Israel Week 3 – Kids, Heat, Hip-high Weeds
This week was dominated by my time at the Sisters of Bethlehem convent in Deir Rafat in the Judean foothills near Jerusalem. I had been recruited as a warm body to help with the youth (teenagers) camp that ran Monday through Thursday. This is during their long Passover break—the kids get three weeks off of school, like our spring break.
Israel Week 2 – Adjustments, Jerusalem, Killer Cactus
I’ve found some time to get back into my Hebrew textbook. Shena added me to her Pimsleur group account, which is an online language learning program. I’m not sure I’ll get time to log in every day, but every little bit helps. I bought two huge purple cabbages, and rice and eggs and decaf coffee. I knew I could get chocolate here (and there’s lots!), but I’m glad I stuffed the empty spaces in my luggage with my favourite chocolate from Canada—it’s a bit of home with every bite, and makes easy gifts.
Israel Week 1 – Gardens, Hebrew Mass, Capernaum
The House of St. Abraham parish grounds is a city lot with one large multi-purpose building. City permits in Beer Sheva do not allow for churches or mosques, so the worship space is a lovely chapel built on the ground floor of the house. All the walls and floors of the chapel are hard, so even a few people make for a nice sounding crowd. Honestly, the quality of the room’s longer reverb is outstanding, and a pleasure to listen to.