Day 100

It has been way too long since we last posted! Yes, we are still alive and well, and we are thankful for the Lord's faithfulness in everything we have experienced. Tomorrow marks the 100th day that we have been in Israel, and despite its challenges, our experience has been amazing. We praise God for the ways in which He continues to show us His provision, His power, and His presence. We are seeing growth in our children (physical and mental, but most importantly spiritual), which has been a blessing.

This afternoon Josiah was sitting next to me on the couch, holding my Bible. He said to me, "Mommy, I'm gonna show you where the disciples went to the German Colony." (Note: the German Colony is an area of Jerusalem that we visit often - it has lots of shops, cafes, restaurants, bakeries, and even a McDonald's.) He opened up to Proverbs and told me the story: "This is where the disciples went to the German Colony. The disciples knocked down all the buildings. But the good guys came and rebuilt the buildings."

This made me laugh, and I had to write it down right away so I would remember it. We've visited many ruins, and he often hears about cities being destroyed and then rebuilt, but he's got his facts a little mixed up. :)

Some of you know, because I asked you to pray, that our boys have been fighting a lot and using put-down language with each other and hitting/kicking, etc. Thank you for your prayers! I started a token system this week where they have to earn a certain number of tokens for saying or doing kind things for each other, and then Tim and I will take them to McDonald's (a costly treat here, but well worth it!). This system has been working wonders and has totally changed their attitudes as well as my own. I've noticed Caleb has even been encouraging other kids. Josiah said to me today, "Mommy, you are the best mommy in the whole world!" When I responded with a hug and said, "Thank you, Josiah! What made you say that?" he responded with, "I want another token." He has a little ways to go, but he's trying.

Our friends, Allison and her mom Mary Jane ("Mary James," as Josiah called her), visited for 2 weeks, and I have a few pictures - but not very many since Tim had the camera on his trip to Jordan when we visited Bethlehem and the Desert; plus they did some of their own excursions with local tour companies.

Ramparts Walk (on top of the Old City Wall)

Pizza for lunch in the Jewish Quarter

Recess in the park - Allison and Abby

Dessert with my 24-Day Challenge group

Thank you for your prayers about the weekend that Tim was gone. He had a good trip, and Allison, Mary Jane, and the kids and I all had a good time in Bethlehem and the Desert (En Gedi, Qumran, and the Dead Sea). I ended up feeling quite comfortable driving around the country, which I didn't expect at all (very much a "God thing")! God took care of our rental car when I took the boys to the restroom at En Gedi and glanced in the parking lot only to see an adult male ibex deer standing on the roof of our van, using it as a stepstool to reach the tree leaves above it. I kindly asked him to move, but he looked me in the eye as if to say, "I'm a lot bigger than you are; what are you gonna do about it?" I tried again to shoo him away but he startled and almost slid down the windshield. I thought I better leave him alone otherwise he might do more damage than if I just let him be. He was gone by the time we came back out of the restroom, and the park ranger said that this happens all the time. I wonder if car rental insurance covers damage done by an ibex on the roof! (Unfortunately, I did not have my camera and therefore couldn't get a picture of this hilarious sight!!!)

Tim has three term papers under his belt, two more he's working on, plus two final exams next week. He then heads to Egypt for a week, and his semester will then be officially over. In the meantime, I am co-planning our homeschool co-op Christmas party as well as another co-op activity/event, and trying to keep up with Caleb's curriculum, as well as manage laundry without a dryer and dishes without a dishwasher. :) Speaking of appliances, our fridge is working better now that the weather is finally below 80 degrees. Hopefully we will no longer have food spoiling. Our washing machine went out last week, but thanks to our neighbor downstairs who hooked us up with a repair company, it is in good working order now, washing even better than before!

Tim has been taking occasional study breaks to spend time with the kids. :) Last week we all went to the park and Caleb and Daddy played football together.

Tonight Tim read to the kids before bed. They read "Phineas and Ferb," which made them a bit silly!

Yes, Tim has reading glasses on. His eyesight has gone downhill very quickly, so he has had to purchase reading glasses here. We would appreciate your prayers, that his eyesight improves or that it doesn't get worse. It has made studying difficult, especially with the poor lighting in our apartment.

From my end, I've had my own personal struggles, wrestling with God about what my purpose is here in Israel, not being satisfied with God's repeated answer of "you are here to support Tim and to pray for him and your children." (For a while I was frustrated that Tim was traveling so much, and I wasn't seeing any growth in my children as a result of my prayers. Quite frankly, they were driving me crazy!) I had been wanting to serve in some way, not just survive every day. Well, the Lord has given me complete peace about my calling here, but He has also heard my heart's desire and given me opportunities to serve, through flute-playing (cool story about that below), preparing a meal for a family, and watching the four youngest of my friend's kids while she and her husband packed to move to England. (This family [the Rojas family] has 13 children, plus one on the way. Six of them are still living at home, and they left on Monday to meet up with four of the older siblings that live in England at the moment. They don't know where the Lord is leading them but are trusting in Him for guidance and provision for their family. They have been an amazing testimony to me, and I count it a gift from God that He allowed our paths to cross, even if for a short time.)

Here we are playing our flutes at a potluck after the worship service last Saturday.

Me, Esther Rojas, and Dahlia

The 4 youngest Rojas kids with our boys: Joy, Josiah, Caleb, Jonathan, Rebekah, and Cynthia

Okay so here's my flute story: Before we left for Israel, I was praying about our packing process, and God told me to pack my flute. I hadn't played it in about 4 years, so I complained a bit but said I'd go dig it out of the garage. Well, I forgot, and the day we left I remembered but reasoned that it wouldn't fit anywhere in our luggage. A few weeks after we arrived, Esther Rojas (age 16) asked me out of the blue if I play a musical instrument. I told her I played the flute, and she excitedly asked if I'd play with her sometime. I told her I had left my flute in the U.S., and she said I could play her old one (she had just recently bought a new flute). So I've been playing her old flute. Well, before she left for England, I thanked her and lamented that I hadn't been obedient in bringing my own flute because now that she was leaving, I wouldn't be able to play anymore. "You can keep it," she said with a smile, "I've been trying to get rid of it." So she is allowing me to keep her flute with the understanding that someday, if she ends up in the U.S., I will return it to her. The moral of the story: I should have been obedient because then I would be playing my own flute. BUT, the more important moral is that the Lord loves us so much that He redeems our mistakes and gives us so much grace!! He wanted me to use this gift for His glory - and to develop a beautiful relationship with one of His precious daughters, Esther. And He made it happen even though I didn't do as He instructed me. Thank you, Lord, for having mercy on me and for showing me your grace!

If you read this post all the way to this point, thank you for taking the time to "listen"! We miss our friends and family terribly and pray for you often. Thanks again for your prayers as Tim learns about and experiences the land, the culture, and the Scriptures, and for me and the kids as we support Daddy and do our own learning and experiencing in different ways. We'll try not to let so much time pass before we post again!