Giving Service in the Holy Land

As soon as I found out I was coming here I wondered how I could possibly serve others.  Service is a vital and integral part of my life.  It is one of the things that I do that keeps me from becoming selfish.  As soon as the students arrived we were all introduced to Bro. & Sis. Gunther, a service couple from our church.  They have the fortunate responsibility of making the necessary connections with locals in order to provide service opportunities for those of us here in the center.  On two different occasions we assembled hundreds of school kits for elementary schools here in the area.  I love to watch these students give their time and energy...their endless energy...work together and serve.  The following pictures are of one of those activities.

Goin' down under!

If you haven't had the chance to see the Jerusalem center in person then you really can't imagine what a magnificent structure this is.  Our Associate Director, David Whitchurch, gave a great forum address to all of us here about the history of the center a couple of weeks ago.  I'm just getting to this post now since we have been in Turkey for 8 days (more on that later!). Another unique opportunity we had was to get on a hard hat and climb, down, down and way down underneath!  Terric, from the Jerusalem Center staff, gave us a tour.  Steep stairs, miles and miles of electrical wires, pipes, boilers, more steps, BONK!!!! Duck those heads.  And at the very bottom level the approved "go ahead and write on the wall" wall.  Just a fun gimmick for the students......and us!  Thanks Terric!

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Cooking dinner on a stone.......that's all!

One of the places we discovered twenty years ago for a unique Middle Eastern experience was at a hotel called Seven Arches Hotel.  It is still here today although twenty years time shows in the wear and tear on the place.  They still have a restaurant however and so we decided to try it out again.

 Yep!  Cooking our steak and chicken on a 450 degree slab of marble.  Oriental salad spread and more than we could eat.  Grease splattering all over our laps, rock cooking the meat and heating our faces.....YEP!....a true Middle Eastern experience.

On a lighter note.......laundry day!

Since some of you have asked.....this is how I do laundry.

Out my front door of our apartment...

Down two different hallways...

Laundry basket in tow...yes that is duct tape and a bungee cord...

I think this bottle makes our clothes either extra shiny and bright or fills them with extra oxygen?

The biggest bag of detergent I have ever seen.  I have to stand on my tippy toes to reach the 

measuring cup......I miss the smell of my "American laundry."

The faculty and service couples have the luxury of having our own laundry room...complete with 3 washers and three dryers....all with English instructions!  And then we have the same love note reminders just like I used to tell my own kids while growing up.  

We are fortunate to have this modern convenience so close to home!

Adventure for today....Mahane Yehuda or the Shuk.

With Ron at the wheel and me as the "approved and agreed to" front seat driver, we set off to find the outdoor fresh market located in West Jerusalem.  It is known as the Mahane Yehuda Shuk.  Car checked out from the JC, own grocery bags in hand, and iPad ready for action!  We headed out and made it to the bottom of the hill turning left at the first stoplight instead of the second.  Something interesting about driving here is that if you make an incorrect turn you can't just do a "U" turn at the closest spot to get back on track.  U turns are illegal as is turning right on a red light.  So....after a longer than desired re-routing move we got back on track.  Because we have been here a number of times and lived here for a period of time, several landmarks look very familiar and after many, many honks and a few close calls with fellow drivers, we made it!  Hopefully the following pictures give you a slight glimpse into organized chaos.  I just wish I could somehow figure out how to include the smells!

SWEETS ANYONE?!?!

How about pasta by the Kilo!

I have never seen so many kinds and colors of olives in my life!  These put those Western Family olives in a can to shame!

Nuts and candy that rivals Willy Wonkas factory!

It was a great trip!  

There were a few areas of the market that I just couldn't bring myself to take a picture let alone walk down the street....the meat and fish area...instant nausea!

Maybe now you can imagine the smell!

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?  Oh yea, it's time to do laundry!

Teacher. Student. Classroom.

The students arrived this past Wednesday.  60 wonderful young men and women who are in for an incredible experience.  They had a couple of days filled with mtgs. and instructions to help them become better acquainted with the Jerusalem Center, their surroundings and academic expectations...oh did they try so very hard to stay awake for everything! Jet lag should almost be over and so let the teaching and learning begin!

Generally, Ron teaches Old Testament Tues. through Fri. in the classroom here at the JC.  I just love that he still chooses to wear his white shirts and a tie (he has been given the option not to wear a tie but after teaching with white shirt/tie for 34 years,

 he just felt better teaching the gospel that way...I approve!). 

He has 30 students in his class and spouses and service couples are invited to sit in as well...as long as we sit in the back and say nothing!  I know, I know.....me say nothing?!?!?!

Here is his great class!  Can you find your son or daughter? 

The teacher.  Dr. Ronald Dean Anderson- religion

Dr. Jeffrey R. Chadwick-Ancient Near East Teacher

THE STUDENTS!

Today's classroom, August Victoria Church and Hospital.

Singing hymns inside the church.  Amazing acoustics!

Atop Nabi Samwil, a site that honors the Prophet Samuel and a vantage point where we viewed geographical features to help us better understand some of the Holy Land's main formations that affected biblical and post-biblical events.  These two teachers are so very knowledgeable.

Standing in an actual ancient Olive Garden.

It is said that this tree is up to 500 years old.

Teaching from Jabalpur Mar Elyas.  A hilly spur projecting southward from the plateau south of Jerusalem.  It overlooks the valley separating the area of Jerusalem from that of Bethlehem.

Our first field trip.  A fantastic day.

Two brilliant teachers.  30 great students.  And nature's classrooms.

Thanks for stopping by! 

First trip to the Old City....three times in one week!

When visiting or living in Jerusalem, one walking trip that literally calls out your name and beckons you to come is a trip to the Old City. The Old City is a trip back in time 2000 years.  Stone walls, eight ancient gates leading into the walled city, steps and more steps, sights and smells that cannot be reproduced anywhere in the world.

We couldn't wait to make the walk from the Jerusalem Center to the Old City.  It is HOT here right now but we just had to do it.  Out the lower entrance of the JC (Jerusalem Center), down the very busy, honk filled streets of our neighboring city, Atur.  Past Wadi Joz to our right and the Palestinian Costco (or so we call it that since you can buy things in bulk there) on our left.  Up one more section of busy street and then there it is...right in front of you! 

When we took a look back at where we just came from this was our view.  So many breathtaking views.  An overwhelming amount of scripture, history and archeology...right out our front door.

Pinch me again today...