Saturday, September 27, 2008

The First Rains

Many, if not most people would think a rain shower would be a downer during a congregational picnic. And, perhaps in some places that would be true.

However, we haven't seen rain in almost six months. So, our congregation saw the rain as something to rejoice over. We thanked the Lord for his gift, kept the grill going, and tried to huddle under the trees as much as possible until the showers passed.

In the spring, we saw the green hill sides quickly turn to gold, indicating an absence of water. That cycle will begin to reverse soon: the hill sides will start to trade in their golden tone for a beautiful, lush green.

In the next six months, we will get our yearly allotment of water, and our prayer is that God will be very generous toward us.

For the last four years we have had less than our average annual rainfall, which finally created a critical situation. So much so that the government passed a new water conservation law that increased the cost of water used for gardens by almost 100%. Normally restrictions target farms and those that want to wash their cars at home: farms are typically forbidden to water during the middle hours of the day based on the thought that during the hot summer days more water will be needed due to evaporation; and it is forbidden to wash a car at home (though commercial car washes are allowed). So, when private gardens are targeted with restrictions, it is clear, we are in a water crisis. Hopefully, the rain this year will be abundant.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Recently, I was teaching my 1-3 grade class the 10 commandments, and thought it would be a good idea to teach them to Grace at home. She took to them fairly quickly, and could recite them pretty accurately (in four-year-old words, of course) when I called out the number. For example,
Me: "Number 1"
Grace: "Don't have other Gods."
Me: "Number 2"
Grace: "Don't make idols."
Me: "Number 3"
Grace: Listen Here

I burst out laughing when she said that because it was such a cute misspeak, and is the complete antithesis of our lives.

That made me laugh. This made me think:

Last week, I decided that we should start teaching Grace about giving financially to the Lord. Though it is a regular part of our life, it was something that was completely foreign to her.

I started out by explaining to her that when we love Jesus we give him a portion of our money. To some degree, she understands the concept of money. After all, she has a purse with an assortment of coins from here, there and yonder, which she is "saving for her trip to America." (I'm afraid she'll be disappointed in the small return those few coins will bring.) In an effort to encourage her to embrace the idea of giving to the Lord, we explained how the money from the offering box is used. Honestly, they were interesting details, but not critical for this four-year-old.

I tried to make the concept of giving reasonably understandable and doable by giving her two, one shekel coins. I explained that I was giving her two coins and that she might want to put some of that money in the offering box when we went to church later that evening. I even offered to show her where and how.

Clearly, by giving her two coins, I intended for her to give one and keep the other. Though I didn't say it specifically, I thought it would be a no-brainer. I even added, "Whatever you aren't going to give to the Lord, I want you to leave here so that you don't lose it." "Okay," she said, and quickly returned to doing whatever she was doing before I started this life lesson.

An hour or so later as we were gathering our things at the door, I noticed that she had both coins in her hand. Thinking that she had forgotten that detail of my instruction, I reminded her that she should only take what she's going to give to Jesus.

"I know Abba. I'm giving them both." Realizing that she must have misunderstood something in my lesson, I clarified: "Are you sure that's what you want to do? Whatever you aren't giving to the Lord, needs to stay here." "Yes, I love Jesus, so I'm giving them BOTH to Him."

Her simple answer caused me to think: Wow, she got the lesson better than I delivered it. Thank you, Lord! Wow, she got the lesson better than I sometimes get it. Help me, Lord!

My prayer: That the desire to honor, obey, and love Jesus will increase and permeate her life the rest of her life. That my desire to honor, obey and love Jesus will be as real as what my four-year-old modeled that day.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Jerusalem Face Lift

The landscape of Jerusalem is in constant change, and today's report covers two dramatic changes in the appearance of Jerusalem. One is in the Old City, the other in the New City. One isn't terribly surprising, the other,...well, let's just say, I never would have imagined.

New City

One of Jerusalem's major construction undertakings - both in cost and time - is the new light rail system that is supposed to help ease the strain of getting around town, reduce traffic congestion in the city, and reduce pollution. We'll have to wait and see if it accomplishes any of those objectives.

Anyway, the project has finally arrived downtown and Jaffa street has been almost completely removed. It has been reduced to a single lane with the rest of the road completely excavated to lay the foundation of the light rail system.

For those who have spent significant time in Jerusalem, the many appearances of the Jaffa Gate area (the beginning of Jaffa Road) are no longer startling: the area has been lifted and lowered, pushed and pulled, and otherwise dramatically changed a half dozen times since I first came to live in Jerusalem in August 1990.

The change to the downtown segment of Jaffa Road hasn't changed at all during my time here. That is, until now. It will never again be like it was. However, due to all the changes near Jaffa Gate, this change isn't so hard to imagine.

Below are two photos of the area of Jaffa Road and Ben Yehuda.





Old City

You've probably heard the saying: "The more things change, the more they stay the same." What has remained a modest - some would say sloppy and run down - tourist shop in the Old City will no longer be modest or sloppy or rundown. That's right, Ali Baba Souvenir Shop #14 - proprietor, Shaban Amer, a favorite hangout to countless students over the years, is getting a major face lift.

In the late 80's Shabban bought into the Walmart approach to marketing: Moving lots of merchandise at a small profit margin makes both the seller and buyer happy. Shabban continues to secure his customer base with a "one low price, no-bargaining" pricing system, his automatic offer of something to drink - even if you're not buying, his ability to get most anything a customer may want or take them to a friend or relative that offers such an item, his connections throughout the West Bank that can be helpful for the more adventurous students, and his ability to recover purses and/or wallets that have been lifted from unsuspecting tourists/students elsewhere in the market. He's a real hero to many. But if not a hero, most still view Shabban as an honest, reliable vendor. A friend.

Without going into the private details, I can say that over the last x-number of months some business issues have pushed Shabban to give his shop a complete face lift. I'm not talking about a fresh coat of paint. I'm talking (back) wall removal, resurfacing the walls and ceiling arches, fresh paint, new shelving, etc. When the doors reopen, you can expect to see a much larger, cleaner, and more organized shop.

Not only will the shop look different, but the items on the shelves will also be different. Different in the sense that his stock of items will be multiplied. Rather than the narrow range of low budget stock, he will now offer merchandise in both low budget and high ticket price ranges.

A few times Shabban has reminded me of how difficult and expensive the remodeling work is, but he has also assured me that in spite of the expense of this new look and feel, he will remain the same dependable and fair priced shop keeper. The changes are not an effort to change his client base, rather they are an effort to expand his base to include others.

This is what Ali Baba Souvenirs #14 looks like at the moment: