Mountain Climbing

Have you ever looked at a map when you wanted to do something and think, "Wow, that's not bad" then to realize when you're in the midst of the journey that maps are FLAT and don't show the elevation which can make a BIG difference.  When driving, yes, but especially when walking.

~reminder, to look at any picture on our post in a larger view,
simply click on the picture, then hit the back button
 to return to the blog post ~

We had such an experience this past weekend when we decided to go to the Mount of Olives.  Last year we went there, but only visited the base of the mountain where the Garden is with all the old olive trees.  We had seen many photos from the top of the mountain looking down onto the Old City, and really wanted to go there for the view.  We did Google maps from the Lion Gate to the Seven Arches Hotel at the top of the mountain, and it said it would only take about 15 minutes to walk.  What we didn't take into account was how steep this climb would be.

When we stepped off the bus at the Lion Gate of the Old City, we looked up to where the overlook was - way, way up the mountain.  It wasn't that is was really far away, just a very steep climb.  As we made our way up the narrow paved road, many taxis passed asking if we wanted a ride.  What, did they think we were, wimps?? Or was it the the heavy breathing and slow pace they noticed?  There were a few other people making this arduous trek as well, but most take the taxi or a tour bus.



After about half way, we were able to go on the other side of the wall, to where the Jewish Cemetery is.  What an amazing site.  The Jewish people desire to be buried on the Mount of Olives because this is where the Messiah will come with the resurrection of the dead. (Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.  On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. Zechariah 14:3,4)



As we finally reached the top, being very glad we brought a water bottle, there was a tour group (probably one at all times...) and a man with a donkey and a camel.  Now Linda really wanted a picture of the camel, but we had heard stories of the owners getting very ornery if you try to take pictures without paying them for it - even though you're using your own camera...  None the less, Jim began taking pictures, and the owner actually invited us to come closer and had the camel get down on his knees for us.  Linda asked if she could pet the camel, and he let her.  It was a very friendly camel (until later when he'd had enough and tried to bite us both....).

We were able to get some amazing pictures, and it seemed so surreal, we'd seen pictures from this exact view so often, but to actually be here, in Jerusalem, is hard to take in.  Seeing the City of David just south of the Old City where they have done excavations and are uncovering King David's palace.  And looking down on the Temple Mount where the presence of God came to fill the Temple.  Seeing Solomon's Porch and the original entrance to the Temple Mount that was used by so many to come and worship the God of Israel.  What an honor.  And to know that one day there will be another Temple in this place.  Israel is a place like no other in the world - such a past, prophecy being fulfilled in the present, and a promised future that no other nation shares.

Next we decided to scout around the rest of the area instead of heading right back down - after that walk we were going to see all there was to see!!  We travelled to the south side, and then to the east.  We were able to see with a bird's eye view into a small portion of the "West Bank".  Jerusalem is surrounded by territory that others say does not belong to them (the Bible and God say otherwise).  To the far east we were able to see the desert mountains, and even farther what must have been the mountains of Jordan.  We were thrilled that we decided to walk around and see the rest of the Land from such a high elevation (about 2500 feet).

After an afternoon filled with awe, we decided to "walk across town" to our next "appointment" that day.  That took us down the mountain, through the Old City, out Jaffa Gate, and down Jaffa Road.  About another hour walk.

What a full day.  What a blessing to be in His Land.  

Taking ground with each step we take.

PS - Many of you are aware of the continuous "tension" surrounding Israel and her neighbors.  We look upon these tensions as an opportunity to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel.  We know that whatever is happening in the news of the day (Egypt, Lebanon, Iran) will not deter us from standing in solidarity with the people of Israel.  We pray for wisdom and understanding for the leaders of this nation and we support any ideas and actions that are in unison with the Word of God.

Please believe with us as we strive to make a difference in this Land and allow ourselves to be used by God, and for Him to continue to give us the privilege of everlasting relationship opportunities.  We know His timing is perfect...

Much Ahava to each of you,

Jim & Linda

Volunteering in the Land

A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.  Proverbs 16:9

Back before we came to Israel, we had worked full time with a ministry in North Carolina that's purpose is to show God's unconditional love in practical ways to those in need in the Appalachian Mountains.   We felt at that time that it was our eternal destiny on earth - never expecting to do anything different.  What we never expected was that we were in training for what we are doing now, here in Jerusalem.

Sometimes we just look at each other and laugh - it's uncanny.  First, our positions here are almost exactly the same as they were in North Carolina.  It has made our assimilation into this new "family" rather smooth.  Jim was Ministry Manager before, and is now Director of Administration.  Linda was in accounting, and now in accounting here as well.  Therefore, so many of our responsibilities are similar to what we had been trained in.  Especially in the area of showing the unconditional love and compassion of God by serving His people.  

Some things, of course, are very different -
being in an international city.  

Sign for Linda -
"Welcome to the A-team"  (A-accounting)

Linda gets to work with the many currencies of the world - Euros, Pounds, Canadian Dollars, Australian Dollars, Francs, Hong Kong Dollars, Singapore Dollars, USD, Israeli Shekels, and many more.  Also, some of the accounting forms she deals with are in Hebrew - good thing we began studying before we came!!!  

Jim needs to meet with many business people of the community.  With the different languages, there is always the challenge of communication.  He is constantly making appointments to go meet them or for them to come or call him.  He is definitely getting acclimated quickly with the business world of Jerusalem and what is "normal".  He also has much communication with the ministry's volunteers who come from all over the world to serve in Jerusalem - each with a different culture and primary language other than English.

One of the most exciting - and challenging tasks Linda has been given since we've been here is to cover the front reception desk while that person is away.  There is a rotation schedule for the rest of the staff to fill in so this person can participate in staff gatherings and also to eat lunch.  So after being here only 2 weeks, one day Linda was scheduled to be at the front desk for 30 minutes in the morning while the staff meets to pray, and also for about 30 minutes again during lunch time.

Not such a big deal, right?  Well it wouldn't be except many of the calls that come in (not to mention the people who walk in the door) speak Hebrew!  And many times not much English... She was trained in the morning session with a few phrases in Hebrew - such as "Bevakasha lehitkasher acharei chetsi sha'a" (Please call in half an hour).  Problem was, apparently her Hebrew was good enough that people thought she spoke it fluently, so they would continue to speak back in Hebrew, but she couldn't understand what they were saying!  So, a longer list of Hebrew phrases was made before the lunch session, including "Slicha, ani lo medaberet Ivrit" (Sorry, I don't speak Hebrew).  Ha!  This stopped them from continuing to speak thinking she'd understand!  So when Linda was finally left alone, cheat sheet in hand, there were a few calls to come in, but everyone understood what she was saying, and the calls went well!  Yea!!

Now she has just completed her 2nd rotation of being on the front desk, and even more phrases were added to the list when it was found out she knows here numbers in Hebrew - she could now ask for their phone number, not just their name :)  Linda hasn't needed to try this yet, everyone that day spoke enough English - but please pray for when she will be on the desk again, probably once every 2 weeks.

So, what do we think of volunteering in the Land?  It's amazing! It's a stretching!  It's so fulfilling!  Please keep us in prayer as we continue to do what He has called us here to do.

MAY WE EACH RISE TO THE OPPORTUNITIES GIVEN TO US, 

AND NOT BACK AWAY FROM THE CHALLENGES BEFORE US.  

~BLESSINGS FROM THE CITY OF OUR LORD~

Autobus

The autobus - pronounced "autoboose" - the daily mode of transportation for the majority of Israelis in Jerusalem.  Not the normal way for most tourists to get around, they usually have their own tour busses, or if on their own, take taxis or sheruts (bigger than a van, but smaller than a bus - most common transportation to and from the airport).  Some adventurous tourists, who've been several times may venture out and ride the busses.

Mom with stroller

From our experience - and we've been here a whole month now :) - it's the locals who you see on the bus the most - moms with strollers, soldiers (fully armed we might add), people on their way to work, students, religious men & women, children, etc.


We mentioned the bus a little in previous blogs.  It's amazing how something so simple could turn out to be such an adventure! And we get to do it every day! Twice a day in fact....Any of you who love "people watching" - this is the place to do it.  There are so many different kinds of people from so many different backgrounds, with so many different styles of dress - all descent and moral, we're in Jerusalem, not Tel-Aviv :)  Some are sleeping, some knitting, many are listening to ipods, and many in the morning are reading aloud from their prayer books (you don't see that in America).

When you get on the bus, if you aren't sure if it is the correct one for you to be on, you ask the driver if he's going to your destination - in Hebrew of course!  But the good thing is that most of the streets in Jerusalem have Hebrew names anyway.  Once he says ken (yes), you show him your monthly bus pass or punch card, or pay cash (shekels) on the spot.  If he says lo (no), get off quick!!

Sometimes the busses are fairly empty, or at least have seats available.  Many times, though, they're very full - with standing room only. Remember that old childhood song - The Wheels on the Bus Go Round & Round? Well the driver in the song says, "Move on back!"  Sometimes that's the only way we can all squeeze in!  So as we're cruising along down the road and making turns, we're holding on to make sure we don't topple onto our neighbor - which Linda almost did one time when the bus driver suddenly started moving very quickly just as she was slipping into a seat.  She jerked forward and literally landed in a woman's lap - OH! Slicha! (excuse me!).  It's amazing how these drivers drive like it's a sports car, yet it's a double length bus!

The way the seats are set up, some in the front face toward the back of the bus, so we are facing all the people on the bus and somehow it seems to be the only available seats when we get on.  It's a very interesting seat to have - with a great view of all the people - but that also means they have a great view of you, too!  What an opportunity to smile away at all those sleepy faces :)  One disadvantage is then we are riding backward on a sometimes fast moving bus - just after eating breakfast - it's like being on a roller coaster after eating too much at the amusement park!


One morning we had an adventure on the bus.  We were a little more than half way to our destination when we heard - and felt- a very loud explosion, and then the bus came to a screeching halt.  Our first thought was that we blew a tire.  Our next thought (and probably everyone else's first thought) was - we're in Israel, that may be a bomb.  This, of course, must have brought some bad memories to many on the bus.  Happy to say, though, we did blow a tire as you can see in the picture.  The tire that blew was directly under our seat.  Jim confirmed to Linda that she was not the only one on the bus to scream.   It was then very interesting to see how everyone reacted to having to find a new bus - we stopped, everyone immediately got off with no complaints or grumbling, consoled the bus driver, and continued on to find the next bus stop.  We decided to walk the rest of the way - it was all down hill from there :)


Tonight was a new adventure :)  We got on our normal bus, but it didn't go the normal route!  We heard things like this could happen - one day we could wake up, walk to the bus stop, and it not even be there any more :)  But in this case, the routes had changed because they are putting in a new light rail train down the main roads (Herzl & Yafo).  So tonight the bus routes have officially changed forever!  Busses will no longer be allowed on Yafo Street - only the light rail when it begins running (sometime in Spring?)  Guess that will be another post in the future...

There's so much to say about the bus...guess there'll need to be a part 2 sometime...

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND - ALL AROUND THE TOWN :)

Linda's Lone Adventure :)

Linda writing the blog.

Someday, Jim may decide to write exclusively about the exciting things that happen when he is not with me :) but today, I (Linda) am going to share an adventure I had on my own without my beloved.

It's not too often that we aren't with each, or at least in the same building.  Some people may not be able stand being with their spouse so often - but we love being together, and miss each other when we're apart. Not bad for almost 22 years of marriage.  Now you may be thinking, "That's because it's the wife speaking." But I know if you asked Jim, he would agree.  Go ahead, ask him :)

So, on with my lone - but not lonely :) adventure.  I am also an independent person and do not need constant companionship, I enjoy being alone.

One day, Jim was being picked up in the morning because they were going to look at the distribution center, while I would need to go to the office.  Therefore, I would be making the 10 minute walk through the neighborhoods to the bus stop alone, along with the trip on the bus of course.

It's amazing when you realize how much you rely on another person...I managed to leave at our normal time, and get the front door locked (Jim usually does this, and as simple as it sounds, the locks aren't consistent, so I can never remember if it's "left to lock" or "left to unlock", and the locks just keep going round and round until I figure it out.)

Neighborhood kitty :)

I next proceeded the uphill trek toward our bus stop.  On the way there I was making sure to keep up our practice of smiling at those passing (whether they chose to "receive" my gift or not).  At one crossing I saw a man and his daughter coming my way, so I stopped to let them pass first.  I've had near collisions with other pedestrians at this crossing in the past.  Most people don't stop for anything - it's like playing "chicken" to see who is going to move out of the way - which usually ends up being me...None the less, this day, I came to a complete stop to let this man and his daughter pass by first before me.  And much to my surprise, the father said todah! (thanks) So I was very quick to reply with a smile and a "boker tov" (good morning), in which he replied back as well! Success!!

I next prayed for my bus to show up quickly with an available seat, since the ride is about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic (I pray this almost every day - and when I remember, it works...).  I knew when I got on the bus, I would need to buy for a new punch card which allows 10 bus rides, so I was planning in my head what to say to make the bus driver understand me....

My bus arrived rather quickly :)  And when I got on, I boldly showed him my used punch card and said, "echat bevakasha" (one please) with a big smile.  He smiled back, and told me how much it was (in Hebrew).  I gave him the money, and said todah (thanks) while he gave me the ticket and my change.  I then gave him a big smile and said boker tov (good morning).  He then smiled again at me and said boker tov back!


Now, you may be thinking, "What's the big deal?"  I'll tell you what's the big deal.  Have you ever noticed the demeanor of the workers when you go to a government office, like DMV? Those people always seem to be really lacking in the "joy" department.  Well most of the bus drivers seem to be this way as well.  So when this bus driver actually smiled at me - twice - and said good morning back to me, it made my heart sing!!

I then turned around to find a seat on the bus - and almost everyone seemed to be staring at me...was it my bright turquoise top?  Was my hair a mess from my hike up the hills?  Or was it the huge grin I was wearing from ear to ear because I managed to get the bus driver to be friendly???

I must say, we have been on this same driver's bus several times since then, and I always greet him with a boker tov, and sometimes say good bye with a yom tov (have a good day), and he ALWAYS replies - and many times with a smile of his own as well...

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD AND HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER!

~May we let His goodness shine through us to all those we come in contact with, 

and may we show His mercy to a world who needs it. ~

MAYIM

Mayim - water - an obvious necessity in so much of our daily lives.  Unnoticeably taken for granted most of the time.

We know that it's impossible to live without drinking water.  But have you ever stopped to think about all the things you do on a daily basis that require water? Or even hot water??  Showers, brushing teeth, commodes, washing dishes, washing laundry, cooking, coffee/tea, and on and on.  - And that's just things in the home.

Well, we have good news to share!!! Just yesterday, after 2 1/2 weeks in the Land, we finally have figured out how to get hot water in our apartment!!!  Let's all stop and rejoice right now, yes?? When we first arrived we had hot water for 2 days, then it mysteriously went away....and we didn't know how to make it come back!

Well, we were able to get it hot again - the challenge now is that we don't know exactly what we did to make it hot again...We finally talked to the land lady on the phone - she lives in Haifa (a very nice person) and she remembered that it had something to do with the washing machine.  Odd? Yes, we know :)  There is a diverter on the sink that also connects to the washing machine (which is on the back porch - outside, yet inside, kind of like a lanai?) Anyway, in order for the hot water to come into the apartment, it has to be turned off to the washing machine.  Then you need to turn on the solar heater on the roof to heat the water in the water tank, also on the roof :)




So here's our challenge: there are 2 settings for the solar heater on and timer.  We know this sounds simple.  But there is a diagram on the wall showing which is which, and then in the instructions that came with the apartment, it says the opposite of what the diagram says...not only that, it says if you leave it on too long you'll burn up the heater!!  So we don't know how to find out which is the timer so we can leave it on and actually use it to heat at the same time every day.  We have tried both, but aren't sure which is making it hot...



We plan to talk to our "vaad lady" upstairs.  When we met her recently she said if we have any questions to come ask her...What's a vaad lady? Well, she is the person in the building to collect the vaad, of course! (The vaad is the monthly maintenance fee each tenant pays, although we're not sure what it includes...) She is also the one in charge of determining when to turn the heat on and off each day (usually between 5-10 pm).  Trust us, you want to befriend the vaad lady... :)  She was very kind to us, and we hope to get to know her better as our relationship continues.

BUT - We are sooo happy to finally have hot water possible.  Until now we boiled hot water in our "hot water pot" for dishes and to put in the bathroom sink to clean with.  And took "cold" showers (slightly colder than lukewarm).  We also filter all water before drinking it - an extra precaution.  Unless it is being boiled in our handy dandy "hot water pot" which we very much like.  It's electric and heats water to boiling in about 1-2 minutes.

Another bit of good news is that we had the gas turned on yesterday as well!! Yes, it was a good day at our house on Sunday! Since Sunday is a workday in Israel and we are home, we scheduled for the man from the gas company to come and replace the meter and get the gas running to our stove.  We were told by locals that it would be a miracle if he came in the morning as planned - if at all...But we told them we have favor!

Well, what do you think happened?  He was supposed to come between 8-10 am.  We received a call at 8:30 am saying he would be there at 10:30 am - perfect! We were "lounging" anyway :)  We then received another call at 10:15 am saying he would be arriving in 10 minutes :)  We then received yet another call at 10:25 am saying he was downstairs, and would we please open the door.  Amazing!

He was so kind & friendly.  And very thorough.  What was really funny was listening to Jim and him talking.  Jim would speak English and he would answer in Hebrew.  Then Jim would speak in Hebrew and he would answer in English!  Ha! Ha! Ha!  Between the two of them they got the job done, and before he left, he apologized for getting a little bit of mud on the floor.


Each time this man would enter our apartment, he would touch the mezuzah on our doorpost. This is a small metal "scroll" containing a portion of scripture with the inscription "Shaddai" in Hebrew written on it, standing for the name of God.  There is one placed on the front doorpost, and on every doorpost throughout the apartment (excluding bathrooms).  By touching the mezuzah and then his lips, he was showing his respect and love for God's Word.


One more report of Good News - the best of all!!!


It began lightly raining on Thursday, then continued more heavily on Friday into early Saturday morning.  This is much, much needed rain.  We took this picture Friday afternoon on our walk home from the bus stop.  It's like "liquid answered prayer".  We must say, you sure don't hear anyone grumble about the rain here...We're just singing in the rain... :)  Please continue to pray for much more rain in Israel.

As much as we all require so much water for our daily lives, what we all really need most is Mayim Chayim - Living Water.  May we rely on Him for our daily water allowance so that we may thirst no more...

SOWING SEEDS - OF SMILES :)

Ever wonder how to change the atmosphere of a current situation or environment you're in?

Anyone who's ever been to a big city and walked the streets or taken public transportation knows that in today's world, everyone is very self consumed and very much in a hurry to get somewhere.  Little focus is given to those around them, and it's definitely not the norm to associate with strangers.

Back in the States, Linda enjoyed walking through Wal-Mart (boy do we miss it already), smiling and saying hello to strangers.  Everyone in such a hurry, with only their personal needs on their mind.  But you never know what someone is going through, who could use a little encouragement - even just the encouragement of a smile.

When we smile, we are sharing the Joy that is within - like a small gift, given unconditionally - to all those who are willing to receive it.  Now, not everyone is willing to accept this gift.  Some are just too consumed to pay any attention.  Some wonder what your ulterior motive is, surely you wouldn't be smiling at them for no reason...Some people have forgotten what it is like to smile, their lives are so full of hurt, bitterness, fear, anger, or pain.

When we visited Israel last year, we were being ourselves, and just happy to be here, and we wanted to share that with every passer-by - but we realized our "state of happiness" was not as well received as we had hoped.  Many times it for the same reasons as we mentioned above - people are the same all over the world.  Also, here, we somewhat stand out, although we strive to become "locals" and not appear to have a "tourist" or "foreigner" look.  We also thought the men were not responding as Linda would give a passing greeting of "Shalom!" due to a male-female etiquette of some sort.  What we have found this time around, is that the women respond (or should we say don't respond) in the same way.

Now don't misunderstand, not everyone ignores our greetings.  We do not want to paint a negative portrait of the people, they are very kind and helpful whenever we need them.  What we are speaking of,  any one of you would experience in any big city as we've already mentioned.

So, what is our mission?  Change the atmosphere - one smile at a time.

Walking to and from the bus stop... we may even see the same people each day since we go the same time every morning!  They will get to know us by our smiles :)  Hopefully it will brighten their day, and maybe someday they will ask us why we are always so happy...

On the busses...  Now this is the place to let your Light shine!  We will have a whole blog post in the future designated to the bus.  Neither one of us have ever used the public bus system before - and certainly never had to depend on it on a daily basis.  More on this later... :)


In the grocery stores...in public buildings...in the shuk...

Oh, my!!! The shuk.  This as we mentioned in a previous post is Israel's version of the farmer's market.  One of the most amazing places to go.  Even if you don't buy anything (which we can't imagine...).  this would be a great place to go and people watch. We really want to share more about the shuk, and probably will do a post on it later as well.  But for today's post, we'll say that we haven't quite gotten acclimated to the frenzied atmosphere of the shuk yet to be able to sow as many seeds there... It's quite a whirlwind.  But - we will conquer it and begin planting our seeds there, too - won't they be surprised at our calm exterior - once we can get a calm interior! :)

None the less, we have our work cut out for us, with daily opportunities.  But if one smile brightens one person's day, it is a step in the right direction.  "A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day."  Proverbs 15:13 (The Message)

We can sow, sometimes we will be watering , and yet another time we may reap.

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  

Will you take the time to sow even more smiles of your own today?

PS...you may have already noticed this, but if you click on a picture, it will enlarge it - just remember to use the back button to go back to the post :)  Also, to view our previous posts from 2010, use the archive listing on the right side of the blog page. Todah! (thanks)