Just when we didn't think things could get any busier, they have! It all started in late August when the directors of our organization went out of the country. They came back for 2 weeks, but left again until the end of this week, for a total of almost 4 months away! This left Jim as the "point -man", and general "go-to" person for about 30 people, both at headquarters and the distribution center. He is many times in that role anyway, trying to lift the load for the directors as much as possible, but even more so while they are away.
With a major renovation of the distribution center behind us, it is now time to oversee the operation there, what a blessing to give of ourselves to the new olim (immigrants) coming home to Israel. Jim's weekly visit to the DC gives him the opportunity to give a devotional teaching each Wednesday morning to the staff as well as the teaching each Monday morning at headquarters. Wednesday afternoons we join together for a staff meeting/event, when we invite Israeli's to share their stories with us. It's another chance to build relationships with new friends. With volunteers coming and going, we're trying to find someone to step in to cover absentees in the mailroom, reception, facility cleaner, cook at the distribution center, etc. Even with 30 people, there's so much to do that sometimes the laborers are still too few.....
And then there are the facility issues....we have had some "disturbances" of late, and needed to reinstall an automatic lock on our front door with a speaker system so we can monitor entry with a bit of security. It's been done before and we just know when we need to step up security a little. We also are witnessing the prophesy of "the Lord is building Jerusalem" all around us. There are very high buildings going up all around ours - literally on all sides. A few weeks ago, we had a 2x4 come through our window! Glad Jim was there to speak with the general contractor...
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| This is where volunteer Dr. Bill used to sit. We are very happy the girl who now sits here was at lunch! God's protection!! |
So with many early mornings, late nights and sometimes working on Sunday, time just goes very fast here. We've heard it said, and agree, that time is faster in Israel - especially in Jerusalem! It's the spiritual center of the world, so maybe that's why...But one thing we can say - it's very exciting!!! Never, ever boring. There will never again be "normal". Each day is different and new. Each day a new adventure. With eyes and ears wide open, we soak it all in, and we have learned so much about Israeli society and the people here. It truly does help to know how to communicate and relate with the people.
And now we are getting ready to begin Hebrew lessons! We wanted to wait until things slowed down a bit, but after a year we see that's not going to happen :) so we need to "just do it"! There is a teacher who will come to our headquarters 2 evenings a week for 8 weeks to teach all who want to learn beginner Hebrew. The blessing is it will only cost about $115 per person - 1/3 the price of going to Ulpan (Hebrew school). Please pray that we learn quickly. And that after a long day working we will be focussed, and there will be homework as well!!
So what else is going on in our lives?? We moved!! We will be doing a blog on just this - there is so much to tell! - but it has been very intense. When most volunteers need to move (for various reasons) they just move their personal items, our organization provides the apartment and furnishings. But the apartment we moved from was being released, so we needed to move all the furnishings as well. At our new apartment to be, the volunteers were moved elsewhere, so everything in that apartment was being packed up just like ours, so it was two entire house moves within 1 1/2 weeks!
Once our new apartment was empty, we realized a lot of work needed to be done to it. So Jim contacted the landlord to show him what needed to be done, and began negotiations.
And so - we're having demolition begin on our apartment today - literally!! They've gutted the bathroom completely. I guess we're getting a new bathroom, even the floor is now gone! Hope it doesn't take long... :) They're also going to replace the kitchen lower cabinets, countertop and sink, and replace the top cabinet faces to match the new bottom ones. They are also replacing the living room window, along with 2 bedroom windows and the bathroom window. The are going to fix the radiator in the living room that is not attached properly, and they will fix the rusted security bars outside and paint them. Last but not least, they will fix the floor in the laundry so we will no longer hear or see our neighbors below :) Whew....that's alot of work, but Baruch HaShem - Praise His Name - the landlord has agreed to pay for all the work!!! About $20,000!!! What a miracle!! God is so good to us!!
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| you can see what's left of the bathtub :) |
Argh!!!! I just heard one of the workers spitting in the bathroom!!! Since there is no toilet, sink, or bath left, where did it go???? Lord please help me....This is going to make a great blog when it's all done :) I've also noticed that although they work very hard when they are working, they also take a break about every 45 minutes or so, almost more break time than work time :) And we found out we are expected to have coffee for them while they work - for their coffee break every hour :) So they wanted turkish coffee, and I gave them what I thought was turkish coffee, but I don't think it was, because when one guy left to get them lunch, he came back with turkish coffee and showed it to me with a smile :) What is also interesting is the workers are Arab. If they had their own state ("Palestine"), they'd be out of a job. Many Arabs work building Jewish homes and offices, and construction work like our apartment. It's a catch 22 for them I think....
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| Coffee station set up in living room since the kitchen needed to be cleared for demolition :) Note the Turkish coffee in the brown and red bag :) |
In the past month while no one has heard from us, we've been packing and moving. Not un-packing again, though, because we knew all the work to be done, no sense in unpacking until it's done. They said it should take 2 weeks. Please pray that it goes smoothly and on time. Please pray for our neighbors, too. The va'ad lady next door (you remember who the va'ad lady is, right? She's the one you pay the va'ad money to each month - for building maintenance) told us to let her know if we needed anything - bathroom, food, even a shower! God bless her, she has been so kind to us already. And the neighbors downstairs have a baby, who needs a nap in the afternoon, not loud demolition noise! When we have our new home put together, we will have a "house-warming" party for our friends, staff and new neighbors. And we will hope the house is truly warm - with the window and radiator issues, it hasn't gotten warmer than 64 F at night - with the heat on (which only runs from 6-9 pm).
This is so exciting to experience - we keep telling ourselves that to keep the right perspective! :) We promise to do a blog when the renovation is done, complete with before and after pictures :)
With the directors coming back this week, and the renovations beginning this week, we took the time to go away last weekend to the Galilee for some refreshment. We were blessed financially with instructions to use it to "go away". We're hoping to do this in January some time, but until then, we spent our first overnight getaway in a year looking at the Galilean sky...
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| Sunrise over the Kinneret - Sea of Galilee Looks like a star of David, huh? |
Thank you for all your prayers - they are much needed. The past few months have been pretty intense in many ways. We have quickly come to realize that it would be impossible to live in Jerusalem without a weekly day of Shabbat (Sabbath - rest). The greeting on Friday and Saturday is to say Shabbat Shalom - peaceful rest. We each have a choice to live daily in the realm of shalom - peace, and we pray that each of us enters into that place of habitual rest.
