Hello dear ones,
We hit the ground running again today with our guide, Tsion (C-on). It was fun just now to lay on the bed with my feet up while Donn read all of your notes to us for today. How wonderful that you share your thoughts with us. Thanks for your love and support. The breakfasts here are something else. It is all laid out in buffet fashion, with fruit, freshed squeezed juices, eggs, omlets, quiches, breads, salad items, huge sliced honey combs dripping with honey–and hundreds of other items including dried apricots, berries, and dates. It is a lavish display of the goodness of God in this land of milk and honey
It was amazing to be in Jerusalem today. It was teaming with people, especially because they are coming off of sabbat yesterday. We went to the market place in the city. Vendors line the pathways with every type of food imaginable. Huge fresh fish, spices, and nuts. Fruit– and more fruit. It helps me to see what it may have been like during Passover—people, people, people. On the main drive of the city there are people on bikes, carts, little cars continually beeping their horns. I don’t think it helps to be beeping the horns, because every car is still in gridlock. But the folks beep anyway. There is much road construction going on, which needs to happen to support the great numbers of people coming back to the country. Widening the roads include moving each original stone by hand–numbering it–and returning it to it’s spot.
We were able to spend time in the Garden of Gethsemane today. For some reason we were able to take our team in there; then we noticed that the guard had locked the gate, and didn’t let anyone else in. What a peaceful place in the middle of the madness of the city. It was Donn’s turn to speak today. He spoke of the stuggle of Jesus there, and how when he died to his will in that place, he was able to move forward to die on the cross. Gethsemane means, “oil press”. We saw other days how the oil is made from the olives. . another story. He shared a bit about Donn Wesley’s path; it was quite an emotional time as we pondered once again the times in our lives that we are called to surrender to God’s will for our lives. Mark was very sensitive to God’s work in our hearts during this time, and gave us more time to just be. Another couple had lost their daughter as well. One just never knows as we look at people what their story may be. Somehow today, our group took a step closer to the Lord and to each other.
We saw so much today on the Mount of Olives, including the wall around the city. We saw t he “Gate Beautiful” where Jesus will enter when he comes back. The Arabs have a huge cemetary outside of the gate, because they know that no Jew would desecrate themselves by walking through a cemetary. They are sure this will hold Jesus back–ha!!!
We also went to the Holocaust Museum this afternoon. I was apprehensive about this part of our journey. I’ve seen enough to know that I didn’t want to take in more for my memory bank. I remember when Shindler’s List came out. Of course, we own that movie because Donn would want to see it. It was downstairs. .. one day I was walking down the basement steps, and Donn Wesley was just coming out of the downstairs TV room. His face was ashen–white as could be. He then told me that he had just watched the Shindler movie. Tho I would never tell him not to, I would have chosen to protect him from such evil. It made a memory for me. Back to the museum. It has just been recently redone. It is incredibly beautiful, walking us through the events that could lead to such a bizarre time of history. Especially touching was the children’s area. Inside are 1.5 million candles burning. All day, everyday, the names of the children are read, along with their age and country. It takes 340 days to go through the list once. Today there were hundreds of young Israeli soldiers walking through the museum. After high school every girl and boy are required to be in the army for two years. I couldn’t help but admire them and surely this part of their training shapes the character of who they are.
I hope I haven’t kept you too long. I could never have even dreamed of what this trip to Israel would show us. To say that the history here is rich does not begin to describe it all. God is so very big. We “git” to share in his-story for a little while. Again I am reminded that He is “I AM”, and I am not.
Heard church was wonderful today. We are so blessed to have Alan on board. Hopefully Tara is in now too, and was able to share this weekend with her family, and our church family. God must love us very much to allow Alan to serve with us at C.M.
Time for sleep. Love to you all,
Barb