Keepin' up with Karin

Since I've been gone...

2008-02-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

...or since I've been home...(depending on how you look at it)

The transition home has gone well so far. I have re-connected with several friends here, kept in touch with many friends there, and find myself (pretty much) settled in to my room here at home. The cat has finally forgiven me for leaving her all this time, so I am back in her good graces. I'd show you a picture, but....well...she's not so patient with the picture taking. The dog, of course, welcomed me home right away - and didn't care at all about pictures...

It is also fun to be back in my home church, although I am still experiencing a little bit of western-mega-church-reverse-culture shock. Whew - I wasn't expecting that....its funny the things that seem so different. And I wasn't even gone that long!

My Dad's cousin paid us a surprise visit - bringing us a home-cooked meal one night. It was great to see her - and to have her around on Valentine's Day. Here we are..

And this weekend, my sister and family came to visit. I haven't seen them since I left for Israel - so it was nice to spend some time together and get caught up. My nieces have grown SO much! Take a look.... :)

Since I have returned home, I have seen the countless reasons why my decision was a good one. There are so many unknowns right now, and so many ways I can help just by being here. Already, my dad can now commit to go back to work a little (he had taken leave as the result of my mom's last surgery), and I can help with caring for my grandmother (she is 94 and lives with us). Also, my mom's health is so volatile right now. Just this week, sharp chest pains sent her to the emergency room, where she ended up staying overnight so they could monitor her heart. The reports came back clean (amen!) and so now we continue with the radiation treatments for her head. You just never know what each day is going to bring...so I am glad to be here.

Dr. Pepper cake and Pizza

2008-02-10T02:03:00.000-08:00

I just love my friends. Several of the girls came over last night. Cyndi and Ruth made Dr. Pepper cake (yum!) and brought all the toppings to make pizzas. Aubrey made a ton of individual pizza doughs, and everyone got to express themself making their favorite combination. It was fun. I didn't take the camera out until several people had already left :(

I am always forgetting to document these things! But here are a few shots...

Shabbat Dinner

2008-02-10T01:27:00.001-08:00

One of the things I will miss the most are our Shabbat dinners! Every Friday night at our apartment we have dinner with all our friends. It is such a wonderful time together!

This Shabbat dinner was special, as it was my last one in this apartment. Also, some friends from SC who recently moved to Haifa were in town so they joined us - what a blessing!

A change in plans...

2008-02-10T00:56:00.000-08:00

I have been busy here in Jerusalem. I love my studies here, working on Hebrew, and traveling throughout the land. It has been great to spend some time here in between semesters, living off-campus and feeling more like an everyday resident. I truly love this place.

As thankful as I am for my time here, my plan to stay in Jerusalem until May has now changed. Due to a recent change in my mother’s health condition – I have decided to go home and be with family until further notice.

There is no way to predict how this will end. The doctor’s have given us the “3-6 months left” speech, but we have heard these words before. While on the one hand, we take it very seriously, on the other, we have seen miracles. Regardless, now is the time to be at home and with family. Whatever happens, we will be together. I could make a list of all the ways I see His hand in every detail as we navigate this difficult time, but I would be here all day! Praise Him that His promises are unwavering. Praise Him that He never abandons us. Praise Him that we can trust the end result will be to His glory.

Shalom!

Snowy Jerusalem!

2008-01-30T10:49:00.000-08:00

We were really excited this morning to wake up to snow falling in Jerusalem. We have been told it only happens every few years, so we are blessed it decided to fall while we are here. What fun!

It was quite a trek to school though. We aren't exactly equipped with the shoes and clothes for this kind of weather. I practically brought and entire change of clothes with me---and was so happy I did. The snow/slush was ankle deep in most places! And drivers here....lets just say they aren't used to snow....and they don't slow down - so often walkers get showered with walls of water when they go speeding past. Ugh.

It was all worth it though - to see snow in this beautiful city. Here are some pics!

Looking up towards Jaffa gate from school....

The Temple Mount...

The Western Wall... More of the Old City... Campus...

Meet Mr. Mouse

2008-01-22T10:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning we had a visitor. A large mouse came strolling down the hall as if he owned the place. He looked really well fed and not too worried about us. Hmmmm....not sure how I feel about that.

Anyhoo, Vernon caught the little guy without much trouble. We put him out by the dumpster---where there are plenty of good eats---if he can survive the competition. This country is swarming with stray cats. (I love cats, mind you - but these aren't the ones you can pet or play with. Ew.)

Of course we had to document the capture.

Hebrew, Hebrew and more Hebrew...

2008-01-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh......2008. It has started off well. Earlier this month, six of us began a three-week intensive Hebrew class. The classes are held in our apartment, which is great. It's four hours a day, plus homework...so in a way---its been like trying to drink from a firehose---but the teaching format is so great --- it is actually working! It's all in Hebrew (okay, 90%), which wears out my little brain (and causes many after-class naps) but I feel like I FINALLY have a basis to learn this language....both Biblical and modern. This is our last week of class. It's bittersweet...I couldn't keep up this pace much longer, but I want to keep building on what I have already learned! It's great that my roommates are all in the class, so we can practice things we have learned around the house. Here are some pics of us acting out some dialog from the book of Jonah.

Next week regular classes at JUC begin again. It will be fun to meet all the new students!. I also look forward to my classes this semester. Here's the plan:

Cultural Backgrounds of the Bible

Historical Geography of the Bible

History of the Church in the East

Jewish Thought and Practice

Political and Social Setting in the Modern Middle East

I am also (ambitiously) thinking I can continue in a Hebrew class two nights a week...we'll see. :)

When we aren't working on Hebrew, my roommates and I have spent our time cooking, hosting Shabbat dinners on Friday nights (what fun!) and learning our way around the neighborhood (best places to shop, etc). Groceries here are EXPENSIVE, and we have found that our best bet is the Shouk (a.k.a. crazy Middle Eastern outdoor market). Its about a 45 minute walk, but sometimes we get lucky and get a ride with someone. It is truly an experience to shop there. It can be SO crowded (especially just before Shabbat), noisy, and hard to navigate. And with the language barrier....well....let's just say things can be 2 to 3 times more expensive if you can't speak Hebrew...know what I mean??? Here are some pics...(they don't quite do it justice-its too hard to take pics on a crowded day--but you get the idea).

When I actually start thinking about the way we live here...all the crazy appliances, little or no heat, waiting for hot water to shower, shopping at the shouk, walking everywhere we go...wow----It's crazy the things that have become normal to me. Reminds me of how much my life has changed this past year. What a blessing to have this experience!

Christmas in Jerusalem

2007-12-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

So it is weird this year - being away from home and family ---- can you believe I made it 36 years without ever being away at Christmas? I guess it was bound to happen eventually. :)

If I couldn't be home, I guess I had the next best thing - a great day in a wonderful community of friends in Jerusalem!

These are my friends, Ben and Stacie. They have graciously let me stay with them for about ten days while we needed to be out of our apartment (long story). How do you like our "tree"? Several local olive trees made a 'donation' and voila! A Christmas tree. We like it.

We had a big midday meal at our neighbors house...

Reading the Christmas story...
Meet Vernon and Aubrey....my roommates for next semester. And Anna too, but she isn't back from the U.S. yet.

Jana and me...fellow CIUers.

Can you call it Christmas without having a large, paper mache lily to sit on? I don't know....except to say that its the best white elephant gift I have ever seen.

The boys had a pudding eating contest...

The aftermath....

That's all for now....Merry Christmas everyone!! :)

Santa's Ghetto

2007-12-26T02:40:00.000-08:00

Luke 2:15 says:

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So a group of us decided to be like shepherds, and walk to Bethlehem. It was Christmas Eve, not Christmas day, but never mind.

Cue the sheep....

As we crossed the checkpoint into Bethlehem, which is part of the West Bank today, we wondered to what extent our experience paralleled that of 1st century travelers en route to their hometowns during the census issued by Caesar Augustus. We had to walk through a checkpoint, which is basically soldiers at a post, checking IDs. We had to consider our safety - not to a large degree - but enough to realize we were in a politcally tense environment. Anyway, just some thoughts....here we are approaching the checkpoint.

Once inside, we walked for a distance along The Wall. You will hear it called the Security Fence, the Separation Wall - all kinds of things - depending on your political slant. Basically, its the controversial wall that is being constructed between Israel and the West Bank. Here is a piece of it...

As you can see, its covered with graffiti. During the Christmas Season, some additional artwork was added as part of a traveling exhibition called Santa's Ghetto. Here are some more pics of things we found on the wall, as well as artwork from the show.

As you can see, it was quite an interesting day in the town where Yeshua was born. Even in the main tourist spot - Manger Square - there was an odd sense of things. It was really crowded, and people were singing carols, and there was Christmas stuff to buy- but but was kind of a 'fake Christmas' feeling, compounded by the HEAVY security in the streets, snipers on rooftops, etc.

And here we are, in the midst of the madness!

Tel Qazir

2007-12-26T02:14:00.000-08:00

Lucky me! I have been able to visit Tel Qazir twice now since school let out! Tel Qazir is the kibbutz in Galilee where I lived in the Summer of 2006, so it was great to go back and visit friends. On my last trip, Elizabeth, my teammate from that summer, was also visiting. What a fun reunion. Here are a few pics...

Israel and me...

Elizabeth, Etti and me.

And our precious friends, Tamar and her daughter, Imbal.

We saw many others too, but I failed to take more pics. :( Maybe on my next visit!

Nazareth

2007-12-26T01:06:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from a trip to Nazareth I took earlier this month. Of course, the big draw is the Church of the Annunciation. Its too big to get a complete picture of it, but here is the entrance...

All around the outside "courtyard" of the church, and also inside, there are depictions of Mary from artists representing countries all over the world. Some of them were really cool. Here is the one from the US, which was a bit flashy and over the top - Imagine that? :)

We also went to Nazareth Village, which is a reconstructed 1st century village. They have tried to make things as authentic as possible, so you get the best glimpse into the life at the time of Yeshua. Pretty cool.

The tekton, or master craftsman...

Terraced farmland...
The olive press. It was actually olive harvest time, so the press was in use! See the olive gunk on the wheel?The weaver...

Me...demostrating my amazing thread-spinning skills. :)

Plowing the ground for wheat...

A threshing sledge, which will be used in the spring when the wheat is harvested. A donkey pulls the sledge, and the small stones in the bottom of the board are enough to crush the wheat.

The synagogue...

And of course, one cute little donkey.

Jordan Field Study

2007-12-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

It's interesting - Today the Jordan Valley is a border, but in Biblical times the land on either side of the Jordan was considered part of the same region. The tribes of Israel lived on both sides and people crossed back and forth all the time. It was interesting to see how -in so many ways -the land is the same, but today it is viewed so separately.

We stayed in Amman two nights of our trip. Amman is the both the modern day capital of Jordan, as well as the site of the ancient capital of Ammon, (Rabbah).

Here is a picture of the city today...

And remains of the ancient capital, Rabbah.

Here I am at Pella. Pella was one of the cities of the Decapolis, and the sister city to Beth Shean, which can be seen in the distance, across the valley behind me - but in Isreal!

One of my favorite spots was Gadera. Some believe it is the site for the pig drowning story from the Gospels, but never mind. Clearly this would be a long way for the pigs to go! Regardless, what a beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee from here! Do you see what I mean about the region being united?? I had to keep reminding myself that I was in another country, looking down into Israel from here. Even more exciting, I could actually see Tel Katzir from here - the kibbutz where I lived last summer. I can't wait to go and visit there during the break!

Here I am with my friend Ruth...

We made a stop at Ramoth-Gilead. Nothing much to see here today, except the Bedouin camp next door. How cool to see a sheep fold. Our teacher was talking about the Old Testament the whole time we were here (this is where king Ahab fell to the Syrians), but I was so distracted by the sheepfold - all I had was New Testament imagery in my head!

On the Dome of Gilead, another Decapolis city - Gerasa.

More of Gerasa - with the modern city in the background..

And of course, the highlight of the trip ---- PETRA. What a fabulous site. You walk into it through what is called the Siq (seek), which is a deep, slot canyon. You walk in it for about a mile, and then you see this....

Which opens up to see this - the "Treasury". Petra is an entire city of Nabatean tombs - a necropolis, if you will. :) One of the larger and most well known tomb is called the Treasury, because it was once believed it was full of loot. Instead, it was just a tomb, but the name stuck. It is most well-preserved, as its location in the canyon better protects it from wind-erosion.

This whole region is red sandstone, and in some places you can find some amazing color!

The other well-known tomb at Petra is called the 'Monastery'. The walk is over 900 steps to get up to it, which may not sound too bad, but we had already walked around the whole site and 600 steps up the 'high place' in another spot. So I really wanted to see the Monastery - but my feet and legs were not happy about it. So we reached an agreement - take a donkey up, and walk down.

So here I am. My donkey's name was Michael Jackson. Good donkey...

Donkey cam...

Victory!! We were delivered safely (we had our moments of doubt) to the top! Here is the "Monastery" ...

...A.K.A. The Top of the World....because that is how I felt from up here, looking down into the Rift Valley. I can't tell you how much I LOVED this day!! :)

And then ----Our last stop....of our last day....of our last field study. How fitting that the location would be Mt. Nebo, the mountain where God showed Moses all the land He promised to the Israelites.

Deuteronomy 34:1-4

1 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land—

from Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.

4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."

After all we have learned this semester, we could virtually stand there as the passage was read aloud, and point in the direction of each of these places as they were listed. It still gives me chills to think about ---all these years later we can stand here ----and, for the most part, see what Moses would have seen. Then to remember that he died here and never entered the land that he was shown! As a perfect ending to our time, we left here, got on the bus, and descended into the valley, entering into "The Promise Land" via Jericho, just as the Isrealites would have, led by Joshua. Fantastic.

I love this land. It takes my breath away.

Galilee Field Study

2007-11-06T22:17:00.000-08:00

Our field study was to Galilee this time! It was so much fun. First stop, Caesarea. This was a small fishing village called Stratos Tower until Herod the Great came along and forced an unnatural port here. It was an amazing feat building here – and it included some new technology (underwater cement!) to make it work. Today we can see the remains of his palace here, the theatre and hippodrome, and aqueduct. Also, the remains of a Crusader fort from later in history are here. It’s beautiful here….right on the coast of the Mediterranean. Today the surrounding area is an upscale neighborhood---and for all you golfers, the only golf course in Israel is here.

Here is the site….

Me and the site….

Walking in the top of the aqueduct….

I still can’t get over what fun field studies are….I mean, who gets to sit looking out from Mt. Carmel, learning about the land and revisiting the story of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal?? We do!

Here is our fearless leader, Dr. Wright, captured amidst one of his famous teaching poses. This time we are on the Nazareth ridge, with the Jezreel Valley down below.

Sometimes craziness goes on…it’s a good thing.

And sometimes you get to take AMAZING hikes in beautiful places….like Mt. Arbel, looking down on the Sea of Galilee.

Would an American park service allow trails like this?

And sometimes….class involves swimming in beautiful places! How spoiled are we??

On a more serious note….graven images in synagogues??? I have gained a whole new perspective on the term “Galilee of the Gentiles”.

Only one field study left - JORDAN!!

Shephelah/Negev/Dead Sea Field Study

2007-10-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

I’m a little slow getting an update posted this week. It’s been hard because I have so much to share. I can figure out where to start, but not where to stop! I have resolved to only include the basics of this last field study – which is painful for me, but better than nothing!

This was a 3-day field study, to the lowlands (the Shephelah), the Negev and the Dead Sea. We started our journey just west of Jerusalem in the Sorek Valley. Before modern invention, it was a place that was not easily accessible due to the steep rugged hills and the narrow v-shaped valleys that are here (no natural routes). But in Solomon’s day, when life was pretty comfortable (I Kings 4: 15…every man had his own vine and fig tree) this was a good place to live. The park authority has tried to recreate some sense of this here, so we hiked down into the valley to take a look.

The fantastic thing about our field studies is that you are sure to encounter a sight that conjures up imagery from Scripture. I call this my “Balaam picture” (Num 22). Can you just see him going through a pass just like this?

Okay – I could show you a million sites, but that would require a million pictures and even more information, so I will leave it at this – we visited the remains of many important Biblical sites this weekend. I am including this picture of Beer Sheva, mostly because there has been so much reconstruction here, so you can really get a feel for what the town would have been like. Enjoy….

One other site I really enjoyed was Azekah. From here you could look down into the Elah Valley, where the infamous story of the battle of David and Goliath took place. Where exactly in the valley? We aren’t sure – but you can get the lay of the land. So have a look – and use your imagination…We also went to En Gedi, where there are springs coming out to the west of the Dead Sea south of Qumran. It is also a beautiful spot, remembered as the place David hid in caves from Saul (and wrote several Psalms here). Here is one of the waterfalls…

A bonus at the end of one our days was some beach time! We visited Ashkelon, which is right on the Mediterranean. After seeing the site, we were here long enough to watch the sun set.

We took some AMAZING hikes on this trip. As we moved south, the wilderness was more and more overwhelming. We stopped for several hours and hiked in the “Wilderness of Zin” (Num 20:1). It was so beautiful….

...ever been cautioned for the upcoming abyss?? It would be great if I could get warnings like this when I am dangerously close to “abysses” in life!

Sparing you the geological details, another phenomenon in the south are 3 large erosion craters found atop 3 ridges in the Greater Negev. We visited the largest one – Makhtesh Ramon. It is the largest erosion crater on earth, about 10 miles long, and quite amazing.

Sitting on the edge of it felt like sitting on the edge of the world.

Even the Ibex like the view. :)

Samaria Field Study

2007-10-04T12:45:00.001-07:00

You must be tired of hearing me say it - but we had ANOTHER great field study this week. We went to Samaria, which I have never been to before, so it was very exciting. It's one of those places you can't just go...you need someone to be willing to host you to get beyond certain boundaries, and there are other boundaries that you wisely choose not to even cross. We have only experienced a glimpse of the realities of this land today. But after a week of negotiation, our Prof. was able to get permission to visit all the places we wanted.

Our first stop was the community of Elon Moreh (Oak of Moreh). This place remembers where Abram first received the Promise from God (Gen 12:6). After 1967, when the land was returned to the Jews, there was an interest in moving back to central cities of historical importance, like Shechem. (Elon Moreh overlooks Shechem). So today Elon Moreh is home to about 300 Jewish families. Our host, Pinchas, took us to the top of the hill here where you could look across to Mt. Gerazim and Mt. Ebal, and look down into the valley to Shechem.

Shechem, which is called Nablus today, is a West Bank territory. We did not go into town, so we were unable to visit the church there that was built over Jacob's Well (Jn 4:6). But we did go to the top of Mt. Gerazim! From here we were able to look down on everything. And the coolest thing? We stood on Mt. Gerazim and shouted out the blessings from Deut. 28! How cool is that? Several of us each picked a verse to memorize, and then we shouted them out in order. It was SO cool. If we only had another group on the other side of the valley...they could have shouted the curses from Mt Ebal. Seriously - it was the highlight of my day.

Mt. Gerazim and Mt. Ebal facing each other, with Shechem in the valley between.

Atop Mt. Gerazim.

Amidst our "Gerazim moment", we did realize the modern reality of this place. Looking down into the valley, you could look north and see the ancient remains of Shechem. Then a little further south, the church remembering Jesus' and the Samaritan woman, and then right across the street going south, a dense, ghetto looking, square mile of dwellings. It was a Palestinian refugee camp. Your basic Hamas breeding ground. Frightening. In fact, Dr. Wright said the last time he had a group on Mt. Gerazim, during the entire lecture there was a gunfight going on in the valley below between these people and the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). And that's where we sat and ate lunch - looking down on the refugee camp. The strangness of it all....

The ancient remains of Shechem.

The refugee camp

And then....we went to meet the Samaritan priest. It's true. They do exist. I didn't know. But there are about 600 Samaritans today - half live on Mt. Gerazim and the other half in Tel-Aviv. They aren't Jewish, they aren't Muslim, and they aren't Christian. They speak Arabic, but their Bible is written in a type of ancient Hebrew. They have enough of their Israelite identity to hold onto Moses, but their Bible is only the Pentateuch. All of their theological understanding is Pentateuch based - yet they still await the Messiah, which is not a prevalent theme in the Pentateuch. Not sure how that works...Anyway, to them, Mt. Gerazim is the most important place in the world. As a matter of fact, according to their beliefs, this is where just about everything significant happened. For example:

Where was the Garden of Eden? Mt. Gerazim.
So of course - Adam was created from the dust of Mt. Gerazim
Where did Noah’s ark land? Mt. Gerazim
Where was the binding of Isaac? Mt. Gerazim, of course.
And when Jacob went to the house of God (Beth-el), clearly that was here
And when Joshua crossed the river and erected 12 stones, it was here
And when the Tabernacle was brought into this land, where did Joshua put it? Mt. Gerazim! Where else?

The Samaritan priest

And if it couldn't get anymore interesting.....guess who still does animal sacrifices? It's true. On Passover, they sacrifice animals. And if you want to come and watch the ceremony, you're invited. Here is the altar:

Needless to say, I am learning so much about all the people groups here, and all the stories behind where people live and why.

The adventure continues!

Succot

2007-09-28T03:42:00.000-07:00

Succot started Wednesday at sundown. Succot is also called the Feast of Booths, or the Feast of Tabernacles, and it is reminiscent of the years spent the Israelites spent in the wilderness, living in booths and being provided for by God. (Leviticus 23:33-43) It has been pretty neat to walk around and see all the soccot (booths) being built for use during this week long holiday. The tops are traditionally covered with branches (four particular species), but with enough openings that one can see the sky. There are varying levels of practice this week, the most extreme being sleeping, eating, and basically living in your succah for the week. Others simply have meals here, or gather with family here, or whatever. It is also a time for pilgimage to Jerusalem, so LOTS of people are in town.

Here is a picture of the succah we built on campus. Some of the undergrads have been sleeping in it. What fun!

Field Study - Benjamin

2007-09-28T02:13:00.000-07:00

Another all-day field study! 12 hours this time. And LOTS of hiking. It was awesome. :) This time we were studying the region of Benjamin.

First, a short story...as you can imagine, in Jerusalem, there are TONS of tour groups. Many identify themselves with matching hats, shirts, scarves - something....and our teacher has made some cracks about it. So as a joke, one of the students here decided to have t-shirts made for our field study. So as Dr. Wright was leading us down into the Wadi Qilt, we all uncovered our THE WRIGHT WAY TOURS shirts. Imagine his surprise when he turned around! It was really funny. Here were are....

My favorite part of this day was hiking through the Wadi Qilt to Jericho. It was so amazing. Who wouldn't want to come here to study - if only for this! The word "wilderness" takes on a whole new meaning....

These pictures hardly do it justice, but this is what the hike was like...

This is St. Georges Monastery, which we passed on the way. How cool is that?

...and you never know what (or who!) is around the next corner... :)

But oh joy! Imagine what it would have been like for weary travelers to finally look out and see the oasis of Jericho in the distance!

We ended the day at Gezer. Looking out on the Aijalon Valley - and Behold! The moon! We couldn't help remembering the words of Joshua:

"Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon"

And the sun stopped, and the moon stopped,

until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

(Joshua 10:12-13)

And if the day couldn't get any better....just as we were walking back down to the bus, I got the call - the sale of my house was completed! Settlement went as planned, thanks to my dad and all his diligent work in my absence. Praise God for this wonderful news! Thanks to all who have been praying about this!

Yom Kippur

2007-09-26T02:17:00.000-07:00

Excessive honking of horns and a steady flow of traffic is the norm here in Jerusalem, so it was incredible on Yom Kippur to experience the city in silence. (okay, not counting the Muslim Quarter, but still....)

There were no cars on the streets except police (unfortunately, it is also a day of high alert since the Yom Kippur War in 1973). It is truly amazing. Imagine if DC shut down for the day?

Empty streets...

The place to be was the Kotel (Western Wall). And the color to wear was white (symbolizing purity). Here is a group on their way to the Old City...

The Kotel (Western Wall) on Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, the most solemn of the Jewish Holidays. Observances include fasting, praying and repentence of sins. (read Leviticus 16 for its origins)

Roommate

2007-09-26T02:09:00.000-07:00

I finally got a picture of my roommate and I - Everyone, meet Kendra. :)

Temple Mount

2007-09-20T23:17:00.000-07:00

Made a short trip to the Temple Mount after breakfast yesterday. Here are just a couple pics.

The Dome of the Rock...and me....in a skirt. I know. It's freaky. But its so hot during the day, and you can't wear shorts in the Old City (modesty kit needed!). So there you have it - either you sweat in pants or you wear a skirt. I own three of them now.

It's Ramadan - so there were lots of prayer rugs scattered around, but very few people this early in the morning. This guy must have wanted to claim a shady spot. :)

Field Study 2

2007-09-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

Another 11 hour field study! Fun, but exhausting! This time it was actually a bus trip, so there were intermittent periods of comfortable seats and air conditioning. :)

Many sites we go to require "'modesty kits" (i.e. respectful dress). The basic guidelines are that your shoulders and knees should be covered. So no tank tops and shorts. Most of the guys get away with long shorts, but not today. Three of them were asked to cover up - or leave! - at a church site on the Mt. of Olives. But they managed to round up some scarves and got to stay. Of course we had to document the guys in their "skirts".

We also went to one of Herod's palaces outside Jerusalem (Herodian). The bus took us about halfway up, and then we climbed the rest. Great views from the top!

Our teacher, Paul Wright (a.k.a. P-Dub), is amazing. We are definitely blessed to be learning from him! Not only is he super-smart, but he has a great sense of humor. Here we are, on the side of Herodian, beside a recent archeological dig that may have discovered Herod's tomb. Closed to the public, of course (hence the chained gate!), but silly them - leaving a gap in the gate big enough for people to fit through. The whole class in fact!

We also went to Bethlehem today. It was my first time visiting here. It was a little weird, being such a "Christian" place, yet primarily Muslim today. And the absence of Jews was so noticable!

We also got to see the Separation Wall, up close and personal, covered with grafitti and political statements. But it was from the bus so I couldn't get any good pics.

I really want to go back and spend some time here. Some of the other students are more familiar with the area, as they have their Arabic classses here or volunteer here.

Our brief stop here was mostly to visit the Church of the Nativity. Here are some pics. You have to stoop to get through the door (humble yourself?).

I loved the stained glass!

The interior of the church.

And, of course, the traditonal spot remembered as the place that Jesus was born.

Views from Above

2007-09-16T02:49:00.001-07:00

One of the funnest things in the Old City is to find places where you can get up high to look around. I am starting to be able to orient myself using the horizon line, so it is fun to test your knowledge from the rooftops!

Here is a pic from the top of the Austrian Hospice in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City - me and my friend Ruth!

Field Study 1

2007-09-16T02:10:00.000-07:00

We had our first 11 hour field study last Sunday. It was really cool. And there is nothing like learning how hilly this place is until you have had to walk them all first-hand. Whew!

Highlights of the day were the City of David....

Hezekiah's Tunnel! So cool. 533 meters of tunnel through stone, about shoulder width, with water about up to your knees. In a few places you have to bend down to fit through (Dr. Beyer will be glad to hear I made it through without hitting my head!). If you turn off you flashlight, you understand the true meaning of pitch black. Just look behind me in this picture!

Here we are exiting the tunnel, in a place once thought to be the pool of Siloam. The true Pool of Siloam has been found in recent years, nearby, along with a street of shops that would have run all the way up to the Temple Mount area. Very exciting!

Here is the excavation of the true Pool of Siloam.

Black Eyed Peas

2007-09-16T02:03:00.000-07:00

Okay...so...there is an amphitheater in the Hinnom Valley just below our campus called "Sultan's Pool". To our surprise, The Black Eyes Peas played there the other night. From the roof we had a decent view, and from ANYWHERE on campus you could hear every note (whether you wanted to or not!). So we got a little free concert action. We wonder who else might be playing there this year. Could be fun. Here is a pic of the spot, taken earlier in the day, sans audience. Not a great picture, but it gives you an idea of proximity. This was taken from the road out front of campus.

Ramparts Walk

2007-09-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, me and some friends took the walk along the top of the Old City walls - the ramparts walk. It was pretty cool, because looking one way you could see down into the Old City, but then as you circled around you had excellent views outside the walls into the New City. It's always good to get up high and get a good look around!

This is walking along the top of the wall towards the Damascus Gate.

A view over the wall into the New City.

Looking out to Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of all nations.

And of course, there's lots of fig trees here...

A Visit with Hope...and other stuff.

2007-09-06T23:50:00.000-07:00

As some of you already know, Hope (Amy's sister) just moved to Israel too! - to be a nanny for a family just outside of Jerusalem. So she came into town on Tuesday and we got to hang out. I know my way around a little, and she knows her Hebrew A LOT better than me, so we made a good team. This picture is from a rooftop (I am loving the rooftops here!) at the intersection of the 4 quarters of the Old City. You can see the dome from the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount behind us.

In our pursuit of cityscape views, we braved the 175 steps to the top of the Lutheran Redeemer Church in the Christian Quarter. It was well worth the trip (but boy am I out of shape!), as the pictures will tell....

Looking east you can see the Temple Mount and the Mt. of Olives in the background...

Looking north you can see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter....I could a million pics, but these are the highlights.

Enjoy!

Other stuff....

...at school we had photo scavenger hunt in the Old City. It was fun way to get to know some people and start learning your way around town. Our team won (go Team 5!) as a result of one picture that was worth the most points - holding an Israeli soldiers gun...which by the way is against the law! But we found a soldier willing to let us hold it WITH him...so we got credit for trying! We owe it all to our teammate, Scott, who was brave enough to ask.

Here are few other pics...wearing a kafiye, sharing a falafel, forming a pyramid outside Jaffa Gate...fun stuff!

Jerusalem University College (JUC)

2007-08-31T05:19:00.000-07:00

I arrived on campus early this morning and have spent most of the day getting unpacked and organized. The campus is a beautiful limestone building that is literally just outside the city walls. The campus is super-cool. There is a garden courtyard in the back, there are dorm room scattered randomly around. Nothing cookie-cutter about this place. Every room is different. I have much exploring to do. :)

The grad women are in the "rooftop rooms" which are at the top of the administrative building. Lots and lots of steps (oy!). This pic is just one of the stairways. But it's pretty cool because my room has a high ceiling, and outside my door is the entrance to the roof with a beautiful view of the city! Can you believe I live here??

On the way up to my room I pass through an inner courtyard where the women's bathroom/shower is...two flights down from my room!

My roommate hasn't arrived yet, but I have been told that she is returning, 2nd year student. I look forward to meeting her later today.

Tomorrow orientation starts. I will get to meet everyone, register for classes, and I am sure learn a lot about how they run things. Right now I am ready for a nap. This jet lag thing is kicking my butt. I can't imagine just arriving here today. According to the schedule they will be keeping us pretty busy the next two days!

The Journey to Jerusalem

2007-08-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

The flight: well...I got the aisle seat I wanted - and no neighbors....but the two taped off seats beside me were suspect. hmmm...(never did find out why), and their lack of seat cushions hindered me from stretching out. All the same, my flight was quite enjoyable....I owe it all to my new friend and favorite-est flight attendant ever: Senoga!

I was fortunate enough to be seated right beside Senoga's station/kitchen...whatever you call it! :)

He SPOILED me rotten with complimentary champagne, a true meal (with actual plates and silverware), fresh fruit and even a goodie bag (footies and an eye mask) for the sleeping portion of the trip - all "imported" from the alien world of first class. What a charmer! Needless to say, I enjoyed the "princess" seat, as he called it, and had a wonderful flight because of him.

Sitting behind me was another fellow adventurer. Everyone, meet Steele Johnson - future chef extraodinaire!

Steele is also studying abroad for a year. He was headed to Florence, Italy to study the culinary arts! WHAT FUN!! Maybe we will get to eat at one of his restaurants one day...

After my second (and much less exciting) flight, I was so grateful for my safe arrival in Tel Aviv. Even more thankful when I saw my luggage coming towards me at the baggage claim! After about an hour shuttle ride to the Old City, I arrived at my temporary accomodations. I can't check in at school until Sat, so I am spending two nights at the Christ Church Guest House. It is "the first Protestant church in the region, ... built in 1849." (so sayeth the brochure). The location is awseome - just inside the Jaffa Gate, in an area that I am semi-familiar with from my previous visits. So today I think I will just wander around a little, maybe go find the school (its nearby - just outside the Old City), check things out. And of course, Dr. Beyer suggested a few places to go and people to meet. :) It's very exciting! I am so glad to have this downtime before school starts!

A Wedding! (and a County Fair)

2007-08-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

It was so fun seeing my friends Bekah and Eric get married this weekend! We all started CIU at the same time (Fall 2005) and they met and started dating almost right way. Two years later - and now look at them! The beautiful bride and the handsome groom.

It was also a blessing to see some of CIU friends one last time before I leave for Israel. (This time next week I will be on a plane!) I was a little envious they were all reuniting on campus this week. I will miss everyone this year.

Good news - the wedding wasn't the only attraction in Newport, TN that day - there was also the Cocke County Fair! Yahoo! So post-wedding, several of us had our fill of funnel cake, people-watching, and of course, games!

We spotted a stuffed giraffe that needed saving at one of the game booths. It seemed like an appropriate gift for the bride. We decided that it must be won in her absence! Sara was up to the challenge. She went fishing and caught three, winning the giraffe's freedom! In memory of how he was rescued (and because of his new family name) he was appropriately dubbed "Fish". He will be waiting for the Fisher's (or maybe for the dog, Cooper) when they return from their honeymoon. Good work, Sara!

OBX, NC

2007-08-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! I am about halfway thru my most recent road trip. I am currently in NC with my sister's family, again at the beach [poor me! :)] They come to Duck every year, but this year they got a house on the Sound side instead of the Beach side. We have a great view, especially at sunset. I am blessed to spend time with my beautiful nieces - these are the things I will miss while I am away....how will I last 9 months without seeing them???

The dock has allowed them to go fishing/crabbing every morning, which they have really enjoyed. One bucket of crabs had an escapee that ended up in the pool. We ended up setting him free (he wasn't looking so good), but the next day's catch made a fine lunch for those who like crab!

This afternoon the girls put on a "dance show" for us. So cute. Jillian just wants to do anything and everything that her big sister Zoe does. They are adorable.

Of course we have also had a great time on the beach. This is the first year they have both been willing to go out in the water.

Not their best picture, but the only one I had of them together!

Gotta Keep Up - Family Business

2007-08-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law (Blake) has a brother (Joel) who recently quit his job to launch his own company. It's an online service called "Gotta Keep Up" that helps with organization . There are so many of us faced with the challenges of tracking birthdays, doctor's appts, regular home maintenance items, etc. His service allows you to enter in all your needs, track your tasks and receive reminders for all of them, as well as offering links to vendors for the services you might require.

Starting Tues (Aug 21st) his site will be live (http://www.gottakeepup.com/), so if any of you are interested, try it out. He would love to get feedback, and its free.

Myrtle Beach, SC

2007-08-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Family and the beach...what a great combination! I just spent a lovely week with some family I don't get to see very often. My Great Aunt Gaynell goes to Myrtle Beach every year in August, and she is always so generous to invite us to join her if we can. It's been several years since I have been able to make it, so I was really excited!

It always promises to be such a relaxing week, lounging on the deck or in the pool, watching the waves, and of course eating some AMAZING home-cooking. I could describe it in detail, but you would just be jealous. :) On top of all the good company, food and fabulous weather, I was able to read three books for pleasure. Any other students out there? I know you can relate.

Harper's Ferry, WV

2007-08-15T14:12:00.001-07:00

Another day trip. This time to visit some friends who moved to WV when they got married several years ago. They live near Charlestown Race Track (which I have yet to check out) and also Harper's Ferry. I can remember taking some school field trip or something to Harper's Ferry as a kid, but I have never been back since so we decided to make a day of it.

Okay - All my friends with history backgrounds, stop reading now - before you are both embarassed and ashamed of my shoddy explanation of the town's significance. Basically it was best known for "John Brown's Raid" on the arsenal there. John Brown was an abolitionist who wanted to arm his cause and start an uprising against slavery. Then a bunch of stuff happened there over the course of the Civil War. It was originally part of VA until after the Civil War and WVA came to be. And that's all I have to say about that....

...except that it is really beautiful there, and the town with all its original buildings is super-quaint. It was a fun day trip. I'd like to go back again when there is time to also go tubing on the river!

Day Trips

2007-08-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

If you are from the the N. VA area then you know how expensive it is to live here. This has led several of my friends to move west once they married and were ready to buy a home. Therefore, in my efforts to visit as many friends and family as possible before I leave, several day trips have been required.

One trip was to visit some friends who just had their first baby! How exciting! His name is John Matthew, after his father, and he is as cute as can be (aren't all babies?). He was only two weeks old when I saw him and he has a FULL head of dark hair.
....and I am telling you all this because....in all the excitement I didn't take a single picture! geez. I can't believe what a horrible friend I am. So I will have to brag without pics for now and ask for forgiveness later. Congrats Susan and John!

Luray, VA

2007-08-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

Okay....clearly I haven't gotten the hang of this blog business....it's been a month since I have posted anything - and I have done so much!! Time to catch everyone up...

I went to Luray several weeks ago to visit some dear friends of mine. They have recently built a beautiful new home on a fabulous piece of land. It was so great to see them, catch up on their lives, and see how much their boys have grown! "Captain" Jack is a full-blown Pirates of the Caribbean fan, and "Speed Racer" Chet is bound for the racetrack one day.

Luray is such a beautiful place. I recommend a visit to any of you who get the chance. Most people are drawn
to visit Luray Caverns, but I can tell you there is so much more to do. I spent many a summer canoeing and camping here.

It has taken me two years to get back since my last visit - let's hope its not as long for the next one!

Here is a Morris' family photo....for more pics see my photo album...

NYC

2007-07-15T11:47:00.001-07:00

After visiting with my friend in NJ for a few days,
I took the train into NYC and met my mom and sister. We have a new tradition (2nd year running) of having a mom/daughter weekend as part of my mother's b-day gift. We planned it early this year because I will be gone in the Fall. Anyhoo, we were total tourists - sneakers, cameras - the whole bit - all the way down to our fabulous hotel room with a view of Times Square.

We didn't make it to a show (Wicked was on my wish list, but I didn't have an extra gazillion dollars for a last minute ticket). But we shopped, ate at fun restaurants, and went to dinner one night with two of my cousins who live in NYC. It was great to get caught up.

Ground Zero is basically a huge construction zone, but we were thankful for the small memorial museum that was there. It was like re-living that day all over again. This wall of pictures was the hardest for me. So many people lost...I wanted to look at each one of their faces. I could have stood there for hours. When you see that big empty whole in the ground, its hard to imagine the tremendous buildings that once stood there and the tragic events of that day.

DC Day

2007-07-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

When you live so close to a great city, you tend not to appreciate it as much (or visit it as much) as you could - - but once you have been away, you bappreciate it more. So my first weekend home I just had to spend the day downtown....

We went to an exhibit called "Bodies". It was so cool. They were all real human bodies - the organs, muscles and tissues preserved by some kind of polymer treatment. It was fascinating to see God's handiwork up close. I was reminded of Psalm 139...we are fearfully and wonderfully made. I don't know how anyone could go through that whole exhibit and still question the existence of God. Amazing. (The only thing that kind of creeped me out was the display of the complete [empty] skin of a human!)

One of my favorite "people-watching" spots is on the river in Georgetown. It was such a beautiful day, we sat outside and enjoyed the view - shoppers, boaters, etc...that's the Kennedy Center in the background...

Later that night my friend Christie treated me to a new restaurant she likes - one of her favorite chefs. (I'd tell you the name if I remembered!) But it was great food, and a wonderful end to a wonderful day.

Ahhh...Virginia

2007-07-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

Green grass, rolling hills....what's not to like? We have the mountains the ocean, and all four seasons. Can you tell I am glad to be back? :)

I had a wonderful 4th of July, spent at a place called Great Meadow, which is just west of the suburban madness I like to call home.

The all-day event was complete with an air show, polo match, live music and of course, a fireworks display. It was great to spend the day with, Christie, one of my closest friends, and her family (who were gracious enough to include me in their family event). I was completely spoiled, as they had reserved a special rail-side spot where we could set up a tent and have our own picnic area. What fun!

Check my photo album for more pics! Happy 4th everyone!

SC Summer Storm

2007-07-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

Sara and I had the pleasure of watching an

amazing lightning storm - from lawn chairs in

my driveway on one of my last few nights in SC. It was quite a show! Unfortunately, the pictures just don't capture it....but this one turned out pretty good - thanks to Sara's perseverance!

Farewell to Summer Side Circle

2007-06-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

What a cute house! Who's in the market?? :o)

Yes - the time has come. I am selling my house!
It has been such a great home for the past two years, but its time to move on.

This has been my favorite home by far. Many celebrations have taken place here, and many friendships forged. What a blessing that I was provided such a wonderful place to live. I hope whoever buys my house will experience the same joy!

I have had to say a lot of "goodbyes" this week. Many of my friends will not be in Columbia when I return. It is bittersweet - I will miss them all, but I am super-excited about God's plan for each of them. New marriages, new mission fields, final classes to take....I can't wait to hear all their stories!

Time to get back to the business at hand - wading through this sea of boxes to find what else needs to be packed up. Next week I will returning to VA to visit with family and friends for a few months. Shalom to all!

New Smyrna Beach, FL

2007-06-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

This picture pretty much sums up my week at the beach. It has been so nice to just sit still, read for pleasure and spend time with good friends. I am thankful for this downtime after a tough semester.
Tomorrow we return to SC, where my hectic life awaits. I have a week to finish packing before the movers come. I am still desperately trying to sell my house, but I have decided to put my stuff in storage and head home to VA for the rest of the summer. I want to spend time with friends and family.

For those of you who don't know, I leave at the end of August to study abroad for a year in Jerusalem. It is a very exciting time for me. I look forward to sharing the details as they unfold...

Welcome!

2007-06-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my good friend Sara, I now have a blog! :) I look forward to sharing all my adventures this summer - and also during this next school year in Israel. Stay posted!