Bits and Pieces: Part 2

- I will miss the food here. If you've never had a good falafel or shawarma, you're missing out big time.

- I don't even really like swimming, but I am so proud to say that I have swum in the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, and the Mediterranean Sea.

- Heat rashes are not fun at all. But the tan is worth it.

- One of my new life goals is to become fluent in as many languages as I can. The top two on my to-learn list right now are French and Hebrew.

- There's a good chance that if you pass me on the road when I'm back in Canada I will be the one cutting people off and honking at everybody because I'm getting very comfortable with the way of driving here.

- It has become apparent to me that my valiant efforts to pack light have really only resulted in me not having enough clothes here. Oops.

- You wouldn't believe how many stray cats there are around here. Most of them are so cute! But don't worry, I don't touch them. I only coo at them from afar.

- As much as I appreciate my modern appliances back home, I think I will miss the simplicity of hanging my clothes out to dry on the clothes line.

God Listens.

Hey family and friends,

I am so blessed that people read this blog. Even though I am not able to write about everything that happens here, it is so important to me to be able to share little parts of it. There are a million stories here that need to be shared.

Want to know how to pray for us?

1. This is our last week in Nazareth before moving on to Bethlehem. Please pray that we will be able to shine with Christ's love and light in our last days here so that we may make a lasting impression on the people we have met, just as they have left impressions on our hearts.

2. Pray that God will make leaving here and the transition to Bethlehem go smoothly. Spending four weeks here means that we have made wonderful friendships and we feel at home, but it also means that even the thought of leaving is incredibly painful. Pray that we will be excited for what God has in store for us in the next few weeks and that we will not be hindered by sadness for leaving this amazing place.

3. Pray for the people we have met, spent time with, and have worked with in the last four weeks, that those who are Christians will be encouraged and strengthened in their faith and those who do not yet know Jesus will be affected by our conversations and our example and will seek to know the true God.

Thank-you for your continued support, it is such a blessing.

Carly

Culture.

Some of the best days are also the hardest days.

Wednesday and Thursday last week I had the opportunity to switch my placement a bit and volunteer on the Maternity ward. If you know me at all, you know that caring for babies all day is one of my favourite things to do.

The best parts of the day were dressing the babies after their baths, syringe feeding some of the smallest ones, and picking them up to cuddle them when they cried. There are few feelings that match the ones when a tiny baby cuddles into your chest and falls asleep.

Unlike hospitals in Canada, most of the babies here are kept in one room - the nursery. The mothers come in various times in the day to take their babies to their rooms and feed them and spend time with them. The method of care is simply different.

The cultural differences between Israel and Canada surround me constantly. How people drive. The food. The music. The noise, including church bells, the Muslim call to prayer five times a day, wedding music, fireworks, and car horns. The way I feel walking down the street. The underlying tensions between religions and between people groups. These are all present all the time, but none of them affected me the way that the differences on the Maternity floor affected me.

Before we left for this trip we talked about being "learners." We discussed the fact that the purpose and goal for our trip is not to come in and try to fix problems and teach people the Western way to do it, even if it seems like a good way and it works for us. We came with the expectation of learning from the people here and listening to their stories and their experiences. This week, it became very clear to me how I needed to humble myself and be a learner while in my placement. Some of the things that I observed seemed very strange and at first assessment wrong in my opinion, but I quickly checked myself and realized that how I was assessing the situation was wrong. I was not there to compare Canadian and Israeli medical systems or to fix what I saw as problems. My purpose was to help where I was needed, learn what I could from the nurses, and pray at all times.

In the end I was very glad that I got to spend two days caring for, cuddling, and praying over tiny newborn babies. How blessed am I!? I am thankful to God for these amazing opportunities.

Bits and Pieces

 - Hummus here is unreal. Nothing like we have in Canada. My favourite meal here is pita with hummus and olive oil.

 - I now know how to say "thank-you" in quite a few different languages, which comes in handy because I don't think I've ever said it more in my life than I have here.

 - There is a rat living in our kitchen. As I type this, the boys and Dara are trying to catch and kill it.

 - It is amazing how much I feel at home here, which makes the thought of leaving so incredibly painful. I have never encountered more kind and hospitable people.

 - It is really difficult to not speak Arabic or Hebrew (except for "thank-you" and a couple other phrases). I feel like I can only build relationships with people to a certain point before language becomes a major barrier and communication breaks down. I have been praying that God would work in my heart and in the people I come in contact with to allow me to express the love of Christ even without words.

Answered Prayers.

Today we prayed that God would keep us safe and hear our cry for help when our van died on the side of the highway on the way to Haifa/Caesarea.

Today an older gentleman named Sam prayed that God would make him a blessing to someone, that he would make something of his life so that he wouldn't feel lazy or useless.

God is forever faithful and orchestrated the crossing of our paths. We spent the day exploring incredible old ruins, swimming in the Mediterranean, and singing hymns with our new friend Sam.

Friends, God is good. All the time.

Adventures.

And it's been a week again since I have let all of you lovely people know about the wonderful things that we are doing here in Israel. My sincere apologies, however I think I have had no trouble with embracing this "hot climate" culture and am content to focus on relationships over tasks, and that is what we have been doing this week.

Last week was a full week of our placements here at the hospital and in the community. I was on the medical floor Monday and Tuesday, and Dave and I got to meet and spend some time talking to the charge nurse Nassim. I was so blessed and nearly brought to tears by how he talked about his life and his country. The more time I spend here I realize how little I really know of the situation and the conflict between Arabs and Jews, but I am also realizing how much more complicated it is than that. There are tensions between so many different groups and I can only listen to people's stories and pray that God brings peace to this holy but hurting land.
Wednesday and Thursday were spent at CEF with Colin, where we served where we could and hung out with our Irish friends. We had to say good-bye to them on Thursday, and once again I am reminded of how life is made up of seasons, even though this is a season that I don't want to end.

Friday we did some group work on the campus, and then tackled the Jesus Trail from Nazareth to Cana. Five hours, a few wrong turns, and many steps later, we arrived in Cana, where we ate, then missed the bus, got a ride home (such a blessing, thank-you Jesus!) with a man who invited us to his wife's cousin's wedding at the end of the month!

Yesterday we borrowed a beautiful blue and white VW van named Betty White and traveled to the Sea of Galilee. Many adventures followed, including climbing up to a fortress that is built into the cliff side of Mt. Arbel, visiting Caperneum, a boat ride on the Sea, eating St. Peter's fish, reading the Matthew 5 on the Mount of Beatitudes, swimming in the Jordan River AND the Sea of Galilee, and stumbling across a night market in Tiberias. It was a very long and very busy day, but it was wonderful.

And today we're off to Caesarea to see ruins and lie on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. Praise be to God!

Blessings,
Carly

Marhaba.

Welcome to my home.

Hope this gives you a small taste of what I've been doing in the last week or so!

Blessings,
Carly

Get to Know Dara.

Want to know my team members better? Then you're in the right place! Today I talked to Dara-bear:

Carly: How are you feeling today Dara? 

Dara: Awesome! I just had baklava, so that makes me feel great. 

C: What did you do today? 

D: This morning I went and sang in the Italian hospital and I prayed for people. Then we came back and played with some kids in the pediatric ward. After that we went and talked with nursing students in the nursing school, went and visited you, and hung around in the old city. Every time I go to the nursing school I get really excited to talk to them, they're very energetic. 

C: What is one thing you're really looking forward to in the next few days? 

D: I'm really excited to go and talk to people again in chaplaincy tomorrow. Whether they speak English or not I really like talking to them. Also whatever we do on Saturday will be very fun. Do we know what we're doing yet? I don't know. It will be fun. 

C: What has God been teaching you during our time here? 

D: Definitely how to hear his voice and how to be bold when I ask on it. How to be more sensitive to his "nudges" and then acting on it. Like today there was an old man in the Italian hospital, his face was so wrinkled I could hardly tell what his facial expressions were. Then I felt a nudge telling me to pray for him even though I didn't know if he was a Christian or not. So I asked him, and he said "ok" so I prayed for him. 

C: I don't know what else to ask you, I'm pretty tired.

D: Well then, I just want to tell you how wonderful you are and how much I love you. I feel like we get to know each other better every single day, and the more I know you, the more I appreciate you. We get along so well, and that makes me very happy. Love you friend!

And that's part of why I love Dara and I love living with her. God knew what he was doing when he placed both of us on this team. 

Blessings, 

Carly

Overflowing.

Well, that time has come. The time where I am five days behind on blogging and there is so much that has happened, I can't even begin to write or explain it all.

But know this: We have been blessed beyond belief. I am overflowing with the goodness of God. We came here to learn and to serve others, but we have been served and blessed and taught and welcomed like none of us ever imagined could happen.

It is hard to believe that we have been here a week. Only three more weeks here in Nazareth seems like far too short. The weather, people, and culture are amazing.

A brief overview of what we have done in the last week:

Wednesday - A study day for the hospital where we listened to three different speakers/pastors in three sessions speak about legacy, inheritance, and the fragrance of Christ. It was wonderful. I got to hang out with an incredibly cute three year old boy named Majt which means Glory in English and his baby brother Nour, which means Light. Also Nour and I got engaged, and their father blessed the union.

Thursday - We started our second placements. Colin and I were at CEF, which stands for Child Evangelism Fellowship. While we didn't actually hang out with any children, we did do odd jobs and fellowshipped with a group of Irish skilled labourers who were doing some work on and around the building. Most of the time we weren't completely sure that they were speaking English.

Friday - Group work day! We cleaned out a room on the hospital campus, hauled load after load of garbage to the dumpster, laundry to the laundry department, and books to another room. It was hard work, but we managed to empty and clean up the room quite nicely. In the evening we took a taxi to Nazareth Illit and went to a Messianic Jew youth group. It was great. They were also very welcoming, and we really enjoyed getting to know the youth there. After the meeting we walked to a coffee shop in Nazareth Illit and spent another hour or so together, getting to know each other and finding out the differences between Israel and Canada.

Saturday - Five of the group went to Haifa by bus to see the Baha'i gardens and spend time on the beach. Chiantelle and I decided to stay back and go to the Messianic Jew church. After almost an hour of walking we arrived in Nazareth Illit and worshipped with the believers. Their worship was wonderful, and the sermon was preached in Russian and translated into English and Hebrew. The mix of languages in this city is amazing. After church we grabbed a bite to eat with some of the same youth from the night before, and then we spent the rest of the day with three of the guys that we had met. We walked into Nazareth, visited a guest house, ate a meal together at a really nice restaurant, and then went back to the hospital and played some games and music.

Sunday - Happy Mother's Day! Six of us, minus Stephen, went to the Church of the Nazarene. Their worship is powerful. Even though it is all in Arabic, it is clear that God is present and working in people's lives. After the service we fellowshipped for a while, then Chiantelle, Dave, and Matt were invited to lunch at a family's house. Dara, Colin, and I walked around to find some flowers and treats for Gail, our British/Israeli mum, which we will give to her with a card later this afternoon.

That about catches us up on the events that have happened in the last week. I'm sorry that I do not have more room to convey more detailed stories and feelings, but you will just have to ask me about that when I'm back in Canada!

Love, Peace, Blessings,
Carly

الحمد لله

Praise to God!

I'm twenty-one. I'm in Nazareth, Israel. I am surrounded by amazing people. I am seeing and feeling things that I can't even put into words.

Some of the blessings of today:
- Chiantelle surprised me (woke me from a deep sleep) to skype with my mom this morning (love you mama!)
- The boys made breakfast which included watermelon, nectarines, and grapes. YUM.
- We started our placements today. Dave and I were in the hospital on the medical floor. There was a bit of a miscommunication and the charge nurse wasn't there but another wonderful nurse took us under her wing and made sure that we had things to do. We basically worked as nurse aids - took patients to various tests, ran samples to the lab, changed and cleaned beds. We interacted with the wonderful staff and I felt like I was able to communicate non-verbally to a certain extent with one girl who didn't speak English, which was great.
- I learned how to count to ten in Arabic!
- Enjoyed dinner and cake with Steve and Gail, our Israel parents. They are such a blessing to us. They gave me a card that everyone had signed which brought me to tears. It was so sweet.
- The team played a game with Steve and Gail that allowed us to learn more about how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. It was really interesting, and I really enjoyed getting to know everyone a bit better.

Tomorrow is a "study day." I don't fully know what it means, but I know that we won't be at our usual placements but we will be helping with various tasks at the hospital and serving the hospital staff.

Blessings,
Carly

Unity.

This song that I learned while I was in Africa has been on my mind the last few days and I keep singing/praying it over our team:

"Bind us together Lord, 

     Bind us together Lord, 

     Bind us together with love." 

You can pray this with me. 

Also we start our placements tomorrow in the hospital and in the community. Pray that we will be open to what God has planned for us to do and for the people that he has planned for us to meet. 

بركة

Carly

He is Risen Indeed.

Happy Easter!

Most of the Westerners reading this will be wondering why I am greeting you in that way. It is because we celebrated Easter here today as it falls on the Eastern Orthodox calendar. We got up early - after a much needed, wonderful sleep - and walked down to the hospital chapel and partook in a sunrise service where we sang hymns in Arabic and English at the same time. Matt, the Serve Nazareth coordinator preached and Reverend Suhail translated it into Arabic. It was such a beautiful time, remembering Christ's sacrifice and the joy of the Resurrection while overlooking the city of Nazareth and the surrounding hillsides. I can't get over the fact that I'm living in the same place where Jesus grew up.
The girls then joined our "Israel parents" at the Church of the Nazarene which was a powerful, Spirit filled church service completely in Arabic, although a wonderful man sat by us and translated the sermon and the prayers for us. I loved just standing there with my eyes closed while the congregation praised our God and Risen Savior in another language. It was amazing.
After church we joined up with the guys who had gone to the Church of the Annunciation for mass. We explored a bit of Nazareth and a shopping centre called "Big Fashion" which was very Western and where we're sure that most of the people in the stores assumed we were Jewish, as a few greeted us with "Shalom" and then looked a bit surprised as we answered, "Hi."
We then walked back to the hospital campus to have lunch, which was quite the trek. I now know that Jesus must have been extremely fit, because even though buildings change, the geography of the hills do not, and I can assure you that they are steep. Add that to the heat of the middle of the day, and you have a tired group by the end. But we survived and are determined to force our bodies into submission and conquer the hills as often as we can.
This afternoon we walked over to Nazareth Illite, which is the newer, Jewish part of Nazareth which is up on the hilltop overlooking the main city of Nazareth which is prominently Arab. There was a very noticeable difference between the streets where we live and Nazareth Illite, which is partly due to the fact that it is newer as well as the fact that they receive more money from the government to take care of the streets. After looking at the very large, very intimidating government buildings, sneaking into a cultural centre to find a washroom, exploring a couple of shopping centres and a great outdoor market, Dave, Chiantelle, and I headed back to the hospital (and climbed the same hill we did earlier but this time in more shade... you can see that we will get in shape very quickly). Matt, Colin, Stephen, and Dara hiked up to the top of the Mount of Precipice to watch the sunrise. They said nothing but amazing things about it and I'm sure we will hike back up there for either sunrise or sunset one day.
After we all arrived back at the campus, we joined up with Steve and Gail, our "Israel parents" as well as a couple other ladies who live near us on the campus and had a wonderful time of worship. Matt played the guitar and we just kept singing worship songs and the ones that Matt didn't know the chords to we just sang a cappella. The combination of voices in the still evening accentuated by the occasional Muslim call to prayer was powerful.

As you can tell, we had a very full day, filled with so many blessings and amazing experiences. I can hardly wait to start our placements and to meet more people, and at the same time I would like time to stop so that I don't have to leave. I have a feeling that the end of four weeks here will come far too soon. I am praying, and you can pray with me, that my team and I will make the most of every moment that we have here and allow God to work in our hearts and lives with every breath we take. I pray that God will open our eyes to every opportunity we have to meet people and build relationships and that we would grasp hold of these and not let them go.

Have a great afternoon! It is 10pm here and we are exhausted from our day, so it is time for us to sleep.
Blessings,
Carly

Welcome to the Land of Milk and Honey

Fun fact: this whole page is in Hebrew, so I really don't know what any of the buttons or links mean. 

Not so fun fact: I wrote a whole post to update you all, and I pressed the wrong button (because I can't read Hebrew) and I accidentally deleted it. 

So, since I am very tired and do not want to write the whole thing out again, here is the short version: 

We are safe and sound in NAZARETH! With all of our bags and no problems with airport security! Praise God! 

We were met by the kindest people who have already blessed us incredibly. 

We are very tired. Ten hour time changes are not kind to the body or mind (see what I did there?). 

It is gloriously sunny and warm here. 

I and my whole team are SO incredibly thankful for all of your prayers, and so thankful to God for bringing us here to this place at this time. More later, for now, sleep. 

Blessings, 

Carly

And we're off!!

Thank-you YVR wifi for allowing me to write this post!

Our team (minus one) is currently sitting in the airport waiting to board our nine hour flight to London. We are all very excited. We just spent a few days at a retreat centre preparing for our trip and becoming closer as a team.

Prayer Requests:

1. That our flight would be on time. That we would be safe and not go crazy on our long flights.
2. That we would have fun during the few hours we are in London.
3. That Nita (our missing team member) would have patience and peace as she waits for her visa to come through so that she can join us!
4. For continued good health.
5. For unity, peace, and the attitude of learners.

Thank-you all for your prayers and support. We are so blessed by all of your love.

Blessings,
Carly