Home again

Well, we're "home" again in Michigan.  It's strange to call it home, since Jerusalem has really been our home for the last 10 months, but either way it is good to be back (although we already miss many things about Israel!).  We are so thankful for our time in Israel and are truly amazed at the many opportunities God granted us as well as a community of friends and a sense of "family" while we lived overseas.  We both have said that this past year may have been one of the best ones yet - for us as individuals and for our marriage.  We have grown in our understanding of the Bible, who Jesus was, different cultures and religions, and people in ways that we didn't expect.

We're experiencing a little bit of "reverse culture shock" being back in the States again.  Just a trip to the grocery store has been a little overwhelming.  Instead of walking with my rolly cart to the store and hoping that the ingredients I need are on the shelves this week, and making the trek back up the huge hill to our apartment hauling the groceries behind me...I hop in my car and DRIVE to the store, where I see multiple isles of one product (seriously, 6 refrigerator cases of orange juice, 4 isles of laundry detergent, oh and not to mention the Starbucks (aka "heaven") right at the front of the store!), pack my trunk full and head home to unload it all in the fridge.  Also, the other day we noticed the courtesy of personal space is much different here.  We were in line at the DMV to renew our drivers' license, and there was about 5 feet of space between each person and no one was cutting in line:) In Israel, any inch of space between you and the next person is an invitation for someone to go ahead of you.  Overall, we've just realized how nice everything is here! Everything is so convenient and easy really...something we used to take for granted.  It's funny how a fresh perspective changes things.  We almost feel like we're on vacation!

The past few days have been busy with us seeing family and some friends, getting adjusted to the 7 hour time change, and moving back into our house.  We don't see this move from Israel as coming back to what we left 10 months ago, but rather a new chapter of life.  We are different than when we left and have changed in ways that we don't even fully know yet.  We are hopeful for what is ahead (a baby in July!) and a fresh start in a place that will once again become home, but in a new way.

A Welcome Home sign from Matt's cousins &
balloons from our neighbors!

Our nephew Noah colored this scorpion
picture for Matt so he could remember these
lovely creatures from Israel:)

Matt's parents bought us groceries!
(and moved in most of our furniture...
oh, and cleaned our house!)
How amazing is that?!

Relaxing at Lake Michigan...it's not the Mediterranean Sea,
but it's pretty beautiful!

Living the Bedouin Life

For 6 days and 5 nights during the first week of May, I experienced a culture and lifestyle very different than mine.  This trip was the culmination of a semester long class that I took at JUC called Cultural Background of the Bible.  The primary goal of the trip was to experience Bedouin life and that is exactly what we did!  Our first day we got up bright and early and left from Jerusalem and drove to the border of Israel and Jordan.  After crossing the border, we drove south to the Dead Sea and then headed east to Wadi Dana which is located in the area of Biblical Edom.  Wadi Dana is actually a wildlife preserve and we stayed overnight here in pyramid tents.  We also got a tour of the old city of Dana where Bedouin still live today - these are Bedouin who have become more stable and settled and have moved into small houses as opposed to living in tents.  We learned how to plow a field, bake bread, catch animals, dance, and of course we also drank Bedouin tea!

Wadi Dana

Bedouin woman baking pita

The next morning we got up and walked to the bottom of Wadi Dana which was a 10 mile hike.  The views were amazing and when we got to the bottom of the Wadi, we were all surprised to see a hotel waiting for us.  This is an EcoLodge that has been set up by the Bedouin to encourage tourists to come to Wadi Dana as well as the Finan copper mines - these are extremely old copper mines that may have been mined during Solomon's day!  After a tour of the mines, we watched the sun set over the mountains while drinking Bedouin tea.  That night after dinner, we went to the rooftop of the EcoLodge and spent some time talking about the history of this area as well as looking at the stars.

Don't have to worry about loud neighbors out here!

Fresh pita

The next morning we loaded back on the bus after a 10 minute jeep ride - the only way to get from the main road to the EcoLodge is a 10 minute jeep ride!  We then drove to Showbak where we spent the rest of the day and night at the Jaya Camp where we were hosted by Saleh Rawashde and his family.  Here we learned how to farm, how to plant, how to milk, how to grind grain, and how to make Bedouin coffee.     This was the first day that we began to truly experience Bedouin life which meant a lot of sitting around and talking and of course, drinking tea!  Bedouin life is extremely relational - something that doesn't come naturally for me.  For lunch, we ate a traditional Jordanian meal called Monsef and for dinner we ate madguga.

Grinding grain

Roasting coffee beans

The next morning we got up bright and early with the sunrise and went and toured a Crusader castle.  Then we got back on the bus and continue to drive south to Wadi Rum.  This is where we left the bus behind and drove in jeeps across the desert to a Bedouin tent where we spent the next 2 days with Abu Faad's family.  When we arrived, we were of course welcome with hospitality (and more tea!).  The next 2 days were probably the most interesting 2 days of my life.  I got the chance to ride camels through the desert, take down an actual Bedouin tent made of goat hair and move it and then put it back up again (when the tent is taken down and rolled up, it weighs around 700 lbs), sleep in a Bedouin tent underneath the stars, and slaughter a lamb for dinner.  It was a very surreal experience to live with this family for a few days and to experience their culture.  In some ways, it was like stepping back into the past to the time of Abraham.

Our home for 2 days!

Sheep slaughter

Sheep slaughter

Helping in the sheep slaughter

Beautiful sunset and scenery

Helping take down & set up the Bedouin tent

Camel ride!

Final Weeks

It's hard to believe that our time in Israel is quickly coming to an end and we will soon return to the States to the next chapter of life!  We leave a week from today and although we're excited to be reunited with family and friends we have missed over these last 10 months, we are sad to be leaving behind the life we have come to love in Jerusalem.  There is so much we have learned and we have been challenged more than even we can understand right now...the lessons will continue to unfold throughout our lives, but we do know we have been changed forever by our experiences here!

Over the last month, we've been busy trying to cram everything in that we have wanted to do over this year - making sure we soak up every bit of what time we have left.  In between school work, exams, and wrapping up volunteer experiences, we had a chance to do most of those "little things" we had hoped to get in before we leave.  You know how it goes when you are in the swing of life and just don't get to things until you have to...like people who live right by the mountains, but never go hiking...we've just been busy with life and had to really make a point to get to these things we know we'd be disappointed if we didn't get to.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher -
 traditional Christian site for the crucifixion and burial of Christ.  
In Jesus' day, this location would have been on a busy street just
outside of the Old City walls.

inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Cardo street - original road undergoing renovations to restore it.
This was a main street in the Old City lined with shops
in Jesus' day.  Today, the modern Cardo is above this road and
looks similar to what it may have been like in the 1st Century.

Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock

Lutheran Church in the Old City

Dormitian Abbey

Hezekiah's Tunnels.  An aquaduct system built by King
Hezekiah underground...water still flows through these narrow tunnels
 about up to our calves, and in some places higher.  

The Garden Tomb - most likely not the actual location of Jesus' burial,
but holds the memory there...either way, it's a tomb that looks
similar to where Jesus was buried. 

Celebrating Israel Independence Day in Tel Aviv and
the Old City of Joppa/Jaffa.

Samaritan Passover - the Samaritan community continues to sacrifice
lambs on Passover in their village on Mt. Gerizim.  Here are the sheep being
brought in for the sacrifice....I think they knew what was coming b/c they
kept trying to run away.

Huge fire pits where the sheep would be BBQed after the sacrifice
and the community celebrates. We had a hard time seeing the actual event,
because of all the people, but there was a lot of liturgy, singing, and celebration.
Here is a Samaritan placing a sheep skin on the edge of the firepit. 

This week Matt is in wilderness deserts of Jordan living the Bedouin life - learning the customs of the Bedouin families, sleeping in tents or outside, learning desert farm life, killing cooking and eating sheep, riding camels, hiking in wadis, and braving the nights against camel spiders (tartantulas) and scorpions.  I'm eager to have him back home again and can't wait to hear about his experiences! I'm sure he'll write about it when he gets back.  So, until then, I'll be packing for our big trip back to the States!  Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this transition, say goodbye to dear friends, and head back to America.  See you soon!

2nd Semester Classes

I can hardly believe it, but our time living and studying in Israel is quickly coming to an end.  Last August, Jeannette and I set out on an adventure as we left our home and our jobs in order to move to Jerusalem so I could begin my Graduate studies at Jerusalem University College.  These past 8 months have been amazing.  Jeannette and I have grown in so many ways - we have grown in our marriage, we have grown in our relationship with God and what it means to be a Christian, and I have definitely grown in my understanding of the Bible.  As my semester comes to a close, I thought I would write a little bit about what classes I have taken this past semester and what I have learned:

Cultural Background of the Bible: 

Last semester, I took a class called, "Physical Settings of the Bible."  This class focused primarily on the geography of the Old Testament and along with learning about the Bible in the classroom, we also spent a lot of time on the weekends hiking the land and visiting sites.  My class this semester, "Cultural Background of the Bible" is a class that builds on what I learned 1st semester.  In this class, I have been learning about various aspects of life in ancient times in order to try to better understand Biblical life and customs during the Old and New Testaments.  Different subjects that we have focused on in class have been gender roles during the time of the Old Testament, family dwellings - what types of dwellings did families live in and how did they survive in these dwellings, hospitality - why was it so important and what did it mean, and law - did the Israelites view the Torah as law or as something else?  Although this class has not had as many field studies, the class ends with a week long trip to Jordan where we will spend a week living with a Bedouin family as we try to understand what life may have been like for the Biblical Patriarchs such as Abraham.

History of the Second Temple Period:

This class is a continuation of a 1st semester class that I had which was called, "History of Ancient Israel."  "History of the Second Temple Period" has focused primarily on the historical, cultural, and religious development of the Jewish people in the land of the Bible during the Persian, Hellenistic, and early Roman periods.  We have spent a lot of time learning about the historical framework of these periods, the development of religious ideas and institutions, and the influences that shaped early Judaism and Christianity.  This class has had a variety of field studies, which includes a two-day trip to the Sea of Galilee (this weekend!).  I have really enjoyed this class because I have learned a lot about the history that took place between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament.  This has helped me to better understand the context of the Gospels and the life of Jesus.

  

The Parables of Jesus and Rabbinic Meshalim: 

This is probably one of my most unique classes this semester.  This class is taught by Rabbi Moshe (my Jewish professor from last semester) and each class period we pick a different parable of Jesus and spend time wrestling with the text and the meaning of the parable.  This class has allowed me a unique opportunity to see how a Jewish Rabbi interprets the life of Jesus and His parables.  It has been helpful to see how a person from a different cultural and religious background than me interprets the parables of Jesus.  It has allowed me to read the Gospels in a new light and with new understanding and has helped me to see Jesus in his original Jewish context.  Often times, I think we tend to forget that Jesus was a Jew who was raised in a Jewish setting.  Jesus ate like a Jew, he worshiped like a Jew, and he lived like a Jew.  In understanding the Jewish context of the New Testament, we are able to better understand Jesus and his parables.  

Historical and Social Settings of Modern Israel: 

Although many of my classes at JUC have focused on the geography and the history of the Bible, the university does offer a lot of classes that deal with the modern Middle East.  I decided to take one of these classes in order to try to better understand modern Israel and the challenges that it faces as a state.  Throughout this past semester, this class has focused primarily on the history and society of modern Israel with emphasis on social and political movements, institutions, settlements and neighborhoods.  Although I don't get too excited to learn about politics and government, this class has helped me to better understand the history of the state of Israel and the challenges that it faces today.  This class has also helped me to take more of an interest in the politics and government of the United States and to recognize the impact, whether positive or negative, that our country can have on the rest of the world.

As I look back on these past 8 months, I am so grateful for the opportunity that Jeannette and I have had to live and study in Jerusalem.  This has been a once in a lifetime opportunity and adventure and one that I will never regret.  Although it was a little scary to leave our home, our jobs, our families, and our friends last August and move overseas, we are so glad that we choose to have faith and follow God where we knew He was leading us.  It has helped us to learn that following God often means not knowing what is next, but it is definitely worth it!  Although we have had to trust God a lot these past few months, we have learned that even though it can be stressful, it is a wonderful blessing to have to truly trust and completely rely on God!

He is Risen!

Our Easter this year was really special.  It has been incredible to experience the events of Jesus' death and resurrection in the place where these things actually took place.  It also happened to be the same time as Pesach (Jewish Passover) this year, which doesn't occur very often (but did the year Jesus was crucified and rose again), so it really was an extra special Easter!  We are reminded again of God's great sacrifice and the immense love He has for each of us!

Palm Sunday
The week began with an exciting Palm Sunday.  We (along with 1000s of Christians from all over the world) hiked up the Mt. of Olives to join in the "triumphal entry" walk back down it into the Old City.  It was a really fun celebration!  Palm branches, flags, singing, dancing, & music placed us in an atmosphere that must have been similar to the excitement and anticipation that the people felt when Jesus rode on a donkey on that same route 2,000 years ago.  Although the people of His day were hoping He would be their earthy King to "save us now" (literal translation of "Hosanna!") from the Romans, we can celebrate even more in the fact that Jesus' death and resurrection means salvation from eternal separation from Him!

"A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

   “Hosanna to the Son of David!”

   “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

   “Hosanna in the highest heaven!""  

{Matthew 21:8-9}

Walking down the Mt. of Olives into the Old City

Joining in the fun!

15 minutes of fame:
Matt's head (and our friends Vadim & Natalya) made international news!
Such a funny picture to choose for a news headline:)

Hosanna!

Good Friday (Pesach/Passover)

Friday for Christians is the day we remember Jesus' death on the cross.  For Jews, they remember this day (Pesach/Passover) as the time God redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt.  It was neat to experience both of these celebrations together this year.  

We participated in a Triclinium Meal (similar to what the Last Supper would have been like) at JUC.  Matt spent the day with his classmates setting up and recreating a 1st century atmosphere complete with a u-shaped table, cushions on the floors (yep, we laid down to eat), and a foot washing station.  Our host and much loved professor, Dr. Wright, led the evening through the retelling of the Good Friday story (John 11-19) as we ate and reflected on the meaning of this huge sacrifice. 

John 13:4-5; 12-15:
“So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him….When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

Luke 22:14:
“When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.”

After the Triclinium Meal, we headed home to a Seder service! To give a better idea of what Pesach is all about, here's a write up from our latest JUC Friday Am newsletter:

"Pesach, the most widely observed Jewish holiday, celebrates both God’s freeing of the Israelite slaves from Egypt and the beginning of the Nation of Israel.  The Passover Seder includes the reading of the Haggadah, the story of God’s liberation.  This year Passover is celebrated tonight, 6 April (Erev Pesach with the Seder) through 14 April.  The first and last days of the holiday are chags and businesses, busses, etc. in West Jerusalem will be on holiday.

For the seven days of Pesach, all leaven products are forbidden, nor are they available in Jewish grocery stores.  In the weeks preceding Passover, houses are systematically cleaned and all leavened products (khametz) are removed.  Special plates and silverware are used – a very busy time for housewives."

The Haggadah (a Jewish liturgy book) summarizing the Exodus
story & God's redemption of the Israelites from slavery.

Seder plate - matzah, horseradish (bitter herbs), parsley,
hard boiled egg, lamb shank, harasot (a mix with apples, nuts,
honey, & cinnamon), and wine

Tasting the bitter herbs & reading portions of the Haggadah

Easter

Easter morning Matt got up really early to enjoy a sunrise service overlooking the desert (Jeannette was sick and stayed in bed for awhile).  Later in the afternoon, we enjoyed a BBQ lunch at JUC with other families and students.  It was great to fellowship with other believers on this special day!

joining in the Easter egg hunt in the JUC cemetary

beautiful roses in the JUC garden!

Matt joining in the games!

What an amazing Easter week...We are so blessed to be able to know that we have purpose in this life because of what Christ did on the cross! May you also be joyful in Him and the free gift of salvation offered to us all!

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him."

{John 3:16-17}

When It Rains, It Snows.

The past few weeks it has been FREEZING here!  Jerusalem is full of stone - stone streets, stone buildings, stone walls...and it is the rainy season (which to the locals, is a tremendous blessing) but it makes the cold really...well, cold.

After Sukkot (a Jewish holiday in the fall), the Jews pray specifically for rain to come and flourish the land.  Normally it is so incredibly dry here most of the year, that there is a lot of uncertainty if the crops will make it through until harvest season (it's a matter of life and death in a lot of ways).  On the last day of Sukkot, synagogues are filled with people celebrating with the Torah and calling out to God to send rain.  Well, this year it certainly worked! Israel has gotten so much rain - more than it has in many years.  Yesterday (March 1), my professor said that we have already gotten more than 50% of the rain needed for March in one day! It has been raining continuously most days the last few months.

While we are happy for God to be blessing this land with rain, as it so desperately needs, we would be lying if we said we were enjoying it.  We have found ourselves complaining a lot about how wet & cold it is - especially when it is pouring outside and the only option to get to school, the grocery store, or anywhere is to walk.  Cars are not courteous and it almost seems as if they are trying to splash those of us walking to our destinations, with the pools of water that collect on the side of the streets.  By the time we get anywhere, we are absolutely soaking.  Before you go ahead and think how wimpy we have become since moving out of Michigan (come on! we should be used to terrible winters), let me explain that it is a different kind of cold here - it stays inside of you and it's rare to have a hot shower or be able to get warm even indoors.  Also, apparently Michigan is having the most beautiful winter in years with temperatures in the 60s - go figure, the year we decide to move to Jerusalem it's the coldest and rainiest it's been here while the midwest is having an awesome spring-like winter (we're happy for you - kind of).

Anyway, all of that to say that in the midst of grumbling about the rain the other day on our 20 minute walk in the "torrential downpour" back from campus, my outlook suddenly changed...Maybe it's actually a pretty amazing blessing to be here at this time - the year that God has given this land the most rain it has seen in years!  How cool that we are here right now to witness (and fully experience) it! Then, to make it even better, this morning when we got up, it was SNOWING - huge, fluffy flakes! Now that doesn't happen too often in Israel, and it was absolutely beautiful!  Matt woke me up and we went for an  early morning walk and enjoyed soaking up the picturesque views of the Old City, rooftops, and Hinnom Valley dusted with snow.  Yes, it was cold and wet, but we didn't care today.  God let us experience a moment that is rare and we got to be a part of it.  I've been reminded a lot lately that perspective and a positive attitude changes things. Even during difficult times of life when things seem like a "downpour" and aren't ever going to clear up - it snows...a soft, peaceful snow that reminds me that God's blessings sometimes come in different ways than I would expect and are not dependent on my comfort or happiness.  Sometimes when it rains, it snows and it changes the view completely.

snow in the trees - it's actually sticking!

homes outside of the Old City.  The Temple Mount's gold dome
is in the distance.

big snowflakes!

Olive groves sprinkled with yellow spring flowers
and snow!

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." {James 1: 2-4}


"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." {Romans 5:3-5}

Catching Up...

Hello again!  We know it's been awhile since we've kept you posted on what's been going on in our lives over here in Israel, so we thought it was due for an update.  Here's some pictures to enjoy and fill you in on what's been going on lately with us.

In January we took an unplanned and last minute trip back to the states.  We had some plane ticket issues and needed to use them or lose the money we already spent.  So, we had a fun break spent with family and friends and even got our fix of snow for the year.

We had so much fun hanging out with our nieces and nephews at JJ Ranch for a weekend.  We love these little people and miss them so much when we're living so far away!
{Aiden, Ava, Dani, Noah, Addison showing funny faces
(Madelyn is too little to be in the water, so she's not in this picture)}

While we were visiting family & friends we got to share with
some of them our exciting news!!
Baby Smith is due July 25th {here's Jeannette at 18 weeks}.

The Judean Wilderness - see the rainbow?! We saw 3 of them within the hour or so that we were standing there.
The desert imagery has become really significant to us in the past few months and we especially love this verse that demonstrates so well how God cares for His people in the deserts of life: "In a desert land, he found him, in a barren & howling wasteland.  He shielded him & cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye."  - Deuteronomy 32:10

Visiting Jericho in the spring - Israel is so green this time of year!

Incredible sunset at Gezer looking toward the Mediterranean Sea.
Solomon may have seen this same view back in his day when he lived here. 

Jeannette has been auditing a class again this semester {Jewish Though & Practice}.
Here is her professor, Rabbi Moshe, reading from the Torah scrolls.

We went on a field study this past Friday to an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem {Me'a She'rim}. It was a neat experience to be able to see so much of the Hasidic Jewish culture in it's own element.  They have very strict rules about dress and lifestyle as you can see from the sign hanging at the entrance to their neighborhood. 

Even Matt (and the rest of the guys) had to wear a kippah out of respect & reverance. 

Here's a shop with women's head coverings for sale - most Orthodox Jewish women cover their heads at all times in public either with something like this or a wig.  They do this mainly because it says to in Torah and also to remain humble and modest, not drawing attention to outward beauty.

An Orthodox family - counting 7 boys (and another baby in the stroller)!
Orthodox families believe in having as many children as God blesses them with. 

An Orthodox man dressed in a robe/shirt with tassles (tzitzit) on the corners.  The men also have peyot (long curly sideburns) to obey the Torah command to not cut the corners of their beards (or fields). 


Challah bread setting out fresh as people rush around getting ready for
Shabbat which begins at sundown.

That's all for now!  Matt's been staying busy with his classes and volunteering at a school in Bethlehem.  Jeannette continues to volunteer at the Anglican school and is enjoying her Jewish Though & Practice class.  We continue to find new experiences and opportunities here and appreciate your prayers for Matt especially as he has midterms coming up in the next couple of weeks.  We'll post more again soon.  Shabbat Shalom:) - Matt & Jeannette