Two Weeks Left!
March 24th, 2010
Happy Birthday, Billie!
I can't believe our time here is coming to an end. It's bittersweet. We do miss our family and friends and a place to call ours, but we love Israel! We wanted to publicly let everyone know that we have decided to come home on April 8th, which is the day that our plane tickets were originally for. As we have mentioned previously, we were seriously praying and asking God whether or not we should extend our stay. We were having a tough time deciding; we just didn't have peace about staying longer, but we didn't want to leave either. Well, Robbie and I decided one evening that we would plan to leave on the 8th, and if God didn't want us to leave, then to show us. Well the very next morning, Robbie recieved an email that confirmed our thoughts. I'll leave out the details, but it's so good to be following what the Lord wants you to do. Our attitudes seemed to change when we made that decision. He gave us peace about going home, and I actually started feeling a bit homesick.
We have been blessed with the opportunity to travel a little bit to see some great sites! We recently went to Eilat and got to swim in the Red Sea. Absolutely gorgeous! Then while we were there, we walked across the border into Egypt just to say that we've been there! We spent a whole hour there, and then walked back. But hey, I've been to Egypt! Then on our way home from Eilat, we stopped at the Dead Sea and floated for a little bit. I loved it! Besides the fact that you feel every little cut on your body, I could've stayed in all day. It was such a unique experience, and no other body of water compares to it. Instead of rocks on the bottom, there are chunks of salt and minerals. Pretty wild. Then we also saw the site they call "Lot's Wife." We weren't completely sure what they were referring to, but there was this odd shaped rock that looked a little different than the others. You can take a look at it below. We then took a trip up Masada, and learned a little bit more about the sacrifice those Jews were willing to make. Freedom was so important to them that they decided to face death before enduring slavery under the Romans. What a parallel to what Christ has done for those who trust Him as their Savior and Lord - facing death for us so that we wouldn't have to live in slavery to sin! (Please read Romans 6:15-23 if you never have!)
We have enjoyed experiencing this culture and the people that make it Israel. Everyday we experience some new aspect to how this society opperates. For example, everyone in Israel is very helpful. So helpful infact, that if you ask for directions, and they don't know where it is, they will still give you directions, even if they're wrong! But they are very friendly, and always ready to help if possible. Also, did you know that, for the most part, the Arabs live in the valleys and the Jews live on the hills? The language is another facinating aspect. Everything here is translated in atleast three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and English. And sometimes you'll even find Russian.
Well, that is all the news for now. We are on our way to stay in Bethlehem again. Please pray that the Lord would use the opportunities we'll have to share the gospel with people in a powerful way. Robbie will be going to Jordan from April 4-6 with a small team to spread the gospel through evangelism and literature distribution. Pray for open doors to share the gospel! I'll be here in Jerusalem that weekend, going to the Garden Tomb for the Easter Sunday sunrise service and helping out at church with everything that's going on there. Also, we just found out that the other American from Robbie's basketball team accepted the Lord a few days ago! Pray that God would use this conversion, of a young black guy from Chicago to show the power of the gospel in real practical way to the rest of the guys on that team. One down, eleven more to go!
Enjoy these latest pictures as well! The first 2 are from Eilat...Robbie thought that picture of the dog was hilarious. Apparently they wanted to make sure everyone completely understood the rules of that area regarding your dog! The next 4 are from our mini-trip to Egypt. The next 4 are from on top of Masada. The next one is me floating in the Dead Sea. The next one is Lot's wife (we think). Robbie told me not to look back, which is what I'm doing in the last picture!
Happy Birthday, Billie!
I can't believe our time here is coming to an end. It's bittersweet. We do miss our family and friends and a place to call ours, but we love Israel! We wanted to publicly let everyone know that we have decided to come home on April 8th, which is the day that our plane tickets were originally for. As we have mentioned previously, we were seriously praying and asking God whether or not we should extend our stay. We were having a tough time deciding; we just didn't have peace about staying longer, but we didn't want to leave either. Well, Robbie and I decided one evening that we would plan to leave on the 8th, and if God didn't want us to leave, then to show us. Well the very next morning, Robbie recieved an email that confirmed our thoughts. I'll leave out the details, but it's so good to be following what the Lord wants you to do. Our attitudes seemed to change when we made that decision. He gave us peace about going home, and I actually started feeling a bit homesick.
We have been blessed with the opportunity to travel a little bit to see some great sites! We recently went to Eilat and got to swim in the Red Sea. Absolutely gorgeous! Then while we were there, we walked across the border into Egypt just to say that we've been there! We spent a whole hour there, and then walked back. But hey, I've been to Egypt! Then on our way home from Eilat, we stopped at the Dead Sea and floated for a little bit. I loved it! Besides the fact that you feel every little cut on your body, I could've stayed in all day. It was such a unique experience, and no other body of water compares to it. Instead of rocks on the bottom, there are chunks of salt and minerals. Pretty wild. Then we also saw the site they call "Lot's Wife." We weren't completely sure what they were referring to, but there was this odd shaped rock that looked a little different than the others. You can take a look at it below. We then took a trip up Masada, and learned a little bit more about the sacrifice those Jews were willing to make. Freedom was so important to them that they decided to face death before enduring slavery under the Romans. What a parallel to what Christ has done for those who trust Him as their Savior and Lord - facing death for us so that we wouldn't have to live in slavery to sin! (Please read Romans 6:15-23 if you never have!)
We have enjoyed experiencing this culture and the people that make it Israel. Everyday we experience some new aspect to how this society opperates. For example, everyone in Israel is very helpful. So helpful infact, that if you ask for directions, and they don't know where it is, they will still give you directions, even if they're wrong! But they are very friendly, and always ready to help if possible. Also, did you know that, for the most part, the Arabs live in the valleys and the Jews live on the hills? The language is another facinating aspect. Everything here is translated in atleast three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and English. And sometimes you'll even find Russian.
Well, that is all the news for now. We are on our way to stay in Bethlehem again. Please pray that the Lord would use the opportunities we'll have to share the gospel with people in a powerful way. Robbie will be going to Jordan from April 4-6 with a small team to spread the gospel through evangelism and literature distribution. Pray for open doors to share the gospel! I'll be here in Jerusalem that weekend, going to the Garden Tomb for the Easter Sunday sunrise service and helping out at church with everything that's going on there. Also, we just found out that the other American from Robbie's basketball team accepted the Lord a few days ago! Pray that God would use this conversion, of a young black guy from Chicago to show the power of the gospel in real practical way to the rest of the guys on that team. One down, eleven more to go!
Enjoy these latest pictures as well! The first 2 are from Eilat...Robbie thought that picture of the dog was hilarious. Apparently they wanted to make sure everyone completely understood the rules of that area regarding your dog! The next 4 are from our mini-trip to Egypt. The next 4 are from on top of Masada. The next one is me floating in the Dead Sea. The next one is Lot's wife (we think). Robbie told me not to look back, which is what I'm doing in the last picture!
People of Israel
March 10th, 2010
We are learning a lot about the people that are here in this country. There are many people here who pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There are constantly people coming and going. These are the tourists that many Israeli's depend on for income. There are also people who have come from other countries (usually third-world countries) for work. There are many Philipinos here talking care of the elderly Jewish people. These Philipinos have left their families to come here for work. There are "workers" here from all over the world: Finland, Holland, America, England, Canada, Africa, Korea, and many more. They are here, in the Holy Land, to serve God. It's been amazing to meet these workers who are very passionate about Israel. There truly is something special about this place.
There are many Jews from all over the world. They have travelled here to regroup since their Diaspora, for the Jews are called back to their land. There are also many Palestinians who have lived in this land all their lives. They are all over Israel as well, yet seem to be the problem in the eyes of most Jews. The trying issue here is that both groups feel that they are in the right. How is it that both can be right? Its true; the Palestinians have been taken out of their land and forced out of their freedom. Many are not allowed to come to Jerusalem ever again, and other have strict permission to enter Jerusalem. This luxury of leaving has been taken away from them by the Israelis. Yet, the Israelis are in the right as well. After the wall went up and Palestinians were no longer allowed into the city, no more innocent lives have been taken. "The wall went up in 2003 — part of a barrier of cement slabs and fences that is to run the length of the West Bank. It was built after suicide attackers killed hundreds of Israelis during Palestinian-Israeli fighting. In two bombings within a month of each other, in nearby Jerusalem in early 2004, 19 Israelis died. The attackers came from Bethlehem" (msn.com). But when you meet the people of Palestine, you can't help but love them. These are beautiful people who are suffering the blame of those before them. This war is deeper than the soil...
How are we to love both of these people groups and show them both the love of God? This is in an art that you can only study in Israel. May we have grace to show these people.
We are learning a lot about the people that are here in this country. There are many people here who pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There are constantly people coming and going. These are the tourists that many Israeli's depend on for income. There are also people who have come from other countries (usually third-world countries) for work. There are many Philipinos here talking care of the elderly Jewish people. These Philipinos have left their families to come here for work. There are "workers" here from all over the world: Finland, Holland, America, England, Canada, Africa, Korea, and many more. They are here, in the Holy Land, to serve God. It's been amazing to meet these workers who are very passionate about Israel. There truly is something special about this place.
There are many Jews from all over the world. They have travelled here to regroup since their Diaspora, for the Jews are called back to their land. There are also many Palestinians who have lived in this land all their lives. They are all over Israel as well, yet seem to be the problem in the eyes of most Jews. The trying issue here is that both groups feel that they are in the right. How is it that both can be right? Its true; the Palestinians have been taken out of their land and forced out of their freedom. Many are not allowed to come to Jerusalem ever again, and other have strict permission to enter Jerusalem. This luxury of leaving has been taken away from them by the Israelis. Yet, the Israelis are in the right as well. After the wall went up and Palestinians were no longer allowed into the city, no more innocent lives have been taken. "The wall went up in 2003 — part of a barrier of cement slabs and fences that is to run the length of the West Bank. It was built after suicide attackers killed hundreds of Israelis during Palestinian-Israeli fighting. In two bombings within a month of each other, in nearby Jerusalem in early 2004, 19 Israelis died. The attackers came from Bethlehem" (msn.com). But when you meet the people of Palestine, you can't help but love them. These are beautiful people who are suffering the blame of those before them. This war is deeper than the soil...
How are we to love both of these people groups and show them both the love of God? This is in an art that you can only study in Israel. May we have grace to show these people.
Stupid Computer!
This Post got deleted! I'm sorry! Hopefully you already read it. We posted it about 3-4 weeks ago.
More pictures!
This was our trip to Jafa near Tel Aviv. It was on the beach, and the Mediterranean was beautiful! We spent the day sight seeing and walked the local flea market. It was my kind of day! Here are the pictures we took... enjoy!
#1, 2, and 3 are of Robbie, Billie, Al, and myself at this quaint little cafe. If we lived nearby, I would spend a lot of time there!
#4 is Robbie taking a long time to take a picture! He thought it was a clever picture!
#5 this is the statue of Jonah's whale, because this was the place that Jonah departed.
#6 Robbie is standing in front of the home of Simon the Tanner's home: Acts 10:5-6.
#7 -10,12 are of the beautiful landscape in the area.
#11 the American Embassy building.
#1, 2, and 3 are of Robbie, Billie, Al, and myself at this quaint little cafe. If we lived nearby, I would spend a lot of time there!
#4 is Robbie taking a long time to take a picture! He thought it was a clever picture!
#5 this is the statue of Jonah's whale, because this was the place that Jonah departed.
#6 Robbie is standing in front of the home of Simon the Tanner's home: Acts 10:5-6.
#7 -10,12 are of the beautiful landscape in the area.
#11 the American Embassy building.
This was our first Shabbat meal, and Robbie was even wearing a Jewish Kipa!
One week spent in Bethlehem!
February 17th, 2010
Hey everyone! We are back in Jerusalem tonight after a week in Bethlehem. We spent this past week enjoying the culture of the Palestinians. The contrast of the Arabs and the Jews is so stark that you can't imagine these cities are only 5 minutes apart. This week was good for me personally because I got to spend some great quality time with some of the girls on my volleyball team.
We arrived at IBDAA, a refugee camp for Palestinians, on Wednesday evening where we were welcomed and well taken care of from the start. The Palestinians are so thoughtful and considerate. Some of the nicest people I've ever met. Right after we arrived I had a party with the girls on my team. This ended up being the breakthrough moment where we broke down the awkward wall, and were able to carry on conversations (in broken English). We laughed and joked around for 3 and a half hours. They taught me some Arabic too! Those of you waiting for your Arabic lesson here it is:
Numbers 1-10
Wahad, Tennin, Tealot, Araba, Khamska, Sitta, Seba, Tissa, Tameneya, and Asherah (and I only had to look up the last one!) "Sukran" is thank-you, and this is what I say most often...
I have actually learned a few more, but I won't bore you! So back to our story... We finished our evening playing games, and I even taught them a girlscout game! (Mom, aren't you so proud!)
Thursday of this week, I spent the day in Jerusalem helping a lady from our church, and in the midst of getting there and getting back I learned what a pain it is to travel to and from Bethlehem. You see, Bethlehem is a walled city. Since the start of the building of the wall in 2002, there have been no more bombings in Jerusalem, but the wall has caused an already imflamed hatred of Jews and Arabs towards each other to increase. It also causes people to be late! To get through the checkpoint in the morning can be a two hour line. I almost felt like I was at an amusement park, waiting for the latest attraction. Except my wait was anti-climatic. Lets just say I learned a lot that day about public transportation in Israel.
Saturday night was an exciting time as well. Right after practice, we all headed over to Sofa's house for sweets! She had baked them for me because I had made a comment that I liked sweets best! I met the whole family, all ten of them, and the girls from my team were there also.
Robbie started playing on the Volleyball team this week, and we'll see what will happen of that. Hopefully that will turn into a great opportunity, but for now, he is just seeing what its all about. He is still practicing with the Basketball team, but for those of you haven't heard, he can't play on the actual basketball team because the league just changed their rule on foriegners. There can only be one foriegner on the team instead of two like the years before. So because Robbie is the second guy to join the team that is not arab, he can't play.
Things are going really well, and we are having a blast! There is a lot going on, and its hard to keep up with, yet we don't want it to end. We ask that you guys continue to pray, there are many opportunities that the Lord has given us. Please pray for:
- the arab people we are working with and see almost everyday. Especially the girls on my team that i have grown so close with.
- Al and Billie's church, Jerusalem Baptist Church, that the Lord would bless their hard work.
- our future as the Lord leads us in what we are to do next. And if Jerusalem could be in our future...
- Terry Hill, another worker here in Jerusalem, he just had a stoke this past Friday, and is still in the hospital.
- the peace between the Israelis and the Arabs.
- our safety as we are here.
Stay tuned for more pictures on our adventures... we have so much to show you such as our trip to Jafa and our hike in the desert!
We love each of you very much! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!
Lauren (and Robbie)
PS. We are not posting things that are very "xtian" on our facebooks about our trip because we are now friends with many people here that are either Muslims, Jews, or non-religious. So please be aware of what you post on our wall, for we might delete it!
Hey everyone! We are back in Jerusalem tonight after a week in Bethlehem. We spent this past week enjoying the culture of the Palestinians. The contrast of the Arabs and the Jews is so stark that you can't imagine these cities are only 5 minutes apart. This week was good for me personally because I got to spend some great quality time with some of the girls on my volleyball team.
We arrived at IBDAA, a refugee camp for Palestinians, on Wednesday evening where we were welcomed and well taken care of from the start. The Palestinians are so thoughtful and considerate. Some of the nicest people I've ever met. Right after we arrived I had a party with the girls on my team. This ended up being the breakthrough moment where we broke down the awkward wall, and were able to carry on conversations (in broken English). We laughed and joked around for 3 and a half hours. They taught me some Arabic too! Those of you waiting for your Arabic lesson here it is:
Numbers 1-10
Wahad, Tennin, Tealot, Araba, Khamska, Sitta, Seba, Tissa, Tameneya, and Asherah (and I only had to look up the last one!) "Sukran" is thank-you, and this is what I say most often...
I have actually learned a few more, but I won't bore you! So back to our story... We finished our evening playing games, and I even taught them a girlscout game! (Mom, aren't you so proud!)
Thursday of this week, I spent the day in Jerusalem helping a lady from our church, and in the midst of getting there and getting back I learned what a pain it is to travel to and from Bethlehem. You see, Bethlehem is a walled city. Since the start of the building of the wall in 2002, there have been no more bombings in Jerusalem, but the wall has caused an already imflamed hatred of Jews and Arabs towards each other to increase. It also causes people to be late! To get through the checkpoint in the morning can be a two hour line. I almost felt like I was at an amusement park, waiting for the latest attraction. Except my wait was anti-climatic. Lets just say I learned a lot that day about public transportation in Israel.
Saturday night was an exciting time as well. Right after practice, we all headed over to Sofa's house for sweets! She had baked them for me because I had made a comment that I liked sweets best! I met the whole family, all ten of them, and the girls from my team were there also.
Robbie started playing on the Volleyball team this week, and we'll see what will happen of that. Hopefully that will turn into a great opportunity, but for now, he is just seeing what its all about. He is still practicing with the Basketball team, but for those of you haven't heard, he can't play on the actual basketball team because the league just changed their rule on foriegners. There can only be one foriegner on the team instead of two like the years before. So because Robbie is the second guy to join the team that is not arab, he can't play.
Things are going really well, and we are having a blast! There is a lot going on, and its hard to keep up with, yet we don't want it to end. We ask that you guys continue to pray, there are many opportunities that the Lord has given us. Please pray for:
- the arab people we are working with and see almost everyday. Especially the girls on my team that i have grown so close with.
- Al and Billie's church, Jerusalem Baptist Church, that the Lord would bless their hard work.
- our future as the Lord leads us in what we are to do next. And if Jerusalem could be in our future...
- Terry Hill, another worker here in Jerusalem, he just had a stoke this past Friday, and is still in the hospital.
- the peace between the Israelis and the Arabs.
- our safety as we are here.
Stay tuned for more pictures on our adventures... we have so much to show you such as our trip to Jafa and our hike in the desert!
We love each of you very much! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!
Lauren (and Robbie)
PS. We are not posting things that are very "xtian" on our facebooks about our trip because we are now friends with many people here that are either Muslims, Jews, or non-religious. So please be aware of what you post on our wall, for we might delete it!
Take our poll!
We've been to each of these places and they are all pretty incredible...
January 30, 2010
Greetings from Jerusalem! Lauren and I arrived here safely on the 13th, and after a brief delay at the airport (they didn't want to let us in at first because 3 months is much too long to be a tourist..."you can see Israel in 2 weeks! Why you need to stay for 3 months?!" I don't know lady, why do they make the tourist visa last for 3 months if you're not going to let me use it for the full amount of time?!) we hit the ground running. We've been involved in a few different ministries here and are continuing to plug into as much as we can. As far as ministry goes, Lauren is playing on an Arab girls volleyball team in Bethlehem and helping my aunt Billie lead a women's Bible study at the church in Jerusalem, as well as going to Tel Aviv on Friday evenings for evangelism. We are very excited about the volleyball team. I dropped her off for practice today (the 2nd practice so far) and as soon as Lauren walked in the gym, all the girls from her team rushed up to her, surrounding her with big smiles on their faces, excited to see her again. They love Lauren already and Lauren loves them. I have a feeling that God is going to use that opportunity in a great way. Please pray!
Meanwhile, I have been playing a lot of basketball! My uncle Al got me put on this all Arab team in Bethlehem that just won the Palestinian championship, going undefeated in their season. They are very good, and while I am not the worst player on the team, I am definitely not the best! Because they are the best Palestinian team, they have been invited to play in tournaments in Jordan and Dubai! I'm not sure how all of that is going to pan out, but I may have some more traveling ahead of me. I have been spending most of my time trying to improve my basketball game so that at the very least, I can push these guys a little bit harder in practice. I will no longer be going to Tel Aviv on Friday nights with Lauren and the rest of the team (from the church) because I will have practice during this time in Bethlehem with this team. There is a new coach for this team that Al also brought in from the states (he and his family and a few others have moved to Jerusalem for at least a year to do ministry here), and all of the guys seem to like him a lot. Please pray that the Lord would use the 2 of us in a great way among this team of Muslims! Also, I know that I told everyone that we would be coaching while we were here, and obviously, we're not doing that. All I can say is that doors were closed and doors were opened. We feel that these open doors are incredible opportunities to spread the gospel and that we are asking the Lord to use us to accomplish His purposes among these people. *(see note at the end on the enemies of God)
While keeping busy with ministry, we have also had a few opportunities to see some of the history here. The Bible really does come to life when you see these places. Just seeing the geography alone brings great understanding to the setting of the majority of Scripture. There is so much to tell, but we will dedicate another update to specifically talking about the sites we see and all of that good stuff. For now, I hope that this gives you a good idea of what's going on in our lives and how to better pray for us. We genuinely appreciate all of your prayers. If you have any questions or want to know more about specific things, feel free to send us a quick email. We love and miss yall and hope to hear from you soon!
Robbie and Lauren
*The Enemies of God I've been thinking recently quite a bit about the difference between the Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) in relation to those who rebel against God. Have you ever noticed how in the OT, it always talks about the enemies of God being destroyed (Psalm 18:37,40; 37:20; 45:5; etc.)? The enemies of God in the OT were often in quite a bit of trouble. He would often slaughter them, seemingly without a second thought! And he would tell His people to slaughter His enemies with His help (Deuteronomy 20:3-4)! But then, in the NT, God comes in the form of Jesus (John 8:19), and tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44)!! What in the world caused this change! In the OT, we slay our enemies with God's help. In the NT, we love our enemies and pray for them! I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately because of the tension that I see here in Jerusalem. It seems like people get along within the city, but obviously, that's not really what's going on. The Jews aren't trying to convert the Muslims and the Muslims aren't trying to convert the Jews. They are trying to kill each other (or at the very least, trying to get rid of the other) so that they alone can have Jerusalem. And then I hear of the terrible things that Muslims do around the world to those who stand in their way, and even to their own families! My heart breaks for the women in Islam who yearn to get out of it but who are too afraid because of what might happen to them or their children. And I ask God, "Why don't you just slay the wicked? Injustice is going on every minute and yet you do nothing to punish those who adamently oppose you! God, will you help me to slay the wicked?" Sometimes my flesh doesn't understand what my soul does. Anyway, I think the reason for the difference between the OT and NT is that God was giving this land to His people and in order for that to happen and for them to serve and worship Him alone, everyone living here needed to be wiped out. I think a lot of all of that killing was to set the table for Jesus to come the fist time(Galations 4:4). Now, in order for Jesus to come again, there are certain things that must happen, such as the evanglization of people from every tribe, tongue and nation. Killing these people who are seemingly enemies of God because they oppose the spread of the gospel would not speed the coming of Christ, but only hinder it. John Piper once said, "As Christians we don't kill to spread the gospel, we DIE to spread the gospel!" Praise God that He no longer treats His enemies as they deserve, for we too were once enemies of God (Romans 5:10)! If God could die for His enemies, I think we should be able to die for ours.
Greetings from Jerusalem! Lauren and I arrived here safely on the 13th, and after a brief delay at the airport (they didn't want to let us in at first because 3 months is much too long to be a tourist..."you can see Israel in 2 weeks! Why you need to stay for 3 months?!" I don't know lady, why do they make the tourist visa last for 3 months if you're not going to let me use it for the full amount of time?!) we hit the ground running. We've been involved in a few different ministries here and are continuing to plug into as much as we can. As far as ministry goes, Lauren is playing on an Arab girls volleyball team in Bethlehem and helping my aunt Billie lead a women's Bible study at the church in Jerusalem, as well as going to Tel Aviv on Friday evenings for evangelism. We are very excited about the volleyball team. I dropped her off for practice today (the 2nd practice so far) and as soon as Lauren walked in the gym, all the girls from her team rushed up to her, surrounding her with big smiles on their faces, excited to see her again. They love Lauren already and Lauren loves them. I have a feeling that God is going to use that opportunity in a great way. Please pray!
Meanwhile, I have been playing a lot of basketball! My uncle Al got me put on this all Arab team in Bethlehem that just won the Palestinian championship, going undefeated in their season. They are very good, and while I am not the worst player on the team, I am definitely not the best! Because they are the best Palestinian team, they have been invited to play in tournaments in Jordan and Dubai! I'm not sure how all of that is going to pan out, but I may have some more traveling ahead of me. I have been spending most of my time trying to improve my basketball game so that at the very least, I can push these guys a little bit harder in practice. I will no longer be going to Tel Aviv on Friday nights with Lauren and the rest of the team (from the church) because I will have practice during this time in Bethlehem with this team. There is a new coach for this team that Al also brought in from the states (he and his family and a few others have moved to Jerusalem for at least a year to do ministry here), and all of the guys seem to like him a lot. Please pray that the Lord would use the 2 of us in a great way among this team of Muslims! Also, I know that I told everyone that we would be coaching while we were here, and obviously, we're not doing that. All I can say is that doors were closed and doors were opened. We feel that these open doors are incredible opportunities to spread the gospel and that we are asking the Lord to use us to accomplish His purposes among these people. *(see note at the end on the enemies of God)
While keeping busy with ministry, we have also had a few opportunities to see some of the history here. The Bible really does come to life when you see these places. Just seeing the geography alone brings great understanding to the setting of the majority of Scripture. There is so much to tell, but we will dedicate another update to specifically talking about the sites we see and all of that good stuff. For now, I hope that this gives you a good idea of what's going on in our lives and how to better pray for us. We genuinely appreciate all of your prayers. If you have any questions or want to know more about specific things, feel free to send us a quick email. We love and miss yall and hope to hear from you soon!
Robbie and Lauren
*The Enemies of God I've been thinking recently quite a bit about the difference between the Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) in relation to those who rebel against God. Have you ever noticed how in the OT, it always talks about the enemies of God being destroyed (Psalm 18:37,40; 37:20; 45:5; etc.)? The enemies of God in the OT were often in quite a bit of trouble. He would often slaughter them, seemingly without a second thought! And he would tell His people to slaughter His enemies with His help (Deuteronomy 20:3-4)! But then, in the NT, God comes in the form of Jesus (John 8:19), and tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44)!! What in the world caused this change! In the OT, we slay our enemies with God's help. In the NT, we love our enemies and pray for them! I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately because of the tension that I see here in Jerusalem. It seems like people get along within the city, but obviously, that's not really what's going on. The Jews aren't trying to convert the Muslims and the Muslims aren't trying to convert the Jews. They are trying to kill each other (or at the very least, trying to get rid of the other) so that they alone can have Jerusalem. And then I hear of the terrible things that Muslims do around the world to those who stand in their way, and even to their own families! My heart breaks for the women in Islam who yearn to get out of it but who are too afraid because of what might happen to them or their children. And I ask God, "Why don't you just slay the wicked? Injustice is going on every minute and yet you do nothing to punish those who adamently oppose you! God, will you help me to slay the wicked?" Sometimes my flesh doesn't understand what my soul does. Anyway, I think the reason for the difference between the OT and NT is that God was giving this land to His people and in order for that to happen and for them to serve and worship Him alone, everyone living here needed to be wiped out. I think a lot of all of that killing was to set the table for Jesus to come the fist time(Galations 4:4). Now, in order for Jesus to come again, there are certain things that must happen, such as the evanglization of people from every tribe, tongue and nation. Killing these people who are seemingly enemies of God because they oppose the spread of the gospel would not speed the coming of Christ, but only hinder it. John Piper once said, "As Christians we don't kill to spread the gospel, we DIE to spread the gospel!" Praise God that He no longer treats His enemies as they deserve, for we too were once enemies of God (Romans 5:10)! If God could die for His enemies, I think we should be able to die for ours.
More Pictures!
January 27, 2010
Hello Everyone! We are loving Israel! Everday is a new adventure in a place that exhibits more charm and spice than we've ever experienced. The contrast of the Jewish Israelis to the Muslim Arabs is really something. Besides the fight beteen these two groups, the people are so invigorating. We are learning so much. We went on another "tour" today, but this one was given by a new friend, Hank, who we met with his family at church. He has an incredible knowledge of the history of Israel, and he showed us around town. We went to the pool of Bethsaida, to David's Palace, the East Gate, the Mount of Olives, and to the place of Jesus's accension on the Mt. of Olives. We ended our tour with a look at the Temple Institute. The Temple Institute is a Jewish organization that has made exact biblical replicas of Temple items that will be used when the building of the new Temple happens. It was pretty incredible. We got to look at what some of the items would have looked like, and it gave me a better understanding of how the sacrifices were performed. This was and is serious business to the Jews. This picture of us to the left is us near the pool of Bethsaida, and we are standing on some old pillar remnants. These are over 2000 years old!
I am attaching a few more pictures that I hope will give you a glimpse into what a beautiful place Israel is ...
The first picture is the potters field or the Field of Blood that the chief priests bought with the 30 silver coins that Judas returned in an attempt to save Jesus (Matthew 27:3-10). Some people think this is where Judas hung himself as well.
The second picture is of the steps that were excavated that lead into the pool of Bethsaida, which is where Jesus healed the man who had been laying there for 38 years (John 5:1-15). We didn't want to pay to go in, so it's not a great picture!
#3 is me standing in an old doorway into the underground tunnel that goes under Jerusalem. We plan on trekking this when it gets warmer!
#4 is a picture of two coins that we bought. These are 2000 years old, and are commonly found where they are excavating. The one on the right is the widow's mite that is talked about in Mark 12:38-44.
The fifth and sixth are pictures of David's Palace!!! This was probably my favorite place we saw on our tour with Hank.
#7 is the corner of Solomon's wall. You can also see the old East Gate. This specific corner is actually starting to "slouch" because they have been excavating too much (#8 shows the "slouch"). The government is trying to repair it...
#9 is a very famous tomb of about 5 different church leaders (Although the only one I can remember is john the Baptist!)
The next one is of the Mount of Olives.
#11 is where (apparently) Jesus ascended. There are three disputed places, but this is probably where it was. All three locations have churches built over them.
The last one is the view from the mount of Olives, and if you look closely you can see the Jordan Mountains.
We will be posting more pictures... so stay tuned! Thanks for praying!
Love, Lauren (and Robbie)
Hello Everyone! We are loving Israel! Everday is a new adventure in a place that exhibits more charm and spice than we've ever experienced. The contrast of the Jewish Israelis to the Muslim Arabs is really something. Besides the fight beteen these two groups, the people are so invigorating. We are learning so much. We went on another "tour" today, but this one was given by a new friend, Hank, who we met with his family at church. He has an incredible knowledge of the history of Israel, and he showed us around town. We went to the pool of Bethsaida, to David's Palace, the East Gate, the Mount of Olives, and to the place of Jesus's accension on the Mt. of Olives. We ended our tour with a look at the Temple Institute. The Temple Institute is a Jewish organization that has made exact biblical replicas of Temple items that will be used when the building of the new Temple happens. It was pretty incredible. We got to look at what some of the items would have looked like, and it gave me a better understanding of how the sacrifices were performed. This was and is serious business to the Jews. This picture of us to the left is us near the pool of Bethsaida, and we are standing on some old pillar remnants. These are over 2000 years old!
I am attaching a few more pictures that I hope will give you a glimpse into what a beautiful place Israel is ...
The first picture is the potters field or the Field of Blood that the chief priests bought with the 30 silver coins that Judas returned in an attempt to save Jesus (Matthew 27:3-10). Some people think this is where Judas hung himself as well.
The second picture is of the steps that were excavated that lead into the pool of Bethsaida, which is where Jesus healed the man who had been laying there for 38 years (John 5:1-15). We didn't want to pay to go in, so it's not a great picture!
#3 is me standing in an old doorway into the underground tunnel that goes under Jerusalem. We plan on trekking this when it gets warmer!
#4 is a picture of two coins that we bought. These are 2000 years old, and are commonly found where they are excavating. The one on the right is the widow's mite that is talked about in Mark 12:38-44.
The fifth and sixth are pictures of David's Palace!!! This was probably my favorite place we saw on our tour with Hank.
#7 is the corner of Solomon's wall. You can also see the old East Gate. This specific corner is actually starting to "slouch" because they have been excavating too much (#8 shows the "slouch"). The government is trying to repair it...
#9 is a very famous tomb of about 5 different church leaders (Although the only one I can remember is john the Baptist!)
The next one is of the Mount of Olives.
#11 is where (apparently) Jesus ascended. There are three disputed places, but this is probably where it was. All three locations have churches built over them.
The last one is the view from the mount of Olives, and if you look closely you can see the Jordan Mountains.
We will be posting more pictures... so stay tuned! Thanks for praying!
Love, Lauren (and Robbie)
We are here! And loving it.
January 14th, 2010
We have made it to Israel just fine and are loving every second of it. As I type this in our Aunt and Uncle's apartment, I am looking out onto Jerusalem. Its such a rich culture, the people here are all so different. There are literally people here from all over the world. Oh wow. Its truly incredible. I almost feel like we are going back in time. Yesterday we took our first tour of the Old City, and I feel as if my brain is on overload of information. Just to think that this city has been civilized since 4000 BC is something to think about. The history is so deep. Literally. We learned that because of Soloman's wall that surrounds the city, they don't build out, they build up. Jerusalem's Old City is only 1 sq km. Its like a 3D puzzle. I can't believe we have three months to enjoy this culture...
Thanks for praying.... We almost didn't make it into the country. We sat in the visa office for close to an hour after we arrived. They didn't like us staying so long. They kept saying (in an israeli accent) "You can see all of Israel in 2 weeks, why stay 3 months?" They didn't think that having relatives here and a desire to see all of Israel was enough reason to stay so long. But thanks to all your prayers, we made it in. I personally think they got bored of seeing us sitting there. :) Al and Billie were relieved to see us also, as they were concerned that we hadn't arrived.
But all is well, and we are excited to tell more stories later. Robbie is out playing basketball with the arab boys right now.
We love you all...
Robbie and Lauren
We have made it to Israel just fine and are loving every second of it. As I type this in our Aunt and Uncle's apartment, I am looking out onto Jerusalem. Its such a rich culture, the people here are all so different. There are literally people here from all over the world. Oh wow. Its truly incredible. I almost feel like we are going back in time. Yesterday we took our first tour of the Old City, and I feel as if my brain is on overload of information. Just to think that this city has been civilized since 4000 BC is something to think about. The history is so deep. Literally. We learned that because of Soloman's wall that surrounds the city, they don't build out, they build up. Jerusalem's Old City is only 1 sq km. Its like a 3D puzzle. I can't believe we have three months to enjoy this culture...
Thanks for praying.... We almost didn't make it into the country. We sat in the visa office for close to an hour after we arrived. They didn't like us staying so long. They kept saying (in an israeli accent) "You can see all of Israel in 2 weeks, why stay 3 months?" They didn't think that having relatives here and a desire to see all of Israel was enough reason to stay so long. But thanks to all your prayers, we made it in. I personally think they got bored of seeing us sitting there. :) Al and Billie were relieved to see us also, as they were concerned that we hadn't arrived.
But all is well, and we are excited to tell more stories later. Robbie is out playing basketball with the arab boys right now.
We love you all...
Robbie and Lauren
