Well, a little over a week ago marked the one month anniversary of my absence from home. This momentous occasion was duly noted by family who tell me they are counting the days till my return. One would think I'd gone away to war or something. And in actual fact, spiritually, life in the last month has been a battle.
Although I don't look for demons behind every bush, I am beginning to feel the real difference between living here, and living in Europe or America: this land is God's land and the Jews are His people. The struggles here are different, and the level of maturity in my walk with God has really been challenged. Plus, my family in England have been going through a rough time, so it's difficult knowing that I can't be there to walk it out alongside them.
On a lighter note, I am enjoying my time here immensely. Work is going well - I am in the process of completing another project and helping prepare for a company fundraiser next weekend. Aside from that, I want to share with you the meeting that prompted the title of this particular posting.
Last weekend, I visited some family friends in Migdal, where they run a greatly enlarged version of a Bed & Breakfast with a rotating team of volunteers from all over the world. There's an involved history behind this next part of the story, but in short, we were all invited to a Druze family's home for lunch after fellowship, or church (more info on Druze peoples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druze. It was one of the most touching and awe-inspiring afternoons I've ever experienced. The matriarch of the family, along with a daughter and daughter-in-law, had prepared a feast of Druze specialties, and the food was delicious. Throughout the meal, we discussed faith and family, our respective cultures and world views, all of which were interspersed with laughter in our attempts to make ourselves understood. Some of the family present spoke only Arabic and Hebrew, others spoke both those languages as well as good English. All the volunteers can all speak English, but for some it's their second or third language, so needless to say there was much repetition in a cacophony of languages. It was incredible, and grace and good humour were extended to all.
Following the meal, we had coffee and fresh fruit while we watched the wedding videos of two of the sons - one recently married, and the other preparing to celebrate his twentieth wedding anniversary (the children number thirteen - eight boys and five girls). They were so eager to share their culture with us, and equally curious about our own cultures. I cannot pinpoint why that afternoon made such an impression on me, but the one thing that really stood out to me was their sincerity. They genuinely enjoyed serving us and spending time with us, and willingly invested themselves in our lives, regardless of how short the time was.
There are moments in our lives where it seems Heaven's floodgates just open over our lives, and pour out God's abundance. It was only a few hours, but I believe God blessed that family as much as He used them to bless our group that afternoon. Don't pine away life for such times, but when they do come along, savour, cherish, and remember them. His grace and blessing is always there, in the midst of any circumstance. Have faith.
In Yeshua,
Rebekah
Sunday, 9 December 2007
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Adjustments
Well, I'm not sure what I expected life would be like here, but each day has brought about something new, generally demanding flexibility. Work in itself has been a great surprise. Not work in fact ( I have worked before, believe it or not), but this whole idea of a standard 9-5 was an area unknown to me. My tasks have ranged from filing to audio processing, finances to databases. I really have enjoyed it, so far, but do struggle with sitting on my blessed assurance for so long a period. : )
I am also newly settled at the volunteer's apartment situated a comfortable twenty minute walk from downtown, and a twenty minute bus ride from work. My host family are delightful: an American-Israeli couple with two rambunctious toddlers. The living space is shared, but my bedroom is my own until another volunteer arrives (a girl from Switzerland is expected soon) as well as the bathroom. They have a balcony with a breathtaking view of the Sea of Galilee, but the city noises at night have been something to get used to. However, after the first week, nothing kept me awake. Everyone has been so attentive I've scarcely had a moment to myself!
God has already been showing me a lot. Mainly that He is always there for me. I am very much a family oriented person, and to not have that support or even familiar conversation is rather a shock to the system. I knew this would be a time of stretching, and I had told God that before I really "left" home I wanted my full dependence placed squarely on His shoulders. So, I guess this is the first real step, or testing, to see if He really is my all in all, my sufficiency in all things. There will be another big step when I get married, but this one needs to happen first, and I am blessed to be surrounded by friends during this time.
You are all in my prayers - thank you for taking the time to sow into my life. God has blessed me beyond measure and I hope to reflect His Grace in every breathing moment.
With much love...
I am also newly settled at the volunteer's apartment situated a comfortable twenty minute walk from downtown, and a twenty minute bus ride from work. My host family are delightful: an American-Israeli couple with two rambunctious toddlers. The living space is shared, but my bedroom is my own until another volunteer arrives (a girl from Switzerland is expected soon) as well as the bathroom. They have a balcony with a breathtaking view of the Sea of Galilee, but the city noises at night have been something to get used to. However, after the first week, nothing kept me awake. Everyone has been so attentive I've scarcely had a moment to myself!
God has already been showing me a lot. Mainly that He is always there for me. I am very much a family oriented person, and to not have that support or even familiar conversation is rather a shock to the system. I knew this would be a time of stretching, and I had told God that before I really "left" home I wanted my full dependence placed squarely on His shoulders. So, I guess this is the first real step, or testing, to see if He really is my all in all, my sufficiency in all things. There will be another big step when I get married, but this one needs to happen first, and I am blessed to be surrounded by friends during this time.
You are all in my prayers - thank you for taking the time to sow into my life. God has blessed me beyond measure and I hope to reflect His Grace in every breathing moment.
With much love...
Sunday, 4 November 2007
First Impressions
Well, the first feelings after hitting the tarmac at Tel Aviv were a mix of excitement and anxiety. I was thrilled to be in Israel, but I hadn't yet made it through passport control or customs. However, I was needlessly concerned; after answering a couple of questions I received my tourist visa and went on through to collect my bags. The airport is beautiful, but the best part was seeing friendly, familiar faces in the arrivals lounge. I hadn't eaten much all day, and thus had a considerable appetite. So Bob and Lesley (the friendly faces) said we should stop for dinner as home was a good two hours drive north. We ended up at a restaurant in a town called Herzoliyya on the Mediterranean. It felt like any other coastal tourist area until they stopped us at a fence surrounding the complex and glanced inside our bags before granting entrance. There wasn't any sense of fear, but more an air of dispiritedness that such measures are necessary.
The volunteer coordinator (who used to be my babysitter) offered a room in her apartment for the first week, allowing me to acquaint myself with Israel before navigating on my own. Her apartment is, like many other homes in her village, the bottom floor of a two-story house, with the landlord on the floor above. Everything is tiled and the windows are open all day because it is still quite warm. My room is the bomb shelter room, so the door makes a racket whenever I shut it because of the safety seal. The neighbourhood is very safe, and we walked to her parents' home yesterday evening for Shabbat. No lights, save scattered street lights, so the stars were clearly visible. It was beautiful.
My first day at work was filled with introductions to people who remember me as waist high with a riot of red curls. But the warmth with which they have welcomed me has been such a blessing. They all have fond memories of my parents and are happy to hear about the work we are doing in Europe. As to my tasks in the office, I've already taken care of some much needed filing and have started reorganising a database. Not scintillating jobs, you'll agree, but the people around me make me laugh, and I know that I am a small part of a tool that takes Jesus Christ all over the world. There are other projects I'll be assisting with in the next few weeks that will require more focus and attention, and I think I'm really going to enjoy it.
I have had so many invitations to visit people throughout Israel, I may not have a free evening! God has blessed my family so greatly in the shape of friends. I look to these next few months with expectation for personal growth and many opportunities to bless others in the name of Yeshua.
Thank you to everyone who has chosen to sow into this trip. I cannot begin to communicate what I feel, but thank you. I want to be a woman of God, and leaving home is part of it. I have attached most of Proverbs 31 below. This is the type of woman I am striving to be - please pray that God will show me how to be this woman in every area of my life.
In Him,
Rivka
The volunteer coordinator (who used to be my babysitter) offered a room in her apartment for the first week, allowing me to acquaint myself with Israel before navigating on my own. Her apartment is, like many other homes in her village, the bottom floor of a two-story house, with the landlord on the floor above. Everything is tiled and the windows are open all day because it is still quite warm. My room is the bomb shelter room, so the door makes a racket whenever I shut it because of the safety seal. The neighbourhood is very safe, and we walked to her parents' home yesterday evening for Shabbat. No lights, save scattered street lights, so the stars were clearly visible. It was beautiful.
My first day at work was filled with introductions to people who remember me as waist high with a riot of red curls. But the warmth with which they have welcomed me has been such a blessing. They all have fond memories of my parents and are happy to hear about the work we are doing in Europe. As to my tasks in the office, I've already taken care of some much needed filing and have started reorganising a database. Not scintillating jobs, you'll agree, but the people around me make me laugh, and I know that I am a small part of a tool that takes Jesus Christ all over the world. There are other projects I'll be assisting with in the next few weeks that will require more focus and attention, and I think I'm really going to enjoy it.
I have had so many invitations to visit people throughout Israel, I may not have a free evening! God has blessed my family so greatly in the shape of friends. I look to these next few months with expectation for personal growth and many opportunities to bless others in the name of Yeshua.
Thank you to everyone who has chosen to sow into this trip. I cannot begin to communicate what I feel, but thank you. I want to be a woman of God, and leaving home is part of it. I have attached most of Proverbs 31 below. This is the type of woman I am striving to be - please pray that God will show me how to be this woman in every area of my life.
In Him,
Rivka
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