final thoughts

Hallelujah I'm finally feeling better & can write!!!

so what happened the past few days & what did I think????

The end of the trip was busy ,busy,busy!! We were able to tour many places w/ detailed info thanks to our awesome tour guide. Unfortunately, we had very little rest time so I'm really looking forward a nice bubble bath & my bed :) 

Thursday started w/ a trip to the oldest remaining village in Israel. Now I understand why archeologists are obsessed w/ their work, it's bc the final result is mesmerizing. 

Friday we climbed to the Mt of Olives, scaled King David's tower,toured the Israeli Museum, and visited the possible location of Jesus' tomb.

Saturday we visited the Western Wall aka the wailing wall, traveled through the Rabbi's tunnel ( a tunnel underneath the western wall), went to the temple institute, and climbed the southern steps.

Now, how do I feel about all that & and the rest of my trip???

Being in God's chosen land is life changing. If you've ever had a youth camp spiritual high then you can imagine what sleeping in Israel is like. Being awake in the Holy Land is a gajillon more times powerful! The people are so compassionate and the land is beautiful. I wish I could put into words how I feel about the land, but the connection is indescribable and can only be translated when you visit it yourself :)

I hope that this blog has led you to think about & even pray for a land that has very little friends. 

                                                                               

                                                                                    Isaiah 62:1-2

                                           For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
                      for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
                                        till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
                         her salvation like a blazing torch.

                                        The nations will see your vindication,
                            and all kings your glory;
                                         you will be called by a new name
                      that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.

        

                                                                           
Thank you so very much for continually praying for the team. Your prayers were definitely felt & answered!!!!
                                                                                              -Mads

Shalom Israel

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I couldn't get wifi in my room :(

Right now I'm in the US & will be home later. I'm planning to recap everything that has happened in the past few days but for now here are some pics

I already miss Israel!!

                                                       -Mads
Praise: no flight problems so far
Prayer: I have had horrible stomach pains lately

garden of gethsemane 

@ Israeli Muesum flashback to APWH!

possible place of Jesus' tomb

feet in the Jordan River (see the Jordanian soldiers in the background?)

high tech game!

exploration

To be honest, I didn't want to post today. I felt guilty that we spent the day touring the countryside instead of doing community service. But, God reminded me if I wear a polo that says, "For Zion's sake I will not be silent" I better brag about his land!

So here's what went down today-

First, we hiked through the wilderness of ancient Dan. Thankfully, most of the hike was shaded by tall trees so I could really take it all in w/out mopping of all my sweat. We were able to walk on the ruins of  an ancient altar & see the city gate.

oldest arch. in the whole world. around 4000 yrs old.

Right after that we went to a place, very enlightening, but the name has slipped my mind. At this place we saw the ruins of some of the oldest pagan shrines and what the people of the time called "the gate to hades". Jesus went to this place bc he understood that they were enslaved to idols more than others. He reminded them that "I will build my church, and even the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (matt 16:18) That was not an expression. It was a reference to a well known place of idol worship (and the very place I stood today). Crazy how the ruins remain, maybe just to clarify the Bible.

cave to left, shrine to right

We wrapped up our travels at a military memorial in the Golan Heights. I still can't believe 40 Israeli tanks wiped out 400 Syrian tanks! The memorial pays homage to the substantial victory only made possible through God's greatness. 

Each day I'm learning more & more, hopefully I will become less hesitant to sharing the knowledge even if no labor is involved!

                                                                           -Mads

Praise: we've been safe & well fed. we enjoy each other's company

Prayer: protection bc we will be traveling tomorrow. protection from the heat.

p.s. mom says psalm 140 is a good prayer to pray for Israel

down by the sea of galilee

I'm loving our new location! A lot of really cool things are in a close proximity.

This morning we started with a long hike to the Mt. of Beatitudes. This trip had extra importance bc my youth group recently studied the sermon on the Mount. Now I really have a feel for what that moment was like- there must've been a lot of sweat bc today was super hot! The message was & is still perfect, to find contentment in every situation, even in the middle of a barley field :)

Later we traveled to Capernaum, the town where Jesus performed most of his miracles. There were many ancient ruins that explained the lives of people of the time.
       
The stone olive press emphasized the people's strength. It also connected biblical history. Oil press in Hebrew is מעצרת & phonetically sounds like Gotshem. Before Jesus was crucified he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mt. of Olives...Gethsemane comes from Gotshem. Not only do I understand why it was called that I learned a bit more. To make the oil the olives are pressed 3 times. The first time created the purest oil used for anointing. The second time created oil used for healing & providing light in oil lamps. The third was used for cleansing bc it helped to make soaps. Ready for a big connection? During his prayer time Jesus was so spiritually pressed that he sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44).  Jesus also prayed 3 times before leaving. And finally, like the olives that were hanging around him & later pressed, he is the anointed one, a healer, and a cleanser. If only I had taken Hebrew classes before!!

Here are some pics from the day. I'll post the rest mañana.

                                                                -Mads
Praise: all in good health & protected
Prayer: Jim's knees are sore from the multiple mt hikes & continued protection esp from the sun (it made my mom sick)

talking & walking

yesterday continued...

After the hospital visit, we went to the apt to do more cleaning & repairing. We doubled our workload, but no one was hurt this time. The work day made an impact on the community bc we didn't limit ourselves to cleaning just our area, we worked all around the unit. Immediately our efforts were noticed. One neighbor brought us a big box of popsicles & thanked us for all that we were doing. While I was working in the yard a couple asked me something in Hebrew, I tried to explain I couldn't understand. A few minutes later the husband brought me a liter of carbonated water & cups for everyone. A language barrier doesn't limit the kindness of the Jews.

We continued to have little chats w/ people walking by, but Bracha had the most interesting. A woman from the apt complex came to thank some of us but they couldn't understand her. Bracha just came to interpret her thanks, but the woman shared much more.

She was a jewish baby during the Holocaust so her parents sent her to live with a catholic family. Because both parents were killed in concentration camps, she only knew of her catholic caregivers as parents. At 12 yrs old she was ready for her confirmation until her uncle who had survived the concentration camps got in contact with her. He proved that her parents were Jews who had perished in the Holocaust, which meant she was Jewish too. She chose not to be confirmed and moved to Israel at age 15. The woman explained, "Christians are the only reason I am alive!" She is grateful for all that they did, but feels part of taking her in was just to convert her. I feel like this response is common in a lot of Jews. Some Christians do reach out, yet our centuries of oppressing them have made any response a challenge. I am thankful that  even w/ our faults, many Jews will talk to us and will appreciate our blessings.

I just love reaching out to such a grateful community!

Today was a traveling day, but we were still able to make some really cool stops along the way!
                                                          -Mads

Praise-amazing weather & lots of learning today
Prayer-continued protection & strength

entering acient theatre

original sculptures

I was chosen to sing in from of my group + another foreign group. a tad
scary but now I can say I've performed in the Hippodrome!

entrance to hippodrome

Herod's pool!

sittin on Herod's aquaduct

Herod's palace

view from Mt. Carmel

oh baby baby!

Hospitals are fun...when you are visiting newborns!

Today we delivered the gifts to the maternity ward in Be'er Sheva, the most productive maternity ward in Israel (at least 45 babies a day!!!). If you know me, then you will understand that this excursion was equivalent to a day at an amusement park. Before we even began the nurses stopped us to explain how encouraging our efforts were. They were blown away that we had that much love for Israel.

Every visit was unique, most greatly accepted the gifts, but some refused to let us in the room. Each time we were let in we shared that we were Christians standing for Israel, the reactions were beautiful. Here are some of my favorite moments:

In one of the first rooms we chatted with the new mom while the dad beamed with his little girl in his arms. The father's love for the girl was so genuine I started to tear up. Both kept saying "thank you so much, thank you, thank you!"

he loved his little girl <3

Right next to them were two Christians from India. They have lived in Israel for 4 years and understood the importance of Christian support. The mom was asleep bc she gave birth 3 hrs earlier, so the father did all the talking. He was so excited to hear about all we were doing in Israel.

In another room we talked w/ a new mom & her mother. The new grandmother kept smiling at me so my mom & I stayed back to talk w/ them. She said we didn't need to say anything, just our eyes explained the true love and compassion we have for Israel & its people. She was so encouraged by our efforts and gave us lots of hugs and blessings. We asked if there was anything thing to pray about and she said, "that one day he won't have to be a soldier." That broke my heart. Even with the excitement of new life the sad truth that one day he will have to fight for his country worries the grandmother (military service is mandatory @ age 18 for both boys & girls). That caused even more crying and hugging.

pray for this sweet little boy

A doctor stopped to find out what were doing & didn't say much. He ran up to us in the hallway later and said, "You cannot keep silent!" (talking about our shirts-for zion's sake I will not be silent). He continued to thank us for all our prayers & said God bless you all.

After visiting w/ one family I started to talk to the father. I told him we came to serve Israel bc we love it and he told me, "I know, it is hard to come here, I can tell you all really care." He was so grateful for all that we were doing & and said that we would be blessed more than what we were blessing others.

We had so many sincere encounters just from gift bags that my supporters & many others provided. Your financial blessings didn't just reach a newborn. They touched the lives of moms, dads, grandmas, and everyone else they choose to share with.

And that was only the first half of the day! I'll post about the rest tomorrow :)

                                                               -Mads
Praise- we had an abundance of blessings and special moments today
Prayer- if you've been watching the news you know that things are a little sketchy in a neighboring country ...please don't stop praying for our protection & the rest of Israel

heat wave

it's so hot in the desert you don't sweat, it just evaporates

hello!

Hope you enjoyed the weekend pics, we had such a refreshing time!

Today we made it out of the desert but not without a little heat…

On our way out of the desert (yes, the one the Israelites wandered around in for 40 yrs) we made a stop at a gas station. It was a VERY hot day and little Rebekah hadn't been drinking water. She had a fainting spell outside, but she was lucky. A very good looking, young Israeli soldier immediately ran over to take care of her! Even though it was scary,we all joked that fainting spells aren't so bad when soldiers are around ;)

After a long bus ride and a stop to look at a giant crater, we made it to the ministry apartment to clean. The work was definitely needed, but the long hours took a toll on everyone. Even, one of the guys got hurt while working. We were all exhausted and frazzled (we got lost walking to our hotel), so the last thing we wanted to do was to pack a 100 baby gifts for tomorrow's hospital visit. But, God wanted to teach us the importance of taking advantage of every moment.

As we were stuffing the bags (with a little grumbling I might add) about 5 Israeli women walked in to see what we were doing. They were on their way to go shopping and thought we had some deals. As Bracha explained what we were really doing their faces lit up. They said what we were doing for Israel was such a blessing and they could feel our genuine joy. It was such an exciting encounter, they took Bracha's information with interest to learn more! As if that wasn't enough to cheer us up, 5 min later 2 different Israeli women walked in. Bracha felt led to give them a Hannah Doll. These dolls are made by a women who takes care of disabled children & makes dolls in remembrance of a patient who died. The women were also caregivers of mentally disabled children & knew exactly who deserved the doll- a little girl who loves doll just like Hannah did! They talked with Bracha for a long time and encouraged all of us! Oh how God wants to use every moment, even when packing gift bags ♡

                                                                                        -Mads

Praise- Sue hasn't had migraines, we (most of us) are staying healthy, God keeps bringing people to us

Prayer- protection, health, and lively spirits (esp. from 5-8 pm). & to have a blessed time delivering gifts to new moms

Hannah dolls

packing gift bags

working in the apt.

edge of the crater. yikes! 

the weekend in pics

to observe the sabbath I'll just post pics from this weekend. we had such a relaxing time!

 

snorkeling in the red sea



look what I saw!! (jk these are from the underwater observatory)



this is actually what I saw (thanks Ter for the camera cover!)



israel/egypt border

kite surfing & the jordan flag in the background

Last night concluded the small tour groups. It was sad to say goodbye to my special ladies, but the tour's finale made it alright. We listened to Dr.Garr at a church within walking distance of King David's temple. The weather was perfect-breezy and cool. The praise and worship was probably the best I've ever heard. We worshipped in an beautifully designed church with arched ceilings that reverberated every note. Dr. Garr delivered a message that emphasized the importance of Christians supporting Jews. He put it this way, we have a Jewish God, a Jewish bible, and a Jewish messiah. Neglecting the jews would mean neglecting the crux of Christianity.

Today was the beginning of our relaxation weekend. We started the day early, that meant a lot of sleeping on the bus, and headed for the dead sea. After and hour of sleep I woke up to a breathtaking view. To my right were the towering, desolate mountains of Ein Gedi and to my right was the glistening, turquoise sea. The salt content causes the water to sparkle with an intensity like diamonds. We drove past the cave where the dead sea scrolls were found. It was a surreal moment- I was looking at the place where a boy stumbled upon 2000 year old writings of the book of Isaiah. I don't think it was an accident that he found such a poignant piece of history during the time the UN was deciding if Israel should be its own nation. Viewing Masada (ancient israel's last stand) was made 10X  more epic with my personal background music of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Chronicles of Narnia ;)

I felt so privileged to swim in the dead sea. i mean seriously, how many people my age can say they floated in the lowest place on planet earth?? The water was warm and reflected a sea glass hue. Even if I could instantly feel every hidden cut on my body, being able to effortlessly float surpassed my discomfort. The sea floor consists of all rock salt. We smothered our legs and feet with the stuff once we realized it was an excellent exfoliator. Now we have the skin of a 3 year old :)

Currently, we are driving through the desert on our way to the resort on the Med. sea. I can't think of a better place to have shabbat (sabbath)!
I probably won't post tomorrow in order to observe shabbat, but I'll try to post asap bc we are scheduled to some pretty awesome stuff!
                                                                            -Mads



where the scrolls were found




floatin'





traditionally believed to be Lot's wife (a pillar of salt)



Praise-Ms.Sue didn't have a migraine today & our team is still working so well together
Prayer-continued protection (we can see Jordan to our left, Saudi Arabia straight ahead, and Eygpt to our right) & uplift our bus driver he had a rough day today to say the least

p.s.

whoops I forgot some of my favorite things so far...

• I ordered my first falafel sanwhich in Hebrew
• took some of my group members on the tram all by myself (and didn't get lost even if all the signs were in Hebrew)!!
• we have gelato every night (ferrero rocher is my fave)
• it's not too hot during the day and it get cool at night
• they have the cutest recycling bins
• I understand the money system well (purchased some things with shekels)
• mom found her lost lady (she was on another bus)



gelato!






Falafel yummmy!






flower recycle bin






desert where Jesus prayed for 40 days

• learned some German, Japanese, French, Hebrew, & Spanish

                                                                                -Mads