Another Weekend Past
Well, it's been a while since I've updated my blog. First things first, I reckon. Thursday, I had a small-world moment. I had left my ball cap in a classroom, so I went there an hour later to retrieve it. I was looking around the room for it, when a short dark fellow- distinctly Papau New Guinean- told me he had hung it up on the wall. I had heard rumors there were Papau New Guineans in Ulpan, so I asked him if he was a Christian. Come to find out, he was, and was even a member of the churches started by Vic Schlatter. That made me really excited, and I hope to get to know him in the upcoming months. Mr. Schlatter is a fellow I really look up to- seeing the fruits of his ministry (God's ministry) first hand here in Jerusalem is really amazing. I pray that I can open myself up to God and be used by Him like Mr. Schlatter has done (wherever I find myself in the future).
This weekend I went on a trip up to the Western Galilee (near Haifa, on the Mediterranean Sea, across the border from Lebanon). We left on Friday at 7 in the morning and arrived at Akko (an old Crusader' port) around 11:00 am. Akko is an ancient port that was used by the Crusaders to hold onto Palestine during the Crusades (not the Billy Graham type, unfortunately, but the type where supposed Christians murdered and pillaged Muslims and Jews). Our tour of the ancient city was led by a Jew, and the atrocities commited by "Christians" were made pretty evident in the course of the tour. A sad, terrible note in Christian history that, because I am Protestant, don't have to claim as my own.
Friday night was the start of Shabbat. We all got together for a very nice, long meal. Jews really know how to celebrate Shabbat- plenty of food, laughter, singing, friendship, and a good time. Christians, I think it's time we revamped the Lord's day to include a Sunday afternoon of the same. What ever happened to the roast meat, carrots, potatoes, and fellowship of old? Hmm... maybe I'm reminiscing too much of days gone by.
Saturday morning we went on a hike up the mountain that serves as the border with Lebanon. We had 4 armed guards- folks carrying rifles and pistols- to protect us from the marauding Muslims from the North. Thankfully, not a shot was fired (nor has ever been by any guard on any trip with any group of American students.) The guards were there with us, I suppose, so that we would all write in our travel blogs that we were being kept completely safe by armed folks. Moms and dads of us students- you can breathe a breath of relief :)
Saturday afternoon we walked into town, which was desolate because of Shabbat, and then finished the day with a nice meal and bus ride home.
Today I went to church in the morning to Jerusalem Baptist. It's Baptist of the old variety- the kind that leaves no doubt in your mind why there are 100 different Baptist denominations. I took a Catholic friend of mine with me - he was definately weirded out, but I felt comfortable because they used the same hymnal I use at Georgetown Baptist. The deacon I talked to explained to me that there was a fellow in his congregation who believed Henry Kisinger was the anti-Christ. Hmmmm. I guess when there are so few Baptists in an area, you can't really pick and choose the Baptist church you want to go to. Still, though, there's a sister church to the one I visited this morning that meets on Saturday mornings. I'll check it out next week- I hope and pray it's different.
After church, I walked by some Orthodox Jews carrying my Bible. Who would've every guessed? Little Anabaptist Jason walking around Jerusalem with his Bible proudly in hand.
Well, I'm afraid I must be going. I hope all is well in the States. If anyone has any specific questions about life here, send me an email at jds39@georgetown.edu. I love correspondence, and I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have. I'd love to hear from you.
Oh, also, all the toilet paper here is pink.
And also- Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization- overwhelmingly won the elections on Wednesday. People are pretty shocked, and are really curious about what will happen in the upcoming days/months. Everything is up in the air on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides. Let's all pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Israel, and the disputed areas.
This weekend I went on a trip up to the Western Galilee (near Haifa, on the Mediterranean Sea, across the border from Lebanon). We left on Friday at 7 in the morning and arrived at Akko (an old Crusader' port) around 11:00 am. Akko is an ancient port that was used by the Crusaders to hold onto Palestine during the Crusades (not the Billy Graham type, unfortunately, but the type where supposed Christians murdered and pillaged Muslims and Jews). Our tour of the ancient city was led by a Jew, and the atrocities commited by "Christians" were made pretty evident in the course of the tour. A sad, terrible note in Christian history that, because I am Protestant, don't have to claim as my own.
Friday night was the start of Shabbat. We all got together for a very nice, long meal. Jews really know how to celebrate Shabbat- plenty of food, laughter, singing, friendship, and a good time. Christians, I think it's time we revamped the Lord's day to include a Sunday afternoon of the same. What ever happened to the roast meat, carrots, potatoes, and fellowship of old? Hmm... maybe I'm reminiscing too much of days gone by.
Saturday morning we went on a hike up the mountain that serves as the border with Lebanon. We had 4 armed guards- folks carrying rifles and pistols- to protect us from the marauding Muslims from the North. Thankfully, not a shot was fired (nor has ever been by any guard on any trip with any group of American students.) The guards were there with us, I suppose, so that we would all write in our travel blogs that we were being kept completely safe by armed folks. Moms and dads of us students- you can breathe a breath of relief :)
Saturday afternoon we walked into town, which was desolate because of Shabbat, and then finished the day with a nice meal and bus ride home.
Today I went to church in the morning to Jerusalem Baptist. It's Baptist of the old variety- the kind that leaves no doubt in your mind why there are 100 different Baptist denominations. I took a Catholic friend of mine with me - he was definately weirded out, but I felt comfortable because they used the same hymnal I use at Georgetown Baptist. The deacon I talked to explained to me that there was a fellow in his congregation who believed Henry Kisinger was the anti-Christ. Hmmmm. I guess when there are so few Baptists in an area, you can't really pick and choose the Baptist church you want to go to. Still, though, there's a sister church to the one I visited this morning that meets on Saturday mornings. I'll check it out next week- I hope and pray it's different.
After church, I walked by some Orthodox Jews carrying my Bible. Who would've every guessed? Little Anabaptist Jason walking around Jerusalem with his Bible proudly in hand.
Well, I'm afraid I must be going. I hope all is well in the States. If anyone has any specific questions about life here, send me an email at jds39@georgetown.edu. I love correspondence, and I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have. I'd love to hear from you.
Oh, also, all the toilet paper here is pink.
And also- Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization- overwhelmingly won the elections on Wednesday. People are pretty shocked, and are really curious about what will happen in the upcoming days/months. Everything is up in the air on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides. Let's all pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Israel, and the disputed areas.
posted by Jason | 9:16 AM
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