On the Journey...with Alan Vanderkolk

May 8, 2009

 

It is hard to believe that another week has passed.  My time in the desert is going well.  Most days I get up around 5:30 a.m.  I put on some music, make myself a cup of tea, shave, take a shower and get dressed.  That takes me till about 6:00 a.m.  I then spend about an hour with the Lord, reading scripture and praying as I walk around the perimeter of the park.  The sun has been rising around 6:15 a.m.  The picture above was taken from my front door a few mornings ago.  I then grab some breakfast around 7:00 a.m.  Chris and Trina are usually in the kitchen area by that time.  We each make our own breakfast and spend a little time talking about life.  We then have a staff prayer time before we start work for the day.  I usually head off to caravan #8 where I am working on a remodeling project.  Years ago the fist park manager, Asher, lived in this trailer.  I am converting the kitchen and living room area into a room where people can come and spend time in prayer and study.

I have torn out the old kitchen counter and cabinets, reworked the plumbing, and built a wall in the hallway to separate the bathroom and bedroom in this caravan from the prayer and study area.  I then cut an opening in the wall and installed a door going directly into this area.  This is so people can come and go into the prayer and study area without bothering anyone who might be staying or sleeping in the other half of the caravan. I also had to do some rewiring so that the switches and lights worked in the right rooms.   I just finished the mudding and taping of the drywall.  So far the project is looking good.

 

Life in Israel is a little different.  It seems like everything is an adventure.  Getting the outside door I needed was an all-day project.   The local hardware store in Hatzeva only had inside doors so we had to go to Beersheva, over an hour away.  We went to three different hardware stores but could not find a door.  One of them had a very expensive display modal, but it would take three weeks to order it and it was not in our price range.  People kept telling us to go to a different place, but those places did not have any doors.  While walking the streets in the old part of Beersheva, I saw this side shop with some doors inside.  I found one that would work.  We made a deal using a couple of Hebrew phases that Trina knew and by writing the price on a piece of paper.  The man built a frame and installed the hinges and… we had a door!  The door we got, pictured above, is leaning over the window.  I am holding the part of the wall I cut out.

One day as I was working, our Bedouin neighbor’s camels came and hung out in front of my trailer all afternoon before moving on.  A picture of them is is shown below.  These camels belong to the brother of Mohamed.  It was for Mohamed’s son that we had the baby shower last February.  In February the little baby was sick and had to go to the hospital a number of times.  Mohamed mentioned to Trina the other day that his little boy is doing much better now.

I usually break for lunch at noon, as do Chris and Trina.  They are doing other work here around the park.  After lunch I head back to work till around 5:00 p.m.  Trina usually makes the evening meal and the three of us sit down together and eat around 6:00 p.m.  I clean up first and Trina is often still cooking when I come in.  I check my emails and Facebook or sometimes do this after we eat.  Then I hang out with Chris and Trina in the evening.  Sometimes we play cards, like Rummy 500.  We may go for a walk or watch a movie together.   The sun sets early here around 7:00 p.m.   Chris brought along some movies and we watch them on our laptops.  I usually head to bed around 10 p.m.  We are all doing well.  It really feels like everything is running smooth.

Grace and Peace (Shalom),

Alan Vanderkolk