Magdala

Luke 8:1-3 

"Afterward [Jesus] journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources."

Mary Magdalene; a woman whose life was completely transformed when she met Jesus. She followed Him during His ministry, she stood by during His crucifixion and she witnessed His resurrection! Such a testimony of how the Lord can turn us from our sinful ways and redeem the wasted years. Beauty for ashes. I am sure that most of us share this remarkable testimony. During our time in the Galilee, we stopped at the City of Magdala. It is where visitors can see the ruins of the 2,000 year old city where Jesus delivered Mary from the demons. Hidden beneath the soil completely unknown for centuries, it was not until a man named Father John Solana purchased the land to build a pilgrim centre that it was discovered. It is truly magnificent to see. So many artefacts were discovered, mosaics, coins and pottery; (lamps, lanterns, bowls and tiny glass vessels). There is Synagogue which Jesus would have visited and a room for study known as the Beit Midrash. Yet the most remarkable discovery was a unique stone which was a table with the oldest menorah carved in stone ever to be found in Israel. It depicted the scene of the temple and would have been used in the synagogue.

I was completely enthralled. I imagine that Magdala has this impression on all the women who visit here. Maybe in some way, we feel connected to Mary and her story of redemption and hope. I have such a fascination with archaeological sites and digs anyway, but this city was unique. I could have stayed there all day, taking pictures and imagining what this city would have been like back then. Jesus walked these streets. Jesus saw hope in this woman and knew that she wanted more with her life. She knew she was a sinner and in need of His power. How many others from there were also transformed that we do not know about?

While we were in the Galilee, someone we know who lives there, gave me a book to read; 'Magdala: God Really loves Women" by Father John Solana who was used to discover the ruins. I intend to read it because it looks interesting with a detailed account of this discovery. Imagine how they must have felt when they began to dig in order to build a centre for pilgrim's and instead, they found a city already built? Unfortunately, they do not need any help at this time with the excavations so we are looking into a few other possibilities. It has always been my desire to dig at an archeological site with the hopes of discovering something interesting!

Part of the entrance to the synagogue.

The synagogue.

A few animals for the children. They were not as excited about the ruins as they were about these furry creatures.

Food Glorious Food!

I can guarantee that almost all my posts will contain a mention of the food here in Israel. It is so fresh and wonderful that I wish you could all taste and experience it for yourselves. The grocery stores, which I have noted before, are interesting when trying to read hebrew on the labels. We have bought a few wrong things along the way. But some things you just cannot get wrong and that is the fruit and vegetables. This morning (Sunday) we went out for breakfast to an amazing cafe with a French twist on  the menu. Being as this is the first working day of the week and yesterday was technically our sabbath and day to go to Church (or the congregation as they call it here), we started our week with a fantastic brunch!

Freshly squeezed apple juice and mine was apple and carrot juice.

Pancakes with maple syrup and the most delicious pure vanilla flavoured cream cheese.

Museli, yoghurts, soft cheese and cream cheese and something green which I am not sure about.

 Brioche with cheese and asparagus.

Love a good salad…. even for breakfast!

We then took a walk down the street, which I love to do, and headed for the grocers as we call them in England. The selection is huge, the price good and everything is pretty much organic and tastes great. The only thing that is not as good here is the selection of apples. I am partial to our British apples especially 'Discovery' and 'Cox' and so I made sure that I ate at least two everyday while we were there for three weeks. However, there is plenty of other great choices here so we are certainly not deprived.

I shall never again look at the spice and herb selection in Tesco and Sainsbury's for example, without remembering the selection here. I have not bought any yet because it has seriously been so overwhelming and I need a translator with me to make sure I get the right spice. The smell is most wonderful and I think how much better my curries would taste using their spices. I am so tempted to bring some home with me but Jeff has warned that passing through security on the way home will possibly take much longer if I do. I think it might just be worth it!

Containers filled with rice, grains and dried beans.

This store was the cleanest one I have been in.

Frozen pizza! 

Yoghurts and milk. Also milk in a bag like in Uganda.

Cereals. 

The chocolate stand at the checkout. It does not matter where you go in the world, this seems to be standard.

Isaac is completely better and we are so thankful for your prayers. And with all this food to taste, he is so thankful also!

Rosh Hashanah ~ The New Year.

Last night was the Jewish New Year here! Someone from The Joshua Fund wrote about Rosh Hashanah explaining this holiday so I wanted to share it. We had very little understanding about this until now but after experiencing the evening with some friends, we now have more of an idea what the 'blowing of the trumpets' is all about which sounded around Jerusalem yesterday and today.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.  'You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.' “Leviticus 23: 23-25 (NKJV)

The observance of Rosh Hashanah, often referred to as “the Feast of Trumpets,” begins at sundown Wednesday, September 24^th this year in 2014. God describes its observance in Leviticus 23:23-25. It is a day of sounding trumpets in the Temple and throughout the land of Israel. The Bible says less about the Feast of Trumpets than any of the other feasts. It was simply a holy day celebrated with trumpet blasts on the first day of the seventh month.

Rosh Hashanah begins the season of the fall feasts and was considered the holiest time of the year. Because the Feast of Trumpets was the first of the three, over centuries it came to be called Rosh Hashanah, literally meaning “Head of the Year,” or New Year’s Day. It is intended as a celebration marking a “spiritual” new year, a special time set apart for a new beginning with the Lord.

Following the A.D. 70 destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the continued observance of the Feast of Trumpets was threatened due to the absence of the Temple and its sacrificial system. The emphasis was shifted to preserve the observance of the holiday for a people scattered outside their homeland and deprived of their Temple.

The feast is celebrated today with several blasts of the trumpet or shofar. It is a very solemn time just preceding the holiest day of the year: The Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, God’s atonement and forgiveness is sought and His judgment feared. The ten days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur are called the Days of Awe, when one considers his sins before God and enters into a period of repentance, of asking forgiveness from God and those you have harmed, and of restitution. Just as Israel’s other feasts, the Feast of Trumpets carries strong prophetic overtones, as it portrays future events for the God’s people and the nation.

While there is no special celebration of the Feast of Trumpets among New Testament believers, it is certainly a time to repent, seek forgiveness and make restitution, as we wait for the trumpet call of the coming of the King of Kings, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. I Thessalonians 4:16-18

Upon our arrival at our friends apartment, (every person we have visited lives in an apartment), we were greeted with honey and apples which represent the fruitfulness and sweetness of the new year. There were roast potatoes, chicken, salmon, rice, green beans, salads and a delicious squash I have never tried before. My Scottish friend who has lived here for the past 9 years, made homemade challah bread which so good. They broke it, sprinkled it with salt and then passed it around for everyone to share. There was also a cup of wine which was passed around for everyone to sip and many blessings and prayers were spoken in hebrew. For dessert we had apple crumble with ice cream and a very moist apple and honey cake! The apartment was bursting with Scots, English and Jewish believers and non-believers also. So many gathered together from different parts of the world but all celebrating the holiday, good food and friendship. Our family had the privilege of meeting new people once again and learning more about this beautiful nation.

Pomegranates for fertility. The yellow fruit is a bunch of dates…. believe it or not. I tasted one and it was the most unusual texture, very starchy at first then very sweet. These dates will eventually dry out and turn brown so that they look more like the ones we buy. I had no idea…..! Dates are one of my favourite fruits.

Please do pray for Isaac. For any of you who have followed our travels to either China or Uganda, you might remember how he always gets a high fever, chills and sickness at some point during our trip. Well Israel appears to be no exception. My boy has been in bed all day and is not well at all. He is sweating a lot and has an upset stomach. (Not related to the meal last night because he started feeling a little off before we went and just ended up eating bread). We are praying that he soon recovers and that his fever finally breaks. We would appreciate your prayers for him and also for the rest of our family.

Thank you so much for following along and praying for us! It has been lovely to read the comments and to hear from some of you. So many of you have been to this amazing land already and it has encouraged me to hear your stories and experiences and how the Lord blessed your time here also.

Shanah Tovah!

The Galilee

This past weekend we had a small vacation from our stay in Jerusalem…. we visited the Galilee area in the north! It was so funny because Jerusalem has begun to feel like home to us now even after just three weeks. Not in the sense of wanting to live here permanently but because we have made this apartment feel like our home for the duration of our stay. Our children are very good at this and upon our return to Jerusalem, they all said how nice it was to be back 'home'!!! I love that they are so flexible in the midst of what could be a very unstable time for our family. Ultimately Jesus is our home and while we are dwelling in His land, this truth has become more apparent to us than ever before. I remind myself often that Jesus did not have a home here because His home is in heaven with the father and how important it is for us to keep this perspective.

Our three nights away were lovely. It was actually refreshing to get out of the busyness of daily life in Jerusalem. Jeff made the mistake of going to the grocery on Friday morning before Shabbat….. he vowed never again! It took him almost an hour just in the checkout queue! Everyone here runs around buying food and getting prepared for the Shabbat which begins at sundown. It is very busy but once the sun goes down, everywhere becomes very peaceful and still. We left Jerusalem just before lunch and drove two hours to where we were staying in Tiberias overlooking the Galilee. We were so blessed to stay in an apartment which literally had a view of the Sea of Galilee…. breath taking!

We visited the Golan Heights which overlooks Syria and Mount Hermon and the Valley of Tears. While there, we heard many explosions coming from Syria which was disturbing. There were UN Peacekeepers there watching the Syrian border. The boys and Eliana had fun exploring a bunker which was pitch black and claustrophobic! The views are amazing and the coffee shop sells great coffee and a shelter from the wind….. it seriously about blew my head off but was also very refreshing because it is certainly much warmer in the Galilee! Also there was a local man selling delicious honey which we had trouble resisting and ended up buying several kinds including grape honey to try for the first time. Pretty nice!

On Saturday we attended a congregation on Shabbat and met with other believers and many visiting believers. I still find it fascinating listening to worship in hebrew. Truly very beautiful. I think I would find it very difficult having 'church' on saturdays instead of our traditional sunday. I always feel like I lost a day for the rest of the week.

Sunday was an exciting day because we took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and the captain is a believer and even sang a couple of worship songs for us. We were the only ones on the boat so it was very special to just be there together as a family. Jeff taught from Matthew 4, Matthew 14 and Mark 4 and we imagined how the disciples must have felt when they saw Jesus walking towards them on this very water that we were sailing on.

Afterwards we headed to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus read the entire Sermon on the Mount to us while we ate our lunch. I was surprised how much this had also changed since I was last there; there are banana trees growing where we stood 18 years ago! We finished our afternoon with a water park complete with huge slides and a wave pool. Jeff's back is still bruised from riding down a vertical drop slide. Finally in the evening we had dinner with some new friends which turned out to be one of the best meals we have ever had! If you ever have the opportunity to visit 'Decks' in Tiberias, you really must. They serve the best salmon I have ever tried!

The food truly is incredible here. So healthy, so tasty, so fresh and raw and very good for you. I had a quiche which was made of spinach and ricotta and just as good as any homemade quiche I have tasted, quinoa salads packed with goodness and shakshuka which is a dish with eggs cooked in a tomato, chilli peppers, onions and spiced with cumin and over yummy spices that I loved! It is believed to be of Tunisian origin.  I have had amazing chicken cooked with vegetables and I am constantly making notes of things that I would like to copy. I finally picked some lemons from the tree outside and made a lemon cake but my baking skills here are left wanting! I am not sure if it is the oven or the ingredients but I have never seen my cakes come out with such sunken middles! I shall keep trying though until I get it right. Apparently the cake flour does not rise very well here. We have a couple of birthdays next month so I shall need to get it right by then.

Th quiche that I could eat again!

This restaurant in the Galilee (I cannot remember the name now), had chocolate deserts galore!

The lemon tree in the garden at the apartment in Jerusalem.

The lemon cake.

The fig tree in the garden with the wall that I climbed.

This is a very exciting week here in Jerusalem… it is their New Year which starts on Thursday so we shall be celebrating New Year's Eve, (tomorrow) with some friends here. It will certainly be the first hot New year that we have ever experienced. Temperatures are still in the mid to high 80's, so for those of you getting ready for the autumn, we are still feeling like it is the height of summer here! But there is no humidity in Jerusalem so we are thankful for that!