On the Journey...with Alan Vanderkolk
 

Dear Friends and Family,


Tonight (Friday, September 18, 2009) at sundown is the Sabbath and also begins the Jewish New Year, 5770. The new year, Rosh Ha Shanna, is celebrated for two days. Some friends are coming down from Jerusalem to celebrate and get away from the city a few days. We have been cleaning and getting some food ready. They have been cooking up a feast and set the table up above. The Biblical feast on this day is the Feasts of Trumpets, Yom Teruah (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6). There is a lady coming to spend a few days in prayer next week and after that, a group of four guys from Kansas is going to spend a couple of days with us. There are always things going on here.

A local school teacher is going to hold a seminar here next week to talk to her class about the ancient Christ’s Thorn Jujube tree (Ziziphus spina-christi). The park here has the oldest one of these trees in the country, believed to be somewhere between 300-1,000 years old. This kind of tree does not have rings, so it cannot be dated that way. Tradition has it that the crown of thorns that Christ wore was made from this kind tree and thus the name.

I am still taking care of the grounds, repairing, doing maintenance, etc…, learning all kinds of new things and getting to know the guys at the local hardware store. I also try to grab a Hebrew lesson off of YouTube once in a while. I like this one and am still working on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1FvelfM-U&feature=fvst. The latest phrase I have been using is: “Shana Tova” (Happy New Year).

I just finished reading 1 & 2 Samuel and am now reading 1 Kings. God has been showing me all kinds of lessons. This book is full of timeless instructions. :-) Thank you so much for your prayers.

Grace and Peace (Shalom),
~Alan Vanderkolk