Beauty for Ashes

I’ve been wanting to write about a particular weekend that I had.
It was the weekend that an ex of mine was to be married. We had had a significant date on April 13, 2007, and he was getting married to someone else on April 17, 2010. On the 13th, I took a “personal day” and went into the Old City here. I went to the catholic church that is near where Jesus died. There were images of Jesus on the cross, and I just wanted to be reminded of how He faced things that he didn’t want to face. I sat there for a while.
I also got a call from my friend Nicole, who goes to JUC. She’s just a random friend that I met here through Bryan and Sara who turned out to be such a fun friend! Nicole was studying at my school with another random friend she had met: a girl named Delphine from France. Delphine is here to do advanced studies on the 3 mono-theistic religions. Since I wanted to go to campus anyway, I decided to meet up with them next.
On campus, there are some green hills that I had been wanting to try to lay down in =) under the inspiration of Ps. 23, a verse which had been popping up a lot when I first arrived in Israel. I met up later with Nicole to tell her that it didn’t work out too well: there were a lot of briar, sticky bushes and rocks up close on the hill. Nicole explained, “That’s how the hills are here, which made the psalmist all the more grateful when he found a green pasture to lie down in.”
Nicole and I also made plans for the weekend. I had not been to the beach yet in Tel Aviv, which hosts the mediterrean sea.
On Friday, I packed up a bag and went to JUC to spend the night at Nicole’s loft. The school was having a vespers and Shabbat dinner. We sang some songs, and the food was so good! It was like getting a buffet! Then Nicole and I just talked for a while and watched a nice movie.
The next morning, we walked to catch a sherut and went to the beach. It was beautiful as promised! We got into the water and Nicole, being the fun person that she is, was like, “Hey let’s swim out to those rocks and jump off of them!” So we did. There was quite the drop off in the water just before the set of rocks, but we made it over okay.
It was a fun day, but I realized that I would still come home that night and have to mull over the fact that my ex was getting married at that moment.
Then, Nicole got a call from some other JUC friends who were there in Tel Aviv. They were renting a car, and were willing to give us a ride back: Yes! But we had quite the adventure: we had to get to the airport first to get the rental car. We waited a bit for them to meet up, and then we took a sherut for a small price to the central bus station. Then we heard it was cheaper to take a train, so we walked to the train station. In all this walking, I got to see neat sights in Tel Aviv when it was dark. I saw police officers on roller blades which were lighted up. This place is the coolest.
We found out that the next train would not come for 2 hours, so we walked back to the bus station. Then we were on our way to the airport.
We got dropped off at a random spot in front of the airport and had to do more walking, not really knowing where we were going. We found out that we had to take a free shuttle to where the rental car arrangements could be made. After that, we had to take yet another shuttle to where the rental car was located. Throughout all of this, Nicole was cracking me with funny impersonations and singing Arabic worship songs from Friday night. It might not have been otherwise worth all of the time just to save $8-10 US dollars. I was so glad that I was with a group of people at that time…
As we headed back into Jerusalem, I reminded myself of the obvious: I wouldn’t be here right now in Israel doing what I’m doing if I was married to Stephen. Obviously, there are married couples here too, but I just don’t think the idea of coming here for a semester would have occurred to me. Since it was so late and I had my bags with me, I just spent the night at Nicole’s again. It was just good to be with people, and I slept extremely well. After breakfast the next morning, I headed to Hebrew University’s campus.

I don’t remember now if it was that same Sunday, but my friend Hope and I got into a theological discussion with a rabbi on campus! He talked to us for so long: like 2 hours! In college, he had seen Christians and the "light in their faces," he said. It was very interesting!
I have been reminded, though some of my losses have turned into ashes, the Lord always continues to bless me with beautiful things!

My Favorite Israelis

My trip to the Judean desert was my first introduction to several things. One of them being that it was the first time that I met two of Tony's kids, Rachel and Josh. They have spent most of their lives here and are truly Israeli's. Rachel (or Raquel, as Josh calls her)is a refreshing combination of sweet and sass, as I have come to know her.

So the Israeli soldiers here carry these huge guns. And women are soldiers, too. These facts were amongst many culture shocks to me. Josh serves in the army. So since we hiked in the desert near an army base, Josh came along carrying his gun for protection. "He's married to it," Tony told me.

As a pacifist, I found myself avoiding Josh at the beginning of the trip. We hiked to the Dead Sea and reached the overlook by dark. It was beautiful. We ate pita bread and hummas. This would also become a familiar occurrence for me. As I was gathering my things, it was just me and Josh behind the others. I found myself tripping over some rocks, so I told Josh, who had the flashlight, that I would be walking next to him. Turns out that Josh could also see in the dark fairly well. The journalist in me gave way, and I began to ask Josh questions about being in the army and growing up with 3 cultures. It also turns out that all Israeli's are required to join the army.

Even Rachel will have to join when she turns 18.

I realized how silly I had been acting. I finally was having a real opportunity to do what I love the most: Getting to know people who are different than me. Josh was really helpful and I felt like I was talking to one of my best friends back home. It was one of the first times that I felt really comfortable here, besides being around Bryan, Sarah, and other Americans.

When this occurs, it finally feels like you are home.

Special Treat

I promised my friend Vi that I would write shorter blogs.

So here is a shorter one.

Down the street from where I live is a Christian school for kids called Jerusalem School. But many of the kids are Muslims whose parents want them to learn about Western culture. Many of the teachers there are Americans who are around my age. For the second Saturday night in a row, I was again extremely blessed. One of the couples decided to have people over after the service. One person brought chips, and another made FABULOUS quesadillas! Then one of the other guys came in and brought a bag of fruit and the most delicious pints of ice cream that I have ever had in my life!
Maybe I just enjoyed it so much because it's been a good seven months since I've been really able to have that much ice cream. Praise God, my lactose problem has gotten better, maybe since I've been here, and I haven't taken any pills for it.
A projector was put up, and the "Book of Eli" was chosen. Angel came and put a fluffy blanket over me. One of the guys played a song from the states that I totally would jam to with the Bayer House girls. One of the girls and I almost started jamming then. My extraverted side finally started to come out again. Due to trying to be culturally sensitive, I have kept myself quite restrained. I finally felt safe to "come out" again. It has usually been the opposite case for me in other countries, but not here. Next blog, however, this will change...
I had to leave early because the next day I had a trip to the Judean desert and needed to work beforehand.
So I totally just wrote a blog about enjoying many American comforts. But I needed a night in like that before venturing out. The point is that God kept blessing me over and again. Sometimes I need these reminders and the encouragement.

For now, here is a picture outside of my school on Mt. Scopus for those who have been asking for pictures.

Songs of Praise

Adjusting to the time was difficult, in light of the crazy sleep schedule I was keeping even before with all of the flight delays. I was falling asleep on the bus ride back that first day as Bryan was talking to me. On Tuesday, I tried to get up at a decent hour to get to Hebrew University and meet with my advisor. Bryan was able to contact his friend Jesse who is a student there. Jesse was happy to show me around. Since Bryan and Sarah wanted to see Jesse’s family, they decided to go with me. Sara carried David bundled up the whole time. Bryan was also interested in seeing the campus. Jesse brought his 3 year old daughter Gracie, too, who has light blonde hair. Everywhere we went, the Arab faculty admired Gracie. “Some people in Bethlehem told me that she was worth 3,000 camels,” Jesse said. This was a big compliment.
I met with my advisor, which was very reassuring. I then came out to where my entourage was waiting for me. Jesse was able to point out lots of helpful things for me, I was able to get my student ID, and get set up with a mailbox. Bryan took a bus on to his classes, and Sara and I went to Jesse’s home where his wife offered us lunch. It was a huge blessing to be there, but I kept falling asleep on the couch as Jesse was talking to me. Sara and I headed back together.
By Wed., the early mornings finally got to me. I didn’t have any clocks or time in my room since I had no operating cell phone. I slept until 1 p.m. I decided to rest for that day, emailed my boss at Docent, and started working on a project after he replied.
One rainy day, I went over to a neighbor’s apartment. They work at the school down the street with Sara. I needed some help with my laptop, and this was the original purpose of the trip. It was a young couple who was about to leave the area to go to Jordan to have their first child. They are to return in June. They offered me an amazing drink: goods brought from teavanna in the states, lol. They were also making pancakes and extended an offer for me to eat with them. I got a full dinner out of this! It was “comfort” food, to say the least. Part of me wondered what God had in store for me to spend time w/people who would be shortly departing.
The advantage of spending time with other Christian Americans, at least initially, has been that they have been able to tell me about the culture here and the tensions. A fellow American who has been working in Jordan was staying the weekend with them. As I was listening to their conversations, I was reminded how many Muslims there are in the world, which might even be equal to the number of Christians who really understand the gospel. This increased the desire to bring forth the gospel, which I was already feeling in my heart.
I hear the Mosque calls day and night where I live. Again, I am struck by the dedication. In Jerusalem, you will certainly find “secular” Jews and Muslims alike. But you will also find many of the most dedicated of the dedicated here. This can make for both a hindrance and door to the gospel when it comes to those who are deeply religious.
But I have been going over Tim Keller’s book “Reason For God.” One thing that Keller writes about is that most people, regardless of their beliefs, at least have a respect for Jesus. I can’t think of a better starting point for the gospel than talking about who Jesus could be…
Indeed, I met another interesting shop owner. He was a very kind Muslim but sold what was marketable, including nativity scenes and other sculptures of Jesus. While Bryan and I were sitting down with him, he said, “We all believe in the same God.”
I received his statement and made no objections at that time. He was saying this as a way of connecting to us in a gesture of friendship, and meant the best. I wasn’t shocked by what he said, but still found it interesting.
There is another kind Muslim shopowner that has us in for tea. He has an adopted Jewish daughter who is studying at Harvard. He was friends with her parents, who had been good customers of his. I do want to note the exceptions to the divisions here!

I know that God has brought me here for a reason. I find myself expecting big things, which isn’t necessarily bad, but my fault is in my tendency to expect them right away.
The great thing about going to a university is students! Wherever you are, you can find students engaged in a variety of community service and that is no different here. The Jewish students are involved in many efforts around the community. For Purim, I made up a goodie bag to bring to children in the hospital. Students would be going there to visit that night. I couldn’t make it that time, but I hope to join in on such efforts .
As I was walking around campus and talking to God, I resolved to just try to serve Him in the small things on a day to day basis, as I wait for big things to come.
On a Saturday, I went to a church service down the street with Sara. It was for the American teachers at the school. The missionary to Jordan was there and led the worship. She sang several songs that I can recall from the past: “Beautiful One” a song that Ronda and I often sang in Nashville, a Matt Redman song, which always makes me think about Tiffany, and others.
I felt overwhelmed that God had heard my prayers and brought me to this place. I was reminded that Jesus is so much greater than what I will ever realize in my time on the earth. I finally let the dams of my emotions down.
Here are some of the lyrics.

Wonderful so wonderful is Your unfailing love
Your cross is spoken mercy over me
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart can fully know
How glorious, how beautiful You are

Chorus:
Beautiful one I love
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing

Powerful so powerful Your glory fills the skies
Your mighty works displayed for all to see
The beauty of Your majesty awakes my heart to sing
How marvelous, how wonderful You are

You opened my eyes to Your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
‘Cause nothing on earth is as beautiful as You

Songs of Ascent

I love it here.
That all being said, I miss everyone, too. I can’t express enough how thankful I am for my friends and family. On the morning of the 15th, Talisha took me to the St. Louis airport near her apartment. The first flight was on a very small plane and in no time, started descending to Newark.
I saw an interesting sight out of the window as we were descending. The reflection of light from the plane, running parallel to the clouds, was in the shape of a circular rainbow. In the middle, there was a shape of a dove, which was probably a shadow of the plane, but I still thought it looked cool.
The layover ended up being shorter than I thought. As I looked around at the crowd waiting for this huge flight, I was reminded of Bryan and Sara’s emails:

Dear Amy
I am sory to keep emailing. We just wanted to encourage you. Do not be scared about comming to Israel. It is a safe place. We live in a building owned by an Egyptian Coptic family. Their son lives on the second floor and on the third floor is their daughter. both their son and daughter have a son and daughter. Many people are scared of comming to Israel. Do not be scared the people here are decent people. There are unfortionatly bad people in any society. The bad people that are here get a large amount of press which makes the things that they do larger then they really are.
"Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds." Psalm 36:5-6.
“ As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people from this time forth and forever"
Psalm 125:1-2
Relax and enjoy your trip. I would suggest reading some Psalms. The Jews used to, and still some do read Psalms on the way up to Jerusalem. These Psalms were called the Psalms of Ascent. Also on the plane before the break of dawn many religious Jews will get up, and move to the back of the plane and pray. They should wear their Phalacteries, and Prayer shawl.

I read the Psalms on the plane. Lots of mention about Zion. The next thing I knew, it started to get dark.
Almost the whole plane was occupied by Jewish people, and there were very few people like me on the plane. But if this tells you anything about safety, the plane was full of young children with their parents.
The Jews prayed just as Bryan described. I was struck by their dedication. Since most of the flight was through the dark, it also went by very quickly! Everyone clapped when the plane touched down.
As soon as stepped into the airport, I smiled. Everything was beautiful and navigating around the airport was completely easy. In no time, I came to the passenger pick-up area and spotted Bryan.
Bryan and his friend Matt had water and bread to give me in the car. Right away, they were able to tell me much about Israel and Jerusalem. I was introduced the reality of life: the landlord of our apartment building had to be taken into the hospital. But his family had to drive him there because it was a Jewish ambulance/hospital. It didn’t matter that this was a Christian Arab man who wasn’t even a Muslim- it just mattered that this was an Arab man. He died within a few days.
Even though it is safe, if anything, there is much tension that exists between the Israelis and the Muslims. But there are also many exceptions to this...(see next blog)
The first thing I did when I got to the apartment was to walk down to the store with Sara and get some yogurt. (Thanks Tiff!)
Around 3, Bryan decided to take me to the old city, where I could exchange the money I had on me. Bryan pointed out the trustworthy shop keepers and the historical sites. It was amazing.

One shop that Bryan told me about that was a Biblically-based store. Anyone who came into the store could ask any questions they wanted about Judaism. I seized this opportunity! I was quite impressed by Moshe, the shop owner. He had a passion for Scripture. “Christians ask me why Jews do this and that and ask if it is a burden,” he said. “How can it be a burden to obey God?”
I also told him a bit about my studies and why I came.
As I left, he smiled, “Your paradigm will shift by the time you leave here.”

That is exactly what I was hoping for.