MANY MONTHS AND MANY MILES

Earlier this year, I stood on the streets of Jerusalem in a snow storm, and freezing to death, was having the time of my life. It's a new time for me now, and I'm enjoying being a 3rd grade teacher at Grace Academy, but it is hard not to miss my home away from home and the people that are there. I have been home almost 7 months and haven't posted...busyness of American life, me being lazy, or something like that. I can't believe how much change change over many months and many miles. In some ways, I am happy with how I've changed, and in other ways I'm disappointed. One thing I do know is that the Lord is refining and defining me day by day and I just need to trust Him for the next step. Right now that would be to go to bed and get good sleep so I am not cranky with my students tomorrow. So I will. But I couldn't help remembering that cold, but amazing day in Jerusalem so many months ago. Today we have 4 to 5 inches of frozen (I know that sounds funny) snow, and today the high temperature was 29 degrees. Tonight before I sat down at my computer, the temperature was 16 degrees and dropping. A new storm is supposed to come in tomorrow night. We'll see. One thing to remember...many months and many miles cannot erase the most amazing memories.

MY BUDDIES

During travel study break a few weeks ago, I went with Steph, Becky, Isaiah, and Eitan to En Hemed, one of the nearby springs. Right behind us in the picture, the water is coming up out of the rock. The ledge was put in years ago to form a pool of water. It's pretty amazing to see the major source of water for the area spring up out of the ground in front of your very eyes. I had a blast with my buddies. Isaiah didn't have school because of Pesach, so it was fun to spend extra time with him. We wandered all around the park, climbed through the Crusader buildings, and then visited an important modern Israel site called Castel after having a pizza lunch. So much history and fun in one day. It was amazing!

8,000 MILES AWAY

A week ago, I was walking through the markets in Jerusalem and found this apple. Notice anything special about it? It's a little blurry, but look at the sticker. To a Washingtonian, you may see nothing out of the ordinary and you would be right. Except for the fact that a whole bunch of these apples were in Jerusalem, Israel. This wonderful, juicy, Pink Lady apple travelled 8,000 miles so that I could enjoy its sweet and tasty goodness. What a treat!

FAITHFUL FRIENDS

Rachel and Molly at the Dead Sea

This morning was our last Women's Bible Study for the Spring 2008 IBEX semester. It was definitely bittersweet. I so love studying the Word of God with these fellow believers in the Lord. This semester we studyed the faithfulness of God and used Cynthia Heald's book Becoming a Woman of Faith as a guideline for our studies and discussions. It was a wonderful time of seeing God's faithfulness to us and encouragement for how we too can grow in faith. One of the ways the Lord has helped me to grow in is recognizing my sin and my weaknesses of character. I find myself often wanting to do better, yet hesitant to pray for the Lord to show me my sin, probably because I know it is there and don't want to see the ugliness of it. Yet the Lord is so faithful, knowing the thoughts of our hearts before we even want to utter them. He has blessed me with a true friend and sister in the Lord who has been one of the few people outside my family to call me on my sin in a loving way, pray with me about it, and hold me accountable to change. Thank you, Molly, for being a true friend, for not being afraid to say the things I need to hear. I also have four wonderful godly women/wives in my life right now from whom I've learned so much. They have been faithful to the Lord - faithful to love me, teach me, instruct me...they've showed me the true meaning of Christian hospitality, of giving of one's self, of training up the younger women. Thank you, Phyllis, Stephanie, Johanna, and Becky. I love you all. Thank you for being faithful friends.

THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR

Randy and Phyllis Cook

It's funny how the more time you take to think about your life, the more you see what the Lord has done. Everywhere you look you can see His hand. God has a reason for everything He allows to happen, whether or not we will ever understand it. I'm thankful beyond words for what He has done for me in saving me and calling me to Himself, teaching me what it means to live for Him, showing me the sufficiency of Scripture, giving me godly parents and friends, allowing me to teach and to come to Israel, and so much more. Here are some of the things I am specifically thankful for today, things that the Lord's hand is most definitely in:

1. That my brother-in-law, Mark, is okay. He was going to have surgery but it was cancelled when his heart stopped. Most likely in reaction to the anesthetic, but after appointments with the cardiologist, he should know for sure. Praise the Lord for the chance to have him around longer.

2. That I get to teach again next school year.

3. For my mom and grandma, faithful prayer warriors.

4. For my dad and the consistent, faithful, godly example he sets for me.

5. For Becky, Abner, Johanna, Bill, Stephanie, Rachel, Zach, Isaiah, Eitan, and Nehemiah, a few of the wonderful staff members and kids I have the privilege of serving each day.

6. For Randy and Phyllis, two of the most godly people I have ever known. Their example to thousands of students and people around the world is a testimony to God's faithfulness and His work in human hearts.

7. For the chance to be in Israel and walk the land of the Bible. For the ability in one day to walk in the Israelite tribal territories of Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali, Ephraim, Dan, and Judah - just on a day for fun.

8. For the LORD and His Word and how He allows me to understand and love Him more every day.

GALILEAN FISH

To those of you that know me well, you remember that I don't like seafood - at all. Until recently. I can eat fish sometimes, like Halibut or Salmon, and even Tuna. But look at that picture. I ate that! St. Peter's fish, caught that very day, from the Sea of Galilee, and brought right to my table. It's delicious. A little disturbing to have to move the eyeball and crunchy tail, but inside the fish is very tasty. As my dad will say after seeing this, "Wow, you're growing up." And I guess I am.

WHAT GOD CAN DO IN A WEEK

As I consider the events of this last week, I can't help but stand in awe of the power of God! Last week at this time it was Good Friday. Good, I believe, because we are considering the great work God did for us in sacrificing His Son that we may have a way back into a relationship with Him.

Good because we can stop and meditate on what we have been saved from.

Good because it is yet another chance to look back upon the last year and see what the Lord has done in and through us.

Good because nearly 2,000 years ago our lives (of those that believe that Jesus the Messiah is the Son of God and confess sin and a need for Him) were eternally saved.

Good because it was a chance to praise the Lord for who He is.

Good because the next day we were reminded of how frail we really are and just how much we need Him.

Good because we could look to Sunday and remember that Jesus the Messiah rose from the dead, conquering sin and death!

Last Saturday, a young man from our church collapsed when his heart quit beating and he stopped breathing. His mom saved his life by administering CPR. Really, we can know that it was the Lord whose plan it was to have him be on this earth a while longer so it was the Lord that spared his life. We are so very thankful for that chance to spend more time with him. Tomorrow, or today Israel time, Grant will be going home from the hospital. Praise the Lord! Look what God can do in a week! He took one who was gone and brought him back. Wow! As Grant's dad says, "How good is God!"

I love that the Lord works in so many ways we could never expect. Never has a "dull and boring" life been in His plan for us. I've just been reminded this week to thank the Lord for every breath, every beat of my heart, and every moment longer He allows me to spend time serving Him on this earth. What a life He gives to those who love Him! Tomorrow I have the awesome privilege of leaving for a week - to go to the Galilee! Jesus spent 18 months of His roughly 3 years of public ministry in the very area where I will be living for a week. How amazing is that! Some of the things we will get to do: hike to Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine; take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee; visit the synagogue in Capernaum where He spent much time teaching; visit Caesarea Philippi near the location of the Transfiguration; visit the sources of the Jordan River and much more. Wow! I can't wait to see what the Lord does this week!

RACHEL IS IN ISRAEL

These are just a few posts from my weekend. See the post on "How Good is God" to hear more about the events. The first picture I am on Christian Quarter Road in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem. That was Monday. The other pictures are from Sunday morning. The sign when we first came in read, "6:30am, in English." The next picture is self-explanatory. And the other two are of the Garden Tomb. To hear more about how I think/feel about this location, leave me a note. But as our guide said that day, it does not really matter if this was the place Jesus was buried or not. What matters is that He died, and ROSE again! May the power of God be real and evident in your lives this week!

PURIM: THE FEAST OF ESTHER

This past weekend was Purim, the Feast of Esther. In Israel it is celebrated by dressing up in costumes, having parties, and recounting the story of Esther. As it is read, interactively, the name "Haman" is to be drowned out with boos, the name "Mordechai" is to be cheered...and other fun things like that. Some of the popular desserts are "Haman's Ears." I think it's kind of disgusting to call something that and eat it, but they are delicious. It was a fun, festive weekend. (Weekend in Israel is Friday-Saturday).

THE THINGS YOU SEE SOMETIMES...

Anybody have an idea of what this might mean? I do. I think. But it made me think of my dad, at least, and going to Ace Hardware with him. I love you, Dad!

HOW GOOD IS GOD!

Yesterday was Resurrection Sunday, the day we celebrate the awesome power of our LORD and God as He raised His Son, who died for our sins, from the dead! It was an amazing morning. I woke up early to read the accounts of the Resurrection in the Scriptures, went to an amazing non-kosher breakfast provided by our amazing staff at 5am, and then we got on the bus to go into Jerusalem for a sunrise service at the Garden Tomb! (Not the actual location, but a good picture/reminder of the place.) This particular service was in English - it was packed in the garden. But oh, the joy of praising the Lord together with so many other believers in the midst of a lost city. I am sure that much of the East Jerusalem/Damascus Gate area heard us shout: "He is risen, indeed!" We sang, "See What a Morning" together...what a morning it was. Was it a morning like this, when our Savior rose from the dead? It was beautifully sunny and warm, the city was relatively quiet before dawn, and then our shouts of praise. I think of the words to the song "Was it a Morning Like This:" Did the grass sing? Did the earth rejoice to hear Him again? Over and over like a trumpet underground, did the earth seem to pound, He is risen?! Over and over in a never ending round, He is risen! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"
See God's salvation plan, Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man, For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb; Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years, Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears, For He lives:
Christ is risen from the dead!

One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honor and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with pow'r and authority!
And we are raised with Him, Death is dead, love has won,
Christ has conquered; And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

All afternoon I was able to quietly enjoy my Lord, thinking about what He has done for His people. When it was finally Sunday morning for the west coast of the U.S., I called home to quickly wish my family a blessed Resurrection morning before they left for church, when they told me about Grant. Grant is a 17-year-old friend from our church who collapsed at home on Saturday. His mom had to administer CPR and for 40 minutes he was without a pulse on his own. My mom asked me to pray and to have my friends here in Israel pray as well. But God is so good! This morning I was reading the updates about Grant, and not only is he breathing on his own, he seems to know and understand what is going on around him. Praise the Lord! Grant still has a long way to go, so please pray for him; but remember to praise the Lord for another way that He has shown His power over death and His control over all things, even the very next breaths we will take.

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN

Yesterday at the end of our Shabbat service, the fathers and mothers of these two sweet babies, Nehemiah and Meital, and the rest of our congregation welcomed them officically into the world and celebrated their lives. Nehemiah was born January 15 and Meital was born January 18. Their fathers both prayed that they would be able to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, that their lives might glorify God and that they would one day serve Him. It was a precious time. I'm thankful for the chance I had to be a part of it. Both of these babies have very interesting heritages. Nehemiah is the first son of Abner and Johanna Chou. Abner is Chinese and Johanna is Hungarian, but both have American citizenship. Both are also very good with languages and each speak a few. Meital is the third child of Tsuriel and Aneh Bar-David. Tsuriel is Israeli and Aneh is Finnish. Their other children, Gideon and Liel, both speak Hebrew and Finnish and they are only 3 and 1 1/2 years old respectively. They are also learning English. The parents of both babies come from believing families and that is such a blessing. What fun it is to be a part of their lives.

DIGGING IN THE DIRT

Early this week we spent two days excavating in the City of David with Doron Ben-Ami, an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority. We had an amazing time, working hard and having fun, if you couldn't tell from the picture. This was the second part of a dig that was started over a year ago. We had the privilege of starting to dig from the very top level of dirt in the archaeological squares...also code for "lots of hard work moving a bunch of dirt without really getting to find anything." The finished part of the dig (we were working on the western slope of the City of David) had unearthed remains and a few major structures from the Muslim Period, Second Temple Period, the time of Helena, and the First Temple Period. Within the next few months, they hope to discover similar things on the side we were working on. One of my favorite parts was getting to know people better while working really hard together. I had a lot of fun with the people in my square: Sara, Deborah, Troy, and Peter. It was also a blast being a part of the bucket brigade. The archaeologist kept commenting on the good attitudes and consistent hard working of our group. What fun to make a positive impact on people! On a side note...digging makes one very sore. It was great to feel those muscles hurt, knowing that they helped in doing something good; but the second day was sure hard. The Lord really gave me the strength and energy to work through the day despite the blisters and aches and for that I am thankful. I love all the reminders He is able to give us about needing to fully depend on Him for even the strength to take the next step.

BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY

Nehemiah Chou, 4 weeks old.

THE PLACES WE GO

This past wednesday IBEX visited the Biblical territory of the tribe of Benjamin. One of our first stops, pictured above, was a place called Nebi Samwil, or the place of the prophet Samuel. Funny how I'm standing by a sign that says, "Tomb of the Prophet Samuel." Religious Jews and even Muslims have made this place into a mosque and a synagogue because of that tradition. But don't they read their Bibles? Scripture specifically states that Samuel was buried in Ramah, his hometown (1 Samuel 25:1). Anyway, this spot overlooks the ancient city of Gibeon. It was a the high place of Gibeon where Solomon prayed for wisdom. This is the highest point around and could have very well been the spot where he prayed (1 Kings 3:4-14). Next we drove to Jericho, the lowest and oldest city (remains) on earth. On the way, we stopped in the middle of the wilderness of Judah/Benjamin. To think that John the Baptist and Jesus spent so much time here, alone. It it a perfect picture of how man cannot survive without help from the Lord. What a place to teach one to totally depend on Him for everything. At Jericho we marched around the city and it took us only 12 minutes. It changes your perspective just a bit of the Biblical story (Joshua 6). It was amazing to sit on top of the tel, re-read the story and visibly see how the geography and topography of the land played a major part in the narrative. After that, we visited Bethlehem, the city of our Savior's birth, and saw the fields around which would have been where the birth of Messiah Jesus was announced to the shepherds. How incredible to think that we were able to stand in the very city where the most precious gift to mankind arrived! We also visited two amazing architectural remains built by Herod the Great. It was one of those days where you can't even quite believe all you saw and all the history you "walked" through. Praise the Lord for such wonderful opportunities to see where He did so much of His work. We "walked" with the Israelites, Joshua, Samuel, Saul, David, Herod the Great (or not so great), John the Baptist, and Messiah Jesus...I just pray that I learned to live for the Lord like David did and follow the example my Savior left for me, recorded in His Word.

TEN THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM HIKING

1. It's not always easy.

2. It takes strength and endurance.

3. It takes planning, and vigilance while you are on the trail.

4. It can take you to places you never dreamed of going.

5. It must be done with a guide and is more fun with companions.

6. It challenges you physically and mentally.

7. It gives you a chance to meditate on the Word of God.

8. It allows you a different perspective on life and of God's creation.

9. It has a beginning and an end.

10. It is fun!

These things that I learned from hiking each have a parallel to life, specifically the life of a believer. Let me know what you think of when you read each one...

CONSTANT CHALLENGES AND CONSTANT JOYS

Life is full of many challenges. Some are physical and circumstantial, but most are spiritual, related to the Christian life. It is hard to live a godly life in a world full of sin, temptation, evil...when I myself am a sinner, but saved by the grace and mercy of our great God. One of the things I so appreciate about being in Israel is the constant reminder that this was the land the Lord chose as a testing ground of faith for His people. In the picture above, I am standing in a valley that once was the dividing line between the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah during the time of the divided monarchy. The cliffs in the background are the ones that Jonathan climbed down and then up to fight the Philistines when his father, Saul, was king. Though it was spring, it is the wilderness, and we had a definite reminder of why people living there would need to depend on the Lord for everything. It is a very uncertain place. At the end of our hike, we stood near a spring. It was amazing to see the word pictures in Psalm 1 come to life. The one who meditates on and learns from the Word of God "shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper." Another aspect of life in Israel that I love is constantly meditating and memorizing Scripture in the very places it was written, the places it was talking about, or in the areas the writer gained his word pictures and comparisons from. Last fall we memorized Psalm 48 while in Jerusalem. The psalmist says, "walk about Zion...", so we did. When we were in the wilderness, we memorized portions of Deuteronomy 8. "And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart..." When we were in Samaria and Caesarea (where Gentiles lived in NT times) we memorized Ephesians 2:4-13. There is so much wisdom and instruction to be gained from Scripture. It is a constant challenge to read it, study it, meditate on it, memorize it, and live it. But it is oh, so joyful a task to do at the same time.

"Fearfully and wonderfully made"

This little boy, the son of Abner and Johanna Chou, is a perfect example of how our God has so perfectly and carefully created us. Just look at those little features and be amazed at the power of God. He took an egg, so small that it could not be seen without a microscope, and created this little baby.

"Oh, LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thoughts from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me together in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them."

The Bible, being the very Word of God, speaks so well of this amazing part of life. I still just can't believe how very awesome our God is! This little boy has been made just as fearfully and wonderfully as the rest of us. But what a reminder of how precious life is!