Walk Like An Egyptian....

"Do not go just one mile...go with them TWO miles..."

If you're going to know someone at all, you have to walk in their shoes. The middle-eastern struggle for peace is as old as time itself and the images flashed on every home television provide impersonal recognition of real issues at best. I long to taste, to touch, to embrace, to feel, to KNOW every reality as much as possible for the Glory of our Creator. I grieve any moment i look upon someone's sorrow and recognize clearly only that I am unable to connect in any way with them. Coming to the middle east has allowed the images on television to come closer to home, though i still long for greater compassion.

I was offered an opportunity to travel to Egypt after meeting up with a few people on their way there. I wasn't going to travel alone, but this opportunity was too much so i took this trip of a lifetime for a very brief moment.

Many details should be added, but we managed to arrive, to witness the struggle for survival in Israel's neighboring third world country, while rejoicing in the amazing architecture of the ancients. Did the israelites labor on the pyramids? Touching ancient clay bricks, much the same if not the very bricks israelites once toiled in bondage to make brought a greater connection to the past than many other events. To see the committment necessary overwhelmed me.

To struggle through the necessary police escorts, the obvious tourist tension, and the threats that seemed upon us (if we watched the news) was freeing in itself. We did have to be careful, there was a threat...this was what made me want to go. I'm so tired of any person being a distant understanding, and on this two day trek the LORD allowed me to see two muslim weddings, be invited into one gorgeous families home, go on a nile river dinner cruise, tour the pyramids, ride a camel, and feast on shish-kebab. Hallelujah...i love the arab people...i pray for their peace. Please do the same...it was a BLESSED trip. PRaise He who is More than WORTHY.

I'm back in Israel now, had a marvelous camping trip to mt. arbel last night around the galilee, and am curious to know what's next!!! i'll keep you posted...blessings in HIM.

Mummie Dearest

I LOVE YOU MARMIE!!!!!!!

Thank you very much...

Life has been good in Jerusalem. Never has friendship been more appreciated than the past few days...starting with the gracious hospitality of Geoff C who has been the best tour guide and friend around...and continuing with picking up two of the best friends a gal could hope for at the airport yesterday!!! Ben and Joy L. got in saturday, and we're hoping her luggage gets here as well...but other than that slight mishap, things have been AMAZING!!! the struggle of being here lost and alone was good for me, but it is SOO GOOD and that much more amazing to have friends here now. AND i've found a very cheap place to stay that is so much fun...lots of very interesting characters and i have had just odd/cool/good things happen one after another. Today was especially amazing, going to a messianic jewish service on sabbath, following seeing the MASSES at the western wall as sabbath began friday evening. Wow. more on that later. I love the sabbath routine. I loved riding the bus to Tel Aviv and talkign with a young jewish girl whose passion for the faith, the torah, and the sabbath overwhelmed me with joy! THere is much to learn.

The greatest thing of all i have learned so far is how much the jewish tradition enforces the need for COMMUNITY. "You cannot seek God alone...you must be with at least 10 people who can pray for you." Althought there is obviously more to be said about this, and of course the number of people can vary...the importance placed on being WITH people when seeking God has never been so real. And never have i longed for it so much as i did when i was in Jerusalem the first few days...ALONE. I'm so thankful for that time so that i can appreciate it all the more. He always provides, that i've never doubted.

All is well, life is good...this week is packed full of plans...oii vey. And for the record one of the new friends i've made has a very interesting involvement photographing the palestinian/israeli wall conflict. More on that in details when i get back, but check out these pictures from the stuff he's gone to just outside the city. I'm increasingly palestinian sympathetic...it's been so good to KNOW the people rather than seeing things you can't grasp on a television!!! Reality is always better. Tear gas though, really is quite annoying. http://www.travelblogger.net/members/sojourn2006/

I'm SOO Glad to have finally found a good, safe, community hostel. It's so good to pay less than $10 a night for a room, meet strange/fun/interesting people from all around the world, and to be increasingly amazed at how similar people are wherever!!! those palestinians throwing rocks on your evening news are REAL!!! They are quite nice too i would have you know...but passionate about things like life survival. Life is hard...i'm just THRILLED TO KNOW JESUS so that LIFE HAS MEANING. I can rejoice in the hard as i know it will make all things experienced more valuable...that has been experienced
Blessings to all, keep me in your prayers...every step of this life of mine is surprising, good, blessed, and CHALLENGING. More later...mostly wrote to say, all's well. :) Shalom.

Shalom...

Ahhhh, the continuing thread to bind our hearts to contentment in love and war...Peace. Whether an inner peace that reflects nothing of that which is thrown upon you daily, or a peace that welcomes you into a deep embrace in every realm, there is nothing blessed that is not granted from the Lord.

It's easy to allow the wants of the flesh to blind us to what truly matters. Illusions in the world coat sugar over dung and offer us this "rich" treat - tempting at sight, sweet at first, but filled with all rubbish in the end. Our perspective should never lead us to desire what the world would offer in any manner and our hearts must therefore be continually examined less we fall into a pit without knowing.

The words of My Saviour are a great comfort at all times. To know His Truth allows all sorts of evil to be overcome, for the stark contrast of HIS Righteousness brings great Rejoicing! Sorrow it would be to forget the dark night and so deny the blessing of Light. Though I anticipate with tears of hope the day all darkness will flee away at the force of His Lightening...I wait in Hope because my heart has been renewed this day.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

JERUSALEM!!!!

Hallelujah, I have arrived!!! The flight was great and I spent the entire 5+ hours in a really blessed conversation with an older english/jewish woman whose finishing her Doctorate thesis covering a human study of silence and the holocaust...heavy stuff. Adopting a fairly athiestic view of the Creator God on the basis of not being able to understand the pain inflicted not only in the holocaust but throughout the world through all time, we had a passionate discussion that did not allow a moments rest! I don't always intend to get into such discussions, and was surprised at this one. British people aren't always up to such talk...especially the more mature...but ours lasted until the baggage pick up area with tears and goodbyes and "you can call me Mumsy." My heart broke toward the end of our fabulous dialogue as she confessed, "T'would be nice to think God really cared for me." Yes, and though I assured her He did, it is something He alone can reveal to the heart.

He has BLESSEDLY revealed that to my heart and my strength is found in nothing else. My immedate arrival in Israel was not encouraging as my car rental price sky rocketed, loneliness took hold, and whew...i was about ready to book it back. Being exhausted did not help, but it was strange to feel so lonely. I have traveled alone so much, but here it is very challenging. There is so much to see and experience, and i hate to do it alone. Praise the Lord though, i finally found a Great place to stay at the Christ CHurch Guest House inside Jaffa Gate in teh Old City. I can't stay but a couple nights as it costs more than my budgetted hostel, but I took the blessing of a safe, comfortable, Christian place while i'm getting aquainted with the area. A nap and shower made life better and Jerusalem more inviting! At 6:30 i miraculously found the place i was meeting Geoff Carroll, an old aquainatance from ACU who is studying at the Hebrew University here in Jerusalem. He is now so a best friend...never have i been so glad to see a familiar face! We went to a Bible study that blew my world...they all so know Hebrew, though were all around my age and the conversations inspired me so very much. I LOVED not knowing what was going on! Often in Bible studies i get irritated longing for greater MEAT in the subject matter rather than rehashing what's been hashed long before. I treasure the simplicity of the basics, but long to be dumbfounded a bit more! It happened!

I lost my watch so this morning when the first light finally showed up i was ready to go, hoping it was 7:30 so i could eat and get on with the touring...adn it was hardly 6. Oops...so, more study time was allowed, and was so good, and now i'm off to the Temple Mount. Pray for my wrist please, i lost my brace so it's irritating me a bit...but not too bad considering. Typing always helps. :)

I'm eagerly anticipating having my own tour guide, Geoff later this day and week...and will keep you all informed. AND, while praying for my wrist...pray that i can figure out this bus system, ooooiii!!!

Love you all, miss you much and wish so much that any or ALL of you could be here with me now!! Yet, i treasure this time i have to seek the Lord, and have never been so thankful to have HIS presence always here.

LOVE, ALOHA, and MUCH SHALOM!!!!

OXFORD TOWN!!!

It feels good to be home! It's amazing to me how much some places can invite the inner joy out of you so very much! I love this place, though it is a place i have been broken, and challenged more than any other. So much growth, change, and LOVE happened in this land, and i am forever grateful. It has been wonderful to walk around reliving favorite memories, eating my favorite foods...and being shocked at even the Kebab vendor who after2 years remembered how much i really do like three scoops of his wife's chili sauce on my donor kebab!! Hallelujah!!!

I'm on my way to a brief visit at st. aldates having just left the Jesus Fellowship group whose love and family i have very much missed. its so amazing to be so loved all over this world! And, i got a few more addresses even there of places in Israel...that's good, i may afford this trip yet!!! i have to go catch a plane, i'll write more of the delicious time i've had in Oxford when i have another chance. All i can say for now is that the Hebrew University will have to be pretty incredible to get my dibs over returning to the program i looked at here in oxford!

I love you all, thank you for your prayers, please continue them!!!! Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and Oxford, and every region that burns in your heart like a fire that will not go out!