March 26, 2008

Greeting to Familes and Friends of the work/tour group now in Jerusalem. We have just ended our tours here and will be leaving the hotel about 1:30 a.m. tomorrow. We spent most of today walking in the old city entering at Stephen's Gate. We followed the stations of the cross and exited near the Wailing Wall. We have a brief meeting late this afternoon and will then prepare for our trip home.

We thank God for health and safety and for your interest and prayers.

From the work/tour group.

Tuesday, March 25th

Today we toured with our guide and bus driver. The day began with our trip to Bethlehem. We were able to support the local economy by purchasing gifts at a local cooperative. In conversation with the shop keeper we learned that he was a graduate of the Evangelical Boys School in Hebron that was supported for many years by MCC and operated by Aida and Ida Stoltzfus.

After Bethlehem we visited Yad Vashem, and then visited Ein Karem the home of Zachariah and Elizabeth and the place of Mary's visitation to Elizabeth. We returned to our hotel and had dinner with Ryan Lehman and Bassem Taba who shared about the current programs of MCC.

Tomorrow is our last day of being in Jerusalem and we will be walking inside the Old City of Jerusalem. We are all looking forward to returning home to our families and loved ones on Thursday.

Blessings to each of you,

Bob, for the group

Lancaster greetings

Greetings everyone! The East Chestnut Street SS class has been trying to keep up with your activity...thankful for health and the good work you've done in Nazareth. Had a good Easter message from Pastor Sue about Mary in the garden -- was easy thinking of you being there! All's well here except for a heart scare with Connie. Thankfully, cath Monday 3/24 revealed a false positive. Blessings as you prepare to say goodbye and will be praying for safe travels home. --Sue Shirk

Easter Monday

We have been to the Dead Sea area today. Saw Masada (scaled it by cable car)...then on to Qumran, and Jericho....and all within that area, including Mount of Temptation. It was incredibly hot....low 90's or more...dry, dry, dry....tried dipping in the Dead Sea.....and so glad for shade and fluids at every point.

All are well, and tomorrow we head to Bethlehem in the morning, and in the afternoon we are scheduled to see West Jerusalem, the Kinneset, Holocust Museum, Ein Karem, the home of John the Baptist, etc. In the evening we have invited the MCC couple, Heather and Ryan Lehman, to come and speak to us of their work in this city.

We are being fed well, and any pounds we may have lost in Nazareth, have been regained in the abundance of hotel food. We have shared almost every evening about the sites we have visited each day, one person having prepared in advance to expand our understanding of these places of interest.

Off to a good night of sleep we hope! We are getting eager to see all of you soon.

With our love and prayers,

Nancy for all of us

Easter Sunday - 10:00pm

Greetings from Jerusalem!

We arrived here safely late afternoon yesterday after a great send-off from our Nazareth friends, and after a good day of touring from there to here. We went first to Haifa where we worshipped with Garry and Ruth Denlinger and their Messianic congregation, then to the place of Elijah having challenged the prophets of Baal, and then on to Caesaerea, and Joppa, where Peter had his life-changing vision, and where Jonah took a ship to Tarshish instead of Ninevah.

And then we came up to Jerualem and arrived about 6:30pm, had dinner and a short debriefing time together and then to comfortable beds in our new location, a hotel that is about three years old, and stands where "no-man's land" once was, then the border between Israel and Jordan.

This morning we worshipped in the Garden Tomb, and then went up the Mt of Olives, and walked down to the place remembering Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, Garden of Gethsamene, place of burial of the His mother Mary, and then came into the old city through Stephan's gate, and walked through the Moslem quarter and exited at Damascus Gate. It was in the high 80's today with brillant sunshine. Tonight Dale and Anita Thorne, good old friends of Martins from Nazareth, invited us to come and see the House of Prayer they are developing here in Jerusalem.

We are unable to give you photos from Jerusalem because we lack the USB cable to camera, so words will need to do. We have remembered all of you, our families and friends, on this special day, and trust that you too have celebrated Jesus today with us.

All are well, with the exception of one sore knee, and we are off early in the morning for a day of touring by bus Jericho, Masada, and the Dead Sea area with a guide.

Will try to post tomorrow night as well.

Nancy for all of us

Friday, March 21

Greetings to our Friends and Families,

Sorry we lost the script that was to go with the pictures so now we will try again.

Since our project at the nurses' residence was completed after floor waxing today, we have refinished several pieces of furniture, cut down a tree, sewed curtains, painted a railing and cleaned our flats. At four o'clock today we all are invited to a local home for tea. We have been enjoying the local hospitality.

Most evenings we have been meeting as a group to discuss the Biblical sites we have visited and to meditate on Holy Week. Four of the pictures sent on the last blog were taken at one of those meetings.

At noon time today we watched as the last truck load of cement was pumped up to the roof of the new OR. A picture was included in our last blog.

We will be in Jerusalem from Saturday to early Thursday morning when we leave for home.
We are not sure if we will have a computer available to blog during those days.

Thanks for your interest, support and prayers.

Reported by Roy and Esther

March 21

H

Thursday, March 20th

We were successful in meeting our deadline, which was today at 1:30pm, when the hospital had scheduled a knaffe (the cadillac of local desserts) party for us and all the hospital staff who wished to come, esp. the maintenance staff. We did it in local style, working up to the last minute to get the floors done, but wonder of wonders it all came together. And in the speeches that were given, it was obvious that the hospital leadership was sincerely grateful and amazed that we got it all done. They said to Bob that hopefully this kind of teamwork could happen every six months or every year. I responded that such a comment is like saying to a newly delivered mother, "hopefully you will do this again!"

To all of you who have been supporting us in prayers and thought, and financially, you would have been pleased to see the outcome, as we are. We have all learned alot about each other, from each other, and from the local staff. Elvin Weaver coordinated all very well, and the rest of us followed well, and the comment was made today that the other half of the building had been done by a local contractor, and it was clear to those in attendance that we did a better job.

Tomorrow we are told that there remain some jobs for us elsewhere, but the mountain is behind us, and we are headed to Jerusalem Sat. morning, but not until one last good day here.

Signed: Nancy Martin

March 19

Greeting Friends and Families,

The jobs at the nurses' residency were putting in screens, washing windows, washing and polishing floors and doing final touch-up with paint. Some masonry was repaired. While these jobs were being done, several of the women cut out fabric for new drapes for several flats.

After lunch we were given a tour of the construction of the new OR floor of the hospital. Tomorrow they will be pouring forty truck loads of cement on the roof. We also visited the unfinished basement of the nursing school where future plans call for an auditorium and social area.

This evening half of our group will be visiting and sharing a meal in Palestinian Arab homes. Then tomorrow evening the remainder of the group will do the same.

Thanks Lois Weaver for your blog and pictures.

Signing off for today.

Reported by Roy and Esther