Tel Aviv

July 9, 2010

I am again 3 days behind writing this, so it will be short and sweet. Our internet was out for who knows how long and it was pretty stressful for Michelle and I to be away from our blogs, and for Michelle and Diane to be away from Skype.

Anyway, on Friday we decided to go to Tel Aviv to see the market, the beach, and the town of Joffa. We made arrangements for a taxi driver named Sammi to take us there. He has a big van and while negotiating the price he said he would take 200 shekels off the price if he could bring his wife and kids along. They are muslim and the family does not speak much english but it was so much fun. I played peek a boo and sang nonsense songs with the kids on the way there. We then split up from them and spent two hours in the crowded market. It was a cacophony of sights, sound and smells. Sammi and his family then picked us up to go to the beach but we ended up getting caught in a huge traffic snarl because the main road along the beach was closed to vehicles. Sammi ended up letting us out and we walked to the beach, leaving him to deal with the narrow crowded roads and honking, yelling people.

As we walked up to the beach we saw the reason for the traffic, there was a big parade with rock bands and thousands of young people following each semi. We made our way to the beach which was really nice. The meditteranean sea is really warm and quite clean so we had fun.

After two and a half hours we made it back to Sammi and he fought his way through the traffic to the ancient city of Joffa. This is the city where Jonah took off from,and where Simon Peter's house was. The streets and buildings were very old, the streets very narrow and it was charming.

We then went back to the van and Sammi took us to a restaurant where they served us 23 varieties of salad and we each got a whole fish, fried with head and fins and everything! It was delicious. It was Sammi and his wifes' anniversary so we picked up the tab. The drive home was fun, with their daughter dancing in the arab way, on the seat as we drove. It was a blessing to get to know, at least a little, a muslim family and we hope they were blessed as well.

Tunnel and Bethlehem

July 8, 2010
On with the continuing adventures of the fabulous five! We decided to go to the City of David today to see Hezekiah's tunnel. I am going to have to read the Bible and research a little more on the history of this but I can tell you it was very cool! They have just unearthed much of it in 2005. It is amazing to me how they can just keep discovering things from thousands of years ago in a city that is inhabited. They just keep building on top of old buildings. Anyway, we made our way down on good old bus 18 and paid our way to see the tunnel. We were told to wear water shoes and to bring a flashlight but we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We descended down a steep hill by the city of David ruins and joined up with a tour. The guide explained how the tunnel was dug and fortification built over it in order for the inhabitants to get water safely at all times but especially in times of war. We had heard that it was a miracle how the ones who dug it started at either end, yet even in the days before GPS, ended up meeting in the middle. Well, we descended some more (very steeply), saw some continuing excavations, then descended yet again into a narrow tunnel with water flowing through it. The water was cold and amazing, most areas were mid calf in depth but it did go to upper thigh area in one spot. We were able to slog through the entire tunnel, in the water, in the dark, for about half an hour, one end to the other. We loved it! There were twists and turns, high caverns and low spots that we had to crouch to get through. The fact that it wasn't just a straight shot through, made the miracle of them meeting 150 metres below ground, even more amazing.
When we came out we were at the pool of Siloam, which didn't seem very impressive at first, but then we found out that they had just discovered it within the last 6 years and that most of it was on a church property next door and the church would not let them excavate. We were also reminded that this was the pool that Jesus told the blind man to go wash his eyes in when He healed him. Which also got me thinking, Jesus never healed people the same way twice. probably so that people wouldn't think they had the 'formula' for healing. Yet, looking around at what people do for the sake of religion, with all their formulas and rules, and putting up monument on top of monument, I wondered why, when all God wants is a relationship with us. Anyway....after the pool we went and looked at old coins, lamps and tear jars and then headed to an appointment we thought we had with some segways. A van gave us a ride to where we thought we had to go but unfortunately it was the wrong place so we called the van back. The driver had offered to take us to Bethlehem (as only Palistinians are allowed to go there with tourists.) Dixie, Sheila and I decided to take him up on it and away we went. We got to see the big security fence that was erected to prevent all the suicide bombers and scud missiles from being sent over to Israel. There are security check points and lots of soldiers with guns there too, but we felt safe. We saw the church of the nativity which is shared by three denominations. Most everything original is covered over by stuff, but there is one spot where the rock above the manger area is natural so that was cool. For some reason the rock there is black, whereas everywhere else it seems to be tan coloured limestone. We also saw the "shepherd's fields" which were mostly covered with houses so that wasn't too exciting.
The driver took us back to the apartment and we arranged with him to pick us up tomorrow to go to Tel Aviv. I will let you know how that goes tomorrow.
shalom!

Soup kitchen, YMCA, King David hotel

July 7, 2010

Today started off with Dixie, Sheila and I heading out early (relatively) to go on a prebooked trip to Masada and the Dead Sea. The cab was supposed to be there at 8 but when we arrived at the taxi stand, the man wasn't there. We decided to give him until 8:30 to show but we were kind of hoping he wouldn't because we didn't want to be separated from Michelle and Diane. At 8:30, the man showed up and he immediately started chewing us out for being at the wrong spot. We looked at each other with stricken looks and immediately started digging in our money belts. We were of one mind, we payed the man man 50 shekels for his time, then we dashed excitedly up to the apartment. Michelle and Diane were thrilled too about what God had in store for us. We had a very brief conference and all agreed to head to the soup kitchen to volunteer. We went out and there "happened" to be a van sitting at the cab stand which took us to the neighborhood where the soup kitchen is. After a little wandering and being lost (in an orthodox community where they don't appreciate 'scantily' clad women laughing hysterically) we found the kitchen. We watched a brief video and were put to work chopping vegetables, serving food and cleaning. The people there were very nice and very appreciative of the help. We were blessed to be there.

We then took the bus to the YMCA downtown which is a beautiful old building with a big tower. All the better to get yet another bunch of panoramic pictures of the Jerusalem landscape! We took our pictures, sat on the deck and drank some lemonade then headed over to the King David hotel across the street. I was unprepared for the magnificent view of the old city from the hotel's restaurant and outdoor eating area. I have read books that had this hotel as the setting, and seeing it in person really brought the books to life in my mind.

After a little meandering about, we headed back to the apartment for some grocery shopping and delicious salad made with Diane's loving hands. We had planned to go out to a nearby cafe for coffee tonight but just noticed it is almost 11, so good night all!

around the city

July 6, 2010

Today we woke up early to take the city bus tour which starts at 9 am. It is a double decker bus which does a 2 hour loop around Jerusalem past the major sights. We received ear buds to listen to the audio explanation of the different buildings and areas. It was very interesting to see where the border to Jordan was, and to see the buildings and sights that I had already read about from the 1948 and 1967 war. It is absolutely amazing to me how God has brought His people back to Israel and has protected them against incredible odds from the people or forces that want the country annihilated.

The bus allows people to get off at certain locations, and be picked up about 2 hours later. We decided to make one complete loop and then disembark somewhere on our 2nd loop. At close to the end of the first loop a lovely older lady ran to get aboard. She asked if she could join us and we of course said yes. We are always open to who God places in our path and we have been blessed every time by the treasures (God's people) that we have talked to here. Anyway, Carol is a lovely lady who travelled here by herself for a music convention at the University and was now taking it upon herself to see the sights. She is Jewish and was such a blessing because we had so many questions about Jewish customs, dress, food, etc.

For our first stop we decided to get off at the Dung gate and walk down to see the city of David. Unfortunately, I hadn't done my homework and didn't realize we would be walking in water and that we needed a flashlight. The entire courtyard was also full of singing, exuberant school groups of children, so we decided to leave the City of David for another time. We ended up back in the old city by the West wall of the temple. I was disappointed because we have been there a couple times before but God blessed us by having a family celebrating their son's bar mitzvah. They were dancing to instruments playing, and at the gates they blew two big shofars. It was great to see.
After a lunch and more shopping, we boarded the bus again and headed off to the biblical zoo. The highlight was when an elephant decided to take a bath right in front of us. It is amazing to see God's creation in action!
We then headed off to King of kings church for a bible study on Psalms. It was really good but I was so tired (I woke up at 4:30 this morning) that I had a hard time staying awake. When it was over, however, we ended up staying to talk to people and pray. If you are a praying person, remember a man named Russell who has Jewish heritage who wants to immigrate to Israel but is having trouble proving his heritage.
Shalom for now!

Holocaust museum

Monday July 5, 2010

Finally caught up! Writing on the same day that the events happened!! We woke up late this morning and had a relaxing time discussing our faith, our Lord and our understanding of things like titheing. Finally we decided to have brunch and head off at the crack of noon for Yad Veshem (the Holocaust Museum.) It was an easy bus ride on old faithful, bus 18 (which I just found out today has been hit by a suicide bomber in the past.)

The museum was very sad, touching, informative, enlightening,,,and big. Sheila and Dixie rented the self guided tour headsets and told us they were very good so we all rented them. They were very good, giving lots of information and the time flew. Dixie and Sheila didn't even finish the main museum when they were asked to leave because the museum was closing at 5. I was horrified at how Christians and Germans have treated the Jewish people. Being part of both these groups, I felt grieved and guilty for the sins of my ancestors. I was also horrified by how many death camps, death vans, death marches, and just horrible deaths there were.

Anyway, 5 o'clock came and we bought some groceries to try and replicate a couple of the amazing salads that we had in restaurants. They involve fried mushrooms, fried onions, goat cheese, and bean sprouts. It was a wonderful supper, one we probably couldn't have got away with had our husbands been with us. This evening has been great too, finally catching up on this blog!!

Sun. July 4, Christian boot camp, and King of Kings!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

The most incredible, moving day so far! We decided to do the rampart walk around the walls of the old city of Jerusalem. We went outside at the crack of 9 and were surprised to discover that it was hotter than it had been on the other days, but being women of our word, we set out to do what we said we would. We started at the Jaffa gate and climbed up on the walls. Our walk was slowed down by the many picture that we took as we oohed and awed at all the sights. Michelle and Sheila were a bit freaked out by the heights and the rickety stairs and railings involved so we prayed for fear to leave them and they did great!

We had to exit at the Dung gate near the temple mount and I wanted to go into the archaeological museum but no one else wanted to so they four of them offered to go shopping and to lunch to give me the time I needed. I was thrilled to see the archaeological digs and to see how deep the history goes there. There was also a computer 3D model of the temple and the changes that happened over the centuries. As my oldest son wants to go into 3D animation, that also made it very interesting on that level. I learned that the wailing wall isn't the only wall left standing of the temple as I had thought, it is part of the base of the temple mount and it is just the closest area (other than the tunnels underneath) to where the temple stood. We were allowed to go right up to the wall of the temple mount that had the main gates going into it in Jesus' time. They had even uncovered some of the original steps which I cherished walking, and sitting on. I don't know how much longer they will let people do that, but what a privilege to experience it now! There had been a muslim palace built right over it but the palace was destoyed by an earthquake centuries ago. It wasn't until recently that the rubble was removed and the area was opened to the public. There was only 4 of us there as most tours don't give their people enough time to explore that area or most don't know about it. I agreed with a mennonite man who was there when he said it was a hidden jewel, and he couldn't believe the area wasn't crowded with tourists. When I looked at my watch I couldn't believe 2 hours had passed so quickly so I had to rush out, run up a gazillion stairs and make my way through the old town to meet the Fantastic Four. We continued our rampart walk on the other side of the Jaffa gate. By now it was 2 pm and very hot. We trudged along, not as enthusiastically as before, but we still enjoyed peering into the backyards and rooftops of the homes and schools of the old city. I was surprised at the life and community in the old city, the schools, sports fields, kids playing. I had never thought of old Jerusalem as an actual community. Anyway, we marched on, sweating and

grasping for any whiff of breeze that came our way. Finally, an hour and a half later, we reached the Lion gate on the other side of the city. We could see the Muslim cementary there and we know the prophecies that say Messiah (Jesus) will come again through the Eastern gate. We also knew that the muslims had fulfilled the prophecy from Ezekiel 44:1,2 which says "Then the man brought me out to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. the Lord said to me, "This gate is to remain shut. it must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel has entered through it." That had happened on Palm Sunday and the muslims, hearing the prophesy of the Lord's second coming to be the Eastern gate, decided to seal the gate and put their graveyards right up to it as they knew rabbinical jews would not defile themselves going over dead bodies. Anyway.......we determined that we wanted to see the gate up close so we walked through the graveyard and came right up to the gate. You have never in your life seen people more excited about a sealed

up gate. We prayed and sang and cried. Oh , to be where our Savior will soon be again!

Time flew by again, and we decided to catch a cab to the King of Kings church whose services start at 5. We waited for a cab, to no avail, then decided to pray, not just for a cab, but a van that would fit all of us. Within minutes a van cab showed up and we piled in. As it turned out, we liked him, and hired him to take a tour next Saturday up to the Galilee. We made it to church on time, the worship was amazing, including a song about the gate being opened and the King coming in. The sermon was probably good but myself and a couple other of the fab five kept falling asleep because we were so exhausted from our amazing day.

Sabbath and Ein Karem

July 2, 2010 Shalom!
Today is the Sabbath. Everything is shut down. We had the choice of taking a cab to the Muslim quarter of the old city or to take a cab to a small village near us, called Ein Karem, which is where tradition holds that John the Baptist was born and that Mary came to visit Elizabeth when they were both pregnant.
The village was charming, set in the hills with tons of neat plants and buildings. We walked up a steep "mountain" path to the Church of the Visitation. I loved the gardens around the church and the mosaic work in the church. I couldn't take pictures because there was a group of Japanese worshippers having a service. Our God moment was when Michelle twisted her ankle on the rough path and was in agony. We stopped to ask Jesus to heal her and within seconds her ankle felt fine. We were euphoric!

We then went to have some gelatto ice cream which was very authentic to the real thing from Italy, which is neat because this whole village and landscape reminded me of Italy. We then went to visit John the Baptist church but it was closed until 2:30 so we did what every red blooded woman would do, we went shopping and to lunch! I ended up buying a silver Jerusalem cross and we all bought scarves made in Israel. The lunch was in an Italian restaurant. The salads and foccacia were amazing! We had a mushroom salad and a fried goat cheese salad which were out of this world!
Dixie and Sheila headed back up to the apartment and Michelle, Diane and I decided to stay for awhile. I felt compelled to go to the park and there we found a poor old lady foraging for bottles or berries. We each gave her some shekels and Diane gave her a hug, then we knew why we were to stay. We made our way up the hill and found an art studio in a residential area. It was so amazing to walk up all these stone steps and see the upper patios with grape vines and other plants used for shade. We also made it to the church, then went to find a cab. We sat and sat and eventually said we should pray, which we had all been doing individually, but within minutes of praying together a cab came. We went back to the apartment, had a siesta and supper and at 8:30 pm when the buses started running again, we headed uptown to Ben Yehuda street. We wouldn't have found it but for a beautiful Philipino girl who offered to show us the way. We turned the corner of a seemingly abandoned, seedy, dark street and we were amazed to see a well lit area thronging with people. We could not believe how many people there was and how alive! We almost immediately came upon a Korean group of teenagers singing. We couldn't understand the words but we could certainly feel the Holy Spirit! Unfortunately they were almost done so we only heard 2 songs but it was amazing. A lady near us,who couldn't speak english, came up to hug us. She called us sisters and said Holy Spirit in a heavy accent. It was amazing, I had tears running down my face as I thought about the body of Christ around the world and the amazing connection we feel with other Christians , regardless of race or language, through the Holy Spirit. That was my treasure for the day!