Retail Therapy

This post can take on several titles and it may be all over the place and really unfitting for an English 101 essay, but I forge ahead. Titles one and two would be "Retail Therapy" or the better stated "How I spent the grocery money today." The third title that would work is "One jar of marmalade at a time." Let me explain...

Today two of our very close family friends in the states are getting married to each other. Silly as it seems, moving to the middle east required a few sacrifices, but this one felt like it topped the list for me. Because I was a little sad to miss their special day, I did what many mopey and slightly hormonal women would do in my situation...I went shopping. Lucky for me, although today is shabbat and most everything is closed in the city, my friend Kay has organized a bazaar today - and even luckier, it is walking distance from our house by about a mile. While Ryan took the two older boys to church, like any good pastor's wife, I went shopping with the baby (the baby stroller is good for purchases). I think I made out quite well at the bazaar. My first purchase was two handbags, made of spun cambodian silk. These are "cottage industry" purses, made by women in small Cambodian villages. The women hand -make the purses, along with other beautiful items and the money they make off of them goes directly to building houses and digging wells in their communities. The organization who works with the villages is called the Tabitha Foundation. Their sole purpose is to help poor communities to rise above poverty and become self-sustaining.

My second purchase of the day was a set of hand-made paper notecards, made by the Al Basma Center for the disabled in Bethlehem. The center teaches the students life skills, speech and occupational therapy, and shares with them the love of Christ. The students make the cards, providing for them a sense of pride and accomplishment and the sale of the cards provides some of the funding for the school.

Third (yes I am a power shopper!) I picked up a silver ring - made from a single olive leaf from an olive tree. The leaves are made into molds and coated in silver, burning away in the process but leaving behind a perfect copy of each individual leaf. My ring is one of those leaves wrapped into the size of my finger. The following quote accompanies the olive leaf jewelry: "As Christians the olive tree stands for the steadfast love of God (read Psalm 52:8), for the people of Palestine it has symbolized abundance, steadfastness, and rootedness to the land. The olive branch stands for our longing for the end of the chaos and for peace. " The artists live in Bethlehem and you can find out about them at www.annadwa.org.

Lastly, I picked up a small coin purse and some more notecards (I am a sucker for old-fashioned communication though I obviously also love my computer!). The couple running the booth had lived in Gaza for 18 years and are now only allowed in and out on a limited basis, due to the violence and unrest in the area. The purses are made by a center for the deaf in Gaza, and 100% of the profits go to the center and to the workers and their families. There is very little commerce coming out of Gaza at the moment, and Harriet and her husband are one of the few who can get things out to sell.

It is true that I like to shop. It is also true that I am a softie for good causes (just ask all the girl scouts on our block in Cali). But retail therapy definitely took on a new depth for me, as I practically wept at each table as I walked around today. It was such a joy to meet the people who work to lift others out of poverty and to create meaning for them. All of the organizations today do what they do in the name of Jesus Christ. My friend Kay, who organized the bazaar, is a homemaker and mother of four boys aged 10 to 18. She has been busy these past 18 years with diapers, carpools, swim lessons and homework. And yet she has a deep ache in her heart for the poor and the oppressed in the West Bank and in Gaza. When she could do nothing else, she made 100s of jars of marmalade (she is originally from the UK) to sell. With the money she made, she was able to "adopt" 5 families in the West Bank, providing schooling, medical care, food and shelter for them. Hence my third title to this post. Kay is such an inspiration to me. Today my title might be "saving the world...one shopping spree at a time." But my hope and prayer is that in the future I can use the gifts and the meager talents that God has given me to join with Him to love and restore His people.

Sorry we are missing the wedding

Cheers to you Andrew and Nina. We wish we could be there with you. Have a great wedding day!

The Birthplace of Christianity

Many Christians have glorious views of the "Holy Land" and most who visit have life-changing experiences as they walk the hills and the streets that the people of the Bible walked. I too have experienced these same joys as I live in the same land as the people that I have heard about my whole life. One thing that has changed by living here is that now I realize that this is no longer a land that is open to Christians. For the latest happy occurrence read this article .

The Silver Lining

Since moving to Israel the U.S. dollar has lost 20% of its value compared to the Shekel so most of our expenses have consequently been 20% higher than expected. For example, when we first arrived we paid $6 for a gallon of milk and now it is closer to $8. Our cheapest box of cereal (generic cornflakes) cost about $3.50 and now it is over $4. That may not sound bad but think of the fact that the first time George Bush stayed here the American taxpayers paid 2 million dollars less for the hotel rooms than the second time.
With all of that said, now that we are nearing the end, we are selling some of the items that we purchased here or that we no longer need (infant car seat anyone?). So the rug for our living room cost us 500 shekels which was about $120 dollars. Now we are selling it for 325 shekels which is a great deal for someone here and it equates to $100 for us so we actually do not lose as much as we normally would.
So we may be returning to a country with gas costing $1.25 more than when we left and food prices 15% higher, and shamefully now the Canadian dollar is worth more, but at least we will sell many items for the same price that we purchased them for in Israel. And if we hang on to some of our shekels in a year or two they should be worth more than the dollar.

So if you need a rug, high chair, car seat, energetic children, toaster oven, baby toys, or a broken scooter and if you are passing through Jerusalem I will give you a good deal.

Champion Chefs

Last night we had another "Taco Night" and this time we had a "Bring your best salsa competition" theme. Because I am a humble and giving type of guy, I volunteered to not make a salsa and to simply serve as a judge. One guest (a Minnesota boy) also served as a judge with me.
My boys, aged 8 and 5 made their own salsa completely on their own. Sara simply supervised and bought their ingredients at the store. They made a cheesy, chili, and pepper mix which closely resembled the excellent canned nacho cheese dips from America but theirs tasted much more fresh and was honestly quite tasty. Because they also made their own dessert (Israeli pudding snack packs dumped into wine glasses and served with fresh Israeli cherries) they ended up taking first place. They were completely overjoyed and wore their first place ribbons with pride.
2nd place went to a grad student here who made a "summer salsa" consisting of berries and other fresh ingredients which was excellent but he really impressed with his dessert salsa which he served with baked cinnamon and sugar tortillas. Singles ladies, you might want to meet him.
3rd place to our friend from Santa Barbara who teaches Kindergarten here in Jerusalem at the Anglican school. She made a perfect guacamole from the fresh Avocados that are in season here in Israel.
Of course my wife would win any cooking competition if she was not serving as the host or competing against me but for last night we had a great time with friends and we had tasty salsas. We will have one more Taco Night before returning to the States and we will miss this monthly event.

The Have's

In response to Sara's last post, I thought I would include a list of the "everyday life" things we have done this year... again for our own personal journaling purposes (and because it is my turn to post and I am at a loss for words).

I have:
Cooked popcorn the old fashoined way on the stove top for "movie nights"
Eaten falafels and good Arabic salads (I hope the Jordan Market carries the "eggplant tahina" salad)
Spent about 15 hours a week on the bus
Purchased much of our meat and produce from outdoor markets
Become friends with a favorite author of mine (not Chesterton... he is dead)
Gone to church as a non-staff member
Spent countless hours on the 5th floor of the HU library
BBQ'd with wood coals
Walked to the Old City of Jerusalem to buy food during the Sabbath.
Crawled through ancient tunnels, palaces, and tombs with my boys
Learned a new language
Had shekels in my wallet instead of dollars
Played basketball with Rabbis
Seen more diplomats/ politicians (including John McCain) than the rest of my life combined
Spent time with fewer Americans than non
Spent a lot of time with my wife and three boys

For Sara:
She has homeschooled our children
Been involved with a ministry to help people in the West Bank and Gaza
Cooked and baked tons of things from scratch
Jogged along the Old City of Jerusalem
Become friends with several merchants in the Old City (and has become a regular face in the ancient streets)
Learned how to survive in the grocery stores, parks, library, and local fruit stand

This list could be much longer but I think you get the point. These experiences will forever change who we are for better and for worse... mostly better.

The "Have-Nots"

This year our family has had an incredible adventure. If you follow our posts you know that we have had our struggles, but have also had some amazing opportunities. We have also had a unique year, quite unlike what a typical year in our home in Southern California would look like. We have given up some things in order to make this experience a reality. The following (for posterity) is a list of this years "have-nots."

I Have Not:

Driven a car
used a microwave
Eaten good pizza, mongolian beef, cream cheese wontons, CPK salad, or good chips and salsa
Gone to the gym
carpooled
slept through the night (okay maybe once)
walked through a Target store
taken the baby to a "well check-up"
been to the doctor myself
stocked up at Costco
lived on the ground floor
figured out how to make the perfect Arabic meal (but I have eaten them!)
attended a bible study
been to church on time
worn shorts or tank tops (in Jerusalem)
used my cell phone
bbq'd in the back yard
decorated my own home
looked through my cookbooks
had more than 7 outfits in the closet that fit and dont have holes at any given time this year
been to the movies
had a pedicure

And so they dont feel left out....

Ryan has not

had mountain dew
eaten pepperoni pizza
done yard work
gotten a pay check

The boys have not

played on a sports team
left the house to attend school (except for field trips)
ridden their own bikes
eaten a cupcake
slowed down :)

Baby Ben has not

slept in a crib (only a pack n play)
had more than a handful of chew toys (or are those called teethers?)
slept through the night (okay maybe once)

And somehow we have still managed to survive our time here. We are looking forward to our return to the States and all that it offers but there was something refreshing about living out of 6 suitcases for the year. Life definitely was simplified in some ways while at the same time complicated by the nature of living in the Middle East. I did not miss all of the "Have nots" this year, although some of them I missed every day (my non-kosher kitchen for example...)! I am curious about our re-entry into California life - will we dive right in or will it be a challenge? Hopefully driving a car is like riding a bike...

Our Final Galilee

This weekend our family spent a couple nights in Galilee in what was our final getaway during our time here in Jerusalem. We stayed in a nice place that had huge grass lawns that the boys enjoyed by running on them tirelessly for hours (this is a big treat for Southern California/ Jerusalem city boys). We swam in the lake and pools and were reminded why Jesus spent his time in this region. The weather was perfect, the pace was great, and we even had some nice Arabic food one evening and some great fish on the Sea of Galilee. We drove through the Golan Heights along the borders of Lebanon and Syria and discovered my new favorite site in Israel, Banias (Biblical Caesarea Philipi). All in all we relaxed, the boys had fun, and we even found some time to sit in quiet and think, read, and pray. I actually got up at 5:30AM thanks to our 11 month old alarm clock and was able to walk by the beach during sunrise. (If you have been to Hawaii or a humid place like the Midwest or South in the summer you will know the nice warm mornings that are still and peaceful but warm enough to enjoy the early hour).

As we drove away we were struck with the thought that soon we will no longer be able to hop in a car (rental car) and drive less than two hours to see the towns that Jesus lived in. We will not be able to walk among ruins of cities that are described in the Bible. We will not drive 20 minutes to the border of Jordan, take a short flight to Europe, Africa, or other parts of Asia. We will not be able to stop and by fruit directly from Palestinian farmers from the West Bank or live in a world where followers of Jesus are still rare and threatened. As our end date approaches we begin to see all that we love about this place (even in light of the last post) and we work to enjoy each moment. It is just that some places like Galilee are easier to enjoy than others.

For love of country

This past week I have been following the "video blogging" of a group from an orange county church touring here in Israel. We don't know any of the people on the trip and have not met up with them, but the site was sent to me by a friend of ours in the states who thought we might be interested. The videos have been well-edited, informative, challenging and fun to watch. I told Ryan that I was tracking the groups travels in order to find out how a Christian tourist is "supposed" to experience Israel. I realized that the more I watched the video and the more I read of their travels, the more depressed I was getting in regards to our own experience here in the Holy Land. Then I came up with my "romance theory" of travel and here it is...

First, there is the "whirlwind romance" travel. You fly in, expecting to be whisked off your feet. All of your normal responsibilities from home are put on hold. You can fully experience the foods, the sights and smells of the cities you visit. You can take time out to reflect on God's beautiful, complicated, vast and awe inspiring world. Here in Israel, people on the whirlwind romance tour, are able to be with friends, enjoy comfortable air conditioned busses and catered meals, great teaching on the life and teachings of Christ and are genuinely impacted for life. They are here long enough to see that Israel is rich in history, to see God's word come to life in a new way, and to perhaps gain refreshment and a new love for God, become Man. This seems to be the experience of this church group whose writings I have been following...and I have to say I am a bit envious! Who doesn't enjoy love in its early stages?

There is a second type of travel that I call the "marriage of longevity" travel. This is where you do your research on a place and you have your eye on it for a long time. By the time you land at the airport, your heart is beating, your palms are sweating and you are already planning to fall in love with whichever country it happens to be. Perhaps you are able to stay a month, maybe a year. You have to dive into the culture and into daily life but for this you were prepared. You might run into some things that aren't so pretty about the place, but you anticipated the bad along with the good. Our friends across the street came to Jerusalem with this method of travel. They hope to stay here for as long as possible while the husband works on his PhD. It might not be the whirlwind romance, but they don't really mind. If they aren't able to see everything there is to see in this year, there will always be the next.

Lastly there is the type of travel that I call the "pre-arranged marriage" of travel. Somehow, without knowing exactly how, you find yourself in a place that you aren't quite sure you have chosen. In fact you don't really know why you are there at all except that "someone" has sent you there. There is very little time to get to know the country because on the first day you are already trying to figure out how to buy groceries and use the public transportation. This is the type of travel I think I have found myself in this year. Instead of stepping off the plane preparing to "fall in love with the Holy Land" all I could think of was the logistics of taking care of three children in a strange land with all my babysitters still in California. Instead of falafel and St. Peter's fish, my normal diet consists of the more practical budget-friendly peanut butter and jelly pitas, and spaghetti with tomato sauce. Instead of sitting on the side of Mt. Carmel and reading the story of Elijah the prophet, I am contemplating for a quick moment before I change a baby's diaper and oohing and ahhing at my 8 year olds rock collection.

I am looking forward to returning to the States in two months, but I am also sad. Not because this has been such a fun year for me, but because it hasn't been. I am not saying that it hasn't been life changing. That it hasn't opened my heart up to my God and to humanity. I am not saying that I am not grateful for this year, or that God's Word is not more alive to me than ever before..it is! In our "pre-arranged marriage" I have found myself both loving, and hating Israel. I have learned secrets that I did not care to know. I have learned more about myself and about this land and that has not been easy. I have a burden in my soul and a heartache that I didn't have before. I have witnessed a hopelessness so deep that I now finally understand that only in God can hope truly be restored. I am sad to have missed the "romance" of travel here. Even if I come again I don't know if that will be possible. Cheers to those who can love this place with no baggage attached. Cheers to the God who loves this place with the baggage...and who teaches us to love as well.

More Celebrations

This week marked a continuation of the relentless onslaught of holidays in Israel. On Tuesday night through Wednesday the country observed Memorial Day that is intended to first remember the soldiers that have died for their country and secondly to remember those who have died in terror attacks.
Immediately following Memorial Day, they begin celebrations for their Independence Day. To celebrate they have poorly done fireworks and very well done block parties everywhere. The next day (which is today) literally the whole nation (who are Jewish) go to the parks for afternoon BBQ's. It is an interesting to be in a country celebrating their independence when a large percentage of the population (mostly the Palestinians) do not share in the freedoms or the celebrations.
For all of the so called problems in the United States, it is good to know that more than anywhere I have seen in the world, in the U.S.A. everyone has a chance for freedom and fair treatment (compared to other nations). Also,I was surprised to discover that since Israel became a nation in 1948, the number of U.S. soldiers that have died for their country outnumbers Israel 5 to 1 and Americans killed in terror attacks also outnumbers Israel 5 to 1. We are enjoying a lot of aspects of living in Israel but we will be happy to be home in our country celebrating our freedoms this summer.

Cinco De Mayo

Most of you know how much Sara and the boys love every holiday that comes along and use it as an opportunity to do something in honor of that day. Well, today is cinco de mayo or חמש ֶשל מאי so we hosted one of our "Taco Nights". It was a pleasure to enjoy some Mexican food, some cheap Israeli wine, and great conversations with four college students in Israel. Sara and Ian made a new Mexican dessert (Cinnamon Brownies with something good on top) to complete the meal. Although we will be happy to return to our homeland this summer, we will miss the company and the times we have at our monthly taco nights.

Remembrance Day Video

This is just to give you a feel for how this event (see previous post) is remembered in Israel. This footage is taken by an 8 year old so please bear with the quality.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today at 10:00 AM our "air raid" sirens sounded and the nation came to a brief but important stand still as we took a moment to remember the over 6 million Jews who were killed by the Nazi's in WWII. I usually am very gracious to the opinions of others but it is completely despicable that there is a movement led by people like the deranged president of Iran (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) that claims the Holocaust never happened. Almost equally detestable is the opinion that the current actions directed against Gaza are worse than the Holocaust. Let me be clear that there is a serious situation in Gaza and it demands attention, but it is not equivalent to the death camps of WWII (this is not an excuse for the unfair treatment of thousands of Palestinians, just a plea to please not make such an unequal comparison).
Today is a day that we should remember the people who died at the hands of the Nazis and perhaps the millions of Chinese that were placed into camps by the Japanese, and even the thousands of Japanese that were placed into camps by the Americans. Racial/ tribal hatred continues and acts of Genocide recently occurred in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan (just to name a few). Please remember these tragedies today.