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!