WE HAVE HAD A GOOD SUNDAY: CHURCH AND TOMBS

It is a good thing for me that I try to blog each week as even 7 days makes it hard to remember.  As far as guiding goes, it was a harder week as  fewer visitors.  The days go much faster when there is one group after another.  Two of my favorite groups this week were smaller ones.  I had 7 young men from Switzerland.  All were keen young believers    They were enthused about their faith.  I also had a group of Promise Keepers from Canada.  Their leader, Kirk is the president and he was a part of the group I had in Israel a year ago.  It was great to see him again and lead his tour in the Garden.  I have tried to convey that we get a huge variety in terms of reasons why people come and expressions of worship. 

Below is a group of Indonesians getting on costumes and spreading out banners and flags.  They had one that represented the Golden gate of Jerusalem and they marched

Indonesians
through to anticipate the coming of the Messiah.  Next thing they are wanting three of us as guides to march with them.  It was great to be a part of them.  I also had a young Muslim couple from Quebec.  They had lots of questions.  
Lat Sunday we went to the Old City . It was a great afternoon   We went to the roof of a place overlooking the Western Wall.  I have lots of good pictures but can only include a couple.

The lower one is looking through a glass frame of a model of the temple that would have stood where the Golden dome  is now.
Monday we were off to Bethlehem on a Palestinian bus.  It will only take you to the checkpoint,  Beyond is an area under Palestinian control  We were to be picked up by our pastor but he forgot.  Managed to phone and he sent someone else.  We toured around for the morning and then went to the Bethlehem Bible College for lunch.  They have an amazing campus.  A number of buildings including a very modern teaching center and dinning room.   The first picture is from the roof of the pastor that guided us.  He is in the picture below with Donna.  In the background of the view shot is Herodium, the man made fortress of Herod outside Bethlehem.

Above is the Palestinian side of the checkpoint.  The huge concrete wall must feel like a prison to so many. 
The pastor lives above the church and they were very gracious to us.  His church is called the House of Bread

And to the right you can see one of the towers that is part of the wall. 

To the left is the new building at Bethlehem Bible College.  

We had Monday and Tuesday off as our major weekend break.  Tuesday morning found us taking the light rail system to the Jerusalem Central bus station.  It is a great system.  Buses were leaving every 15 minutes for Tel Aviv.  About a 45 minute ride.  You arrive at a huge bus station.  It is 7 stories and buses arrive on 3 floors.  It is part of a 200,000 sq ft. facility.  We had not been there before and thought we could walk to the beach but found out it was too far.  So into sheroot number 4.  They are vans and function between a taxi and a bus.  We had a great day to be on the beach.  It was plus 27C.  We walked all the way along to Joppa.  Had lunch in a little cafe.  Then it was the long walk back.







You can see Donna above but you did not hear here shout a minute before as the wave came in over her shoes.
Signs are not easy to read in Hebrew.  This one below is sort of  in English.  Can you read "no bating"  is permitted.


                                                             
And above we are at Joppa.  We walked from  where the hotels are in the distance.

Donna asked why I took a picture like this of people a little on the heavy side in the water.  I know I would have been in trouble if I took a picture of some of the others that were swimming.

We wish you could meet some of the great people we get to work with.  Below is Matilda on the left and Miriam on the right.  A great contrast.  Matilda has been a believer for one year and has really grown.  She is raising a young son on her own after her husband left her.  She lives in the Old City as a part of the Palestinian Christian community.  Miriam is a Norwegan Israeli.  She is very much of the conviction that God has given all the land to the Jews and so it would be an offense to God to even negotiate with the Palestinians.  Yet here they are as two Christian sisters walking together at lunch in the Garden.


Below is a very special brother.  His name is Rami.  He works here as our gardener.  At the age of 20 he heard the Gospel on the streets of Bethlehem.  He has had 4 years of Bible School at Bethlehem Bible College.  He has no status in the Israel side of the country.  He can come to work here on a permit allowing him outside of Bethlehem from 5am until 10 pm.  He met his Palestinean |Israeli wife when she was giving out Bibles to Muslims in Bethlehem   They now have 3 kids.  In order to be with him, she has had to give up her Israeli citizenship and do the same for their children       They lose out on a better education and lots of other privileges   It would take much more time to explain  . He shows no bitterness.  When we have Muslims that come to the Garden, we point them out to Rami and he goes to talk with them and share the Gospel.  He speaks Arabic.  Understands English but does not speak it well enough to be able to guide here.  I am praying that one day there will be the means for him to work a bit less and have enough to get some more training in English.  He is one of the finest men I have met.  


After church this morning we went on a special tour of the property owned by the Dominicans.  They do not allow tours by the public and keep the site fairly private.  They have about 40 tombs.  It was very much a learning experience for us as we guide people to "our" tomb and talk about tombs lots of the times.   One of the tombs  in their property is only 7 feet from the one on our side.  They have a huge church that few attend as well as a school for archaeology and Biblical studies.

This week we have the privilege of having the Jutras in Jerusalem.  They are Fellowship missionaries in Poland.  They should pull  into Jerusalem at supper time on Tuesday.  We have switched some days off and it looks like I can guide them on Wed and Thur.  Also I think I have Friday morning free.  Then Sunday is a day off.  It saves them getting a guide here and allows us to serve them a wee bit.  You can be praying for them as they are touring right now in the north in a rented car.  They have the two children with them.  They have fed me at their table and I never expected to return the joy in Jerusalem

Blessings to all from gord and donna