ALMOST TWO WEEKS IN THE LAND

This is my second try on the blog tonight.  I had the last one half done and something went wrong

and I lost it all.  I had mentioned a new word for some of you. 

 It is "balagan" which means a big mess.  That is how Donna felt about these cookies when they all melted together.  She is now figuring out the oven. The lines are made with a knife.  As you can see, we can buy great fruit and vegetables in the street markets down the road.  When we went out Saturday afternoon, it was not just shops selling, but trucks had come in and pallets of every kind of fruit and vegetables were on all the spaces available.  I think the food above cost us about $10.  Donna sees all the vegetables and is ready to start a Gleaners operation.

Donna had a big balagan yesterday.  She was on noon duty in the shop and a large Chinese group were buying.  It would take too long to explain but the people pay in US dollars, we have no American coins to make change.  So they have to take it up to the next highest dollar and then give change in Shekels.  Try explaining that to someone that does not know your language.  With all of them wanting to buy at once and then one lady deciding to return her bag full, Donna was a wee bit stressed.  

Our big balagan in the country was two days this week with  one of the worst sand storms on record.  Almost 400 people went to hospital by ambulance with breathing problems.  The red sand came from Egypt and the rest of Northern Africa.  It was everywhere outside.  The walks and benches were covered.  The worst part is they had a small shower in the night and it plastered the sand like mud.  It took a long time to sweep and mop benches the next morning.

Normally, the volunteer guides do not get Saturday off as our Messianic staff have the day for their Sabbath services.  We did get our first Saturday last week and went to a church where some of the Jewish staff attend.  It was wonderful.  The 150 minutes was a little long to sit but we enjoyed the service.  They have many Israelis attend.  When you drive up you would find it hard to think there is a church in this industrial building.  A few years ago they bought the entire top floor.  As you can see below, they have turned it into a very nice worship center.  It seats about 400 and was almost

full.  The music has words in English and Hebrew even though all the singing is in Hebrew.  For the sermon and every other part of the service, they have a very good translator and do it smoothly.  Most of the congregation were young couples and college age.

The picture below is a balcony that runs the entire length of the building.    Overlooks Jerusalem.

I have had many unusual times guiding.  There are far less large tour groups coming right now.  One day I had a group and warned them as we always do that when we go down to the tomb, that there are cuts in the bedrock.  If people step back to take pictures, they could fall.  It happened to a  lady from Seattle.  She was just four feet from me.  She went down backwards and it seemed so slow as she sort of rolled, I thought she would be okay. The problem was she landed on her wrist and shattered it.  Fortunately, a married couple in the group are doctors.  We still had to take her out in an ambulance.  The other hard thing is she was the only one in her group travelling alone and the group were flying home at 2 a.m. while she would still be in hospital.

Most of those that come to the Garden are committed believers.  It is great for them to think of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection.  These last number of days I have had a number of couples or maybe 4 or 5 people at a time.  The one day a couple came to the window that spoke English.  The reception would usually give them a pamphlet or audio guide.  We can take them when we are not busy.  I felt compelled to say to the lady at reception that I would be happy to take them.  They were from Montreal.  While the lady was in the washroom, the husband told me she was Catholic and he was Anglican.  He had been here on business years ago and told he he wanted one day to take her to the Garden tomb.  When we got to Skull Hill, two other Canadians joined us.  A 21 year old guy from B.C. and a girl with him from Ottawa.  It ends up he is from Lumby which is about 8 miles from our home.  He knew our grandson, Caleb and the son of a couple  (Liebels) in our church.  I asked each of them if they had any church background.  They looked at me as if I must have been kidding.  They had nothing to do with church.  Anyway, I always share how I came to a personal relationship with Jesus when I was very young.  It is great to have a "job" that I get to tell people all day long that God loves them so much, He sent the Messiah, Jesus, to die to pay the price for our sins. That He took our punishment on the cross, died,buried and is risen again.  Then I noticed the lady was crying.  She wanted to talk with me and I am so glad I offered to take that group.  I felt led to give her my card and told her if she had questions or ever wanted to contact me, to feel free.  I had two similar experiences later this week.  So I appreciate your prayers that I might be bold and sensitive to the spiritual needs of those I lead.  So much more I could say.

Here is another very special prayer request. The man in the picture is Rami.  He is one of our gardeners from Bethlehem.  I included some of his story in the blog from two years ago and you could find it if you wanted to check the older blogs.
We learned what is happening in recent days.  He has about 40 acres outside of Bethlehem that the family has farmed for years.  In recent months, some of the young Jewish settlers have moved on to his property.  They try to say it is theirs because God gave the land to the Jews.  Even though Rami has the deed to the property, he is in danger of losing his land.  It is part of the income he earns for his father and family.  They had threatened him if he comes onto his farm.  As it is land in an area under the Palestinians, the Israel army will not protect him and the courts of Israel are not stopping the settlers.  No wonder there is such tension in this country.  Apparently under the Ottoman laws, if he does not work his land, someone else can come onto it and plant and it becomes theirs. It only seems to apply if a Jewish person takes it from a Palestinian and not the other way around.  The young settlers have set up tents and burned some of his crops.  Rami is an amazing man.  As a Christian, his greatest concern is that he will know how to love these people.  It is not the older settlers but a group of young guys that are on the property.  In the last few days he has been allowed on his property and they have given him back his tractor.  If you think of it, would you pray that he would not lose his life or be seriously injured.  As well that he would be able to love them as he knows God wants.  I am also praying that they will leave his land.

Well, enough for this time.  Blessings.  gord and donna