river runs deep.

new steps

2010-03-26T01:10:00.000-07:00

povertyandriches.blogspot.com

another season, another blog?

if you're looking for real love...

2010-02-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

It's so hard. How can it possibly be worth it?
I'm so disillusioned sometimes. Likely to stop trying.
What does it mean to really love somebody anyway? why does my character constantly have to be refined? Why must I always ask for forgiveness? turn away from immorality ? hold my tongue when i'd rather get my revenge ?

IT'S TOO HARD.

But somehow, it might possibly be worth it. All this falling down. All this struggle, confusion, pain and longing.

...

I loved these last two months, even though some battles were better fought than others.. There were big pitfalls and small (in my eyes) triumphs , not much that I expected. But for some reason, (coming from someone who is quite hard on myself), I feel this is okay. Each step I'm glad I took. Each repentance leading deeper into His heart. Yes. At the end of the day (& sometimes at the beginning), I want to know His heart.

As this might very well be my last post from Israel, I wanted to reflect a bit.

These last days here have reminded me of Jesus' words: "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me"-john 13:8

I don't get it all the time. It means something I can't even fathom. God, what do You mean "Unless I wash you"?

Take the dirt, take the stain, take the bitterness and waywardness. I'm done with everything but You. Even if it takes me having to say that (and mean it) everyday. Don't know if I'll ever get the hang of it, this side of eternity.

Goodbye Israel. I did my best for you, but somehow I think the only thing that matters now was that I was learning to love you. Just remember. Serve the Lord your God, and Him only. He's the only refuge & the only one that never changes. Israel, you can do this. You have to be strong. It will take some challenge, discipline, and courage, but it will all be worth it.

in the beginning

2010-02-13T02:06:00.000-08:00

in the beginning was nothingness.
the hebrew translates as "chaos" too.
i'm feeling pretty chaotic today, God.
pretty empty inside.
things out of order, unformed, out of control.
i am a dark, massless thing.

God Himself was hovering over me,
over the waters of me.
with a desire to form me somehow,
to make something out of
the nothingness of me.

with just a
few words
He brings light,
something good.
i bathe in the width of it,
still untouched by divine hands.

what is the light of the world if not
also something that reveals my chaos?
How good, but how bitter too.
to see how i really am.

He gathers the expanses, forming.
He works in the light and His hands are like
glowing embers, melting and molding as he goes,
leaving nothing untouched, unseparated.

It becomes too much for me
to see this sprouting beauty.
I want to be like it.
I want to be part of it.
with meaning,
with wonders,
with miracles.
each one, one by one,
coming alive.

keep molding me, God.

general update #something

2010-01-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

spying on people going into a (church?) across the street .

i'm sitting in capiot, my favorite cafe ever, using free wifi and writing the last bit of my paper. i'm loving every day & especially the fact that i'm no longer in classes ! i'm writing, reading, drawing, taking pictures, going to pubs, speaking hebrew, taking walks on every beautiful day and this is probably the best thing i could ask for.

also, i stumbled upon some cultural faux pas:

1. apparently, it's really rude to put your feet up in public places, like on the bus or in the movie theatre . (two personal experiences there, haha) ... (but not rude to cut in line..??)
2. if someone says "yom tov" (have a good day) to you, you should always say "gam l'ach/le'cha" (and to you)

Hungering and Thirsting for Righteousness

2010-01-08T09:03:00.001-08:00

Again, if anything I've written can be checked by somebody who knows more than I do, by all means, discuss in the comments.

בסייד

"blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness , for will be filled." -matthew 5:6

Blessed in this context means 'happy', 'satisfied'.

There is the Jewish idea that those that fulfill mitzvot (righteous acts) will bring about deep spiritual happiness. In stricter Jewish terms, "mitzvah" refers to one of the 613 commandments in the Bible. My orthodox friend here in Israel was describing to me the fulfillment she finds in carrying out the commandments of the Torah and Talmud. Some example of mitzvot are more physical like giving to the poor, and some are more spiritual such as having no other gods before Adonai, our God.

When I read again Jesus' teaching : "blessed are those...for they will be filled" , I see that he had this framework in mind: doing good deeds is what we as human beings were made to do. The author of the book of Hebrews emulates this idea to those believers in the Mashiach (Messiah of Israel): "spur one another on towards love and good deeds" (10:24). Happiness and good deeds go hand and hand.

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This song my friend posted on her facebook has to do with hungering and thirsting after the Living God, who is our sole source of righteousness.

Jesus as a Tzadik

2010-01-06T01:55:00.000-08:00

[I hope I'm not misunderstanding some of these definitions or concepts. Feel free to discuss in the comments.]
בסייד

Today's daily portion of scripture gives an account of a blind beggar calling out to Yeshua--he calls him both Son of David and Rabbi. Yeshua asks him "What do you want me to do for you?". The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." And, because of his faith, says the text, the man's sight was restored. (mark 10:46-52)

Most non-Jews read the accounts of Jesus and the miracles as something really extraordinary. Of course it's extraordinary--to have a blind man see again! But I mean extraordinary in a different way. While I was reading, I was reminded of the stories of tzadikim, mostly rabbis in the past, who have performed miracles like this. Perhaps, in his day, Jesus was regarded as a tzadik, a truly righteous person whose prayers were heard by God. Perhaps these people had seen miracle workers before, or had heard stories from their parents and grandparents. Certainly, the prophets had performed miracles. Therefore, the idea of a man doing miracles was not so outlandish in that society as it might be in ours. So what made Jesus different from the other prophets and tzadikim?

Wikipedia entry on tzadik:

While the tzadik status, according to its above definitions, is not necessarily related to the ability to perform or call upon miracles, the term tzadik is often used loosely by the Talmud to indicate those who have achieved especially outstanding piety and holiness. In this context, the tzadik's prayers are considered especially potent, as the Talmud states: "A tzadik decrees and the Holy One (blessed be He) fulfills."

Many definitions of Tzadik have been passed down through the ages, including the one mentioned above from the Talmud, but the definition I am interested in is from the Bible.

"All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." psalm 14:3

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." - isaiah 53:6

Scripture explains that there is not only nobody who is tzadik, but also no one who is good.

That means even the especially pious rabbis or miracle works are not truly righteous, in the complete sense of the word.

Jesus himself purported the view that no man is truly good: "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone." (mark 10:18) If Jesus responded in this way, the crowds must have seen him as some kind of tzadik, a particularly righteous man who could perform miracles. But Jesus goes a step further. He says no one is truly good (much less righteous) except God. He was not deflecting their claims of his righteousness, not at all. He was trying to shift their perspective of him from being simply a righteous man, equating him with merely a prophet or merely a miracle worker, which might have included a handful of other people in that society at that time. He was pointing to his exclusivity of his Lordship rather than his inclusion in the category of other "righteous" men.

reconciling to the truth

2010-01-04T05:00:00.001-08:00

"Jews and Christians must relearn together to read the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament restored to its historic and linguistic context. They will see that these texts should unite them rather than separate them, and should inspire in them an aspiration for salvation, rather than exasperate their rancors and hatreds, these unpardonable crimes against the spirit of unity and love that flows from our common springs. This unity of Christianity with Israel will remain only a pious wish so long as Jews and Christians have not clarified the historical and theological disputes that have so seriously divided them." -Andre Chouraqui, prominent Algerian-Jewish writer from his book "A Man in Three Worlds"

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It's vital for people who claim to trust in Jesus/Yeshua as their spiritual leader and Lord to learn about His Jewishness, the context of His life and teachings. How can you trust in a man you don't even know? If you know Jesus as something other than He is, completely neglecting the Hebrew Scriptures in sole favor of the New Testament, you might be in danger of not following the man He really was and claimed to be.

cavar margisha yoter tov

2010-01-03T03:44:00.000-08:00

"I already feel better."
That's what I told the hairdresser while he was working his magic on my head. I would have just paid that price for that head massage... It was sooo good.

Well, I went looking for a Salon this morning. I saw a sign in Horev that said hair on it and looked like an advertisement for a salon. I couldn't find it so I went inside a Pet Store and asked the guy where a nearby salon might be. He said "for... people?"

There are even dog salons in Israel? Oy vey. Well, he pointed to one across the street and around the corner. I went in and the guy didn't speak too much english but we communicated. The only thing I couldn't figure out how to say was "razorcut", which would have been nicer for my ridiculous thick hair, but we worked it out. I feel like a new person. And I am never cutting my own hair again. That's my second New Year's resolution.

It's a beautiful day for the beach and I have dinner with Bekah before she leaves.

SCHOOL'S OUT!

yerushalayim shel zahav

2009-12-29T05:51:00.000-08:00

"Yerushalayim shel zahav
Veshel nechoshet veshel or
Halo lechol shirayich ani kinor."

Jerusalem of gold
And of bronze, and of light
Behold I am a violin for all your songs.

Nazareth , what to say ?

2009-12-26T02:53:00.001-08:00

I went to Nazareth for Christmas Eve. There was a parade. "It was kitschy."-Barton.

Very.

In other, more interesting news, they found a house from the time of Jesus just a couple days before I went. Alas, I did not know this when I was there. Here's an article about it --> http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-nazareth26-2009dec26,0,1508650.story

It's nice to not be constantly surrounded by the fake, commercial Christmas-ism so prevalent in America. I like Jewish holidays better. Simplicity and honesty is where it's at.

home in israel

2009-12-19T06:42:00.000-08:00

cooooool menorah/chanukia.

This Shabbat I'm thinking about...

2009-12-18T09:58:00.001-08:00

Listening.

A couple days ago I heard a worship musician named Jason Upton say "We can actually be addicted to the words of man. when we dont hear them, it's like we cant even live".

he continues: "but God has a voice too, except he doesnt amplify it--He whispers: 'you are my beloved.'"

So often I listen to the wrong messages & voices. In the end, it leaves me feeling upset and discontent after they're gone, much like Jason's analogy of addiction. I wait for people to tell me what I want to hear, but the satisfaction never lasts long when I do hear it. Perhaps this is why it's so easy to forget God's voice; I'm focused on the counterfeit substance--the stuff that will never satisfy me. When I turn my heart back to Him (I have to turn back all the time, it seems), and then listen to His voice & words... I am completely satisfied by them. It goes much deeper than just hearing; it actually settles in my heart and I can feel it changing my character, however slowly. God's words are actually life-giving words.

In this way, I can identify with the words of a lonely, galilean fisherman: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life." -Simon Peter - ( john 6:68)

...

I found this to be an interesting article about listening to God's voice rather than other voices (from hebrew4christians.com), which got me thinking again about that Jason Upton quote I heard earlier this week.

Shavua Tov, y'all.

beauty in the negev

2009-12-16T02:27:00.000-08:00

landscape and plants i liked in the desert--with the help of rebekka's camera.

Happy Chanuka--blessings from Israel

2009-12-12T07:19:00.001-08:00

Chanuka began last night. It is a celebration of the victory and the miracle that took place in the 2 century BCE when the oil in the Temple burned 8 days, instead of only one (there was only enough oil for one).

In these days, I am thinking especially of the miracle of light to guide our way in life--that God gives us the ability to see by it and thus walk in its illumination. The idea of 8 is also interesting: 8 days, 8 candles. In 7 seven days the world was created, and I've heard that 8 refers to the infinite, that which goes beyond perfection and completion. Putting those ideas together, God grants us light forever, not just for the day-to-day living, but also for eternal. I am thankful that His Word is a "lamp unto our feet and light unto our path"(psalm 119:110) and also that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (john 1:14)... showing us the way to the Father, the Melech Ha-Olam.

Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu, Melech Ha-Olam

(Blessed are You, Lord our God, Master of the Universe)

random thoughts

2009-12-11T05:06:00.000-08:00

1. whenever i hear techno/dance beat (which is all the time because my israeli roommates like to listen to it), i am haunted by flashbacks of that night in the Kineret when we witnessed 4-5 teenage girls letting loose all over the parking lot and dancing to arabic-techno songs blasting from their car stereo. I just might be scarred for life.

2. last week i was walking around campus and i overheard two guys talking in hebrew about a funny youtube video and then suddenly break out in english: "hey there khalilah" and "the hummus rap". apparently, remy has become world famous! it made my day. this is a shout out to anyone who has studied arabic and/or likes middle eastern food.

useful word #3

2009-12-10T23:22:00.000-08:00

I learned last night that חלק is a very useful word in trying to describe things.

The Negev and Ramon Crater

2009-12-06T00:10:00.000-08:00

It was an amazing weekend we spent in the Negev, in the south of Israel... I wanted to write about it quickly before I forget some of the details and stories..

Our international school took us on a hike to the desert which we got back from last night--about a 3-4 hour bus ride from Haifa. The beauty of the place was harsh and astounding. Ramon crater is the largest crater in the world. It used to be a huge mountain but turned into a crater due to erosion... I didn't pay attention to how big it was, but it was big. We hiked in the middle of it the first day, a fairly easy, flat hike, and on the second day we did a more challenging hike.

This was the first look at the crater from the top... It looks like a view from a plane, but no. We were standing on a look-out ledge.

Walking walking. Barton and I joked about the pictures that we took. This is desert wasteland picture #42.

After the first hike, we went back to the bus, and the driver took us to the campsite. Daytime was moderate ~70 degrees, but night felt like we were living in a dry icebox. We slept under a huge tent as a big group (25-30 people) where the campground also provided us with some thin mattresses, which was nice. We cooked our own dinner that night, a huge feast! I helped make the pita--flour, water, oil, and a little salt. Then it had to be kneaded and put on the big circular metal plate over the fire in order to harden them. I think I've got the process down, if ever I want to make pita on my own.. So good.

The second day we hiked along a ridge overlooking both sides of the desert. It was quite steep in some places, and I felt like that nomad-caravan we saw on the way here... (from the bus we saw on a nearby ridge a caravan of 5 camels from Jordan who were on their 3rd day passing through the desert--the bus driver knew them). Apparently, it was forbidden for the Nebotean nomads who inhabited this region to ever drink wine... It was punishable by death. And I could see why. You needed all your senses and awarenesses to be able to navigate this wilderness and know every step, every rock. You also needed to protect from raiders, robbers, etc.

At afternoon, we came to this valley with huge rock walls on every side. When it floods, this place is completely full of water. Rachel and Bekah informed me that we were hiking on part of trail that runs from south-north of Israel and leads through all the amazing natural places including parts of the Golan and Mt. Tabor.

All in all, it was fun hanging out with everyone and the conversations along the way were the best part for me. We had time to talk about everything we normally wouldn't talk about... My roommate Amy is an environmental scientist and she was explaining things like Permaculture and climate change to me. After a few hours, the constant walking becomes meditative, and I found that the best way to clear my head. It was good to be outdoors and away from Haifa for awhile. This morning I woke up really thankful for this experience... truly special.

snippets from daily life

2009-12-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

my fantastic norwegian friend kirsten and i! same hebrew class, so everyday before or after class, we go to a cafe and do homework or just hang out. this is the best cafe on campus--elite.

i just heard some sad news a few days ago. my favorite guard, an arab man named Guzli, was fired from his position and i no longer see him everyday. apparently, from what eliot told me, he was fired because he didn't check bags and IDs enough. but i would swear to you that that man knew almost everyone that walked through that booth. he ALWAYS greeted everyone; he chatted to you more than you wanted, because you were on your way to class or something. He was so friendly, and he would take time to talk with us in hebrew or arabic, explain things and write words on paper that we didn't know. He even gave me arabic homework a couple times and then gave me lessons.

I really wonder what happened; It might have been racism on the part of the school, or they could have been right that he didn't fulfill his duty in making sure of the people coming in and out....I think even though he didn't check every person's ID, it was because he already knew them by face. That's a bit hard to prove though...

The guards that replaced him hardly smile and definitely don't greet you in such a nice way that Guzli did...

This weekend I'm going on a hiking trip with the international school to the Negev desert and a natural crater there. Pictures to come..

the covenant that never fails

2009-11-29T11:18:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been so sensitive to the Spirit of God, to the point where i can't control myself anymore. it's been happening more and more. There will be times when I hear a worship song that expresses something in my heart, or in the silence in my room, God will tells me "i not only like you... i love you a lot." how hard is it to believe that God loves us, much less likes who we are? this is a lie that i have to constantly dismantle in my life. when i believe that God dislikes me for something i've done, or the way i've treated that person, it makes it so much harder for me to come back to Him, or come back to anyone.

there's a song i'm listening to now by joanna reyburn called "what do you think about me?" you can download it for free here.

it reminded me that God's loving promise to me has never failed. i can't count how many times this week i have failed Him, and sometimes it's hard to see past those faults. but when i hear this song, i realized that on that day when i first decided to follow Him, when i was 13, i prayed a prayer that i could stay close to God... and it was a prayer that even i couldn't mess up because it was a prayer based on His faithfulness and not mine. I know He is faithful, he will take all the brokenness I have and never forget about me. That is a powerful promise.

I think of Israel in that context. His covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob... fulfilled through the giving of Himself through Yeshua... It was a covenant made long ago that even Israel today can't mess up. If only they would turn to Him again, seek the King of glory with all their hearts.

There are some days this becomes so clear in my head, when I just want to soak up the love God gives me. I'm like a child now, just waiting for the Father to give me His love. I realize it's all I've been waiting for; and nothing else will satisfy.

This is another prayer that I can't mess up in the future, that I will pray this moment: "awaken my heart to love more fully" because it's based on His love. It can't fail.

Come, Lord Jesus. I'm hungry for Your love in this country.

Tivon

2009-11-29T03:14:00.000-08:00

Happy sleepy Sunday.

Last week I visited my Norwegian friend Kirsten where she lives with her boyfriend in Kiryat Tivon, about half hour away from Haifa. There, we met up with another friend from our Hebrew class and all her native Tivon-ite friends. We visited this place called Beit She'arim, which is a site with Jewish cave-tombs. Here's a picture of the entrance that I stole from wikipedia:

After that, we all went to a nearby national park that has a great overlook of the valley and surrounding mountains. Ohad made us turkish coffee on a little, portable gas-lit heater. Yuval brought his nargila pipe, played some songs on the guitar, and we enjoyed the rest of the day there until the sun went down.

A nice day away from Haifa :)

mima'amakim

2009-11-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

i had this song on my computer for a couple months, maybe. it was pretty but i never tried to translate the lyrics. tonight i was curious. mima'amakim ("out of the depths") in hebrew parallels with the phrase in psalm 130 that begins" Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD..." after reading the whole of psalm 130 just now, i am in awe of its meaning.

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins."

-------

the song by idan raichel is good too, the one i was curious about.

these part of the lyrics really resonate with me:

From deep depths, I called to you to come to me;
the moonlight I will again light your way to me,
they're spread out and melted again
the touch of your hands.
I whisper, ask in your ears:
Who is it that calls to you tonight - listen.
who sings loudly to you - to your window
who put his soul so you'd be happy
who will put his hand and build you your home
who will give his life, put it underneath you
who will be like dust living at your feet
who will love you out of all your lovers
who will save you from all evil spirits,
from the deep depths?

------
Some nights, like this, I can't help but think I went to Israel and found my soul.

ID card is not the same as thankfulness

2009-11-19T06:05:00.000-08:00

Today, there was a new guard in the security booth. He didn't know me, I didn't know him.
I smiled, said "Shalom" and walked past like normal.

He said something that sounded like "Toda (thanks)... do you have it?"

In my head it sounded like he was asking me if I had thankfulness. Pretty sure that i did indeed have thankfulness, I nodded, said "Thank you" to him and kept walking.

He stopped me again and said "NO! Do you have an I.D. card?"

OHHHHHH.

keepsake

2009-11-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

I talked to a guy on the bus a few days ago who said when he was in the army, he liked to travel around the country on public transportation because he could go anywhere for free as a soldier, so he did it just for fun. He saw all of Israel that way.

I love that.

reflection from the week

2009-11-13T01:33:00.001-08:00

It would be easy to die for Yeshua. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, since I've never been put in that position. Although, if I am put in that position, I think I would be pretty glad to see Him so soon. It's hard enough just to live for Him, though. As I realized this week.

It's hard, but He loves us. I've been encouraged in an amazingly subtle way, but for some reason, that changes everything... the shade of all these colors, the colors in all this longing, discouragement and confusion, the subtle strength to love and pray when I don't have any of my own.

"'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." -1 corinthians 15:55-57

Also, I really miss you all in Boston.

finding treasures amidst the junk

2009-11-10T08:52:00.001-08:00

Today Caitlin and I tried to go to the vintage clothing store on Masada st. We got there, but sadly they were closed early on Tuesdays. Caitlin was really disappointed, since the last time she tried they were also closed. I was also disappointed since it took 30 minutes to shlep down there. We made note of the times they were open and are planning a return trip soon. After that, we tried to go to the art store so I could buy some big paper, but we took some advantage of some nearby stairs, not in the recommended direction, and got horribly lost. They were nice stairs though, and they went past a pretty garden.

We stumbled upon this junk-antique store, somewhere past Wadi Nisnas (the primarily Arab part of town). We would have never known it was there had we not gotten lost. I didn't really feel like being there at first, but it was sooo cool once you got inside and started looking closer at everything.

There was a tiny book of psalms (tehilim) I liked, in both english and hebrew. Caitlin was looking at old black and white pictures of random people... she ended up getting some. I found a ring I really loved, silver and about 1cm long with a middle eastern looking city carved as a design. On the inside it said something in Hebrew. I asked the man how much it was and he said 200 shekel. I was like," too expensive" and put it down, even though I really wanted it. I kept looking around.. they had a TON of old manual cameras, which... if I knew anything about which ones were good, I would have been interested. Anyway, the man came back to me and said in Hebrew "how much are you willing to pay for the ring?" I said 50 shekel, which was probably the most I would fork over. He couldn't accept that. I was sad. He said I was beautiful and offered me coffee and asked me where I was staying. Still, not good enough for a discount on the ring. waaaa.

After that, we finally found our way back. The art store was closed but I got some groceries so it was all good.

Phew. I'm getting used to walking a lot again, after Tel Aviv and now all over Hadar. I like these exploratory days. Maybe next time I'll be more successful in coming home with a treasure.

Tel Aviv.

2009-11-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

I liked it.

a little about israeli music and scene

2009-11-06T02:16:00.000-08:00

A couple nights ago, my roommate Caitlin and I went walking around the Mercaz (outdoor shopping & cafe area). There we peeked into a tiny music store with some cool looking guys working there. Well, the kinds I'm used to in Boston and not used to in Haifa. I'll just call them "alternative". I'm beginning to stumble upon the underground culture in Haifa. It's sort of unusual here. They told us about this one street in Hadar that's more "indie" with second hand stores and used book/music shops. To put this into perspective, I would call Boston 80% indie, and Haifa 5% indie. haha.. does that even make sense to say that? Whatever. It feels true.

Anyway, one guy was saying how there wasn't any original Israeli music. Maybe one or two artists were truly original. I was thinking how hard it must be for such a young society to come up with its own art and music. They're using a new language, put into daily usage less than a century ago, and they all come from different cultures and countries, and they're supposed to have their own culture already? That's hard. It's good that this guy seemed let down with the music in his counrty--at least he has high expectations.

As we were about to leave, he pulled out two cds for us, music samplers as a gift. I'm listening to it now. Most of it is rock-ish, but there's one on here that sounds sephardic... the only clue to me that Israel is more than European immigrants. I liked that one the best because it seemed less like a spin-off.

This song wasn't on the cd, but the artist was. So far the old Israeli music sounds better to me than modern stuff.

first update from my room.

2009-11-01T07:08:00.001-08:00

we finally have internet in the apartment... woot.

Yesterday was such a lazy shabbat. I slept at jo's house till afternoon and watched the movie Amelie curled up in a huge comforter... with many cups of tea. then adi came over and we read parts of Luke and Acts together, cooked dinner, then went to a classical music concert/opera where our romanian friend Daniel, a professional opera singer, was singing that night. afterwards was a birthday party from someone in the congregation. I met Eitan and Caitlin, who had apparently heard much about me from Jo. there were good times all around.

i received a package from my aunt and uncle today... full of tea!! i've already tried two different kinds today: darjeeling, and the numi puerh tea. super weird name. i loveit.

this week i'm back to the grindstone, going to class, etc etc. it's getting quite chilly too. i'm feeling a trip to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv soon.. probably Tel Aviv, since I've still not yet been.

esreem ve shtein (22)

2009-10-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

i had a happy birthday. i got surprise balloons and three cards in different languages: hebrew, arabic, and danish. i had coffee with my friend kirsten, took a nap, drew with my new pens, and went for icecream.

awkward picture but you can see i like my new shoes. thanks pops!

look what grandma sent me!

classes are interesting and good. i like the slowly changing weather. i wonder what the next couple months have in store. i feel happy and healthy.

Rosh Hanikra!

2009-10-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

These are the grottoes in the North of Israel, near Lebanon, that Abby, Rakhel, Simon and I visited a couple of weeks ago.

On an extremely clear day, you can see the white cliffs from the university campus.

Visit to a kibbutz

2009-10-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

This morning my class went first to an illegal immigration camp called Atlit and then to a traditional kibbutz. Both places were pretty interesting, but I was more interested in the lives of the people at this particular kibbutz--called Mishmar HaEmek (Guard of the Valley) --the first kibbutz located in the Jezreel valley. Maybe it's because we actually got to go inside the house of a man who was born on the kibbutz in the 1920 and listen to him and his wife talk about life there.

This particular kibbutz has kept a lot of its original ideals---for example, everything is still communalized--meals and laundry are both done for you. Everybody has his own job and no one receives "salary", the kibbutz provides for everything including a budget for entertainment and clothes. Effectively, you would never have to deal or worry about money on a regular basis.

Also, Mishmar is special because of the large number of creative people who live there and founded it... highly educated and cultured individuals. Eitan, the man we visited (near 90 years old and still very alive and healthy), works a lot with ceramics. He initiated a shelter for learning crafts and other hobbies... They wanted to provide a place for older kibbutzniks (of retirement age, although there is no retirement there) to be productive and useful to the community. To feel wanted and still a part of life.

In general, every person that walked by seemed genuinely happy. There seems something fulfilling about their way of life--but of course, you have to choose it. You have to be the sort of person that would want to give up owning your own possessions and money for what you consider to be a greater gain.

There was also a children's area--a place to play created by what looked like a neatly organized "junk" yard, lots of random objects that the guide called "educational". Back in the day, children used to sleep in the building, rather than just attend daycare, they had cute little beds and a washroom especially tailored for their height and smallness--the mirrors and toilets were lower to the ground, for example. The idea is to provide a place for hope: children are a great source of hope.

The different facilities--the way they were run, the appearance, the fluidity of it--seemed bizarre, but also very natural. The concepts and ideals seem so far away from the way things are run in America...But at the same time, you could tell everything was intentional and well thought-out, almost ingeniously so. I will have to think more about this; it was really inspiring. It's not for everybody, but when you consider that less than 2% of the population are kibbutzniks, yet these were the primary source of Israel's production in the beginning stages of its statehood, it is an impressive system indeed...

ָran.dumb

2009-10-23T02:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't been taking many pictures of exciting things, but I have been drinking lots of instant coffee. Nescafe is so good here, what the heck.

I'm trying to find a new sketchbook.
I want to climb a tree. Or run around like a crazy person.
אני אוהבת שוקולד לבן

beach and class, class and beach

2009-10-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a magical day at the beach--the water was wave-less and clear... you could see rocks, shells, and some small fish. Simon got stung by a jellyfish, a beautiful one nonetheless. The payment for this nice day was that I was 30 minutes late for class because of the buses and the fact that they changed the rooms constantly and I forgot which one it was meeting this time. When I walked in, though, nobody blinked an eye.

In class, we talked about Yemenite Jews & watched a movie about them and I fell in love with their culture and devotion... Apparently, they are the closest to what the Jews of the Bible looked and lived like. The women are beautiful and modest, and everyone is full of life and they preserve strong family ties in their daily lives. Now there are less than 300 in Yemen because most immigrated to Israel with the founding of the state.

random updates

2009-10-18T04:47:00.001-07:00

Life's been goooood. First week of classes are done. Right now I'm sitting outside on one of the hottest days since summer, enjoying my weekly THREE DAY WEEKEND.

I decided to take another Hebrew class after all. And my conversation is getting much better.

Yesterday Rachel, Simon, and I went to Tents of Mercy like every shabbat. And as God answered our prayers about really connecting with people there, we met an American named David who goes to the youth meetings and he's just really easy to talk to and get along with... so he might be our connection to the israelis, since it's sort of intimidating to speak hebrew at first. Rachel and I ended up going with David to a student conference in downtown Haifa right after... It was a great opportunity to meet Messianic believers from around the whole country and pray for eachother. I am continually encouraged by what the Lord is doing through the simple act of our being obedient to Him.

We are meeting on a consistent basis to listen to audio teaching and pray, or just hang out. I feel very encouraged with how God is responding to prayer.

As for classes, my Jewish Ethnic Group class is the most interesting. I even decided to pick up another class about Terrorism & Responses, which is a very popular one here.

Cool beans... Until next time.

praying for the peace of Jerusalem

2009-10-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to some of Art Katz's sermons online, a jewish-atheist man who found the Messiah of Jesus. Last night I listened to one titled "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" (the phrase is taken from psalm 122). He said something really amazing that is fundamental to our walk in God: the idea of resurrection.

"To pray for the peace of Jerusalem in a way that will bring the peace of Jerusalem has got to be itself a resurrection prayer. Not just wishful thinking; wishful thinking is still at the level of humanism, and I don't think such prayers even get beyond the ceiling. But the kind of prayer that will actually affect the peace of Jerusalem will be God's own prayers, prayed in God's own power by a people who have welcomed His own devastation for themselves that they might be a people of the resurrection, praying resurrection prayers."

He talks about how the current state of Israel is far short of the glory God intended it to be. Therefore, the job of the Church (Jewish and Gentile) is to pray for it in God's way, because He has not forgotten his chosen people and his promise is never canceled. Ezekiel 37 is a famous passage of scripture which describes the valley of dry bones, referring to Israel being so destitute that the only way it can match the promise of God is to be resurrected.

"To pray for the peace of Jerusalem is to pray for the death of present Israel."

Gnarly gnarly.

... You mean I actually have to go to class now?

2009-10-11T02:57:00.000-07:00

Well, there are lots of new international people around campus. It's been fun meeting them and seeing the old friends that came back from traveling. Elliot says we should haze the new students and make them buy elevator passes... haha.

I have a new roommate from Wyoming, so it's been interesting having someone in the apartment for the first time in six weeks. All the Israelis come back this week.

Tomorrow actual classes start and they seem interesting, but my mind is still on the beach... : )

Later laters.

p.s. Simon says I should write that he is my favorite friend.

praying

2009-10-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

I want to be a stream in the desert, flowing where I need to. Lots of things haven't turned out the way I expected, which is disheartening at times, but I want to be ready to move with it anyway.

Love is a funny thing like that.

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5

Elijah's cave & Haifa cable car

2009-10-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

Today included a fun trip to the edge of the Haifa peninsula, where we went on a 2 min cable car trip for 19 shekels up the face of the hill. Excellent view and beautiful blue Mediterranean water. Elijah's cave was on the same level as the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem for me... damp, smelly, uncomfortable to be inside. It was cool to say that we went there, seeing as we live in the city of this uber religious pilgrimage site, but not anything special for me.

Before all that, however, I managed to lock myself out of my apartment early this morning. I went outside to use my laptop, didn't bother to take my keys, but I kept the door unlocked for sure. When I went back 20 minutes later, it was locked! The maintenance guy said I must be a genius to lock myself out .. haha. apparently it really is impossible...

good things about today, out 'n about

2009-10-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

-in the market, the vendor singing a loud song as he unloads his fruit to sell, and an old woman walking by saying "eze shir!" (what a song!)

-i'm pretty sure the waitress at the cafe thought i was a normal customer up until the point when i asked for "the bumper", instead of "the check" in hebrew. d'oh.

-invitation for shabbat dinner from my neighbors. he said, "if you want...... that means 'Come, or i break your legs'"

ahh good times :)

Sea of Galilee

2009-10-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

The last three days were filled with some of the best scenery and some of the best times that I've had since in Israel. How is that possible, since everything has been so wonderful, you say? Hard to believe, but true.

A study-tour friend of mine invited me to go on a 3-day hike around the Kinneret, also known as the Sea of Galilee. Our goal was to walk around the entire thing in 2.5 days, which is approximately 53 km (33 miles) all around. Almost everyone made it--only one guy walked the entire thing. I walked most of it, except for a couple miles when my shoes caused massive blisters and I opted for a taxi to the next beach we stayed at.

The first night was lovely. 8 of us met together from Tiberias, not really knowing what we were doing, where we'd be sleeping, or what the beaches would be like. Thankfully, we made it around 1/3 of the distance around the first day and entered the camping site/beach to eat and sleep. The beach was unswimmable but peaceful until night fell. Before night, it was hard to imagine how Jesus' disciples could have been afraid of a storm on this lake, because it was calm all day. Once night fell, however, the winds kicked up and made some waves. In winter, apparently, the storms hit the lake suddenly and fiercely.

We woke up the next day quite sore and continued on our journey, with Ben in the front the whole way. He was very determined to make it to the end, so we all felt a bit rushed. I preferred to take the time and just enjoy the beaches we came to. Also, we walked along the highway most of the time, because there wasn't a proper trail. This wasn't ideal, but it was cool to say we went all the way around.

The 2nd day was the most exhausting. Ben, the organizer of the trip, ended up going ahead of us (6 girls and 1 guy) in order to finish quickly. I didn't mind--I preferred to camp another day and not hurry. Some others took a bus back to Tiberias, then home, because they also had painful blisters and it was just very hot that day or they were just ready to be done early.

The others met me at the campground later (it took them 2-3 hours to come) as I zoned out on a lovely tuft of a grass, glad not to move my sore sore feet for awhile. After they arrived, (which was an adventure in and of itself, but I'll leave that story for the others to tell...)
We swam a little, ate a little, and eyed the Israeli Army's barbecue longingly... until finally I was nominated to go over there and ask them if they had any leftover food for us weary hikers. Alas, they didn't have anything cooked, but they gave us everything we needed to cook the chicken and hot dogs, including lighter fluid and coals. HA! Thank you, IDF. We prepared a fire and gathered makeshift skewers and made a grill out of an old fence, enjoyed the chicken.

The best parts were the swimming, the friends, and the strange/hilarious mishaps in between. Needless to say, we were all exceptionally glad to make it back to Tiberias in record time. We got to walk mostly on the beach this time, through muddy and grass areas, instead of the dreaded highway, and Simon and I even enjoyed a little swim and icecream along the way. Pictures soon!

a good week includes:

2009-09-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

-Drinking beer, smoking hookah, and talking about Judaism and Jesus with my neighbors.

-praying with friends and having good discussions about the Torah and Tanakh.

-A big Arab lunch in the druze village with Simon.

-Exploring new places, like the monastery on top of mount carmel, even though it took awhile to walk there on a (mostly) deserted, hot road, with only a herd of goats and a herd of cows to greet us along the way. Once we got there, we had a beautiful view of all the mountains of Jerusalem, Lebanon in the north, and the Mediterranean sea to the west.

-Feeling more comfortable speaking Hebrew.

-Sitting on the grass outside reading in the shade.

hungry at 1:45 am

2009-09-22T15:45:00.001-07:00

Haven't had falafel in awhile. I think it's time.

story of an Ultra Orthodox Jew coming to faith in Jesus

2009-09-22T00:32:00.000-07:00

This is the story of a friend who grew up in ultra orthodox Judaism from a young age who has just recently come to believe in Jesus. He is 34 years old. I will explain that this is a very closed group of Jews who devote their whole lives to religion and studying. I won't explain what else ultra orthodox judaism entails here, but you can look it up.

My friend was schooled from an early age with the intention of his parents to enter what is called a yeshiva to study the Bible, but mostly the Talmud (not part of the Bible), and other rabbinic literature for the rest of his life.

During his 5 years of yeshiva, some in the U.S. and some in Israel, he thought of himself as a rebel for taking time away from studying the Talmud to study the Torah or the Tanakh instead. He figured since the Torah and the Tanakh were God's word, and the Talmud was just a collection of rabbinic discussions, that it was more important to do this, even when he wasn't following what the rest of the students were doing and sometimes got in trouble for it. Already he was beginning to break away from the system.

He says he came to faith because of an anti-missionary paper. As you may know, in Israel it is illegal to evangelize and be a missionary. The paper contained reasons why one shouldn't believe in Jesus, such as the claim that Jesus desecrated the Sabbath many times. (There's a story in Matthew 12 of Jesus allowing his disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath, then stating that he is Lord of the Sabbath.) Since my friend was well-versed in both scripture and rabbinic literature, he thought it strange that they should pick out this aspect of Jesus and use it as against him, when rabbis in the past did similar things, changing the rules of the Sabbath when they thought prudent and necessary.

At that point, he decided to read the exact story in Matthew for himself, but he didn't know where to find a copy of the New Testament. Of course the yeshiva did not have one. Some months later, at his job in a bookstore, there was a lady that brought a box of old books she wanted to give away. She asked if the store could sell them as used; it was a shame to just throw them away. The store said they couldn't, so my friend asked if he could look for anything interesting to take from the pile. There he found a copy of the New Testament. "This is what I've been looking for!" he said to her. As he read the story in Matthew, he didn't find Jesus as bad as the rabbis had said he was.

About 4 months ago, in Haifa, my friend was walking in Hadar when he saw a church with its doors opened and a service going on inside. It took him three times walking past the church before he entered. It was a Filipino congregation, so they spoke good english and he could talk to them easily. It was there that he decided to put his trust in the promised Jewish messiah--Yeshua.

Now he is a part of the network of believers in Haifa, and his experience and outlook on the Torah and Tanakh is very valuable. When I have talked with him, he is able to explain the meaning of the feasts and parts of the Bible in its cultural context. After all, it was written from the perspective of the Jewish people. To have grown up in that environment, soaked in the history and culture that dates back to the Patriarchs and the original covenant is an amazing thing. Even more amazing is when a Jew comes home and returns to the One true God--Elohim.

doodling in class

2009-09-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

from august, when i would sit in class for 6 hours a day soaking up the hebrew and drawing to keep myself from going crazy.

a beautiful voice singing in Hebrew

2009-09-18T15:16:00.001-07:00

Rosh HaShana

2009-09-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely dinner at the congregation tonight, which they do every month, but tonight it was special for the New Year Celebration. There was challah bread and wine on the table, in addition to slices of apples & honey to dip it in, said to help bring in a sweet new year :). One man talked about the significance of the holiday and something about God's grace and what kind of people we would be if we lived in constant thankfulness of His wonderful grace.. (something like that. I went in and out of listening... it takes so much energy to focus in hebrew!)

Anyway, tomorrow we plan to go to the beach by car, since most public transportation is closed. Then, sundown on saturday, we will begin preparing for the big breakfast party on Sunday morning, to invite a big group to celebrate the new year one day later so that they can be with families on the actual day. Jo and Dana are planning pancakes and crepes. They gave me the job of decorating the new year "tree" we put on the wall. I am also painting styrofoam apples to hang in front of the door. Both apples and pomegranates are representative of the new year and widely familiar this time of year.

I am very grateful to be among friends. I'm beginning to feel at home here. And I usually wake up so excited to be here in Israel. I enjoy the people here so much, as well as learning the language and culture.

Baruch Ata Adonai (Blessed are you, Lord)

Chesed ve shalom,
Kelsey

back in Haifa

2009-09-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Overall I have a renewed excitement to be back in Haifa. Being in Jerusalem for a day gave me a different perspective that I was looking for, and now I am ready to continue working the city in love and prayer. :)

I have been reading my books I checked out from the library yesterday and today. Frustrated at first by not being able to find the history section, I settled on some books about language and culture and a teach-yourself spoken arabic book. I went back today to read and use the computer and realized all the history/anthropology (i.e. interesting) books were on the 2nd floor. I was happily engulfed in study for about two hours and I barely moved from one shelf.

I am reading now a book of letters from a woman living in Jerusalem during the British mandate in the 1920s. It is extremely interesting and I have only pulled myself away now to write this entry.

Coming up is Rosh HaShana--the Jewish New Year... The year will be 5770, a whole new decade. Simon sent me some interesting articles about the holiday, because I really don't know much at all when it comes down to it. Here's a link explaining what it's about. Really beautiful, I say. Hopefully it works for you all.

i am backpacker, hear me roar.

2009-09-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

"If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget her skill." -ps 137:5

i took the free ride with the study tour class to jerusalem, which had a couple stops along the way but i didn't mind. it saved me 42 shekels and i got to hang out with friends along the way :). the first stop was a jewish soldiers memorial museum, of which i couldn't enter because i wasn't part of the class. israeli soldiers and arabs everywhere. i hung out a cafe and watched people. there were all kinds of groups going in and out.

later in the day, they dropped me off in ramat eshkol and i found my way to the central bus station, as a sort of bearing. i immediately noticed how much more crowded the buses were than in haifa. there were also more religious jews everywhere. much much more.

you can barely see it, but this man is wearing the whole get-up with crocs shoes. i wanted to die. :)

another ridiculous part of that day was just how many men wanted to talk to me. they weren't pushy, but they were pretty forward. "where are you from?" is the most common pick up line once they realize my awkward foreignness. followed by "are you dating anyone?" or "you beautiful!" i must have been wearing nice perfume that day because i couldn't get the boys to go away. avoidance tactics include ducking out the bathroom while one of them was waiting for me & looking the other way, and walking quickly down the escalator. i'm not that mean, i just didnt want to take him up on his offer to chat in a tax office where he worked. things to do! people to see! places to go!

sometimes i just want to wear a big sign that says " I don't want to speak English with you."

i talked to one guy in hebrew for 20 minutes. i was just sitting there at the cafe drinking tea, and i couldn't figure out what he was saying at first. he mostly helping me trying to stay stuff. i learned to say "ragil" like when ordering "te ragil"... normal tea.

jerusalem morning in the jewish quarter. i took a long meander through the old city as soon as i left the hostel. there were children everywhere on their way to school. for some reason i really didn't expect the old city, chock full of religious sites and ancient buildings, to be that bustling with life.

everywhere i walked, in the new city and otherwise, was pretty crowded. i had my alarm going off in my bag for 1 hour before i realized the sound of it. there was so much noise everywhere.

being quite ravenous, i stopped in a bakery for a 3 shekel bread... mmm.

other things i love about israel: some bakeries are just excellent, the public transportation is more reliable than in Boston (time schedules? who knew!), and the people in general. They are tough people because they have to be, but also kind.

i got homesick for haifa after just one day. nothing like the glittering mediterranean to greet me on the bus ride back to my home in israel :)

stepping forward in new directions

2009-09-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm currently sitting outside, enjoying the cooler night air that has come to Israel. I feel more than ever that my time here is weighted with importance. Some really encouraging/amazing things were said to me today at the congregation I visited today--a little ways away from Haifa. It's been interesting to get a bigger perspective of the believers in the city & to see how they network and work together.

psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

Reflecting on that psalm this shabbat. I want to make the most of these days.

Please pray for the people in my path everyday, that they may get a greater taste of the living God through me. I really love spending time with Yeshua lately. Just me & Him. He has been showing me His heart for these people. I believe these next steps I take are to places I've never been before and by which I will never return.

Thankful for the support,
Kelsey

a short essay on the complexity of Israeli society

2009-09-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here I want to collect some thoughts about my brief month in modern Israeli society, taken from some self-study and also from soaking up the culture wide-eyed and curious. Many of the opinions I form exclusively from my stay in Israel thus far and I only focus on observations/essays/movies I have encountered therein. The result is a string of thoughts about the way I perceive social situations and interaction among different people groups in Eretz Israel.

One older American man, now immigrant to this country, said that he thought this was one of the most complex societies he has ever come across. I might even consider Israel a sociological/anthropological paradise, with so many congregating cultures (race/religion/ways of life) coming to live under one banner. This cultural division goes beyond the simply Israeli/Arab division that the Western media is so fond of capitalizing on. When we start talking about the plethora of different people groups coming to create a new immigrant-based country, it begins to sound a lot like America. Yet before we start to make too many comparisons between the two, I venture on a limb to say that there are exceptions to every rule in Eretz Israel, which is not how I would immediately describe the United States.

Take for example the Druze people, Arab on the surface yet distinct from the wider collective of "Arab", owners of their own religion deeply embedded in their ethnicity. I have learned that they come from Egypt long ago and their beliefs are a distant off-shoot of Islam. Without looking too deeply into them, one is tempted to categorize these people with other Israeli-Arabs (who themselves are not limited to being Palestinian, per se). The Druze live as a sort of minority status within their own country, which they love, although the state takes very little interest or concern for them. This last thought I paraphrase from my Israeli friend Gil, who commented to me about them. Another film in Israel I saw recently, called Syrian Bride, explores the hardship of the Druzi people, spread throughout upper Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Some have chosen "non-state" status, choosing to be neither Israeli or Syrian, simply Druzi. This quickly becomes a complicated issue according to laws, rights, and border control, as the film Syrian Bride adequately shows.

Another complex facet of Israeli society is the Jewish question: who is Jewish? What are the cultural stereotypes of Jews and what arises in your mind when you consider these people? A book I have been perusing from the University of Haifa library, The Flying Camel, collects many essays of like-minded Sephardic and Mizrahi (Eastern) Jewish women across North Africa and the Middle East. They, primarily Arab in constituency, comprise the voice of the overlooked and often oppressed Jewish segment of Arab societies, many of whom have immigrated to Israel to be with their religious brethren. Their dark skin and Judeo-Arabic tongue immediately classifies them as more Arab than Jewish, but who set up this split? The point of the book is that the term "Jewish" is not solely explicating Eastern-European, klezmer-listening, black-hat-and-long-beard-dressing Jews, but that the Jewish people have a rich history across the Middle East and Africa that breaks the Western (and Ashkenazi) perception of Jewish heritage and ownership of culture.

So far I have seen a wide variety of people groups: from Ethiopians, to Russians, to Arab-Israelis whose families have lived in the land before the first Zionists came to claim the state for their own. On more than one account, I have been mistaken for a Russian girl and native Israeli. In this land is where a multitude of cultures clash and interweave to create new culture, comprised of various elements into a sabra (nickname for an Israeli) culture. Not everyone has molded perfectly into this collective stereotype, and it is thus difficult to make any stereotype at all, for each person carries with him a history of his own people, his own beliefs, and ways of life that make him distinct from the collective. Some have done better than others to carve out what it means to be a sabra-Israeli, but considering the ultra-religious Ashkenazi Jews still wear the black fedora and black suits that they did in Poland some hundred years ago, they have simply brought the ways of life and transplanted them into a new land.

These traditional cultural practices from different social groups, mixed with a great deal of wariness towards imported traditions and minority peoples' traditions, produces a very interesting and complex dynamic in the tiny state of Israel, bursting with complexity and depth.

jerusalem pictures

2009-09-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

buying food before sundown when shabbat starts

david, king of israel, something something

om nom shawarma and falafel

dome of the rock, near the western wall. non-muslims are not allowed inside. they actually check--you have to know pieces of the q'uran and/or prayers to be allowed inside.

kirsten (my friend from holland) and me

the western wall was definitely my favorite part of the tour. i got to pray on the women's side, but didn't make it to the front to deposit my prayer request into the cracks.

learning to be a disciple

2009-09-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me" -john 14:23-24

i've been thinking about that for two days.
that is all.

i am now the proud owner of aladdin pants

2009-09-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

...or trousers, as jo and adi call them.

errands bi ivrit

2009-09-06T06:01:00.001-07:00

Today I ran a bunch of errands for jo which included buying stamps and mailing 45 letters to england at the post office in hebrew, buying two bags of hazelnut coffee at greg's (tried hebrew but switched to english when they didn't understand), and buying eggs, which i miraculously remembered the name for (baitzim) and thus could ask for them behind the counter. phew.

I'm having loads of fun!

chesed ve shalom

2009-09-05T04:38:00.001-07:00

Shabbat Shalom chavarim,

I'm sitting in my friend Jo's house enjoying a restful time on shabbat. I finally got to skype a few people last night around 3am, so that was good :) Before that, Simon, Jo, Adam and I went to a kabbalat shabbat dinner, where we enjoyed company of new people and had good food. The man and wife who welcomed us lived in Romania under the persecution of the communists. If you know anything about Richard Wurmbrand, (if not, look him up!) He's a messianic jew...a christian. i remember reading pieces of his memoirs Tortured for Christ and his story when I was younger. Anyway, our host was with Wurmbrand in the Romanian underground church. Really amazing stuff, to be able to see and talk with people who lived under the oppression and yet still had beautiful and vibrant faith in Yeshua. How much more should we love and worship the Savior in good times?

Lately it's just been a lot of hanging out. It's already been five days since I've known Jo but she and I connected so well. I've been over at her house nearly every day and slept over twice. She lives closer to everything, so it's a real blessing to go to the market and other things that are difficult to get to from the university.

A couple days ago we went to a beautiful beach called Hof Dor, only accessible by car, and spent nearly the whole day there... As soon as I got there, I realized how much I really needed a vacation and that was the perfect way to spend it. The waves were not nearly as strong as the Hof HaCarmel beach that we always go to, so it was easier to just relax and swim without being swallowed by gigantic waves every 5 seconds... sneaky waves...

Everyday I'm thankful. Making big plans for the next weeks. Can't wait.

chesed ve shalom (grace and peace),
Kelsey

Sephardic & Ashkenazi Jewish music

2009-09-01T12:13:00.001-07:00

so I'm reading a book about Jewish Middle Eastern women that I got from the library, just for my own edification purposes. They mention Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews so I searched for their music online and I love this video... I've heard the song in the middle ("los bilbicos") before but that's because I'm weird and listen to this stuff regularly anyway.

I love love love this music:

Klezmer is the style I heard in the market two days ago. This comes from European Jewish culture (Ashkenazi), also rockin':

Stay true and Shalom,
Kelsey.

making progress

2009-09-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

dear hot Israeli sun: blah. Walking underneath you hurts my eyes. I feel sweaty walking down the street. I have to drink water every 15 minutes so as not to get a headache. And yet, I love you. I love your light. I even love that you are so harsh sometimes. I don't know why.

Anyway, I had my first productive conversation with a sherut man all by myself. Hailing after the taxi, he stopped and opened the door and I said breathlessly, "Kama?"

He asked, "Li issafiya?"

I nodded, "Ken"

He replied, "Sesh."

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED and I didn't feel like a fool this time. Six shekels took me to the druze village, but unfortunately I did not find a shuuq (market) like I hoped I would. However, it gave me opportunity to walk around. It was blistering hot and everyone stared at me because I do not look Druzi or Arab. At least I blend in with most Israelis, but in Issafiya, I definitely do not.

After that, I went back the other way and hung out with Jo for a little while & helped clean her house and wash her windows. Fun stuff... I'm not lying either. It's good to be in a real house and it's good to feel productive. : ) I also cleaned my whole kitchen when Lara left because it was nasty nasty. Well, maybe just one nasty. But yeah, now I feel pretty good about cooking there. I even felt inspired to cook tonight so I had Simon over for dinner.

While I was out and about, so many people asked me questions, and instead of saying "I don't speak Hebrew" I sort of understood their question but didn't know the answer so I just said "Ani lo yod'at". Woot. Baby steps, baby steps...

new beginnings.

2009-08-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

I had a sense that after ulpan finished, something different and new was coming for me, although I didn't know what. Today I finally feel like this time I set aside between ulpan and semester is actually going somewhere.

Yesterday was a great day & consisted of a lot of down-time/quiet-time in the morning. In the afternoon, Simon (my Danish friend & fellow believer in Yeshua), and I went to downtown to Hadar to buy some fruits and vegetables. We met Kirsten from Holland from my ulpan class, who is an "ola hadasha" (new immigrant to israel) and just hung out after buying groceries... drank some iced coffee in a cafe outside.

One fruit stand had an orthodox Jew as its owner, with funky music playing in the background. I liked the sound of it so I asked Simon about it. He said it was Klezmer music.

Apparently, even after a month, I am still pretty clueless about Israeli/Jewish culture. "Is that a band?" I asked.

"No. Style of music!"

Turns out it's predominately in Yiddish, having roots in the European Jewish culture which they brought as immigrants to Israel. I liiike it. Everytime I hear it, though, I think of American-Jewish Daniel in my class "Jewifying" every song we sing with 'yidde dadadadidididida' like from Fiddler on the Roof. Makes me laugh every time.

Ahh anyway... I'm very thankful Kirsten and Simon are both here and staying longterm. After our cafe time, Simon and I went back to the university and made burritos with his Israeli roommate & practicing Hebrew with them. Good times all around.

.

Today was definitely the beginning of a new thing. I got in touch with other believers not in the university, friend of a friend of a friend I met in Boston. This girl and I met for coffee in the Horev center, and then I got to meet the leader of the group here. It was really neat how God tied our hearts from the very beginning of our meeting, to the point where I could see we were both an answer to eachother's prayer and needs. Both of us had an eye-opening experience about God's desire for the people Israel. Neither of us had a particular burden for Jews, but because we both loved God, we began to see how much He loves these people in particular and so we're here, simply following His love.

Romans 9 through 11 is so gnarly in that respect.

And wow. She was sharing with me about how, after a series of difficult relationships she had, she was beginning to feel as though God felt... that people often came to Him just to get something from Him, rather than wanting to just love Him. And yeah, that hit me pretty deep. It's so nice to be loved by God but even nicer to love Him back.

We went back to her apartment and she fed me lunch, cookies, and tea. It was great to be in a real house for once!

Do continue to pray that I use this time wisely and boldly.

Shalom and out,
Kelsey

1 kings 18 - some history of mt. carmel

2009-08-30T01:20:00.001-07:00

So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.”

And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered.

And they limped around the altar that they had made. And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”

And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.

this yom shishi (friday) & shabbat

2009-08-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

Probably one of the best days I've had here so far. It was the first day without ulpan... class is over and I now have six weeks of vacation. So what do we do? hike around and see what kind of adventures we could come up with! My friend and I took the same intense hike we did last week through the national park. But this time, we were determined to get to the Druze (arab) village named Isafiya which is nearby but quite a long walk. We praised God for more clouds in the hot sky this time.

We walked for two hours in the foresty-desert, rock-climbed a bit, then found our way out of the park to a main road with some signs. There was also a ranch with horses. We decided to take a road leading to Bet Oren, which we found out was a kibbutz complete with a wedding celebration and fun music and dancing. I loved the atmosphere of the kibbutz, even though I didn't realize what it was at the time just walking near it. Everyone seemed genuinely happy and relaxed. Daniel asked a man standing nearby the wedding party, 'ayfo ha autobus?' and the man replied that there wasn't one here. So, we ended up at a deadend, returned on the road we came for half-hour, but it was still interesting to see that little place called Bet Oren.

Coming back to the juncture, we saw a another man on the side of the road. We asked if there was a bus going to the druze village, but he replied that there was only a taxi n this road, which he was waiting for, and he said we were welcome to join part of the way since he was going to Haifa. Since we thought he already ordered the taxi to come, we decided to wait. Daniel had an interesting conversation with the guy who told him about a German community in a place called Remembrance of Jacob (in hebrew obviously, but I can't remember the translation), where a lot of Chrisians came to Israel to help the people however they could. The man himself wasn't German or Christian, but being able to tell us about it, they seem quite known among the locals. Daniel was excited to get in contact with people of these community. So that was neat.

Once we realized the man hadn't actually called a taxi but instead was just hoping one would come by on this semi-deserted road, we decided to hitch hike to Isafiya and bid the man goodbye. It was a God-appointed meeting with valuable information, and God also provided the right person to pick us up and drop us off in our desired destination. We finally arrived to the village and promptlý entered a restaurant, being somewhat famished from the 4.5 hour hike, and dined on excellent arabic food alone in a giant restaurant. Apparently, 3 o clock is not when most people around here eat.

Back home, we had shabbat dinner with new friends and enjoyed conversation and good times until midnight. I was the only native english speaker there, even though everyone communicated in english. There was one german, one dane, three israelis, and three spaniards. Hearing them trying to communicate with each other in their different thick accents was very amusing, and I had to translate different versions of English on more than one occasion.

Sadly, many of my good friends are leaving today and tomorrow, inluding Daniel. But Simon is herefor the whole year, and a few are staying in the country but moving to Jerusalem... Simon also goes to the congregation with me on Shabbat. And we will continue to pray together and invite others along.

God only knows whats next for this coming week, but I am praying and listening and have a great sense of expectation and excitement. He really has been good to me.

This morning at the service I was really refreshed and some of the direction I have been waiting for was given to me. The believers at Daliyat alCarmel have a good sense of what true worship is. One blow of the shofar horn, and my heart is ready to join in. Please continue to pray and intercede for the many people we talked to and prayed for here, that they would worship the true God of Israel and the world.

Oh, and read 1 Kings 18 if you get a chance. It's pretty radical. I might post it in the next update.

Over and out.

tech probz

2009-08-25T07:08:00.001-07:00

Well, I haven't been able to get an adapter for the outlets here in Israel, so charging my laptop is hard to do. If you want to send me one, feel free:

kelsey shelton
c/o international school
University of Haifa,
Mount Carmel Haifa 31905. ISRAEL

otherwise, i'll continue to look for one.

Other than that, there's a bonfire tonight and I'm getting ready for the Hebrew final on Thursday. After that... complete freedom! Today I checked some interesting books out from the best library in the middle east, here at the university... so that when the university closes for holiday next week, I'll have something to read and study. I'm sure beach trips will be a'plenty coming up, too...

Just went to J-ru for the day... no big deal...

2009-08-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

Jerusalem. Amazing. We did one of the three tours offered with all of the ulpan students. One tour focused on the old city of King David, one tour went to the christian and muslim quarters, and one went to the Yad Vashem holocaust museum. All sounded pretty cool, though I'm not a fan of big tour groups. I'm still glad I went on the tour I did for my first time in Jerusalem.

One story from today: my friend Gol asks (in hebrew) an israeli soldier with a pistol hanging from his pants how he likes having a gun pointing at his butt. First of all, what audacity... The guy laughs and responds, 'it's not a great way to live..'

These are crazy times.

Pictures and more explanation tomorrow or maybe Sunday. I'm on a limited time here... Shalom :)

Things I like about Israel, so far:

2009-08-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

1. Halva . I bought it for the first time at the supermarket today without knowing what it was. It said chocolate and vanilla on the front, so how bad could it be?. I asked Lara and she's like "It's made out of seeds or something." Tried it. Love it.

2. people generally like to talk about the Bible.

3. Hof HaCarmel. The beach. Swimming in the warm Mediterranean.

4. The Hebrew language is beautiful to listen to... and try to speak, of course.

5. Living on top of a big hill. With trees.

6. Learning new things about God and this land.

7. The people I've met. Unique and cool.

...to be continued...

Arabic homework and daily walking with Jesus

2009-08-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

I am now getting daily arabic homework from the security guard that I talked about earlier. I wrote a short qissa last night about a girl named Layla and Guzli corrected it today. Ha! Tomorrow I have to write another short story about a guy named Rabaab and then write a couple sentences he dictated for me today. I feel so blessed & better ready to talk with israeli-arabs, which was my original goal. God has provided the means for me to learn what I wanted.

Yesterday we had a small bible study in Ruth's apartment, and this morning, four of us met to pray before classes. In two weeks, after this ulpan is over, many of these people will be gone, but I believe God is knitting us together in a special way. I have so much hope for this place welling up inside me, it's unbelievable. It's beautiful to be able to labor together for this city and country through love and sharing the good news of Yeshua's salvation with people who want to hear.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

Nothin' sweeter than the name of Jesus.

I am still wondering what to do during the six week interim period between the ulpan and regular semester. If you're into that sort of thing, please pray that God gives me clear direction and provides everything necessary for me to go wherever I need to. Or if I am to stay in Haifa, where I should be spending my time specifically.

Yom tov (have a good day),
Kelsey

Saturday adventures

2009-08-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Shabbat, which means Shabbat service at the messianic congregation. I think I mentioned before that the service takes place in a druze village called O'sofia (or something that sounds like that). The above picture is one of the views of the village from the patio deck.

Also on shabbat, four of us went on an expedition-hike complete with rock climbing (favorite part!) and really beautiful views. This was very close to the university, in mt. carmel national park. It was very hot of course, and took us about three hours. Needless to say, I am really sore today.

Market in Hadar

2009-08-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

This morning Daniel (the German Christian) and I went to the market in Hadar. We successfully ordered 1/2 kilo of almonds, 1/4 kilo of dried apricots, and some other fruits like bananas and apples, all in Hebrew.

It's strange but Haifa doesn't feel very Israeli to me. I mentioned this and Daniel agreed. It's pretty western... aside from the fact that every sign is in Hebrew. I am looking forward to going to Jerusalem next week. Many people have told me it's completely different.

Feeling more accustomed

2009-08-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first venture into the city by myself. Mission: go to the grocery store and don't get lost. It was good to get out off the campus. I found a smallish market along the bus route and got my items for the week: rice, beans, vegetables, and fruits. I'm going to start cooking more, now that I feel more settled.

The cashier said something to me in hebrew, which of course I did not understand. I simply smiled and said "ani lo medeberet ivrit" and she responded "what do you speak... tsafartit?" (french) ... "Lo, anglit." (No, English)... So I guess I do speak a little hebrew, if I could tell her that much. :) But I still have a long way to go to understand the rapid speech.

People keep coming up to me speaking Hebrew, so they must think I'm Israeli. One guy said, after seeing my puzzled expression, "Oh, sorry, I thought you were someone I know". Sometimes it's hard to tell foreigners from Israelis upon first glance, especially if you have brown hair and light eyes. I found out my ulpan teacher's family is from Poland, and they arrived in Israel in 1936. I have some polish ancestry, so maybe that's why I look similar.

Ulpan class is getting more and more interesting. It is made of almost entirely Europeans. We have two italians, one swiss woman, one french guy, a girl from poland, and a girl from holland. Also, most of them are teachers in their own country. Needless to say, we learn words for activities such as drinking cafe, smoking, reading the newspaper, and eating chocolate. :)

We have a midterm tomorrow which I feel prepared for--I just have to do the homework and make sure I can read quickly enough to make it through the exam. There's not much to do on campus except study, so that's helping me a lot.

My plans for shabbat include going to the local market downtown & buying nuts and fruits for lower prices, exploring the neighborhood known as Hadar which is an older neighborhood, taking pictures, hanging with friends and seeing what else comes my way.

That's all I can think of for now... Shalom.

picture update. introductions.

2009-08-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

velcom to chhhaifa.

room things. i have my own bathroom too.

ani bi israel!

hiking around mt. carmel, close to the university.

some of us went to the hof (beach) HaCarmel. the mediterranean is soooo warm. some people go very often, almost everyday, but it takes about 30 minutes by bus because everything takes 30 minutes by bus from the uni.

hiking around the golan heights. it was really hot. they told us to drink water 40 bajillion times.

some jewish kids playing in the black waterfall, clothes and all.

Switching classes & small revelations

2009-08-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

At the end of last week, we had to take a test to see how far we came with Hebrew in 3 days. Apparently, the test showed our progession which they then used to move us around and switch up the classes to match better. My new class isn't as outrageous or fun. This new mor'a (teacher) is REALLY sedated and calm, and usually just teaches things once, as opposed to my last teacher who cracks me up and repeats everything 5-6 times. I miss having fun with DB and Francesca, but I still see them at the break, so it's all good.

What else? Life is good and interesting. I have much peace and joy in the Holy Spirit everyday. My older australian roommate came up to me last night outside while I was doing homework and asked me to tell her about the messianic congregation I went to. People are so hungry for truth here. I'm realizing also there is something about Israel that draws peope of that nature. I pray they receive what truly satisfies the soul, and not a counterfeit religion or tradition.

Reading 2 Kings, Acts, and Romans is really eye-opening. I never realized how much Israel and the Jews are still part of God's plan for the world. It was through them that the Gentiles (me!) can now have Yeshua and full reconciliation with God. He's not done with Israel yet.

Golan Heights & first shabbot

2009-08-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

Today was the trip to the Golan Heights which which took about 2 hours by bus, a straight eastward shot driving. This area has been controlled by Israel since the six day war in 1967. The Jordan river and the Sea of Galilee are both nearby. The people leading us kept stressing to drink water and wear hats because August in the Israeli desert is over 100 degrees. We hiked up and down the narrow trails and rocky paths and then stopped for a swim in a small, deep pool with a waterfall. A welcoming retreat from a hot hike!

Tonight was my first shabbot service in Israel. I talked with many people after and they said it was one of the more open services, neither orthodox, reformed nor conservative. There were a lot of students, and I could tell a lot of people were uncomfortable, perhaps because it was not the way they way used to, even with how open and welcoming the service tried to be. There were songs (mostly songs) with some time kept open to mention people that were ill or who had died recently among us. Afterwards we had challah and wine. Many people were used to having dinner with their service, but we had no dinner this time. Maybe next time.

Shabbot is fun and interesting to me. I like the reflection and rest period between busy life. Most stores are closed from Friday sundown until Saturday sundown.

End of first week

2009-08-06T04:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we hiked locally around Mt. Carmel. On the hike I made friends with a guy named Daniel, who it is the first christian i've met here... It was obvious by the way he was talking to people about Yeshua. He was telling me he thinks this was the place Elijah called fire down from heaven. I re-read the part in 2 kings 1 later that night. it's pretty intense : ) and even more amazing to stand at that same spot where it happened. Our guides were telling us that there are more trees now than before, because after the occupation they planted lots and made it a sort of natural sanctuary/museum for some ruins of old stone houses that were there.

After that Daniel and I did about 3-hours worth of homework outside. Everybody I've met from the Ulpan stops by to say hi. I love getting to know people here. There is a healthy mix of Americans and other foreigners, and it's just really easy to hang out for hours without any real plan.

Tomorrow we are going on a group hike to the Golan Heights, which is supposed to be beautiful. Tomorrow is also Shabbat (starting sundown), so all supermarkets will be closed until Sunday. I need to go today if I want to eat over the weekend. A few of us have plans to go to the beach at Hof Carmel later this afternoon. It's quite hot.

Today after class I stopped by the guard booth like normal and the Arab-israeli guard started a conversation with me by calling out "Hello Miss Universe!" He's really nice and greets different people in funny ways. Not all are funny.. but he calls most people, even guys, habibi, and I think that's funny. Anyway, he converses with me in Hebrew and Arabic, even when I don't understand. A bunch of us were congregated there and one Ulpan student who already knows Hebrew well, my friend Gaul, was asking him how to say good morning, how are you, etc, in Arabic, and then wrote it in Hebrew script so he can remember. The whole interaction between them was entertaining, and I love how relaxed everyone is to just stop and talk and learn. Good times.

Anyway, more later. Hopefully I'll find a converter and a way to upload my pictures by then.

6 hours of Ulpan today...

2009-08-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

...and I can now read and write Hebrew! plus confidently carry on decent conversation with the check-out person.

Last night I met my Israeli roommate Lara, who is very sweet and apparently likes noise. Lots of it. She actually said so. So we listened to hip hop while we got to know eachother in the living room. All of the students here are a few years older than American undergrads because they have to join the army before they go to school. Even women. There aren't a lot of regular students on campus right now... mostly just foreigners at the International School during the summer. Lara says this place feels quite empty.

I also met her friend Lev who tutored me on Hebrew letters for an hour last night. Pretty nice.

Hebrew class today was LONG (6 hours) with one 30-minute break. We're pretty tight in class already, because it's hard not to bond after being barraged with new information all day.

I've been having issues with my phone, the sim card not working right, and I finally got it replaced--hopefully to get in contact with some people of a messianic congregation that my friend Noelle told me about in the city. There have been so many opportunities to talk about the Lord! It has also been interesting for me to read the scripture and feel so close to the land that it was written in. I find myself paying closer attention to names, cities, regions, etc, as well as wondering what the people of the Bible must have been like.

Later on we are doing a hike around Mount Carmel with a big group. I'm taking my camera!

Ma'asalaama.

First day of Hebrew

2009-08-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

Shalom! So... pictures were requested, but I haven't actually taken any yet. HOW SAD of me, I know. I'm still trying to figure out how to charge my laptop without buying a converter, and thus upload the pictures via my laptop. I asked a native of Haifa and they weren't sure where I could buy one. But I really don't want to anyway (I'm cheap), so I might just borrow from other Americans.

Today was the first day of the Hebrew session, and I LOVE my class & classmates. It's 4-5 hours long with two breaks in the middle, so it's not too bad. We learned a handy dialogue of useful phrases used when meeting people, asking questions, etc, and I feel confident to actually start a conversation with an Israeli, believe it or not. We also learned half the letters of the Aleph-bet and I can write "father", "aunt", "uncle", "boy", "girl" and "dog" in Hebrew now. Booyah.

We first met at 10am to have the Madrichim (social coordinator people) walk us over to class, since as a general rule we tend to get quite lost. I saw Elliot there and he said something to me that sounded like "I broke my toe", so I asked him to clarify "You broke your toe?" And he just laughed and said, "No. I said good morning in Hebrew." BOKER TOV!

I'm getting there slowly...

Last night we explored the city a bit, took the 30 minute bus ride into town, went to a local market where I bought almonds and apples. I didn't know how to say anything, so I pointed at the almonds and held up one finger. The guy understood and I got a nice handful in return. We also tried the only underground metro in all of Israel (called the Carmelit because it goes down Mount Carmel... it operates on a slope and the train has an interesting shape as a result.)

The campus sits atop a huge hill (a.k.a. Mt Carmel) and the view of the city is beautiful... There is a tower on campus with 30 floors that looks over all of Haifa. It's spectacular, and I want to show you sometime. Stay tuned for pictures!

Frankfurt --> Tel Aviv --> Haifa

2009-08-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Arrived! Things have been a whirlwind so far, from almost missing the flight in Germany because I was sleeping at the wrong gate number, to riding the 2 hour Sherut to Haifa, to trying to figure out what the university wanted from me.

It's been really... difficult. I can't read any signs yet. The dormitory complex is like a maze and getting to my room requires an elevator, two flights up, and one flight down. I live in an apartment with supposedly 5 other people, but I've only met one so far, who is another foreigner doing the Hebrew Ulpan. She's middle aged Australian woman, and she's basically awesome. So kind.

Speaking of kindness, almost everyone here has been really kind. Especially the students; it's been really easy to make friends because we're all pretty much in the same boat, just different levels of incompetency in language and culture and whatnot.

I made friends with a guy sitting next to me on the sherut trip up from the airport. 7/10 passengers were doing the Ulpan in Haifa, so we bonded for an hour and a half which made the trip fun. I didn't exchange enough money for the fare, which was 5 shekel more than I expected, so my new bff Elliot spotted me some.

The campus is nice but my apartment is something to be desired. I anticipate spending a lot of time in the student lounge and cafe, with the fabulous air conditioning. Even though the apartment wasn't so clean, I feel blessed to have my own room and washroom. My jetlag woke me up at 4am so I just flipped on the light and started reading. My room has a window facing a courtyard, but it's blocked by trees, which makes it nice and shady. I didn't have an alarm, so I was concerned about waking up before 8:30 to start the registration. I just prayed God would wake me up after I fell asleep again, and sure enough, at 7:45 some morning light filtered through the window, bounced off the wall, and hit my eyes on the bed across the room. Love it. :)

I completed all the registration things this morning, including a Hebrew "interview" where a woman asked me questions in Hebrew and I stared back at her blankly. I had to actually demonstrate that I was a complete beginner, so they could put me in the proper class.

Well, that's been only a few of the details so far. I'm currently in the computer lab because I haven't set up wireless on my laptop yet. I'm about to go eat the overpriced yogurt and bread I bought at the campus mini-mart.

Shalom.

Almost there

2009-07-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

Time to blast-off...5, 4, 3... It'll be just about two weeks until I arrive in Tel Aviv and take a bus up to Haifa, the north of the country.

I'm praising God for all He has provided so far even before this trip begins (some things came to me against all odds): visa, loan, money support, peace, sense of mission to what I will be doing there.

This will definitely be new territory for me... I can feel it. Despite everywhere I've been and all that I experienced so far. (Limited, still. But there's a sense of complete newness awaiting me that has capacity to be both terrifying and exhilerating.) My friend (& spiritual older brother) Jesse mentioned that Israel will definitely test me & stretch me quite a bit & that I'm good at being independent, good at figuring things out on my own, but it'll be a time of learning to be dependent on what I do not know. There's a quote that sums up my feelings of this trip and everything encompassing it:

"When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. "Where have you put him?" he asked them. They told him, "Lord, come and see."

Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him!" But some said, "This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?"

Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. "Roll the stone aside," Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible."

Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?" -john 11

I feel very limited. But this is faith, isn't it? My inability to do anything good leaves room for God's goodness, His lavish abundance of possibility through Jesus, if we would believe.

Radical belief in jesus is just the beginning :-)
Let it be.

Just the beginning...

2009-04-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

We had orientation earlier today where I met 3 of the 7 other students that are going to Haifa on the same program, half of which don't even go to BU. It was a much smaller group than I expected, but the girls seem really nice and easygoing. After we all walked out of the building, we stopped at the corner and sort of turned to each other, realizing this was the beginning of a great adventure. We could all see ourselves traveling with each other in the future, throughout Israel, perhaps to Syria, Lebanon, and the wider Mediterranean area. Who knows?

Right now it feels like I'm about to be flung into a great wide unknown space with nothing much to hold onto. I want to cultivate an honest approach to this whole thing. Perhaps it will take me three months to do just that.

Departure date is set for August 1. Now it's just the mental preparation and loose-end forms to complete. Israel, here I come!