Two days. Two flights from home. MSP to Newark then Newark to Tel Aviv on El Al Israeli airlines. A flight that felt like a family reunion on the way to a family reunion. It was a party for the most part of Jewish families and of groups of students making a Birthright trip to the country of their heritage. Though sleeping on a flight that crosses the Atlantic and lands in Israel at 7am seem like a logical idea...that wasn't happening...for the most part...and it was just pleasant to be on a plane of people so excited that they clapped when we touched ground. Welcome to Israel...the land of God's chosen people and the place my daughter is serving for 2 months with Shevet Achim. An organization that is helping children in the middle east who need life-saving heart surgery come to Israel for that surgery. Check out their website at shevet.org. I am in awe of what the Lord is doing through this organization. I'll be lending a hand for two weeks but...
Arriving on a Friday, means half a day of work followed by Shabbat...a full day of Sabbath rest. As a newcomer, I am not expected to help until the 3rd day, but couldn't resist making dinner the first night when the need was presented. Anticipating I might have the chance to help with the cooking I packed a couple unique ingredients. So my first Shabbat meal in Israel was Minnesota Wild Rice soup, salad, Challah and cherries. We also celebrated one of the staff member's completion of Modern Hebrew studies at Hebrew University with locally purchased chocolate cake! Good job, Ryan!
In these two days, Natalie has treated me to a walking tour of some of the most significant, sacred sites of Jerusalem. We bought dinner ingredients at the outdoor Jewish market just down the street and had lunch at a wonderful local back alley coffee shop that would be impossible to find without the direction of locals. In the evening, we visited the Western Wall, which on a Friday evening felt like a continuation of the celebration and joy I had witnessed on the flight here. Jewish men and women crowding the Western Wall in prayer, with scripture readings, songs and dance. No photography is allowed on this evening or the Sabbath, the sign reads that the wall needs a rest.
Today, we walked to the other side of the city to the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, to the top of the hill that oversees the city, went into the church that houses Mary's tomb, back down, then travelled the Via Dolorosa, found a shop with old, old coins from Jesus' time, stopped for a lunch of falafel and shawarma and Coke, found a wonderful local photography shop, purchased some pottery from a favorite shop keeper of Natalie's, walked on to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (one of two places believed to be the location of Jesus' tomb), had coffee and dessert at the King David hotel and then meandered back home. This is a beautiful place. I can see why Natalie says something about it feels like home. This is a treasured time to be here with her. Thank you, Lord, for this gift.
"Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, they joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King." Psalm 48:1-2
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