After a morning coffee, as the sun rose, we left the Winnipeg skyline and headed for the blue and pink heavens, landing in Toronto for a late breakfast. 

Enroute we reminisced, thinking back of August, 2011 when we received confirmation that now is the time to go and bless Israel.

We warmly remember the past week with many goodbyes and fervent prayers of friends.  Jewish neighbors came by, covered us with a prayer shawl and in Hebrew, sang a blessing over us.

Psalm 91 was presented to us three times as our source of security and strength. We received that very open-heartedly. We entrust ourselves to the sheltering of the Almighty in whom all darkness and shadow becomes light.


 The desire to be in the midst of  'God's doings' in Israel was deposited into our hearts a long time ago.  Over the years there have been on-going reminders of that desire. 

The bluish green shale rock, picked up on a mountainside during a vacation in B.C., has been part of our household for years.  The shape of it is very similar to that of the tiny country of Israel.  It has been like a silent promise that one day it would be the right time.

The time is now...this Saturday, February 25th!  Our work projects are not yet clearly defined, but we do know we will be serving Russian and Eastern European Jews as they settle into their God-appointed homeland.

We desire, in very practical ways, to share God's heart with those who are seeking a new life in Israel.  Miraculously they are part of the
fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.

And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from Him, "now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever."  Genesis 13: 14-15

Growing up in a conservative Mennonite home, two attitudes have been part of my understanding of myself and my Creator.  The first is a deep awe of the all powerful and wise God who gave me life here on this earth.  Second, the humbling sense of significance accompanying the thought that He would become incarnate in Jesus Christ and invite me not only into His family, but into Himself in Christ.

These understandings generated for me a profound attachment to antiquity, to the Lord God Almighty, the Ancient of Days, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and realization that in some mysterious way I was part of God's chosen people even though I was not Jewish. 

For almost as long as I can remember, and certainly since Grace and I decided to do this journey of life together, I, and we, have had a desire to visit the land that God chose as His land for His people.  We lived that dream back in 1982 when we enjoyed 20 days in the Sinai and Israel, most of them in Jerusalem.  We knew then that we would like to go back, not just to visit, but to work there in some capacity. 





Just to see sights like this at the Western Wall and be touched by some of the power of that place was enough to implant a strong longing to be back.

Bridges for Peace, and particularly the, although limited, relationship with John Howson kept us plugged into the desire to serve, in some capacity, in Israel.  It took some time to conclude my teaching career and, by the Lord's grace, establish the means, to be on our way to live and work in Israel for the next three months.



February 8

If you are wondering 'where in the world is Karmiel', here's a clue:  find the circled name in the middle of the map!

Karmiel is a little town in northern Israel, about 30,000 people, mostly Russian and Eastern European immigrants.  Being only 10 miles from the Lebanese border, we do have some concerns re safety.  We remind ourselves that citizens deal with that kind of tension every day.

The organization we are going with, Bridges for Peace, has been involved in Israel since 1976, building understanding and relationships between Christians and Jews, bringing God's love, mercy and hope through education and practical assistance.  Between Jerusalem and Karmiel, BFP feeds 27,000 people every month.

We have been assigned to assist new immigrants with the maintenance of their homes and the packaging of welcome gift and cheer baskets.  What that will all look like we have yet to see!  Please check out www.bridgesforpeace.com/in-action ( Working on the Front Line) for a fuller description of the work in Karmiel.  Also, consider subscribing to their classy, colorful updates magazine Dispatch From Jerusalem (on front page of the website).

Our primary concern, at this point, is to get ourselves there.  Once we arrive in TelAviv on Feb. 26, we need to catch a train to Akko which is where we will be meeting a BFP volunteer and then on "home" to our apartment.