Yesterday

Just a clean up day.  Got the old suitcase mailed.  May take 3-4 months but if it comes before I get home just break the lock..  Went back to Garden tomb, my fav and through the old city from Demascus gate.  Saw areas I had not seen before.  Had a delist burger at 5)3 mall, great fries too.  I ate the whole thing.  Had not eaten all day cause I had heard about these burgers.  Only place in the mall with beef.  I stopped at 2 other places first and they said.  Oh no we are milk.  I just don't get the milk vs meat thing.  They eat fish and chicken.  And pigs...don't even go there.  Any way kinda quite night to begin with.  Then all heck broke loose at home.  Gonna go check out Nazereth.

I'm here

LoveNazereth.  God is blessing me still.  I got here ok, got off the bus found a nice restaurant and had a lovely lunch.  Table next to me as talking in English so I spoke and one from Wisconsin and one from here.  Turns out one ownes the place I'm staying at nd one is the tour guide.   When we were finished she offered to walk me to the Inn and carry a bag.  Wow!  I had no idea it was uphill all the way but awesome once I got here.  Take a look.  Tomorrow I go for a tour up in northern Israel.  This city is all Arab so no Shabbat on Saturday and real Christian  even Baptist church on Sunday.  I was only planning to stay 2 days but who knows.  This inn is an awesome place to relax.  A got the bed by the window and outside is a wonderful fountain and a few pigeons fluttering. Even a washer and dryer.  I've been hand washing for 6 weeks.  Everything gets a wash before I leave.  There is also a Turkish bath in town so I may get a bath too.  I have been having showers until the mineral bath at the Dead Sea.  Friday the Inn tor guide has a walking tour here so plenty to fill up a few days.i think I will like hanging here more than amman.

The view of courtyard out my window laying down

Courtyard and fountain

My bed

Entry from our side and courtyard

Departure

It is with a heavy heart that I leave Jerusalem. It was perfect until the last few days, when the picture began to turn with my friend Hannah.  I think I was to spend time with her and try to witness to her, aut several things were tainted in her stories so I stayed cautious, and managed to protect myself until this morning when I fell trying to get to her in rage.  The enemy was present in stronger ways than I ever saw before and very angry with me, cause I was refusing to leave without telling her the truth I saw in her.  I think it fell on deaf ears but it was told.  As I said in the beginning I was praying for discernment. All along I saw things from good Hannah and from Deceived Hannah.  I blamed much of it in Judaism,and now not sure.  She is into Kabalah, which Ruthie says is demonic, but Ruthie says a lot of things are demonic.  Hannah says everything that has appended to her is bad and she is good and does not deserve what her God has given her.  At one point even said a Rabbi told her God owes her an apology for all she has suffered, because she has never done anything wrong.  In Eilat where we met, she took food daily from the breakfast bay, and filled her purse for lunch.  Yeah, we've all done something like that, but every day, and lots.  Just stealing.  She was the biggest pusher and shower at bus and train, would walk right up in front of everyone, but then really be rude if anyone got in front of her and loudly reprimand them, said it was just the way you act in Israel when I called it to her attention.  A way of lying,the way I see it.  She was asked to return a sewing machine to a friend and she lied in my presence to the lady, and then asked me to take it to the lady while she hid around the corner.  Lying!

Now we find out that she has spent the money Ruthie and I have been giving her for rent and has not paid the rent.  Ruthie had paid up through the 20th, for a full month.  Last night the landlord came to ollect.  It was the most horrible screaming match you could imagine.  Ruthie told her she needed a refund if she could not stay, and there was another screaming match, this time in my doorway.  I stayed out cause I was leaving today?  This morning she jumped my case and I jumped back.  She was making false accusations and my Self would not take it.  I lunged at her and forces of some kind, through me to the floor.  I knew immediately that I was out of my league, so got my bags, which were packed and ready and left after praying with and for Ruthie and assuring Hannah that she was ick, needed help that I could not provide, and I would be praying for her .  I'm thrilled to get out with only a couple of skinned shins and knees.  I want be forgetting the good or the bad of my trip and so surely treasure your prayers .  I will be spending time with The Lord to see what my lesson is in this.  Girls please don't worry but do pray for my wisdom and safety.  I am a little in shock today as I ride the bs quietly to Nazereth, somewhere between, disbelief, tears, relief that I'm free of that, and sad for the experience , and the fact that after all we went through she was too far gone to help.  She was a beautiful , knowledgeable, person with o much to give, but cannot make it the way she is going.  This all happened last night within minutes of her coming into my room with a bottle of wine and 3 glasses for a farewell to me.  What a breakdown.  Gonna rest awhile as we ride.  Pray for my babies not to worry.  I love you all

Rabbi dies

At the age of 93 a very influential Spanish rabbi very involved in politics dies yesterday while I was gone to the Dead Sea.  When I started checking the bus schedule back I was to.d it could be unpredictable because of the death but maybe not cause the funeral was not until 6pm same day.  Well the 45 minute drive took over 4 hours because of the traffic.  Imagine downtown dallas with all the overpasses and cars pulled over and abandoned on both sides of the highway leaving 1 or 2 lanes open in the center.  Puses, delivery trucks everything parked along the road and up on the rub, even through tunnels.  Wherever they got to they parked.  Then all the people I the cars out and walking for miles to. The funeral procession or to the burial site. Not knowing what could be going on I thought it must be an earthquake, an explosion, way to iChat traffic for a cowboy game, what's up?  It  was amazing that that that kind of spontaneous reaction could have been a funeral.  Turns out 700,000 people were at the funeral within hours of the death.  Mourning and tearing off clothes in grief.  I didn't see the clothes off part, but read it on Fo. News with pics of the masses.  My battery was dead.  Finally the bus i driver told everyone who wanted to get off the bus to go wherever that they could.  Me and one other lady stayed with him.  We were deadlocked. Finally a little break in traffic and we made it to the central bus station.  But of course there are no buses cause they were all stuck I traffic.  I took the train that got me close to home and then is when it got funny.  There were masses of people waiting at each bus stop and waiting in the street cause NO traffic.  There were probably 2-300 people at each stop.  Of corse everyone wanted on ANY bus, just to be moving.  But everyone could not get on.  It was sold masses of bodies and I was in the front seat laughing my self silly at the faces, of course faces was all you could see.  I was in the front seat cause that is reserved for pensioners as we old folks are called, or disabled, and they were to smart to get out.  Anyway this old an had the same sense of humor as .i have and we laughed and laughed.  It was really cold an my shoes were still damp from the Sea, so the mass of bodies felt good to me.  He had on 2 coats so was warm and the door stayed open a long time at each stop but I was too busy laughing at people to be cold,  any way this is gonna be hard to describe but imagine an ice cream carton and an ice cream scoop.  The doors on the bus go kinda like an ice cream scoop.  The go out of the bus a little as they close.  Well there was a lady not quite on the bus and the door closed and sscooped her up from the outside and brought her into the bus.  The look on her ace could never be duplicated.  It was hysterical to me and my friend,  we were the only people who could see it.  Everyone else was back to her.  I could not even see out the bus to see my stop, but would not have objected to riding around longer, it was so funny.  Anyway when I found my stop and started getting off, the man next to me says, you must go, I told him yes, have fun, he said, but you are so warm.  It was quite a trip.

The day had been awesome at the Dead Sea.  I went to Masada.  It is a beautiful location. But I really don't appreciate the story o choose not to participate in the tour.  It is a mountain held by a Jewish group about 2000 years ago and the Romans were coming up the mountain and their fate was sealed so they all killed their families then the men drew lots to by 10 to see how killed each other until there was only 1 man left to be captured.  My heart wondered why they could not trust God to intervening like the Children of Israel did when Moses led the out of Egypt.  Where was their faith?  Where was that individual wo could step up and speak up when murder and suicide seemed like the only hope.  I just could not celebrate that idea so enjoyed the view and headed off for a mineral. Bath.  Now that may have been my best idea of the year.

wow, for 78 sheckels. Less than 20 usd I floated in the most extraordinary baths. 4 feet deep and 15 feet round, warm and loaded with minerals.  It felt like I expect weightlessness would feel like.  You could feel a little pressure on your body from the water lifting you up. Just that experience would be worth the cost of the trip over here.  I can't believe isaid that, but it was totally awesome.  Nothing like Hot Springs Ar.  The minerals make all the difference.  The awhile in the cool tub, still mineral filled and great butas great as the warm pool?  Now outside to a regular pool, skipped it, the a little ride down to the beach, with chairs, shades, mud bathes or floating in the sea.  I was only going to get in and flat nd eave just to say I'd done it.  Oh no,  it was the greatest.  At about knee deep, you start walking like a drunk cause your feet want hardly go down the want to flat.  But you can focus and pus and get about waist deep but then it is ard to stand up.  In that water you body is so limber you can do things you avent been able to do,since you were 2 years old.  It was an unbelievable experience.  Then a buggy ride back and showers with Dead Sea shampoo and soap.  Oh my what a great day.  Pics to follow, battery about dead and don't want to loose the post again

Gotta catch up

Starting with Friday, after a very long walk to get an Arab bus, I started with Mt of olives.  Beautiful trip up the Mt.  Saw Cael's, and 2 very beautiful sites.  One was the chapel of ascension where Jesus ascended into Heaven.  Other was the Church on the Lords Prayer where Jesus taught the deciples to pray.  It has Large , probably 5x10 ceramic tile sections of wall with the Lords Prayer in  over 60 languages Ad in Braille in several languages.  All colors so very decorative .  Then a mall chapel where the teaching occurred.  The grounds were beautiful with olive garden's and flowers everywhere.  the grounds of about 5 acres were a fence away from a very controversial hotel that apparently the Arabs built on the location that the Jews believe is where the Messiah will stand when he comes down to earth, then will move toward the Temple Mount.  Jews say built on sacred place in spite.  It does look very out of place at the top of such a sacred and historical site.  I was at the top and decided wat the hay, I just walked down. Plenty of time and the only way to really see it.  Wasn't as bad as I expected but well worth the fort.  When I got down I decided to just go ahead and wall all the way from ack to front of the old city, and found myself thinking Wow, I'm almost home when .I got to Jaffa Gate.  If you remember back 3 weeks, I thought it was a ver long walk from home to Jaffa gate.  I walked from about noon to 9 pm.  Yes I was tired, but ok.  god is good to keep e on my feet.  As I went through the old city, I did do Via Delarosa , and realized I had already done it a couple of time without realizing it. I took a break in old city and had a pizza and coke in front of Jacobs pizza and caught up on my people watching.  Jews ave a ting about milk vs meat and they can't touch or e served on the same plate.  Remember the have 2sinks so they wash dishes separately.  Anyway, pizzas don't have meat or don't ave cheese.  Burgers at a few places, but NO cheeseburgers.  Taco Bell  folded and left Israel.

sumnday I went with Hannah to take care f some Business in Ashdod.  A very progressive coastal city.  Very beautiful beaches.  We ad lunch on the beach and had a great day enjoying the wind, sand, surf and beUtiful, blue, Mediterranian.

Today was hoot.  Tell ya about it tomorrow

Smooth sailing

Had a slow day yesterday and needed it.  Went to the shook to finish up for Shabbat, then just hung out and started eating.  From sunset to sunset there is no cooking, cleaning, TV, anything requiring.  Can't turn light on cause you make a spark of electricity and that is work.  So you have to leave on or off whatever is on or off.  Hannah is still in a bad way, but I have done all I can for her.  Please continue to pray for her.  She is just to into Judaism to see any other way.  I know I have told her what I can and Ruthie has also, now it's up to the Holy Spirit.  She is a precious soul,but tied up in religious bondage.  I never saw this side of the world and it is very sad.  When I go with her to pray, most of my prayers are for the people there praying out of fear and obligation instead of praying in faith and love.

Anyway, I have a bag packed to ship home, one for the plane and a carry on, packed today so I know it will all fit and I'm.  Off toJordan 

N on Wednesday, alone.  I ave loved making friends here and learning what I have, and now am ready for more adventure.  Tomorrow plan to go to Dead Sea and float, and to Massada.

Then Monday to Tel Aviv, not sure why, and Ashdod. Then Tuesday probably run back to Nazareth and Tiberius.  Of course that could all change, but that would get e done.  Uh oh left out Jericho.  I'll figure something out.

Today I'm off to see Rachel's tomb, they really are all different and interesting.  Then to Mt  of Olives the back to the Garden Tomb of Jesus.  That was probably my favorite so far.  Here. Are a couple of pics from the old city

Did it again

Ran the battery down and lst my pst. ¥#€+£{~_<.

Anyway, the cliff notes version.  5am to pray in tunnels under the dome 

Then to Yad VAshim the Holacost museum.here are pics of wailing wall, wall by where the Arch of the Covenant is supposed to be.  Apparently Muslims only have above ground cause Israel is digging under it.

This is another church that it is said Jesus will return to but not before it is rebuilt and now it is rebuilt.  I thought that was about the temple being rebuilt.  It seems Jews, Muslims and Christians all have different locations and some duplicates aNd much contradiction.

2nd is the wall inside the tunnel system where you are as close to the Arch of the Covenant as you can get.  Is still part of the wailing wall but inside and right under the Temple Mount/ dome of the rock

3rd is part of the ongoing archeological dig

4th another shot of the wailing wall outside you can see the ramp from yesterday  from the other side.  You can see here how the western wall runs into another wall, but inside the wailing wall continues and the tunnels follow it.  That is where we went today.  That is where the Black Hats go but we were just a curtain away from them.  Just open from 4-8am for prayers.i am so glad that Jesus freed us from so much bondage.  That bondage and Obamacare were my main topics of prayer today