It's Yom Kippur and I can't believe how quiet it is. What an amazing day in the land of Israel and especially here in this busy city of Jerusalem. No horns honking, no traffic, etc. It really feels good. Larry and I are enjoying the quiet as we reflect on the significance of this day and with grateful hearts we worship the Savior who took our sins away--forever.
I continue to meet very interesting people. Yesterday I was to meet the artist, Annie Fischler, for breakfast but we had a mix up and it did not work out so we are meeting this evening after Shabbat at the King David Hotel coffee shop. Annie has invited me to an exhibit of her art at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in the Old City on Sept. 26th. I am so curious about her and look forward to getting to know her better. Since she did not show up for breakfast yesterday, I walked over to the Mamilla Mall and found a small cafe that served delicious croissants with tea. As I sat near the window enjoying my tea, I observed the variety of people passing by. Young families pushing strollers, a Muslim woman walking with her daughter, a few soldiers, and a few very modern Western dressed young women. Shouts of "Ima," "Ima," from a little boy calling for his mother were all very typical of what I see in the US--just a little more variety in dress.
From the Mall I took a taxi into East Jerusalem (was Jordan before the Six-Day War) to look at the hotel my sister Dorothy will be staying at when she completes her tour of Israel. She will be coming to Jerusalem for four days in October and I look forward to seeing her and enjoying Jerusalem together. On the way back the taxi driver asked me where I was staying and I told him Jerusalem University College. He then proceeded to tell me, "Oh, that is the school where students volunteer to work with the Gypsie children." He told me he is a Gypsie and his sister runs the center and that he had transported JUC students to the center and back. He said he lived near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City and that it was very nice. He took me almost all the way to the school--it's a very narrow road the last 1/4 mile to the school but he was kind enough to take me that far. Everyday it seems like God brings into my life a new person or small encounter that makes my experience here more and more meaningful.
I forgot to mention earlier that Ramadan ended a week ago Thursday night with five huge blasts from a Turkish canon announcing Ramadan was over. During Ramadan the canon sounds in the morning when the fast begins and once in the evening when the fast ends and then five final blasts at the end of Ramadan. I hear all kinds of noises that make me ask is that fireworks, a canon blast, or a bomb??? If I don't hear sirens afterwards, I assume it's all okay. (:
Here at JUC we have the privilege of seeing many little geckos running around the school. I was pleasantly surprised to have a small white gecko cross my path. One can hardly see them against the light stone floor. I finally saw one dog when I was walking through Mamilla Mall--a small poodle on a leash. That is the first dog I have seen in Jerusalem.
My writing is progressing at a slow pace but progress is being made. I just finished reading Ruth Dayan's book, The Story of Ruth Dayan...Or Did I Dream a Dream? She was the wife of the military Chief of Staff and famous General Moshe Dayan. What a story of life on a moshav, the war of independence, living with a charismatic and famous man, her establishing a business that helped Jewish immigrants by selling their handcrafted items called Maskit, and then seeing her marriage end in divorce. It appears they were both very difficult people to live with but highly gifted.
Our student, Robyn, who fell last Sunday on a hike, is recuperating but is walking slowly and her eye is truly a black eye. We all marvel again that God spared her from broken bones and more serious injuries.
The dig just ouside the campus by the local Dept. of Antiquities has really taken on the appearance of a very professional archaeological dig. They just found some pottery from the second temple period and something else that could be a wall but not certain as yet. It would be wonderful if they identified something truly significant but if they do it will slow down JUC's plans for connecting to the city sewer. Such is life in Jerusalem!
Joyce Helyer's Blog
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
More Jottings from Jerusalem--September 15, 2010
Well, here we are almost three and a half weeks into our new life in Jerusalem. We continue to be impressed and grateful for all that we are experiencing—in spite of the exhaustion we feel after a JUC Field Trip! Yes, it’s true. These “ole bodies” have had a shock but we are adjusting and doing things we thought we couldn’t do. In fact, last Saturday we went with the JUC students on another day-long field trip starting out at the Mt. of Olives and having our professor explain all we were seeing on the horizon to what was close to us. The view of the Temple Mount area from the top of the Mt. of Olives is beautiful. No doubt, you have seen it in photographs. We could see to the east the Judean Wilderness and look down on the City of David that is just below the Temple Mount. After the view and walking amongst all the tourist buses that were beginning to gather, we made our way down the Mt. to the Garden of Gethsemane and the church that sits next to these ancient trees in a small garden with roses and bougainvillea blooming. Things have changed over the years, but I had a flashback to Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, and the image of what it might have been like at that time and that image was helpful to me. We then went to the area where it is thought Jesus wept over Jerusalem on the day of his Triumphal Entry or the day we call Palm Sunday. A beautiful church sits on that spot—Dominus Flevit (The Lord Wept). But, from there we continued to walk down hill to the Kidron Valley, crossed over, and went up the other side just south of the Temple Mount area to catch our bus. We walked right past the City of David and where David’s palace might have been and from that point he could see all the way down the hill and one can certainly understand how easily he could have seen Bathsheba on her roof.
We headed out south and east of Jerusalem to the Herodium, the fortress/palace of King Herod. This is in a very barren area not far from Bethlehem. Not too many tourists there eager to climb to the top. Herod built an amazing palace for himself with a pool surrounded by columns at the base of the Herodium. The school had packed lunches for us and the Israelis have constructed a visitor’s room where we could enjoy our sandwiches in the air-conditioning before we braved the heat and started our climb. It was a strenuous hike up with Larry and me bringing up the rear but we made it! Don’t laugh. We may be a little slower but we can keep plodding upward and onward. The view was fantastic and the remains of his palace with a theatre and Roman bath were fascinating. Of course, what goes up must come down so that’s just what we did--all the way to the lower tunnels that were used by the Israel Zealots around 130 or 133 AD during the Bar-Kochba revolt to attack the Romans. After we refreshed ourselves with water and ice cream at the visitor’s station we were off again and this time to Bethlehem packed with tourists. We have been there before but we still wanted to go inside the Church of the Nativity and the area where Jerome translated the Latin Vulgate. So much history and significance but one must be prepared that this is not how it was at the birth of Jesus. Bethlehem is beginning to recover economically but we did have the experience of going through an Israeli checkpoint as Bethlehem is located in the administered territory by Israel. We saw the huge wall—separation barrier—with lots of graffiti on it in places. So sad. Tonight in my class on Palestinian Society and Politics we will be discussing several articles about the wall and how it has impacted the day-to-day lives of the Palestinians. Please pray as peace talks resume next week that some breakthrough might occur.
As we approached JUC later that evening, the bus had to park close to the Jaffa Gate area which meant another climb up to campus. The students seemed to sprint to dinner but Larry and I slowly found our way up the hill. We just have to laugh at ourselves even though our feet were very sore. Most of the students left the next morning early to go on another hike (just for fun!) planned by our Student Programs office. They were off to the Yehudia Reserve in the Golan to climb and see waterfalls. Later we were told it was a very strenuous hike through a canyon and then up the side of the rock with handles to grip to pull oneself up then the hiker had to swim across the river while holding their backpack over their head! They all admitted they loved it but it was difficult.
We are so thankful that one of our students from Eastern University survived a 10 foot fall while on the hike. While she was climbing up the canyon her foot slipped and she dropped and almost rolled into the river but a very alert male student jumped down to help her and prevented her from falling into the river. It was a very scary experience for them. The students who were with her gathered round and began to pray for her. There was an Israeli medic on the trail who stopped to help and Robyn had to be flown out by helicopter to a hospital in Tiberias. She had no broken bones just cuts on her face (12 stitches in her chin), a black eye, sore legs, etc. JUC’s president was called and he drove to Tiberias and was able to bring her back to campus that night. I overheard Robyn saying that when she fell her arm hurt terribly and she was sure she had broken it but when the students prayed over her the pain stopped and she thinks God healed her broken arm. She did not suffer major injury but it is still very painful for her and living at JUC means you are climbing up and down stairs all over the campus.
Larry and I had a wonderful Sabbath rest on Sunday and enjoyed worshipping again at Christ’s Church in the Old City. On the way back to campus we were in the park area by the Ottoman Wall that surrounds the Old City and we saw an Arab woman by an olive tree. She had spread out what looked like sheets under the olive tree and was hitting the tree with a stick to knock loose the olives. We took a photo of this old-fashion method of “harvesting” the olives.
Sunday evening we went to Mamilla Mall for dinner and met a young man who helped serve us. He told us he grew up in Jerusalem and had spent three years in the military. He would love to come to the US but said it is so difficult to get a visa. He and his military buddies leave in several weeks for six months touring in South America. He fought in Gaza and said he doesn’t like fighting but it is quieter now. He would like to go back to visit Sharm El Sheik but he said it is not safe for him there. We told him we are praying for peace. He is very proud of Jerusalem. I’m so thankful for all these encounters. I have found that people really open up if you begin to ask a few questions and they are so helpful to us.
Today I went to West Jerusalem with a student from Guyana via Messiah College. She did not want to go alone and did not know how to find an Ethiopian salon that would braid her hair. She asked a woman who looked Ethiopian pushing a baby stroller if she knew of a place. This woman, very kind, offered to show us the way and when we got there the building was empty. She then proceeded to give us her phone number so Dawnique could call her for women who do braiding in their homes. Danesh told us that she had lived in Jerusalem for nine years and loves Israel and that she is from Ethiopia. She wants to stay but said sometimes it is hard to live here because they are black and treated like a minority. Her family lives in Dallas, Texas, and she may eventually go there. She told us that with her children being born in Israel it may be easier for them to grow up here and they may not face some of the problems those who have emigrated have encountered. Everyone has such amazing stories. She was delightful.
I found out that the correct name of the Israeli American Idol program is “Kochav Nolad”—A Star is Born. That’s the program that kept us entertained outside our window two weeks ago.
I experienced a very nostalgic walk on Tuesday as I went with a young couple from JUC who are grad students and they were going to the Rifka Mall where there is a Home Center store—a cross between Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond. We went right through the neighborhood that Larry and I lived in 42 years ago when we were students here. I recognized the “green grocer,” and the street I so often walked on but I was also overwhelmed with all the changes. It’s now a bustling neighborhood that is becoming more upscale with little sidewalk cafes and taking on a more European feel. This is the old German Colony area on Emek Rephaim for those of you who have been here. That was another mile and half from campus and then back but it was great getting to know Mandy and Justin and hear about their dreams for the future—budding archaeology teachers. It was fun to see how to shop in this area and I even went into an Office Depot that was just like in the States except everything was in Hebrew. I found a few things at the Home Center to make our room a little more cozy, including a small rug for these stone floors. It’s still really hot in the daytime but wonderfully cool at night.
If it sounds like I’m going all the time, that’s not the case. I have been getting some writing done and feel good about the progress in that arena. I’m reading through the book of Judges now and learning once again all the consequences for disobedience the children of Israel suffered. What lessons for us who are disciples of Christ!
I’m enjoying my daughter Alicia’s blog called Always Orange –Meeting God in the Every Day. If you have any interest, check it out. Later tonight is our weekly “Cookie Night” at JUC so Larry and I will be there after class. (:
We headed out south and east of Jerusalem to the Herodium, the fortress/palace of King Herod. This is in a very barren area not far from Bethlehem. Not too many tourists there eager to climb to the top. Herod built an amazing palace for himself with a pool surrounded by columns at the base of the Herodium. The school had packed lunches for us and the Israelis have constructed a visitor’s room where we could enjoy our sandwiches in the air-conditioning before we braved the heat and started our climb. It was a strenuous hike up with Larry and me bringing up the rear but we made it! Don’t laugh. We may be a little slower but we can keep plodding upward and onward. The view was fantastic and the remains of his palace with a theatre and Roman bath were fascinating. Of course, what goes up must come down so that’s just what we did--all the way to the lower tunnels that were used by the Israel Zealots around 130 or 133 AD during the Bar-Kochba revolt to attack the Romans. After we refreshed ourselves with water and ice cream at the visitor’s station we were off again and this time to Bethlehem packed with tourists. We have been there before but we still wanted to go inside the Church of the Nativity and the area where Jerome translated the Latin Vulgate. So much history and significance but one must be prepared that this is not how it was at the birth of Jesus. Bethlehem is beginning to recover economically but we did have the experience of going through an Israeli checkpoint as Bethlehem is located in the administered territory by Israel. We saw the huge wall—separation barrier—with lots of graffiti on it in places. So sad. Tonight in my class on Palestinian Society and Politics we will be discussing several articles about the wall and how it has impacted the day-to-day lives of the Palestinians. Please pray as peace talks resume next week that some breakthrough might occur.
As we approached JUC later that evening, the bus had to park close to the Jaffa Gate area which meant another climb up to campus. The students seemed to sprint to dinner but Larry and I slowly found our way up the hill. We just have to laugh at ourselves even though our feet were very sore. Most of the students left the next morning early to go on another hike (just for fun!) planned by our Student Programs office. They were off to the Yehudia Reserve in the Golan to climb and see waterfalls. Later we were told it was a very strenuous hike through a canyon and then up the side of the rock with handles to grip to pull oneself up then the hiker had to swim across the river while holding their backpack over their head! They all admitted they loved it but it was difficult.
We are so thankful that one of our students from Eastern University survived a 10 foot fall while on the hike. While she was climbing up the canyon her foot slipped and she dropped and almost rolled into the river but a very alert male student jumped down to help her and prevented her from falling into the river. It was a very scary experience for them. The students who were with her gathered round and began to pray for her. There was an Israeli medic on the trail who stopped to help and Robyn had to be flown out by helicopter to a hospital in Tiberias. She had no broken bones just cuts on her face (12 stitches in her chin), a black eye, sore legs, etc. JUC’s president was called and he drove to Tiberias and was able to bring her back to campus that night. I overheard Robyn saying that when she fell her arm hurt terribly and she was sure she had broken it but when the students prayed over her the pain stopped and she thinks God healed her broken arm. She did not suffer major injury but it is still very painful for her and living at JUC means you are climbing up and down stairs all over the campus.
Larry and I had a wonderful Sabbath rest on Sunday and enjoyed worshipping again at Christ’s Church in the Old City. On the way back to campus we were in the park area by the Ottoman Wall that surrounds the Old City and we saw an Arab woman by an olive tree. She had spread out what looked like sheets under the olive tree and was hitting the tree with a stick to knock loose the olives. We took a photo of this old-fashion method of “harvesting” the olives.
Sunday evening we went to Mamilla Mall for dinner and met a young man who helped serve us. He told us he grew up in Jerusalem and had spent three years in the military. He would love to come to the US but said it is so difficult to get a visa. He and his military buddies leave in several weeks for six months touring in South America. He fought in Gaza and said he doesn’t like fighting but it is quieter now. He would like to go back to visit Sharm El Sheik but he said it is not safe for him there. We told him we are praying for peace. He is very proud of Jerusalem. I’m so thankful for all these encounters. I have found that people really open up if you begin to ask a few questions and they are so helpful to us.
Today I went to West Jerusalem with a student from Guyana via Messiah College. She did not want to go alone and did not know how to find an Ethiopian salon that would braid her hair. She asked a woman who looked Ethiopian pushing a baby stroller if she knew of a place. This woman, very kind, offered to show us the way and when we got there the building was empty. She then proceeded to give us her phone number so Dawnique could call her for women who do braiding in their homes. Danesh told us that she had lived in Jerusalem for nine years and loves Israel and that she is from Ethiopia. She wants to stay but said sometimes it is hard to live here because they are black and treated like a minority. Her family lives in Dallas, Texas, and she may eventually go there. She told us that with her children being born in Israel it may be easier for them to grow up here and they may not face some of the problems those who have emigrated have encountered. Everyone has such amazing stories. She was delightful.
I found out that the correct name of the Israeli American Idol program is “Kochav Nolad”—A Star is Born. That’s the program that kept us entertained outside our window two weeks ago.
I experienced a very nostalgic walk on Tuesday as I went with a young couple from JUC who are grad students and they were going to the Rifka Mall where there is a Home Center store—a cross between Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond. We went right through the neighborhood that Larry and I lived in 42 years ago when we were students here. I recognized the “green grocer,” and the street I so often walked on but I was also overwhelmed with all the changes. It’s now a bustling neighborhood that is becoming more upscale with little sidewalk cafes and taking on a more European feel. This is the old German Colony area on Emek Rephaim for those of you who have been here. That was another mile and half from campus and then back but it was great getting to know Mandy and Justin and hear about their dreams for the future—budding archaeology teachers. It was fun to see how to shop in this area and I even went into an Office Depot that was just like in the States except everything was in Hebrew. I found a few things at the Home Center to make our room a little more cozy, including a small rug for these stone floors. It’s still really hot in the daytime but wonderfully cool at night.
If it sounds like I’m going all the time, that’s not the case. I have been getting some writing done and feel good about the progress in that arena. I’m reading through the book of Judges now and learning once again all the consequences for disobedience the children of Israel suffered. What lessons for us who are disciples of Christ!
I’m enjoying my daughter Alicia’s blog called Always Orange –Meeting God in the Every Day. If you have any interest, check it out. Later tonight is our weekly “Cookie Night” at JUC so Larry and I will be there after class. (:
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Photos from Jerusalem- Sept. 9, 2010
I'm sitting just outside JUC's gate with the Hinnom Valley behind me and the Yemin Moshe (the first Jewish settlement outside the Old City walls) on the side of the hill. 
Some of the students at the JUC BBQ last Friday night in the school's garden area. The windows with the arches on the second floor show the apartment of the school's president and his wife--Dr. Paul and Diane Wright.
Larry is standing facing east with the King David Hotel (the flat roof building) in the background.
A view of the Western Wall plaza and the Temple Mount area in front of the remains of King Herod's retaining wall from the second temple. The Dome of the Rock is the building with the golden dome. This is probably the location of the first and second Jewish Temple. We love visiting this area in the Jewish Quarter of the city.
Note the lovely bouquet given to me by the Wrights on my birthday. Flowers from Jerusalem.
Larry and I celebrating my birthday breakfast at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
High Holy Days and Rosh Hashana
We are entering the High Holy Days and Rosh Hashana began last night at sundown in Israel. Everything has really shut down. I thought it might be interesting for some of you to understand what this holiday is all about and it's significance. JUC continues with classes but some are postponed because some of our professors are Jewish. Here's an excerpt from Next Year in Jerusalem by Teddy Kollek (former mayor of Jerusalem) with Tom Dowley, pp. 132-234.
"Rosh Hashana is one of the Jewish High Holy Days or Days of Awe. It is the Jewish New Year falling in the 7th month on the Jewish calendar, Tishrei, celebrating the month in which God created the world. In the Days of Awe and during the preceding weeks, Jews are instructed to scrupulously examine their deeds and misdeeds during the previous year. According to Jewish tradition, God also decides who will live and who will die that coming year. 'God sits in judgment; before Him are three great books. The first volume contains the names of the good; the second the names of the bad; the third the names of those who are neither very good nor very bad. While He gives judgment immediately on those whose names are found in the first two books, those in the third are given 10 days--until Yom Kippur--to attempt by prayer, repentance, and good deeds to have their names moved to the first book. The liturgy prayers on that day also attempt to influence God's decision. The shofar (ram's horn) is blown in the synagogue 100 times each of the 2 days of Rosh Hashana to motivate repentance. On the eve of Rosh Hashana just before the evening meal, everyone dips pieces of apple in honey and eats them; symbolizing the hope that the coming year will be prosperous and sweet'."
This is another beautiful Thursday in Jerusalem with a slight change in the air that makes me think fall is almost upon us.
"Rosh Hashana is one of the Jewish High Holy Days or Days of Awe. It is the Jewish New Year falling in the 7th month on the Jewish calendar, Tishrei, celebrating the month in which God created the world. In the Days of Awe and during the preceding weeks, Jews are instructed to scrupulously examine their deeds and misdeeds during the previous year. According to Jewish tradition, God also decides who will live and who will die that coming year. 'God sits in judgment; before Him are three great books. The first volume contains the names of the good; the second the names of the bad; the third the names of those who are neither very good nor very bad. While He gives judgment immediately on those whose names are found in the first two books, those in the third are given 10 days--until Yom Kippur--to attempt by prayer, repentance, and good deeds to have their names moved to the first book. The liturgy prayers on that day also attempt to influence God's decision. The shofar (ram's horn) is blown in the synagogue 100 times each of the 2 days of Rosh Hashana to motivate repentance. On the eve of Rosh Hashana just before the evening meal, everyone dips pieces of apple in honey and eats them; symbolizing the hope that the coming year will be prosperous and sweet'."
This is another beautiful Thursday in Jerusalem with a slight change in the air that makes me think fall is almost upon us.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Life in Israel--September 8, 2010
Well, we are official residents of Jerusalem for two weeks now. It's amazing how routines are soon established. This last week was full to the brim with all kinds of activities and learning new routines. We are well, enjoying all our new experiences, and adjusting to a few wrinkles along the way. Here's a little bit about what we have been thinking and doing.
Last Wed. Larry and I found ourselves back in the Old City and walking through the Christian Quarter and we stopped at the Latin Patriarchate Church and went inside. It has beautiful stained glass windows and they were very proud that several popes have visited their church. Italian tourists came in while we were there and started singing hymns together. It really was lovely to hear. On the way out we noticed a Mercedes Benz parked in front of the church!
Wednesday evening I attended my first class for Palestinian Society and Politics. I'm auditing and trying to keep up with the reading. The class is taught by Dr. Bernard Sabella, a member of the Palestinian Parliament and the Advisory Council. He's very knowledgeable about the current situation in the Middle East. His PhD is from University of Virginia and his daughter is a graduate of Earlham College. I look forward to the field trip in November to Ramallah. He is a Palestinian Catholic and feels the Palestinians need to reach out more to Israelis to get to know them. My goal is to gain a better understanding of Palestinian society and how these two cultures--Palestinian and Israeli can live together peacefully. How I pray that will happen. I just read that the next round of Mid East peace talks will be at Sharm El Sheik and then our Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, will meet in Jerusalem with Abbas and Netanyahu. It will be interesting for us to see how these meetings affect life in Jerusalem, if at all.
I had an interesting walk to do some errands last Friday and as I was walking from Jaffa Gate of the Old City into West Jerusalem I was amazed at the number of people I passed who were women and men like me but dressed totally different. I saw Muslim women with the burka, other Muslim women with just their hair totally covered but in Western dress, Hasidic orthodox men with beards, side curls, beaver hats dressed in black and white on their way to the Western Wall to pray, young girls dressed in a very Western style, and orthodox Jewish women with their hair totally covered and in Western dress, old men in long Muslim style dress helping each other walk, and young soldiers with their guns over their shoulders. What a mix! Close to us was a 21st century mall and yet on the other side of me to my right were the walls of Jerusalem from the time of Suleiman the Magnificent.
We were entertained for several nights last week by rehearsals for Israel's version of American Idol. They performed in the Hinnom Valley in the amphitheatre and we could hear everything until almost 11:00 or 11:30 pm. Saturday night was the finale and we had fireworks and strobe lights with a very excited audience screaming and cheering. I heard that they do not call it Israel Idol because Israel is not supposed to have idols so I think it's called something like "American Israel Idol" or "Israel's American Idol." Most of the students here memorized the songs that were sung because they heard them so often.
We have an official dig beginning here at JUC! We met the archaeologist who will conduct the dig just below JUC. The school is trying to connect to the city sewers and before they can get final approval to do this the Dept. of Antiquities sends out a team to do an excavation to determine if there is anything here of historical value. They came this week and have already uncovered the steps that lead to a tunnel that was used by the Israel Defence Forces in 1948 to smuggle food into the Jewish Quarter before and during the war of '48. They have also started to dig a trench that is square and may do several more. They have funding for only two weeks of digging. If nothing of interest is found then we go to the next step. If something important is found, they will dig further. It puts the school in an awkward position. They have waited a long time for this and of course there is lots of history here but if something is found it just delays the sewer project which is really needed.
JUC hosted a BBQ for all students and their families on Friday evening outside in the garden area. It was a lovely evening with Mediterranean breezes turning cool but it was fun to eat outside and meet families who live off campus. We concluded with vespers and we even have a worship team who leads us in singing. Dr. Wright spoke from Psalm 92 and encouraged our hearts as we listened and prayed together.
Sunday was a big day for us. Some weeks we use Saturday as our Sabbath and some weeks Sunday depending on the class schedule. We joined the Physical Settings class for an 8 hour walk through what Dr. Wright calls, Biblical Jerusalem. It was strenuous! We were up and down , climbing and sweating together. We climbed down to the Pool of Siloam and observed the water system that was used in the city of David and the tunnel that King Hezekiah dug. It's not too bad going down but coming back up in the heat was another story. Larry and I made it--helping each other along the way. Our break was over lunch at JUC but we were back at it and among other things, we saw the Pool of Bethesda and went into St. Anne's Church in the Muslim Quarter and sat and sang together Amazing Grace and Be Thou My Vision. What a moving experience. This church has the most amazing acoustics and it made us sound like a majestic choir. We then climbed up to the roof of the Austrian Hospice to see the view that was absolutely amazing. From there we could see the Temple Mount area, the Mt. of Olives, the city of David and all the churches, and Hurva Synagogue and roof tops in the Old City. Ramadan was about to end so by the time we climbed down we were enveloped in a huge mass of Muslims getting ready to break Ramadan with eating so they were all out shopping and we were really packed together. A man with a snake around his neck was calling attention to himself with people clapping and there were Israeli soldiers and police near by just observing. It made several of the students feel very uncomfortable. All of this took place near the Via Dolorosa. What a city! It took us about 20 minutes to make our way back to JUC. The end of Ramadan is Thursday at sundown.
Tonight the Jewish Rosh Hashana begins at sundown and goes through tomorrow evening. We are at the beginning of the High Holy Days. Everything shuts down and families are getting together. I will try to add some information about Rosh Hashana on my next blog. Saturday we are off for an all day field trip via bus to study the various approaches to Jerusalem and we will be going to Bethlehem and to see the Herodium that Herod built plus other sights. We are building our stamina.
We are so thankful for email messages and for the interactions we are having with the students. Larry took the students in his class outside the classroom to the "living" classroom, a section in JUC's garden. on Tues. and they read the story of Jeremiah breaking the pot over the Hinnom Valley. The students loved it. Several have already been on archaeological digs before they came to JUC. One student just spent a month in India before arriving here. Many are world travelers. I'm reading through Joshua right now and all the cities he and the Israelites conquered . There are some hard things to digest in some of these sections as they dealt with the Cananites. God is continuing to teach me lessons of faith and trust. I have been writing and feel as though the book is beginning to take shape for me but it is a very emotional experience as I relive memories of my dear brother.
Last Wed. Larry and I found ourselves back in the Old City and walking through the Christian Quarter and we stopped at the Latin Patriarchate Church and went inside. It has beautiful stained glass windows and they were very proud that several popes have visited their church. Italian tourists came in while we were there and started singing hymns together. It really was lovely to hear. On the way out we noticed a Mercedes Benz parked in front of the church!
Wednesday evening I attended my first class for Palestinian Society and Politics. I'm auditing and trying to keep up with the reading. The class is taught by Dr. Bernard Sabella, a member of the Palestinian Parliament and the Advisory Council. He's very knowledgeable about the current situation in the Middle East. His PhD is from University of Virginia and his daughter is a graduate of Earlham College. I look forward to the field trip in November to Ramallah. He is a Palestinian Catholic and feels the Palestinians need to reach out more to Israelis to get to know them. My goal is to gain a better understanding of Palestinian society and how these two cultures--Palestinian and Israeli can live together peacefully. How I pray that will happen. I just read that the next round of Mid East peace talks will be at Sharm El Sheik and then our Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, will meet in Jerusalem with Abbas and Netanyahu. It will be interesting for us to see how these meetings affect life in Jerusalem, if at all.
I had an interesting walk to do some errands last Friday and as I was walking from Jaffa Gate of the Old City into West Jerusalem I was amazed at the number of people I passed who were women and men like me but dressed totally different. I saw Muslim women with the burka, other Muslim women with just their hair totally covered but in Western dress, Hasidic orthodox men with beards, side curls, beaver hats dressed in black and white on their way to the Western Wall to pray, young girls dressed in a very Western style, and orthodox Jewish women with their hair totally covered and in Western dress, old men in long Muslim style dress helping each other walk, and young soldiers with their guns over their shoulders. What a mix! Close to us was a 21st century mall and yet on the other side of me to my right were the walls of Jerusalem from the time of Suleiman the Magnificent.
We were entertained for several nights last week by rehearsals for Israel's version of American Idol. They performed in the Hinnom Valley in the amphitheatre and we could hear everything until almost 11:00 or 11:30 pm. Saturday night was the finale and we had fireworks and strobe lights with a very excited audience screaming and cheering. I heard that they do not call it Israel Idol because Israel is not supposed to have idols so I think it's called something like "American Israel Idol" or "Israel's American Idol." Most of the students here memorized the songs that were sung because they heard them so often.
We have an official dig beginning here at JUC! We met the archaeologist who will conduct the dig just below JUC. The school is trying to connect to the city sewers and before they can get final approval to do this the Dept. of Antiquities sends out a team to do an excavation to determine if there is anything here of historical value. They came this week and have already uncovered the steps that lead to a tunnel that was used by the Israel Defence Forces in 1948 to smuggle food into the Jewish Quarter before and during the war of '48. They have also started to dig a trench that is square and may do several more. They have funding for only two weeks of digging. If nothing of interest is found then we go to the next step. If something important is found, they will dig further. It puts the school in an awkward position. They have waited a long time for this and of course there is lots of history here but if something is found it just delays the sewer project which is really needed.
JUC hosted a BBQ for all students and their families on Friday evening outside in the garden area. It was a lovely evening with Mediterranean breezes turning cool but it was fun to eat outside and meet families who live off campus. We concluded with vespers and we even have a worship team who leads us in singing. Dr. Wright spoke from Psalm 92 and encouraged our hearts as we listened and prayed together.
Sunday was a big day for us. Some weeks we use Saturday as our Sabbath and some weeks Sunday depending on the class schedule. We joined the Physical Settings class for an 8 hour walk through what Dr. Wright calls, Biblical Jerusalem. It was strenuous! We were up and down , climbing and sweating together. We climbed down to the Pool of Siloam and observed the water system that was used in the city of David and the tunnel that King Hezekiah dug. It's not too bad going down but coming back up in the heat was another story. Larry and I made it--helping each other along the way. Our break was over lunch at JUC but we were back at it and among other things, we saw the Pool of Bethesda and went into St. Anne's Church in the Muslim Quarter and sat and sang together Amazing Grace and Be Thou My Vision. What a moving experience. This church has the most amazing acoustics and it made us sound like a majestic choir. We then climbed up to the roof of the Austrian Hospice to see the view that was absolutely amazing. From there we could see the Temple Mount area, the Mt. of Olives, the city of David and all the churches, and Hurva Synagogue and roof tops in the Old City. Ramadan was about to end so by the time we climbed down we were enveloped in a huge mass of Muslims getting ready to break Ramadan with eating so they were all out shopping and we were really packed together. A man with a snake around his neck was calling attention to himself with people clapping and there were Israeli soldiers and police near by just observing. It made several of the students feel very uncomfortable. All of this took place near the Via Dolorosa. What a city! It took us about 20 minutes to make our way back to JUC. The end of Ramadan is Thursday at sundown.
Tonight the Jewish Rosh Hashana begins at sundown and goes through tomorrow evening. We are at the beginning of the High Holy Days. Everything shuts down and families are getting together. I will try to add some information about Rosh Hashana on my next blog. Saturday we are off for an all day field trip via bus to study the various approaches to Jerusalem and we will be going to Bethlehem and to see the Herodium that Herod built plus other sights. We are building our stamina.
We are so thankful for email messages and for the interactions we are having with the students. Larry took the students in his class outside the classroom to the "living" classroom, a section in JUC's garden. on Tues. and they read the story of Jeremiah breaking the pot over the Hinnom Valley. The students loved it. Several have already been on archaeological digs before they came to JUC. One student just spent a month in India before arriving here. Many are world travelers. I'm reading through Joshua right now and all the cities he and the Israelites conquered . There are some hard things to digest in some of these sections as they dealt with the Cananites. God is continuing to teach me lessons of faith and trust. I have been writing and feel as though the book is beginning to take shape for me but it is a very emotional experience as I relive memories of my dear brother.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Reflections on Life at JUC - August 31, 2010
Sunday morning we walked to Christ Church near Jaffa Gate in the Old City. On our way I noticed two soldiers (a gal and a guy) walking toward us from the Old City Wall. As they approached, I thought they were going to ask us for identification. Imagine my surprise when they asked us how to get to Jaffa Gate! We were directing them? They spoke in Hebrew but switched to English and we told them we were headed that way and to follow us. Ronit and Micha were to meet others at the entrance to Jaffa Gate. Ronit was from Herzeliya (sp?) near the coast. She told us she had a sister living in the US. We found out later from Dr. Paul Wright that a number of Israelis have never been to Jerusalem or only to West Jerusalem and have never entered East Jerusalem. He said, "Many of them are afraid for their safety just like some parents in the US are afraid for their children's safety. "We saw a lot of young soldiers in the Old City that day and Dr. Wright said they were probably in Basic Training and as part of that training they are taken to the Jewish Quarter, the Western Wall and other meaningful places to help them remember what they have fought for over the years. They looked so young to me and carrying a rifle slung over their shoulder. Young men serve three years and the women serve two years.
The worship time at the Anglican Church was very meaningful as we heard a speaker from the Barnabas Fund in the UK preach from Jeremiah 2. Worship had a charismatic flavor to it and was very meaningful. The Barnabas Fund is helping Christians in Pakistan who have suffered from the terrible flood damage. I was touched when he described a mother and her daughter who lost everything. They have nothing and yet the mother said, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." What faith! He told us the damage is devastating in Pakistan. I do hope you are praying and giving to help alleviate this suffering.
Another pleasant surprise after the service was to meet Allison Barlow a Taylor graduate from 2008 who is teaching at the Anglican School. She met up with us and invited us and other Taylor students to her apartment for dinner over Succot. She did her student teaching at this school and then they offered her a job. She loves being here.
In the afternoon Dr. Wright took his Physical Settings class on a walking tour of the Old City from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm. It was fascinating and exhausting. He is a wonderful teacher and we visited the Upper Room, overlooked the Temple Mount area, visited the Jewish Quarter and walked down the Cardo and looked at the archaeological remains, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, walked through a portion of the Muslim quarter, and entered and left through Zion Gate. The views were amazing and he helps us understand more how the Israelite pilgrims to Jerusalem must have felt on their journey to Mt. Zion. The Psalms of Ascent have taken on more meaning to me as they must have encouraged each other with these Psalms as they climbed. Psalm 122 and 126 are wonderful to read and think about. My feet were sore by the time I returned back to campus. A regular work day here is Sunday with the Israelis observing Saturday and hardly any traffic on the streets.
I was able to contact Annie Fischler (the woman we met on our way to the King David Hotel last Friday) via email and she is preparing an art exhibition. We have invited her to JUC to join us for dinner next week. She is from Belgium and has lived in Israel for 38 years. We look forward to knowing her better.
Today a Taylor student and I went back to the Old City and went to the Western Wall and sat down in the women's section and observed other women praying and reading the Bible. There were quite a few young teen-agers there in their school uniforms. I sat and stared at the amazing foundation stones from the second temple period that were there during the time of Christ. There were pidgeons flying onto the ledge of the stones and some plants growing out of the wall. We noticed that the orthodox do not turn their backs to the wall so when you leave you back away from the wall and then after so many steps you can turn. Esther and I did the same thing, without tripping! There is a barrier wall about six feet tall that has small openings where we ca peek at the men worshipping on the other side. They were singing songs together and they had good voices! We then visited the Burnt House museum which contains the remains of a house that was probably owned by a priestly family (found an inscription there) and that was burned by the Romans in approximately 70 AD. There were skeletal remains found plus all kinds of pottery and other implements and the outline of the house. What was fascinating to us was to watch the movie that had been put together with actors replicating what it may have been like at that time and the division that existed in Jerusalem between the Zealots (who lived in the lower city and wanted to rebel against Rome) and the priests and others who lived in the upper city. There was much injustice but it was so vividly portrayed with the burning of Jerusalem that it really left an impression of what it could have been like at that time and also another reminder of how many Jewish men, women , and children were killed. Some escaped through tunnels but many were killed.
We found ourselves again walking through the Jewish Quarter and observing how compact and dense everything is. Some of the apartments here go for over $ 1 million. It is such a sacred space to some that they want to live as close to the Temple Mount as possible. Little children are in the narrow streets playing and I wonder who is watching them but they seem to be okay and know exactly where to go. We also walked through the Armenian Quarter - there are four quarters within the Old City walls - Jewish Quarter, Armenian Quarter, Christian Quarter, and Muslim Quarter. Another reason for all the difficulties here.We were in three of the Quarters today and met a lovely Christian woman who owns a pharmacy just inside Jaffa Gate - across the street from Jacob's Pizza! I'm learning my way around but I can easily be confused by the streets .
During dinner last night Larry and I became acquainted with two more graduate students who are amazing women. One is from Hong Kong and has worked for 17 years with Time Magazine in their Marketing Division for the Asian market. She feels God has called her to leave that and learn more about the Bible and it's history and roots so she can more effectively present to the Chinese the validity of Biblical history. The other woman is from New York, not far from Manhattan and worked most recently for seven years as a pharmaceutical rep . Before that she had been overseas for seven years as an entrepreneur bringing food to Gambia, Sierra Leone and other African countries. She learned finance at Carnegie-Mellon then felt God calling her to help provide food to these countries and she became an importer and set up her own company and contacts with store keepers there. She also tithed off the food and allowed those who needed help to come and take the food she had set aside. She has a passion to learn more about the Bible in the land of the Bible. God is doing amazing things in the lives of the men and women here and I am so blessed to be a part of this and to hear these stories of how God leads in different ways with each person. Each person is unique and each story is a little different but our mighty God is working in amazing ways all over the world!
Sunday morning we walked to Christ Church near Jaffa Gate in the Old City. On our way I noticed two soldiers (a gal and a guy) walking toward us from the Old City Wall. As they approached, I thought they were going to ask us for identification. Imagine my surprise when they asked us how to get to Jaffa Gate! We were directing them? They spoke in Hebrew but switched to English and we told them we were headed that way and to follow us. Ronit and Micha were to meet others at the entrance to Jaffa Gate. Ronit was from Herzeliya (sp?) near the coast. She told us she had a sister living in the US. We found out later from Dr. Paul Wright that a number of Israelis have never been to Jerusalem or only to West Jerusalem and have never entered East Jerusalem. He said, "Many of them are afraid for their safety just like some parents in the US are afraid for their children's safety. "We saw a lot of young soldiers in the Old City that day and Dr. Wright said they were probably in Basic Training and as part of that training they are taken to the Jewish Quarter, the Western Wall and other meaningful places to help them remember what they have fought for over the years. They looked so young to me and carrying a rifle slung over their shoulder. Young men serve three years and the women serve two years.
The worship time at the Anglican Church was very meaningful as we heard a speaker from the Barnabas Fund in the UK preach from Jeremiah 2. Worship had a charismatic flavor to it and was very meaningful. The Barnabas Fund is helping Christians in Pakistan who have suffered from the terrible flood damage. I was touched when he described a mother and her daughter who lost everything. They have nothing and yet the mother said, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." What faith! He told us the damage is devastating in Pakistan. I do hope you are praying and giving to help alleviate this suffering.
Another pleasant surprise after the service was to meet Allison Barlow a Taylor graduate from 2008 who is teaching at the Anglican School. She met up with us and invited us and other Taylor students to her apartment for dinner over Succot. She did her student teaching at this school and then they offered her a job. She loves being here.
In the afternoon Dr. Wright took his Physical Settings class on a walking tour of the Old City from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm. It was fascinating and exhausting. He is a wonderful teacher and we visited the Upper Room, overlooked the Temple Mount area, visited the Jewish Quarter and walked down the Cardo and looked at the archaeological remains, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, walked through a portion of the Muslim quarter, and entered and left through Zion Gate. The views were amazing and he helps us understand more how the Israelite pilgrims to Jerusalem must have felt on their journey to Mt. Zion. The Psalms of Ascent have taken on more meaning to me as they must have encouraged each other with these Psalms as they climbed. Psalm 122 and 126 are wonderful to read and think about. My feet were sore by the time I returned back to campus. A regular work day here is Sunday with the Israelis observing Saturday and hardly any traffic on the streets.
I was able to contact Annie Fischler (the woman we met on our way to the King David Hotel last Friday) via email and she is preparing an art exhibition. We have invited her to JUC to join us for dinner next week. She is from Belgium and has lived in Israel for 38 years. We look forward to knowing her better.
Today a Taylor student and I went back to the Old City and went to the Western Wall and sat down in the women's section and observed other women praying and reading the Bible. There were quite a few young teen-agers there in their school uniforms. I sat and stared at the amazing foundation stones from the second temple period that were there during the time of Christ. There were pidgeons flying onto the ledge of the stones and some plants growing out of the wall. We noticed that the orthodox do not turn their backs to the wall so when you leave you back away from the wall and then after so many steps you can turn. Esther and I did the same thing, without tripping! There is a barrier wall about six feet tall that has small openings where we ca peek at the men worshipping on the other side. They were singing songs together and they had good voices! We then visited the Burnt House museum which contains the remains of a house that was probably owned by a priestly family (found an inscription there) and that was burned by the Romans in approximately 70 AD. There were skeletal remains found plus all kinds of pottery and other implements and the outline of the house. What was fascinating to us was to watch the movie that had been put together with actors replicating what it may have been like at that time and the division that existed in Jerusalem between the Zealots (who lived in the lower city and wanted to rebel against Rome) and the priests and others who lived in the upper city. There was much injustice but it was so vividly portrayed with the burning of Jerusalem that it really left an impression of what it could have been like at that time and also another reminder of how many Jewish men, women , and children were killed. Some escaped through tunnels but many were killed.
We found ourselves again walking through the Jewish Quarter and observing how compact and dense everything is. Some of the apartments here go for over $ 1 million. It is such a sacred space to some that they want to live as close to the Temple Mount as possible. Little children are in the narrow streets playing and I wonder who is watching them but they seem to be okay and know exactly where to go. We also walked through the Armenian Quarter - there are four quarters within the Old City walls - Jewish Quarter, Armenian Quarter, Christian Quarter, and Muslim Quarter. Another reason for all the difficulties here.We were in three of the Quarters today and met a lovely Christian woman who owns a pharmacy just inside Jaffa Gate - across the street from Jacob's Pizza! I'm learning my way around but I can easily be confused by the streets .
During dinner last night Larry and I became acquainted with two more graduate students who are amazing women. One is from Hong Kong and has worked for 17 years with Time Magazine in their Marketing Division for the Asian market. She feels God has called her to leave that and learn more about the Bible and it's history and roots so she can more effectively present to the Chinese the validity of Biblical history. The other woman is from New York, not far from Manhattan and worked most recently for seven years as a pharmaceutical rep . Before that she had been overseas for seven years as an entrepreneur bringing food to Gambia, Sierra Leone and other African countries. She learned finance at Carnegie-Mellon then felt God calling her to help provide food to these countries and she became an importer and set up her own company and contacts with store keepers there. She also tithed off the food and allowed those who needed help to come and take the food she had set aside. She has a passion to learn more about the Bible in the land of the Bible. God is doing amazing things in the lives of the men and women here and I am so blessed to be a part of this and to hear these stories of how God leads in different ways with each person. Each person is unique and each story is a little different but our mighty God is working in amazing ways all over the world!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Life in Jerusalem--Saturday, August 28, 2010
It has been a fascinating four days for us. My senses are overwhelmed as I try to drink in everything around me. Today is Shabbat so it is much quieter. Tonight, when Shabbat is over, everyone comes out of their homes and I am joining the students for a walking tour in the "New City--West Jerusalem" as part of their orientation. On Wed. the Wrights took us to the Mamilla Mall for lunch and I felt like I was back in a mall in Indianapolis or FT Wayne with stores like The Gap, bookstores, cafes, and women's fashions just like I see at home. The Mall was built all around a beautiful church and we were told that due to demonstrations by the Hasidic Jewish Community construction was delayed for almost four years. They were demonstrating because they did not want a movie theatre in the Mall. Perhaps there were other reasons too???
The students began arriving yesterday from all over. We have met students from Westmont, Messiah, Indiana Wesleyan, Eastern Univ., Calvin, Wheaton, Hong Kong and Japan. Two students are from Taylor and we are enjoying getting to know them better. They are all thrilled to be here and eager to study and experience this amazing land. I've been in orientation sessions with them all day. I had a short training session yesterday afternoon on my work in the library with the Lindsay Collection. I look forward to helping them with this project about one afternoon a week (hoping this non-librarian can provide needed help).
I had a very memorable birthday yesterday. Larry took me to the King David Hotel for breakfast, which is very close to JUC. On our way we stopped to ask a woman and man who were chatting if we were on the right stairway up the hill to the King David. The woman volunteered to show us the way. We had just walked through the artist's colony and I noticed one of the shops was listed as Annie Fischler, Artist. She was friendly to us and walked us by the French Consulate and I asked her if she lived near here and she told me she was an artist. We thanked her and moved on. After our fabulous breakfast buffet in the historic King David, we walked out to the terrace and there was the artist sitting having coffee. We approached her and thanked her for her directions and she asked for our phone number. We don't have a phone except for JUC's phone so she wrote down her name for us and email and her name is Annie Fischler--the shop owner I had just walked by! She would like to come visit us at JUC so I will be contacting her by email. I have been praying that I would have an opportunity to get to know an Israeli woman and possibly interview her about what it is like to live in Jerusalem and raise a family here. Is she the one? We shall see. One more thing--the man who was chatting with Annie was speaking Hebrew but when we stopped he asked in English and with a southern drawl if we were from the school in Texas because he saw Larry's TU on his shirt. We told him we were from Taylor University and he said, "You better buckle up because we are in for quite a ride." We assumed he was referring to something eschatological--perhaps the Rapture??? We are meeting some very interesting people! That was the point when Annie offered to walk with us to the King David Hotel.
During dinner last night the Wrights surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for my birthday and all the students sang Happy Birthday. They are so sweet! There are about 50 students with some living off-campus (primarily married students and graduate students) with undergrads on the Mt Zion campus. It's interesting to observe how community is formed as people come from all over the world to share life in Jerusalem together and on the field trips. One of the students told me how he woke up at 4:00 am due to jet lag and went to the school rooftop and met God there in a very special way as he prayed and looked around him at the city and at the sky. His joy and delight in this experience was very touching. He is so glad to be here.
In devotions led by Paul Wright he read from Psalm 126, one of the Psalms of ascent. He compared the joy of the Israelites over the restoration of Zion to what we are experiencing as we embark on this "ascent to Jerusalem" and specifically to living on Mt. Zion. "Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."--Ps 126:2-3 He said this can be a Psalm for all places and for all times. I echo this joy--The Lord has done great things for us!
It has been a fascinating four days for us. My senses are overwhelmed as I try to drink in everything around me. Today is Shabbat so it is much quieter. Tonight, when Shabbat is over, everyone comes out of their homes and I am joining the students for a walking tour in the "New City--West Jerusalem" as part of their orientation. On Wed. the Wrights took us to the Mamilla Mall for lunch and I felt like I was back in a mall in Indianapolis or FT Wayne with stores like The Gap, bookstores, cafes, and women's fashions just like I see at home. The Mall was built all around a beautiful church and we were told that due to demonstrations by the Hasidic Jewish Community construction was delayed for almost four years. They were demonstrating because they did not want a movie theatre in the Mall. Perhaps there were other reasons too???
The students began arriving yesterday from all over. We have met students from Westmont, Messiah, Indiana Wesleyan, Eastern Univ., Calvin, Wheaton, Hong Kong and Japan. Two students are from Taylor and we are enjoying getting to know them better. They are all thrilled to be here and eager to study and experience this amazing land. I've been in orientation sessions with them all day. I had a short training session yesterday afternoon on my work in the library with the Lindsay Collection. I look forward to helping them with this project about one afternoon a week (hoping this non-librarian can provide needed help).
I had a very memorable birthday yesterday. Larry took me to the King David Hotel for breakfast, which is very close to JUC. On our way we stopped to ask a woman and man who were chatting if we were on the right stairway up the hill to the King David. The woman volunteered to show us the way. We had just walked through the artist's colony and I noticed one of the shops was listed as Annie Fischler, Artist. She was friendly to us and walked us by the French Consulate and I asked her if she lived near here and she told me she was an artist. We thanked her and moved on. After our fabulous breakfast buffet in the historic King David, we walked out to the terrace and there was the artist sitting having coffee. We approached her and thanked her for her directions and she asked for our phone number. We don't have a phone except for JUC's phone so she wrote down her name for us and email and her name is Annie Fischler--the shop owner I had just walked by! She would like to come visit us at JUC so I will be contacting her by email. I have been praying that I would have an opportunity to get to know an Israeli woman and possibly interview her about what it is like to live in Jerusalem and raise a family here. Is she the one? We shall see. One more thing--the man who was chatting with Annie was speaking Hebrew but when we stopped he asked in English and with a southern drawl if we were from the school in Texas because he saw Larry's TU on his shirt. We told him we were from Taylor University and he said, "You better buckle up because we are in for quite a ride." We assumed he was referring to something eschatological--perhaps the Rapture??? We are meeting some very interesting people! That was the point when Annie offered to walk with us to the King David Hotel.
During dinner last night the Wrights surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for my birthday and all the students sang Happy Birthday. They are so sweet! There are about 50 students with some living off-campus (primarily married students and graduate students) with undergrads on the Mt Zion campus. It's interesting to observe how community is formed as people come from all over the world to share life in Jerusalem together and on the field trips. One of the students told me how he woke up at 4:00 am due to jet lag and went to the school rooftop and met God there in a very special way as he prayed and looked around him at the city and at the sky. His joy and delight in this experience was very touching. He is so glad to be here.
In devotions led by Paul Wright he read from Psalm 126, one of the Psalms of ascent. He compared the joy of the Israelites over the restoration of Zion to what we are experiencing as we embark on this "ascent to Jerusalem" and specifically to living on Mt. Zion. "Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."--Ps 126:2-3 He said this can be a Psalm for all places and for all times. I echo this joy--The Lord has done great things for us!
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