On the Journey...with Alan Vanderkolk

May 15, 2009

 

It is hard to believe yet another week has passed already.  As they say, “time flies when you are having fun.”

I am continuing to make progress on the prayer and study room.  I am almost done with the second coat of paint.  I have a little tile work to do and then some cleanup work.  I would also like to put some flooring down in the hallway.  We will see how that goes.  It is looking good.  It will be exciting to see prayer groups and others begin to use it.  I have enjoyed listening to some praise and worship music while working on this project.  The camels came back and visited me again the other day.  It makes life interesting having them around.

 

I have also done a few other odd jobs around the park.  I fixed a leaky drain the other day.  I repaired the old door on the white building on the tel because it blew apart in a dust storm a while back and needed a little TLC.  I have helped to spray the weeds (see picture below).  I have also done a little pruning on the trees.  There are always a few things that need attention.  I am thankful to my dad for all the home improvement and gardening skills he taught me.  I never expected to be using them here in Israel.

 

I have also learned a few Hebrew phases.  It was interesting to hear them in use.  Our guard dog, Shimshon (Samson in Hebrew) or Shimmy for short, is given his commands in Hebrew…like come, wait a minute, good, etc…  The other day Chris and I heard a mother giving her small child the same commands:  come, wait a minute, good.  We smiled at each other as we have often heard Trina using the same commands in the same tone of voice for Shimmy.  Here is a picture of him with a camel bone he found in the desert.

 

I have been reading in Deuteronomy.  This is the area where the Israelites wandered for 40 years.  In Deut. 2:1 is says, “Then we turned back and set out towards the desert along the route to the Red Sea, as the Lord directed me.  For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.”  And in verse 8, “So we went on past our brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir.  We turned from the Arava Road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber and traveled along the desert road of Moab.”  The mountain range where I watch the sun rise up from each morning is still called the Mountains of Seir.  They are in Jordan, where the descendants of Esau lived.  This land of Biblical Tamar Park was an oasis/watering stop on the Arava Road leading up from the Red Sea.  I wonder at times if the Israelites camped here on their wanderings and if the tabernacle was ever set up here.  It is hard to know.  There are some who believe that they did.  If it happened or not, only the Lord knows.  What I do know is that it is a great place to meet with the Lord today.

It is hard to believe that two-thirds of my time here has already gone by and I have only 10 more days left.   Need to make each day count.

Grace and Peace (Shalom),

Alan Vanderkolk