What day is it???

The days have been really long here... I feel like I've been here for several weeks when in fact it has only been two days! Last night before we went to bed, Katie found the control for the heat! Praise the LORD! It was soo cold. We woke up this morning at 8 and went to breakfast (gotta love that pita and hummus:) and then went to the Tower of David museum. It was the best museum I've ever been to. It started out with a brief video that exploded with so much information about Jerusalem... from the very beginning until now. After that we went on a tour of all the time periods and what happened, first and second temple periods, ottoman, etc. We went up to the top of the Tower and saw the Mount of Olives which is where Jesus ascended into Heaven. It was so amazing. The even more amazing thing is, is that now I know what it is I realize that everymorning when I walk out the door, that is the hill I am looking at. We had lunch on our own today and found a small little cafe that was GREAT! I had Chicken Schwarma. I'm still not sure what was in it but it was delicious and it was served with hummus! On our way back we saw a falafal stand, and so I bought one of those too. That may have been the best thing I've tasted since I've been here! It is kind of like a Gyro but so much better!! (Jenna you would LOVE it! It reminded me of you! haha) We got back and Calev and John Meyers spoke on the Messianic Jews in the area. That was incredible. I did not know or realize that there was such discrimination among them in Jerusalem. Calev is a social justice lawyer for Messianic Jews who are being denied their rights. There have been people who have been denied and revoked Israeli citizenship for "changing religions." Calev has had a big part in beginning to change this. I cannot wait to see where God takes these men in these parts of their lives. John Meyers opened up a whole new view of Judiasm in the Bible and where Israel and Jerusalem falls within the scriptures. It has renewed my passion for the Bible, the Old Testament in particular.
The housekeeping staff here are wonderful. The manager of the house is named Luis and he is from Spain. We were so cold the other night and asked for more blankets and he gave us his last three. We found out later that they were actually from his own bed. I also found out tonight that two of the other people that work here gave up their room for us to sleep in and is sleeping on the floor in one of the common rooms for 5 weeks. I can't believe the selflessness they have here. We are actually living in a Kibutz, which is where many people come and use their talents to get things accomplished, and no one gets paid. It's quite amazing. When I first heard about it I thought there as no way someone could actually accomplish this task, but seeing it being fulfilled has been quite the experience. I want to live like this.
I have also noticed so much about the way they pray over here... it's so humble and revrent towards God. In America many times we here "God we believe you for it and trust that you will do this," but here, its so humble in asking God out of his great mercy for something, not that we should be worthy of recieving it anyway. I want to pray like this.
It's been raining every night and then some in the morning. I would normally be kind of sad about this, but it is truly an answer to prayer! Israel is in a drought right now, and this has been the worst drought in 70years. All the forecasts say that there is no rain in sight, but yet God prevails. It has rained the whole time and this church that we are going to has been fervently praying for it. That is just amazing to me!
I am sitting outside and I feel like it's -30 degrees, when it's really probably around 45 degrees. :)

Tomorrow will be quite a day...

Jessica