I recently gave most of my belongings away. I have some stuff here, in Jerusalem, and I have a few special belongings left in various places around the U.S. of A. But the point is, I own very little, and that makes me very happy.

On the other hand, I spent a lot of money on new clothes this summer. They really are cheaper and much better quality in America than they are here. "Dressing the part" helps you act the part, too. When you dress professionally, then somehow, magically, your persona is changed into someone much more efficient than slouchy, jeans-and-a-tshirt you. They've done studies on this, you know. (And it does make me so happy to look in my closet and see all the pretty things to wear.)

I've recently discovered that my 10th grade students really like me. They've told other teachers and the secretary that I'm a good teacher and I explain everything really well in class. (You don't know how much this thrills me!) I've also found out that they watch everyday to see what I'm wearing. Apparently they like my style. How cute is that?

The thing is, the fact that they like my clothes makes me more relatable. There are, of course, many other ways to relate to students. But the point is that those clothes, that can seem so frivolous at times, are actually aiding my ministry somehow.

Please don't misunderstand me. I know there are countless ways to read this. My point is that there is a balance to everything. It is honorable to live with almost nothing to your name, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes God wants us to have things in order to use them for his glory. (I'm trying to figure out how I can convince him that I could really use a new black macbook for his glory.)

Here is a conversation you can have no where else:

Where is that other mall? You know the one down where what'sit was born.

Moses?....No, no. Elijah?

Was it Elijah?......No, John the Baptist!

Yes, John the Baptist.
What is the name of that mall?


I taught school today, and tutored, and then had an arabic lesson. Not to mention preparing for class tomorrow. Busy day.

Yesterday we went up to Galilee. It was too hot, and not that exciting, but it was nice to be able to show my brother new things. It is beautiful up there.

I'm tired. Good tired, though.

Before we get too far away from it, I want to tell you a little bit about my summer. I was able to do many of the things that were on "the list".

Six Flags twice! (Thanks alli and kevin!)
Went on a road trip (with my grandpa, from MI to TN)
I had a very patriotic 4th (including a lake, a boat, amazing friends, hot dogs with all the fixin's, fire works and fire crackers, singing "God Bless America" at the top of our lungs, listened to Leonard Skynard on the radio, and just a bit of sun burn.)
Ate good food (including taco bell)
I did go out with friends (and did a tiny bit of dancing)
I saw an old friend and a new friend play their sweet music (Meagan Coffee and Tyler Lyle)
I did not raise money (oh well)

The best things were not on the list. I got to spend time with the most amazing people on earth. I made new friends, the rare kind that I would actually like to keep for a very long time. (You know, I say they're rare, but I seem to have a lot of them.) I learned a lot about relationships and a lot about myself. I invested in people, and they invested in me. There was some reconciliation, some healing, some releasing.

I saw a store in Mount Pleasant, MI called Assmann's flooring and rugs.

It doesn't get any better than that.

I walked into my 10th grade World History class, and it all came together. Everything. I am a teacher. I mean, I really, finally, feel like a teacher. All the hours I put into preparation, all of the time I invest in the kids is actually worth something....to me. My paradigm is shifting. I no longer do the work simply because I have a deadline. I actually love and am excited about what I do on a day to day basis. You have no idea how huge this is.


I am learning to work when I'm working, and play when I'm playing. This is harder than some might think.


I am at home.

It's 3 a.m. and I can't sleep. (I feel like there's a 90's grunge song in there somewhere.) I went to bed at 12:30 last night and got up at 10, so I thought that I had beat the jet-lag demon. Apparently not.

I've been doing some seriously damaging introspection. That was no fun, so moved over to praying for all my problems. That did no good either, so I started praying for my friends. Good in theory, but it just made me miss you more. So here I am, writing to you instead.

I feel more homesick now than I ever did last year. I'm not sure why. I think all of the novelty has worn off and I'm just not as excited. I know how hard it is going to be.

Also, I had the most amazing summer. You have shown me more love than a girl can handle, and I miss that.

Really, I need more of Jesus with me right now. I need more of his love, and peace, and all that good stuff, and instead of asking for that, I'm whining to you.

So, Jesus, I need all that.

I love you friends, and Jesus, seriously.

I'll post more fun things when I feel more fun. Pictures will come, I promise. I took a tylenol pm and I'm hoping it will kick in soon.

I admit, my last post was a bit....melancholy. I am leaving in 12 hours, and I can honestly tell you that I am excited. Maybe the idea just had to set in.

I'm coming home!

Some things that I want to do while I'm in the U.S. of A.:

Six Flags
Road trip (even if it's short. the farthest we can drive here is about 4 hours, and that's through the desert.)
A very patriotic something for the 4th of July, including fireworks
Eat a lot of food, especiallly mexican
go dancing quite a bit
raise enough enough money for next year
go to shows of friends' bands

Hallas, that's enough for now. More to come later

I'm coming home, and I'm nervous and scared. Excited?........yes, to see my friends, but if it weren't for my friends and family I would probably just stay here. I cant't explain it to you. I'm sorry if I act awkward when I see you. Maybe I won't. I don't know.

I realize by coming back here in the fall I'll be forfeiting my friendships with most of you, and it breaks my heart. I wish I had a community in Jerusalem like I found in Atlanta. But I didn't find most of you until after I had lived there for 3 years! So there's still hope.

By the way, I love you.

It's Mother's Day, and since I'm so far away, there's not much I can do for my mom. I can't take her out to dinner, or give her a big hug. But I can write a tribute to my mom on this blog, and that's what I'm going to do.

Tribute to Mom:

You are amazing, mom. I am so blessed to have you as my mother.
I think the Bible says it best:

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. Her children arise and call her blessed."

I love how you support me and encourage me in the things that I do. When I decided to move to Israel, you were all about it, and there wasn't the slightest bit of hesitation in your voice. I trust your wisdom, and your opinion means the world to me. I have watched you overcome incredible obstacles and come out stronger. I have watched you handle these difficult times with faith and prayer. You have taught me so much about what it means to be a woman of God, a woman of grace. You are always there for me with a love that can only come from God; that wonderful, never-ending love of God.

Thank you, mom. I love you, and I can't wait to see you! (One month!)

"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

So...I was reading online, and I came across a comment written by a supposed Christian about how he had seen a vision of George W. Bush telling him to keep up the good work. I'm sorry. This is just so funny I had to share. Oh, he had also said that Iraqis deserve to be blown off the face of the earth so that we can share the Christian message of "peace and love." Is he listening to himself?

I’m happy that the Israelis have their independence. Really. But I’m starting to feel how the Arabs do about Israeli Independence Day.

Last night, just down the street, a Jewish guy went to a bakery in an Arab neighborhood with Israeli flags all over his car. Chaos ensued, complete with gunshots, helicopters, and a car-chase. I heard a couple of different stories: one that three people died, and the other that no one did, but a couple people were hurt. I’m not sure which one is true, but either way, it was madness.

As I sit in my living room typing this, I here the fireworks going off for Independence Day all around me, sounding eerily like gunshots. I can’t imagine what it sounds like to the Palestinians.

I’m in a difficult position with lots of fuzzy lines and gray areas. I don’t always know whose side I’m on. But there are a few things I’m sure of: A car in an Arab neighborhood, decked out with the Star of David, looks a lot like trouble to me. And soldiers, is it really necessary to drive your vehicle, blaring your siren, flag flying high, through my neighborhood for no particular reason at all? I am biased on both sides, (is that even possible?) but I usually end up rooting for the little guy. Over here the Israelis look like the big bullies on the playground picking on the little kids just because they can. So the little kids have a wild, fire-bomb throwing, suicide bomber reputation, but they are not all like that. Actually, very few of them are. Most of them just want to live their lives. And this is where God put them, unfortunate as it is for them.

It doesn’t look like it’s going to be quiet around here this summer. But just for the record, it hasn’t daunted my plans of coming back in the fall. I have so much more to write about, but I’m not going to do it tonight. I’ll leave you with a picture of Ross, my leader/headmaster, with Arafat. Yep.

Also, I finally went up to the temple mou.....oops, I mean Dome of the Rock yesterday. I'll have to tell you about that soon.

Sorry about the orientation. This is a currency exchange storefront, with a well placed dollar sign. We had a few laughs over it. You'd never believe what that girl looked like when she came back out....

We just got back from a trip to Mount Hermon (read about it in Joshua....3, I think) and the Golan. It was awesome, and so needed. Christy and I had so much fun exploring a Crusader castle from the 1200's called Nimrod's Fortress. We also rode something called a "coasterbob", which is like your own personal roller coaster in the snow. Very fun. It's so beautiful up there, expecially compared to Jerusalem. Even driving was a blast with beautiful scenery and good music.

Things have been tough lately. One of our teachers is leaving this week. We're short on teachers, and on money. The government will not release the money that was promised, even though so much money was used to fulfill the requirements they put on us. My kids, God bless them, are constant sources of both reward and pain. I'm too sensitive. Please pray for me/us. We need it desperately.

I am so happy that I have a purpose, even when it brings so much difficulty with it. It makes all the difference in the world to know that God is using me here. I could get through anything with Him by my side. :)

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…..

In ten days, I will have been here for four months. That's a third of a year. I've never been outside the ol' U S of A for this long before. My last record was roughly two months, and that was back in 2000. I was in India and Sri Lanka for DTS outreach.

Before I left, a friend asked me what I thought I would miss the most. He said "friends" didn't count. He was looking for something more along the lines of food, I think. I miss Taco Bell like crazy. I know it's disgusting. I also had the urge to go to Walmart today. I don't even like Walmart that much. I'm much more of a Target person.

I miss convenience. And it's one of the main things I'm running from. Human nature is so hard to shake. God help us.

(I hear there's a Walmart in Jordan. :)

I'm feeling pressure to put up more pictures. OK, so maybe I'm putting the pressure on myself. I have done so much since I've been here, and there's not much to show for it on this blog.

One of my favorite things that we've seen is Hezekiah's tunnel. It's totally in the Old Testament and I've walked through it. It's in the Old Old City, outside the present Old City, in the City of David. Read about it in 2 Chronicles 32:30. He had this tunnel carved out to bring the water from the source to inside the city, so that when they were attacked they would not be without it. We walked through a large part of this tunnel. It was, of course, all rock, and the water came up to mid-calf most of the way. At the highest, it came almost all the way up my leg. There was no light except our flashlights. It was awesome! I think I liked it so much because it wasn't altered. It is the same now as it was then. (Of course, above ground and all around it is a tourist center, but the actual tunnel is the same.)

Christy, Sabrina, and Shane



On that same day I took this picture, which doesn't look like a whole lot, but there's something pretty amazing there. This picture is taken right outside the present day Old City walls next to the Dung Gate. It's where the big mosque is, next to the Dome of the Rock, and right where the temple used to be. They have escavated (in what little space they can) the old temple steps. Jesus actually taught on these steps. Below these steps, the hill slopes down and that is where the City of David lies. You can see why Soloman built the temple here. It's at the top of everything. The dark dome at the top of these pictures is the Al-Aqsa mosque.




So, it's really hard to see the steps. If you are looking at the center of the picture, move slightly up and to the left. At the base of that wall that looks like it is part of the mosque there is a white space. That's where they are. Sorry I couldn't get a better picture. I'll work on that.

I'll leave you with this one: a promise from the Lord. We were sitting in a little cafe' looking down on the temple mount and across at the Mount of Olives, and here was this rainbow. It was radiant in real life. This picture doesn't do it justice.

Apparently there is a “Biblical” Zoo in Jerusalem. It only has animals that are in the Bible. Does it have a leviathan? I'll let you know.

If I could figure out a way to make money off of trash and cats, I could be a very wealthy woman. Let me tell you, they’re everywhere.

Christy and I have been working on a new diet. We put our food and drink on opposite ends of the apartment, so we have to walk back and forth between them. I'll let you know how it works out. Advanced level is putting the food upstairs.

Some of you may have heard this, but it's worth repeating. Wilma was offered 1,000 camels and 2 donkeys for me and Christy by a shopkeeper's son in the old city. A camel is worth somewhere around 10,000 dollars. So that's 5 million dollars for each of us! We went walking around the city and later passed by that shop again (not on purpose, mind you) and he yelled out across the street, "Hello! Is it me you're looking for?" No kidding. He really did say that.

So, the guy in the little shop across the street, that I go to almost every day for a coke (it reminds me of home, OK?), always slips in a free pack of gum. It seems harmless enough. According to a couple of people here, that's just about as good as a proposal. I think I'll take the camels, thank you. That's a much better offer. (Still holding out for a better one, though.)

I wanted to explain what that odd-looking glass thing is in the picture below. Well, I wanted to, if I could. I have no idea what it is either. It's some sort of ax-weilding mammal fixed nicely into a nic-nac. Feel free to give me your ideas on what it is. I fully intend on bringing it back home with me. I'm almost sure I can find nothing like it in the U.S.

Blowing out the candles (well, candle.....that little bowl thing in the middle was on fire)

I had a dream last night about my friends again. It seems that my mind creates scenarios in which I can visit you without leaving my bed. It’s quite amazing. Last night, I spent most of my time with Yesenia. It was Halloween (interesting that it actually is) and we were discussing the party. I was trying to figure out what I was going as, and she was telling me that she wasn’t going to go, being as pregnant as she was and all, she just didn’t feel like it. Daryl was going, though. Some other notable cameos: Jessica Tilley, Ian, Ben, and Katie Jones. I’m sure there were others I can’t remember right now. The most interesting thing about the dream was that I was home after only 2 months of being gone. I felt like I was out of the loop, but that I shouldn’t be home already. It felt wrong and totally out of place to be home so soon. When I woke up, it was one of those moments where you’re not sure where you are and what you’re doing there. Once I figured it out, I was so relieved to still be in Israel. I have so much more to do here.

Which brings me to an important point. Please, please, please pray for me. At the moment I have some renegade stomach virus that keeps me chained to within about 20 ft of a bathroom. I am feeling a bit better, but it’s not over yet. I have been sick so much since I‘ve been here, and I’ve been trying to figure out Satan’s purposes in all of it. I know he’s behind it. I am not this fragile normally, and I’m really starting to get angry. Here is what I’ve figured out so far, or at least what I think: These kids are so oppressed. Their land is not theirs, their parents pay taxes to a government not their own and never reap any benefits, and their people are regularly degraded, beaten down, and disrespected. My students naturally have a hard time trusting, and every time I am not in the classroom, they take it as a personal affront. Also, every day we pray for healing for those who are sick; and here is my testimony: the Christian teacher who is never healthy. God, I want to see miracles and healing for Your glory, so that others can see Your power! I want to be there for my kids in a way that proves Your love for them too. That’s my purpose.

So, my friends, pray. You were praying, but slowly we have felt the prayer covering diminish. Prayer is what we’ve been given to fight with, that and our sword, the Word. And I really need your help to win this battle. This may sound cheesy to some of you. I understand, but I’ve never been more serious in my life. I have been given the most amazing friends in the world. I love you all so much. If you need prayer, please don’t hesitate to tell me. Maybe prayers get to God faster over here. :)

It’s Friday afternoon at about 3 o’clock and I’m still in my pajamas. Fridays are the Muslim holy day. They go to pray in the morning, and then their shops open up again around 2:30 or 3. The Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday, but everything closes at 2 or 3. If I wanted to go to the mall or do anything else entertaining, I really missed my chance. But, you know, it’s ok. I’m sitting on my bed, listening to one of Kris’ sermons, drinking coffee, and just all around enjoying myself. In America, there is so much to distract. I thought that when I moved to Israel I would have so much time to spend with God. “When I get there,” I thought, “I’ll just sit and pray and read my Bible all day long.” That’s a joke. I can always find other things to do. So right now I’m thankful that the mall is closed, and it’s a quiet day. It means that I can actually hear what God is saying to me today.