond intriguing as peoples go and totally different than myself, as much as id like to pretend to be as rad :) Any words i use fall so short of doing them justice so you may enjoy looking them up online. They wear incredible pieces of cloth and jewelry that are their "trademarks." Ive been blessed to receive pieces from them as gifts. Its been a crazy experience just getting used to seeing tall thin nomads walking around in their BRIGHT blue, purple, orange and red "shukas" or blanket robes throughout the day and into the night. Some are herding cattle or goats, others are just walking to a location probably only they are sure of. The landscape looks exactly the same to me, but of course they know it very very well. They have been very friendly and welcoming to us, im sure a lot of it is curiosity. There are about 5 Bomas within 10k or so from the one we're staying with and so many of them make daily visits to our camp. We are visiting them each day to pray, help build huts and visit as well as working at the school YWAM has started in the area. There are about 50 little ones who walk miles each day to learn English, Swahili and the Bible. From about 8-9 AM you begin seeing little ones along the horizon singing and playing games as they finish up their journey to class (usually a few miles). Its honestly been quite frustrating trying to communicate with the adult Maasai. We've been working so hard at learning some Swahiil to get us by here in Tanzania, however most of the them only speak the maasai language. We have one translator named Johannah who has been doing his best as a go between and doing a famous job of it. We cook all of our meals over open flame and have to make due with the VERY limited water we have access to. A person learns that eating off a "clean" plate just means its not full of dirt :). Needless to say, the maasai here dont use really any water at all, mostly because they dont have access to it. They have voiced a need for rain mostly for their cattle and to make some mud so they can build more huts needed very badly. We obviously havent showered in quite a while and have to ration out the 3 liters/each of water we packed in. It has been such an eye-opener for me to see how a group of people can adapt to living under such conditions. As for prayer, the biggest one is that I see the God I know and love as relevant to them. I know He is . . . its just so hard to see when their way of life is so different than mine. Most (even the christians) practice polygamy, sharing of wives, female circumcision and many other things that I cant really wrap my mind around. The biggest foothold that I have found is going with the "heavenly warrior" and royalty mindset with them, which are things they understand very well. Tackling their fear of witchcraft and ancestor worship has been a large and ongoing challenge. I will be much more diligent in my prayers for those investing their entire lives in these people.

Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers as we begin our last week of ministry here in Tanzania ~ i cant believe its almost over ~ before beginning the LONG journey back to Melbourne (10 hour busride to Dar es Salaam, 2 day busride back to Lusaka, 3 hour flight to Johannesburg, 10 hour flight to Malaysia, three day layover and finally finishing up with an 8 hour flight into Melbourne) I'll be on again before we begin all of this, it would just be nice for prayer to begin now :) Traveling for such a long time can be very taxing on anyone, but I feel especially on 10 very different and exhausted backpackers ( 8 being female) who have been alongside eachother for 5 straight months and all a bit homesick :)

I hope this update found your homes well and blessed
. . .all my love,
nattie

2007-07-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today has been a precious day for us, full of fond memories of Stewart and great anticipation of our future with him in the presence of Jesus forever!

You know, Paul records in I Corinthians 2:9 the Word of God through Isaiah that, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." Then Paul continues with this powerful statement, "But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God."

God has placed eternity deep within my heart, and I have a pretty vivid imagination. But He is showing me Heaven (the new earth specifically) in realities so vivid and powerful, the joy and excitement are impossible to contain.

I recall hearing somewhere that we, as Christians, should "not be so Heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good". I have come to realize that this is a lie straight from the enemy. he knows that the more we become aware of the reality that awaits us . . . the more eager we will be to tell others about Jesus Christ and all that His precious blood purchased for us on the cross!

Heaven is my true home, and God has allowed me to partner with Him in leading others to this wonderful place, glorious beyond our imagination. And if you haven't recently checked out what God has to say about it . . . let the Spirit fill you in as you read chapters 21 & 22 in John's revelation. Remember, we have the same Spirit . . .

2007-07-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

We finished up this week's lecture with a good teaching on "The Two Trees". To sum of the five days, Ron Smith taught that as believers we are each constantly eating from either the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil (a religion of works, law & legalism, weight & heaviness of performance, external activity, studious of truth) or the Tree of Life (reality of Jesus, grace & love, joy & strength of His presence, internal experience, experience of truth). Too many pages of notes . . . good stuff . . .

Our 4th of July celebration was really good! Because we had been told that we were going to have a barbecue for the entire base, I posed the question to Nat, "A bbq! I wonder what they'll have to eat!?" When I looked out our apartment window (where the celebration was taking place), I saw the guys cooking hamburger patties and hot dogs. I realized that in Texas we call that a "cookout"! When told we were going to have a barbecue, my Texas mind immediately began conjuring up thoughts of brisket . . . or steaks . . . or ribs . . . or maybe chicken . . . But the hamburgers and hotdogs were really good, and the trimmings are just what I would have served at my Texas barbecue . . . potato salad, baked beans and watermelon! Although I would have served garlic bread, too! But they made up for it by having apple pie! Some of the kids popped off some fireworks (with older "kids" supervising). I don't know which was more fun, watching the fireworks or the Koreans watching the fireworks! We're sure enjoying our new friends from South Korea . . .

TGIF!!! Laundry, homework, SLEEP, church, and a class outing tomorrow to Silver Creek Falls State Park. Some of our team have already been and say it is really beautiful. And we have been told that we are having a cookout . . . I'll have to get back with you on what we actually eat!

2007-07-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

Bontoc is the capital of Mt. Province Philippines where the YWAM Mt. Province base is located.

TUESDAY

2007-07-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend . . . After sleeping in Saturday morning (a luxury I have come to miss), we eased into the day. Saturday afternoon we joined the Maxwell Family in volunteering at the "Salem Beat Festival". It is an annual multi-cultural event with booths, music, dancing, and food representative of many different countries. Our families volunteered to help with children's activities in America, Europe & Asia/South Pacific.

We helped the kids with various arts & crafts and had a lot of fun manning and attempting to jump the "tinkle sticks". It takes coordination and concentration to jump in and out of two bamboo sticks being rhythmically tapped together. It often drew a large crowd. A couple of our new friends from Korea, Sue & Lynn, were quite good at it, actually looking quite graceful in the process. Tom Maxwell did a pretty good job, too. I, on the other hand looked a bit like I was trying to jump on hot coals (much to Sue's delight)! We have video footage I'll get Nat to post soon . . .

We have begun our fourth week of lectures. A gentleman by the name of Ron Smith is with us talking about the Kingdom of God . . . it is among us, you know . . .

He told us about Rolland & Heidi Baker who began Iris Ministries, Inc., an interdenominational mission, in 1980 and have been missionaries for the past twenty-seven years. They currently serve the Lord in Mozambique where the population has reportedly gone from 100% Muslim to 40% Christian in ten years.

The Kingdom of God is among us . . .

We spent our intercessory time this morning praying for the Philippines and other nations. When we received the news last Friday that we are going to the Philippines for our outreach, Nat was across the room from me but we gave each other a thumbs up! Then, our children's worship leader led us in singing "It is Well with My Soul", not knowing that it was my lullabay for Natalie & Stewart or that we sang it at Stew's funeral . . . it was such a blessing for us.

Our excitement is mounting! We will be going to Bontoc (north of Baguio), which is in North Central Luzon on the big island where Manila is located. Nat & I were in the Philippines in 1980 for a six-week Navy detachment. While there, we spent a weekend in Baguio as tourists. It will be interesting to return as missionaries.

FYI Stewie's birth mother, Marina Endaya, is from Batangas province which is south of Manila.

2007-07-01T15:57:00.001-07:00

2007-07-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

2007-07-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

NATALIE - Jambo (hello loved ones)

2007-07-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Know it's been quite a while since I sent out an update on my life ~ but here it is finally! Internet has been quite hard to come by at times.

I just finished up a 5 week stent in Lusaka, Zambia serving at a street kid ministry called Chisomo as well as doing nutrition teaching in some remote villages and a TB/AIDS hospice called VK.There's so much to tell about my time there, but I think the details will have to wait a couple months more :)

Zambia is one of the poorest African countries with 50% unemployment and 80% poverty rate. It was so shocking though to see the joy and peace in so many of their lives even without the wants most of us mistake as necessities. It was an incredible experience, challenging at times, but nontheless incredible.

Our God is so good and CREATIVE! The ways He used me in my unique interests and abilities was remarkable, as was feeling Him bless me so deeply through the people I thought I was sent to reach and gain nothing much in return :) Isn't that just like Him? The base was wonderful and the staff members became like family - I will miss them so much.

We left Zambia for a 3 day train ride on an old Soviet train; followed by an 11 hour bus ride through the Tanzanian countryside to Arusha. I was AWESTRUCK by the scenery. So many times I had to sit back, take a breath and remind myself that I was actually experiencing these things ~

No animal sightings yet, but I've heard that while camping out with the Masai people, I'll get unbelievably unique opportunities. The animals are beginning their journey back to Tanzania from Kenya, so I should be able to experience their migration.

I've also enjoyed seeing myself pushed to the limit during the past week of traveling. There have been a few times when I've just had to laugh, take a deep breath and deal.

We are now FINALLY settled into the Arusha base which is much larger than the Lusaka one. There are about 100 people on base right now and it is totally different from our stay in Zambia. We only stay here on the weekends while spending the weekdays out on location.

We are coming up on a week at an orphanage down south and then the rest of our time living with the Masai tribe. I haven't met any yet, but I had such an incredible view of them periodically along the bus ride here. I have NEVER seen such intimidatingly majestic and royal looking people. They are on average 6.5 to 7 feet tall and wear bright red and purple robes with gauges in their ears and rings around their necks. I am VERY excited about finding out more about them in the days to come.

Going up against their nomadic religions of ancestry worship will be hard - but I serve a mighty and steadfast God. He's not surprised by the hurdles. You can be praying for continued energy, excitement and passion for me. I have to be filled up every morning due to the sometimes painful emptying of the day. I'm a bit tired so hope this is all coherent ~

I'll try to do weekend updates as much as possible! Thanks for EVERYTHING, you are greatly loved and missed :) Talk to you soon, Lord willing!!

All my love,

Nattie

SATURDAY

2007-06-30T12:34:00.001-07:00

WE'RE GOING TO THE PHILIPPINES!!! More later . . .

THURSDAY

2007-06-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

During corporate intercession this morning, we heard from a couple who are on staff with YWAM Salem as leaders of FAN "Friends of All Nations". They did a Crossroads DTS in 1992, and felt an immediate call to this ministry. Since that time, they have ministered to international students at local universities. They told us of specific ways they have befriended young people from other countries, shared the love of Christ, and helped them blend into our western culture. We then entered into a dedicated prayer time for their ministry, and two of their students in particular who are sisters from Japan. The couple had recently given them a copy of "Purpose Driven Life". Although the girls have yet to make a commitment to Jesus, they are very interested in reading the book. We closed by all encircling the couple to pray for them. Prayers were being offered up in English, Korean, Malagasy (Madagascar), and French. It was a really moving experience.

As a class we celebrated the birthday of one of our classmates, Lisa Maxwell. She & Tom and their four beautiful young girls are a special addition to our Crossroads experience!

Dean Sherman continued his lecture on spiritual warfare:

The purposes of God & Satan are both recorded in John 10:10
God's purpose is to give life to the fullest
Satan's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy

Satan's main agenda is to 1) discredit God, and 2) divide people.
A Christian's main agenda should be to 1) glorify God in my daily life, and 2) be a minister of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18).

Yep, that's it! Then, why is it so hard? It's WAR, folks!

Nat and David, another maintenance fella, left before dinner to drive to Portland to rescue/fix a van which had been driven to the airport to pick up some folks. He got back around 9pm, and went to the kitchen where his supper had been held for him. I told him they need to pay him overtime. I think he's holding out for a raise in pay!

My work duty????? I played one of my favorite new games . . . "Sorting Sheets" . . . and helped one of the Korean girls with her ESL homework (English Second Language).

The last thing before I returned to our little home? Helped welcome to the base a young man from Brazil, Jason Mayer. He will be volunteering for a month, which is his vacation time from his work. And remember . . . he's paying to be here! Absolutely amazing!

NATALIE February 4, 2007

2007-06-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

--- On Sun 02/04, natalie wofford <> wrote:

Well, i made it finally :) the connection in sydney was no big deal at all and i met up with YWAM perfectly. my luggage is no where to be found, but they are going to keep me posted on their tracking. i ADORE the people on base and ADORE the other students. There are 9 of us and the girls are phenomenal. i already met a staff member here who wants to take me hiking on the weekends ~ she's pretty great :) Chris (leader of my school) and Gloria (his fiance as well as base manager) took us to surrey hills park for a jazz festival and picnic this afternoon to mingle and relax. Chris is a climber and is going to show me all the walls around. he was very excited that i packed my stuff. Theres apparently an incredible bouldering wall under an old bridge in Melbourne!!. The weather is perfect and surrey hills is picturesque. im going to adore it here i can tell, and want to give you a heads up that i am very likely going to want to stay :) im pretty exhausted right now, but i will write more later (the flight was perfect: complete with empty seats on either side of me, showings of "The Illusionist" with Edward Norton and "Because I Said So" with Diane Keaton, and Cantebury hot cocoa ). the base is super gorgeous and very easily accessible - it feels like a home. there are three computers with internet right outside the girls' dorm as well as wireless that my comp can use. like i said though, im going to be very careful how much i allow myself to use it as not to create a habit.

WEDNESDAY

2007-06-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a pictorial video of YWAM Salem made by one of our classmates, Tom Maxwell. It is a good representation of this beautiful campus, which is becoming "home" for us these three months. The community living is teaching us on a deeper level about humility, service to others, and eternal concern for people of all nations. Because people of all ages, nationalities, and walks of life come to this base to learn what God has to say about these things and other attributes of His character . . . His presence permeates YWAM Salem. Everyone, from the top down, is self-supported and they continue to come by the droves. Currently, this base is experiencing the largest influx of students and staff in its history. To accommodate everyone at meals, they enlarged the dining hall our first week here! Multiply this by over 550 YWAM locations in 130 countries, and we are confident that we are learning in an anointed environment.

TUESDAY

2007-06-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

Our team (13 adults & 11 children) continues to seek the heart of God regarding where we will go on our two month outreach phase, beginning September 2nd. Our excitement is building as we pray, and seek His heart. Our staff consists of four couples, and they are seeking his guidance diligently with us.

This week at "The Rising" our CDTS speaker, Dean Sherman, spoke to us on abiding with God in the secret place. We also prayed for two young women who will be leaving in a couple of weeks for Sudan and Uganda. Among other things, they will be working with the child soldiers of Sudan. As part of the peace process in Khartoum, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) has been releasing hundreds of child soldiers since March 2004. Many of these children, generally aged 10 to 17, had been recruited by force (from about aged 7 or 8) to fight. YWAM is participating in the healing process of these precious children.

WEEK #3 June 26-July 1, 2007

2007-06-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

MONDAY

Dean Sherman is with us from here in Salem, Oregon to teach on Spiritual Warfare, or recognizing the S(s)pirit factor in the things we experience in life.

He talked about hidden treasure and how we need to change our thinking. We don't need to try to "sell" a field to unbelievers . . . we need to live our lives, filled with His Spirit, that makes them want to sell all they have to purchase the field for the treasure, Jesus.

There are two power systems in our society . . . the Kingdom and the WORLD. Many in the WORLD are living Kingdom principles, and many in the Kingdom are living WORLD principles. There is a battle going on within the mind . . .

If my belief system does not include the supernatural, I will tend to become too reactive toward others. We need to be:

Faithful to God
Gentle to people
Aggresive in the heavenlies

If I'm not aggressive in the heavenlies, I will be aggresive (harsh) with people.

"For we battle not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil in the high places." Eph 6:12

WEEK #2 June 18-24, 2007

2007-06-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

A class assignment was to read Joy Dawson's book titled "Intercession - Thrilling and Fulfilling". Using her principles for effective intercession, we divided into two groups and prayed for God's heart on behalf of the nations. It was a very moving experience as God revealed to us the things He wanted us to pray for.

As the week progressed our speaker, Donna Jordan, taught and modeled for us how to listen to God. So many times, we pray but don't take the time to listen . . . really listen to God. The week culminated on Friday when Donna challenged us to find a quiet place and ask God three specific questions:

1) What do You think of me?
2) What plans and purposes do You have for me?
3) What do You and I have in common?

We also each randomly drew another classmate's name and were to ask God, "What do You want to say through me to _______?"

Applying what I had been taught this week about preparing my heart to hear from God, my answers to the first three questions came rapidly. But it is one thing to ask God to say something to ME, and quite another to ask God to say something THROUGH me to someone else! But I did ask, and He did say something. I was a bit unsure when I read it to her, but she was obviously moved. Nat's word to another man was very specific, and was right on!

I will take the spiritual principles taught this week to energize my prayer time!

Sunday, Nat & I had kitchen duty for the entire day (every student will have this assignment one Saturday or Sunday during the three months we are here in Salem). It entailed breakfast prep & cleanup, coupled with sack lunch prep & cleanup, and dinner prep & cleanup. WHEW! It gave us a deeper appreciation for our fellow classmates who have these work assignments regularly! Hospitality is looking better and better . . .

Between breakfast/lunch and dinner, we joined some folks for worship at Salem Vineyard Church. It is a great fellowship, and we heard a good teaching on "The Food of the Father's Will" from John 4:27-38.

It was a good week, and we are looking forward to all that God has for us during Week #3 . . .

WEEK #1 June 11-17, 2007

2007-06-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Our week began with orientation, YWAM Salem history, and three lectures 1) Intercession 2) God Loves & Uses Ordinary People 3) Leadership. We begin every Monday morning with corporate worship with the entire base, and have "class" every morning and afternoon 1p-3p. From 3p-5p, everyone who has not been assigned breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal prep/cleanup reports to an assigned duty . . . i.e. Nat has been assigned to work with the maintenance team, and I have been assigned to help with the hospitality team (Nat sez- they saw immediately that Shirley would be the "Hostess with the mostest!).

Every Tuesday night, the entire base gathers for "The Rising", which is corporate worship and a message from a current speaker on base. We begin every Thursday morning with corporate intercessory prayer (this first week we prayed earnestly for the Amado province of Tibet, China). One of the young men here at YWAM Salem, 21 yrs old, will be leaving next Tuesday to devote two years to these people. This is where he did his DTS outreach a year ago, and he knows God is calling him back. He can hardly wait . . . very impressive.

This last Friday afternoon, we did part of the "ropes course". The instructor took us to an area where we each, in turn, were strapped into a body harness and were given a helmet. The harness was tethered to a steel wire pulley, and the rest of our team (12 members) took hold of an attached rope. After asking the team if they could be trusted (and being assured that they could be), we each gave a command word (such as "Now!") and the team ran as fast as they could in the opposite direction. This caused each of us (ME) to be yanked up into the pine trees . . . hence the name "Flying Squirrel". Each activity of the ropes course is designed to instill trust, confidence, teamwork, courage, etc. It was also a lot of fun! We had another rope activity and were promised that before we leave on outreach, we will experience the entire course.

Our second week began this morning (Monday, June 18th). We are learning "How to Hear God's Voice". God gave our instructor a specific word early this morning for our team. It is full of scripture, all very encouraging and motivating. I need to go mull it all over before class reconvenes tomorrow morning.

This is a beautiful place, full of God's presence and many folks of all different ages and nationalities hungry for more of God's presence in our individual lives. I expect the rest of the week to be very challenging and even more rewarding.

Natalie should be finishing up her time in Zambia, Africa and her team of seven will be heading to Tanzania.

We all so appreciate your prayers!

WE HAVE ARRIVED! June 9, 2007

2007-06-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know that we arrived this afternoon. Several staff began to gather, and they took us to the kitchen where they opened up the pantry and watched us eat egg salad sandwiches . . . yum . . . one of my favorites! So far, everyone is so nice and eager to help us get settled in. Only one other student is here so far. Norma is from California. Everybody else is driving in, also, and will arrive throughout the day tomorrow. The Pakistani couple could not get their paperwork through to join us. There are about 25 children running around (kids of staff and students). So cute, from the States and So. Korea. There are other schools going on, as well, i.e. ESL (English Second Language) . . . hence the South Koreans . . . Introduction to Biblical Counseling, and a "ropes course". The "zip line" begins at our porch and zings through the pine trees to somewhere. I'll getback with you on this. I plan to just step out on our porch and cheer them on! This YWAM runs about 5,000 folks through their ropes course during the summer . . .

Our little apartment is very nice. I was tickled, because it has a private bath, which we were not expecting! It has a little kitchenette, which I do not plan to utilize. One fella said, "Shirley, you won't have to cook for five months." Not that I've been cooking that much lately, anyway. We're sure going to enjoy three meals a day 7x/week!

We're going to do a little reading before bed. No tv, which will taking some getting used to for me. I do enjoy vegging in front of Fox News a little in the evening, or watchingHistory or Discovery or Military channels if Nat has the remote . . . This will be good for me. Change of habit, you know . . . I need to read more!

We are going to church with some of the folks in the morning. The "Church on the Hill". One guy said, "It's a fun place!" Well, all righty then!!!

Then, we're going to drive to Portland. Nolan Lewallen has a layover there tomorrow and Zandra will try to join us, too. That would be a treat! Perhaps a salmon dinner??? Another fav!!!

Thank you all, so much, for your prayers for our travel. Gettingto see friends (Flanagans) and family (Larry, Mary & John Hereford), and Yellowstone National Park . . . everyone should do that at least once, right Nell? We had such a great cross country trip this week!

We received an email from Natalie as we were leaving our hotel this morning. She wrote, "Well, by the time i talk to you again i would have (bungee) jumped off of the Zambia side of Victoria Falls bridge - - - all 115 meters (376 feet) of it!!! no worries, ill have a rope :) im so so so so excited! I cant even begin to imagine what that will feel like!!!" We wrote back and told her that this is something we would prefer to know after the fact!!! Here's website for the bungi jump experience. Maybe Natalie will post her own video soon! http://www.zambiatourism.com/travel/greatvac/bunji.htm

BIG NEWS! May 8, 2007

2007-06-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Hi folks!

We have some big news regarding something Nat & I have been contemplating for a while now, and have made our decision . . .

Not only does Natalie continue to tell us about her wonderful experience thus far with YWAM (Youth with a Mission ), we have also been hearing about it from other, unrelated, sources. One in particular, really got our attention. We were in Dallas a couple of months ago at a financial seminar. Nat has "known" the head of the organization, Don McAlvany, since the 80's but has never had opportunity to meet him. He was in Dallas for this particular seminar. We were told that the daughter of one of his close friends and associates had been on a YWAM DTS ( Discipleship Training School ), and is currently a missionary with YWAM in China , so we planned to make that connection with him.

When the seminar was over, we went up to introduce ourselves. It didn't take long for the discussion to turn to YWAM and he kept us there for another hour talking about it. He & his wife, Molly, were very impressed with the YWAM DTS. He mainly wanted to talk about is how it radically changed their son's life a few years ago, and subsequently their own lives. Their son, Scott, is a single 26 yr old who runs an orphanage now in Bali (but that's another story).

Because of Scott’s radical life change since his DTS, Don & Molly decided they wanted to attend one themselves to see what it was all about. Neither had really been personally involved in missions prior to hearing about Scott's experience. Don said, "Shirley, I didn't even know how to spell missions." They now are deeply involved with an orphanage in the Philippines , and are in continuing education through YWAM to do full time mission work. He is also turning the helm of his financial institution over to another son. He looked intently at us three times that night and said to Nat & me, "You two need to do a Crossroads DTS!"

YWAM began as an organization (in the early 1960's) to train postschool/precareer youth to go on mission. It has become a worldwide organization to train part time and full time missionaries. This is how we have heard from others about how great YWAM is. They now have the Crossroads DTS, designed for folks age 35+, and are worldwide. The Salem , Oregon Crossroads DTS will begin June 11th. We are in the process of filling out applications, and taking care of lots of things around here in order to be gone for 5 months (three months of lecture/school in Salem , and 2 in outreach . . . don't know yet if stateside or overseas).

Our decision was finalized when we ran it all by Natalie in Melbourne , Australia via phone a couple of weeks ago, and she began to cry. It is what she had been praying for!

We (actually all three of us) are eager to see what the Lord has for this next stage of our life together. The two of us are both very excited and, realistically, a little anxious about an unknown future. But the excitement outweighs the anxiety. We plan to leave the first of June and head for Salem , Oregon to arrive no later than Sunday, June 10th.

Our plans right now are to drive (rather than fly) through Colorado Springs to visit friends, through Wyoming (where Nat “cowboyed” before we married), hopefully see some if not all of the Colorado Herefords, then on in to Salem.

God has, indeed, given us “beauty for ashes” up here on the hill, but we don’t want to plant roots too deep again! We are of one heart and mind for this thing.So, there you have it thus far. I remarked to Nat about a week ago, "You know, we are on the cusp of finding out why Satan has tried so hard to destroy us." I feel it with more conviction each time I say it.

We need your prayers:
- The enemy doesn't want this to happen. Please pray with us that we will press through each hindrance placed before us
- That we know the best way to leave the place for extended periods (family & neighbors are willing to look after the property)
- Chip away at a looooooooooooong "to do" list
- Prepare our hearts to be away from Kenzley & Taryn for an extended period. We are so grateful, in instances like this, for cell phones and internet technology!

We may just be talking five months, and no more or we could be talking about a complete life change, which we’re getting pretty good at!