The Everlasting

John 11 Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?

Do you believe this?

This morning when I opened my Bible I just "happened" to be where I left off yesterday and found myself at the story of Lazarus. What a wonderful Savior. He meets me every morning just where I need Him. I needed to hear what Jesus had to say about death this morning.

After saying goodbye to Bechel, Nawfal and Mariwan we headed out in two vehicles for Wolfson. Four children got good echo reports today and then, hallelujah, we headed for the sea.

We went to the old port city of Yafo and it was absolutely beautiful. The clouds cleared and the rain stopped and it was lovely. We parked and walked along the boardwalk down to the port where every morning fresh fish are brought from the sea and sold. It is one of the oldest cities in Israel. The surf was up and there were several people surfing the waves. It was fabulous.

On the way home, in the traffic and misting rain, with the children chatting and sleeping in the back of the van, I find myself in a place of peace.

I don't feel the same as I did the first time I came to this place. I am not on a mission to find God or have some kind of deep religous "experience". I do not feel that being here gives me some special "vision". I just feel a need here and I can, in some way, aleviate that need. I think my Father has brought me here for His purpose. I would love a revelation, a vision, a deep awakening in my soul but that is not why I am here. I don't "need" to be here. I just want to.

Father, I love You. Everything about You. I find You enchanting. I just want to walk with You and love You and be near You. And if You choose to reveal Yourself to me in a miraculous way then I will be happy. But for today I am at peace just being in Your presence and feeling a sense of belonging in Your city and with Your people.

The Hope

Job 13 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

Today was my day to take care of the children so that Laura could take her first trip to Gaza. We had a great morning beginning with a time of worship and singing with Ryan on the guitar. After breakfast Mary and I went up to play with the kids. We colored, played with balloons, brushed teeth, made animals out of play-dough and broke up a fight:) Just a small fight between small boys.

But as I was coming down to put supplies away I noticed immediately how quiet everyone was and I have seen this enough in my work to know that something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong. Baran has died.

Gaddy, Mauna, Donna Jo, Ryan and I went to Sheba to pick up Bechel, Nawful and Mariwan and bring them back to Jerusalem with us and make arrangements for Baran to be transported back to Kurdistan.

Job 14 Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.

I continue to be impressed with this young family. They expressed their gratitude to all of us and also for the fact that they did not have to choose to remove the life support system. They saw this as merciful. And mercy is what we have prayed for. We also prayed for healing and we recognize that healing comes in many forms. Baran is completely healed and in perfect peace.

How is it that a parent copes with the loss of a child? It is unbearable I think; a wound that never completely heals. And it is at this point that I am so grateful for the hope I have in Christ Jesus, my Lord.

I Corinthians 15 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

So how do we express this hope to those who feel hopeless and in the middle of the worst day of their lives? Well, for us right now, we are offering a hot bowl of soup, a clean bed, a hot shower, tears with the crying and prayers that our Father would reveal Himself to this young family.

Father, we are inadequate for these things. Not much helps in the way of human comfort at this time. They are bereft. Lord would you show us how? Would you come to Bechel and Nawful and be to them a God who can be felt? Who can be heard? Who can be touched? Come to them Father in dreams, in visions and in these hands and feet of ours to be a comfort to them. Give them safe travel Father and smooth navigation through customs. Would You be gracious to them Lord and bless them in their marriage and in their work? Would You bless them with children Father and let them flourish in all that they do? And when this life is over, Lord, would You bring them safely into Your kingdom and reunite them with their perfectly healthy Baran? For Your Name's sake.

The Prophet

Romans 12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable spiritual worship.

Today has been such a great day. It is Sabbath so I slept late, until eleven. During my brunch I had a conversation with Brian about the story of Jacob wrestling with the Lord. He had some very intersting thoughts on this, a different perspective. He was saying that before Jacob could be reconciled to Esau that he must first wrestle or come to terms with the Lord. He related that to modern day and suggested that before the sons of Jacob, Israel, could be reconciled with the sons of Esau, Palestine, that Israel would have to come to terms with Jesus Christ. I have thought about that a great deal today.

I also had a coming to terms with Jesus. On the night that He revealed Himself to me I had to confess my true feelings towards Him. I was angry with Him that He had allowed so much suffering in my young life. I felt He had not taken very good care of His child. It was only through this wrestling, this coming to terms and being honest with Him that I truly learned to consider Him my friend. He gave me a better understanding of Himself and He changed my perspective. I, like Jacob, was wounded by the encounter but I left it as a different person. My name also was changed. It was written in the Lambs Book of Life.

Thought provoking conversation over brunch.

Later my friend, the prophet from the Mount of Olive, Daoud came by. I love for him to visit. His kindness and humbleness and love of Jesus moves me. He is unashamed and continues to suffer for that to this day. He is persecuted until now for his faith and voice for the Lord. How is it possible for anyone to mistreat such a kind and gentle man of God?

Daoud asked me a very interesting question tonight. He asked me to read Romans 12 and said, Jesus says to you, (specifically to me) Are you ready?

He says that the Lord has shown him that I have spend much time in the last few weeks in prayer. True. That I have given my heart to Him completely. True. That I have been seeking Him. True. And that He is asking me this same question, Are you ready? True.

Daoud says the Lord has planted me here. True.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Later we had the most wonderful dinner, a luxury. French toast with syrup or honey; bananas and pomegranate with yogurt and scrambled eggs. Exquisite. For a late night snack it was mixed nuts and fruits, fresh from the Jerusalem market :)

I have a couple of things that I hope to do before leaving. One was to see the sea and I have been thinking that it's about time for me to visit the garden tomb. I have been to Israel four times and have never been to the tomb. This afternoon when we got our weekly work scedules I am to visit the sea in Tel Aviv on Monday and go with the moms and children to the garden tomb on Wednesday. How great is our God?

Father You have given me blessing upon blessing this trip and I am overwhelmed with the generosity and hospitality that has been shown to me here. I cannot thank You enough. I love You Lord and I am grateful, so grateful for Your love toward me. I don't know what the future will bring but I will trust You to show me daily what Your will is. I am ready Lord. Plant me wherever You choose and bring me safely to Your kingdom.

Song of Songs Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.

The Feast

John 7 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

As I am reading this the Helper leads me to truth about some of the wonderful people that I have encountered on this trip and some of the amazing conversations that have flowed out of those meetings.

It is not the people themselves who are so wonderful as it is the fact that I am encountering the Holy Spirit within them. And the conversations that have touched me to my very core have indeed been conversations with my Lord.

And if you can sit for a moment and allow Him to let that thought settle in your mind it might change your life.

Every day since my arrival here I have had a divine appointment. I believe that the Lord came before me and arranged these meetings and I feel He must take delight in His work for I have never had such an experience as I have enjoyed in my time here. It is important that when I see this design in my life that I recognize from where it comes because there are lessons to be learned here.

I needed a Savior desperately. I needed the anointing of His Holy Spirit desperately but that is not the end of my need. I need to be with other beleivers who are walking in that Spirit because it brings me to a place of miraculous worship and I want you, if you are reading this, to GET that. Father help me here....The end result of these wonderful encounters is that I find myself worshipping my Lord!!! When I am with Daoud, Zack, Rafi and Fita, Hephzibah and Gunter, Alvin and Sherry, Samir or my precious friends in this house I find that my heart is in a state of worship to Him.

I need that. It is like a drug to me and I want to be an addict.

Jesus cried out, If anyone thiersts, let him come to me and drink....Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Father I find You, as always, amazing. How is it that I can be thirsty and satisfied at the same time? How is it that I can be in conversation with another and worshipping You in my heart? I love the way that Your Spirit flows in and out of our conservations weaving us together like needle and thread. Father would You continue this work for all of my life? I have never felt such joy and contentment as when I see You in another. It is like a child, being rocked, looking into the face of their mother and being satisfied. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me. Thank You for revealing Your work in my life to me. Thank You for preparing the way for me while I am here. I love you Father.

The Shalom

John 14 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem :)

This morning we welcomed another new face, Brian, who is from Wales, and again the Lord brings another heart connection into His kingdom. During our time of worship this morning we heard a little of his story and we shared a little of ourselves with him.

And guess what????? I had my very first Hannukah donut in Jerusalem, still warm from the oven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So many little treasures from this trip. Speaking of little treasures, Laura and I went upstairs for a short visit with the kids and to take a few pictures.

The office closed at 12 noon today and I am officially off work for the Sabbath. Yea! and Hallelujah because I had awesome plans. Donna Jo, Justina and Brian were going to Bethlehem to visit friends so I hitched a ride to meet some friends also. We stopped on Manger Street :) in Bethlehem and went our separate ways and Rafi came to pick me up for an afternoon at his home. SWEET. Rafi and his family are from Bethlehem and are believers in Christ and they are the lovliest of people. When I arrived at their home a grand lunch was in the making. Whole fish grilled over a wood fire, homeade bread over the same fire, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic and onions, fresh salad with lemon and some traditional arabic dishes. It was wonderful.

The two older children took me to see their rooms and learned how to use my camera and then we took some pictures with their new brother in his wonderful cradle that their father made before he married their mother in the hopes that they would have children together. And they do, dark brown eyed beauties.

And true to their culture hospitality rules in their house. We stayed around the table for hours having tea and then arabic coffee and chocolate. We talked about the difficulities of life here, the wall that is built between them and Jerusalem, the state of their economy and healthcare.

I find the palestinian people that I have met completely lovely in form, in family and in thought. I barely know Rafi and his family and he has offerred to let me and Ken stay in the basement apartment of their home and live and volunteer in Bethlehem. What a tremendous thought.

When I left from Rafi and Fita's house I met up with my friends in Bethlehem and was invited to meet their friends in their apartment. And if the day had not already been wonderful enough, I wish you could have seen the view from that apartment when I walked in the door. Wide windows banking the entire back of the apartment looking out over Bethlehem at dusk. And it just took my breath away. There I met Alvin and Sherry, a married couple, who have a ministry in Bethlehem. We were with them for maybe only ten minutes but it was so powerful. Not only the view but the couple. Before we left Alvin asked if he might pray with me and as he took my hand it was like electricity from his hand to mine and as he was praying he prophesied over me. Wonderul things from the Lord about what he saw when he took my hand. He said he immediately saw a needle and thread and that the Lord was weaving me and my husband into a place in His kindgom and His ministry and that within the next two years we would see great changes in our lives and we would walk through a narrow gate on a specific path chosen for us by God and surrounded by children. The Lord is doing a new thing in us.

This entire trip has been this way. Every day a new adventure, a new face, a new revelation. How can it be that you can be with a person, regardless of the amount of time, and that the Holy Spirit moves so strongly between your heart and their that you are changed?

That is miraculous. It has been like lightning in my heart, fire and smoke and thunder. That is the power of our God. He has an impact when we face him in the lives of other believers.

I want that. I don't think I can live without it anymore. I am sick of mediocrity. I want a fire, a hurricane, a flood, Lord. Oh God, drag me from this lukewarm lifestyle!! And change me, Lord and let me live a life in which others are impacted by Your Holy Spirit dwelling within me.

The Comforter

Psalm 23 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Today, after a pastry and time of worship, I headed off to Sheba Hospital for a meeting with the parents of Baran, Bechel and Nawful, and the head of the ICU. We also had the luxury of a translater, Elan, who speaks Kurdish, English, Hebrew and Arabic.

While we were waiting for the meeting and our translater to arrive I had an hour or so to just talk with Bechel and Nawful about life in general. I am amazed at how even during the most difficult time of their lives that they are so gracious. They ask about my family, my children, my job and my culture. They offer tea and lunch. And even though I am here to comfort and support them, they are concerned with my own comfort.

Nawful tells me that in his view and according to his culture that I am a friend, a family member to them and I can tell that he is sincere. He invites me to come and stay with them in Kurdistan and Bechel's face lights up as she talks about how they will take me to dinner in all of their families homes. She says that when they go to dinner that they start with water and then tea followed by chocolate and a dinner meal and dessert afterward. She says that they sit for long periods just talking and either getting to know someone or strengthening an existing friendship or family tie. They teach me about being polite, offerring the best of seats and food to the guests and bringing a gift to the host and hostess. And for a moment we are just a couple of friends having tea without a care. They have put their own fears and needs aside to be gracious to me.

And that is a trait that reminds me so much of Jesus.

It is amazing to me throughout His ministry we see Him teaching, building relationships and enjoying long dinners with friends. I think He must have been the kind of man that you would just want to have around. Gracious, funny, sympathetic and trustworthy. And all of this time He can see the cross looming in His very near future. Somehow He was able to put that aside and do the work that He had come to accomplish.

Father, I thank You for opportunities to meet people like Bechel and Nawful. I hope to see them some day in Kurdistan with their son and meet their families and have long dinners just getting to know each other. Father would You heal Baran and give back to his parents their joy?

The Hinderance

Galations 5 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuations is not from Him who calls you.

King of kings and Lord of Lords glory hallelujah

King of kings and Lord of Lords glory hallelujah

Jesus Prince of peace glory hallelujah

Jesus Prince of peace glory hallelujah

Yasu'u Malkul muluk

Majdan halleluya

Yasu'u Rrabbul arbab

Majdan halleluya

Ra'isu ssalam

Majdan halleluya

Ra'isu ssalam

Majdan halleluya

Melekh hamlakhim, Yeshua

Halleh halleluya

Melekh hamlakhim, Yeshua

Halleh halleluya

Yeshua' Sar shalom

Helleh halleluya

Yeshua' Sar shalom

Halleh halleluya

This is my favorite worship song that we sing in the house. It is in a beautiful key, it is lively and it allows everyone here to sing in their own language.

I was a little distracted yesterday. My time here is so short and there are many things that I hope to accomplish. I started thinking about getting a seat on the plane home, having Christmas with my family and then driving to Albuquerque to be ready to work on the twenty first. Today is the first:)

So as I was worrying about this the Helper reminded me of these verses...

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not form him who calls you.....For you were called to freedom, brothers.

This is another lesson for me in trusting in God for my daily bread. I cannot live in the guilt of my past or in the anxiety of my future. I know that I have work to do here today and that is enough for me. Living in the moment is the place that I find peace.

This morning I woke with perfect peace in these matters. All I really need is to follow Him day by day. If it is His will to send me to Albuquerque or home or here all I need to do is to listen to His voice and be obedient. He will take care of all my needs.

I am finding that by inviting the Holy Spirit to assume His rightful place as Lord in my life that He is quick to help me, to comfort me, to teach me. He never shames me; He brings to mind the Scripture to lead me into truth, to help me find rest, to free up areas in my life where I am still in bondage.

For you were called to freedom, brothers.

My prayer for you today is that you would find a quiet place to sit before the Lord and ask the right question, Father is there any wickedness in me; is there sin between my heart and your; is there any area of bondage in my life that You would choose to free me from?

As you pray this I believe that the Helper will bring these things to mind and that He will lead you into truth. It is His good pleasure to lead you to freedom in Christ.

King of kings and Lord of lords glory hallelujah!!

King of kings and Lord of lords glory halleujah!!

Jesus Prince of peace glory hallelujah

Jesus Prince of peace glory hallelujah