Ahoy There Mates

Do you think I'm standing? Nope, I'm laying down or sortof sitting.

Kung fu beware we have invaded.

Mi homme.

What's up Captain Sparrow?

Pirates ahoy!! Had a fun night driving out to Telford Plaza with my friend Keena to see a late night showing of Pirates. Tried to dress up like a Pirate, wearing some of my costume jewels from Jericho.

A Palestinian Welcome

The compound

Drinking coffee after dinner.

The children

His wife

The dinner

Nabil and his friend

While traveling in Israel I made many new local friends. Every other night we stayed with different local families in Jewish and Arab areas. It was beautiful to make those connections and see how the local people live. One local friend was very unexpected---my Jordinian/Palestinian friend in Jericho. This was one experience I never imagined.

We arrived in Jericho as the sun was setting. We found the Mount of Temptation, Herod's palace, and we were looking for Zacheus' sycamore tree and wanted to see the ruins of old Jericho. We could not find the sycamore tree and so stopped in the downtown area for a break.

Everywhere you look woman are accompanied by men. Women are covering their heads. Obviously, Sharia law exists in this city. I had just finished reading a book called Princess about the life of a Sultana in Saudi Arabia, which has very strict Sharia law. I was just a little bit scared, because we were 4 woman driving in a car without our heads covered. And then Kelly decides to go walking on the street and take pictures. The rest of us were too scared to get out of the car. I gave her my shawl and told her to cover her head, because I didn't know how strict the Shariah law was and I didn't want her or us getting taken to the police. When she comes back she says she met two men who said they knew where the Zacheus tree was and to follow them in their car. So we follow them to the Zacheus tree. And then they said they could take us to the old city of Jericho. Now mind you it is dark outside and we don't know where we are. They had been true to their word and led us to the tree so we followed them.

When we parked the car they took us to the Tourist Police. I'm thinking why are we going to the police station. We walk in and the police are eating their dinner. They look at us and seem alarmed, because the little girl was wearing a shirt with the Israeli flag. One of the men who was guiding us started talking to them. One of the police turned out to be a tour guide and told us, because of this man and who he was he would show us the old city of Jericho, but that the touring hours were over. So this tour guide left his dinner and showed us the old walls of Jericho that came tumbling down when God's chosen people obeyed Him and didn't fight, but sang in worship to the Lord Most High. It was incredible. I didn't fully understand what was happening, but knew God had orchestrated something special for us to be there.

After this tour, I thought we would leave Jericho, but one of my traveling partners asked one of the old men where we could eat. Before we knew it this old man had invited us to his home for dinner. Now mind you this whole time I am on edge, because I don't know if we can really trust these guys and what their motives might be. But when do you get asked to the home of a Palestinian for dinner. Nabil, the old man who was able to tell the police what to do, who's house we came to for dinner, turned out to be a retired Colonel of the Palestinian Liberation Army and he proceeded to tell us his whole story. He is not really Palestinian he confessed, because most Palestinians are really Jordinians who crossed into Israel to try to take land away from the Israelis. This is actually true of most Palestinians. People in the West don't seem to understand that they originally came from Jordan and crossed illegally into Israel and then took up arms and fought the Israeli's for land. He fought in the army and was shot and sent to a POW camp in Zurich where he learned English. He was friends with Yasser Arafat (can you see the picture of Yasser on the wall?). Nabil was considered a great hero in Jericho and could do as he pleased, and used his power to help us. And he told us if we ever needed anything from Palestine to call him.:) He had 8 children. His wife greeted us with kisses and his daughters gave us their costume jewelry and perfume. It was quite the experience. He was very kind to us. I was very grateful for the welcome, because to begin with I was quite scared. I know God was protecting us and sent that man to help us.

An Armenian Blessing

Outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchure...Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem.

Ok so those who know me, know I am a little cheeky. For example I'll use my fingers in the buffet line instead of the serving utensils and I like to poke my nose in places it shouldn't be poked. When I was in Jerusalem I just couldn't help my cheekiness or maybe it's my curiousity. When I was at the Church of the Holy Sepulchure I was so excited to walk around and try to open any door I could. I found a locked door to a stairway that was unlocked and what did I do....I walked through it and went upstairs to the upper rooms that overlooked everything. It was stunning and cool and I felt like a great sneaky explorer. As I was up there peering over the balcony a man in black robes approached me. That was a bit alarming, because I knew I was being sneaky. He asked me what I was doing up there and if someone had sent me. He asked if I wanted prayer. So what does someone do when they are caught red-handed? You ask for prayer. The Armenian priest spoke his Latin words over me in a blessing and then accompanied me to the ground floor. I must say it was quite an exilerating experience and I got an Amrmenian blessing out of it.:)

Kibuttz Naan

An old airplane with some houses in the back.

The local playground.

This hand thing was quite popular in Israel.

A nice garden around a house.

Another house.

Yummy vegetarian food.

Walking paths all over the kibbutz.

The dog that became our friend.:)

The one bedroom 5 girls slept in together.

A field of wheat.

Kibbuttz Naan is one of the largest agricultural kibuttz in Israel. It was founded over 80 years ago when some of the first Jews from Europe made Ali'a. We stayed with our friend who was able to live on the Kibbutz since she was a soldier. Usually only people who were born on the Kibbutz or married into the Kibbutz get to live there unless they are an Israeli soldier. There were many fields of crops and many different communities of homes. It was a lovely place and had a nice relaxed, safe feeling.

The Dead Sea

Hahaa I'm coming to get you.

Oh no what happened.

We are in the mud pits.



The Dead Sea lives up to it's name. Nothing lives in it's waters, which is both reassuring the the person who is afraid of fish like me and frightening to think that this water is toxic to life. You could see the salinity in the water. It glistened and looked like a glass of water that has too much salt in it. It was fun to float so easily. The land beyond us is Jordan. There was a place along the beach where you could put mud on you. So I walked barefoot, hurting my feet until I found the spot. Silly me I should have just floated there, but moving in super buoyant water is quite a challenge. Several military choppers and jets flew over us. It felt like home in a way. I like the way Israel displays it's force. Like Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Walk softly, but carry a big stick." I'd have to say that is good advice for foreign policy in the Middle East.

Orthodox Jews

Passover hat

The men's side of the wailing wall.

The men's line for entering the Western Wall.

Me, an unorthodox woman of God.

Attempting to bring me, a wayward Jew, back to God.

Going to Israel was my first introduction to the Orthodox Jews. I had many questions when I encountered them. I wanted to know why did they dress in black, why do they grow long side curls, why do they have so many different hats, why do they have strings hanging in the front and back of them, why do they move away from you when you sit next to them, why do they get out of the water when you jump in the water to go swimming, why do they refuse a ride if they were trying to hitchhike. Well I discovered many things. They wear the strings to remind themselves of God's word or teachings in the Torah. Some of the hats were worn especially for Passover. I discovered how unclean I am to them, because I am a gentile, though sometimes they thought I was a wayward Jew. God wants his people to be "set apart" from other peoples and nations. This was interesting to experience this set apartness which felt like separation and it was strange to be the outsider.