Today we went to Tel Aviv.. that is a world of difference! I can't believe what a city that is. This year they are celebrating their 100th anniversary! Woo hoo! Everyone seems very excited. It was a little more slow paced today, which I enjoyed. I think I am beginning to get sick, but I am determined to fight it!!! My throat just hurts a little bit and I'm drinking water and eating fruit like CRAZY! So far so good...
We got into the bus and drove up to Tel Aviv and we ended up in the hustle and bustle of a market. I had a love hate relationship in the market. If you knew me you would know that one of the things I hate the most and try to avoid at all cost is looking like a tourist, and that's EXACTLY what we were today. We stood in the market... all 43 of us. I quickly took off as well as a few of my friends and began to love the people and the smells as we walked through. We would walk past a Falafal stand and that smell is AMAZING and then would walk a little more through all the fruits and vegetables and herbs and it was amazing. We bought some strawberries (which are very cheap and delicious!) and ate them as we walked. A beautiful thing! We left the market and went to Joppa and to the "house" of Simon the Tanner. They think it's his house, but again, no one is too sure of anything. Just being on the ground and roads where these people walked is awesome enough as it is. We switched tour guides so there wasn't as much information relayed, but he was only for a day. He had really bad jokes... Why was Pharoah's daughter into investment banking? Because she went to the bank and withdrew a prophet. ahahahahaha. I know.. he had them all day.
We went to Tel Aviv on the beach and ate lunch there. The tour guide told us that there were a lot of resturants one way, so we went.... and there were none. We ended up eating at this semi-pricee place which ended up being SOOOO good! The beach was beautiful. We headed back to Jerusalem, which I don't remember too much of because everytime I step on that bus it seems to knock me out. haha. A lot of the boys are quite jealous of my seat because I'm at the back in between all the seats where I can streach my legs out on the seats in front of me. I also make a little bed on the floor which is quite nice for long rides :) pays being short!
Tonight we had a debriefing meeting which happens every night, and this one was good. We had great worship. Simple songs, but God really has been speaking to me in so many strange ways. A question Dr. Van der laan asked us tonight was: What are your top three favorite things about this trip so far? I started to think about them and realized that mine are not the usual experiences but simple moments in which God has broken so much of me and my thinking.
We got into the bus and drove up to Tel Aviv and we ended up in the hustle and bustle of a market. I had a love hate relationship in the market. If you knew me you would know that one of the things I hate the most and try to avoid at all cost is looking like a tourist, and that's EXACTLY what we were today. We stood in the market... all 43 of us. I quickly took off as well as a few of my friends and began to love the people and the smells as we walked through. We would walk past a Falafal stand and that smell is AMAZING and then would walk a little more through all the fruits and vegetables and herbs and it was amazing. We bought some strawberries (which are very cheap and delicious!) and ate them as we walked. A beautiful thing! We left the market and went to Joppa and to the "house" of Simon the Tanner. They think it's his house, but again, no one is too sure of anything. Just being on the ground and roads where these people walked is awesome enough as it is. We switched tour guides so there wasn't as much information relayed, but he was only for a day. He had really bad jokes... Why was Pharoah's daughter into investment banking? Because she went to the bank and withdrew a prophet. ahahahahaha. I know.. he had them all day.
We went to Tel Aviv on the beach and ate lunch there. The tour guide told us that there were a lot of resturants one way, so we went.... and there were none. We ended up eating at this semi-pricee place which ended up being SOOOO good! The beach was beautiful. We headed back to Jerusalem, which I don't remember too much of because everytime I step on that bus it seems to knock me out. haha. A lot of the boys are quite jealous of my seat because I'm at the back in between all the seats where I can streach my legs out on the seats in front of me. I also make a little bed on the floor which is quite nice for long rides :) pays being short!
Tonight we had a debriefing meeting which happens every night, and this one was good. We had great worship. Simple songs, but God really has been speaking to me in so many strange ways. A question Dr. Van der laan asked us tonight was: What are your top three favorite things about this trip so far? I started to think about them and realized that mine are not the usual experiences but simple moments in which God has broken so much of me and my thinking.
#1- Western Wall: We went to the Western Wall and as I was walking out, I saw women walking backwards away from the wall. It was in that moment that I realized the reverence the Jewish community has for God and how little American Christians do.
#2- Gelatto: Alexis, Katie, Kara-Leigh, Ryan and I often times after dinner walk to get Gelatto from Max Bruners. Amazing. One night we went and there was a man who was serving us who was very happy and joyous. We had been conversating for awhile and then he asked:
Gelatto Man: "Are you Jewish?"
Me: "Nope."
Gelatto Man: "Are you Christian?"
Me: "Yes."
Gelatto Man: "Well, we still believe in the same God right?"
Me: "This is true..."
At this point I realized that Jews and Christians are not worlds apart, but in the same family. They are God's chosen people, but we are all under the same covenant. The same family. I desperately desire for my family to see Jesus...
Gelatto Man: "Are you Jewish?"
Me: "Nope."
Gelatto Man: "Are you Christian?"
Me: "Yes."
Gelatto Man: "Well, we still believe in the same God right?"
Me: "This is true..."
At this point I realized that Jews and Christians are not worlds apart, but in the same family. They are God's chosen people, but we are all under the same covenant. The same family. I desperately desire for my family to see Jesus...
#3- Yad Vashem: We took a trip to Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Museum. Before we walked through and saw the inhumane things that went on in Germany, Dr. Van der laan spoke to us about people. About what happens when people are labled, as numbers or items or things. When people's names get taken away from them and how they are now equal, but equal in a sense that they have no identity to call their own. They become the same face when in fact they are not. This is the moment that I realized that Israeli's are people with names. Israelis are people with children who serve in the army and come home every Friday night for Shabbat and their family goes out into the market to buy their favorite foods. Israeli's are people like you and I who cry when people die and are sensitive to crude remarks and who laugh and are full of joy when life is beautiful. I had a stereotype about Israeli's when I came to Jerusalem that I am not proud of and now I realize that the Israel is God's land with God's people.
I could write on and on about the things God has been imprinting on my heart that will never be forgotten. We sang a song in which the lyrics are "No sweeter name is the name of Jesus, no sweeter name have I ever known." These lyrics have never rang truer in my life than now. How sweet is the name of Jesus and how I long for this Jewish community to hear it.
Jessica
I could write on and on about the things God has been imprinting on my heart that will never be forgotten. We sang a song in which the lyrics are "No sweeter name is the name of Jesus, no sweeter name have I ever known." These lyrics have never rang truer in my life than now. How sweet is the name of Jesus and how I long for this Jewish community to hear it.
Jessica
Jess,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your inner thoughts. I love reading your blog. I am so happy for your adventures that your enjoy every day! They all sound so awesome! I pray that God will continue to speak to your heart while you're in His land. I can't wait to hear more stories and see the pictures. Know that you're in my prayers and we miss you back home!
Heidi Sawyer