JANUARY 22/23
Thursday is the greatest day—like Friday is in American schools…the next day we don’t have school! So everyone loves Thursdays! I do too! Didn’t take me long to get adjusted to that! Of course, getting up early on Saturday morning to go to school won’t be much fun…but we get out at 12:40…so it will be okay.
Wilma is going to start a women’s Bible Study on Sat. after school…we will meet for 1 hour. She has Beth Moore’s fruits of the Spirit videos…so that will be good…don’t know much about the arrangements, but I do hope to go.
Thursday Kristen and Trish invited me to go with them to eat since it was their day to have the car. We ended up having 5 of us going—Kristen, Trish, Wilma, Erin and I. A young woman who teaches at the school and is close to Erin and Wilma met us at the restaurant. She is Arab—a believer who has a 10 yr old son. We ate at Spaghettima…or something like that. It is a beautiful restaurant on the edge of Ben Yehuda…it was so very enjoyable…just a leisurely meal and we laughed and talked and enjoyed getting to know one another.
Then we walked to Ben Yehuda….I was the only one who had never been, so they showed me around. It is an area—mostly Jewish—of shops and coffee places—with a wide boardwalk of stone with trees down the middle…sorta like that place in Boston—just a really neat place…with people walking everywhere. We got coffee—sorta—more like a specialty drink. And walked. The weather was and is beautiful…I have on 3 layers and a jacket and a scarf…and it is nice.
Anyway, we all (6 of us) piled into the truck (small truck) to head home. We dropped off the friend in Shoufat—close to us and headed home. It was nice.
Then today was the day I had the hair appointment! You know how difficult I am about my hair—no one really knows that like Sheliah does—but I’m pretty difficult! Wilma had made the appointment, so she went with me for the day.
We rode the Arab bus to the Arab bus station and walked uphill…to Mamilla mall—a beautiful outdoors place that has stores—and you can shop—plenty of stores—but it is so beautiful and many people just are strolling and enjoying the day. We ate at a restaurant outside and looked at the incredibly beautiful city. Jerusalem is just so beautiful…I can’t find words to describe the beauty—all those white stone buildings and walls set against the mountains…the beauty is just everywhere.
The food was delicious—I had some sort of avocado sandwich with aiolo (?) on it—sorta like a rich, creamy mayo. And a salad—Wilma had tuna sandwich…there were plenty of things on the menu that looked delicious—and the food being served around us looked delicious. I think all of you will like the food here—when you come to visit.
Then we headed to the hair dresser—he has a shop on St. Francis St. in the Old city—cobble stones all throughout…it was in the Christian quarters…he is an Arab believer…name is Jamil. Wilma and I both got cuts, and I got a hair color…I took my own color that my friend Sheliah had prepared for me. The shop was very nice—clean and the glass door was open…so people stopped in and talked. The atmosphere was really nice—and the music that was being played was absolutely beautiful. The words were Arabic, but the sense of the music was worship. It was just beautiful…
Then we rode a taxi to the neighborhood—and now I have school stuff to do and apartment living stuff to do.
I did my laundry today—we have a washer, but no dryer. So I washed my sheets, etc. and took them up on the roof and hung them on the line…they will smell absolutely wonderful when I go get them tomorrow. We also have a metal clothes rack to use for drying on the front verandah…so I put some things there. All very different from the utility room at 2816 Delta with the washer/dryer!
I have been here 16 days—at school I feel a part of everything. The kids are so gregarious and accepting…it is constantly “Miss Beth” or “Miss” this or that…just like I’ve been there all along. The people on staff have been very nice to me…Trish, Bethany, Elaine, Kristen, Shane & his family came in August…Joy and Mary have been here 2 years…and Wilma, Erin and Christy (across the hall ) have been here 3 years…and all of us are amazed that we are here ministering in this place. NEVER underestimate the power of the Lord to do the most amazing things—and NEVER miss an opportunity to follow Him in His work…remember Experiencing God…see where God is working, and follow…don’t make your own path!
Please continue to pray for me and my family…for the school and the issues we have to deal with each day…especially with the coming changes for the next semester.