Half Way

Four weeks ago, we arrived here in Israel. We are exactly half way through our time here. We are enjoying every moment and it is such a blessing to meet the people who Jeff has been working with. I am not able to post about the work nor share pictures but let me just share that God is certainly glorified through many lives here in the land. I can also share that we have been welcomed by such kind and wonderful people. Hospitality is their gift! We have had been invited to homes for meals, we have had a family bring us a meal around and bring gifts bags filled with goodies for the children. Every time I meet someone for the first time, I hear the words, "we are so glad to finally meet you and the children because we have heard so much about you!"

Jeff continues to work while he is here and spends time with the people as he would during the trips he makes here. He also starts around 4pm on Skype calls with his work colleagues back in the USA who are 7 hours behind. Oftentimes he will work well into the evening on the computer.

We continue to be amazed by so many things in Israel. The way of life can be challenging at times but mostly because of the language. Hebrew is so difficult to learn although the children have picked up odd words. They are certainly better at remembering than I am! Since we are half way through our time  here, I want to share some interesting observations that we have made. Some things are absolutely comical and other's quite irritating for us as foreigners. Some of these are things that I never noticed when I came on the ten day tour eighteen years ago .

~ Everything in Hebrew reads from right to left which means that books sit on the shelves backwards (to us). Also I saw a calendar with the days of the week and I noticed that the schedule reads right to left. I would be in a constant state of confusion if I lived here!

~ Israel is truly very diverse with people living here from all over Europe and other parts of the world. God has brought back His people from all over the world. Every time we step out of the door, we see the fulfilment of His word. I believe that I have seen and met people from so many parts of the world, more so than any other place I have been to.

~ We have been socially accepted here and we think it is because we are literally the "United Nations" walking around. I cannot tell you you how many times we have been stopped and had people ask us if the children are all ours. They are amazed by the conception of adoption and especially adoption of children other than our culture.

~ Israel is much more advanced with technology than most would think. While there are parts of Jerusalem that make you feel as though you have stepped back in time, there are parts of Israel like Tel Aviv, Natanya and Haifa which are just as unholy as any other city you would visit. There are malls and restaurants galore, sport facilities and clubs just as you would see in any other city in the world.

~ Just like China and Uganda, the drivers here are crazy. However, I think I might be voting the drivers here as some of the worst I have encountered. Jeff has honked his horn more here than anyway else I have been to prevent an accident. Driving in Israel has trained my husband to be even more proficient!

~ People will park their cars anywhere they like and anywhere they can squeeze them. In the car parks it is not uncommon to see cars wedged in places that would get them ticketed anywhere else!

~ Drivers honk the horn well before the light turns amber which means 'prepare to go'. Traffic lights here operate the same as the UK and look the same like lollipops but they drive on the 'right' side of the road. The UK is definitely in the minority on that one.

~ Seat belts and car seats do not seem to be mandatory.

~ It is very dusty. Feet washing is required at bedtime like Uganda but the sand/dirt here is white not red/orange. It is not uncommon to see cars completely covered in dirt.

~ Mosquitoes are present all day long not just in the evening. Elijah and Lydia have helped us to identify these critters.

~ The IDF soldiers are everywhere and actually make you feel very safe. They are kind and courteous and carry guns. Bags are checked when entering malls and shopping centers and everyone passes through a detector much like Uganda. I think it is time the west started doing this!

~ You can drink the tap water here and brush your teeth with it. There have been moments when brushing my teeth when I have had a brain lapse and panicked, thinking I was back in Uganda.

~ Dairy has a high percentage of fat and is delicious, like yoghurts, sour cream, milk, cheese and cottage cheese.

~ It is expensive to live in a house so most people live in apartments. But there are parks everywhere for the children.

~ I love seeing dates, figs, olives and lemons growing on the trees as I walk down the street!

~ There are many interesting smells here when walking outside, some pleasant like spices and certain foods cooking, but others…… not so pleasant. (I am being as kind as I can).

~ The sun shines everyday and so far we have only seen rain once and at best, it was only 'spitting'! We are still wearing our summer clothes and loving this weather. What a shock we shall have when we return to the UK!

~ Your ears constantly pop when driving through the hills in and around Jerusalem.

~ The children are beautiful! Goodness me, talk about gorgeous eyes. This is a land filled with beautiful people but so many are blinded and our hearts grieve for them.

~ The most blessed part of being here is hearing my three big kids tell us how thankful they are to be here and that when they read their Bible, they are now able to picture the places.

We are praying that we shall make the most of every single day here during the next four weeks. What a gift it is to be in the land where our thoughts are constantly! No wonder so many of us want to visit the Holy Land. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and we pray that God will continue to reveal Himself to us each day.