Off to the Galilee

After much anticipation, the volunteers at Yad Hashmona got a volunteer trip to the Galilee region.  We also got within eyeshot of the Syrian and Lebanese borders, went to two natural reserve parks and ended the day with some make-your-own falafels in a Druze village on the Golan Heights.   Some highlights were a snow-covered Mount Hermon as a backdrop and the lights of Tiberias reflected in the Sea of Galilee after dark.    Below are some of the pics....

A walk to the ancient ruins of the king's town Tel Hazor.

Ancient trees to go with an ancient town

The Yad HaShmona International Volunteer Gang



Into an ancient water collection system

Beautiful Shadows



Water from ancient pathways flow from Dan in the north to the Jordan River.



Finding seats on steps leading up to a golden ox. 

(Golden ox not pictured.)

The beginning of the downfall of the Judean kingdom. 

([Child] sacrifices to Baal started up here after Solomon's reign.)




A view from the Golan Heights

 



It was a beautiful day.   We had a top-notch tour guide who took the time to inspire as well as instruct us on the ins and outs of Israeli history.

The modern and the ancient meet at these church ruins behind me.



Kadosh קדוש

For anyone who ever wanted to learn this song..the words are pretty easy.  
Yad Hashmona (a hotel with banquet halls) hosts alot of groups.   One group in particular comes regularly:
Orthodox Jews desiring to celebrate the Shabbat.   Sometimes they will end their dinner with a song and then go into prayer.   I thought it would be neat if we, the volunteers, had a Shabbat song of our own to offer after dinner.   

Yad Hashmona

The Classic Yadashmona video that even my roommate from Columbia saw onYoutube! Q

Israel - How it all Started

 I was helping at a Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) this fall, near Portland, Oregon.    I had taught in China and had recently spent some time serving at a ministry house.    I felt a season of transition was upon me and had been praying and praying and praying about what to do next with my life.   While in this celebration of our Hebrew roots, surrounded by Jewish realia, my desire to visit Israel and learn Hebrew was stirred anew and faith was built to look into the possibility.   

That day, I talked with one of the speakers living in Israel and asked if they knew of any resources for someone wanting to go to live in Israel.   They mentioned a kibbutz.

A kibbutz is like a work commune.   Israel is famous for them and for having foreigners volunteer at them.  Usually the focus of a kibbutz is agriculture but some serve as a retreat center or resort hotel for visitors.  

The speaker's wife gave me the name of a Christan kibbutz called Yad Hashmona.    I usually don't get to things right away, but I looked this one up that evening.    Absorbing page after page of beautiful Biblical scenery and pictures of sociable young volunteers, I was blown away by how much peace I felt about the place.   It was a Christian retreat center set-up and run by a group that came from Finland.   I am a Christian and my mother is Finnish.  It seemed like a perfect match.

After feeling so ill at ease about other things I had looked into (getting my master's, jobs in Portland/Grants Pass, teaching in Asia again, etc. ...) I quickly decided to go in this direction.  I just needed an okay from God and maybe a little more confirmation. 

The next morning I announced at the breakfast table that I was going to go to Israel.  I would volunteer in a kibbutz and I would learn Hebrew!   The woman sitting next to me--who was the director of the Sukkot, said, "You are going to need a ticket for that. I am going to buy your ticket!"    I couldn't believe it.   I just needed a little confirmation from God and He sent me a landslide of, "Yes!! Yes! Go! Go forth and I will be with you...!"   Also, what a sweet blessing that my friend wanted to take care of the first financial obstacle of my trip.
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It was my utmost desire to learn Hebrew in Israel and what seemed least likely to ever be possible, but in a moment, that all changed.   Now, I'm going to Israel!!!!!! I am going to study Hebrew and work in a kibbutz. :]