Life

It's been a few weeks since we've arrived to our home in Jerusalem and have begun to get into a routine of what life is like living in Israel.  I'm sure some of you are wondering what exactly that looks like, so here's a bit of the day to day...

Transportation - There are plenty of people with cars here, but we are not one of them, so we walk everywhere - church, school, grocery stores, and everywhere else.  This is a rocky hilly place, so sometimes it can be quite a trek!  Down side - it's very very hot and we are pretty sweaty by the time we arrive to our destination.  Plus side - a good workout!

Groceries - getting groceries is an all-day event, since we walk!  We have a rolling cart that we take with us to the store and fill up with groceries, so that limits how much we can get at one time, so a few trips to get groceries is typical in a week.  There is a more expensive grocery store right near our home, but some cheaper ones are a good walk away.  The selection at the stores are much more limited than those in the States and there is usually one kind of the something we are looking for, if it's even there at all.  Oh, and everything is in Hebrew and priced in shekels, so figuring out what it actually is is somewhat of a challenge too...there may be some interesting meals if we pick up the wrong thing:) Meat is very expensive here and there is a lot of options of cheese!  Mostly we've been eating pretty "typical" things that we are used to from home, but are also enjoying olives, hummus, and pita bread as well!

 Ramaat Rachel Shuk

Showers - the water is cold! Before this past weekend, we had to turn a knob before taking a shower to heat the water.  This past Friday, just before Shabbat began, our water tank was leaking, so our neighbors shut our water off.  And, it being Shabbat and the last day of Ramadan, there was no one available to come and fix it for us until Sunday!  So, needless to say, after all the walking we do to everywhere, everyone in the house was a little smelly.  No showers, no bathrooms...we were VERY happy when Sunday came and our dear landlady (she's great!) had someone put in a new water tank for us.  Bonus, we have hot water now without having to turn the knob:)

hot water

Laundry - We cannot run our washing machine and dryer at the same time.  So we line dry our clothes outside (smells so good after baking in the sun!).  Also recently had an issue with our washing machine which was already without a handle...it wouldn't open and our wet clothes were stuck inside.  However after the guys in the house worked on it for awhile, they created a new handle with a rope-thing that works quite well now!

Dishes - no dishwasher! And until this past Sunday, no hot water.  So, we heat up the water and wash and dry by hand.  Good quality time.

"Banking" - there are banks here in Israel, but not American ones, so our checks and accounts from the States do not work here.  Instead we get cash to use here by walking into the Old City to a shop where we write a check to the money changer and we can get shekels to use throughout the week.

School - Classes began on Sunday!  We had our first Physical Settings class out in the field, walking all over the Old City.  There were many lessons on some of the hundreds of things to see there.  This city is rich with culture, history, and religions of many kinds that are all connected and have been preserved over thousands of years.  How amazing to be learning in an outdoor classroom!  Matt can tell you next time some more about the other classes he is taking - Hebrew, Rabbinical Thought & Literature, Archeology, & History of Ancient Israel.

Matt's School

This is life here - nothing is easy, but it is teaching us and changing us already.  We hope this gives you a little glimpse into what we are experiencing here and can help you feel a little closer across the miles that separate us.