Yesterday, me and a couple of my friends went to a messianic congregation in Jaffa. The service was in Hebrew but they had an English translation. After church, we went to this awesome little cafe nearby and then walked to the beach. We were all sweating because it was ridiculously hot and we were in our church clothes, so we decided to take a cab home, put on our bathing suits, and then go to the beach. That was much better!
I had my first day of the Hebrew Ulpan today. It was overwhelming of course because everything is so new, but I really enjoyed it. I know how to say 4 whole sentences in Hebrew. I can practically carry on a conversation!
I think I'm really going to enjoy being in school again. I suppose we never stop learning, and school is such a good reminder of that. I actually had that thought today about my relationship with God. There are times when I so wish I was done learning from Him. I know that sounds silly and probably heretical, but the lessons God has been teaching me lately are difficult and painful. There are things I really don't want to be confronted with, but He confronts me with them anyway. Won't it ever stop? I'm sure the outcome will be great and I'll be able to look back and be thankful. Hindsight is always 20/20. But in the meantime, facing these things is less than pleasant.
The challenge is being thankful for the opportunity to change. I suppose I need to start learning that. See, we never stop learning!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Chai be'seret
I learned a couple of new Hebrew phrases today. The first one is tafil mone, which means "please put up the meter." In Israel, cab drivers rarely use meters. Normally you agree on a price with the driver before you leave for your destination. But tourists have no idea how much a ride from here to there should cost so they (well, we) can be easily ripped off.
The second phrase I learned is chai(a) be'seret, which is literally translated "living in a movie." It is equivalent to the English idiom "you're full of crap." So if a guy is telling a bogus story that is probably not true, you can say to him, "You are chai be'seret. That definitely didn't happen!" Or if a girl is super demanding of her boyfriend, he can say to her, "If you think I am going to buy you those shoes and that purse, you are chaia be'seret."
I keep repeating it to myself so I can remember it and use it one day soon.
Other than learning useful new phrases, I have been spending my time with basically the same group of people, and they are great. My favorite part of yesterday was definitely the beach. Today we went to the market and later we are going to do a Shabbat dinner.
My Hebrew classes start on Sunday. Yay!
The second phrase I learned is chai(a) be'seret, which is literally translated "living in a movie." It is equivalent to the English idiom "you're full of crap." So if a guy is telling a bogus story that is probably not true, you can say to him, "You are chai be'seret. That definitely didn't happen!" Or if a girl is super demanding of her boyfriend, he can say to her, "If you think I am going to buy you those shoes and that purse, you are chaia be'seret."
I keep repeating it to myself so I can remember it and use it one day soon.
Other than learning useful new phrases, I have been spending my time with basically the same group of people, and they are great. My favorite part of yesterday was definitely the beach. Today we went to the market and later we are going to do a Shabbat dinner.
My Hebrew classes start on Sunday. Yay!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Peace, Be Still
I woke up at 2 this morning (It's just after 3 now) and had my first little nudge of anxiety; not the kind of anxiety that makes me want to pack up and go home but the kind that makes me wonder how on earth I'm going to last a year in a place where I don't know the language, the culture, or the people.
Then, like David had to do on a number of occasions, I quieted my soul and remembered that I'm here because God wants me here. And that's all I need to know.
The first story that popped into my mind when I was laying awake in bed early this morning was when Jesus calmed the storm. Jesus and the Disciples were traveling by boat when a "furious squall" broke out. The Disciples were panicked and anxiety-ridden and grew even more upset when they saw that Jesus was sleeping. How could He sleep when they were terrified of dying? "Don't you care if we drown?" they asked Him angrily. That was their way of asking Jesus to make it stop. And He did. But then He said this: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Why am I so afraid? Have I lost sight of the fact that God is the one who called me here? Where is my faith to believe that He will quiet the storms of my soul and bring me to a place of safety like He did the Disciples?
It's interesting to me that, even though Jesus was present with the Disciples, they still experienced storms. As we've heard repeated millions of times, accepting Christ does not mean that we will live a trouble-free life. But what it does mean is that even in the midst of the storms, He will be right there with us to give us peace. And then He will bring us safely to the other side.
Then, like David had to do on a number of occasions, I quieted my soul and remembered that I'm here because God wants me here. And that's all I need to know.
The first story that popped into my mind when I was laying awake in bed early this morning was when Jesus calmed the storm. Jesus and the Disciples were traveling by boat when a "furious squall" broke out. The Disciples were panicked and anxiety-ridden and grew even more upset when they saw that Jesus was sleeping. How could He sleep when they were terrified of dying? "Don't you care if we drown?" they asked Him angrily. That was their way of asking Jesus to make it stop. And He did. But then He said this: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Why am I so afraid? Have I lost sight of the fact that God is the one who called me here? Where is my faith to believe that He will quiet the storms of my soul and bring me to a place of safety like He did the Disciples?
It's interesting to me that, even though Jesus was present with the Disciples, they still experienced storms. As we've heard repeated millions of times, accepting Christ does not mean that we will live a trouble-free life. But what it does mean is that even in the midst of the storms, He will be right there with us to give us peace. And then He will bring us safely to the other side.
We Finally Made It!
After several reroutings, 4 pieces of lost luggage, and endless hours of traveling, we finally made it to Tel Aviv! We checked into my dorm early this morning and shopped for the rest of the day. It's 4:30 here now and I'm just trying to stay awake long enough to get my sleeping schedule back on track.
I have orientation tomorrow as well as a Hebrew placement exam, which is hilarious considering I don't know a word of Hebrew. (Well, that's not entirely true...I know Shalom and Mazel Tov.) Hopefully the exam will be relatively painless.
When I am rested and feeling like myself again I will write more.
I have orientation tomorrow as well as a Hebrew placement exam, which is hilarious considering I don't know a word of Hebrew. (Well, that's not entirely true...I know Shalom and Mazel Tov.) Hopefully the exam will be relatively painless.
When I am rested and feeling like myself again I will write more.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Pre-Adventure Thoughts
A strange peace.
That's the only way to describe what I'm feeling right now. Yes, I know that I am moving to one of the most volatile regions in the world. And yes, I understand that I will be far away from my family, my friends, and everything that is familiar to me for a long period of time. And yet, even in spite of these things, I still feel sure that this is exactly what God wants me to do. So I have peace. A strange peace.
This is peace that comes from faith, I suppose: not knowing exactly why God wants you to do something but doing it anyway, confident that the outcome will be far greater than anything you could have come up with on your own.
As we all know, having peace about something doesn't mean that it's easy and goes off without a hitch. I am fully aware that many breakdowns are ahead of me. There will definitely be moments I'll feel completely overwhelmed about the sudden change in culture, language, and routine. But moments of this kind are sure to pass. Abraham took his family and journeyed to a city whose builder and maker was God (at least I know where I'm going!), and I'm sure he had moments of doubt, confusion, and fear. But Abraham never turned back; he obediently followed God's direction. And look how God blessed him.
If Abraham can do it, so can I.
I have four days until I leave, days that will undoubtedly be filled with packing and time spent with family and friends. I probably won't have a chance to write again until I am in Tel Aviv, which is crazy to think about.
So until then, I'll just be still and know that He is God.
That's the only way to describe what I'm feeling right now. Yes, I know that I am moving to one of the most volatile regions in the world. And yes, I understand that I will be far away from my family, my friends, and everything that is familiar to me for a long period of time. And yet, even in spite of these things, I still feel sure that this is exactly what God wants me to do. So I have peace. A strange peace.
This is peace that comes from faith, I suppose: not knowing exactly why God wants you to do something but doing it anyway, confident that the outcome will be far greater than anything you could have come up with on your own.
As we all know, having peace about something doesn't mean that it's easy and goes off without a hitch. I am fully aware that many breakdowns are ahead of me. There will definitely be moments I'll feel completely overwhelmed about the sudden change in culture, language, and routine. But moments of this kind are sure to pass. Abraham took his family and journeyed to a city whose builder and maker was God (at least I know where I'm going!), and I'm sure he had moments of doubt, confusion, and fear. But Abraham never turned back; he obediently followed God's direction. And look how God blessed him.
If Abraham can do it, so can I.
I have four days until I leave, days that will undoubtedly be filled with packing and time spent with family and friends. I probably won't have a chance to write again until I am in Tel Aviv, which is crazy to think about.
So until then, I'll just be still and know that He is God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
