It has been a long time since I have updated this, and to my faithful readers, I am truly sorry. You are probably no longer faithful, since I have failed to hold up my end of the bargain. I have been very well, generally speaking. So much has happened that I will not be able to catch you up entirely, so I’ll hit the high notes. Christmas vacation was wonderful. I was able to see a good bit of the North Country: Nazareth (I’m sure you’ve heard of it), Galilee, the Jordan, and we even drove through Cana. It is so peaceful up there. Leaving Jerusalem feels so good. It’s like a breath of fresh air, or weight taken off our shoulders. We went to Haifa for New Year’s and saw a very meager display of fireworks (more like fire crackers.) Riding on the train up the Mediterranean was a nice experience though.
I received the best Christmas present ever, and that was that my mom was able to come visit at the last minute. She, and another friend, Sarah, stayed for about a week. We had overlapping visitors from England, which made for quite a full house. It was so much fun, though it was really difficult to let my mom go.
It’s looking like I’m going to make this place my home, at least for a while. I think I want to come back next year. Though, if I do, I will have to raise support. I don’t know when my heart turned. About a month ago I was ready to pack my bags and say “adios,” but I don’t feel that way anymore. We’ll see. God will make it clear in His timing.
One of my 6th grader’s wrote this poem today. It touched my heart, and I wanted to share it with you.

The Beach
By Celesy Dabbagh

Have you ever went to the beach
And heard the preacher preach
About God and His wonderful things,
And about His great blessings?
Water, rocks, sand, and shells,
Which remind you of church bells,
Bringing you the sound of the waves
That tells you about how God saves.
Come to the beach, oh my friend,
And let’s enjoy what God hath sent!!


Since school has started back, it has gone by so fast. I can’t believe it’s the end of February. Winter is almost over! I have a feeling that the next few months are going to go just as fast. We have found a church to attend that is very westernized. The pastor is actually Canadian, and the worship is much like we would do in the states. It’s a blessing. My community is growing, and that helps me feel more at home. With my mom, came my guitar, and with my guitar, word to people here that I play. Somehow I got roped into playing worship for our little church on Saturday nights (for our school). Now, I have no problem with singing, or even leading (I’ve been doing it for years) but playing is another issue entirely. Please pray for a miracle. Seriously. I need help.

Oh, yes!! I am super-duper excited because Melanie (our very own) is bringing a team over from Switzerland and is going to be here for 6 weeks! How amazing is our God. Would you have ever thought…..