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Shabbat Shalom

It is Friday and I love watching everyone get ready for the Shabbat. I see people cleaning and buying groceries and flowers. The weather is cloudy, no rain, so far and in the 50’s. Everyone is taking advantage of the weather and are out and about.
I went to the “pie crust lady” grocery store and have stayed under the radar so far. I bought a chicken in my “pigeon” Hebrew. Echad Pollo. I finally had to break down and use English. The butcher and I got the chicken picked out and wrapped up. I too like getting ready for Shabbat. The chicken is in the crock pot and we will have friends over tonight for Shabbat. We are blessed.

Later this afternoon, I am planning on interviewing my friend Cindy for the upcoming Women series coming out in the Fall. She is an American who lives in Jerusalem. She and her husband, Gary, also have a place up in the Galilee.

I am hoping for a quiet Shabbat. The group for the tour comes in on Monday, so Sunday will be my last Blog until March 28th. One of my greatest joys is showing pilgrims Israel. I love when the lights come on in their hearts and their minds.

Will and I had pizza in the old city and are enjoying being here. I have my eye on a painting at Blue and White Gallery, so we are heading there one more time.

Met an American at the B&B this morning from Oregon. Jim came to Israel for the first time in 1971. I would have loved to have seen Israel then. But, God’s timing is always perfect.

News from the Jerusalem Post

Predator wasps flying to the aid of nation’s eucalyptus trees
A shipment of predator wasps arrived in Israel two months ago to take on the gall wasp pest that have been ravaging Israel’s eucalyptus trees. The predator wasps have already successfully routed one pest species. Fifty percent of the problem has been taken care of now, said David Brand, manager of the Jewish National Fund’s Department of Forestry and Development.

Israeli’s overall use and time spent by students on Internet up
Teenagers are spending 25% more of their time surfing the Internet. More than they did in 2004 reports Comscore Networks. Number one on the computer is Canada which spends 39.6 hours, Israel with 37.4, followed by South Korea with 34 hours each week. Teenagers in the U.S. spend 31.6 hours each week on the computer.

Have a blessed Shabbat

“The only thing chicken about Israel is the soup.” —Bob Hope

SNOW! Yes, I awoke to snow in Jerusalem. As many times as I have been to Israel, I have never experienced snow. Quite a lovely site. As I traveled to the internet cafe this morning, I noticed all sorts of umbrellas. All colors, shapes and lots in funny positions. The rainy season lasts until Passover, so I was expecting rain—but snow? Wow, what a bonus.

Our head guide, Zvi, always starts the morning on the bus with “boker tov, morning good, I am Zvi, you can just call me Zvi or simply Zvi, and there is no snow in Jerusalem today.” I laughed at what he would say today. I sent him an email saying that yes, there was snow today in Jerusalem.

Wednesday, Will and I went far North on the press junket with about 20 other journalists, very close to Metula. We traveled from Jerusalem along the Jordan Valley and stopped at the Shtula area where the two IDF soldiers were kidnapped and several others were killed. There is a barbed wire fence there with a banner on it that says “Don’t abandon our soldiers.” All of Israel wants these soldiers back.

We were briefed by two IDF spokesmen—a Captain and a Colonel in the reserve. The Colonel said that much blood was found where the soldiers were kidnapped. The feeling I got was that he did not think the soldiers were alive. Regardless of this, the Israelis would want the soldiers back. There is just a real respect for the lives of the soldiers whether they are brought back dead or alive.

We had lunch at Kibbutz Kfar Gil’adi where the Colonel also asked us two questions. Very interesting questions, because the Winograd Commission will pronounce a sentence regarding Israel’s leaders later this summer. The two questions are: Was the response in retailation for the kidnapping or was the war with Lebanon a war to rid the country of Hizbollah? They are two different wars and should have been fought two different ways according to the Colonel. I thought about what he said, and I had to agree with him. Everyone in Israel has an opinion. I am no different.

The best part of the trip came late in the day. We were due back to Jerusalem, but ended up at Jish at a small cafe called “Nights of Beirut.” The owners are an Arab-Israeli husband and wife. Her name is Laura and she was very upfront about being a Christian. We were served a variety of salads and warm pita bread. We were there to ask questions about the effects of the war this past summer.

She was just so sweet. I had a day filled with military comments and wars and rumors of wars, that I was on overload. When we walked in to the cafe, I could tell something was different. Laura said that they were afraid during the war, but because her mother lived with them and their business was in Jish—they did not leave.

I waited until all the others had asked their questions and then I got up and went to her. I asked her what it was like being a Christian in Israel. She said it was harder being an Arab than a Christian. We just smiled and hugged one another. It was so good to be with a Believer.

As we got on the bus, the leader, Ari (with a kippot on his head) said that the cafe was a random thing and that they did not know these people, and found them on the internet. I just smiled. As Believers, we know there are no random acts. This was from God. The other news was that when Ari went to pay for our meal, Laura refused payment. What a great witness to all the journalists who were from all over the world and from different religions. Just a wonderful end to the day. Thank you Lord. I really needed that.

Wonderful news items in the Jerusalem Post:

Poland Honors 97 year old woman who saved 2,500 Jews. Irena Sendler refused, despite being tortured, to give the Nazis names of children she smuggled to safety. She lives in a nursing home and could not attend, but Poland’s Parliament honored her on Wednesday.

Peace Now admits it erred on Ma’aleh Adumin land confiscations—by 85.5 percent. Peace Now reported that 86 percent of Ma’aleh Adumin was stolen by the Jews. They now reported that only 0.5 percent was built on private Palestinian land.

On the Editorial page, praise is being given to John Hagee for his stand with Israel and his speech at AIPAC. This is big news for me because it is printed in the Jerusalem Post. It just shows that we Believers are making a difference.

UNESCO has ruled that the dig is not harming the Temple Mount. The BBC, along with the international media, almost caused a major riot because of their inaccurate reporting. I say that the BBC should leave Israel now. They should be punished for their false reporting.

Much more in the news, and I will save it for later.

Meeting with Aviel Schneider at Israel Today at noon. As always, so good to visit with Believers.

Ps 8:1 “Oh Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth”

Will and I went to the Galilee Friday and returned to Jerusalem on Sunday. I love Spring in Israel, and when you get out of Jerusalem and see the mountains up in the Galilee, you have no idea just how gorgeous it really is. The flowers are red, yellow, pink, white, lilac—even a flower I am calling a Texas Bluebonnet. The cherry trees, plum trees, apple trees and of course the Almond tree is blooming. The mountains have grass and greenery all over them. Really a site to see.

I think everyone had the same idea. We got the last two rooms in The Scots Inn. I had never stayed there before and it was a real treat. It was redone and reopened in 2004. About 70 rooms with some of the best food I have ever had at a hotel. I said that to our friends Brooke and Rachel on Saturday night and they both said in unison “that’s because it is not kosher.” We laughed and laughed. That’s what everyone says about the food. It is really good.

Will and I went to Gamla and looked at the site of the Galilee Masada. Very impressive. We also went to an artist village called Aniam, near to Gamla. About 10 individual galleries of painters, sculptors, food, anything artistic. We stayed about two hours there and I helped their economy by buying a couple of original water colors by Hanan Milner. His wife is the famous Olga Orfreshnikov from Russia. I would encourage anyone who is visiting the Galilee area to make this a stop. I found that there were prices for all budgets.

We also went to Nimrod’s castle, but did not stay long. I had wanted to see it, but it just was not the site I thought it would be. We arrived in Kerat Shemona to see the damage of the battle with Hizbollah. I was so impressed with the greenery of the mountains. We saw very little damage of the mountain sites. Some brown trees, but most of all, it looked like the God had healed the land.

Off we went to see our friends at the Jesus Boat. It is so good to see people we know and care about. We discussed what had happened in the Summer with Hizbollah. Everyone is of the same opinion: They hope no more rockets. But this is nothing new to Israel.

Back to Jerusalem on Sunday. We met Becky and Marshall at the Western Wall tunnel tour. It was a first for me. Very interesting to see the entire length of the Western Wall. It is a retaining wall for the Temple Mount. We walked and walked. I have several more sites to see, that I have not seen before. I hope I will never run out of things to see in Israel.

Today is laundry day. I took my laundry and he just laughed at my small amount. Nothing changes. I told him I was Will’s ema (mother) and he said, I know, I know. I am blessed. It is also Levitt Letter article day for me.

One of the food items I brought with me were taco shells, so I promised Will I would fix tacos tonight. That means a trip to the grocery store. Should be easy: Lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, onions, ground meat. I think I can handle it.

The weather had been glorious—cool in the morning and warming up to about 72 degrees during the day, then cooling down as the sun sets. I just could not have asked for better weather.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Shabbat Shalom,

Yesterday, I walked from my B&B to the old city. I was assured by my friend at the desk that I could do it, so I thought if I get too tired I will just hop on the bus or get a cab. I ended up going a different way and for awhile I thought I was lost. The lyrics of “I once was lost, but now am found” kept going through my head. I really thought I was lost, but emerged at a place I knew. I followed the signs and was found. There must be a sermon somewhere in this experience.

Will and I had dinner Thursday night downtown with a friend. One word: Beef! Very good beef. We saw people everywhere. Busy, busy, busy. Thursday night in Israel is like our Friday night in the States. It is the end of the week and everyone is eating and having a good time. I have not seen downtown (Ben Yehuda street) so crowded in a very long time. I got home late, but full of good food and fellowship.

The Jerusalem Post, this morning is huge. I think it will take me a day or two to read it all. It’s full of ads, articles, recipes, real estate, tours, opinions, etc. As always, I am looking at real estate. It helps me gauge what is going on here in Israel. Prices are still high in Jerusalem.

Headlines:

UNIFIL wants more Freedom to confront Hizbullah! Comment: Duh!

Is Masada Being Washed Away? Inside story says: The section of the wall requiring immediate preservation work is on the southern side of Masada, and does not lie along the trail used by visitors.
Comment: Before anyone gets scared that Masada is falling down, the answer is no. Tourists will be just fine.

UNESCO is to present its report on Mughrabi Dig in next few days. I will let you know what the findings are when they come out. I saw the area the last few days. It is a new ramp being built to help visitors get to the Temple Mount and the Arabs don’t like it.
Comment: It is just another excuse to hassle the Jews. My personal opinion is that if any artifacts are found, they will be Jewish and the Arabs have always said that the Jews did not exist. This will prove them wrong. More is at stake here.

Will and I are off to the Galilee area for the weekend. I want to see what is going on up at Keyat Shemona and other areas. I am hoping to interview a couple of lovely ladies for the upcoming series about Women in the Bible. Stay tuned as they say.

Part of the Bible Study I am doing involves daily reading of the Bible. This week was Matthew 19-28. Being in Israel and reading about Yeshua and his last weeks on earth is so meaningful. I am here where it all happened! The text really comes alive.

Have a blessed Shabbat.

Shalom from Israel. Today is promising to be another gorgeous Spring day in Jerusalem.

I want to finish up Tuesday afternoon and the adventures I had in the old city before I get to the activities of Wednesday. I spent about an hour talking with Moshe at Shorashim. We solved all the problems of the world, or so we thought. Dov and Moshe are really great guys and I love visiting them when I can. They are in-the-know of what is going on in Israel and I value their opinions.

As I had gone by earlier, I noticed a group in the store looking at me. Zola always said it was because people thought he was the weather man when people looked like they recognized him. When I went back to talk to Moshe, he said that they had known who I was and they were so happy that Zola’s ministry had gone on.

As we were talking, in walks another tall Texan, John Brown with Zion Oil. I had just seen him in Orlando less than 3 weeks ago. I am telling you, it is a small world! Another lady from Hawaii came up to me and told me that she had watched Zola for years and that was the reason she was in Israel. God is so good to me.

I made my way to the Western Wall and prayed.

As I was leaving the old city I saw Gerald Schroeder. I loved watching he and Zola talk. Talk about two brains, those two were a sight to see. Gerald and his family sent condolences when Zola got sick and kept in touch. He even prayed for Zola at the Western Wall. Nice memories and good to see him.

Being in the city, I see the signs of Spring and there is no more beautiful time of the year in Israel than now.

Wednesday, Will and I had the privilege of being on a press junket to Sderot, Kfar Gaza, and Kerem Shalom. We were with about 18 other reporters on the trip sponsored by Media Central. This is a group that helps foreign journalists with information about Israel. They set up media tours and have an office for journalists—something that is needed here in Israel.

I knew Spring was here, but when I got outside of Jerusalem, I could really see the green grass and the blooming flowers and trees. Just gorgeous. It makes you glad to be alive.

We left about 8:30am and did not get back to Jerusalem until almost 8pm. But it was OK, because I wanted to see what was going on in that area. I will write more about it for the May Levitt Letter. Briefly we met with IDF spokesmen and we got to see the police station with mortars at Sderot. This is the same police station at which Jeff filmed a segment for the Daniel series. I learned that the color of the metal of a rocket will tell bomb squads who the terrorist group is. Green metal is Hamas, black is Jihad. Interesting and scary at the same time. These mortars are made in home workshops, so it is very hard to find all of the terrorist.

I will tell you another thing that the IDF Captain told us: The Terrorists use sheep filled with explosives and send them to the army borders. The soldiers will not shoot a sheep and so they blow up, most of the time injuring soldiers. We met with a mother from Sderot and we were shown the elementary school her son attends—and the bars and cement surrounding it.

We also met with a retired Brig. General. He was very interesting in his opinions of what Israel should do and whether or not there will be another war.

And finally, we saw the border of Kerem Shalom. This is the place where Gilad Schalit was kidnapped. In the Jerusalem Post this morning, there is talk that the deal for his return is almost done. We must keep praying for him.

Speaking of news from the Jerusalem Post… Now the BBC has conducted a survey that ranks Israel alongside Iran and the United States as the countries with the most negative images in the world. They Surveyed 28,000 people in 27 countries. Like the BBC is not one of the most anti-Israel, anti-American media outlets in the world.
Comment: This is why, Danny Seaman (Israel Government Press Director), Israel needs pro-Israel journalists like Will king.

Just so you know that Israel is not some backward country: The Dallas Mavericks won! In the Jerusalem Post!

I am back at the computer book store. Marietta—the widow—and I are getting along just fine. She is so precious.

Several of you have asked where I stay in Jerusalem. I stay at Little House of Baka. Sweet place… not big, but with really nice people.

Off to meet friends for a late brunch.

Another beautiful cool Spring morning. After the wonderful breakfast buffet on the patio, I wandered toward the old city. I want to check on some friends and do some computer work.

Yesterday, downtown or on Ben Yehuda street as I was walking around, I heard my name called. I looked up and there was Pamela. Now, Pamela is from Dallas, but more than that, she was our Friday night Shabbat singer at Shalom Shalom. This was the congregation that Zola started about 7 years ago. I am always amazed at the people I see in Israel. It was good to see her and remember her wonderful singing. She is trying to make Aliyah. Such good memories.

I also went to an Italian Synagogue Museum. It was very close to Ben Yehuda and I want to see things I have not seen each time I come to Israel. The building belonged to the German compound and when they moved away, the Italian community was given permission to worship there. In the early 1950’s, the building become available and the Synagogue’s interior from Conegliano, Italy was brought to Israel and established. A very small museum, but with wonderful artifacts from the 16th century. Beautifully done in the Italian style.

It is nice to take time to see things. I am sitting in a small book shop that also has computer connections. The sweet lady’s husband died about 9 months ago and she is keeping the book store open. Interestingly, I had asked my friend at Shorashim for an internet cafe and he recommended her shop. We talked a little about being widows. Very comforting. God is in the little details. I will come back here.

News From The Jerusalem Post

Israel Number 2 in EU patent applications.
Israel ranked second after Japan in the number of patent applications submitted in Europe in 2005, according to research published by Business Data Israel on Monday.
Comment: I saw no Muslim countries listed.

Americans more pro-Israeli, Gallup poll shows.
Americans are more pro-Israeli in their views today than they were 10 and 20 years ago, but they are also more polarized, according to a recent Gallup poll. Sympathy for Israelis rose from 41% to 53%, while the average sympathy for Palestinians rose from 13% to 16%.
Comment: About time!

Hamas Education Ministry bans book of folk tales.
The Hamas-run Palestinian Authority Education Ministry has ordered an anthology of Palestinian folk tales to be pulled from school libraries and destroyed because of sexually explicit language, officials said Monday, in what critics charged was the most direct attempt by the Islamic militants to impose their beliefs on Palestinian society.The book ban angered and worried many Palestinians, who long feared that Hamas would use its victory in last year’s parliamentary election to remake the Palestinian territories according to its hard-line interpretation of Islam.
Comment: It is just the beginning. This is what happens when the religion of peace takes over.

I am off to the old city to support the Israeli economy.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

I ended up going to bed about 8pm last night and slept until 7am this morning. I could not believe it. I must have really been tired! The B&B has a new breakfast buffet out in the courtyard and it so pleasant. I must have had two or three helpings of the best egg salad I have ever tasted.

Today was grocery store day. I went to what we call the “big store.” It is a full size grocery store as opposed to the small grocery stores in the neighborhoods. The prices are also much better. Before I left the States, I bought a rolling cart for $5.00—what a deal. I see lots of people here in Israel with the rolling carts. It comes in handy with the groceries. I bought ground meat, chicken, tomato sauce, water, pasta—figuring my cart would carry it all. I was so excited.

I checked out and started loading my cart, and when I went to pull it I noticed that it would not roll. Turns out that one of the wheels had broken off. I just could not believe it! So, I dragged my cart to the home center next door, thinking I could replace the one that had just broken. I looked at two—one was orange and one was green—and it looked like they were on sale so I bought the green one (I do not like the color orange). It turns out the orange one was on sale, not the green one. 🙁 After much negotiating, I transferred everything to the new cart and I was on my way back to the apartment. Always an adventure. It really was funny.

I met Will and some friends for lunch close to Ben Yehuda street. There were so many people on Ben Yehuda today, most dressed in Purim costumes. It was good to see them. Even the dogs had on costumes! Because Jerusalem is a walled city, Purim was celebrated today. Everywhere else in Israel, yesterday.

Gorgeous day: Cool weather, but clear and sunny. Only in the late afternoon did it turn colder and cloudy. A taxi driver told me that it always rains on Purim. We’ll see.

I am hoping to go to the old city tomorrow.

Shalom from Jerusalem,

Whew! What a trip to Israel this time. I left Texas at noon on Friday, and arrived in Tel Aviv at 3:30am Sunday morning. This is my 33rd trip to Israel and it is the first time I have had a flight cancel on me. Got to Zurich just fine, but had mechanical problems and the 9am flight canceled, leaving a plane load of passengers to fly on the only two flights remaining in the day (or rather I should say night) at 9pm and 10:45pm. Finally got to the B&B at 5:30am. But, I had a nice surprise waiting for me at the airport… Will met my plane! I was so glad to see him.

We took the Sharoot from the airport to Jerusalem. It was my first time and may I say quite the experience. A sharoot is a big van and holds about 10 people. It is much cheaper than taking the taxi from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But, the down side is that it stops about 10 times before your stop, so lots of patience is required. I wanted to try another slice of Israeli life. I was so glad Will was with me. Interesting. I would probably do it again. The people on the front desk at my B&B said “welcome home.” I feel that way every time I come to Israel—I am home.

First thing on my to do list was to see the “tomb” of Jesus. I really did not want to give James Cameron any publicity, but I felt the need to report what was going on in Jerusalem. Here it is: NOTHING. The tomb is located in a neighborhood and is really nothing. It is in a rose garden. Will and I met a man who had lived there from the beginning of the founding of Talpiot and he said that last week, all the media was there. One would really have to go looking for this tomb. Zola would say “why are we surprised at the unbeliever?” This is all about an unbeliever trying to make a buck off of Christianity with sensationalism. James Cameron should be sued for slander and libel! This is just such a non-story. Our Messiah was crucified and rose from the dead, period. More hoopla has been made about this documentary in the U.S. than here. It was false 27 years ago and remains false today.

As usual, my pattern of eating at one of my favorite places was another priority. Foccica. Just good. Will and I met Taki and had a great time and great food.
Today was also the first day of Purim. All around the city, people are dressed in costume. Most of the little girls are Esther and the little boys are IDF soldiers or superheroes. That is what Purim is all about—a superhero saving her people. We must never forget that there are evil people in the world who want to destroy the Jews. And if they want to destroy the Jews, they will also be coming for the Christians.

One of my greatest joys is to see people fall in love with Israel. My friends Becky and Marshall have rented an apartment here in Jerusalem for two months and plan on absorbing the culture. They will be taking some Hebrew classes and visiting many of the sites around Israel. I look forward to showing them some new places—shopping of course. Got to help the economy.

Tomorrow is grocery store day. I am hoping my friend doesn’t remember me as the “pie crust” lady. I got him this time: I brought my own pie crust. My extra bag looked like a supermarket with pecans, mushroom soup, sweet pickle relish, and on and on. Just a little slice of the States.

I am planning on going to several cities in the Gaza strip with other media to report on the situation in that area on Wednesday.

I am so blessed to be in Israel!

Off to bed.

Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

I returned to Dallas last Wednesday afternoon just in time for the snow. I could not believe I was coming home to snow! I left a fairly warm Israel on Tuesday and then snow. I could not believe it when I got here that the weather would turn so bad [from 75 to 42 in a few hours, to snow the following day—ed.]. It did snow on Thursday, but not too bad.

The flight from Israel started with a funny event. The plane was packed, as usual, and we were waiting to take off. The seat next to me was vacant. I had ended up in the middle of a 4 seat row. I kept thinking that no way was that seat going to stay vacant, but hope springs eternal. As the door closed and we started to taxi, my hopes were up, only to be dashed by a young man taking the seat.

The problem was that the person who was assigned the seat next to me was an Orthodox Jewish man and he would not sit next to a woman that he was not related to. So he was standing in the galley waiting for someone to trade seats with. This young secular Jewish guy finally traded seats with him. No one wanted to sit in the middle seat and for a long time the steward could find no one to take the seat. I was starting to take it personally. Then, my seatmates and I were laughing when we discovered the problem. After this young man sat down, the steward was so grateful that he brought him all the goodies from the business class section. He even got the business class meal.

I am back and sorting out 5 weeks of mail and other miscellaneous things I do after traveling. I already miss Israel and am looking forward to being there again in the Spring.

Today is Zola’s birthday. How happy he must be sharing his birthday with the Lord and for that I am blessed.

Thanks to all who have read the blog. I tell you, I did not even know what a blog was until a year ago and now I are one. 🙂 God does work in mysterious ways.

Please keep praying for Israel and her leaders. They must stand strong against all our enemies.

Daniel 2:20,21 “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And he changes the times and the seasons: He removes kings and raises up kings: He gives wisdom and knowledge to those who have understanding.”

I cannot believe this is my last night in Israel. All my senses are heightened. I am putting in my memory bank smells, sights, sounds and people. Mostly the people.

Today is just a gorgeous day. The sky is clear and the temperature is in the high 60’s—just about perfect.

I know that tomorrow the cast of characters will change at the B&B. I think the Texans are leaving and Morris left today. The French are here as are the Russians. I have really enjoyed my stay there. They have been so kind to me—just like a small family.

I took a long walk around the neighborhood—sort of a one last look. God willing, I will be back in March and Spring will be blooming.

Will is at work at Bridges for Peace today, so I am catching up on emails and packing. I just do not understand where all the stuff comes from. I don’t think I have bought that much. I came with two bags, thinking that after Thanksgiving, I would return to the States with one bag. It looks like that is not going to happen—next time.

I thought about our Thanksgiving again. It really turned out well. I am still praising and thanking God for the lovely dinner. So much could have gone wrong. I cooked on a really small stove with one oven and little counter space to work with. After all the horror tales I heard about fixing turkey, the breast and the legs turned out well.

I heard a story about Susan and her first Thanksgiving here in Israel. She ordered a whole turkey, picked it up and cooked it. When it came out, her husband, Barry, said it looked like a porcupine. All the pin feathers had popped out. I laughed so hard at that one. That’s why I went with the pieces of turkey. When I really think about it, the most important thing was the fellowhship.

News is all about Gaza and Israel—who pulled out, who did not, who fired first, who did not. On we go. It is so reassuring to know that God is in control. Why do we think the Muslims want peace?

I had pizza for lunch on Ben Yehuda (downtown). Tomorrow I will probably have falafel one last time before I leave.

I will miss the “street chicken” game (my name). The sidewalks are made for two and a half people, so if I am walking by myself, it is a game to see who moves aside first. I promise you, more times than not, it is me that moves first.

Thank you again for your support of this ministry.