APRIL 15, 2009
Tax day in the USA…not a fun day! Hope all is well with everyone. Please pray for my friend Janet Cleaveland—she has shingles—on her face and around her eyes. So sorry about all that Jan…

Tomorrow (Thursday) we are going on a field trip! I’ve been thinking all along we would go in school buses, but I learned this afternoon that it is a chartered bus! So hey—let’s go! The group is divided—7th, 8th, 9th graders are going to Banais (?)—and 10th,11th, 12th graders are going to Canada Center. I’m going to Canada Center—they have ice skating and other activities for the students. I think it is quite far up north—close to the border of Lebanon? We meet at the school at 7 a.m. and we will return about 7 p.m.—12 hours! I’m looking forward to being with the kids in a fun setting. Erin, Shane, Mustafa and I are the sponsors of this group. FUN!

Then Friday Wilma, Kristen and I plan to meet the taxi at 5:30 a.m. to get to the Hyatt to meet the Sharoot to take us to the airport in Tel Aviv where we board the plane at 10:15 for Istanbul, Turkey. All new experience for all of us! Erin has made us our own personal travel guide—with directions for the best transportation –and wonderful historical places to see—plus the largest mall in Europe is in Istanbul! Imagine that! A complete amusement park is there…

I really have no news, but I would like to comment on the comments! Darlene, you are my hero! Thank you so much for focusing on exactly what I believe is important: JESUS! He is the one we love, and we know that He is the one who willingly laid down His life for each of us to have that personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. I am so completely grateful for that truth…and I am so grateful to be living in Jerusalem at this time. In seeing the places that I have read about in the scriptures and doing the things I have done, the truth of it all—that man had no way to bridge that chasm between him and God until God made a way by sacrificing His own Son—just seems so clear. The love that emanates from that truth fills my heart with such gratitude and an overwhelming desire to tell people about how much Jesus loves them.

I may not be using the right terms and labels, but when I write on this blog, my heart is to share the joys of this experience with my family and friends who are not here and may never be here. I am going to continue to do that.

I do know that the anonymous commenters…there are now TWO...work with me. Every person with whom I work has been nice to me, so I can’t understand why they keep reading my blog and making comments without speaking to me. I have no idea how my blog address became available to anyone at the school, so that may be why they remain anonymous.

Thank you so much for your emails and comments and letters—Madeline wrote me a FOUR-page letter including a scanned picture of our little Gamma Phi Nu group! And Jewel Lois wrote me an encouraging email to keep on writing! And of course, sweet Darlene, my sister’s good friend, just encourages me so much. And tonight Melissa posted a short video clip of HONEY! It is so darling…I miss my little dog! AND I got three cards: two from Colleen Scates and one from Donna Voight…my wonderful Sunday School sisters! Thank ya’ll so much! I look forward to joining you in SS in June.

I am grateful for the words from each of you. I miss being home—and look forward to seeing you in June—the Lord willing. I read this morning in James about saying, “I’m going here or there…” when really I don’t know—my life is like a vapor—so I’m praying “The Lord willing, I will be home June 7!” btw—51 days! But who’s counting!
Please pray for me, my family and Jerusalem School.
Love
Beth